Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:17 am

Mae

A strangeness overcame Timothy once more as Caleb leaned in and gave up his treasure. Contrary to how it had appeared, Timothy had not tried to seize the camera, but had simply meant to gesture toward it when Caleb's sudden reaction caused him to go rigid. He stiffened in anticipation of a different sort of reaction when suddenly the object was placed in his hands and his gaze fell downward upon it.

Timothy's composure began to relax as he stared at the devise in his hands, and he did nothing but hold it for some time before looking up at Caleb again. In that moment Timothy saw the importance of the camera in Caleb's gaze, the way it had been handled and the way it was so carefully watched seemed to imply the sentimental value it possessed. So Timothy adjusted his hands slightly to handle it with more gentility, and he slowly drew it up to his face and took a breath.

Lowering the camera again, Timothy leveled his eyes briefly with Caleb and looked at the devise again. He turned it over in his hand lengthwise, then he looked at the buttons and lenses and turned it over once more, curiously inspecting each detail. Then, still handling the object with care, Timothy slipped the strap off his neck and offered the camera back to Caleb without having done much else with it.

It was with Timothy's left hand that he gave the camera back to Caleb, and it was in that moment when it could be readily seen that on this hand, Timothy was missing a finger.

"Interesting." He commented as he returned the object. Whether or not Timothy knew what the camera was used for seemed inconsequential, but it was certain that he understood it's value as a personal belonging, so he did not ask about it again.

Looking rather simply now to the mountain, Timothy considered the yard and cattle pasture filling the distance between where the he stood and where the trees loomed at the edge of the woods. Then he looked to Caleb again and asked, "Say, do you want to go for a walk?"

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:18 am

Cassie

Caleb held his breath the entire time Timothy was holding the camera. He felt the breath slowly run out, his fingers begin to tingle, his vision blurring slightly. If anything happened to that camera he just might break down completely. It was his glue.

However, he noticed that Timothy was very very careful. The boy gently held it and looked at it with the greatest care. Unfortunately, that camera in anyone else's hands meant unease and anxiety.

He subconsciously let out the breath when the strap settled around his neck, coming to his senses after a few moments. He shook his head, shaking out the worry. Timothy had been really careful, Caleb wondered why he had worried so much.

Then he remembered that moment before, where Timothy had a digit missing. He tried not to let it show in his face that he had noticed, he didn't want Timothy to feel rejected. The boy's face changed slightly, and Caleb knew that Timothy was wondering if he noticed. Caleb shrugged in his mind, he wasn't one to ask questions and start conflict.

"Thanks," he managed to whisper out at Timothy's comment. He rubbed the side of the camera with his thumb for a moment.

His head snapped up as Timothy addressed him.

"Sure," he said nonchalantly. He loved nature and he thought he could get some cool pictures regardless of if he got the job. He wouldn't skip on photography even if he had a job. He took a few steps toward Timothy.

"So where are we going?"

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:19 am

Mae

Contrary to Caleb's concerns, Timothy did not acknowledge the moment when his old injury was noticed, and instead seemed to have missed it entirely.

When Caleb consented to walk with him, Timothy began out toward the woods. Only one last glance would be given to the cottage before it was forgotten behind him, and then all that lay ahead was fit for the taking.

"Come on," Timothy encouraged, and this time he smiled over his shoulder in a playful and mischievous sort of way. His pace then quickened and in a moment he had dodged under the boards of the pasture fence and taken across the fields!

So it was that Timothy beckoned Caleb to an evening of frolicking amid trees and lush scenery, a truly enticing offer to any artist given the beauty of Zeit's fields that evening. Of course, what was there to suspect or deter? Timothy left nothing to raise suspicion in his companion of how pleased he was by this success. He had indeed escaped the Alpha's knowledge once more, and felt he had enough reason in Caleb's presence alone to excuse himself should he be found out. But for the present there was greater confidence in numbers, and Caleb had pleasingly consented to follow him in both word and manner, which was something that delighted Timothy in all his cunning; Timothy having found it far more easy to lead a passive presence than to persuade one of greater dominance to his cause as was so often the case among the pack.

Thus Timothy took off with the intent to lead Caleb wherever he would without resistance, for he knew what was important to Caleb now and it would be easy to please him whilst pleasing himself.

"There's a nice trail up this way," Timothy explained as he called over his shoulder. "I would like to show you."

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:19 am

Cassie

Caleb grew a little wary again, raising an eyebrow at the glint in Timothy's eyes. He took off his sunglasses as the sun was lowering and he didn't want to look like a jerk. He slipped them into his satchel, pushing his bangs out of his face and flicking them back. He readied his camera, seeing so many pictures everywhere he looked. The light hitting just right in between those leaves, the way the shadows slowly creeped across the ground from tree trunks, rocks, and the fence posts outlining the fields. He sighed, feeling the world around him just exist.

Caleb opened his eyes to find Timothy dodging under the fence and taking off across the field. Caleb quickly snapped a picture of the boy darting. He stopped for a moment, realizing Timothy wanted him to follow. He became unsure, he wondered if Ivory was missing him and if her new parents were even worried. Caleb's breath hitched for a moment, remembering his mom's concern. He shook his head. He knew his time to come back to himself was now.

Caleb slipped in between the boards, dead sprinting as soon as he stepped both feet on the field. Caleb held his camera up the whole time, snapping pictures as he jumped over a log, avoided a pothole, and felt his shoes push into the soft earth as he raced the late night breeze. He let the camera go as he neared Timothy, smiling and pushing himself to go faster. He overtook the boy for a moment, his muscles screaming in victory. He slowed down to match Timothy's pace, which was much more comfortable.

Caleb suddenly felt all of his muscles screaming in pain instead of happiness. He felt his lungs burning and his legs faltering.

"Hey you.... think we could.... walk now?" He said in between breaths. He slowed a but more, falling behind Timothy.

"Yeah!" Caleb exclaimed as well as he could, nodding as he looked up at the trail Timothy pointed at. He looked back at the field they had crossed as they ran, realizing they had come quite a way. He smiled, happy to be feeling so free for once.

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:20 am

Mae

While Caleb bounded over the fields Timothy maneuvered as carefully over the terrain as if it were flatland. Obstacles that clearly lay along the way could not hinder him and from a distance he made it seem that they were not even there. But by the time Caleb had passed him, Timothy had slowed considerably, though he was however far from the end of his strength.

Timothy was not panting in the least, and seemed oddly fresh for having crossed so great a distance in so short a time, but he did likewise as his companion and came to a walk, directing their path toward the woods. He watched Caleb carefully, considering his short breaths and observing the apparent ache in his slowed steps, but he never revealed his interest...

Then as Caleb tried to catch his breath, Timothy looked ahead to where he could see a small gap in the treeline, the only opening through many thick brambles onto a trail Timothy remembered well. It was so disguised an entrance that it was hardly recognizable from across the fields, but Timothy knew it, and that he would need only to pass through the figurative gate in order to enter the world he remembered; a realm of scents and sounds far greater than that of the world he left behind...

"You're not tired yet, are you?" Timothy asked presently, smiling as he looked back again toward Caleb. "You can go back if you want, the trail is a lot further in. It's a steep path. You might not make it if you go on."

However, despite his words, Timothy had no intention of turning back, and this was given as a playful challenge of Caleb's strength to press him onward. So it was that not surprisingly Timothy ducked under the far end of the fence and entered the woods shortly thereafter. He had an ear turned over his shoulder as the only inclination toward Caleb that he was listening for a reply, but his pace did not slow anymore, and now he turned his attention fully ahead.

Immediately after stepping between the trees and passing through the leafy door onto the hidden path, the whole atmosphere of the world changed. In here was a quieter world, a world that was overshadowed and thick with only the vaguest sounds and lights from the tamed realm behind to transcend into it. Dense thickets covered the forest floor, branches and bramble all filled with a deep and lively green crowded the spaces between each tree. The earth smelled thick and heavy, but the air was soft and slow.

One need not journey too far into it before they knew that this was not like a city park, or an unkempt grove, or even a drive-by wilderness. It was a forest wherein none often traversed, and though it was quiet it was not empty. Timothy was aware of this more than anyone, for he sensed the density of it. The forest was draped in elegant robes, yet it stood like a solemn master whose foreboding was felt and not seen.

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:21 am

Cassie

Caleb began to walk, grateful for the slow down in pace. He was glad when Timothy stopped to look at their surroundings. His lungs were burning and his muscles screeched under his skin. He used to run but hadn't in so long that his body was definitely out of shape. That short jaunt across the field was not in the best interest of his body. He practiced some breathing techniques to gain his composure, feeling his heart rate decrease a bit and his breathing normalize. He didn't even realize that Timothy seemed to be as perfectly in health as when they took off across the field.

Caleb straightened up, raising his arms to the sky so his lungs could fully expand and to try and release the cramps sitting like stones in his sides. He looked in the direction Timothy seemed to be looking at, but he didn't quite see what Timothy obviously did.

Man I need to start working out again. Caleb thought, shaking his head at the weakness he felt.

"No, I can do it!" Caleb replied, grinning. Although his body felt pained, it also felt fantastic. It was so happy that he had exercised it instead of just not feeding it. Also, as much as Caleb didn't like conflict, he liked a challenge much more. He kept smiling, excited for whatever journey lay ahead. Caleb truly loved adventure.

He looked around after he finished stretching, realizing that Timothy had disappeared. He saw the trees rustling faintly, an afterthought of a body that must have passed through them. He stepped between them, and then a strange leafy door. Caleb felt his eyebrows raise quizzically at the ornate and strange door, but then he shook his head dismissively.

"Hey Timothy are you-" Caleb called out, unsure for a moment if he had stepped through the right place, but he saw the boy standing not far off, his head turned back towards where Caleb was standing, his eyes glittering. He looked around, and felt the intensity of the air around them. It wasn't just the actual trees and flora, but the beauty of the life that was so lush and humming around them. He gasped in awe.

"Wow," Caleb breathed out, looking back at Timothy. "How did you find this place? Why did you bring me here?" He asked quietly, feeling like any tone above a whisper would disturb the balance in the opulent forest around them.

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:34 am

Mae

Timothy was standing amid the trees on the sloped brown earth. He was looking into the thick of the forest and it seemed he was also listening. He did not reply to Caleb's inquisition.

When he had entered the forest, Timothy had noticed something that others likely would not. There was something amiss. A strange feeling was lurking beneath the boughs like a solemn dread; a queer silence unheard by mortal ears, but felt in the fibers of Timothy's being. He knew these woods as most men knew their homes, he knew it by scent... sound... essence. Something had entered that did not belong here.

Timothy was very quiet for a moment. He looked to the east and lifted his chin, breathing slowly, it seemed. Then he tilted his head again to the west. A strange sort of expression came over his face, one that was too hard to discern to be certain of its meaning... Then, without warning - without a word - Timothy suddenly sprinted off into the woods!

Timothy proceeded with great caution now as he listened to his surroundings. Carefully he would walk and the moist earth beneath his shoes grew ever more quiet. The rough bark of the individual ash trees, each covered in placid moss and surrounded by the deep and lively green of a youthful wood hemmed every edge of sight, yet his eyes attuned themselves to the area ahead. He did not need to see beyond the curtain to know where to go.

In the bushes and bramble there was a buzzing sort of noise that would drop in and out at various and differing rhythms while insects still went busily about. Large creatures and small ones alike were going mostly unseen hither and thither with ease, or else vibrating their wings in their hidden nooks far below the roots of the undergrowth. Yet despite all this, the forest was still a very tranquil place, and only one or two birds ever sung out from their nests high in the boughs above...

Timothy kept himself low, though he did not crawl, and now and then his eyes would glance upward as if seeking out something above his eye level. But for the most part, he was looking steadfastly forward and walking with his shoulders and back bent forward cautiously.

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:40 am

Cassie

Caleb stood silently, realizing that Timothy was preoccupied with the clearing and the heavy feeling lurking in the air. He shivered a little bit in the cold of the evening air. His thumb absentmindedly stroked the lens of his camera. Caleb took a step forward and opened his mouth after a little time had passed, but just as quickly as he had moved Timothy had sprinted off!

Caleb gasped, his eyes going wide. His breathing quickened almost immediately after he lost sight of the boy. Caleb was frozen with a bit of fear and uncertainty, but he knew the only way to live was to follow the strange boy. Caleb had no idea about what was in these woods, especially at night, but he had an idea that Timothy did.

Man I really regret this now! Caleb thought solemnly as he took off after the deserter.

Caleb ran with fear, wondering just how far Timothy had gone in the short amount of time that had passed. Caleb had seen the speed the boy possessed. Timothy could be almost anywhere. Caleb ran blindly, still a bit tired from the hike up the mountain.

"Timothy! Timothy!" he shouted over and over, forgetting about attracting attention in his mad dash to find safety. He held his camera in one hand as he ran, trying to see obstacles and avoid them before he tripped and lost his way.

Suddenly, Caleb was flying through the air, his legs twisting and his body twirling. He had tripped over a low form in his frightened run, the force completely throwing him off. His momentum carried him through the air, launching him forward until he slammed against a tree. It had all happened so fast.

Caleb groaned, his vision blurring even further in the dark. He recognized the turquoise eyes that darted up at him in utter surprise. Caleb tried to move, but his body refused and cried out in agony. Caleb whined low, grimacing, and chose not to move.

"Timothy, that is you, isn't it?" he managed to croak out, his head throbbing so much it made the words nearly impossible.

Quote from Skyelre on August 25, 2018, 10:40 am

Mae

Contrary to Caleb's observation, there was no surprise in Timothy's eyes when he rose up from the ground. He had heard Caleb coming from a great distance off, and had therefore been able to maneuver himself out of the path of harm. However, that had not prevented Caleb from taking a root to the ankle and going down.

So, no longer overshadowed by the bramble that concealed him, the displeasure on Timothy's face could be seen as he approached Caleb. His body language seemed to suggest defense, or possibly upset, but he came over all the same and looked down at Caleb as if trying to decide what to make of him.

The truth was that Caleb's behavior was strange to Timothy. Caleb was acting like he was afraid and uncertain; he was acting like he was prey, and Timothy did not know how to support and reassure him.

On account of this confusion, Timothy did not do anything in the way of raising his fallen companion from the ground, but he did keep a more calculated eye on him from that point onward.

Not really saying anything, Timothy stepped to the side and tried to resume what he had been doing previous to the interruption. Looking around at the woods, and listening for any further clue as to the anomaly hidden somewhere in the surroundings, Timothy was quiet. Unfortunately, Caleb's blunder had startled all the birds in this area into utter silence, and there was no telling where the true danger now lay. Yet Timothy was far from beaten in this little game of his, and he knew of many other means to investigate.