The Keepers: Song of Sorrow

Chapter Seven

Jesper and Addac had spent a good deal of time talking and catching up as they searched. It was going quickly, despite often stopping to scare the daylights out of whole villages and passersby. They had yet to run into another of their kind and for that Jesper was grateful, he didn't need to get into a fight with an Eldritch, even with Addac by his side it was too much risk. He'd rather avoid it when he could. Addac had kept close by and sent out many more webs.
"What happens if you can't find her?"
"I don't know."
"Have you considered that you should've left her behind?"
"No, why?" He looked at his old companion.
"It's dangerous. She's died before, why risk it again?"
"You bring this up because?" He growled.
"It just doesn't seem like a very good idea."
Jesper stopped and thought about it for a moment. The spider creature had a point, he hadn't exactly asked the halfling if she wanted to come along, he pushed her (and a couple of times thrown her) right into it. Did she actually want to be here or had he simply forced her along because he hadn't wished to be alone? He shifted through his thoughts and after a moment came to his only rational conclusion; he was going to take her home. It wasn't fair to have brought her into this.
"Let's keep searching," Jesper said, "where haven't we looked?"
"The redwoods, I'll send some webs there." It didn't take long for one of the webs to be pulled. Addac turned his head to the wolf creature, it was her. Without a word Jesper took off. The ground beneath him was torn up by his great paws as he raced along, the worlds sped by in a blur of colors. The redwoods were filled with spirits, many were dangerous, if Maria ran into one it could very well kill her. They wouldn't bother him, he was far more powerful than any of them they wouldn't dare even show themselves before him. He reached the over sized forest and padded in slowly, smelling the air, searching for the halfling. He caught her scent and followed it, moving carefully as to not disturb to trail too much. Soon it was met with another, one of the forest's dead. He growled, continuing on he found the edge of the woods. He found the remains  of the web.
"Maria?" He called out softly taking back his smaller form, he saw movement behind a rock formation. The halfling pecked out from behind the rock.
"Jesper?" She moved further out.
"Yes it's me."
"Thank goodness you're alright," she rushed over and hugged his legs, "what happened to that thing that attacked you?" She looked around suspiciously, he smiled.
"It was just a misunderstanding, Addac is quick to anger and slow to calm. He's behind me somewhere." Maria looked up at him and took a few steps back.
"Is he safe?"
"Safe enough." He sighed, it was now or never.
"Maria, there's something I need to talk about."
"What?" He crouched down and looked her in the eye properly.
"I need to take you back. It's going to get far more dangerous from here on out and I cannot risk you coming to harm."
"Bull, you can't just dump me off like a sack of potatoes." She said, annoyed.
"I'm not giving you a choice." Jesper said.
"Neither am I." He growled in frustration and stood, she crossed her arms and glared at him.
"You are going home." He said firmly. "Back to your comfy little house and it's comfy little furnishings. Back to your jolly people and their idiot leader. Because for me to take you further would be dangerous and selfish." She scoffed.
"And making me go home against my Will isn't?"
"Not in the same way." Addac finally caught up to them.
"She hasn't left yet?"
"She's being stubborn."
"So open a portal and throw her through."
"I can't."
"Why?" Jesper sighed again. This was getting ridiculous, he looked back to Maria, the halfling was looking up at him with an odd look in her eyes.
"I'll go back, but on one condition."
"What's that?" He asked.
"Stay safe." She said softly. He let out a soft chuckle, of course she'd ask that of him.
"I will." He reached out a hand and pressed it gently against the soft, warm flesh of her cheek. She pressed into it.
"Let me walk you home." He said, Addac opened a portal between the worlds, on the other side was Cottontail. He led her by the hand back to her small cottage door. They stood for a moment.
"So is this where we say goodbye?" Jesper asked.
"For now, will you be back?"
"If I can."
"You'd better," she threatened, "or I'll come looking for you to drag you back." He smiled.
"I'd expect nothing less." He spoke softly before turning back where he'd come. He waited until she closed her door before rejoining Addac.