Well getting lost wasn’t the only thing that had been wrong. Getting lost in the scary woods was. Kyei and Paladin had somehow separated from the group
in the woods and even though the rest of the group was as lost as they where they were in the swamps.
        "Where are WE?" Kyei exclaimed looking about at the swamp trees.
        "I don’t know but were not in Kansas anymore"
        "Where’d you get a stupid saying like THAT?"
        "I dunno I heard it from one of the ancient sayings on the scrolls, somewhere or-"
        "It doesn’t matter what does is that we find the others" Kyei interrupted. In truth even though she liked paladin she didn’t want to be ... alone with him, it just didn’t feel right.
    "You're right" Paladin agreed. She had been acting strange, hmmph maybe just a girl thing. Come to think of it he hadn’t really thought about girls for, well never. He remembered something from his father. He had always told him to find the right girl, even if it took a couple of years. He sighed inwardly, he certainly hadn’t been looking and he was getting into his prime
now. He put this all aside when Kyei gave him the instinct command to keep going.

                "Where are we?" remarked Eliza clinging to Hybrid while looking around the
gloomy place.
        "Somewhere between hell and this miserable planet" remarked Hybrid a bit stiff too.
        "No, Hybrid just seems to think so" said Exile giving Hybrid a silencing glare. Hybrid shrank.
        "Let’s stop arguing we have to find Kyei and Paladin" said Camille interfering.
        "You're right" said Exile moving in the opposite direction Kyei and Paladin were.
        "Let’s hope we find them alive. There’s something strange around here"

        Paladin and Kyei made their way through the woods searching for some clue
of their party. They found none. 
        "We passed this tree 2 hours ago, Pal"
        "No we didn’t I would know if we-"
        "Our tracks are right there" pointed Kyei
        "Oh, uhhhh...."
        "Never mind let's just stay put, they’ll find us. Sooner or later" said Kyei looking at the mountains. She seemed very sad.
        "You okay?" asked Paladin walking near her. He put a row of his arms on her
shoulders, giving her a neck massage. She shuddered.
        "I’m fine .. just fine" Kyei replied moving out of his reach. It didn’t feel right. She hadn’t had affection since-, it didn’t matter.
        "Let’s just find a place for the night" said Kyei grabbing her trident.
        "If you say so" said Paladin shrugging. She sure was acting weird.

Seer was complaining of the mud and dirt. Long And Loud, "EWWWWWWWW! IT’S ON MY SHOE!"
        "Shut UP!" cried Hybrid glaring at her.
        "Hybrid stop it" snapped Exile
        "Then get her to shut up! She’s getting really annoying!"
        "Hmmm I agree" said Ecu.
        "You be quiet or I won’t feed you" said Seer.
        "Oh Seer go get your antlers stuck in a tree" cried Eliza.
        "Eliza I’m shocked at you" Camille shouted giving her a reproachful look.
        "What? Hybrid can do it why can’t I?"
        "ALL OF YOU QUIT IT!" cried Exile making her voice loud and deep. They all stopped and turned their attention to Exile, "Now, we HAVE to find them and arguing will NOT help lets MOVE" commanded Exile turning to the left. They were south west of Kyei and Paladin.

        Kyei had found a nice cave. It had a large entrance but they found a rock that when pulled from grips it could be partially closed to keep the wind out.  It was getting colder now and they both were hungry.
        "You stay here and I’ll go hunting" said Paladin getting up.
        "No, you go, I go" said Kyei firmly standing in his way.
        "But we’ll be more conspicuous to the prey"
        "If you get into trouble having someone else there might help" replied Kyei
        "I wont get into-"
        "Yes you will" interrupted Kyei
        After a lot of arguing and a few meaningful threats Paladin gave in, "Fine grab your trident but don’t get in my way"
        "It’s you who shouldn’t get in MINE" said Kyei taking the lead.

        They were deeper into the forest. It was getting dark. They were even hungrier. A howl erupted not 20 yards from them.
        "What was that?" asked Kyei, her ears pricking up in to listen.
        "I don’t know"
        "Well you’re the hunting expert you should" they heard it again, but it wasn’t the same as the first, "Let's just get out of here Pal, I don’t like the sound of that"
        "I’m hungry and I’m not giving up till-"
        Something moved the bushes to the right of them. Paladin drew his sword and Kyei had her trident ready. A streak of grey and purple came onto Paladin and again. Kyei using her trident threw the ugly thing off like a peasant harvesting hay. It flew into the tree. It shook it self. It was a huge purple and grey wolf. It had green eyes and oozing green spit. It didn’t look friendly. It howled again sending shivers up Kyei. More pairs of green eyes could be seen from the shadows and they were all closing in on Kyei and Paladin.
        "Kyei get behind me."
        "I can handle myself-"
        "Just DO it!" commanded Paladin getting into a defensive position.
        They were all on him at once ripping at his arms and he was hacking away at them madly. Kyei thrust her trident into one and another and another. They whimpered with pain as they were thrown off. All of them bleeding from the swords and cut form Kyei’s trident they launched a second attack. One jumped and latched right on to Paladin’s ribs. He cried out in pain. Kyei thrust her trident through it’s head throwing the remaining carcass into another one. It apparently was their leader. The wolves..if you could call them that retreated into the forest howling defeat. Paladin had fallen to the ground the bite mark on one set of his ribs gushing with blood.
        "Are you alright?" asked Kyei rushing to his side.
        "Auuuugg....I..will be..you..okay?" he asked taking long gasps between each word.
        "Lemme get you back to the cave..you're heavy!" cried Kyei lifting two of his hands to lean against her shoulder. It was a long walk back to the cave but they eventually made it.

        "Exile it’s getting late we really should find a place to stay, we’ll see them better in the morning anyhow" said Hybrid walking to the front of the 'line'. Exile wearily nodded. She had covered a lot of ground and still no sign of them. She had no energy left to search for them. She soon realized the great hunger everyone else was. She had been too busy to worry about it
earlier. 
        "We should go hunting"
        "Me, you and Seer should do it" said Hybrid looking around, "Ecu and Camille would have to stay and watch Eliza" if they could.
        "Don’t go too Hybrid I’m scared!" cried Eliza clinging to his his front arm. Hybrid looked down at her. Typical kid stuff, too afraid to be of any use. He shook the thought of his mind.
        "No Hybrid, you stay here and look after Eliza, Camille I want you to come
with me. Seer, you as well"
        "But-"
        "No buts Hybrid, you need to guard our stuff"
        "Yeah sure"

                "Hold still" Kyei said, wrapping some huge grass steams she had flattened around his ribs.
        "Ouch that hurts!" cried Paladin swatting her hand.
        "If you’d just hold still it wouldn’t hurt!"
        "Maybe I don’t want to"
        "Then you’ll die like a stubborn young fool nobly" snapped Kyei. He was obedient there out.
        After he was bandaged Kyei started a fire with some rocks and dried grasses she had gathered and went out again. She came back in with a pot looking stone, some water and more grasses and vegetation.
        "What’s all that for?" asked Paladin looking at it.
        "I’m going to make a broth since we don’t have any meat, it’ll be enough to hold us through the night"
        "A broth? that doesn’t sound appealing!"
        "It probably isn’t"
        She started boiling the water and them got a cup from her items she had carried. She got some water and held it for Paladin to drink. He drank rather rapidly and she sat down again.
        "I’d like to thank you, for all this"
        "No problem" said Kyei still watching the fire.
        She had already unpacked their things, sleeping skins, things of value, weapons and so on and so forth. The cave looked rather quaint now.
        "You're not one for conversation are you?" said Paladin laughing slightly.
        "Nope"
        "So how was your past"
        "I don’t remember it"
        "Surely you remember something"
        "Nope" who did he think he was, having the nerve to ask her of her past. She wanted to glare at him, to do something other than turn away and stare at the fire.
        "I’m going to sleep" Kyei announced.
        "Put out the fire then" said Paladin. She glared at him but put it out.

In the morning Paladin found himself with Kyei nestled on his second arm on the opposite side from his wound. She was nestled to him her paws draped softly along his bare chest. Paladin didn’t disturb her. He had figured out how it had happened. She and he had somehow come together because of the cold night. The morning was even colder. He didn’t really mind that she was with him. He actually kind of enjoyed her company. He wasn’t sure what she would make of it however. Paladin got up very carefully remembering his ribs and moved his skin far to the opposite direction. He then grabbed his bow
and arrow and collection of swords and went to hunt.

                Kyei awoke with the smell of something good, "Hmmm what is that?"
        "Roast boar" exclaimed Paladin smiling.
        "Well whatever it is I’m starved"  Kyei grabbed a portion and started eating.
        The two had finished it with ease.
        "Well what say we give it another go at trying to find them?"
        "Sure"
        "Okay, then you get to pack it all up since I unpacked it"
        "What?..hey wait!" cried Paladin trying to catch up with her.

        The night for the rest of the group had been awful. Exile had caught a few boars but it was cold and damp that night. The morning was downright cold. They each seemed to have icicles on their noses and face.  They got up finished what was left of the boar and continued their search for Paladin and Kyei.
        "PALADIN? KYEI? WHERE ARE UUUU?" Exile yelled.
        "PAL?…KYEI? WHERE ARE U GUYS? C'MON STOP HIDING!"  shouted Camille
        "HEEEEEYYY BUUUGGGGYYYYY? GET OVER HERE!" yelled Hybrid
        "Kyei? Pal? well..they're not here. I have to go back and get my things-"
        "SEER!" everyone yelled.
        "Sorry..Kyei? Pal?"
        "LOUDER!" said Eliza
        "KYEI PAL WHERE ARE U?" Seer yelled.
        "NOT LOUD ENOUGH" said Hybrid
        "Okay then: KYEI PAL? WHERE ARE U! GET OVER HERE NOW!"  Seer practically screamed.

        "Did you hear that, Pal?"
        "Yeah that’s THEM!"
        "Wait UP!" said Kyei running after them.

        "Hey look it’s Kyei!" shouted Eliza.
        "You're seeing things" said Hybrid.
        "No I’m NOT it’s them!"
        "HEY EVERYBODY!" the two yelled.
        "It IS them see?" said Eliza rushing over and giving Kyei a hug.
        "Welcome back" said Exile looking at the two and smiling.
        "Figures you’d make us go look for you" said Hybrid grumbling.

        With that they went onward on their quest.

        the end

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