24: Silence Is Golden

"Can we please take another break, Fabri? My feet hurt."

"Already? You're too soft, little Skyler."

"Says the one with the boots," I muttered.

"Yeah?! Well, with all your bumbling about, we gotta keep moving." There was an edge in her voice, again. I'd forgotten about her sharp hearing. Things would've been so much easier if I'd been able to grab a pair of shoes before my abduction. "It's only a matter of time before one of the nasties out here catches on to the easy—" She shot a glance at me. "Before something senses our presence. They’ll know better than to come after me."

Of course, I'm the easy prey. I might as well have a sign around my neck that says, 'Eat Me!'

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Rocks like me are the tastiest, right?"

Fabrienne didn't have a witty retort that time, but her fluid movement stiffened, and she tripped. I might have laughed at the sudden fall if the thought of abandonment hadn't stopped me. She was back on her feet almost as quickly as she fell, waiting for me with a scowl and crossed arms.

"Rocks don't talk, or… smell, either." She swatted at something buzzing around her head. "Nysh, I'll need to wash my cloak after—"

"I'm so thirsty. It's a miracle I have any sweat left. Besides… you're sweating too. I can see that drop holding on for dear life at the tip of your nose. I doubt you smell like a freshly blossomed flower…"

Her eyes widened, and she made a noise that I’d never heard from anyone before. Her shocked reaction gradually shifted to a pout and a glare. Fabrienne's face was such a deep red it practically matched her hair.

"Keep it up. I'll leave ya out here to fend for yourself, little man," she growled.

My intention was just a light-hearted jab, a friendly verbal sparring session, but the threat was all too believable. No matter what I did, I kept finding new ways to step into something easily avoidable.

Hey dumbass, you barely avoid one slap, then provoke another? What's wrong with you? Do you want to be abandoned? She'll probably do it! But… she started it. Maybe think twice before telling her she stinks!

"Sorry, Fabri. I-I didn't—" Something pulled at the back of my throat from inside my chest, and I accidentally interrupted myself with a very audible dry heave that left me frozen in fear. The fruit and jerky from earlier almost came back up.

Damn. Here comes the slap. Why does this world hate me so much?

My eyes watered and I choked back my gag reflex to avoid digging the hole I was in any deeper. Thankfully, the slap never came. Unable to bear it anymore, I finally covered my nose and mouth. I was relieved when Fabrienne did the same.

A thick stench hung in the air, coming from somewhere close. It reminded me of the rotting animal carcass I left in the ruins, but there was something else mixed in that made it so much worse.

The bushes ahead of us shook violently, and small green shapes burst out. They rushed towards us, screeching or squealing, and hopped over anything in their way. We both tensed up, but they darted between our legs and dove into the next clump of underbrush.

"Were…um, those… rabbits? I swear, one of them even had a glowing mushroom on its back—"

"Shhh…" Fabrienne forcefully cut me off, covering my mouth with her hand to muzzle me. "Quiet! Listen," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Her other hand went to my chest and pushed. She forced me backwards, almost knocking me over. She only stopped once she had me pressed against a large tree. She crouched low for cover in the shadows, then yanked me down to join her. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head and brushed some messy locks behind a pointed ear to listen.

If I made things worse now, there was no way Fabrienne would let me tag along any further. She'd follow through on her threat for sure. Unsure of what she was listening for, I did the same thing and tried to pay attention. The fairly constant birdsong and occasional barking from the treetops were gone. I hadn't even noticed when they stopped. The last time I remembered a similar silence was after a beast like that wolfang howled near the ruins.

The quiet hurt my ears and listening to nothing seemed pointless, so I watched her face for signs. She looked calm and peaceful, like a graveside statue praying in silence. I had no clue what she was thinking.

If it wasn't for her hand on my face still forcing me into silence, I might have thought any potential danger had passed. It didn't matter if her breath was slow and steady, though. Her hand pressed against me with such force, I actually felt her pulse racing through it.

We stayed like that for so long I lost count of the minutes. Her obvious concern about whatever was out there had me on edge. Eventually, my eyes drifted to the handle of the twin-tipped stone sword strapped to her back.

Hello, old friend. Take it. Go on, do it. She took it from you, and the statue… He gave—It helped keep you safe before, right? She has her bow, the bandit's dagger, and who knows what else. Yeah. She doesn't need it like I… She knows what she's doing out here. Don't worry about her. You need it to defend yourself if something dangerous comes after you, right?

My hand moved towards it. Slowly. Steady. I almost had it in my grasp.

Almost… Just a little closer. I felt sick again, but it wasn't from the lingering stench. I need it, but… but I… Stop. Don't. My hand dropped. I can't. Even if… I'm not… I'd never… Idiot. She'd—

Fabrienne let go of my face and sighed. I lost my chance. My hand was already back at my side before she could catch me reaching for the sword.

"Just the… wind," she muttered. "Must've rattled a tree or something, and scared that little family of mosshoppers. Ya never know what might be out here. It could've been bad news for us. Ya need to… Gotta stay alert, aye?"

The wind? The same wind that I CAN'T feel blowing? That's what scared those moss covered bunnies? The 'wind' made her that nervous?! She's crazy if she thinks I'm gonna believe that!

Before I processed any of it—the nonchalant reaction, the worry I physically felt radiating from her—Fabrienne pulled me to my feet. She stood there and dusted herself off like nothing happened. Sounds of life cautiously returned to the forest. All I managed was a silent stare, watching her as she scanned the area with a honed and well-practiced sense of alertness.

"Keep an eye out. This place can be… What? I didn't hurt ya, did I?"

"N-no, but—"

"Good. We need to keep moving before something nasty stirs up any real trouble around here. Break's over."

Break? That was a break?!

As far as I was concerned, breaks were for relaxing and taking it easy. They were definitely not whatever that was, some kind of potential life or death moment—a panic induced silence. I wanted to know what she heard, unless she did that resonance thing. I didn't know if she could do both at the same time. I stared at her in disbelief, my eyes flitting to her ears. She tussled her hair to hide them again, and her cheeks flushed.

"Want 'em to be that last sight ya ever see?" Her hackles were back up. "Eyes on the path."

We've been on a path? Where?! Everything looks the same out here!

There was no difference between where we were now and where we came from an hour earlier. The area was nothing but trees as far as the eye could see. We might've even been going in circles, yet she seemed to know exactly which direction we needed to go. After taking a hard turn to avoid the immediate direction those rabbits fled from, she was already almost out of sight.

"W-wait up!"

My voice echoed and bounced off the trees. I hurried behind her, unsure of what worried me more: the idea of being lost, or going deeper into the forest full of the nasties she warned of lurking around every corner.