SPIRIT ANIMALS FANS MUST READ!!! I created a idea for Spirit Animals series #3

Chapter Sixteen: Felen

UNFORTUNATE SITUATION

Finding the Breath Leaf was a painfully slow process. Felen hadn't anticipated it would take so long to find the herb and had begun to believe that maybe it wasn't in season. But I know this land! If the plant was somehow not available, I would have already known.

The young woman kicked up a heap of pine nettles in frustration, thinking back. Not only did I grow up here, but I also spent months training with Ray so I could take care of myself and others. I remember her showing me the patches near the river back home, all spread out and easy to pick. It was the same time of year, and a hunting group had been ambushed, leaving six of the men with major injuries. Ray allowed me to learn some forms of healing, but mainly what herbs to use. If I misheard her teaching, I have failed my friends.

But Felen had doubt stuffed deep inside her, holding it under so she could focus on the moment. But parts were slowly leaking out and she was ready to quit. But is this useless? Tarik will be dead soon, his wound is getting worse by the hour, and looking for this plant may not help.

"Are we ever going to stop?" Arai's voice rang out. Felen snapped out of her thoughts and saw the blind girl standing a few feet away. Her brown hair was in a frizzled mess and her clothing was torn with wear. "If I don't rest sometime soon, my legs are going to fall off."

Meilin nodded her head in agreement, "We should stop for the night. Set up camp and wait to keep looking in the morning."

"Yes, that sounds good to me," Tomar responded but dumbly restated his sentence. "You two can sleep and Felen and I will take a watch. We will scout around this area a little more, just in case the leaf is near."

Felen flinched with tiredness, yet didn't speak her mind. "Fine to me," She told him and sat down in her bag. Even though she wanted to sit and take a much-needed break, she saw the way that Meilin looked at her. The young girl's eyes pierced her own with an intense fire of emotion, full of hate and mistrust. Meilin wanted to save Tarik and she was placing that undying pressure on Felen. She lost half her group, her closest friends, and now a man she sees as an important figure. And everything is my fault too, so if I fail, she is going to murder me.

Felen strolled up to Tomar and beckoned for him to follow. Even with a look of exhaust, as if he would pass out, the man sauntered after her. The pair followed a game trail through the woods, climbing over any obstacles. A few times, Tomar would sigh as they would come upon another fallen tree, but he always ended up getting around it. Suddenly the path opened up and revealed a small river, fairly quiet, but still able to silence a normal voice. Felen twirled her hand and the two spread out, poking at spaces by the bank. It took multiple attempts of searching the riverside until they found a single patch withering away in the shadows. A few of the leaves were spiked while some were rounded, rotting the green away. Felen bent over them, muttered to herself, and then stood, a few in hand. "We are on the right path."

"What do you mean right path?" Tomar asked, "They look just fine to me." He said pointing at the collection.

"These are all too old. If we give him this, it will poison his wounds."

Tomar grimaced.

"But the Breath Leaf always grows in a line beside the water. My mother used to say that they led to the resting place of Kaein herself and brought good luck to travelers. Leeto and I once found a spot covered in them back home and later that week a hunting patrol brought back the biggest deer that nearly fed everyone. Maybe this will give us a chance to save Tarik?"