“Oh, cool,” Cam said. It was hard to make out in the light, but it was obviously handmade. “That’s really nice. Where’d you get it? And uh...” she felt really dumb asking the intimidating girl such a stupid question, “What’s a kitsune?”
“I carved it just now” Hana answered, not bothered by the young girls question, though it was hard to tell in the way she spoke. She closed her hand and brought it up to her mask, resting a finger on her mask and tapping it lightly so the girl could hear the hard plastic and signifying the mask was a kitsune. “Japanese fox spirit..”
(Kipp can see better at night than in the day)
Aella had stayed quiet when he asked his question, her focus on the forest. On the throaty croaks and breathy hisses, guttural snarls and high-pitched chirps. The twigs that shattered beneath the weight of whatever was stalking them. Or maybe it was nothing at all. Maybe it was merely the depths of her mind, haunting her with warnings in the form of hallucinations, a foretelling of what was to come, what demise they would meet.
“I don’t know if they’d attack a group. Remember what I told you about you and your friends being descended from Boreleans?” Ashira asked, speaking slowly and carefully. “I think we-sa know it. I think that’s why you’re here. Something happened to open up the portals. My guess is that they have something to do with it. And as for Haddie,” she went on, her voice growing firm, “she’s alive. I can feel it. I know her mind relatively well, so I stayed in tune to her thoughts. I can’t tell or even guess what she’s thinking, but I know she’s thinking something. If she’s capable of thought, she’s alive.”
Kipp knew she was trying to make him feel better, but what she said didnt help. "You think they want us?" He stood, anxious to go looking for his friends. "They weren't trying to kill me. Just because she's alive doesnt mean she's ok." He wanted to go searching for them, if Haddie hadn't made it back last night then everyone was still in the forest waiting for them to come back. He stopped on his way to the door, indecision holding him back, if she did get back to them then they wouldn't be where they were and he might never find them. He glanced back at Ashira, he wouldn't be able to fly with her.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, hugging her arms and standing up, looking a little nervous. “I know I’m supposed to be the one who knows everything that’s going on, but I don’t. No one here does. All we know is we’re being terrorized, and everyone is too scared to go out on their own. Even if your friends are alive, they’re not safe if they’re out there. No one is.” She paced around in thought. “If I could actually be useful and fly, I would, believe me. But I can’t do any of that. I don’t even know what my species is!” She kicked at a rock. “You can’t go out on your own, either, because you’re not healed enough for that.” She turned and suddenly looked decisive. “We’ll go around and try to get some supplies. If your friends are not back by midday, we’ll look for them.”
Kipp nodded, he didn't like being told he wasn't capable of doing what ever he wanted, but she was right. His feathers were dry now, but his wings still felt heavy, which meant what ever that flower drug was, it was likely still in his system. Wanting to be fine didn't make it true.
“Then we’d better stop at my place,” she sighed. “I don’t want to have to, since it’s past the village, but I don’t think we have a choice. I’d buy food at the village, but all my money is at my house anyway.”
