Finding the Wisest

Chapter Fourteen

"What do you think you are doing!?"
The girl hissed at Maya

Maya's retort brought a sour look to the girls face
"What does it look like I'm doing ? I'm obviously planting trees. Duh"
Maya felt silly everytime she said Duh but she didn't realize she had said it until it slipped out.
She needed better comebacks.

"If you were the least bit as competent as you made yourself out to be, you would know that all these boxes have traps. You're endangering all their lives."

"Well how was I supposed to know that from just looking at it? That's why I was testing it with a rock!" Maya shouted.

The girl turned her eyes skyward and moved her hand as if to flip her hair backwards but it hang awkwardly in mid-air for a while before she let it drop.
It wasn't long that she had cut her hair.

"Why did you cut your hair? "
Maya questioned.
"None of your business. Let's get out of here before the wall caves in. There's another way. Follow me." she commented brusquely.
Then the girl bumped into Maya--on purpose- and turned to the right, effectively leading them to a small entrance behind a giant rock. It was hiding in plain sight and Maya felt like a fool for not even looking around for another exit.
She sighed heavily as they came out at the other side, blinking rapidly in the sunlight.
Of course she was happy that they were safe and sound but she knew that things weren't going to be very easy from here on out.

"Thank you, for delivering us from our doom. But this is where we part ways oh savior. " Maya said, sarcasm thick in her throat. See...she still said her thank you and everything.

"Oh you still want to lead them, will you end them in a pit this time, or maybe some quicksand?"
Maya's anger spiked
"I had no idea there were traps there, how was I supposed to know?!"
She crossed her arms and looked away as the other, slightly taller girl lifted an eyebrow
"Exactly why I should lead them now, don't you think?"
"Excuse me!" Maya yelled
The girl looked at her nails " I do not think you are deaf."
"You are unbelievably cocky and disturbingly irritating. Even more than Sozee!"

"Heyyy !" Sozee whined from behind her.

Maya passed her fingers through her hair.
"Where are you even going anyway, we can't just follow you"

The stranger shifted slightly then cleared her throat.  The first sign of discomfort that Maya noticed.
"I'm going to see a friend. Not that it's any of your business"

"Of course it's my business, you want them to follow you. These are my friends.... At least one third of them are."

"She's talking about me... Sorry Kieran" Sozee whispered loudly to Kieran.

The taller girl stood quietly as the wind ruffled her cloak " You may be right. I wouldn't want a whiner like you and your one third of friends to follow me."
She paused .
"I'm on my way to the Drop Zone. I hope never to see you all. "
"Well tough luck. We're headed the same way. " Maya threw back

It was probably the way the two girls were looking at each other that prompted Kieran to step in.
He had initially not wanted to interfere in their little tiff but decided to move in-between them as the two began to square up against each other. He didn't know about the other girl but he knew Maya would not be able to fight her, despite how angry she was.
He made his way to them quickly with his long legs and pushed Maya away gently.

"Ladies, we are both going the same way. I do not think there needs to be an issue about this. We separate when we reach our destination. Also, stranger, Thank you for helping us in there. "

He paused.
"Do we have an agreement?"
"Fine" Maya replied as she turned to walk to where Kip was eagerly munching on grass. "Alright. " The other girl replied.

Sozee pushed past them all and went to the girl with an awestruck look on her face
"Thank you so much for saving us miss, you're so beautiful. What is your name?"

The girl thought for a short while, creases appearing in between her brows.
"Hm, you can call me Nebbia. " And she turned quickly, her black cloak swishing behind her and reminding Maya so much of Professor Snape. She smiled fondly as she thought about her movie marathons with her mother.
Worry hit her at once and so did guilt. She hoped her mother was okay wherever she was.

Sozee run quickly to catch up with Nebbia, talking animatedly and moving her hands about, Kip walked alongside her. Soon it was just Kieran and Maya taking up the rear. Walking silently together, like at first.

"You know..." Kieran began softly, picking up a three leafed clover and tearing it into pieces. "I think you shouldn't pay too much attention to Nebbia if she tries to make you upset. "
Maya nodded
Then Kieran continued "But...but also....i feel you should try to get to know her a bit more..."

"That's enough Kieran. I'm not ready to think about that now. She infuriates me too much and this is just about the second time we've met"

He nodded once.
They walked on in silence, well silence with an occasional lively scream from Sozee in front. After a few times they realized she was just narrating a story and wasn't in actual  danger.

"I find it strange that the traps weren't on the map you have. "
"The traps?" Maya questioned as Kieran's green eyes glinted.
"Yes. " He affirmed " The traps, what we just went through. I had heard of it before but I thought it was just a story. It should have been on the map at least."

Maya nodded as she thought about it...
Yes, it was strange.

"But Maya... How did you enjoy the trap experience?" She turned to him with an appalled face until she realized he was just joking.
"It was awful. Of course. You were there as well"
He hummed thoughtfully, as if he were a wise old man of the woods.
" So you prefer jumping over stones in a brook than going into the Traps?
That's wonderful to hear dear Maya , the next time I see a large body of water I'll...."

"Kieran! You better not" she exclaimed
He threw his head back and laughed as she tried to throw something at him but he dodged effortlessly.
"Thief instincts" he bragged while wiggling his eyebrows obnoxiously.
Maya rolled her eyes and they walked on.

                                X

"Is it getting hotter or is it just me?"
It was indeed getting hotter.
Very hot as if a heat wave had suddenly hit.
Clothes started becoming wet and hair started becoming limp ; making everyone uncomfortable and crabby.
It was just sheer will that stopped them from finishing their water supply.....or pouring it on themselves to relieve themselves from the unbearable heat.
Maya had shed her jacket, Kieran had rolled his sleeves up and Sozee had tied up her long hair in a bun but Nebbia would not take her cloak off.

Maya shrugged. It was not her business if one wanted to commit suicide via heat stroke. She made up her mind not to interact too much with Nebbia but this plan went into the gutter when she saw Nebbia opening a  map that looked very similar to hers. It even had a small black ribbon on it too, much like hers.

"Can I see that..?" You irritating human.

She did not add that to her words, they just  stayed in her thoughts as she and Nebbia  put both their maps on the floor.
The two maps all started from the main lands but from there came the big difference.
Nebbia did not have tell tale lands or FEDGE lands on her map and Maya did not have brook and stones, the traps and the seasonals on her map.

So many questions came up when she noticed this. Nebbia also refused to answer where she got the map from.
After a bit of thinking she pushed it behind her mind.
Maya didn't come here to play Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang, she was close to her goal(she hoped)  and with both of their maps placed together, they could see where exactly they needed to go next.

A strange thought crossed Maya's mind.
Where was Nebbia keeping her map?
She did not have a bag or even a pocket, how was she hiding it in her cloak?
She laughed a bit at how her mind had drifted. The most important question to ask herself now was 'What are the seasonals?'