The journey back into the deep woods, once Grandpa finished getting the pebble dislodged from the packhorse's hoof, was somehow more quiet than before.
Ford attributed it to the fact that no one wanted to draw attention to themselves by talking, and the soft sounds of the horse's movements discouraged squirrels and birds from chittering away as normal.
The pace was a little quicker than before, since they did not have to stop for Ford to mark the trail.
Seth's head seemed to be on a swivel, scanning for danger in all directions ahead of them. Anaisa's shoulders were visibly tense, while her son beside her seemed thrilled for the adventure. His eyes were towards the trees.
Hesitantly, Ford glanced up. Would staring at the creatures when they appeared provoke them? Perhaps it was better to ignore and hope to be ignored in return…
