Into the woods

Treasca knelt next to Neal, his leaf like hair brushed her, but she didn't mind. He was very polite. She felt very silly for ever being afraid of him.

"You...you...you need to look for this waterfall past the cliff that is shaped like a cat. There...there...there is a cave behind it. You will find it if you head northeast." Neal said standing. He regarded her quietly as she studied his map.

"Thank you so much for this Neal. I truly appreciate your help." Treasca said bowing to him again.

"You...you...you are welcome, be safe." Neal said with his own little bow that sounded like wind blowing through trees. Treasca took one last look at Neal then started down the path he pointed to. It was nothing more than a game trail, but it was well worn and easy to follow. Neal had said she would be able to make it to the cave before the sun hit noon day. She decided to forgo resting, and keep moving as fast as she could. If she made it to the far before Brenton knew she was gone, maybe they could save her. Treasca finally made it to the cliff that looked like a cat around dawn. If she squinted at it just right it really did look like a cat with its whiskers being bushes that grew out of the cliff. She walked around it to the left just as Nesl had said, and followed the small brook that in a few hours would grow into a raging river. The scenery was picturesque in the dawns glow, it made the water glisten, and the trees look even brighter somehow. She paused to look around, and heard a rustling. She was being followed by someone very quiet.