As they got father in the swamp the ground because softer, they had to go through knee high mucky water, there were insects everywhere, they saw a couple snakes.
The trees and bushes were a little less dead, they walked all day without finding fresh water anywhere. All the water looked stale, they were getting discouraged and tired of walking. That night they slept under the stars, the fog around them.
They headed out again the ground became mostly water. They came to a hill that pulled them out of the stale water. Lacey stood on a small hill looking out over into treetops, ahead of them was a big dead tree, that looked like one of the forest's trees.
Laying half submerged by the trees. 'It's the Claw!" Tim said. "Yeah." "Claw?" Silvia asked. "This island is called Claws Island, because of the claw looking silhouette and the monsters." Tim said.
They walked down the hill, when they had gotten to the bottom, they walked into a dense forest the trees were normal size like the ones you would find on her home island. The water here was not stale but was covered by moss. The seen they walked into was beautiful, water lilies grow all around and some other flowers.
Insects flue from flower to flower. "Wow!" Silvia said. "Wow is understatement." Tim said, Lacey stayed quite mesmerized by the raw beauty. They walked a way's before they heard running water. They rushed to a small bubbling broke.
They each took turns drinking, after drinking their fill. They sat down to rest they had been moving all morning. Soon they all were crawled up and sound asleep beside the small brook.
Lacey awoke sitting up and rubbing her face were it had gone asleep, she looked up but couldn't really see the sun through the trees, the blanket of leaves made the place dim the water here was only ankle high and run by like a stream.
She got up going to the stream, taking off her boots, stepping in the water sitting on the side of the edge wading her feet. She glanced back to see Silvia still asleep and Tim sat up slowly. Lilly was curled up close to Silvia with her beak tucked under her wing.
Lacey sat pondering over the last few days events. After a few minutes she got up, went back over to where Tim was sitting up propped against a tree. Soon Silvia stirred and then sat up. Stretching and yawning, Lacey watched her as she woke up and glanced around to see where everyone was.
Silvia then got up and came to sit next to Tim and Lacey. "I sure feel a lot better." She said as she sat down.
"That water definitely made a difference. I think I will go scouting around to see where we can make a more permanent camp to stay a while Tim and Lilly heal."
"That sounds like a good idea." Replied Lacey. "Do you want me to come?"
"No." Said Silvia. "I can move faster on my own and someone needs to stay with Tim and Lilly to keep them safe. We still have no idea what is in these woods."
Lacey nodded in agreement. "Ok. Just be careful." Silvia got up and put on her pack that she had removed from her waist while she slept. Then taking Tim's sword she disappeared into the forest. "Well, What shall we do to pass the time now?" Asked Tim. "I really am getting sick of just sitting around all the time." Lacey sighed, slipping her boots back on. Tim sighed too.
"Hey! Did you see that. I think something metal or shiny over there?" Said Tim pointing to his right. Lacey looked in the direction that Tim pointed. "I don't see anything." She said getting up. Lacey slowly walked in that Tim had pointed. As she searched through the bushes, she come upon a bush that looked like a berry she used to have back at her home.
Taking a few of the berries off the bush she poked them in her mouth. The fresh sweet taste of the juice bursting in her mouth as she bit into them. Thoughts of home come flooding over her as she ate them. Oh, how good it was to taste something from home. She sat on the ground and continued picking and eating for a few minutes.
After reminiscing for a few more minutes, she stood up and picked another handful and headful and headed back with it towards Tim. As she was coming back out from the back out from the bushes a glint of metal caught her eye. She moved the leaves away with her foot, bending down and using her empty hand she moved away some of the dirt.
It looked like most of it was buried pretty good. She quickly stood back up and took the handful of berries over to Tim. "I found it but not until often I had found these." Said Lacey handing the berries to him. "Oh wow!" Tim cried excitedly. "Are there more?" "Yes." Replied Lacey. "I am going to go dig up the thing you saw first then, I can get more."
Lacey stood back up and went back over to when the item was buried. Quickly she started digging. Soon she pulled out a pot. "Hey, could wash this and pick berries into it." She thought picking it up. She went over to the stream and began washing out the pot.
As the dirt fell away she noticed intricately detailed designs inscribed on the handles and side. "Wow, it is beautiful." Breathed Lacey. She took it back over where Tim sat and they inspected it together. "This is really pretty." Said Tim. "This will be of good use to us in our cooking." Said Lacey as she got up.
"I'm going to go fill it with berries." She said. Soon she was back with the pot overflowing.
Lacey sat down by Tim and they began enjoying the treasure that they had found. Lilly woke and Lacey shared some with her also.
This was the scene that Silvia came upon as she returned to where the group was. She stopped just outside the edge of the camp standing a true and watched then for a few minutes.
Lacey looked up as Silvia came through the tree. "They come get some." She called to Silvia. "We found berries they soon had the pot empty. "Did you find anything?" Asked Tim. "Yeah." Silvia said excited "I found a tree house." She seemed bewildered. "It's just a way's downstream." Silvia said standing up.
"Lilly."
Lilly came over and laydown so the girls to help Tim on her back. As they walked beside the stream, Silvia continued talking. "It's in a small meadow just ahead. I went inside of it, there is dust everywhere. but that we can fix in no time. It has two rooms, there is a fireplace."
"If there is a house in the middle of a forest on an monster infested island where are the people or person that lives in it?" Tim asked. "Well if there are people they have not been in this place for a while." Silvia said as they walked into the small clearing, like Silvia had said a big tree growing in the middle of it and going up around it was a stair case that lead up to a house that you could barely see through the leaves and branches.
"Wow. It's a real house with windows." Lacey said staring. Lilly laydown, they help Tim off and careful went up the stairs, Lacey noticed that on the wood of the railing was carved symbols that looked like they could be words in another language. They entered the main part of the tree house, there was a fireplace. A place that had shelfs that held bottles and pots and cups and bowls.
A table with benches, and a cot in the corner. Then there was another staircase leading up, they shut the door behind them, there was a lock which Lacey put in place. They help Tim sit up to the table, Lacey put the pot on the table. She took her spear off her back sighing and placed it up against the wall.
"Tim will sleep down here we will sleep up stair." Silvia said, Lacey nodded. "This place can't have just been abandoned. "Tim said. "Maybe the owner got eaten." Lacey said giggling. "Relax Tim if someone comes back then we will see what happens then." Lacey said sitting down too. Silvia sighed. "Now all we do it wait." She said.
After a while of silent, Lacey got up putting her spear in place on her back. "Where are you going?" Tim and Silvia both asked. "I think it's time I use my spear, there should be rabbits or something around here." Lacey said going to the door. "Ok, we will clean up." Silvia said which got a groan from Tim.
She left the tree house going down the stairs. Lilly had found a place and was laying, she looked up as Lacey approached but put her head down when she saw Lacey.
Lacey smiled and passed Lilly and headed into the trees.
The forest was full of life, flowers and plants of all kinds were in bloom. The beauty was all around her as she walked, but her eyes were only focused on any movement that might be an animal. She moved on light feet, making as little sound as possible. She had been walking for about fifteen minutes, and had entered a small clearing, when a movement caught her eye, she turned to see.
A tall man like creature standing there not far off looking right at her. It had a deer like face and antlers two feet high. She did not move stunned, her heart skipped a beat, she looked at its eyes that were like black holes, and it was like they were locked into a staring contest.
A rustle behind her made her jump in fright and turn around to see nothing. When she turned around again the deer like creature was gone, her heart was racing as she grabbed her spear off her back on guard, she continued moving. When a twig snapped, she stopped and moved upon the noise more quietly.
She came upon a doe grazing. She stopped and crouched down aiming her spear she quickly made the blow. Then her heart still racing, she put the spear away and swung the body onto her shoulders. Taking careful steps, she made her way back towards the tree house.
Lacey walked into the clearing, Silvia stood on the steps and had just through some water onto the grass. Seeing Lacey, she set the pot on the step and came to help Lacey. "WOW." Silvia said taking the deer from her.
An hour later the girls had the deer skinned and the hid hanging in a tree and the meat cut up. Lacey picked up the pot on her way up the steps with the meat, she was going to cook for their dinner. She entered Tim still sat up to the table with a couple bottles in front of him.
"Oh, your back." He said. "Yeah I got back awhile ago." She said setting the pot on the table and went over to the fireplace, wood was in a box next to it. She stirred the cools and put a couple logs on. "What's in the bottles?" She asked. "Some spices. Can I cook?" Tim asked. "Sure." Lacey said placing the meat in a clean pot that was on the table.
"I will need water." Tim said going to work ripping up the meat. Lacey nodded and grabbed a clean pot then left. Silvia, who had been taking care of the rest of the meat, jumped from one of the trees.
Lacey giggled. "Tim's going to cook, he seems to know his spices." Lacey said, Silvia grabbed some more meat and headed for another tree but called back. "If he doesn't make it inedible, it's fine." Lacey laughed loudly and headed to the stream to fill the pot.
Later they sat up to the table eaten the stew that Tim had put together. "This is good." Lacey said, Tim smiled. "It's not bad." Silvia said. "That deer meat should be enough for two weeks." Silvia said. "I have hung it all around this clearing. Maybe the hide will be enough to make Lacey a new dress.
Because that white is not a good color right now, and the skirt really is getting in the way." Silvia said. The sun had gone down and the only light was from the fire. After cleaning up the girls headed up to the second floor while Tim lay on the cot in the corner. They got to the top of the stairs and entered a room, a enormous bed with a silken spread.
The four posts reached up to the ceiling with rods across each side. Long lightweight curtains hung down on each rod. It was very elegant. "Fit for a queen!" exclaimed Lacey under her breath. At once the girls pounced on the bed, the mattress was so soft. They lay side by side giggling and talking for a while then soon was asleep.
As the sun barely begun to peak its rays onto the land, quietly the figure climbed the tree on the outside. Glancing in the window of the first floor of the treehouse it carefully scanned the room and noticed the form on the cot in the corner. The intruders must have been there all day yesterday.
He quickly climbed on up to the next level, the person on the cot was definitely not the person he had seen in the meadow so the other one must be on the upper level. Again, carefully he peaked in the window and glanced around the room, Surprise filled its face as it noticed 2 forms laying on the bed. One of the forms started to move. Quickly it climbed back down the treehouse and disappeared into the forest.
Silvia woke with a start, what was outside. She quickly ran to the window just in time to see the form of some kind of human deer disappearing into the forest. "Wake up!" Silvia cried "What's the matter?" asked Lacey as she quickly sat up. "What's wrong?" "There was something looking in the windows, maybe we aren't safe here." Said Silvia.
"Maybe it was the people who live here and we are the intruders." Said Lacey her eyes wide in fright. "It was not a human." Exclaimed Silvia, "It was more a cross of a human and a deer." "That sounds like the same thing I saw while I was hunting." Said Lacey. "What are we going to do?" "I am going to go hunt it down." Said Silvia as she began combing out her hair.
"I'm coming with you." cried Lacey as she jumped out of bed and began re-tying her skirt into the pants like form around her legs. Soon the girls were dressed and headed down to the main floor.
Tim woke sleepily and sat up on the side of the cot rubbing his eyes "Why are you up so early?" he asked as they began putting things in Silvia's pack to take with them on their hunt. "We had some sort of thing poking around this morning." Explained Lacey. Silvia and I are going to go see if we can hunt it down."
The girls quickly got their things together and were soon headed into the forest. With Silvia's natural tracking instincts, they were soon on its trail and headed deeper into the forest. After tracking the beast for some time suddenly Silvia stopped short. Lacey stopped short just before bumping into her.
"what is it?" whispered Lacey "Shhhh." Said Silvia "I think we are close." The girls crouched down and moved slowly and cautiously along towards a bush. All of a sudden the creature jumped out of the bushes knocking the girls over and ran into the forest in another direction.
The girls scrambled back onto their feet and began to pursue the beast. It ran and leaped around the forest. The girls tried their best to keep up but soon lost it. Silvia slowed and began walking. Lacey slowed too and walked beside her. "So now what?" asked Lacey.
"Can you find its trail again?" "I'm looking." Said Silvia. "Its trail has just seemed to disappear; it probably went up into the trees." "Let's stop and eat, I noticed a stream back a little way. Let's go down there and have our lunch." Replied Lacey.
The girls turned and headed back to the bank of the small stream. They began talking as they sat on the bank. They had removed their shoes and had their feet setting in the water as they talked and ate. They did not notice the deer like form as it watched them from a tree above.
After a good hour the girls began gathering their things and put their shoes back on. "Let's see if we can find its trail again." Said Silvia as they walked slowly through the trees. The girls walked around for a while, Silvia keeping a close eye on the ground and the bushes as they walked. "I can't find anything." Silvia finally said. "It has definitely vanished, most likely into the trees." She added.
"Let's head back then." Lacey replied. The girls headed back to the treehouse. It was late afternoon when the girls entered the treehouse. Tim was sitting at the table preparing meat to be dried into jerky as Silvia had shown him to do. "So how did it go?" asked Tim as the girls came in, setting the pack onto the table.
The girls sat down with a sigh. "Well, we chased it for a while, but it got away." Said Lacey. "I think it escaped through the trees." Replied Silvia. "Bummer!" exclaimed Tim. "I was hoping you had gotten it." "I am going to go after it again tomorrow" said Silvia, "This time it will not get away. If it goes into the trees then I will be right behind it." Exclaimed Silvia in a serious voice.
The next morning Silvia was up at the crack of dawn quietly she got ready for the day. Lacey sat up sleepily rubbing her eyes, noticing Silvia just finishing her hair she quickly got out of bed. "Wait for me, I want to come too." She said as she quickly began getting ready for the day. "Hurry, I'll be packing my bag." Said Silvia as she headed out the door and down the stairs.
Lacey quickly finished getting ready and headed out to find Silvia. Silvia was waiting for her on the last step at the base of the tree. "Let's go." Said Silvia picking up Tim's sword and slinging the holder over her head so the sword was across her back. Lacey put her spear into her holder she had made and the girls headed out.