Chapter 16

"Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence."- Hal Borland

Seraphina and the fox traveled way deeper into the woods. Her feet were growing tired and numb but she kept on walking.

Soon the fox led Seraphina into an open clearing, with a sweet and damp soft smell. Seraphina looked around in shock at how bright and opened it was as she felt herself fall into a relaxed state and drop to her knees. Her body had given out, dropping against the dew-dropped soft grass, and closed her eyes. Soon Seraphina felt he mind and body drift, sleep overtook and she was out in a matter of seconds. She never had felt so, at peace before, she would just accept failure and death for this eternal bliss.

As some hours passed, Seraphina woke up feeling more refreshed than ever. Her hair was wet and shared clothing damp but she didn't mind it right now. She found the fox asleep nearby, its body healing from the attacks it had endured during the battle with the Wendigo.

Seraphina stood up as she looked around, inspecting the wilderness around her. It felt safer here than anywhere else in the forest she had been before. The brightness made the place seem almost untouchable by dark cryptids that lay beyond the line they met. The fox was awake now, its eye watched her wander around the circle of land before it stood up and stretched out with a yawn. Seraphina noticed and rushed herself over to make sure it was alright, it was.

The fox motioned to follow her, someway out of the safety circle back near the river, but the bank was connected to large openings and a waterfall. The fox skipped over some rocks and stopped in front of some bushes. Seraphina stumped over the same rocks as she saw berries had grown on the bushes the fox was near. A smile came over her face as hungry made its name known back in her stomach.

As Seraphina reached for them, the fox snapped at her hand. She jolted back. The fox scuffed at her and shook its head. Its paw batted at the bushes and knocked some of them into the river. The face the creature made seemed of disgust. Seraphina noticed and took it as a sign that they weren't safe to eat. This was one of few survival lessons she would be taught from the fox as the long days went on.

~~~

As the exhausting minutes turned to hours, Seraphina had made note of every poisonous and non-poisonous berry there was in the forest. The fox had her write them out in the mud for the time, learning that her new favorite berries to thrive on would be Muscadine, Saskatoon berries, Salmonberry, and Gooseberries. The fox had taught Seraphina to hunt in the river's currents, make-shift spears, and grab with just her hands.

Soon dinner was made that night. Seraphine was able to start a decent fire under dry trees and cook the fish, turning it as it smoked with some weeds and plants that she was taught were safe to eat and cook with. She had turned some of the berries into juice with the water from the river as well when just plain water was getting annoying.

That night, Seraphina fell asleep next to the fox with a better mindset and feeling more at ease. Seraphina could clean up and fix her wounds with the berries and plants, she had to rip her shirt to make bandages along with leaves, but it didn't bother her. In the morning, she and the fox would continue with lessons until the final day hit.

Seraphina would wake up, eat and drink, then being her lessons with more plants. But that's not what happened. When Seraphina woke up, the fox was gone. No noise, nothing left behind. Seraphina was left alone in the safety circle.

"Maybe they needed to do some scouting out or hunting before they come back and get me." Seraphina stood up as she went and prepped herself some breakfast.

Midway through it, Seraphina was tackled, the fox nipping at her as Seraphina screamed out from the sudden attack from the creature. She pushed it off her and scrambled away.

Now feet apart, Seraphina caught her breath, panting softer as she tried to figure out what had happened. The fox did not move. It stared at her in a long wait, never a blink or a break of eye contact.

"What the hell was that!? Why did you attack me!?" Seraphina screeched out. She always knew that at some point the fox would probably turn on her, but she guessed it only wanted some time to snoop at her and figure out how long to wait and kill her.

The fox never moved or blinked. Only stared like it was a statue. It waited for Seraphina to do something. Make a move, a step forward towards them. It just stared.

"Well!?" Seraphina was getting angry now, screaming out wanting answers to what just happened. And in final demand, the fox lowered its head, picked up a thick stick, and tossed it to Seraphina. She caught it. The fox lunged.

Seraphina gasped and closed her eyes taking a swing at the fox and a loud crack was heard with a hard hit. When Seraphina had opened her eyes. The fox had frozen, half the stick was on the ground at the fox's feet while the other hand was in Seraphina's hands. She had hit the creature.

Fear paralyzed her now. Oh god, the fox was hit, she thought. I hit the fox. I'm so fucking dead now.

The fox turned its head to her, dark eyes locked on Seraphina's. She felt her soul leave in a heartbeat. She even felt her heart stop.

After a long moment though, the fox nodded its head to her and the stick. Was the fox telling her good job? Like it wanted her to do that?

"Was...was I supposed to do that? Did you want me to?"

The fox nodded again.

"Why?"

The fox stared at her then nudged its head to her wounds. It was telling her it was wanting her to defend herself against them. The fox was trying to teach Seraphina how to fight and defend herself.

"I see. Let's keep going then. I need another stick. A branch."

More hours of this day were used for Seraphina to train. Seraphina had picked up things quickly. She was able to pick herself back up faster now, dodge (somewhat) better and more safely, and even start to make attacks back. Her fight was rough and amateurish, but it was better than being nonexistent.

The fox and Seraphina took a break to eat, but lessons were still in session. Monsters this time. Not just the Wendigo, but more creatures like it that would hide just as well and be more deadly. Large or small. Seraphina didn't look away once as she learned.

~~~

Rowan had found a way to the outside world, the Human world. He snuck around some. His eyes searched the area around him that was unfamiliar. As he looked and wandered, signs of Seraphina's face started to appear. Rowan took one, seeing some information and names and numbers, but nothing of it made much sense. But to his luck, some girls were out in search of Seraphina, their voices had asked some passing by if they had seen their friend anywhere. None could give them the answer they wanted.

Rowan carefully went up to them, tapped their shoulders, and almost got punched in the face. Rowan held his hands up in alert and surrender, "Wait! Don't hit! I'm here to help!"

"Help with what!? Do you know where this girl is? She's our friend!" One of them shoved the flier in his face, Samuel. Rowan nodded moving the paper out of the way. Seraphina's friends seemed almost skeptical. They'd gone now nearly three days with no luck, so why now would there be anything?

"I know where your friend Seraphina is, she's safe, you have my word. Just come with me. I'll take you to her."

"How can we trust you with that!?"

Rowan sighed," You're right, you can't, but you are just going to have to trust me anyway if you are that desperate to find her." The girls knew he wasn't wrong on that. Rowan was their own hope right now with anything, their only anything to Seraphina. They had to follow and trust him despite it all.

"Fine, but you try anything and I will so help me, kick both your balls in so far deep you get pregnant," Nova growled low, sending a cold shiver up Rowan's spine. Somehow he believed she could probably do it.