“I don’t know the wood,” Wynn said. “There are elves here. Are you an elf?”
The girl gave her a sour look. “Absolutely not. The elves would kill Shadow, like they did the rest of her kind. We stay to ourselves.”
“You are all alone?” That didn’t sound very nice. This was a scary place to be alone.
Shadow rubbed her thick head against the girl’s side. The girl scratched the tigereon’s rounded ear. “We like it that way.”
Wynn didn’t like to be alone. She missed Mildred. She hoped Mildred was safe. She was worried about Hob, too. He hit the tree so hard when the reaper threw him. What if he was dead? The reaper dragged her too far away for her to find him again. She couldn’t help.
Wynn wiped her eye. She felt very sad and didn’t want to climb through the forest anymore. She crossed her legs under her ripped and muddy skirt. It didn’t glow the way it used to. She pressed a hand to her side. It was bleeding, and she had no honey to put on it to help it heal.
The smoke-and-shadow girl stood and took a step closer to her. The warm scent of a campfire surrounded Wynn and made her feel a little better. She tapped Wynn on the knee with her staff, then held out a hand. “Come on. My home is not far. It’s a safe place to sleep.”
Wynn took the other girl’s hand. She pulled Wynn to her feet.
Wynn’s tummy growled. Shadow made a huffing noise and walked away into the ferns. Her stripes turned a dark green. The tigereon crouched low, slinking through the underbrush, until she disappeared. Wynn moved to follow her white-tipped tail.
The shadow girl crossed her staff in front of Wynn. “Stay back,” she warned.
“Is it something dangerous?” Wynn asked. She hated the reaper, and she didn’t want to meet another one.
“No,” the girl said. “It’s dinner.”
Dinner! Wynn was excited. She was really hungry. But then she heard something that made her feel sick in her middle.
Awwwwk . . . bok . . . bok . . . bok.
“Mildred!” Wynn cried. She ran forward, leaping over roots and rocks as she scrambled through the ferns toward the crouching cat. Shadow pressed low to the forest floor, the colors changing in her stripes. Her hips shifted from side to side as she prepared to pounce.
Wynn threw herself toward the creature. She grabbed the tigereon’s twitchy tail and pulled.
Shadow whipped around and snarled at her. Her thick muzzle drew back from enormous white fangs as her iridescent whiskers pressed flat against the sides of her head.
“Leave her alone!” Wynn shouted. She pulled hard on Shadow’s tail. The cat took a half-hearted swipe at her with her paw. Wynn jumped on her back and clung to the fur on her sides.
The tigereon spun in a circle, trying to reach Wynn.
“Mildred is not for eating!” Wynn shouted.
Mildred leaped up with a panicked squawk. She flapped her wings furiously as the beast stretched and snapped. Mildred landed on the cat’s head and pecked her.
“Mildred! No, bad chicken!” Wynn called, even as she clung to the cat’s back. “Get away.”
Mildred never ran from a fight. She was the bravest chicken Wynn had ever known. Wynn had to save her before she was gobbled up.
She reached out and grabbed one of Mildred’s legs. Then she threw herself off the back of the squirming cat and rolled through the dirt, holding Mildred close to her heart. She would run if she had to. She didn’t care if she got lost in the woods again. Mildred was worth it.
“You find something else to hunt,” Wynn said, kicking dirt at the large cat. “Mildred is mine.”
Shadow roared at her, so Wynn slapped her on the nose. The cat’s eyes went wide, and she snorted and shook her head.
“That’s enough of this,” the girl said, tapping Shadow with her staff. “Shadow, leave it be.” The girl turned her dark eyes to Wynn. “What is this thing to you?”
“Mildred is mine. I love her.”
Wynn tucked the chicken under her chin, and Mildred let out a soft coo. Shadow hung her head. She looked angry. Her ears pressed back on her neck and her tail thrashed behind her. The girl stroked Shadow’s flank, and the big cat hissed.
“I know you’re disappointed, and I’m sure the strange creature is tasty, but I think this one is not for eating,” the girl said to the cat. “Leave it be.” The girl gave the beast a pat on the side of its strong neck. It growled at her. “You should probably apologize for slapping Shadow and pulling her tail,” the girl said to Wynn.
“Thank you,” Wynn said to the girl, then turned to Shadow. “I’m sorry. Mildred is my friend and I love her.”
“Whatever that thing is, keep it close,” the girl said as she turned away from Wynn. “Love is a rare thing in these woods.” Her hand stroked the tigereon’s back.
Wynn cuddled Mildred and pet her neck. Everything that felt empty and achy in her body felt full and better now. She was so happy to see her hen again. The girl set off down a narrow path through the woods, using her staff and keeping her fingertips on the shoulder of the tiger. Wynn followed, carrying Mildred and snuggling her close.
Night was falling quickly, but somehow there seemed to be light. Small white flowers grew along the path. Like the ferns, they glowed as the smoke-and-shadow girl passed by. Their little spots of light shone brightly against the dark forest floor. Strange bugs floated around, dancing through the curls of smoke and darkness trailing off the girl’s shoulders like a cloak; they flapped their wings like butterflies but gave off a faint blue glow. Wynn heard the splashing water of a creek nearby.
All around them were large boulders. Some of them were square. Boulders shouldn’t be square. These were stone blocks someone had shaped long ago. Moss clung to their sides, hiding
