"We're fine Scarlet. You worry too much," Jay tutted. Now that the hallway was clear again, he flew back to her, landing on a shoulder. "It's not good to stress yourself like this. What will you do if you end up with grey hair when we get our human forms again!"

~~~

The strange cloud never lingered though. As soon as it shouted, seemingly right at them, it spun away again, disappearing out of the room as quick as it had appeared, shrieking all the while. It was only when the silence stretched a full minute and the other animal activity started again that Mrs. Mouse let out of breath. "Well, I daren't guess what that was, but I have the worst feeling about it. I don't think we should linger here."

"Agreed." The twins glared at each other.

"Agreed..." August mumbled as he made his way back down to his companions. "Now, does anybody know what that... that thing was going on about? I doesn't seem like it actually attacked anyone..." He went on as he alighted beside Mrs. Mouse.

"Say that when I can grab you Jay," Scarlet spins trying to grab Jay, "I worry because I'm in charge of you and Hunter right now. That's enough to make anyone have grey hair." She added quietly, "Besides I think it's best if I stay in fox form."

Mrs. Mouse shook her head. "I've been here many years, but I've never seen such a thing before. I've heard rumors of a witch though. A witch whose form no animal has ever seen..." She shuddered but managed to pull herself tall once she'd climbed back to the floor. So strange to think of a mouse acting tall though. Had she been tall as a human? Probably not. "I think that was a warning. We must be getting close."

~~~

Jay fluttered away, but settled lower down Scarlet's back after a second, just far enough away to allow a quick escape. "Best to stay in fox form?" he asked, head tilted to the side. "Why would you say that? You're looking for the door with us aren't you? Don't you want to go through? Besides," he added with a huff. "You're not in charge of us. If that's the case, then I should be able to worry about you as well!"

"Yippee." Loki muttered.

Night muttered something under his breah.

"I know I'm not in charge of you but still if you got hurt Mrs. Mouse would proablly blame me since I was with you," Scarlet's ears are flat against her head as she perposly avoids Jay's first question.

August bobbed his head in a way that he hoped expressed agreement. "Well, I suppose you would know better than any of the rest of us when it comes to that." He remarked. "Right. We should press on then."

"It is a good thing," Mrs. Mouse chided the twins before taking cautious steps forward. They'd decided on the western passage hadn't they? Right then. "I'm wondering if there is some way that we can leave a message to the others though. They're taking an awful long time. I think we should never have split up, even if I feel it was meant to be this way..." she added with a sigh.

~~~

Jay let out a little trill of irritation. "Wouldn't it be the same for me though? I volunteered to come this way as well! We all need to look after each other. I mean, especially Hunter though...." he added in a low murmur, glancing back to the young hyena who seemed to have a penchant for getting into trouble. "Between me and you though, I think Mrs. Mouse sent us on a wild goose chase."

"Agreed."
"Affirmative."

The twins were still going against their claims but now they were started to show their varied personalities.