December Project: Lost

[Belle Black]

(OOC: I agree- hopefully she'll be found soon!)

Belle froze when Aylarah spoke to her. She HAD heard something- but she had never seen or heard Jacob so she wouldn't exactly know what she was listening for. "It sounds like it's coming from that direction." Belle said as she pointed to a tree up ahead.

"And look, it's still following the path of damaged branches that we were following. Do you think Barbara found Jacob? Does that sound like Jacob?" Belle was really hoping that they were close to finding Barbara and Jacob and not that some other creature had found them and was now luring them towards whatever it may be.

[Barbara Phoenix]

(OOC: Never leave a second year wander off to the forest - before you know they get kidnapped)

Barbara pushed herself against the bark of the tree as she heard someone - or something - walking into her direction. Up here every noise sounded ten times as loud as normal, whether it was because of her fear or the way the trees were curved into a bowl-kind of form which made the sound echo through the trees - maybe a combination of both. At a point Jacob let out a soft "Merow", which made Barbara's heart pound a few inches higher in her chest.

"Shh, silly kitty, do you like to end up as giant-spider food? Well I don't," she whispered. Jacob let out another "Merow".

"Didn't you cats learn that you should be QUIET in situations of danger?" she asked the cat, who replied with one more "Merow", not seeming to listen to Barbara though but his ears turned into the direction of the ground.

"Oh right, you're a predator," she said, a little louder so that her voice was audible from the ground. "Well trust me, kitty-cat, the spiders in THIS forest a little too heavy for your stomach."

[Belle Black]

Belle stopped dead in her tracks as she continued to hear what sounded like a cat meowing followed by a voice that was whispering- although not that quietly.

She grabbed onto Aylarah's arm and tried to peek around the tree she was next to. She looked up towards where the voice had come from and whispered, again, not so quietly, "Did you hear that? It sounds like a cat and a girl. It has to be them."

A little bit louder this time, but not too loud so as to startle whatever it was in case it wasn't who they were searching for, she said, "Barbara, is that you?"

[Barbara Phoenix]

Barbara DID fall out of the tree now. The mentioning of her name had made her jump, and with Jacob on top of her she landed on the ground with a soft thump - luckily the forest floor was mossy and therefore rather soft.

"Yep, that's me," she said. A second later her broomstick fell after her, missing her head by inches.

"Aylarah, here's Jacob. I swear, that animal has a DEADWISH." She handed the cat to her friend and removed bits of twig and leave from her hair. Then she turned to Belle.

"Sorry for putting you through all this trouble," she said, shuffling her feet slightly.

[Aylarah Scale]

Aylarah jumped as the girl fell from the tree, heart pounding in her chest. Although she had suspected that they had found Barbara and Jacob, there was always a small chance that they had found some hideous flesh eating creature instead.

Taking Jacob from Barbara and holding him close, Aylarah took a few deep breaths, and tried to concentrate on what Barbara was saying, rather than on her frayed nerves. When she heard the other girl say "Sorry for putting you through all this trouble,", she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Oh Bar I was so scared! I'm so sorry for bringing you into this mess!" she exclaimed, hugging Barbara tightly before stepping back and squeezing the cat just the same. "Were you ok? Are you hurt at all?"

[Belle Black]

Belle jumped back a bit as something fell out of the tree. Luckily for them, it was Barbara and Jacob- and the broom.

Soon Barbara was apologizing, then Aylarah was apologizing, they were hugging, but Belle could only think of one thing. Now that they had found what they were looking for, they needed to get OUT of the forest. She gave the two girls and the cat a couple of seconds to get reunited and then she interrupted.

"Um... not to be a drag- but we really should think about how we're going to get out of here. We came in pretty deeply. I can't see the castle anymore. I pretty much only see trees." Belle looked back in the direction where they had come. "I say we backtrack as best we can, back that way." she pointed. "We can follow the smushed trees for a bit- the same ones that brought us here."

Belle thought the sooner they left and got out the better. She certainly didn't want to stick around.

[Barbara Phoenix]

Barbara nodded in agreement. It was getting really cold - and all her clothes were soaking. And then the creatures lurking in this forest...

She shivered and looked at the other two.

"I have no idea from which direction you two came, so lead on. I tried to see the castle from above the forest, but the rain and mist pretty much clouds everything. I couldn't see a thing." She pulled her wet cloak tighter around her.

"Don't be sorry Ayla. But this little one... he should be sorry." She stroked Jacob over his little head.

"Better hold him tightly. We don't want to lose him again.

[Aylarah Scale]

"Oh don't worry, I don't plan on letting him out of my sight any time soon." Aylarah gave a nervous laugh and held the cat closely to her chest. "We should start back though. I agree that it would be a good idea to follow the battered trees, but are we going to walk back or attempt flying?"

She noticed Barbara shivering, and glanced down at Jacob. Flying might not be such a good idea - it would be harder for her to carry the cat, and she didn't know if Barbara would be ok in such a state. Or if I would be she thought, realising that she too was soaked to the skin. Somehow in all the panic and then relief she had completely forgotten about the rain.

"Walking might be the best idea." She said to the other two girls, explaining her thoughts to them quickly. "So," Aylarah smiled wryly, "Who wants to go first?"

[Belle Black]

Belle had heard Aylarah's question but really wanted to pretend she hadn't. Going first was the last thing she wanted to do, but as the oldest in the group she figured that going first was probably the right thing to do.

"I'll go first" Belle said, "everybody, wands out and Aylarah hold on to that cat. let's take the brooms to that little opening over there and leave them there. I can accio them later and I don't want them weighing us down."

Belle grabbed her broom and started to walk over to the open area where she placed hers on the ground. She waited for the others to do the same while she added last minute instructions, "and let's stay close"