"Close enough." Frowning down to his sneaker, Ghent looped the lace around his finger and secured the knot in one swift, irritable action. If Elayra had her way, the entirety of Wonderland would call him Featherhead before nightfall. 
	Rising to his feet, Ghent grit his teeth and leaned closer, silently challenging the girl to finish her sentence. 
	Drust's outburst made short work of their argument. Ghent straightened hastily, only to receive a push from Elayra. Unable to tear his eyes away from the knight, he half-stumbled, staring at the darkness threatening to consume their guardian.
	[i]Spirits?! [/i] Ghent's legs felt weak. He eyeballed the forest, shuddering at the idea of having to spend the night in such a horrible, haunted place. 
	"Okay, okay!" Looking back to the pair, Ghent decided to tackle their current problem. If Drust didn't calm down, someone would get hurt. Or worse. Swallowing uneasily, the boy raised his hands to surrender. "No more fighting. We'll conserve our energy."
	The promise didn't accomplish much. To Ghent's dismay, Elayra wouldn't back down. Based on her body language alone, he had a bad feeling things were about to get physical. 
	"If...that's your main concern," Ghent interrupted hesitantly, posture stiff. "I have plenty of stamina." Speaking up was risky, but he didn't want to be singled out. The fact that Drust automatically assumed he would be the first to tire irked him. 
	"Can't we talk this over?" Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears. With one last twitch, Drust advanced towards the girl and restrained her by the wrist.
	"Guys, come on!" Ghent stepped in to separate them. The fabric of Drust's sleeve scarcely brushed against his fingertips when he felt a nagging buzz of energy inviting him -- no, tempting him -- to let magic settle the disagreement.
	[i]No! What are you thinking?![/i] Ghent dropped his arm and clenched his fists in refusal. He wouldn't give in. Magic could do more harm than good, and potentially hurt the both in the process. 
	"DRUST!" Left with no choice, Ghent raised his voice. "Come on! She's already hurt!" 
	Drust appeared to slow. Ghent followed his gaze to the wound on Elayra's chin, praying that the sight would be enough to bring the knight back to his senses.
 	There was a long pause. Ghent's heartbeat thundered in his ears. After Elayra was freed, he exhaled shakily.   
	"I-I won't." Hearing Drust's voice again nearly made the boy jump. The warning in the words chilled him to the core; he had no desire to wander on his own. Not with the dead lurking somewhere inside. 
	Swallowing hard, Ghent allowed Elayra to pull him in the right direction. He glanced to her wrist, feeling partially responsible for Drust losing his temper.  
	"Are you okay?" Ghent kept his gaze on Hollow Forest, expression tight with worry. [i]If magic exists,[/i] he reminded himself, [i]ghosts can too.[/i]