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	The soft gurgle of a stream filled the air with its gentle whispers. It ran alongside Ghent, Elayra, and Drust as they trudged onward, just far enough from its banks to not sink into the soft, damp ground.
	It had been a long, grueling march, but, at long last, they had made it out of Hollow Forest, leaving the forsaken place far behind. Thankfully without any further incident.
	Here, the evening sun shone through the thick canopy above, long since replacing the chill and fog of Hollow Forest. Leaves and bushes rustled from small animals fleeing from the unexpected newcomers. Though the Wonderlanders remained on edge, ever ready to ward off an enemy or Curse-ridden animal, after the dampened silence of the spirit-infested wood, they were welcomed sounds.
	Drust stopped a few paces ahead of Elayra. The Knight seemed in better spirits—or, at least, he had stopped twitching every couple minutes. He glanced around, his gaze lingering on what rubble remained of a bridge a good twenty yards downstream. 
	Elayra stopped a step behind him, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her sword. 
	“What’s up?” she whispered, moving to flank Drust and see what had made him stop.
	He glanced to her, then turned to face his charges. His gaze settled on Ghent for an extra moment before turning back to Elayra.
	“We’re close. Town’s not more than a mile from here.” He took his backpack from his shoulders. “You two to wait here.” He sat his pack on the thick grass at his feet. 
	Elayra cringed inwardly at being stuck alone with Ghent again. She eyed Drust, checking to be sure the lines at the corners of his eyes had returned to normal. “Why? Where are you going?”
	Drust’s eyes narrowed slightly. “He,” he nodded to Ghent, “needs different supplies. The Forsaken will recognize him as an outsider in an instant.” Drust’s gaze lingered on the boy’s backpack with its skull pattern. “They aren't the smartest. But they're not stupid.”
	Elayra followed his gaze and scowled. She opened her mouth to offer to go with him, but Drust cut her off.
	“It’ll be quicker and safer if I go alone.” Drust stepped closer to Ghent. He looked to the boy’s staff, its double blades concealed by their sheaths. “In the meantime, focus on that.” He nodded to the weapon, then met Ghent’s blue gaze. “The sooner you can connect with it and properly use it, the better.”
	He looked back to Elayra as he dug the OmniChrono out of his pouch. He tossed it to her. “If I’m not back in an hour, get to that Rabbit Hole.”
	Elayra clutched the Chrono tightly. Her shoulders stiffened and she looked up at him, her expression hard. “I’m not leaving without you.”
	Drust scowled. His chin tilted down, the Knight’s fierce gaze meeting hers. “That wasn’t a request. If it comes to it, yes. You will, girl. Our mission comes first.”
	Elayra’s free hand clenched into a fist. The mission could hang itself; she [i]wouldn’t[/i] leave him behind.
	Giving neither of the teens the time to object, Drust turned on his heels and headed away from the stream. He paused between a couple trees long enough to glance back.
	“One hour.” With that, he hurried into the forest.
	Elayra growled out a sigh and ran a hand down her face. She popped the Chrono open to check the time. If he [i]wasn’t[/i] back in an hour, they were going after him. 
	Sparing Ghent scarcely a glance, she grabbed Drust’s pack and stepped closer to the stream. Choosing a skinny tree near its edge, she sat the Knight’s backpack down, and shrugged out of her own. With her cloak since abandoned in the warmth outside Hollow Forest, it fell from her shoulders easily.
	“Rest up, Featherhead.” She sat on the tall weeds and grass at the tree’s partially exposed roots. “You’ll need what few wits you have running at their best in the town.” She cast him a smirk as she reached into her pack and pulled out her recently refilled waterskin.