Chapter 116: Whispers of the Wild

HELENA Lost in thought, I didn't notice Aaron coming back inside until he was standing right in front of me. 'Hey," he said softly, his voice pulling me back to the present. 'You okay?" I blinked up at him, then nodded. 'Yeah, just… thinking." He sat down next to me on the bed, his presence warm and comforting. 'About last night?" he guessed. I nodded again. 'Aaron, what really happened? I know you said it was just a wolf, but… it didn't sound like just a wolf." Aaron hesitated for a moment, his jaw clenching slightly. 'It was… sort of a wolf," he said slowly. 'More like a werewolf that got lost. But it's not something you need to worry about. It's gone now." I frowned. 'A werewolf? Here? I thought you said we were safe until we reached LunaVille." 'We are," Aaron assured me. 'This one was just… curious. It won't bother us again." I wasn't entirely convinced, but I decided to drop it. Aaron seemed sure, and I trusted him. I glanced over at Luna, who was watching us with a knowing smile. 'What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. 'Nothing," Luna said, her grin widening. 'Just enjoying the view." I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help but smile. 'You're impossible." Luna laughed. 'I try." We spent the next hour packing up our things and preparing to leave the cabin. I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and dread. I wanted to reach LunaVille and get this whole thing over with, but at the same time, I was nervous about what awaited us there. I glanced over at Aaron again. He caught my eye and gave me a reassuring smile, and I felt a little of my anxiety ease. As we set off down the narrow forest path, I fell into step beside Aaron. 'So," I said, trying to keep my tone light, 'tell me more about LunaVille. What should I expect?" Aaron chuckled. 'Well, it's… different," he said. 'A lot of werewolves, obviously. And it's not exactly friendly to outsiders, which is why we need to keep you hidden." 'Great," I muttered. 'Sounds like a wonderful place." Aaron laughed. 'It's not that bad. Just… stay close to us, and you'll be fine." I nodded, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my stomach. I glanced over at Luna, who was walking a few paces ahead of us, her eyes scanning the trees. 'Luna," I called, 'what's the weirdest thing you've seen in LunaVille?" Luna turned her head, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. 'Oh, that's a tough one," she said. 'There are a lot of weird things in LunaVille." 'Like what?" I pressed. 'Well," Luna began, 'there's this one creature—it looks a bit like Tyrus, but much bigger and a lot less friendly." My eyes widened. 'Bigger than Tyrus? I didn't think that was possible." Tyrus poked her head out from Luna's shirt, squeaking happily with narrowed eyes. She was such a cutie. Aaron chuckled. 'Oh, it's possible. And trust me, you don't want to meet one." Just as he said this, there was a rustling in the bushes nearby. I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat. 'What was that?" I whispered, my eyes darting around. Aaron held up a hand, signaling for me to stay quiet. Luna moved ahead, her eyes narrowing as she peered into the underbrush. For a moment, there was silence, and then— A small, blue creature burst out of the bushes, squealing loudly. It looked almost exactly like Tyrus, except its eyes were a vivid green, and it had a pair of tiny wings fluttering behind it. I let out a shriek, stumbling back into Aaron, who caught me, laughing. 'It's okay," he said, still chuckling. 'It's just a Fyris. They're harmless." My heart was racing. 'A Fyris?" I repeated, trying to catch my breath. 'What… what does it do?" 'Mostly just makes noise," Luna said, grinning. 'And gives people like you a good scare." I felt my face flush. 'You could have warned me," I muttered, crossing my arms. 'But where's the fun in that?" Aaron teased, still holding onto me. I gave him a playful shove, but I couldn't help but laugh. 'You're terrible," I said, but there was a warmth in my voice. Aaron's grin softened. 'Maybe a little," he admitted, nipping at my ear. 'But it worked, didn't it? You're not thinking about last night anymore." I paused, realizing he was right. My fear from the previous night had faded, replaced by the absurdity of the little creature in front of us. I looked up at Aaron, feeling a strange flutter in my chest. 'Thanks," I said quietly. He shrugged. 'Anytime." We continued walking, and as we did, I found myself feeling a little more at ease. The forest was dense, the trees tall and imposing, but with Aaron and Luna beside me, I felt… safe. I glanced over at Aaron again, catching him watching me. He quickly looked away, but I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. 'So, tell me more about these Fyris things," I said, trying to change the subject. 'Do they do anything useful?" Luna laughed. 'Useful? Not really. But they're good company, and they make excellent alarm systems. If anything dangerous comes around, they're the first to start making noise." 'Like a magical burglar alarm?" I suggested. 'Exactly," Aaron said. 'But cuter." I chuckled. 'I guess I could get used to them. Just… maybe not when they're jumping out at me from the bushes." Aaron grinned. 'Deal." We walked on, the path winding deeper into the forest. I felt a sense of calm settle over me. I still wasn't sure what awaited us in LunaVille, but for now, I was happy to have a moment of peace. Being out here in the woods, away from the noise of the city and the responsibilities that weighed on my shoulders, felt strangely liberating. Even with the danger lurking ahead, this journey had brought me closer to Aaron and Luna, and I cherished that. I really did. I could only hope that nothing went wrong from here on.