The minutes ticked by while we sat watching Merkell pace along the edge of the lake. We couldn't tell exactly what he was doing in the dark. We tried a few games of I-Spy but it was too dark and we were barely concentrating in light of what was happening. All of a sudden I got that feeling of being watched, I was about to warn Emy and shout Merkell when-
"This isn't a time for games, ladies."
A tall figure in a long, brown coat strode out from between the trees. The hood of the coat was up and it covered their face, the voice was deep and unfamiliar, and I wondered immediately if it was one of the guys from outside of the party. We screamed, standing up quickly and backing away from the stranger. I pushed Emy behind me, knowing he'd have to get through me first and that would give her time to get away.
"Jeez, calm down! If I thought you were going to be this jumpy I wouldn't have disguised myself."
The figure pulled his hood down to reveal his face, it was Sam, or Kayle as he was apparently called, but he sounded different. The strange clothes made him look different, like he had aged a few years since the last time we saw him.
Emy cursed from behind me and stomped up to him, when she got within arms reach she punched him in the shoulder. He didn't expect it and stumbled back a step. Emy was shouting at him before he had the chance to recover.
"I don't care who you really are or your part in all of this, that was such a horrible, stupid thing to do! You idiot!" She all but screamed the last part at him.
He looked alarmed at her reaction, Merkell had rejoined us by this point; instead of intervening he stood with me and watched amiably.
"Calm down, Emily, it was a bit of fun, I apologise for scaring you." Kayle said in the most sincere tone I'd ever heard him use.
This silenced Emy, he had never apologised for anything before and would normally laugh everything off. Kayle finally noticed Merkell stood next to me, he did the most unexpected thing and bowed to him. Merkell nodded his head in response, as though it was normal.
"I do not think that was a wise way to announce yourself, Kayle," he stated, beckoning us all back to where the bags were.
"I should have thought it through better, I know." He actually looked sorry when he spoke.
"Yes, you should have but it is done now, I think you'll have a nice little bruise to remind you for next time."
Merkell grinned, reaching into his bag he pulled out an apple.
"Have you eaten?" He threw the apple to Kayle.
"Not since this morning, I should have taken more food with me," he replied. "Thank you," he added before biting into the apple.
Merkell was silent until he finished it.
"I take it you didn't encounter any trouble on the other side, you arrived back earlier than expected."
Merkell glanced at the lake again. I figured that must have been where the crossing point was, but I couldn't understand where, all I could see was water.
"No, there was no trouble, quite a few more people on the roads than usual but none to be concerned about. They also remembered the way back sooner than we thought and insisted I turn back to meet up with you."
He glanced at Emy as he finished but she was too busy looking down at her feet. I could tell she was trying to keep herself under control. He glanced at me and I gave him a small smile to show that I wasn't angry.
"Perhaps, I should explain to Kayle why the two of you reacted the way you did," Merkell said in a slow, calming tone.
He relayed everything to Kayle, every detail we had told him about the two men from the party.
"Obviously they were not Dark Horrors, which is a great relief but I can't rule out Scavengers."
Kayle's face grew concerned and dark. My head was filling with many more questions but Merkell kept talking before I could ask any of them.
"I would have informed you when last we spoke but I didn't want their parents to find out and refuse to leave. I couldn't risk you trying to change our plans either." He looked at us with a peculiar expression.
"I understand why you did it but... Scavengers?" Kayle growled the word. "Lowlife scum, they need stringing up. How would they even know how to find the crossing, much less these two?"
Whoever these people were, Kayle didn't sound like he wanted them anywhere near us and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out the reason why.
"They most likely acquired the knowledge from some unsavoury character," Merkell answered in a disgusted voice.
I had to interrupt them now, "Please, just stop for a minute," they both turned to look at me. "What the hell is a Dark Horror? What do these Scavengers do exactly and why would they be watching me and Emy?"
I asked it all very calmly but I felt anything but, I was agitated with them, with the situation as a whole. I didn't like not knowing these things, important things that apparently revolved around Emy and I, yet we knew nothing about.
Merkell seemed to think on his response for a moment or two, his expression unreadable.
"Dark Horrors are repulsive, deformed beings from our world that were once human-like but they sold their souls for power. Power that you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of. Scavengers however, are human but they are the lowest of the low; they will do anything for gold and will serve the Dark Horrors if it pays well enough, or suits their needs."
He paused and peered at Kayle who shook his head ever so slightly, Merkell sighed and continued.
"As for your last question, I cannot answer that because your parents' have asked me not to. I also believe it would be better coming from them."
Merkell ended with an air of finality that made it seem as though the conversation was over. He went into his bag and took out some more food and handed it to Kayle.
"When Kayle has finished eating, we will leave."
"Wait, so that's it? Our parents tell you not to explain anything and you just listen? What could be so huge that you can't tell us now? I'd rather be prepared and have angry parents than be unprepared and never see them again."
Merkell and Kayle exchanged a glance, Merkell appeared to be deliberating for several seconds before shaking his head.
"No, I won't go against their wishes. I am prepared enough to get you to your parents in one piece and then they can explain anything you may need or want to know."
I could tell he wasn't about to budge on the subject, I looked to Emy to back me up on this. She had been quiet throughout the conversation and I was surprised to see that she had fallen asleep. I didn't know how she managed it with everything that was going on. I laid her more comfortably against her bag and proceeded to wait through my annoyances, until we were ready to go.
"Is Emily really angry with me?" Kayle asked out of the blue, between mouthfuls of his food.
I looked down at her sleeping form and shrugged. "No, I don't think so, I think she's just trying to take all of this in. You jumping out on us just gave her an opportunity to vent some of her frustration."
He rubbed his shoulder with a grin, "I understand, she packs a right punch though."
I smiled at him, it was odd but I could see that there was still some of the Sam we'd come to know in there, even if his name and voice had changed.
A few memories came flooding back to me at the look on his face.
"So what was the deal with you trying to set us up with those so-called friends of yours?" I asked, narrowing my eyes, giving him a playful smile.
He laughed lightly, "That was just a bit of fun, to help me fit in with others of my age group while I stayed in this world."
His smile faded ever so slightly, "I would never have let them near either of you anyhow, they were not worthy of my cousins- sorry, my cousin and friend, it's just, you feel like family to me, that's all."
He smiled again shortly and went back to finishing his food, a little hastily now. I tried to brush it off as his usual brand of weirdness, except he'd never once called us cousins before. And what had he meant when he said his friends weren't 'worthy'? It felt like more than just being a little overprotective. I woke Emy up once he'd finished his food, of course she noticed my thoughtful gaze.
"What's wrong?" Emy asked, looking up at my face with one eye still closed.
I laughed quietly, "Jeez, you don't miss a trick do you?"
She smiled with a shrug and woke herself fully, I looked over at Merkell and Kayle who were stood talking far enough away to be out of earshot. I whispered what Kayle had said and told her my thoughts on it.
"What do you think?"
All the while still whispering so they didn't hear us.
"I'm not sure about the worthy part... maybe he realised they're all tools? But, maybe the cousins part really was just a slip, you'd have to ask him. If it wasn't though, that would probably make you and I cousins too... oh no."
She feigned her disapproval and I nudged her arm. We quickly stopped talking when Merkell and Kayle walked back over, they looked deadly serious.
"I am going to check the crossing point again and Kayle is going to stay here with you two. If anything happens, you are to listen to him and do as he says, okay?"
Emy and I looked at each other in confusion, that was a really random and menacing thing to say.
"What do you mean 'if anything happens'? What could happen?" I asked, staring from him to Kayle.
"Crossing points are tricky," he said hastily. "Just say you will do as I have instructed, please!"
I looked at Emy, still confused but seeing that it was the only thing we were going to get out of him, we agreed.
Merkell nodded and walked off towards the lake without another word, Kayle picked up his bag and shouldered it.
"Grab your bags and put them on, just in case we have to leave quickly." His voice was dark and his eyes never left Merkell's back.
We did as we were told without argument, for once, and looked in the same direction, though for what we didn't know.
"Kayle?" Emy started, "Why has your voice and well, you... why have you changed so much?" I frowned at her bizarre timing.
Kayle just smiled despite the dark look on his face, that made it almost comical.
"I had to put on an act, a lighter voice and bad behaviour for this world, to help convince you both that I was younger than you and a little immature, practically non-threatening."
It made sense, we would never have suspected him of being part of something like this, so serious and dangerous. I looked back down at the lake, Merkell was pacing back and forth next to it. I still couldn't see this crossing point no matter how much I stared.
"Hey, how old are you then?" Emy asked, staring up at him.
I felt my interest pique and turned to stare at him too. He looked a lot older than us but I wondered if that was more to do with the clothes he was wearing, and the way he stood was almost a guarding stance.
"I'm actually older than the two of you by two-" he broke off and his expression darkened, we turned back to look at the lake.
In the short time we hadn't been watching, Merkell had been joined by two figures in hooded coats. His hands were raised towards them, it looked like he was defending himself.
Kayle dropped the bag while mumbling to himself, "He said there was only one."
He retrieved two peculiar sets of rope with leather cups on the end, from his sleeves.
"I want you both to run back that way and keep going until you find somewhere to hide. Merkell or I will find you when we can, go!"
He left no time for questions as he turned and ran, picking up something from the ground but not missing a step in his sprint towards Merkell and the two strangers.
My heart was pounding in my ears, I looked at Emy.
"What do we do? We can't just run off and leave them here."
Emy was watching Kayle still running and she side glanced at me, "I don't know," she paused. "But I like the odds of four against two better than running away."
I nodded in agreement, I had an idea, "Remember those sparring lessons we had with my dad throughout last year?" I asked, while we put our bags down and moved into the tree line that would lead us behind the strangers.
"Of course, how could I forget? I was sore for weeks," she grinned.
We recapped through those lessons while quietly running through the trees, adrenaline guiding our feet.