In the Dreaming by Isobel Bird

Author:Isobel Bird
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins

CHAPTER 9

Cooper had never seen anyone move as quietly as the Wild Man did. His bare feet made no sound as he made his way through the woods. She tried to be equally quiet, but her clumsy feet seemed to step on every twig and trip over every tree root. While he glided silently between the trees, she felt as if she were crashing through the brush like a frightened animal.

This really irritated her. She knew that the others wanted her to fail whatever stupid test they’d set up for her, and she wanted to show them up. To make things worse, her supposed guide gave her no indication of where they were going. He just walked. Spider had said that a guide would lead her into the realm of Faerie. What had he meant by that? They were still in the same old woods they’d been in all evening. Was there something waiting for her there—another surprise, perhaps? Where were all the others? Would the Wild Man tell her? Was he bringing her to them? Could he even speak? He hadn’t made so much as a grunt yet.

The Wild Man stopped walking. He turned to Cooper and pointed to something beside him. Cooper looked and realized that they were standing beside a stream. The water in it was running low, and the banks were exposed, revealing thick mud. The Wild Man pointed again. What did he mean? Was she supposed to do something with the mud?

The Wild Man pointed to his skin and pantomimed rubbing mud on his body. Now Cooper understood. He wanted her to do the same thing. But she didn’t want to. She was comfortable just the way she was. She didn’t want to be filthy. Why did she have to make herself up like the Wild Man? She suspected that he and his buddies were just trying to make her look even more foolish, and she didn’t want to help them out in any way.

The Wild Man sensed her hesitation and pointed again to the mud. Cooper shook her head, and this time the Wild Man splashed into the water, picked up a handful of mud, and smeared it over his face and chest. The mud was a reddish brown color, and it contrasted with the dried gray mud that already stained his skin.

Cooper watched as he rubbed mud in his hair and over the rest of himself until he was covered from head to toe in it. He motioned for her to join him in the stream. She started to protest, but then she stopped herself. She had told Bird and Spider that she could do this. She’d promised to see the challenges through. What would they think if she backed out at the very first one? Maybe there really was some point to getting muddy.

With a sigh, she removed her shoes and stepped into the water. It was cooler than she would have expected for summertime. The Wild Man picked up a handful of mud and handed it to her.

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