breaths the only noise other than a faint sniffing sound. Tressa scooted closer to Bastian.
Another crack. Then another. Another. All going away from them, getting quieter and farther away with each broken branch and cracked leaf.
"Bring out the owl," Bastian said. "We need to keep moving. If Connor hasn't changed direction, we need to go the opposite way of whatever that was."
"It's okay to come out now. Are you afraid too? It's alright. It’s gone," Tressa said to Nerak.
Bastian heard the flapping of wings as the owl hopped up on Tressa's shoulder. The world came alive again, bathed in that same unearthly purple haze.
"We have to find Connor before that thing does," Tressa said. She stood up next to Bastian. His sword was drawn, at the ready.
"Then let's go," he said. They both tried to ignore the size of the footprints left by the beast. The indentations were large enough for the two of them to stand in together.
Chapter Sixteen
After hours of searching, Tressa sat down on an old tree trunk. Its roots held it firmly in the ground even though the rest of it had died and fallen countless years ago. She rubbed her calves, trying to massage out the kinks after the hard day's trek. Bastian sat on the ground next to her. He pulled off a boot and shook it over the ground. Pebbles and sticks tumbled out.
"We can't just keep wandering forever," Tressa said. They hadn't found any sign of Connor. No more broken branches on the ground and the screams had stopped hours ago. "We need a plan."
Bastian pulled a whetstone from his pack and ran it along his sword, sharpening it after a long day of using it to cut branches and vines. "Any suggestions?"
Tressa pursed her lips together. She didn't have any idea what to do or where to go. "We can't leave Connor behind. I mean, our goal is to get out of the village alive, find some kind of cure for the plague, and go back and help them. But Connor is our best friend."
"And he's the one who believed in us most. He knew we'd find a way to succeed. He wouldn't want us to waste any time, especially if it means getting back sooner. He was so worried about Hazel and the boys getting sick." Bastian sat back against a rock, sheathing his sword. He rested his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. "I don't know what to do."
"Connor would want us to go on without him. Find a way out." Tressa said it in a whisper. The truth wasn't something she wanted to admit out loud, but it had to be said. She could imagine Connor telling them just that. "But at the same time, he'd never leave one of us behind."
"And that's why we won't stop looking for him." Bastian stared into her eyes.
The purple haze must have been disconcerting. Tressa could only imagine how she looked - possessed, unnatural.
"I'm glad we agree." Relieved, she relaxed a little. The last thing she wanted was to leave Connor behind, but making the decision to put the village at risk while they searched for their friend wasn't an easy one. She and Bastian needed to agree on this and they both knew it. "But how do we find him?"
Bastian pointed at Nerak. "Can she see in the dark like you?"
Tressa looked at the little owl, sleeping soundly on her shoulder. She stroked the feathers, waking her up gently. Her tiny eyelids flipped open and Nerak cocked her head to the side. "Can you help us find our friend Connor? Can you fly through the fog and help us figure out which way to go?"
Scared.
She buried her head in Tressa's shoulder, turning her head to peek at Bastian.
"Please, will you help us?" he asked.
Tressa's eyes grew wide. "Can you hear her too?"
Bastian face scrunched up. "Hear her? No, she's obviously afraid. I can tell by her body language. Can you communicate with her somehow?"
Tressa nodded. It might be odd, but it was the only chance they had. "I can hear words in my mind. Just pieces of thoughts, but she's definitely worried." She stroked Nerak's head, scratching her lightly with dirty fingernails. Tressa could only imagine what the rest of her body looked like based on the filth she'd managed to pick up. Bastian looked the same as he always did - a little messy, sweaty, and tired.
"Hey you," Bastian tapped Nerak lightly on the head. "We need