Emma Option Aa: Follow Kevin
Emma Option Aa: Follow Kevin
The village men seem to have a large enough search party without you joining them. You look to Kevin and say, “show us this bird.”
He grins and whistles delightedly through his teeth.
Before heading back into the forest, you grab several lanterns from the tavern keeper. He hands you a few knives as well. Just in case, he says, you actually find Kevin’s bird.
The knives make your stomach roll. What if Kevin’s right?
But you put a confident face on for Travis and Cooper because they keep looking at you like they’re dubious about the whole situation. Their looks mimic your own doubts perfectly.
The slushy snow on the trail’s turned to ice now that the sun’s set. It crunches under your steps, echoing hollowly in the quiet.
Up ahead, you hear the searchers calling Emma’s name but before you reach the lake, Kevin leads you down a trail that heads up into the canyon. It’s not an area you visit often, particularly when there’s snow, because the canyon walls are perfectly slanted for avalanches.
But it’s almost spring and you hope the snow’s melted enough not to be a problem.
Kevin starts to whistle softly ahead of you. In the lantern light, his hunched form looks almost trollish. His shadow swings with the lantern’s motion, distorted even more than his twisted form by the trees and uneven ground the shadow passes over.
You hold in a shiver and glance back at the other two to reassure yourself.
“Won’t the Roc hear you whistling?” you ask as the sound starts to grate on your nerves.
“Oh, it hears all sorts of things. The other’s hollering, our steps in the snow. Won’t make a lick of difference if it hears me whistling.” Then he cackles under his breath like he made a joke.
But thankfully he stops whistling. Not long after, though, he starts humming, then kind of skipping down the trail.
“Emma and Megan are lost. What are you doing?” Travis finally speaks up.
Kevin just keeps on skipping. Travis growls behind you but doesn’t ask again.
Eventually, Kevin stops and points up toward a ledge on the canyon wall to your right.
“There,” he says, “the ledge recesses into the wall making a shallow cave. The Roc likes it for its nest.”
“How many chicks does it usually have?” you ask.
Kevin shrugs. “Couple, maybe. Don’t know.”
That’s helpful. Travis gives the man a dark glare.
“Well, let’s go.” You say.
Kevin doesn’t move. “My legs don’t work well enough to get up there.” He says.
You frown. “Then how do you know about the nest?”
“Climbed it once in nice weather. About cracked my noggin when I tumbled back down to the trail. Tricky business.” He skips in place and starts whistling again.
“Hush,” Cooper says before Travis can yell at the man. “Let’s not warn it we’re here if we can help it.”
Kevin stops the sound but keeps bouncing on his toes.
You give Travis a knife and keep one for yourself. Then you look Kevin in the eye as you hand him your lantern. “Stay here.”
He nods. “Of course.”
The climb’s slick with half frozen ground but thankfully there isn’t enough snow for an avalanche.
A screech ricochets off the canyon walls. Your ears ring in the silence afterwards and, when you glance over your shoulder, you spot a dark shape so large it blacks out the full moon’s light.
Above you, on the ledge, comes several answering screeches. They’re not as loud but there’s an insistence to them that reminds you of hungry children.
Then, just barely audible under the ringing in your ears, you catch a familiar voice.
“Help!” screams Emma.
You’re about to bolt up the hill to get to her when Cooper shouts behind you.
He’s holding Travis’ feet as the Roc tries to pick the boy off the hillside. The bird’s wings beat at you with their wind.
A cackling fills the air. “Feed my pretties!” Kevin cackles below. The lantern he’s holding bounces like he’s skipping again.
“Help!” Emma’s voice barely reaches you over the chicks screeching.
Do you…
Aa1: Help Emma?
or
Aa2: Help Cooper?
Blessings and see you Thursday for the end of the adventure!
Jennifer
