Chapter Seven
Crickets filled the moist night air with a beckoning song Nicole could not resist. Hopper and Sarah fell asleep nestled together under a large fir tree as the elf silently disappeared into the forest. Jack gathered more wood for the fire and added a few extra logs to keep it burning as they slept. Nicole wandered effortlessly through the darkness. The sound of a small gurgling brook drew her to its sandy banks. Sitting on the edge of a fallen tree, she pulled her boots off and thrust her tired feet into the stream. The cold water numbed her aching arches, sending a shivering pulse of relief through her small form.
A small cloud slipped across the moon causing a shift in the shadows, Nicole became part of the forest, silent and watching. Her dark green eyes focused on the same small red fox that had warned her of the Warriors’ attack earlier that same evening. Smiling, she reached out and waited for it to join her. She stroked its soft fur then rose as they walked together deeper into the forest.