Chapter 3-Silence of the Trees

“You’re telling me that you have no idea where you came from?”

Stella focused on counting the leaves that had fallen as she nodded.

“Y-yes…”

“H-how is that even possible? I�"” Red pinched the bridge of his nose. “How old are you again?”

Seven.

“S-seven.”

“And you can’t remember a single detail about where you used to live?”

“I-I can too!” She pouted. “There was a bed and a side table.”

Stella smirked. “See? I can remember stuff.”

“Kid, you’ve just described two things which are found in any house ever.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Her puffed up chest deflated.

“Aw…”

He sighed.

“I can’t just go to every village nearby and go: ‘Hey have you lost a kid recently? Well here, take her back.’”

“Why not?” She tilted her head.

He sighed.

“I can’t just go to every village nearby and go: ‘Hey have you lost a kid recently? Well here you go.’”

“Why not?” She tilted her head.

Red snorted.

“Probably, because I’m-“ he quickly shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

The two walked in silence for a bit. While Red’s eyes prowled the surrounding area, Stella admired the glittering shades of purple above.

“You’re sure you can’t remember anything about where you live?” His gaze went back to her. “And I don’t mean household furniture.”

Stella put a hand on her chin, and made the best "face of contemplation" she could make.

Okay, Thinky time.

There’s a bed, side table, paper thingy… oh! oh! A lamp! There definitely was a la�"wait, I’m pretty sure that’s a fur-nit-ure. Hmm…what else…

Red watched as she squeezed her eyes shut and furrowed her brow.

“What are you-”

“Shh, I’m doing thinking.”

Alrighty, what's a un-furiture that can help Red help me with helping finding my home. Hehe, that's a lot of “helping”. No wait! We’re talking about the un-furniure. Uh…Ah ha! That real;y nice voice. I’m pretty sure voices are not furinutre. Nope definitely not.

“Red! I know�"umph!“

Stella felt the cold fabric against her face. She watched Red stay as frozen as a statue. His head flicked to her with eyes wide as saucers.

“What’s wrong?”

“Quiet!” He whispered, putting a finger to his lips.

She nodded, copying his action.

“Get. Behind. Me.” Red said through his teeth.

“But why�"”

“Now.”

She didn’t miss that warning and went behind him. He threw his cape over her, so that she was between his pants and the red cloth.

Stella peeked from behind the side of one of his legs, trying to see what got Red so agitated. There was no rustle of bushes or branches up above. Bird calls and other miscellaneous chatter from animals vanished as well. Even the wind’s gusto had lost its ego.

Everything just stopped.

Watching.

Waiting.

Stella felt severely out of place with a heart going a hundred miles per hour ringing in her ears. She gulped as she stared in the direction that Red was focused on. Her legs were shaking like an earthquake was under her. She bit her tongue holding back the urge to ask a million questions.

Why’s everything so quiet? It's a forest, I don’t think it’s supposed to be quiet…

What are we waiting for, what did Red see? I can’t see anything…

Are we in danger?!

her breath hitched at the thought. Stella began tugging on the short strands of her brown hair.

Of course it’s danger! Why else is Red so anxious!

This is bad, real bad. I don’t like being in danger. 

Too quiet, why does it have to be so quiet!

Are we gonna die?! I can’t afford to die. I'm too young for that�"is seven a young age for that anyway?

Now I’ll never get back home, or my memories, or anything! I’ll just get um… whatever dead people get?

Maybe it’s just a false alarm, maybe a-a little bunny or somethin’ and Red got spooked by it. 

O-or maybe, there’s a mysterious spell that's making everything frozen! Yeah...yeah! That makes more sense than some bad guy. I should probably check if Red is frozen or unfrozen.

She stopped trying to pull out her hair and pinched the back of Red’s leg.

Nothing happened, so Stella pinched harder, using her nails this time.

Again, no reaction.

Welp, only one more thing to try.

Her eyes locked into his ankle, the bandaged one, pulled her leg back and�"

“S******!”

Red shut himself up as fast as he could.

“What the hell wa-“

Stella shushed him.

“You’re supposed to be quiet!” She reminded. “Wait, so am I… whoops.”

“‘Whoops?’” He hissed. “Trying to blow our cover’s a ‘whoops’, huh?”

She tilted her head.

“Cover�"“

Snap

They both turned their attention to the noise ahead of them.

Red cursed another strange word under his breath and raised his crossbow.

“Quiet,” he growled, pushing Stella behind him again.

She crossed her eyes and watched the trees that Red was interested in.

Hmpf, and do I get a “Thank you” for making sure Red wasn’t frozen? I didn’t; I should’ve gotten one though.

Her thoughts took pause when more sounds came from up ahead.

Footsteps were accompanied by whistling?

Not to mention, the temperature of the air felt as though it dropped a significant amount of degrees.

Whatever was coming, it was closing in. Fast.

Stella held her breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

The seconds were agonizing as she waited and waited and waited…

The noises came to a stop.

Except the breathing of someone in front of them.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”