As the sun set, I realized that Marcia and Jonah began to walk slower, and their footsteps grew faint. Their eyes darted back and forth at every little sound. Their hands rested on the small hunting knives at their waist. “Jonah,” Marcia whispered, “it is getting dark.”
“Yeah, we should set up camp before they come...” Jonah looked at me and smiled. “Hey Gruff, could you gather some firewood for us? Don't go too far, though.”
I went off for the firewood and couldn't help but feel unsettled. I've heard talk around town about how dangerous the woods can be. Looking around, I noticed how the trees canvased, concealing the sky. The smell of the bark and berry bushes wafted through the air. I quickly picked a few, placing them into my pockets. “SNAP!” I turned, coming eye to eye with a rabbit. I sighed in relief. I've never seen a rabbit up close before. The bunny hopped away; taking that as my signal, I returned to camp.
Back at the camp, Marcia and Jonah seemed to be busy. Jonah was building a firepit while Marcia ran string around trees. “Okay,” Jonah said excitedly, “all set. Hey Gruff, go ahead and place the wood in the pit so I can start the fire. While the two lit the fire. I dozed off into a deep sleep.
It had been a while since I slept so comfortably. I found myself dreaming about my mother. She and I were dancing in the meadow and picking the flowers that grew there. The green grass was soft beneath our bare feet. We spun around, and she smiled brightly at me.
“Gruffy,” there's that voice again, “wake up.” I opened my eyes only to see Marcia. She smiled at me as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.
“Man Gruff, you slept,” Jonah looked tired, and his clothes were torn and tattered. I wonder what happened to him last night.
“We should get going; you know what Master always says,” Marcia turned to face Jonah, “it's best to start a journey early.”
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