Adventure Awaits

Chapter Seven: Heart of a Hero

The fire made sounds of crumpling paper and colors of red, yellow, and orange. Scarlet stared at the flames, entranced within its beauty. Nightshade broke her out of her gaze, "I'm tired,"

Scarlet yawned, You worked very hard today. You deserve to sleep... I-I'll keep watch."     

     So Nightshade neighed drearily and aloud her eyelids to fall until she drifted off to sleep. Scarlet put a piece of wood on the fire when she heard a branch Snap. Nightshade jolted awake and Scarlet took out her pocketknife.
"Who's there?" she called.
"It's okay," the voice replied, coming out of the shadows "Chill, it's just me."
Scarlet rolled her eyes, "Lucas!" she put her knife away "you scared me half to death!"
Lucas just shrugged innocently.
"What are you doing here?" Scarlet asked.
"The question is," Lucas sat down next to the fire "What are you doing here?"
Scarlet shook her head, "That's none of your business!"

     And it was silent for awhile, until Lucas broke it with a shocking statement, "I heard it all." Scarlet only sighed, "I'm going to figure this all out. No matter what happens." Lucas nodded, "I know that, because I know you." Scarlet's eyes scrunched and her head cocked to one side, "What on earth are you talking about?" Lucas threw his hands in the air, "Don't you remember? We used to be best friends..."

     Suddenly, memories came crashing into her head like a sports car. They flooded her mind. She remembered visiting her great uncle and aunts farm as a little girl and playing out in the fields and meeting the little boy whose family worked there. They had pretended they were adventurers and solving many great mysteries. But then Scarlet and Lucas grew up and she never came back again. And she didn't know that that was when Lucas had fallen for her.

     Scarlet shook out of her recollection and wiped under her eye, "Yeah," she sniffed "I remember... I'm sorry," Lucas looked up, "For what?" Scarlet shrugged and shook her head, "For being such a jerk to you. And for forgetting you, we were pretty good friends, huh?" Lucas nodded, "Yeah... we were." Scarlet smiled, "Now we can go on a real adventure together."

     "Pfft." Lucas began "You think that's why I came after you?" Scarlet raised and eyebrow, "I can see your horse hiding behind the trees." Lucas groaned, "Can't get anything past you," Except the fact I have a crush on you. Lucas whistled and clicked his tongue and the horse waltzed up next to Nightshade.

"What's his name?" Scarlet asked, petting the horse.

"Abu," Lucas replied.

Scarlet chuckled, "Like the monkey in Aladdin?"

Lucas rolled his eyes playfully, "What? I was 7! And he is an Arabian horse anyhow!"

Scarlet just smirked and yawned.

"You should go to bed."

"No," Scarlet urged "I need to stay up. In case you try something." she giggled.

"I won't. Trust me." Lucas gave a look that convinced Scarlet to cuddle up next to Nightshade with a blanket and drift off to sleep.

***

     The reason someone needed to keep watch was just in case an animal or a pack of animals tried to sneak up on them. Scarlet and Lucas took turns no matter how stubborn the other was. And in the morning, they continued on their journey.

     Being teenagers, they had races, played tricks, and dared each other to do silly things like climb a tree, but when it came to the serious stuff, they knew what they had to do.

"So why did you come?" Scarlet asked that afternoon.

Lucas sighed and looked around, "You want to know the truth?"

Scarlet nodded, "Yes.

     There was nothing more that Lucas wanted to do then tell her his feelings, but for whatever reason, guys aren't like that. They have to make things complicated because they want to be "tough," or whatever. So he just made up a quick fib.

"Anne sent me... as extra protection."

"I knew there was going to be a catch." Scarlet replied "Oh well, I could use the company other than Nightshade... no offense."

"None taken," she replied. But only Scarlet heard, although it did make Lucas curious.

"So you can talk to her or something?" he asks.

Scarlet half-nodded, "Technically, but not the way I'd talk to you or any person. She's not a human, but she's my friend... and it may seem corny, but I feel like you have to do it in a specific way. You know what I mean?"

Lucas didn't know how, but he did. He understood. "It's getting pretty dark, so we should start looking for a place to sleep. Scarlet coughed in reply.

     The two found a nice place with not a lot of trees and a safe place to make a fire. Scarlet had learned how to control a camp fire at her summer camp. It was best to have the ground around it moist so it wouldn't spread and luckily she had the right tools to do so. It would be a shame to be stranded in the middle of the woods with nothing to survive with.

     Night had fell and Scarlet had the first watch, but before Lucas lied down, a sudden dose of courage went over him, "Scarlet, I need to tell you something!"

A.N/ Do you think he'll tell her? Oh, I really love this book! I'm actually thinking about publishing it, what do y'all think? Lemme know and please comment and vote bye! :)