For the Love of Netty

TWELVE

Netty's POV
After a long time of traveling, night fell on the world. We found a large, open cave, and we tied up Cookie and Shadow to a tree, who settled down comfortably on the ground underneath it.

"Squid, it's been a long time. Are you sure Tom's still here? I mean, he has to be. Where else would he go?" I asked, starting a small fire in the cave. He nodded. "Of course. It's been three days since he left, he could be miles away from here by now." I sighed silently, staring into the flames from the fire. "I miss him."

Squid nodded, scooting closer to me and wrapping an arm around me. "I do too. We'll find him, Netty, I promise." I rested my head on his shoulder, tiredness setting in. "Go to sleep, Netty. We have another long day of traveling tomorrow," Squid whispered quietly, and I nodded, drifting off to sleep.
~<>~
*the next morning*
I woke up to the sound of Squid walking around outside, dragging Shadow around with him. I smiled, standing up and eating some bread to get me ready for the long day ahead. Squid noticed I was awake, and he pulled Shadow over to me with him.

"Morning Netty. Almost ready to head off? I'm hoping we can find Tom today, so we have time to get back to the Lovely World in time to not be kicked out as well," he asked me, and I nodded, hopping up on Cookie and following Squid into the plains. We rode in silence, both of us focused on finding Tom.

After nearly three hours, Cookie stopped at a stream and began to drink from it, Shadow soon following her. Squid stared off at the horizon, seeing nothing but tall grass in the distance. "It'll be a lot more riding from here on out. We're nowhere near any trees, or anything for that matter. It's a miracle Cookie and Shadow spotted this water."

I nodded, gently petting Cookie's mane as she drank. Shadow sat up suddenly, turning to the horizon like Squid. He neighed quietly, and Cookie looked up once she finished. Then we set off again, the horses' hooves crunching the grass beneath them.

It wasn't until the sun was setting when we finally spotted some trees. I spotted them first, and cheered in glee when I did. "Look! Trees! They might be near here! Let's go!" Squid frowned. "Netty, it's getting dark! Isn't it a bit risky?" I nodded. "Of course it is. But so was coming out here to find Tom. We can't give up now, we're so close!"

Squid sighed, shaking his head, but he followed me towards the trees anyways. I kept my bow out, ready to shoot anything bad that could threaten us in any way. Soon after we arrived at the trees, I spotted a small little hut, made of cobble and wood, in the middle of the plains near the woods.

Squid spotted it was well. "It's a hut, I think... Yeah, it's a hut!" I rolled my eyes at Squid's confusion. "We should check to see if they know where Tom is?" Before Squid could reply, the door to the hut opened, and a girl with curly red hair stepped out, and another person stepped out, carrying the body of a dog.

"What on earth...?" Squid whispered, and Shadow and Cookie stepped forward silently. After they buried the dog, I saw who the other person was. An Indian, with red pants and a cream colored top. I nearly fell off my horse when I saw who it was. "Oh my Notch..." I whispered, snapping the reins and making Cookie run toward the field. Then I yelled as loud as I could at the person.

"Tom!"