Animalian

Chapter 9: Back to Soraan's

Cinnamon loped over to Ethan and delivered a swift kick to the side with one of his powerful hind legs. Ethan awoke with a yelp. "Where am I?"

"Animalian, dummy. Look around."

Cinnamon had his usual sarcastic remark ready, but Emily noted a hint of relief in his voice. Luckily, it only took a few seconds for Ethan to reorient himself, and Emily and Cinnamon quickly filled him in about the wolves.

"Ugh, sorry for holding you guys up," Ethan said, reddening slightly. "I don't know what came over me . . ." Cinnamon started muttering to himself at this. Ethan craned his neck to look up at the sky, shading his eyes with his arm. "Um, guys. We better move quickly. I don't know much, but my dad taught me some stuff on camping trips, and by the looks of it, it seems to be mid-afternoon."

"But where do we go?" Emily said. "I mean, we can't just rush into Deception Forest without a plan."

Ethan yawned widely. "It would be nice to find somewhere to set up camp. I don't know about you guys, but the Lake didn't make me feel any better." Cinnamon nodded in agreement.

Emily suddenly remembered when Cinnamon and her were looking for refuge after nearly being eaten by the wolves. She shuddered at the thought, but realized there was someone who may be helpful.

"Soraan! Doesn't he live pretty close to here?"

Cinnamon's eyes lit up. "Yes! Right through the forest!" he started loping along, calling over his shoulder, "We've got no time to lose! I just hope the wolf pack doesn't take a detour through the forest. It's unlikely, but still." Emily started running after Cinnamon, smiling at the thought of visiting the old sage. Hopefully he had some advice - and shelter - for the night.

Ethan ran up behind her, matching her pace. His wavy brown-blonde hair fell over his forehead as the wind sliced through it. "One question: Who's Soraan?"

Emily realized that Ethan had never met the old sage before, and quickly filled him in on Soraan and his beloved companion, Rowan.

The sun dropped steadily over the dark and distant snow-capped mountains as the trio made their way through the forest to what they believed to be the trail towards Soraan's house. They had nothing to act upon now but hope.

As they reached the forest clearing, Emily remembered the bad memories corresponding with the forest and shivered. Thankfully, there was no sign any wolves had been there in the past hours. They stopped in the clearing, looking around at the trees as the steadily rising moon cast milky-white rays onto the ground and branches around them.

"Where do we go now?" Emily asked Cinnamon.

"Don't ask me, I was . . ." Cinnamon turned red, something Emily had never seen him do before. "Busy," he finished. In lighter circumstances, Emily would have teased the jackalope, but now wasn't the time for that.

Emily looked around, but didn't see anything that sparked a memory. She had been too panic-stricken to notice her surroundings when she was running from the wolves.

Suddenly. she heard a sharp yowl, and a small red fox came out of the bushes.

"Rowan!"

The fox looked around, her green eyes wide, then noticed Emily and Cinnamon. Recognition dawned on her face. "It's you two!" She said in her soft, musical dialect, then looked at Ethan. "But who is this?"

"I'm Ethan," he said.

"He's a friend," Emily said, at the same time Cinnamon said, "He's mostly tolerable." Ethan looked daggers at the jackalope.