Alicewakes first, or so she thinks. Looking around, the memory of were sheis returning to her, she finds Twinkaleni once again wrapped inDanahlia's arms, legs, and a bit of her long tail, giving her apleading look. It's an adorable sight, the lizard girl holding thelittle Murin like a beloved stuffed animal. Twinkaleni squirms, whichonly tightens the Liguna's grip as she mumbles softly in her sleep.A tiny furless hand extends toward Alice and she grasps it, grinning,to gently pull free the trapped Murin. Danahlia reluctantly lets hergo, rolling to her belly with a disappointed sigh.
"Ugh,thank you. She rolled over on me during the night and refused to letgo," Twinkaleni complains, straightening her fur.
Alicegiggles, "Does that happen often?"
"Toooften," the small mage assures.
Smiling,Alice looks out the window. The sky is still dark with the storm andit continues to rain, though not as heavily as it was the nightbefore. The ever present winds have also become cooler with theabundant moisture.
"Lookslike we're stayin' here for a while," says Alice, sticking herhand out to feel the rain only to retract it immediately when painblooms in her elbow.
"Ifthat is the case, we'll need to procure nourishment. How's yourarm?" asks Twinkaleni, approaching to get a better look at it.
"It'salright," Alice lies.
"Mmm,perhaps you should rest. Danny and I will go look for something,perhaps the rain has-"
Danahlia'ssneeze interrupts the mouse girl and the Liguna groans uncomfortablyon the floor, "Ugh, guys?"
"We'rehere," Twinkaleni assures, the Tokala and Murin moving to check onthe still prone girl.
"Canwe get the fire goin'? It's freezin' in here," Danahlia moans,curling in on herself.
Aliceand Twinkaleni share a look. True it was cool but hardly freezing.Twinkaleni kneels, placing a hand on Danahlia's forehead, "Idon't feel a fever, but I suppose that isn't entirely irregular."
Danahliasneezes again and then groans pitifully. Alice checks the ashes inthe fireplace, the fire having died sometime during the night. Theystill have some warmth to them. With the persistent rains, any woodoutside would be waterlogged by now so she looks around the smallshack for anything that will burn. She spots a board hanging limplyfrom the wall. In the past it may have served as a shelf but now shepries it off and tries to break it. She places the board against thewall at an angle and kicks down at it with a foot. After a few blowsthe board crackles into pieces.
Alicetakes the smallest of these to the fireplace and blows at the ashesthere. Her breath reveals a few glowing embers at the heart of thepile. She uses a splintered bit of wood to roll the embers into atighter group and then sets some of the broken shelf over them. A fewgentle breaths have the embers glowing bright as barely visible wispsof smoke begin to emerge from the wood. With a little more effort,she manages to get a small fire going and sits back to nurture it.
YOU ARE READING
On The Run
FantasyVolume 2 of the Alice Dippleblack series. Learning of an agent sent after Twinkaleni from the dreaded Order of Thermathrogi, Alice and her friends have left the pixie forest in an effort to put as much distance between themselves and the mage hunter...
