11
Silent now, they stepped into the deep quiet of the forest. To Zoe, It felt like entering the house of an ancient being. A wise being. As if the forest had an identity of its own, a way of communicating through its atmosphere. Hadn’t she and Padric been talking about forest spirits that last time? She couldn’t really remember the conversation, except that she’d scoffed at the concept and he’d shrugged off her skepticism.
She didn’t feel so skeptical now. The deeper they walked down the trail, the more she felt enveloped by mystery. Did she really know everything about what was and wasn’t real? Could anyone really say that?
They didn’t even speak as they passed the boulder she’d leaned on after she’d twisted her ankle. They paused for a moment, as if honoring their past selves, then c
