Despite his oddness, Ashelia missed how Efû burst the maddening aura of loneliness. A deep, heavy, choking loneliness that was crushing her.

The soles of her feet ached, bled but never stopped moving, connecting with jagged grounds in a continuous rhythm. Always moving forward, forward, forward.

It has been weeks. Months, maybe. Time passed in a blur, yet painfully slow. It was dizzying, exhausting.

There was more land than trees, the openness frightening. It spelled a lack of safety. Lesser trees meant few to none hiding spots. 

Her hands shook, pressing to the hollows of her cheeks and protruding ribs. She winced, scratching at itchy skin. The blisters have faded but the scars would never. The phantom pain of the boiling water connecting with her skin would forever be ingrained in her mind, in her flesh.

Ashelia shuddered, closing in on herself. Her stomach grumbled aloud and she feared lurking beasts might hear it and come bounding her way.

The random dead creatures she found around whenever she would awake from a disturbed slumber, sweating and trembling in the aftermath of nightmares that haunted her nights, weren't sufficient to satisfy her growing hunger. They were just a boost of energy to keep on walking, advancing forward, surviving.

Ashelia was grateful. However, her chances of making it out alive of endless woods kept dwindling with every passing day. The poor girl didn't even know where she was heading.

The nights were growing colder. Teeth chattering, her body curled in a tight ball, unsuccessful in its attempts to keep the chilliness away. Dull blues burnt; fresh tears spilled, feeding the ever-growing headaches. Numb fingers rubbed tired lids.

The leaves she had gathered were of no use. She tried stuffing her arms inside the worn dress to shield them and provide her body with more heat, yet the sparse piece of clothing wasn't generous enough to cover her legs; too short it barely stretched under her bent knees.

Soft wails shook her curled-up form. "Oh, mother, how I miss you." The croaked words barely reached her ears. Her heart almost burst under the intensity of the emotions flooding her.

Stars bled for her pain; the moon too anguished was nowhere to be seen.

Muffled sobs emanated until a soft fabric tickled the exposed skin of her trembling legs. Warmth engulfed her before Ashelia jolted up, clutching at her chest. Mauve orbs sparkled as the creature settled to the side. The protruding wood of the trunk spread like vines on the ground and offered the perfect nesting spot for the owl. 

"Efû!"

The vulnerability in the whisper she emitted almost tore at the creature's evenly beating heart. Yet, the delight seeping into the feeble word filled him up. 

'At your service, my scrawny lady.'

An involuntary scowl etched on her face before she decided to ignore his mean, albeit true, remark. When her gaze settled on the cloak covering her prickly limbs, chapped lips pulled into a wide smile. "Aw! You're too kind!" A cry of joy as she clutched the thick cloth, pressing it to her face.

'Easy, child. We don't want any beasts to bite our heads off.' He almost hated himself for bursting her bubble of happiness. However, Efû was yet to regain enough strength to be able to protect her. It already took too much energy to hunt and carry that damned, heavy cloak.

Her mouth pulled down into a childish frown and he wondered what in the name of two-tailed lizards and sticky eggs could've pushed this child to roam the vast, unforgiving forests.

"Where were you, Efû?" Innocence, naivety, and purity...glinting specks in her effervescent blue eyes as she looked at him with curiosity a child like her should exhibit. It was a relief that she wasn't completely stripped of them, despite her hardening gaze and harsh demeanor.

What child would nibble on a dead lizard while lamenting its death? The girl was beyond intriguing, the growing need to protect her itching at his soul, even more so.

'Here and there.'

She rolled her eyes. "You can change colors." It was a statement – a very true one that she had to swallow down many times before finally throwing it out there at his vague replies.

'I'm glad you carry functioning eyes in those sockets, child.' It was hard not to tease her. She was an easy target. Her lower lip tilted downwards, jutting out slightly. His defenses crumpled. 'Black, white, and transparent.'

Her mouth lifted at the ends. "That's super amazing!" Ashelia wrapped the warm cloak around her shivering body, taming the wild goosebumps.

'It is. Are you, perhaps, interested in a secret?' The owl moved to stand beside her head.

Loneliness was choking, clutching at her limbs under the heavy cloth until it disappeared when blue connected with mauve, and the girl beamed at her new companion. "Oh, my lips are sealed."

Amusement was rekindled as his soft murmurs brushed her mind. 'Black is not meant to be seen by all that is mundane. White is my true nature. Transparent is just, well, invisible.' A chuckle burst at her perplexed expression.

"But, I saw you." She mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Fur and claws flashed before her eyes. Uncomfortable by the recollections, she shifted around, avoiding his intrusive gaze.

'Oh, you did, dearest. You did. Now, off to sleep you go. I'll be here for when you wake up.'

"Promise?"

'Promise, little one.'

Satisfied and assured, Ashelia snuggled further into her makeshift bed, humming herself to sleep. The owl flapped his wings, jumped, and settled in the crook of her bent legs. Faint purrs filled the tiny space as Efû nuzzled his new friend.

"You were the one getting me food."

It was obvious Efû was the one hunting for her, heartwarming too. Despite his brusque replies concerning himself, the owl meant no harm. Ashelia wasn't stupid enough to let her guards down around a stranger, let alone a wild, talking animal – though he did most of it inside her head. However, if he really wished to devour her, he would've done so already. Wasting his time getting meat on her bones while he could eat those preys somehow put her at ease but still didn't make sense.

'I do not wish to have living skeletons as companions on this journey. I have better taste than that, child.' She huffed, ignoring the discomfort of the large wound on her back. The searing pain had dimmed throughout the days. However, the soreness still persisted. 'Do not worry, though. Little girls are no longer my favorite meal. They're not as chewy as I'd like them to be, mostly bones and a horrible aftertaste.'

"Efû!" A horrified gasp left her mouth. Yet, she remained laying on her side. His laughter eased her back, prompting a small smile on her sleepy face.

'Sleep, little one. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.' He'd spotted civilization not so far away. Ashelia nodded, drowsiness slowing her movements. Efû nuzzled her again afore deciding on sharing another thing.

'I do not require food to survive.' Her eyes fluttered closed, body sagging as she drifted into very welcomed darkness.

Word count: 1197.

Total word count: 9990.