Naya led the way at a brisk pace. They’d make it to the edge of their range by dusk at this rate, but her anxiety made her want to push them faster. She turned, seeing the clumsy human crashing through the brush behind her. She sighed, slowing her pace once more. Better to take it slow. Otherwise, they’d attract far too much attention, and leave a trail straight back to her favorite camp. As it was she’d have to repair the damage he was doing, she didn’t want to have to erase even more.

Bu’umo was scouting ahead, making sure the path was clear, and searching for any sign of the Muunin. Both of them were full of anxiety at the thought of encountering one here. The Muunin were essentially boogeymen in the Talani legends, always hiding in the shadows, waiting to slit your throat when you least expected it. They would need to set wards around their territory, strengthen the hold they had over the area, and soon. Having a defensible area would be critical once the fighting started, and they hadn’t had a chance to reap any of the crops she’d been growing yet. If she had to abandon this place, it would mean nearly a month of wasted effort.

She shook her head. No, she had to think positively. And plan for every eventuality.

----

Aran focused on keeping pace with Naya as she darted through the brush. She seemed to melt into the forest, despite her bright fur, making it difficult to keep track of her. He couldn’t help but admire the way she moved, gracefully leaping over logs and brush, and the way she bounded from foot to foot, no movement wasted, her tail moving from side to side, soundless as she ran. He shook his head. Focus! Her tail had diverted his attention, and now he was falling behind again.

He circulated a bit of mana through his limbs, and put on a burst of speed, suddenly feeling lighter, and caught up to her easily. He saw her glance back at him, face inscrutable beneath her mask.

“You’re being too loud. Stay close, and focus on being silent.” She said, voice barely more than a whisper even as she ran.

He nodded, berating himself mentally. She’d clearly stated the dangers out here, and he was getting distracted by her tail of all things. He focused on his feet, trying to place them where she had stepped, while also keeping track of where they were headed. After a few minutes it became abundantly clear he was not very good at doing both. Instead, he focused only on keeping quiet, trusting Naya to guide them in the right direction.

They kept up that pace for hours, only stopping when Aran couldn’t keep running, taking short breaks. He kept a steady flow of mana circulating which helped immensely, but he’d never run this long or this far before, and it showed. And even without the constantly circulating mana, he could tell that he was far more able than he should be. He’d never been in great shape, and rarely did more running than was strictly mandated back in high school. And yet after their short breaks, usually only 4 or 5 minutes, he felt completely refreshed. So it was that he was still feeling good as the sun began to set, shadows falling across Naya’s lithe form as she ran, making it look as if she was stepping in and out of reality, the way she nearly disappeared in the shade.

They kept going into the night, but had to slow their pace, as Aran could barely see in the dark, the shadows melding to make the forest floor a nearly invisible obstacle course. After a while, Naya slowed her pace to a walk, breathing deeply as she sniffed the night air.

“We’ll stop here for the night. We are nearly at the edge, and there is little point in continuing to have you blunder through the trees.” She said, edges of her mouth upturned in a small smile as she took off her mask.

Aran huffed a laugh. “How generous of you. I can barely see a thing out here.”

She sat on the ground, knees up as she leaned against a tree. “Do not worry. I can see well enough for the both of us. And Bu’umo will soon be here to keep watch while we sleep.”

He nodded, mimicking her relaxed pose against the adjacent tree. “Does he not need to sleep?”

“Not as much as you or I. And he’s a very light sleeper, regardless. He will protect us.” She smiled again as the bushes moved to her left, and a long, shadowy snout poked out. She ran a hand along it, scratching his thick hide beneath the jaw full of serrated teeth. “Thank you.” She turned back to Aran, amber eyes seeming to catch and reflect the meager starlight filtering through the trees. “Now, we sleep. We will wake early and take you to the boundary. I will ensure you are pointed in the correct direction, and you will return to your people.”

Aran sighed, leaning his head back. “Sounds good.”

She cocked her head, a gesture he was coming to realize was a habit of hers. “You do not seem pleased. Do you not wish to return to your fellow humans?”

He grimaced. “Am I really so easy to see through? No, its not that I don’t want to go back, it's just… Well, I’m pretty new here, and some people died because of me. I doubt any explanation I can give is going to be good enough. I wouldn’t be surprised if they refused to let me back into town.”

Naya was quiet for a moment before responding. “I would not think so harshly of your people. You’re whole world is changing, and tragedies have no doubt befallen many, including you. They would be foolish to turn away help when it is offered.”

They lapsed into silence, as the shadows deepened. “Thanks, Naya. I appreciate you helping me find my way back.”

She waved a hand dismissively, eyes closed. “It is nothing. I am simply escorting you out of my territory. I am simply relieved you had no ill intent in your unintentional invasion.”

Aran chuckled quietly, sleep threatening to overtake him. “Thats funny. I had no idea you were even there until I woke up with you standing over me. Lucky me…” His head drooped to the side as he finally succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

--------

They rose at dawn, grey light filtering through the pines turning the world a washed out mix of greys and greens. Naya had already been awake for some time, eating a light breakfast of some berries and some hard bread-like food when Aran finally stirred, refreshed. She’d offered him some of her food, before recalling he didn’t need to anymore, pulling the proffered food back with a slight blush of embarrassment. He waved off her apology, unbothered.

“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it now, so don’t worry about it.”

She nodded in thanks, finishing her small meal quickly before rising to her feet. Bu’umo rose as well, skin now a dappled mixture of shifting brown and green. He shook, massive claws digging furrows in the dirt as he stretched, before nuzzling Naya’s shoulder briefly before shuffling off into the brush. It amazed Aran how quickly he could simply disappear, as huge as he was.

Naya stretched, arms over her head as she arched her back in the morning air, tail slowly swishing across the ground. Aran found his eyes drawn to her as the morning light reflected off her snow white hair. She really was quite pretty, and her long white hair framed her face perfectly. She finished her stretch, lowering her arms and gaze to look over at him. He found himself staring, and schooled his face to an impassive look. He cleared his throat, diverting his eyes as he stood, brushing off loose bits of dirt and moss.

She continued to look at him, eyes intent, before she turned, facing east as the rising sun seemed to outline her in gold. “Come. It is not far now.” She started walking briskly, not waiting for him to catch up.

They’d only been walking for a few hours when she slowed, coming to a stop next to a large oak tree, branches bare of leaves, forming skeletal fingers that seemed to grasp for the sky above. She laid a hand against the bark of the trunk, sighing quietly.

“This is as far as I go. From here, if you continue straight, you will reach the human settlement in a day at a run, two if you walk as we have this morning.”

Aran stepped up beside her, nervous, but feeling strangely melancholy at the thought of returning to town. He turned to face her. “Thanks, Naya. I can’t thank you enough for getting me here. You could have had Bu’umo just eat me or something, so thanks.” He said, a small smile on his face, careful not to show his teeth.

She smiled in return. “There is no thanks necessary. Besides, Bu’umo probably wouldn’t like the way you taste anyway.” They both chuckled at that. “Farewell, Aran. I wish you luck in the coming months. I only ask you not reveal my presence here.”

“Of course, wouldn’t dream of it. Our secret. See you, Naya. I hope you get everything you need to save your home.” Aran stood there a moment longer, not sure what else to say. So he nodded, said one last “Thank you,” and walked away. A few feet in, he turned to wave, but she’d already vanished. He smiled, a little sadly, before continuing on his way.