THORNE
Althea had not stirred once since she was carried, not even a murmur, a mumble or twitch and I would have known because I did not take my eyes off her.
Not while we ate or when we were supposed to sleep. Kuma had grown solemn and so had the rest of the pack. Their tails remained on the ground, dragged along with them.
No calls, howls or their usual playful yipping. The joy had been stripped away and it was very telling on the retinue as well.
The joking and conversations had not just been dampened but they had ceased completely.
The mist felt thicker and heavier and darker to the point it felt like with every step toward our destination we were wading through quicksand.
I wanted to be done with this and take her home.
Slowly over the final hours, the murmuring of the nightmares within the mist grew duller, less sharp and in-your-ear.
The mundane, familiar chirping of crickets greeted us while the oppressive red mist lifted with every stride forward.
