The image was found by QwertyMoo, she thought it looked like Eryan so I thought I'd put it in the book, but the picture credits go to the artist.

    Also small announcements at the bottom, stay tuned.
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"You two are on quite the adventure." Eryan commented, after we had told her the entire story up until this point.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that." Ryan shrugged.

I was kinda lost in thought, thinking about Neve's curt reply. I couldn't help but think something more was going on then I could see. I didn't get a reply from Felix, which was weird, I figured he'd be the first one to write back to me. Neve's reply seemed...automated. I was getting the feeling something had happened while I was gone, possibly something bad. I just didn't know what.

"So...you've really only known each other for a few weeks? You seem really close." Eryan observed, snapping me out of my thought.

Ever since we had done more walking and less hunting Eryan had put her hair up. I had never noticed just quite how many freckles she had until she's done this, which was annoying for me because sweet spirits, freckles were my weakness. I  was still in denial however, I didn't like her, like her, she was just...really pretty.

I noticed Ryan was giving me a weird stare. "What?"

"Nothing." She smirked.

I frowned playfully in her direction.

"I'm doing my best to make small talk guys but it's not gonna work if you keep telepathically chatting without me." Eryan mused. "What do you like do do when you're bored? You got any hobbies?"

"I like making charms." I supplied.

Both Ryan and Eryan suddenly turned to look at me and I panicked. Did charm offend their ancients ancestors or something? What did I say?

"Like...magic charms?" Ryan asked, as if she were staring at a whole new twin brother.

"I mean, some of them, I don't know how to do that it was mom who always enchanted them for me." I pulled a bead bracelet off my wrist and handed it to Ryan.

"I made it. My mom enchanted it, it's supposed to be a good luck charm but as you can see..." I waved my hands around at our situation for emphasis, "it hasn't really been working."

"Dude, that's super cool." Eryan commented.

"Thanks, and you can keep it, maybe it'll work for you." I told Ryan, as she slipped in onto her wrist.

"When we get to the North tell your mom I want my knife enchanted so that it stabs things." Ryan demanded.

Note to self, next birthday, learn how to make daggers. I can see Ryan as the kind of person who would collect those things.

"Wait, your mom? As in only Craig's mom? I thought you guys told me you were twins." Eryan inquired.

"Oh we are, I have an adoptive mom." I explained, then looked over as Ryan curiously. "Who would probably fine with you calling her mom too if you're comfortable with that."

Ryan pursed her lips. "I'll think about it."

    "Hey!" Eryan said suddenly. "We're here, the Scobi bus."

    The forest backed off a bit to reveal a small wooden platform that rose just above the forest floor. It was very overgrown with vines coming up through the planks.

    "Yeesh." Ryan observed. "Been a while I guess."

    "Yeah." I climbed up onto platform and tested my weight hesitantly, seemed sturdy enough.

    Eryan hoped up next to me, Oratio, her fox followed her lead, he began sniffing around the edges of the platform, checking it out. He didn't make at that much noise, but something told me Oratio was a talker.

    The birds suddenly joined us from above. "Oh cool, you guys finally got here. We scoped this place out a bit earlier it was a pretty cool. Bus hasn't arrived yet though."

    "Are you guys good here? I hate to leave you guys but it's getting pretty late." Eryan. "You've got weapons? Rations?"

"You're leaving?" I asked, feeling somewhat disturbed by the notion.

She shrugged and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, I have to get home. Hey look!"

She pointed in the distance to see a the bus making it's way through the forest. "There it is. I guess I'll stay to see you guys off, it was really nice meeting and seeing you guys again though."

    "Yeah." Ryan stubbornly agreed. "It was pretty cool."

    The bus pulled up, and I thought I saw a person in there, it was kinda hard to tell. I wasn't to focused on that though, I didn't want to say goodbye to anyone but I guess there's nothing I could really do about that.

    "Maybe we'll see each other again someday?" I suggested.

    Eryan smirked and nodded. "Maybe we will."

    I wanted to say more, but then all of a sudden Ryan's eyes narrowed and I felt two burly arms wrap around my shoulders.

    "There you are you little eel!" Neve shouted, trying to drag me backwards.

    I blinked in surprise as I struggled. What was she doing here? Did she hear we disappeared? Neve just about picked me up before Ryan launched at her, Neve let out a yelp and let go of me, nursing a small slash on her forearm.

    I stumbled forward, landing hard again the platform, probably getting a few splinters. I twisted to see Peri dive bombing her and Ryan standing protectively over me, brandishing her dagger, dipped in Neve's blood. Eryan had drawn a weapon as well, a small hunting bow that was poised to fire.

    Neve let out a frustrated growl. I stood shakily to my feet and looked her up and down as we stood there uncertainly. Peri landed on my shoulder breathing hard.

    "You gotta get some smaller enemies kid." He wheezed.

    Neve eyes were bloodshot, and had heavy looking bags draped below them. If I thought she looked like a mess before, I was wrong, she wasn't even wearing her formal chieftain robe for traveling, she was wearing a normal tunic and skirt, and a beat up one at that.

    "Neve?" I asked uncertainly.

    "You know this woman?" Eryan asked, still ready to shoot.

    She leaned against the floating bus. "How dare you Craig Ainwir. I don't know what kind of Thanatos forsaken demon you are, but whatever you're doing to my son I command you to stop."

"I don't know what you're talking about! Is something wrong with Felix?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

"He's not a demon." Ryan added.

Neve let out a sob. I noticed Kadyn wasn't with her and wondered if Neve was doing all that well. She never went anywhere without her wolf.

Neve drew her sword suddenly and let out a fierce yell, running at me with it. Ryan stopped her briefly, but the weight of the long sword demolished her dagger and she kicked Ryan to the side, she rolled off the platform.

It was then I realized I had no weapons on me.

I dodged a lazy swipe. Whatever was going on made Neve a sluggish swordswoman, thank the spirits. Only she was still pretty fast and was about to cut me in half when all of a sudden Neve gasped and kneeled over, and arrow sticking out of her side.

Eryan held and empty bow uncertainly behind her when she fell.

I panicked, I never meant to hurt Neve, she was still technically my chieftain for the spirit's sake. She couldn't die!

"Neve!" I cried out, falling to my knees next to her, my heating pounding like stampede of horses.

Ryan was back up, and she yanked Neve's sword away from her shaking hands and threw it away. I stared at the growing blood stain in her side with growing panic, trying to remember what my mom had taught me about healing.

"I-I'm sorry." Eryan stammered. "She was going to-"

"Can you get me some bandages? I think we have some." I ordered shakily, pressing my hands down around the arrow and taking a deep breath before closing my eyes and yanking it out.

Neve let out another gasp. "Stop! Don't touch me." She flawed at me

It hadn't gone in that deep, but I still I expected blood to start gushing out once I removed the arrow, only it didn't. I grabbed Ryan's dagger and started to carefully cut away at the fabric around the wound. It wasn't bleeding anymore. That literally makes no sense?

"She passed out." Ryan informed me. "She looks like she hasn't slept in days."

"We don't have any bandages. Craig I'm so sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." I stopped her, staring intently at the wound which seemed to be healing twice as fast as normal. "It's stopped bleeding."

"What?" Ryan swatted down next to me.

"Sweet spirits." Eryan sighed, relieved. "I thought...I thought..."

"You know what this means?" Ryan tugged at my wrist. "We need to go now, she's healing and unconscious, let's go."

The bus was still here, surprisingly. I saw her point, we could worry about Neve weird healing later, we needed to go. Peri and Lucy darted inside, one step ahead of us. I grabbed our bags, which we had dropped in the short fight, and hopped on. I was about to turn and say goodbye again when Oratio jumped in, followed by Eryan, who just made it before the bus started moving again.

"You're not leaving?" I inquired.

She shook her head. "I don't wanna walk home alone if there's crazy women around, and I don't want you guys going alone if you're being hunted by crazy woman."

"We probably could have handled ourselves, but I guess you could tag along." Ryan admitted hesitantly, once again. "Just until we get back to Craig's pack."

Eryan nodded. "Right."

I leaned out one of the windows and stared back at the platform which was already lost in the trees. I knew we had to get away, but I still felt worried for Neve. I don't think she would be out for long, and as weird as it was, she was was healing fine when we left. It raised a lot of questions. 

I slid down against one of the walls and ran my hands through my hair. 

"Hey." Ryan said, sitting down next to me. "Look how far we've made it."

"Yeah, that's true." I agreed. "I think, I think I'm ready for like a nap thought."

"Good idea." Eryan sighed, sitting down next to Ryan.

The Scobi bus slowly chugged on.

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Anyway sCHOOLS OUT FOR ME AND I WANT TO UPDATE MORE OFTEN, SPECIFICALLY WEEKLY, so here's a question:

What day of the week do you wanna see this book updated?

even if no one answers I'll still decide anyway, but I figured maybe you guys had a preference or something. That's pretty much it, thanks for reading!