World Leapers Book I: The Forest

The Captured

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His eyes closed, Terran shivered and pulled his cloak a little tighter around his shoulders. The ground was wet, and it slipped and squished underneath him as he dug his back into the ground and tried to wiggle into a more comfortable position. He opened his eyes. A mist of raindrops was falling from the dark gray morning clouds overhead, cascading through the tree branches and dripping onto the forest floor.

The acrid scent wafting from Grood's skin suddenly filled Terran's nostrils, and he realized the Seafarer captain's forearm was flung over his chest. Grood had managed to roll over in his sleep and was now nestled up against Terran's side, snoring loudly. Terran grunted and pushed Grood's arm off his chest, then rolled over towards River.

He stopped halfway through rolling over, and lay silent propped halfway up on his side, staring up at a slight rustling and movement in the dropping branches overhead. Through the dim morning mist, he could see a bird perched directly above him, staring down with black beady eyes.

Chick.

Chick-a-dee-dee.

"Riv!"

River rustled awake, shook the raindrops out of his hair, then turned over towards Terran. His cheeks were streaked with mud from laying facedown on the forest floor.

"Huh?"

"The bird! It's back!"

River lay for a moment on his back, rain dripping onto his face as he looked up at the branch.

"It is the same one, huh?"

From across the circle, Wisp's voice crackled, "I do believe 'tis a portan, indeed."

Terran remembered back to Tink's words in the Katewean village. Magical creatures which hold a knowledge of other-worlds...creatures equipped to lead a chosen few across a portal into these other dimensions...other existences...other...

"Other worlds." River interrupted Terran's thoughts. "Other worlds, brother. That bird led us here, to Arbore. To this world, and it can lead us ba–"

Enya sat up, rubbing her eyes and interrupting River. "Us too. We followed it to Geweald."

Tink, who was laying by Wisp, pulled his knees to his chest and sat up. "I myself am suspect of that tiny beast. It has led us to no good. Perhaps it is a shramana in disguise, or some scithrin-bird cross-breed, or an evil spirit possessing–"

Wisp interjected over the noise of Grood rolling to his side and mumbling in his sleep. "It is good. Just look at it, Tink."

Tink stopped talking and, along with Terran, River and Enya looked up and studied the bird. It cocked its head and fluffed its wings, then hopped up and down on the branch several times, its tiny feet and thin claws clutching the soaked bark. Then it jumped to another branch, peeked down at them again, and released a quiet chirp.

Aria, still sprawled out on the wet ground, had now opened her eyes and was staring up at the bird with the rest of them. She gave a sleepy half-smile. "It is good. I know it. I can feel it. It is here for a reason. A magical..." She hesitated. "...a magical...how did you call it, Tink?"

"Portan. And look! It is on the move."

At Tink's words, the chickadee opened its wings and flew over their heads, landing nearly fifty feet away in a tree overhead, traveling north towards Castilla. Wisp placed both her hands on her thighs and pressed against her legs to stand to her feet, her knees popping and creaking as she rose. "It is taking us back to tha' city, I'm thinkin'. Back to the Master. An' we must go. I've a hunch that little creature is a strong sign for us - an' offers better hope than sleepin' in tha' mud out here in the thick o' the trees."