Thenext morning is full of activity. The camp was in bad shape beforethey'd arrived but after the battle with the titanic centipede itwas in ruins. The huts are a shamble of sticks, everything left in oraround them have been scattered and broken. The stones outlining thefire pits need to be regathered, and bits of clay pottery areeverywhere.
Lycarubs the back of her head, seeing the mess in the new day's lightand grumbles, "We are gonna be busy today."
Atleast breakfast is easy. The fire has become a pile of glowingembers, but is quickly revitalized and more centipede on a stick isserved. After, Alice goes with Lyca to fetch water, she filling herand her friend's waterskins, while Lyca fills a few relativelyintact clay jugs. Looking over at the wolf girl while dunking twoskins, Alice can't help but admire her. They are of a similarheight, age, and not so dissimilar species, which makes it hard forthe young fox not to make comparisons with herself.
Lyca is so strong, leading her group, not following as Alice hadgotten into the habit of doing. And her bravery when she charged thecentipede, it inspired Alice, giving her the courage to stand andfight too. She finds herself staring at the Lobovan, wondering whatit was that the wolf girl had that she didn't. Lyca catches herwatching but Alice doesn't look away, noticing for the first timehow green her eyes are. They share a smile before getting back totheir tasks.
Thepond is nice, large with calm waters, surrounded heavily with treesand topped with a cool mist. The shore slopes a bit, making Alicethink it used to be deeper, but it should serve the forest dwellersfor a good while yet.
"So,how long you guys plannin' to be in the forest?" Lyca askscasually, focused on her work.
Alicelooks to her, lifting an eyebrow, "Tired of us already?"
"No,I'm, just curious. The little magic one said you were just passin'through," says Lyca, finishing her third jug and heading back theway they'd come.
"Twinkaleni,and that was the plan. We can't stay anywhere long."
Lycapurses her lips as if thinking to ask why but then grins, "Well, Ihope you can stick around for at least a little bit more."
Asshe passes behind Alice, she bumps the fox girl's back with her rump,nearly knocking the Tokala into the pond. Alice catches herself, onehand slapping the water, and turns to see the Lobovan saunter away,tail wagging. Alice quickly fills her last skin before chasing afterher, eager for revenge.
Shecatches up to the wolf, and slows, walking beside and just a littlebehind. She then nonchalantly dumps one of the waterskins over theother girl's neck and down her back. Lyca's mouth and eyes openwide as she stiffens, the cold water soaking her fur. Alice laughsand dashes around her back to camp, waterskins sloshing around herneck and shoulders.
Lycatries to follow but, with her full jugs, she can only manage a wobblywaddle and calls after her, "Oh, you are so gonna get it, Red!"
WhenAlice bursts back into camp, she gets the attention of a few of theothers, particularly Nesu, who runs up to her asking, "Lyca?"
YOU ARE READING
On The Run
FantasiVolume 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...
