It felt like iron had been strapped around her paws, each lumbering step running ache up her limbs. The sun had visited them nearly a dozen times… her warm presence usually met with huffs and whines of annoyance. There wasn’t a point in arguing, Cherry and Trench split bearing the load between them—  They had more room to argue. Dapples of sunlight broke through the trees, thick oaks and maples shielding them from the heat.

“I miss Lily…” Cherry groaned, the bundles of firewood rhythmically swaying from side-to-side. Mud caked her legs, dark bodies of dead insects poking out from her pale fur. Sylvie’s eyes lazily trailed over to Trench, who had already begun to meet her whining with a stern huff.

 “Don’t you start. You can’t keep whinin’ every tail-flippin’ second just because it’s a little sunny out.” He hadn’t changed much, if not a little more irritable. “We still have a few miles, once we reach the next village we can restock.”

 “I don’t care about restocking!” The nebulruff sat down with a thump. Her hindleg picked up, harness rattling while she scratched a clump of knotted fur on her neck. Leaves and flecks of clumped dirt shot from her incessant paw, scattering onto the ground. “I need a bath. I need real food, not some dried berries and twigs!”

 Trench side-eyed her, retaining his steady pace through the foliage. “I told you not to go through them brambles, n’ you should be grateful we have any food at all.” He glanced around, grimacing at the never-ending woods that surrounded them. “Nothin’ ‘round here but berries n’ twigs anyways. At least we know these ones are edible.” 

 “Technically anything is edible.”

 The merruff opened his mouth, eyes widening as they flicked to Cherry. After staring at her slack-jawed, Trench ultimately clicked his jaw back shut and looked ahead, tail lashing behind him. Sylvie had to jerk her head back, feeling wind rush by her as his tail smacked into a nearby trunk. Wincing as an acorn bounced off her head, she let her head hang down to watch her paws drag along the ground.

 The soil cooled her sore pads, even if it was just for a few seconds. The white fabric around her arms turned to a dark brown at the base, a small flicker of annoyance twinging her heart. Lily had warned her it would happen, that a simple wash would fix it, but still… they’d gotten their supplies out of her kindness. It’d be awful to take that for granted… 

 She was especially grateful for the clothes, the fur draped over her back protected her from sharp branches and while she had no real use for the enchanted silk— it seemed to have soothed her shoulder. The orange amulet gleamed in the pale light, the etched marking taunting her. It was mostly agreed that if they had their forms this trip would be easier— well, at least until Trench reminded them it’d just make them sitting ducks. The warning immediately brought back the memories of what Lily had told them, how an opposing merruff queen known as Mira had started overtaking the mainland, how she was out for Luana’s head. A curling flutter of sickness plagued her stomach, her frown deepening. It was better not to think about it— even better if she didn’t ask about it.

 She felt warm scales against her face, Sylvie hastily backing up. Looking around, it was as if they hadn’t made any progress. Oaks and maple, maple and oaks, a sea of brambles and bushes with only a thin trail parting the foliage. The warm buzz in her mind lifted, blinking rapidly to register their surroundings before a dark mass flickered in her peripheral vision and she was shoved to the side by a powerful tail.

 “Stop acting like a child, Cherry. We still have—”

 “I don’t care! We’re hungry, tired, stressed, and I’m sick of having to tell you that!” Cherry growled, fur standing out on end. “It had been hours, Trench— it's been days of nonstop walking.” Had they been arguing the entire time?

 Sylvie shook her head, looking between the two. The nebulruff had sat herself on the path once more, looking just as ragged as she had before. An orange hue had washed over them and their terrain, it quickly clicked that it was almost nightfall— How long had it been?

 “It’s what needs to be done. This isn’t your hometown, its the real world.” The merruff punctuated each word, keeping his voice even. “N’ who is this ‘we’ you’re talkin’ about? I have been carrying myself just fine— Depths below! Maddox has been traveling with barely any hitch!”

 That last comment pulled a scoff, Cherry rolling her eyes. “Are you serious? The only reason he’s been quiet is because he isn’t even here! He’s been running off ahead trying to get himself lost just like last time.” Before the other could come to his defense, Cherry gestured towards the silent phoeline. “And this we is us! You think Sylvie isn’t tired? You think she’s not wanting more than a few hours of sleep?”

 Knitting his brows together, Trench stepped forward. “Sylvie isn’t a child, she can handle herself and if she had somethin’ to say she would have told me by now! We traveled together through more demandin’ terrain than this!”

 “She's not going to do that!” Cherry’s voice lifted to a shrill shriek, eyes flickering from one to the other. “She’s only doing what she’s told— she wouldn't bother us with sore feet o-or an empty stomach!” She  threaded between them, guiding Sylvie to her side and out from behind the merruff. “Has she asked you for any rations? Maybe a lift?” An arm wrapped around her, Cherry squeezing them together with a pursed lip.

 Trench’s furrowed brows deepened slightly, looking off to the side. His mouth would open before tightening back up, his quizzical expression starting to twist into something else. Something that made the phoeline’s heart twist with anxiety. Concern. “No…” He slowly shook his head, eyes trailing down to meet Sylvie’s. “She hasn’t.”

 “See!” Cherry would immediately squawk, tail starting to wag behind her. “I know my girl, she’s still a wee little thing.” Sylvie spluttered while a paw patted her quite aggressively, the dirt from the nebulruff’s fur making her sneeze. “So we should make camp right here.”

 His attention focused back onto Cherry, thoughtful tone hardening once again. “We can’t just plop ourselves anywhere—”

 “Yes, we can!” Dropping her shoulders, her head swiveled around to scan their surroundings. “Look, right here!” Grabbing the phoeline’s scarf between her teeth, she led Sylvie to a tree, stamping down the grass and settling her between the roots. Cherry tore a few branches from a nearby bush, making a sizeable pile before laying down. A small wince of pain flashed across her face, cracks sounding while the limbs snapped under her weight. “See? Me and Sylvs can lay our little selves right here, and you and Maddox can make your own beds over there.” Her paw flicked past a few trees, Trench immediately squinting while his head turned to follow her paw.

 “...You mean by those thorny brambles?”

 Cherry grinned, propping up her head. “Exactly! I mean— It would be rather fitting. Wouldn’t it?”

 “No, I don’t think it would.” 

 Their bickering continued to drone on, Sylvie shuffling in her ‘makeshift bed’. They’d figure it out, probably ending in resting here through Cherry’s sheer stubborn will. Her chin settled against the rough roots, trying and failing to move and adjust to find somewhere comfortable to rest her head. Forelegs tucking underneath her, the phoeline closed her eyes. All she could hear was the voices of the other two, maybe a flapping of wings or the snap of a twig.

 Why can’t they just… hush? A small puff of air hit her brow, debating if it was even worth opening her eyes just to find a leaf had danced by her until the sound of paws hitting the ground got her attention. 

 Maddox shook out his pelt. Somehow, through all the creeks, mud, sand, brambles, and whatever else they had gone through, he looked untouched. His… ‘armor’... was just as vibrant and glittery as it’d been before, it was as if every grain and glob of muck slid off him. He trotted up to Trench, the merruff immediately turning his attention from the still raving Cherry to lower his head.

 He whispered something into the others ear, Trench nodding along until something caught his attention. A smile creeped along his face, teeth slightly bared once it starting to grow into a wide grin. He wrapped his arm around Maddox, scrubbing his head with his other paw. “Good on ya, mate!” Patting his back, Trench interrupted the nebulruff’s complaining about the difference between poisonberry and boysenberry. “Hey! You’re getting your wish, Maddox found a small nook with a river nearby. If you want to get a camp set up Sylvs n’ I can get some fish.” 

 Sylvie perked up at her name, catching a look from Trench while he passed her to follow the fox’s lead. A grumpy mumble sounded behind her, watching Cherry begrudgingly get up from her pile of sticks. “-woulda found it anyways… he’s not even going off path…”

 Sticking close to the other, her stomach twisted at the questioning glance Trench had given her on his way out. She already knew he’d ask questions during their fishing, her mind racing to set the stage. What happened? A… a lot happened. Those things that Edward fella had said… how she almost lost an arm during their escape from the mansion. The shopkeeper that somehow no one has ever seen before, the promise Sylvie had made to her. The fact that they were attacked, that they were imprisoned, how she’d seen her friends hurt for the simple mistake of struggling against their binds. Not even mentioning the lice…

 A dread weighed down her heart, face twisting to a strained frown. The edges of her eyes burned, feeling the flames of that fear and anxiety she’d felt only drag her down further. That had only been what— three days? Four? Their only sense of peace was traveling and even that was plagued by incessant arguing. Maddox still hadn’t spoken to her since their chore, and whenever he spoke to Cherry it was always the same: Yelling.

 That was just one question he could ask, and it spiraled so far she was sure the message would get lost. Maybe… maybe Trench would help her reel it back in. He had a good head on his shoulders, he helped her during their trip to Hometown, she’d be fine. Sylvie let out a shuddered sigh, enjoying the warmth of Cherry’s tail before it would inevitably pull away.

 It wasn’t a clearing per se, but there was a small patch of tall grass surrounded by shrubbery and thick oaks. Maddox was already digging himself a small den between a collection of brambles, Cherry dropping her firewood on the opposite side of their campground with a relieved huff. The phoeline watched as she started to unbind the small logs, forming a chunky teepee until the latest reason for her upset stomach lumbered up beside her, net draped over his back.

 “C’mon, they’ll survive without us. Just like they did last time.” Trench used his nose to turn her around. Reluctantly following his lead, the merruff would shove foliage to the side and allow Sylvie to slip through.

 To say the air was thick would be an understatement, only the sound of rushing water and rustling leaves filling its loud silence. She kept her eyes glued to the glimmering water, the natural tranquility bringing her some peace of mind. Slim bodies of fish underneath the surface slipped by— at least until they were forced against the net and started to struggle and writhe. Her nose scrunched up at the sight, a pang of guilt making her already queasy self want to curl up and die. They were fighting against each other, a mass of panic until their muscles were too heavy with fatigue to fight anymore. It… wasn’t fair—

 “What’s wrong, Sylvs?” The deep voice interrupted her internal warring, Sylvie’s eyes snapping up to look over at the merruff. “Somethin’ on your mind?”

 There’s a lot on my mind… the butler, the shopkeeper, those guards… Maddox almost getting me killed. The phoeline quickly shook her head, that last remark making her heart skip a beat. He didn’t mean it—! It was an accident, he was just scared!

 “Is it the fish? There’s no reason to feel bad for ‘em, it's just nature. Not like they’ll be goin’ to waste anyways.”

 So what if he was a little late? I’ve been in worse conditions…! He was there in the end and I survived, so that's all that matters. We got it done, got the supplies, and we’re on our way. He wouldn’t have watched me die. He wouldn’t have, and he didn’t.

 “Sylvie?”

 And he’s struggling too! He’s always had trouble with his forms, he even said so himself at that weird merruff town. He was brave for doing that, he was brave for saving me. I should be grateful for it— I am! How can I not be?

 A weight pushed against her shoulder, Trench using a paw to give her a firm poke. “Sylvie!”

 “Oh— No, I’m fine.” She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, squeezing her jaw shut. 

 “You sure don’t look fine. C’mon Sylvs, what's goin’ on up there?” He lowered to a crouching position, leaning closer. “I know you’re a quiet one but you haven’t even chimed in once.”

 There’s nothing to chime into when it's just arguing.

 “You even been eatin’?”

 When I’m hungry.

 “Sleepin’ good?”

 I never have.

 “That shoulder still botherin’ you?”

 Yes.

 “I’m fine.” A tightness formed in her throat, sewing it shut. She fought down the urge to deepen her frown, just managing to retain the shallow arch. I’m so tired… I want to go home. “It’s just a lot is all.”

 “It sure is…” The firm pressure of his scales made her eyes burn, manually keeping her breath even. “It’s not like our little trek to your little town… it’s… more difficult. Sylvie could tell from his awkwardly spaced words that he was really trying to sound understanding. He doesn’t want to tell me to just suck it up. “But we’ll make it. I ain’t gonna let anythin’ happen to ya, just like I didn’t let anythin’ happen to ya then. N’ while Maddox n’ Cherry are at each other's necks right now… they wouldn’t let you get hurt neither.” They did. “I’m sure after a proper meal you’ll feel better. Me n’ one of the other two can gut ‘em for ya.” I’m so glad.

 “Great.” Catching her snippy remark, Sylvie quickly softened her tone. “Thank you— a lot. Thanks…” She flashed him a hopefully convincing grin, eyes flickering over Trench’s face. Even if his body seemed to relax at her words, the furrowed brow told her she still wasn’t in the clear.

 “I’m always here for ya, Sylvs. When n’ if you ever wanna talk about somethin’, just give me a call.” With a quiet grunt, the merruff dragged his hindlegs back under himself and stood up. “Now lets go see if we got enough heads.” He started ahead of her, Sylvie starting to lift to her own feet before a blur shot off to her left. She froze, looking between the rustling bush and Trench’s moving form. It hadn’t had a recognizable form— at least not from the split-second it’d been in the corner of her eye. Heart rate picking up, the phoeline turned her back to the noise and quickly trotted up behind the other. She tucked herself next to his tail, feeling it rhythmically sway against her side with every step. It was better than being out in the open.

 Trench didn’t even get to finish pulling the net from the river before a crash sounded behind them, Cherry nearly knocking into him. “Soldiers!” She whispered harshly, eyes wide with new twigs sticking from her knotted fur. “From Mira, they found our camp and know intruders are here— thats us!”

 The merruff immediately dropped the netting, Sylvie’s heart dropping with it. “What— How? Did they see you?” He looked around her, craning his neck. “Where’s Maddox?”

 “That's the thing, he followed them after I… said one of them had Kip’s scent.”

 Kip?

 Trench’s jaw hung open, the phoeline feeling his body tensing with anticipation. Cherry continued, ears lowering while she glanced off to the side. “And… we may have gotten into a little scuffle beforehand… He wouldn’t let me make the fire how I wanted, and it was my job! They might have heard— but they didn’t see us!... At least I don’t think.”

 “If they heard you from camp then they would’a heard you barreling through here like a madwoman!”

 Cherry scoffed, throwing him a dirty look. “You didn’t hear me until I nearly bumped head!” She puffed out her chest, proclaiming proudly: “It's my special talent.”

 “It’s special alright. Now, we have to quietly find out where they came from— I’d take a shot that they have another encampment somewhere ‘round here.”

 “Luckily for you and Maddox, I saw where they were heading. Hopefully that pea-brained dunce didn’t get himself caught again.” The nebulruff brushed past them, Sylvie chasing after the pair as they carefully slithered between the greenery.

 They stopped a few feet from their camp, the firewood Cherry had been carrying… along with Trench’s supplies were gone. Sylvie didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, Cherry quickly sniffing the air before darting away from the path. She’d check over her shoulder as they picked their way through, watching that clear line to their next destination start to blend in with the rest of the forest before disappearing completely. Hopefully someone was keeping track…

 It wasn’t long before Cherry started to slow down, starting to crawl with her stomach dragging along the grass. Trench followed suit, Sylvie still taking up the tail-end. They lined up at the edge of an open field, finally a break from the dense blanket of leaves that had ‘protected’ them from the sun's light. Trench had been right, it wasn’t as large as the one in the ocean, but by the looks of the armor— They were Mira’s. Tents encircled a clearing, merruffs milling about. A landing area held a dragon, pouches full of what she guessed was letters and… supplies? Supplies strapped around their neck and chest. After a few more moments, they’d take flight further east.

 “What’s the plan now, huh?” The nebulruff turned to Trench, who was still eyeing the soldiers, those all-too familiar stress lines creasing his features. She could practically see the gears turning, his eyes flickering over the encompassing area. He opened his mouth to speak, but a huskier voice would leave.

 “I say we—” Maddox would appear beside them before a large paw surged forward, smacking him square across the face. Trench’s swing had been paired with a shrill shriek from a rather pink nebulruff, the trio looking on in horror as their companion went flying back into a pile of bramble with an even louder yelp of pain.

 A shriek and a yelp. A shriek and a yelp that echoed. That echoed multiple times.

 “Fish whiskers!” Trench immediately jumped to his feet, helping a thorny fox out of the prickly bush. “Now what’d you do that for!?”

 “What do you mean what did I do!” Maddox thumped him on the nose with a few light smacks that caused the merruff to jerk his head back with a sneeze. He tried to shake it off, but from his watery eyes Sylvie could tell that it had hurt. “As I was saying—”

 “HALT.” A deep voice roared, only getting the split-second sight of gnashing teeth before a leviathan crashed through the trees. The soldier rolled quite the distance, Sylvie spotting several more changing forms to dash along the field to their location.

 They didn’t need to be told twice, taking the obvious hint and breaking out into an all-out sprint. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Maddox quickly took the lead, followed by Cherry and Sylvie with Trench watching their backs.

 She could only trust the billowing fur beside her, paws barely touching the ground as the roaring of snapping trees sounded behind them. Greens blended together, ignoring every branch and thorn that tore into her clothes. Sylvie looked around wildly, there was nowhere to hide— trying to claw up a tree would only work for her, and that leviathan didn’t seem to care about the flora at the current moment. They could only run. Maddox’s dark pelt would slip by her, stealing a glance over her shoulder to see him join Trench’s side.

 “They have Kip’s hat— I saw it! It has to have his scent on it.” The fox shouted, taking a sharp inhalation of breath between each sentence. “We can track them from there, I know my boy ain’t leaving his side.”

 Trench laughed. How in the world can he laugh in a moment like this!? “How do you expect us to do that, huh? I respect the moxie but I am not in the mood to be getting my scales ripped off!”

 Someone shouted, an oak careening through the air before crashing in front of them. Shrapnel shot out, a stinging sensation running along her face as broken scraps of bark pelted into her. Squeezing her eyes shut, it was Cherry shoving her to the side that got her back on her feet.

 The pair behind them didn’t seem too bothered, Maddox having ducked behind the other before skidding to follow the leading two. “They got prisoners— n’ they look like Luana’s people with some cats. I’m thinkin’—”

 “Do not tell me you’re going to hand yourself over. You don’t think they got a message going ‘round about a certain pack o’ nebs on the run?” Trench’s interruption was met with a check into his shoulder. It didn’t seem to accomplish much.

 “I’m hoping they ain’t! We need that hat. I’ve already checked, there is no way we are sneaking in there. Too open with too many fish-heads skulking around.”

 “Hey now…”

 “Shut it, Trench.”

 After a moment of silence that was filled with orders shouting behind them and the ragged pants of Cherry beside her, Trench spoke back up.

 “Well, might as well get ‘em away from the girls, huh? Someone needs to keep Cherry on the right track.”

 Sylvie heard her snarl through her pants, though through all the noises, Maddox’s laugh was clear. “Ha! Alright, you got yourself a deal. Ya’heard Sylvs? Don’t let her get lost.”

 “As if you aren’t part of the reason we’re even out here!” She snapped her head back, baring her teeth. Sylvie kept her mouth shut, neither laughing along or making a move to shoot either of them a dirty look. After all, they were about to be hunted down with at least one of them going behind bars again.

 Footsteps faded as the two split apart. Straining her ears, Sylvie could hear their pursuers' voices growing more faint. They’d still push through, a cliffside starting to crawl higher and higher beside them. Vines entangled its surface, the phoeline only stealing a short glance until she bumped into Cherry’s backside. She had flopped onto her stomach, tongue lolling out of her mouth in an attempt to cool down.

 “These clothes… are… so heavy.” The nebulruff pressed her face into the cold grass, Sylvie looking behind them only to see another set of trees flying through the air a few miles away. The sight made her stomach drop, unsure if it was Maddox or Trench being the one chased. Catching her fearful look, Cherry rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry… about them. Stupid… stupid little stupidheads…” Her voice cracked, catching her attention. “It’s… it’s not my fault Maddox couldn’t keep his nose out of my business. It’s not my fault he snuck up on us— he yelled too! I’m…” Trailing off, she pressed her forehead into the ground with a groan.

 Her heart twisted, Sylvie joining her side. “It’s not your fault… we’re… we’re all a mess right now.”

 “It’s not like I’m trying to get in trouble! It’s not like I’m purposely messing up!”

 “It’s not. You’re doing your best.”

 “I am!” Throwing her paws up into the air, she hopped to her feet. “They didn’t even tell us where we were going to meet up. Those halfwits just wanted to have a ‘heeheehaha fun little chase’— like come on!” That’s… actually true… “What happened to Trench being a big ol’ planner, huh? Maybe a hint? A general idea? I asked for a plan!”

 A twig snapped, Sylvie’s head snapping towards the forest. Her eyes darted around, glimpsing a dark shape. A soldier? “Cherry…?”

 “What are we gonna do now? Just run around until we happen upon a village? Trench had the map in his supplies and those are gone! Wait until one of them finds us? Maddox still has to get his tail kicked in to get that stupid hat!”

 Another blur, Sylvie feeling her heart start to pound against her chest. She backed up, tail pressing into the cold stone of the cliffside. “Cherry.”

 “What if the scent is too old? Maddox’s scent was just a few hours, these could be days— weeks long! I know neither of them got good sniffers, so they’re just gonna have me do it without even thanking me! I wanna find the boys too but give a girl some credit!”

 “Cherry—!” Too late, vines wrapping around her hindlegs before dragging her back. Darkness surrounded her, the maw that had opened up in the cliffside closing up.

 A yell followed hers, more stone grinding against each other before a large mass of fur pressed into her. Cherry’s scent filled her nose seconds before the ground underneath them gave away and in the inky abyss of the cliffside, they fell down the cavern.