"Too many of them," he said quickly to Isiea before running for the far side of the clearing, straight for a tangle of bushes with hooked yellow thorns as long as their thumbs. As they neared, the branches shivered and peeled away from them, revealing a narrow path cutting through the trees. As they stepped through, the bushes knitted together again, hiding the trail and protecting their retreat.

" where do we go from here? " she asked him.

,, It sounds like about three. If youre right about them being wolves thats not very difficult. ,,

"This way. And you have no idea," Puck muttered. They walked for hours, or at least it felt that way. Puck kept up a steady pace, neither hurrying nor slowing down, and in time the sounds of pursuit faded away. Sometimes the trail split, wending off in different directions, but Puck always chose a path without hesitation. Many times, it was possible to catch movement from the corner of their eyes--a flash of color in the brush, a figure silhouetted between the trees--but if they turned or looked, there'd be nothing.

Lise followed Puck, although she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. She didn't question that he knew his way around, he had referred to this place as home after all. But the feeling of being pursed wasn't a very good one.

,, You do realize its possible to walk faster than the speed of a snail with a ball and chain, right? ,,

"Why are you being so negative?" He asked. "We'll get Ethan back, okay?"

,, Can we do it faster than a turtle without legs? ,, She retorts.

"No. We try not to draw attention."

" Isiea I truly do not believe you are helping the situation. "