Skye walked in silence, though not in solitude, flanked as she was by the rest of the Wyldwalkers, save for their feathered member. It had been some time since she’d been separated from Niko, and oddly enough she could feel the place in the back of her mind where their mental bridge had been like staring down a foggy path at midnight. There was a distinct sense of lack, perhaps emptiness, without hearing the low whisper of Niko’s thoughts all day. She could listen in closely if she wanted, and in those times she felt closer to another creature than any other she had before. It wasn’t as though she didn’t care for her family and her other friends, just that she didn’t always feel it necessary to express what she was thinking to them all the time. Even Stella, arguably one of the people she was closest to, didn’t always know what she was thinking.

Mithel was… close, she admitted, but she also seemed to have both more and less experience than she should. At any given moment, she could potentially express wisdom that Skye could easily see was far beyond her years, but at another point be completely out of her depth. Mithel was an interesting person, and a good friend.

‘It’s hard to beat having a direct connection to my mind, though.’ Skye smiled slightly to herself, surprised at how she actually felt about the mind-bridge. It was handy to be able to express herself without words, given that selecting the right words for any given occasion was challenging at the best of times.

And so, void of that connection, Skye couldn’t help but keep touching her thoughts on the gap as though it was an itch she couldn’t help but scratch at.

‘But, you don’t tell him everything,’ the cynic in her reminded, ‘You had the perfect opportunity last night. Why didn’t I just tell him what’s happening?’

She let out a very mild sigh, before taking a glance around to make sure no one had noticed her current state of mind. Mithel and Dachna were speaking with one another and Thokk, involving Ronald occasionally. Skye still remembered to enter the conversation occasionally herself with a vague response, and so it was no surprise that no one noticed her withdrawn introspection. That much was… fine. Skye frowned, feeling churlish with herself for acting like such a child. ‘Attention or no attention, you can’t have it both ways.’

It was then that Skye felt the flicker of essence, a light touch from something warm, comforting, and immense. She briefly faltered in her forward motion, eyes flicking up to her companions to see if they’d noticed this latest contact.

They didn’t, and Skye felt her certainty that her Wyldform pattern was somehow connecting with something outside of herself.

“I sense your unease, young sprig, what bothers you so?” The voice spoke, now several octaves lower than it had the first time they’d spoken days ago. It came seemingly from all around her, so very unlike the connection that she shared with Niko, yet somehow more intrinsic.

Skye briefly considered ignoring the voice, but knew that it wouldn’t be bothered, nor would it earn her any gratification. If she were honest with herself, she could admit that she was feeling lonely, but that she would certainly keep close to her chest. “It’s nothing much. I haven’t been away from my friend for this long or so far in a while.”

The force of nature–as Skye had no other way to call it–roiled beneath the earth and through the trees like a giant rolling over in their sleep. Skye could feel, somehow, the moment when its focus dimmed ever so fractionally, before returning full force, “The Phorus appears unharmed. He follows his quarry, and hunts well. I am certain no lasting harm may befall him.”

She barely held herself from deflecting that she wasn’t that worried about Niko, but that rang hollow even before it left her tongue. “Thanks.”

“Mmm… You are lonely,” The voice spoke, whether unknowingly or uncaringly stabbing directly at Skye’s matter, “I admit, I am… less adroit at helping with these matters…”

Unwilling to admit the former, Skye directed attention to the latter subject, “Why are you bad at it?”

“I did not say bad…” The voice seemed to pout for a moment, before murmuring like a babbling brook, “I am uncertain as to exactly what it feels like. I am always connected with my sister, though she does not speak. I am intertwined with the trees, the earth, even the Great Mother’s child is always around, somewhere. Sometimes regrettably,” The voice groused, “He is annoying, at times. One can admire a ‘perfect’ form only so many times before it becomes grandstanding.”

Skye suppressed a chuckle at that, “Sounds like some people I know.” As she finished that, she briefly side-eyed Dachna as he proudly retold the story of his and Niko’s distracting assault on the front wave of the Hornets. His telling of it made it sound as if they were armed with several sacks of Hellfire grenades and riding ahead of the swarm valiantly.

Arguably, that wasn’t too far off, but she was certain that there was a lot less grandstanding involved, and, as Niko put it himself, a lot more ‘Clucking running for their lives’. “Better, young sprig,” The voice spoke softly, “Your mood appears to be better. How is your cousin taking the loss of her place?”

Skye’s smirk waned, but she somehow remained somewhat upbeat, “Better than I’d hoped. She’s going to be traveling with us for some time, I suppose, though I don’t know what she’s planning in the long term. She seems to have a thing for Ronald, which is good, because she is definitely the type.”

“The type? Are you referring to who this Ronald looks for as a mate?” The voice asked uncertainty.

This time, Skye couldn’t help but snort with amusement, drawing a look from Mithel. With a short shake of her head and a mouthed ‘it’s nothing’ she turned her attention back to the conversation ahead of her. “No, I mean that she needs a man like Ronald. He’s very… house-trained, I think. But, that’s true, too.”

“I… see?” The voice was very clearly perplexed, but continued on, “Then, would you not have wanted him?”

Skye hesitated for a moment, before saying, “He’s nice, but… no. Not my first choice, not especially my type, either. He is a good friend, and that is all I ever want him to be. Besides, while Mithel and Dachna are willing to consort with one another, I prefer to keep my relationships outside of the adventurer’s that I go through life and death situations with.”

“Is that not more romantic?” With a surprising amount of passion and enthusiasm, Skye listened to words she did not think she’d ever hear from some living piece of nature, “To put one's life on the line with those you love. To fight for and beside them, to relish in the victory together, and to cling through defeats. It is not such a bad thing, no?”

“You are exactly like the poor girls from my village, you know that?” Skye chuckled quietly enough not to be heard, “What’s more realistic is that stress and disagreements build up, eventually leading to a cataclysmic blow out, or the eventual snuffing of whatever fire one might have built up with another person. I truly hope it works out between Mithel and Dachna, but I for one won’t put my comrades in danger because of a lovers quarrel.”

The voice remained silent, and for several seconds said nothing. Skye continued on, wondering if they were thinking about what she’d said.

Then a root came up just a few inches from the forest floor and caught her foot, nearly sending her sprawling across the ground. She barely caught herself, and blushed fiercely when the others looked back to her. “Sorry, was too focused on listening, not walking.”

Ronald nodded gratefully, “Thanks, Skye. I know it’s not a great task, but you’re the best at it out of all of us.”

“Yep. No problem.” Skye cleared her throat, standing up straight and walking more firmly as the others shot her looks of confusion that weren’t met. Seconds later, they returned to what they were doing.

“You’re such a damned sore-loser,” Skye spat into the wilds.

“And you’re where romance goes to die,” It responded blithely.

Speechless, Skye couldn’t even begin to form words to fire back at the being.

“Hold on. Something’s happening with your friend.” Skye’s thoughts locked up at that, and she nearly stopped walking. She looked around, guesstimating where she felt the link to Niko was the strongest.

“What’s happening, is he in danger?” Skye felt her Wyldform pattern activating on reflex, but she kept the essence in check, uncertain if she needed to go or not.

“No, not as such. He is… Hmm. I do not know what he is doing. I’ve not seen it before, but it does look violent.” The information cooled Skye’s heels, but now she was wondering what Niko was doing to some poor creature to elicit such a reaction from this force of nature.

“What, is he brutalizing something?” Skye tilted her head fractionally in confusion, “Because I’ve seen the way he attacks things, that wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

“He is… I don’t know? This bird is very strange, no wonder why the Great Mother selected him. Still, he appears to be well, though time will tell.” The words tinkled through the leaves like wind, but Skye was anything but appeased by them.

“That is the most vague you could have possibly been. Details, give me details.” Skye glared at the trees, “You’re just baiting me and trying to look mysterious.”

There was another distinct lack of sound, then a single, solitary, “Killjoy.” And then nothing else for several seconds. Skye remained stoic and silent, in spite of internally railing at the forest around her and cursing at it in every way she knew how. Still, she kept it–mostly–to herself, up until the feminine voice returned, “He absorbed some kind of ill-intended energy from his kill that looked almost like blood. It doesn’t appear to have affected his mind, but I cannot be sure. He seems to have examined himself, too, but either found nothing or has nothing he can do about it.”

Skye nodded along as she listened, “If he’s fine, then that’s good enough. Is he coming back yet?”

“It would seem. I would expect that he should be here soon enough.” The sensation of the forest moving, yet not, bloomed all around Skye, “The cat is on her way back, as well.”

“Good. Also… I don’t know if this is a bad thing, but I think Niko heard you speaking to me? Is that fine?” Skye asked, then did a double take, uncertain why she even cared.

The voice interrupted her thoughts, with an interested tone, “He could hear me? Fascinating. I wonder if that is part of the Great Mother’s gift at work. Can we all communicate together?”

Skye blinked in confusion at the tone, before regrettably saying, “Ah, no, I mean… he heard your voice like leaves in the wind, but not actual words. I don’t know if that would change with direct communication or not, but…” She left unsaid the rest of the statement, feeling a little sorry for the being.

“I see… well, that is disappointing, but unsurprising, I suppose…” The voice murmured, seeming to withdraw on itself slightly.

The half-elf felt at a loss for how to comfort the entity, something Skye was quite used to after having failed to cheer others up for quite a long time. Finally, she settled on, “Well, you still have me to talk too, at least?”

A light, warm breeze touched Skye, “I appreciate that. Thank you, young sprig.”

Skye continued to walk in relative silence, but not in solitude, surrounded not only by the Wyldwalkers, but also a nameless entity that roamed the forest.

And then she said, “Y’know, for someone who supposedly doesn’t get lonely, you get pretty lonely.”

Another root shot up to trip Skye, but this time she dodged it. She did not dodge the low hanging branch that suddenly slapped her in the back of the head, however.

-------

Sasha returned to the group first, and Skye nodded in approval at the deer she had in her teeth. It was a low tier essence beast, but at least had plenty of meat on its bones.

“Welcome back,” Skye said, “Good hunt?”

The sabrecat gave a half chuff that she got the gist of through a combination of repeated exposure and having been Niko’s direct translator for as long as she had. “Decent enough,” being the response, or something in that vein.

“I can definitely make a good stew with that. Maybe grill up a bit of it.” Ronald nodded, “I think we still have plenty of spices, right?”

“Yeah, should,” Mithel answered, “That should keep us fed for…” She paused, looking between Sasha and Thokk, “Uhh… well, maybe a day or two?”

“Niko has–” Skye started, before catching herself, “–something, probably.”

No one seemed to notice the moment, and Dachna nodded, “I wonder what he might have caught. That bird’s got one hell of a nose on him, so I don’t doubt he found something, at least.”

A few seconds later, Skye heard the rustling of bushes further away, and felt the mind-bridge spark to life. Comfort settled into Skye’s subconscious, a feeling that she realized was reciprocal.

“I’m back,” Niko uttered through the connection, “Though, you heard that just fine, I think?”

Skye snorted, “Yeah, thanks for shutting off your Wyldstrider pattern. It’s impossible to hear you when you’re using it.”

“I wonder if at the next tier you can get around that.” Niko mused, and Skye did her best not to mention that not only was his pattern much stronger than most things of his tier, but that she could also use other methods to find him. She carefully kept that last thought to herself, though, still uncertain how she wanted to broach the topic of this other voice she’d been hearing. It certainly didn’t seem malicious, in any sense, so she saw no real harm in allowing it.

“Sasha’s here already, I’ll let them know you’re here.” Skye spoke, before turning to the group, “Niko’s back, he’s got a kill.”

The others waited with a mixture of expectation and excitement to see what Niko brought forward.

Skye was not prepared to see him lugging a body that looked to be three quarters as large as he was on his back, nor the head still held in his beak, nor the bloated pack full of fruit.

Sasha chuffed and gave several low toned noises while looking at Niko with a perplexed expression.

“What? Why? Is this not even good meat?” Niko asked with dismay, and Skye tried to follow along quickly with what was being said.

“Not–just—hard to hunt—berserker–annoying.” Skye strained herself, but felt her mind grab onto meaning through the combination of essence and sounds Sasha made.

“I mean… yeah, that’s pretty clucking accurate. This guy was obnoxious to bring down. I damn near chopped his head off on the first go, but he didn’t die.” Niko shook his head, “Really crazy.”

Thokk rumbled, somehow much clearer to Skye, “It gets worse–time, you must have dropped it quickly.”

Skye whispered all the while, doing her best to try to follow the conversation for her non-beast companions whose vision flicked back and forth between her and the beasts.

Dachna quietly said, “You’re really picking this stuff up, huh? I have no idea what Sasha and Thokk are saying half the time.”

“I’d say it’s an elf thing,” Stella added, “But I don’t either. Ronald’s got it down pretty well, too, though.”

“Probably because I know a couple of languages already?” Ronald questioned.

The Wyldwalkers, including the beasts, paused and looked at him at that.

“What? My mother’s from the Empire. She refused to let me coast with just Kingdom Common.” Ronald defended, “Besides that, should we stop for some mid-day snacking?”

Sasha turned her gaze upwards, and seemed to stare far away into the forest. Skye knew she was looking towards Riizen, and as she borrowed a little bit of the forest's power, Skye also knew that they weren’t much further than a few hours walk from the plateau proper.

Sasha purred and shrugged, to a general indication of ‘I’m in no hurry,’ that Skye could place.

“Good, then we’ll find a decent enough clearing and have ourselves a much more solid meal.” Ronald looked around as he said that, getting nods and agreement from all around. “Alright, Dachna, Skye, can you guys find me some good firewood?”