19. Shoes Or Bust

Creeping through the forest, Rowan carefully placed each foot, mindful not only of what might gouge his dirt-blackened soles, but also of crinkly leaves, dry twigs, and snapping pinecones from the occasional conifer.

Motion in the dark. Rowan froze. A millipede slunk by, this one only as thick around as his wrist, and vanished into the thick leaf mold. He shuddered and gripped the trowel tighter. The last skill point sloshed around in his mind, never far from his thoughts. I should use it. But what on? What would be best in this situation?

Undecided, he shook his head and pushed the thoughts away. Later. Focus!

A thicket of thorns obscured the path ahead. He crouched behind the thorns and peered through.

Moonlight illuminated a small clearing. Four bodies laid in the opening. Two men, one burly and half-propped against a tree, the other slender and splayed in the leaves, and two women, one curled tight in a sleeping bag, the other spread-eagle, slept under the stars. Their gear laid nearby. The spread-eagle girl used her bag as her pillow, and the burly man had used his to prop himself upright, but the slender man and the curled-up girl’s bags laid unguarded atop the leaves.

Rowan eyed the drooping burly man. Looks like their night watch passed out. Good news for us.

The slender man laid barefoot. His boots sat not far from his body, one upright, the other knocked over. Rowan eyed them, mentally checking the size against his own feet. Ought to fit close enough. If I get nothing else, I’m grabbing those boots.

He surveyed the area, searching for a route in.

Narrow, young trees grouped tight at the northern end, blocking the path in. Thorny brambles twisted along his side of the clearing. Across from him, someone had draped wires hung with empty cans across the gaps between old growth trees. Laid with layers of old branches and tinder-dry pinecones, the unobstructed south end appeared to offer an easy route in to the unsuspecting ne’er do well, but doubtless would crackle with noise as soon as anyone attempted it.

Across from him, Rowan caught a flash of light. He glanced up and found Kaidu, now berefit of his white coat, standing in a gap in the new-growth trees. Dressed in a dark gray shirt and matching jeans, he fit in with the moonlit forest, barely more than another slender tree in the grove. Kaidu tipped his hand, and his straight razor flashed in the moonlight.

This is insane. It’s never going to work. Rowan sucked in a breath. He held up his trusty hand trowel and tilted it back at Kaidu.

Kaidu slipped through the trees to their edge, a shadow in the night. Rowan slid his trowel into a pocket and drew out the shears. Opening them wide, he whispered, “Prune.”

Again, the skill lit up the unnecessary crop-offs, the places the vines twisted back on themselves, the unnecessary branches he could remove to beautify them. Rowan narrowed his eyes. Not to beautify, to remove! I want to get rid of the brambles!

The lights blinked. They hesitated. Mana drained from his body, dropping lower and lower. At last, the lights obeyed his orders and rearranged themselves into a neat line, dancing slightly left and right across the center line. Rowan snipped as quietly as he could, chasing the lights through the vines. Brambles fell away to the left and right, swishing softly against the surrounding plants. Rowan’s eyes darted to the sleeping climbers, grip tight on the shears.

No one moved. The slender man continued to snore loudly.

Rowan sighed with relief and stowed the shears, drawing out the trowel again. He crept forward, mindful of every brush and crunch of his feet against the long-fallen leaves that blanketed the area.

A loud sigh. Rowan froze. Across the clearing, Kaidu froze as well, whites showing in his eyes.

In the clearing, the spread-eagle girl flipped over onto her side and propped her head onto her arm.

Rowan met Kaidu’s eyes. Kaidu nodded. Slowly, they pressed forward again.

Out into the clearing. Moonlight fell on Rowan. Completely in the open, he hurried. I'm completely exposed. If anyone wakes up now…

The spread-eagle girl shifted again, rolling to face Rowan, her back to Kaidu. Rowan froze. Unpertrubed, Kaidu reached out for the nearest bag.

She flipped around again, fast as lightning. The girl’s hand snapped out and caught Kaidu’s wrist. Her eyes opened, reflecting moonlight.

Kaidu tried to yank his hand free, but she held his wrist tight. She grinned at him, eyes narrowed. “Oh no you don’t, you thief!”

Rowan turned and fled. He barely made it two steps before his head smashed into something. He stumbled back, startled, and found the slender man standing in front of him. Chuckling, the man reached for him. “Thought you were being sneaky, huh?”

Rowan whirled and ran the other direction.

The girl screamed. Blood streamed down her wrist.

Kaidu fled alongside him, straight razor dripping blood. “Run.”

“No kidding!” Rowan replied.

The man whipped around, faster than Rowan could see, and blocked Rowan’s path. Rowan tried to duck around him, but the man grabbed him by the arm. “Not so fast.”

“Prune!” Rowan slashed at the man’s fingers, not waiting to see if the blue lights appeared.

Nothing. His stomach plunged, and a chill ran through him. Low mana. Damn!

“Prune? Ow!” The man retracted his hand, shaking his fingers. “Damn, that hurt!”

Freed, Rowan darted away, chasing after Kaidu. Kaidu plunged into the tight knot of trees, shoving his way through. Rowan threw himself after Kaidu.

“Beryl! Help us!” the wounded girl shrieked.

The curled up girl startled awake. She jumped up, then flailed, legs caught in her sleeping bag. Off-balance, she plopped back onto her side, hair falling in her face. As she fell, she jabbed her hand out at them.

Kaidu stopped short. Rowan looked at him, brows furrowed. “Keep going!”

Before the words left his mouth, he slammed into an invisible wall.

Kaidu rolled his eyes at Rowan, pushing off the same wall. He opened his mouth.

Walls slammed into them from behind, above, and below, squishing them into a narrow box. The air left Rowan’s lungs in a huff. He pushed off one wall and braced himself against the opposite and managed to gain an inch of space, only for the walls to squish it away in the next moment. Rowan and Kaidu stared at each other, trapped in the walls like two specimens in a petri dish.

The walls whirled, dragging Rowan and Kaidu out of the forest and back into the clearing. Rowan’s stomach lurched, and his face turned green.

“Vomit on me and I will end you,” Kaidu hissed.

With some effort, Rowan swallowed back the bile in his throat.