“We’ll call you to make sure you get home safe.”

Kiana never let the worried look leave her eyes but she smiled, turned away from them, and walked further into the forest.

John looked after her until she disappeared behind a thick stand of trees. Turning back to the elves, he smiled a little more relaxed. “Thanks again. Ready?”

“When you are,” sang Aoife, but Kace just grumbled. She nudged her partner with her elbow and he sighed.

“Yes, we can guide you back out,” he agreed, obviously annoyed.

“I can get myself back to the bus stop if you guys have better things to do,” the gamer snipped.

Kace glared down at him, but this time Aoife reached up to slap him on the back of the head. “Knock it off. We’ll take you, John. It’s no trouble.” She looked up at her partner with narrowed eyes. “And if you can’t fix your attitude, I’ll go into the city with him,” the little elf said, jamming her thumb in John’s direction.

That threw both the guys off. They looked at each other in surprise then back to her before Kace actually started to laugh, his entire demeanour relaxing. “Alright, alright. You’re right. Sorry, John, I’m sure you get how a guy can be overprotective.” He waved towards the small Aoife who pouted.

She mumbled something that sounded like, “As if I couldn’t fight for myself,” to John, but he wasn’t quite sure. And, with a quick spin, she started marching off towards the way they came. Still stunned, John chuckled, making Kace laugh again before clapping his shoulder and pulling him along after her.

It didn’t take long for them to be nearing the edge of the woods, the trees already thinning. John had stayed walking behind the two, Kace no longer glancing back at him. ’It’s like he’s expecting me to attack her or something. How dangerous is it out here?’ He looked around as they joined the well-worn trail.

“You know, I used to come out here all the time when I was younger. I never knew the spot was so… popular,” the gamer said, conversationally.

Aoife smiled, nodding. “That makes sense. I was wondering how you were so comfortable here.. It’s not dangerous, per se, but people don’t really get off the trails.” She waved at another couple and their little girl as they passed in the other direction. The little girl’s eyes went wide and she giggly bounced next to her parents chanting the word “Fairy”, making Kace sigh and John raise an eyebrow at his companions.

“The kids can see us if we let them,” he said simply, answering the unasked question with an almost dismissive tone.

’Huh. Guess that makes sense why kids believe in stuff so easily.’ The gamer looked back over his shoulder at the little family, the parents obviously dismissing and laughing with their daughter. “That’s probably dangerous, right?”

“It can be. There are always risks making ourselves known, but benefits as well,” Aoife said still talking confidently but softly enough they wouldn’t be overheard. “Kids seem to take better care of the woods if they see us.”

Kace grunted. “But if they tell their parents or see us too often…”

“Then it’s extra risky?” John asked, more stating the obvious with the rhetorical question.

“Exactly!” Aoife smiled brightly, still bouncing slightly with each step, nothing taking down her mood. “So, naturally, we’re very careful about it.”

“Most of us, she means,” Kace quipped, giving his, what John assumed to be girlfriend, a pointed look, making her giggle and wink.

When they stopped at the covered bus stop, that reminded John of an oddity. He’d seen them walking into the forest earlier and today had caught them leaving. “Hey, if you don’t mind, I assumed you guys lived here? Where were you going?”

The pair exchanged a look as the bus pulled up and Kace smiled slightly. “We’ll save that for another time. I’m sure we’ll see you again.”

“Be safe out there, John,” Aoife said. “Kace and I will take the next bus.”

The gamer nodded, giving them one last look over before climbing onto the bus. ’I’m sure they still don’t fully trust me, which is fair.’ He sighed, pulling out his phone as he sat, sending a quick message to Emily that he was on his way.

To occupy himself, he nervously looked through his inventory, staring at Chester on the screen. ’It’s not hostile. I’m pretty sure of that.’ He pulled up the old Observe to look it over, hoping for more insight.

’Pizza, candy, pats… What the hell does this even all mean?’ Scrubbing his face with his hands, John read it yet again. ’Okay, maybe I can win it over by feeding it. This says it’s, he’s, hungry.’

Closing the windows, he grabbed his phone and ordered a couple pizzas. At the very least, he figured, he could feed himself and Emily if this didn’t work.

The bus ride wasn’t long, but John closed his eyes to relax a little. He needed time to process everything he’s been through in the past couple of days and, honestly, shutting off his mind sounded good at the moment. He must have fallen asleep, though, because he was startled awake by his phone ringing.

Checking the device before answering, he had a little chuckle at the worry of the wolves, it was their line.

“Hello, this is John.”

“Oh, John!” Kiana’s voice dripped with relief and she sighed. “Thank goodness. Are you alright? Are you home?”

He fought the chuckle back so it wouldn’t be heard over the phone. “Yes, ma’am, I’m fine. I’m not home yet, just on the bus.”

“As long as you’re out of the woods, I feel better. You’ll have to tell me how you trusted those two…” she drifted off, a curious tone taking place of her worry.

“The same way I knew to trust you guys. It’s okay, they’re friends.” John looked up to glance around the bus. It wasn’t a busy line, but there were still a few people there with surely more to come as they went further into town. “I can’t really talk right now, too many people around. Can I call you later?”

“Of course. Thank you.” She paused like she was going to hang up, before something came to mind. “Oh! Dakota and the boys are going out to check what we found. I’ll be able to tell you if anything comes of it.”

“Thanks. If I don’t call before you know, go ahead and call me. Love you.” The gamer said the line automatically, the way he would to his own mother.

Kiana gave a warm chuckle. “I love you too, honey. Goodbye for now.”