Don't Run

Be Quiet

Alona made her way back. Trying not to show her giddy glee. She knew he would be watching her. So, she just walked normally with a blank expression. Witches could typically control their emotions pretty well, after all it was either their ally or their downfall.

Thats why she still grumbled about earlier. Honestly, she hadn't meant to do anything. But she dropped her guard and her power leaked out. The Rabbit was bursting with mana at this point, she needed to keep a tighter lid on it.

The Bunny made her way back to the camp with quite a lot of wood, dry leaves, and dead moss. As she got back Michelle was the only one at the campsite. Already setting up a Teepee for the fire with what she'd gathered. She smiled when she saw the rabbit. Her eyebrows raising.

"Oh wow!! You can drop it there, don't strain yourself little one." She said charmingly. Inside Alona was cringing but she managed to drop it with an exaggerated huff, leaning down on her knees to rest, pretending to be exhausted. Michelle patted the log she was sitting on, and Alona came to sit beside her.

The Leopards hands skillfully stirred the burning leaves and fodder in the cave she'd made out of the dry thinner sticks. She fanned the flame as it grew higher. Licking up at the thicker logs that formed the teepee. Just like that their fire was going. Now they just had to feed it. She smiled at Alona and hugged her.

"I'm glad you didn't drown. But God! why did HE have to save you! I'm sorry I froze up." She shrugged like it was a silly mistake and the rabbit just giggled awkwardly. The others soon came back, and that's when the music and dancing started. At some point Alona had put a big shirt over her suit. But she didn't take it off.

They drank and laughed madly into the night. But soon enough Michelle was so wasted she could barely walk, and Lulu had to help Minwa carry her to her tent as she rambled. They quickly retired too.

It was just Pat and Alona around the dying fire and the Cat smiled brightly at her.

"I'm glad your back. It feels like time is flying by so fast. It won't be too long before you have to go home, but I hope we can still be friends?" She said shyly. And the Witch wished she could trust her so badly. But she couldn't let her guard down again.

"Sure Pat, you can write me letters if you want." She suggested and smiled. Making the Cat laugh and nod happily.

"I've never had a pen pal. That sounds wonderful." The woman seemed to want to be genuine. But maybe it was conditional. If she knew the truth, she probably wouldn't want to be Alona's "Friend" at all. Or maybe she was just a suck up. Whatever the case, the Witch wouldn't trust this Cat with her life. Nor with any ounce of reality.

After a long paused and the fire fully dying to a sizzle Pat sat up and sighed, rubbing her head.

"I'm going to go to bed too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Pat."

And then she was alone. She crouched low over the coals of the fire knowing that he was watching from the tree line. She stared at them for a long pause. Just taking in this still moment of the dark forest. The crickets chirping and frogs croaking. Singing love songs deep into the dead of night.

She was excited as she got in her tent, leaving it half unzipped and taking off the long shirt, her bathing suit was mostly dry by this point. She guessed he'd wanted to take it off himself. It made her want to giggle and squeal but she refrained, squeezing her hands and feet together.

It was agonizing. Waiting for him to pounce was too thrilling. She curled up and covered her head with her hands. Hearing his soft approach. The slightest of noises as he drifted across the ground almost silently.