Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 56: Ambush

Long ear twitching and brushing against Sinmir's thick neck, he twined his clawed fingers together in a self-conscious attempt to keep his grip.

A few seconds later, however, they went limp. Ella rolled her eyes and bent down, taking off her backpack and tearing into it. After a moment, she pulled out a small strip of white cloth and approached the two of them.

"Phil, grab both of your elbows," she snapped. "Right now."

He did so without complaint. 

The motion scooted him into a much more comfortable position on Sinmir's back. Ella promptly began to wind the white cloth around his overlapping forearms in neat circles.

I'm like a mummy! he thought with a dazed chuckle. Mummy-Phil!

Ella stared at him when he peered owlishly over Sinmir's shoulder, lips curling back over her teeth. 

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she snorted, stepping back. "He'll stay now. Tug too hard and it'll come undone, but it's better than you choking."

"Thanks for the help," Sinmir said, hefting his weight.

"Indeed," Ella confirmed, grabbing her pack and marching away. "Follow me."

Sinmir turned to follow her, each step sending a small bounce through Xaphile's body. He coughed a few times, but luckily he wasn't hit with a major fit.

"We should get going," Gus said, tucking the map into his pocket. "Should I lead?"

"Yes," Ella confirmed, nodding. "I'll go second; Amelia and Vrael, you two take up the rear. Sinmir, follow me."

"Understood," the prince retorted, arms clenching tight around Xaphile's thighs. "Let's move."

Thus, they started walking without preamble. For a while, the motion of Sinmir's steps made relaxing impossible. 

Soon, however, he got used to the man's rhythm and loosened up. He drifted in and out of a doze, remembering vaguely that he'd always fallen asleep on car trips as a kid.

Something about the constant motion and the unbroken hum of tires on pavement had lulled him like nothing else could, but this whole piggy-backing thing was turning out to have a similar effect. 

Between one mini-doze and the next, they made the journey through the silver forests towards the spot Gus was leading them to, branches passing their shadows over his face between one instant and the next. 

It was during one of these moments that he felt it.

His eyes flashed open with shocking lucidity and his arms tightened around Sinmir's neck.

A violent shiver swept through him and his eyes slowly shifted.

"Stop!" he croaked in a voice so hoarse it sounded like paper ripping. "STOP!"

Everyone halted and looked at him when he laboriously lifted his head. He stared off at something in the woods with huge eyes, flushed face turning oddly chalky.

What is it? Ella silently demanded, looking back at him and following his gaze. Tell me!

That thing from the woods is back, he explained, staring at the fire-eyed child with unblinking eyes. It simply stood there, a menacing-looking specter. It's looking right at me...

And it was.

The creature was standing there, long hair drifting around... but then, eyes widening, it turned and fled.