Her hand trembled as she held it up to take a good look at the burnt part of it. "W-what in the world is happening to me...", her voice wavering as she mumbled it herself.Rustling in the leaves made her jump as she became cautious ,the burnt bit still making her wince.
The cub ran out of the bushes into her arms as Val lifted her arms up expecting an attack.It whimpered as it licked Val's arms.Val relaxed her arms and lifted the pup and held it tight against her chest."Zezu...!".The cub was followed by Brit ,revealing himself on a slow pace."Val...", Brit spoke up as his voice trembled fearing the consequences of getting out of the adult's sight.Val put down the pup and walked over to Brit, bent on her knees to adjust herself to his height and placed a hand on his head.
"Don't disappear like that again,okay?", Val spoke in a soft voice as to not make the child anxious. Brit nodded as relief washed over him."Where had you even disappeared to?". Brit was hesitant to respond and spoke up after contemplating for seconds."The old man had taken us to see the flowers,i-it was pretty...".Brit lowered his gaze as he spoke". "But.. child there lives no one in these woods",Val told the boy ,sure of her facts and information that she possessed after being told by Kyro.
"I'm not lying..!",Brit raised his voice a little higher in defense.Brit wasn't lying,it was clear from his expression.Though Valecta couldn't believe the boy, she forced herself to-"Okay.okay...i believe you...would you care to show me the way..?",Valecta's mind lit up once again. Brit's spirits lifted high as excitement came over him-"Yes!",he exclaimed.
Brit led the way which Zezu had failed to recognize after being told by Brit to sniff their steps . Valecta followed the boy patiently being cautious of their surroundings for them due to the darkness.
Weird and strange tales were heard of this place.Brit wasn't very sure of continuing the journey at this time of the hour and Val agreed. They paused in their path, found a flat and a little spacious ground to build up a fire to seek its warmth as the night grew cold.They sat themselves down on the cold, muddy floor desperate for warmth. Took out the left over pieces of beef jerky to get sufficient amount of food to not faint at any time. As they bit through these pieces chewing hardly on them forcing it down with their last supply of water,they realised the silence in the forest was too loud. The voices of insects, animals getting hunted and hunting, everything started to fill their heads as they failed to recognise whether it was real or an illusion. To break the silence Brit spoke up.
"My mother told me, here lived ghosts is that true..Val..?",Brit interrogated.
"Perhaps or perhaps not", Val answered with vagueness which made chills run down the little boy's spine who was yet to be not afraid of the darkness.
"T-then..you say there's a....possibility..?"
"Indeed".As Valecta finished saying her part,a wolf's howl was heard. Startling the pair.
"W-what was that..?", Brit's voice trembled as he hid himself behind Valecta looking around to find evidence of the existence of mythical beasts."Relax child that was just the wolf calling out..i hope so"."Then could it be Zezu's kind???",Brit asked curiously."A-are they here to take him back ?!". "Quiet!!", Val hushed the child upon noticing multiple eyes shining through the darkness.