The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Emma walked near the middle of their formation, her hands clenched around the straps of her satchel.
There were no sounds of birds or insects. Just the crunch of boots on dirt and leaves.
Trees pressed in from all sides, their branches forming a dense canopy overhead that blocked out most of the sunlight.
Sira led the way, axes loose in her hands, eyes constantly scanning the undergrowth.
Kyle followed a few steps behind, his sword drawn, expression unreadable.
Zael stuck close to Emma, gripping his sword too tightly, his gaze darting from shadow to shadow.
Tobias brought up the rear. A small flame hovered above his palm, sputtering faintly before steadying again as he forced his focus back onto it.
No one spoke.
They'd been walking for maybe twenty minutes, following what Sira insisted was a game trail.
Emma wasn't sure how she could tell, the forest floor all looked the same to her. Dirt, roots, fallen leaves.
