“So...” I began, once I caught up to the Wurmple, “Who exactly are we looking for?” Hudson stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me with fire in his eyes.
“Who’re we looking for!? Only the most ruthless pickpocket this town has ever seen!” Hudson yelled. With that, he turned back around and waddled into the forest’s undergrowth. I stepped into the leaves to follow him. Forests like this were familiar to me, although I had never seen one this dense. We were barely five metres in and already the entrance was hard to make out. Sunbeams filtered down through the trees above and the pleasant smell of damp leaves hung in the air. “How will we know when we find them?” I called, “Do you know what they look like?”
“Hmph! Of course I know what they look like!”
I sighed at his response. Hudson certainly wasn’t the type to give out useful information easily. Hopefully he was as experienced in taking down outlaws as he let on; otherwise we would be in for a tough time. As I moved a branch out of the way, I saw Hudson standing over a small river. “We’re gonna need to find a way ‘cross this.” He said, walking away along the side of the river. I stood there for a moment to come up with an idea, but there wasn't any easy way across. “Hey! Over here!” Hudson shouted from upstream. I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing next to a log that had fallen over the river. “Think ya can walk across this?” He asked. The log looked stable, and was wide enough to walk on, but...
“I... I think so...” I responded hesitantly, “Are you sure there’s not another way? I don’t know how to swim, so falling in the water...”
“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that. If ya fall in I’ll go and rescue ya myself.” Coming from a Wurmple, that wasn’t a very reassuring statement.
“Well... As long as you think you can.” I replied. Hudson jumped up onto the log and waddled his way to the other side like it was nothing. Once he was safely on the ground, I climbed up. Suddenly, the water looked a lot farther down. Was the river moving faster now? It probably was, given my luck. I held out my arms for balance and carefully stepped forwards.
“That’s it, keep it up!” Hudson encouraged me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward again. The log wobbled a bit, but not enough to make me lose my balance. “Almost there!” he shouted. After a few more steps I was nearly across. Just when I thought I finally had it down, the log jolted to the right. I fell onto all fours to hold on.
“Grab the log!” I shouted to Hudson, afraid it would roll me off into the river. The log rolled a bit more, and I looked up to see him holding it for me. Taking this chance, I scrambled the rest of my way across onto dry land. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath after that traumatic experience.
“Ahahaha!” Hudson laughed, “The look on yer face! Priceless! Yer lucky I was there to hold the log for ya, else you’d be down the river by now!” I found his laughter less than amusing, but at least we were both okay.
“Yeah, nothing to worry about... Only almost drowned, is all.” I replied, sarcastically. The sarcasm flew right over his head.
“Well good! Sounds like you’ve got the right outlook on things! Now stop yer dilly-dallying; we’ve got ourselves a pickpocket to catch!”
“Who’re we looking for!? Only the most ruthless pickpocket this town has ever seen!” Hudson yelled. With that, he turned back around and waddled into the forest’s undergrowth. I stepped into the leaves to follow him. Forests like this were familiar to me, although I had never seen one this dense. We were barely five metres in and already the entrance was hard to make out. Sunbeams filtered down through the trees above and the pleasant smell of damp leaves hung in the air. “How will we know when we find them?” I called, “Do you know what they look like?”
“Hmph! Of course I know what they look like!”
I sighed at his response. Hudson certainly wasn’t the type to give out useful information easily. Hopefully he was as experienced in taking down outlaws as he let on; otherwise we would be in for a tough time. As I moved a branch out of the way, I saw Hudson standing over a small river. “We’re gonna need to find a way ‘cross this.” He said, walking away along the side of the river. I stood there for a moment to come up with an idea, but there wasn't any easy way across. “Hey! Over here!” Hudson shouted from upstream. I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing next to a log that had fallen over the river. “Think ya can walk across this?” He asked. The log looked stable, and was wide enough to walk on, but...
“I... I think so...” I responded hesitantly, “Are you sure there’s not another way? I don’t know how to swim, so falling in the water...”
“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that. If ya fall in I’ll go and rescue ya myself.” Coming from a Wurmple, that wasn’t a very reassuring statement.
“Well... As long as you think you can.” I replied. Hudson jumped up onto the log and waddled his way to the other side like it was nothing. Once he was safely on the ground, I climbed up. Suddenly, the water looked a lot farther down. Was the river moving faster now? It probably was, given my luck. I held out my arms for balance and carefully stepped forwards.
“That’s it, keep it up!” Hudson encouraged me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward again. The log wobbled a bit, but not enough to make me lose my balance. “Almost there!” he shouted. After a few more steps I was nearly across. Just when I thought I finally had it down, the log jolted to the right. I fell onto all fours to hold on.
“Grab the log!” I shouted to Hudson, afraid it would roll me off into the river. The log rolled a bit more, and I looked up to see him holding it for me. Taking this chance, I scrambled the rest of my way across onto dry land. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath after that traumatic experience.
“Ahahaha!” Hudson laughed, “The look on yer face! Priceless! Yer lucky I was there to hold the log for ya, else you’d be down the river by now!” I found his laughter less than amusing, but at least we were both okay.
“Yeah, nothing to worry about... Only almost drowned, is all.” I replied, sarcastically. The sarcasm flew right over his head.
“Well good! Sounds like you’ve got the right outlook on things! Now stop yer dilly-dallying; we’ve got ourselves a pickpocket to catch!”