Iridescent

12 | Who Is It?

The air had a wet smell to it, mossy and serene. I heard the running stream, but could not see it. Velvet was careful, her eyes and ears open and sharp for any movement, that made me relax a bit.

We both took careful and slow steps. The sounds of the forest often hid the enemy's footsteps, and besides that, we had to exclude the noise we make ourselves. Velvet and I both heard a sound earlier, and since then, we were jolt awake for the moment being. 

I tugged carefully on my black gloves, fitting perfectly around the curves between my fingers. Velvet also had gloves, glimmering in deep violet, and I noticed she had no weapons on her. Unlike me, wearing gloves for being fashionable (jokes, they were for my newly acquired blisters), it seemed that Velvet wore them for a different reason. 

"Hey!"

We both spun around. Velvet raised her hands, aimed accurately at the disturbed. While, I had my hands on my hilt, prepared to sheath and attack.

"Whoa, it's just me!" Rain and her partner said, raising their hands in surrender.

Velvet and I gave each other a look before we nodded and relaxed. I removed one hand off the hilt, but my other lingered there; as though casually placed. Rain didn't notice that I was still skeptical about their sudden appearance, but her partner – red-hair and freckles dotting the bridge of her nose – had a sharper eye.

"Do you know where to go?" Rain tilted her head. How cheeky! They were testing us, only the traitor would get information ahead of the others.

I cursed internally at my hesitation and recovered with a confused furrow, "no, do you?"

Red-hair looked at me suspiciously, "unfortunately, no."

"Glenda, have you seen anyone else?"

Glenda finally pulled her glance away from me and shook her head at Rain. "Your brother said he will be walking further into the forest, perhaps we could go and meet up with them."

"Ew, no."

Were all siblings like this?

Velvet seemed to be holding back a chuckle while I stared calmly, waiting for them to dismiss themselves. Rain shrugged and walked away with small, quiet steps, "well, good luck finding anything!"

My eyes followed them until they were out of sight, and I released a sigh of relief. "We have to move quickly."

And by quickly, we both broke off into a steady jog. Velvet trailing after me like a shadow. When I felt far enough, I let out a breath and stopped. The trees had spread apart to form a beautiful nature aisle. In front, there was a small wooden pathway; a bridge arched over the narrow stream beneath. The trickling sound was peaceful to hikers but not to those who were trying to hear and sense nearby enemies. 

"That's the furthest she told us to go," Velvet crossed over the bridge, gesturing. "It ends here."

I scanned the surroundings quickly, but all I could see was the lush green leaves and the sunlight that blessed us with a comforting warmth. I breathed in deeply. "We can't stay here long. We're too exposed."

"Right!" Velvet's purple eyes danced. "Hey, what's that?" 

I looked up at where she pointed. I shielded my eyes from the sun and winced. "It's an arrow."

Velvet nodded. "Perhaps that could help us."

The symbol was so vaguely carved that it wouldn't be noticed if one wasn't observant. I grinned at Velvet proudly, "sharp-eyed, Vel."

"I'll gladly accept that compliment," she smirked, and there was something familiar about it that I couldn't place a finger on. Before I could stare longer, she was already moving in the direction of the arrow. I followed closely.