“My sister’s not what you might call delicate,” Fetter said as he stretched out next to Astrid.
Thaddeus grinned, but was too tired to say anything. His eyes felt itchy and gritty, and his mouth was coated in mooshberry juice. He wanted to brush his teeth, but decided to wait until the others were up. He didn’t want to make too much noise rummaging around in his pack. For the time being, he took some sips of water from his canteen and swished it around his mouth.
After adding a few sticks to the fire, Thaddeus tugged his blanket around his shoulders and sat with his knees pulled to his chest. He jumped now and then at the sounds of small critters moving about in the woods, but after a short time was able to settle down. The fire crackled and danced, lulling him into a contemplative state.
Thoughts of his father were foremost in his mind. Had he lived through this first night they’d been apart? How long did he have left? Grief curled into a cold, tight ball high in his chest. This was the kind of situation he would talk through with his father, and without him there Thaddeus felt very much alone. While being with Teofil was nice and comforting, they were still in the early phase of their relationship and didn’t know each other that well. Thaddeus still didn’t know if Teofil would harbor any lingering hard feelings about how he handled things the night before. He assumed he would be fine, but the fact that he didn’t know for sure left him a little uneasy.
Astrid, while nice, was still someone he’d just met. She seemed to be straightforward and honest, but so had Edgar Marcet when Thaddeus and his father had started working for him, so Thaddeus knew he needed to be cautious. Fetter had a sharper edge than Thaddeus was used to. That would definitely take some adjustment for him, and he hadn’t forgotten Fetter manipulated him a bit to get them to search for the Well of Tears instead of going after his mother. He really wished he could dig a bit into Fetter’s motivations. Was he truly acting out of concern for his father?
Thoughts raced through his mind as he sat by the fire. At one point, he realized he could see a bit farther into the woods than he’d been able to before, and he figured the sun must be coming up. Somewhere in the world outside these trees, sunlight was spreading across the land. He pictured it slowly picking out the flaws in the old siding of their house back in Superstition, then creeping across the ruins of Leopold’s backyard. After a quiet wish to be back there once again, both he and his father healthy and strong, he decided he’d better get ready for more hiking.
He quietly searched through his pack and brought out his toothbrush, toothpaste, and the compass he’d brought at the last minute. Holding it in the palm of his hand, he turned it until he found north, which, if he wasn’t completely turned around, lay in the direction of the fairy circle. He hoped the Lost Forest didn’t mess with compass readings like it messed with his natural sense of direction.
Teofil rolled over on his back, bumping into Astrid who grumbled something incoherent and shifted position so she had her back to Thaddeus. Fetter muttered and scooted a bit farther from his sister.
Thaddeus smirked as he watched the three of them. Despite all the things he didn’t know about Teofil and his family, he knew one thing for certain. Teofil made him feel safe, hopeful, and calm. And those feelings were going to be very important in the days ahead.
Clearing his throat, Teofil opened his eyes and stared at the tree branches overhead. He looked confused for a moment then turned his head and smiled at Thaddeus. A flutter of nervous excitement kicked into gear in Thaddeus’s belly, and he smiled back.
“Good morning,” Thaddeus said in a soft voice.
“Good morning.” Teofil sat up and stretched, then scooted over to sit beside Thaddeus in front of the fire. “How did you sleep?”
“I slept okay,” Thaddeus said. “Better than I expected to.”
“Good.” Teofil stirred the ashes of the fire with a stick, encouraging tiny flames to life. “Anything unusual happen after I went to sleep?”
Thaddeus noticed Teofil took more of a leadership role than Fetter or Astrid, even though they were the older siblings.
“Nothing that I know of,” Thaddeus said, then bumped Teofil’s shoulder with his own. “Other than you looking cute when you sleep.”
Teofil’s blush made the nervous excitement in Thaddeus flutter a little faster. “Not half as cute as you, I’m sure.”
“Gross,” Astrid said, her voice raspy and thick with sleep. “I demand no sweet talk before we’ve all been awake at least an hour.”
Thaddeus could have spontaneously combusted from the heat of his embarrassment. Teofil didn’t care, he simply laughed and tossed a twig at Astrid, who batted it away with a grunt of disapproval.
“Come on, sleepy noggins,” Teofil said. He stood up and loudly clapped his hands several times. Thaddeus jumped as did Astrid and Fetter, both of whom shot Teofil icy glares. “It’s way past sunrise, and we have a long way to go.”
“I miss Mum,” Astrid grumbled as she struggled to her feet.
“I miss my bed,” Fetter said. He sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands.
They ate a quick breakfast of mooshberries and the few remaining wild carrots from supper the night before. They loaded up their packs and Teofil used dirt to smother the coals of the fire. Thaddeus enjoyed watching the care he took to ensure every last ember was out. Once Teofil was satisfied, he stood and shouldered his pack. Thaddeus followed suit, holding the compass in one hand as he waited to see which direction Teofil took them.
“Everyone ready?” Teofil asked. “Good. I’ll take the lead, then Thaddeus, Astrid, and Fetter, you bring up the rear.”
“Why do I get stuck looking at all of your backsides?”
“Because you’re the oldest.”
“If I’m the oldest, I should be in the lead.”
“Do you know which direction the fairies told us to go?” Teofil asked.
Astrid snickered, then cleared her throat and busied herself adjusting the straps of her pack. Thaddeus had to work to contain his grin.
“Fine. Get on with it.”
“Good then. Off we go.” Teofil winked at Thaddeus and set out through the ferns.
Thaddeus noted Teofil had set off heading south. He slipped his compass into his front pocket and fell in step behind him. Astrid and Fetter bickered a bit right after they started walking, but they soon quieted down.
Some time later, Thaddeus’s boots and the bottom half of his jeans were caked with mud. It was humid under the heavy leaf canopy, and sweat ran down his back and sides. He would have given anything for a cool shower. And some air conditioning.
“It’s like a never-ending dream,” Fetter said. “It just goes on and on and on.”
Teofil stepped around a pair of trees growing close together. Thaddeus decided to save himself a few steps and turned sideways to slip between them. His pack caught on the tree behind him, and he had to grab hold of the dark, mossy bark of each tree for leverage as he wriggled through. When he finally popped out from between, he stomped his foot down into a slick, messy pocket of mud. He was instantly stuck, and he had to support himself on one of trees to keep from falling on his face.
“Oh, gross,” he said.
Teofil stopped and looked back. “What’s wrong?”