2 Chapter Two

Hailey was the first to let go, her sugilite eyes shimmering candesently in the sun's morning rays, her face switching from the cold pale tone to a healthy sun kissed glow. There was a sliver of hope in her eyes, it was like a candle, bright yet dims as it slowly dies out.

"Mr Gianluca?" She asked, "what shall this girl do for her clothes are thin and torn?"

"Call this man Luca," he said as he pulled another cloak, similar to his, from his bag that was hidden beneath his own cloak, "Wear this, this should hold against the shallow breeze until we find warm shelter and a place of hot food."

The thought of hot food made Hailey's stomach grumble, she had no recollection on whether she had eaten much, or anything, the previous day. Something seemed to click in her mind, she couldn't remember the reason in which she had slept in the forest, nor the reason on why this slate furred feline had caused her to become astray from the dirt path.

"Let's go child," Gianluca said as he gracefully stood to his full height, his star diopside cloak shimmering in a star shape as it swished around his body, the gently breeze slightly thrusting it against his long legs. He held out a gloved hand, fingers outstretched, for Hailey to take a hold of. With slightly ungraceful and clumsy movements, Hailey was pulled up to her feet, her petite figure lightly crashing against his.

"I am sorry mr, I mean Luca, it appears this young girl is unsteady on her feet but for what reason is unknown. It is best for me to say that I have no recollection on anything that had happened before being discovered in my vulnerable state."

Gianluca stared unhinged, his mind full of uncertainty. Why had this young girl trekked through this daunting forest to begin with, what were her reasonings, and what had this feline been doing to distract this child, but then again a child's mind never stays focused upon a solitary entity.

With a gentle tug, Gianluca pulled Hailey towards the foliage, his warm gloved hand securely held her petite one, their fingers gripped together as to not let go. With every step they got nearer to the foliage, Hailey's heart began to hammer against her ribcage for an unknown reason. Why? As here breathing began to turn hysterical, the slate furred feline lept upon her shoulders, balancing perfectly and up right. It seemed to give out the aura of calmness and serenity.

With a slightly tighter grip, Gianluca continued on guiding them through the thick thickets and around stout oak trees ahigh branches full of green leaves, the sun's rays reflecting gently of the small droplets of water that slowly dropped of the edge, either landing upon the feline's head or Hailey's.

"How about the name for this small feline be Hem for its glistening hematite eyes that glow within the sun's rays?" Hailey asked.

"Perfect," Gianluca said, "For I was thinking of a similar name to give this young feline."

The cat purred blissfully in contentment at being given a name by the young child in which she had taken a shining to. Her slate paws pattered gently against the forest floor, a soft tapping sound filling in the quietude that had set upon them.

Gianluca proceeded with gazing around furtively, glaring callously at any glowing eyes that were buried in the shadows, the dark pupils following their every step. Hailey, blissfully unaware of this skipped gaily, her mind wondering placed that may or may not have been there before her 'amnesia'.

"Luca, where are you taking this young girl to for I have no memory of which way I had entered this forest last night." Hailey said.

"This kind man is taking you to a quaint inn by the edge of this daunting forest, this man and young child need hot food and warm shelter for the rain that is due to come in the next fhyr." Gianluca replied, his chrysocollan eyes gazing of in the distance as dark clouds began to emerge from the horizon.

"Luca has good eyes for this young girl cannot see through the gaps in the trees."

"That is because Hailey is short."

"What a blunt person this kind man is."

As they continued to trekk through the green foliage and stepping over roots, Gianluca suddenly pulled Hailey, along with Hem, and pushed her into a tree. Hailey stared wide eyed at the close proximity of their bodies. Before she could utter a word a finger was thrusted against her lips. They stood their in silence, but not for long. A rather loud voice began to draw closer. Without a seconds notice, Gianluca leapt into the tree, pulling himself up, then hauling Hailey and Hem.

"Sir Pry, are thou sure that the young girl had trekked through the daunting forest?" A more quieter voice spoke out, his voice a slight higher tone.

"This proud man is very sure that the young girl had been through here, the elves had voiced that she had entered the daunting forest at the nineteenth fhyr yesterday." The louder man bellowed, that's what Hailey had thought anyway for the man's voice we loud, like enough to be yelling.

"Now, pray tell me, what was the rearmost thing the cunning elves had spoken?" He spoke in a lower tone, his eyes darting around.

"Thou said 'the crystal beauty entered the forest at the nineteenth fhyr, the beauty is at a life or death situation. Nothing more will be said'. Thou elves were not clear in which they had spoken."

"Forget it. Let's go, that young girl may have ventured further in, allow this to be out marker for if we land in a circle." The older man steadily walked upon the tree in which Gianluca, Hailey, and Hem sat. They leant closer to the tree with baited breath, their thoughts spent upon praying to whichever God bothered to listen upon it.

A cross was etched into the bark with a sharp machete, the cut deep enough to draw a few drops of tree sap. And with that, the two unknown men walked of, trekking further and further away from them, the small group left unnoticed.

Note - Fhyr is their way of saying hour. Heryt - year; Marh - Month; Doryn - Day; Fhyr - hour; Paryh - Minute; Sordu - Seconds. (Those words were all made up, it is a pure coincidence if these words are the same or similar to that of another language or words that have already been made).