Lost Wings

11~ A Visitor

Recap:
Hailey and her friends saw that the gryphon who had previously attacked them had been taken captive by an enemy scouting party. Chase insisted they free him –and they did, but almost got caught by a boy with the scouting party. However, he didn't reveal their presence. The four friends were thus able to sneak away, followed by a large gryphon (which could eat them at any moment, but, sure, Chase, what a wonderful idea there, let's just save the dangerous large predatory animal).
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Chapter 11

"I'll take first watch," Autumn said as we hastily set up the tent.

"Are you sure?" Chase asked.

"Yeah. After crawling through the dirt like that, you guys look like you need sleep more urgently than I."

"Wake me up in thirty minutes, or earlier if you feel sleepy." Chase must have been too tired to argue.

"You can wake me up next." I couldn't help a yawn.

"All right." He gave Autumn his dagger. "Here, just in case."

"G'night." Aiden climbed into his hammock and fell asleep immediately.

Autumn sat down in front of the tent, Grey and Juno on either side of her. All three kept a vigilant eye on the gryphon, who had chosen to follow us all the way here and had lain down on the opposite side of the clearing. It had tried to swipe at Grey, almost giving her, Autumn, and I a heart attack, but Chase had apparently made it understand that these peryton weren't food supplies. I just fervently hoped the animal wouldn't change its mind in time for a midnight snack. Not that Autumn would let it.

I laid down in my own hammock and tried to tune out the sounds of the forest. I soon fell into an uneasy sleep.

"Show yourself, or I let the gryphon eat you." Autumn's threat woke me abruptly. 

"Autumn?" Remembering in what wild place we were, I got up right away, prodding Chase's hammock as I sneaked a look outside the tent.

Autumn was standing up with the dagger in her hand, staring into the darkness of the forest.  We hadn't lit a fire, for fear of drawing unwanted visitors.

Chase sat up. "Huh?"

"Shh. There's something," I whispered.

He grabbed his sword and slipped by me. "What is it?" he asked Autumn in a low voice.

"There's something or someone. Can't you feel it looking at you? Juno and Grey started acting weird. Even the gryphon knows something is off."

Chase stared into the woods. "If you're a person, show yourself. I'm sure we can find a way to end this peacefully. If not, we'll just assume you're an animal prowling about, and we'll shoot you."

"P-Please," A heavily accented voice said, drawn out by the threat. A boy emerged from the trees, hands up in the air. "I am friend."

Aiden, who had also been woken up, had joined me at my vantage point behind the flap of the tent. "Hold on," he said. "Is that the doofus from earlier?"

"Don't move," Chase said, holding his palm out. The boy stopped. "Who are you, and who else is with you?"

"I... I do not understand. I do not speak good your..." He searched for the word.

"Are you alone?" Chase repeated slower.

"Yes. It is only me. I am called Aric. I..." He trailed off, as if he couldn't find the words. "I do not like they. I want to go with you."