The Halves of Us by Sydney Paige Richardson

Author:Sydney Paige Richardson [Richardson, Sydney Paige]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Parliament House

21

Aura

Aura returned from the ship, dressed to enter the forest. Her leather sleeveless top clung to her frame like armor, and her sword was sheathed at her side. Her black fitted pants tucked into her boots around her ankles. Small twigs crushed under her footing as she neared the entrance of the forest.

She watched Felipe and Hontak catch up as they packed. They seem like brothers.

They laughed and joked, sometimes speaking in a language foreign to her. Felipe shot her a glance every now and again. A side smile following.

She smirked, hoping he didn’t catch her blushing.

A breeze rushed over them, and Aura smelled the saltiness in the air from the beach. They were further behind the huts, near the entrance to the forest, and Uni beat down on them. Despite that, a sudden chill had formed in the air as if warning her not to proceed.

“Here, Aura!” She turned just in time to see a giant pack thrown at her and caught it awkwardly. Hontak’s grin revealed his sharp teeth. “Good catch. Those are the makings for a hut. I’ll carry this one,” he said, holding up a pack.

Light blue beads and a large curved tooth dangled from a necklace down his furry chest. She was about to ask about it when Gossamer rounded the corner and Hontak addressed him.

“Gossamer, if you could carry the food pack, I’ll disperse the rest among the crew.”

Gossamer held a large walking stick and nodded at him. “It’s very kind of you to lead us, Hontak.”

“I’m sure Father thinks it’s for the best. No need to have Felipe getting you lost in our forest,” he said, chuckling.

Felipe threw a small tin cup at him, and Hontak laughed.

“He hasn’t changed much.” Hontak glanced to the sky, noting Uni’s placement. Its light peeked through the trees above their heads. “If we leave now, we can make it close to the border just before nightfall.”

They headed off into the forest of Nitari with a half-dozen Etoyoc and half of the Tribesmen they came with. The rest remained at the bay, interviewing the locals to see if any more Sights had been seen.

Aura kept close behind Felipe, following in his footsteps. In front of them, Gossamer kept up with Hontak. Aura looked at the trees and smiled.

Felipe glanced at her. “Ah, a smile! What are you thinking about?”

“The trees. They remind me of the ones I’ve seen in the region of Flay. Their trees sparkled in the light like they do here. It was just a fond memory.”

“The forest here starts off beautiful, luscious and full of life,” an Etoyoc with white fur said as she came up beside them.

They stopped briefly and looked around. Aura admired the thick brown tree trunks that glittered in the light. The grass grew taller in areas and took on a deep blue-green color. The branches above her swayed, their teal leaves rustling in the wind.

“As we get closer to Vadim, please don’t despair, for life changes as it nears death.”

Aura followed closely behind them and watched as the Etoyoc’s description began to unfold.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.