Group Z

Chapter 22

Just before we make it back to where we'd left everyone, I get a sudden feeling of unease and grab Sapphire around the waist pulling her behind the tree closest to us.

'What's wrong?' She asks me, immediately stilling.

'I don't know, something feels wrong. Have you still got the dagger I gave you?' I whisper.

'Of course I have. It never leaves my side.' She says reaching down to her ankle and pulling her trouser leg up to expose her ankle and the dagger strapped around it.

My heart flutters slightly at the sight of her bare skin but I quash it and focus on the task at hand. I look all around for the best possible vantage point but all I can think is that we should be off the ground. I spot a lower hanging branch just slightly higher than we could reach.

'Up there.' I whisper pointing to it

I link my hands for her to put her foot in and hoist her in the air allowing her to stand on my shoulders as she reaches for the branch. I know she's grabbed it when her weight lifts off my shoulders and I step back to watch her hoist herself up. I marvel at her much-improved upper strength as she manages to pull herself up.

She lays herself flat along the branch and, keeping a secure grip with her other hand she reaches down her hand to me. I back up slightly and take a running jump for her hand, I grab it and she holds on in a death grip. Using a mixture of me walking up the trunk and her pulling me I make it to the branch and pull myself up beside her.

The branch is so big that we can stand up and walk along it as long as we concentrate. I beckon for her to follow me along the tree then, when we get to the last branch of the tree the next one is close enough that we can jump across. I turn to help her, but she's already jumped across after me. Keeping a fast but cautious pace we move for a few minutes until we are directly above where we left our Group. Looking down through the many leaves I can tell that there is no one there now.

The mud is all churned up and up here in the trees some small twigs are snapped.

'Someone's been here.' I whisper to Sapphire and point out the broken branches. 'They must've jumped down from the trees and ambushed everyone.'

Across from us in a tree I hear a rustle and branches creaking as someone creeps along it. Instantly my dagger is in my hand and I settle into a protective crouch in front of Sapphire. Then, a shock of red hair, and Lizzie peers out of the leaves at me.

'You ok?' She mouths at me cocking her head.

I nod in affirmation then point at her marking it as a question with a tilt of my head. She nods back then reaches behind her and leans aside so that Damon is revealed behind her. I do the same with Sapphire and she lets out a sigh of relief when she sees that her brother is ok. I raise both my arms. 'What happened?'

She shrugs her shoulders then points to her foot, holding up 10 fingers then 10 fingers again. 20 sets of footprints then.

'Not good.' I mouth to her.

I beckon for her to come around to us and she disappears into the leaves with Damon, I hear a slight rustling to the side and around us, rather than take a direct route she has made a circle, no doubt to make it harder to track her. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to face Sapphire and behind her Lizzie and Damon.

'What do you reckon?' Lizzie asks in a voice that's barely a whisper.

'There are some twigs broken here and mud all churned up on the floor. I bet that they were up here in the trees then they dropped down and ambushed everyone. I guess we should be thankful that we went for a little quiet time.' I whisper back. We're only speaking for Damon and Sapphire's benefit, we are perfectly capable of communicating without making any noises at all.