A Bit Unconventional

8

"We don't usually head this far south." Natasha explained.

"There will probably be more natives along the way." Cole added. "They tend to head where the water is warm."

"More natives? This is not going to end well." Blaze grumbled. "If any of them try anything I'll fry them."

"Finn? You okay?" Clara asked.

Finn glanced at the small group that now seemed to be traveling with him. He had paused momentarily to watch a crow fly south and hadn't expected the others to notice.

They had all stopped and were waiting for him.

He nodded and quickly moved to catch up with them. He wracked his brains for something to say.

"Why do the natives hate you guys?" He found himself saying and instantly he regretted it.

He awaited the response of sarcasm and belittling but he was greeted with stiff silence.

"Everything hates us." Natasha stated a few moments later. "Because we're different or because they think we can hurt them."

"Oh." Finn frowned.

"Why aren't you scared of us?" Cole asked glancing down at Finn. "You weren't scared of Natasha or me and you seem very relaxed around Blaze."

He sighed. "Honestly I don't know. I just... you act and talk the same as most humans I've met."

"I don't know if I like being compared to a human." Natasha said glancing back, she wasn't glaring though. She looked a little bit amused.

"Also I grew up outside of Thelon." He shrugged. "There was a centaur that used to occasionally share food with me and my sister."

"Where are you from?"

"Merlotta. It's a tiny kingdom east of Thelon." Finn answered pausing at a sound. Something was bothering him and he couldn't figure out why. "Is it just me," he paused to lick his lips nervously, "or has it gotten really quiet?"

The others took their time in scanning the area around them.

There was no bunnies, no birds and no sounds of hawks. Just silence.

Finn could now only hear his heart pounding. Something was wrong.

Majorly wrong.

He backed up against a tree and tried to scan everything at once. He felt dizzy.

Clara had drawn her sword, Natasha lifted a curved sword and was spinning it idly.

Cole looked like he wanted to bolt and Finn couldn't blame him. If it was the natives again they were all in trouble.

For several long moments nothing happened. Finn glanced around again.

It was quiet, meaning something somewhere was happening. But there wasn't any sound to signify what.

Slowly Finn moved around the tree and stepped cautiously through the undergrowth.

Clara hissed his name just barely loud enough but he ignored her.

He kept going trying to figure out what would scare the wildlife around here.

And then he found a small valley which dipped toward Durmount.

And there at the bottom of this valley was several tents, each tent had at least two knights outside of it.

They were either looking at maps, sharpening their weapons or searching the area.

Finn ducked as low as he could and slowly approached as he tried to figure out who they were.

~~~

"I swear that kid has a death wish." Blaze grumbled as he tried to follow the boys footsteps in the dirt, he felt like he was following three different people. "How did he even move so quietly?"