Quinn
I hoped that he wasn’t right. I hoped that he wasn’t right about what he had said. I hoped that wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t deny that I was apprehensive all through the journey. Neigh had successfully put fear in my heart with his sad tale. I was sad about his loss but I was more worried for the girl who was still alive than the one who had died. I had pretended like I wasn’t listening to the way they were talking but it was hard for me to not have heard especially when I heard that they had killed Neigh’s sister.
I knew how Mia was. I knew that she was going to frustrate the trolls. She wasn’t ever going to be their plaything. If only they knew that she wasn’t that friendly. I didn’t want to see her dead body. I would be crushed if that ever happened.
“What are you thinking of?” Jack asked as he saw the expression on my face.
“Aren’t you thinking of the same thing I am?” I replied.
“Don’t worry. Mia wouldn’t be so easily killed. She is strong, stronger than she looked.”
I wanted to start laughing. I knew he didn’t believe anything of what he had just said. He was worried about Mia’s wellbeing, even more than I was but trying to act strong. I was amused that he thought he needed to act strong for me and console me. He knew he didn’t have to but he did it anyways. I was amused.
“Do you mean to say my sister was a weakling for dying?”
We all turned in shock at Neigh’s loud growls. We were surprised and a bit guilty. Maybe Jack shouldn’t have said it that way but we all knew that he didn’t mean it that way. All of us except Neigh obviously. He was still hurting about his sister – there was no doubt about that and I could totally understand him. Hearing that his sister had died because she was weak wouldn’t have been pleasant to his ears. I hoped that he wasn’t going to flare up and decide he wasn’t taking us to the lair of those bastards again.
We needed him and I was already feeling bad. I hoped that he wasn’t going to turn back and go back home. I shouldn’t have sighed. Jack wouldn’t have asked me what was wrong. He wouldn’t have said what would annoy Neigh. I knew I was making excuses for Neigh – he shouldn’t be overly sensitive to what wasn’t meant for his ears – but I was ready to make a million more of excuses if that was going to bring Mia back home.
I didn’t know how long Mia’s patience was going to last but I knew it was wearing out. I needed to find her before her mouth get the best of her and lead to her death.
“That wasn’t what he meant.” I apologized on Jack’s behalf.
“You know I didn’t mean it that way, Neigh.” Jack apologized. “I was only trying to cheer Quinn up. Why would I insult the memory of your late sister?”
Neigh sighed. “That was okay. I shouldn’t have flared up that way. I know that you weren’t talking about me.” He shook his head. “I guess I was more affected than I let on. I need to let go of my pains and move on. I should move on but it isn’t that easy. It hasn’t been easy to let go. I have lost friends after the death of my sister because I couldn’t stop getting overworked with their reactions. I thought that everyone who laughed was laughing at me for having no family.”
As he talked, I could see a glimpse of the broken boy who had gone with his mother to find his abducted sister. I could see the boy who had had to see his sister badly damaged and tormented for years at the gruesome images. Maybe be even still had nightmares about the night. I wouldn’t blame him if he did.
“We will help you take your revenge on those bastards who killed your sister. That would help you gain closure faster.”
He nodded and smiled. “Thank you. I decided to help you hoping that you would do that. There was no way you could have brought your girl back home safely if you didn’t do that.”
I almost laughed out loud. What a cunning being Neigh was. I should have known that he wasn’t being nice like that. Of course, everyone had an end game for doing what they did. I had been wondering why he was different. Everyone we met had been an asshole or more except him and I had been wondering what his deal was. I was relieved to find out what he wanted and that made me trust him more.
I was happy that we had all been able to resolve our differences. That made it easy to trust him. He also had something to lose and gain here which was good with him. Knowing that he was a Samaritan wasn’t that comfortable with me but his pains were what I could deal with so that made him reliable.
He turned and shook his head, silently treading on the mushy ground and we nodded at him to signify to him that we had understood what he had meant. He wanted us to keep quiet and we were going to do that.
We followed his lead and began to move silently through the swampy water. I was delighted as we moved, not minding the discomfort and the stains I got on my clothes as I walked. My legs hissed as they got stuck in and out the stamp but I didn’t mind. I was going to walk two hundred thousand miles of this kind of land if it meant finding Mia.
If Neigh had told us to be silent, that could only mean one thing and he didn’t have to say it for us to know it. Mia was near. We had almost gotten to where the bastards were.
We all stepped out of the swamp into dry lands and breathed hard in relief.
Neigh stamped his hoof gently on the ground and nodded as he looked around. I shook my head. This couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be right.
“We are here. This is the guardians’ hideout.” He whispered in low tones.
He had to be kidding or he didn’t know that he had made a mistake.
“Are you sure?” I asked him.
He scoffed. “Why would you ask me that? I’m the one who has been here and not you. Why would I lie to you?”
“Because Mia isn’t here.” I sighed. “If this is where the guardians live, she ought to be here.”
“Did they kill her already and out to pick another unfortunate lady?” Neigh gasped.
I went stiff. He shouldn’t joke like that. “Don’t say that.”
“That could be the truth. I think you should prepare your mind for the worst.”
“Don’t talk like that.” Jack hissed. “She isn’t dead. She isn’t here. She was never here.”
“How would you know that? You speak to leaves now? Did you hear that from the leaves?” He mocked us.
“We don’t talk to leaves but we can sniff out surroundings. Mia’s scent isn’t here at all. That meant that she was never brought here.”
“Did those bastards relocate?” Neigh growled.
“I hope not.” I sighed.
How would we find Mia if she did? Neigh was our only hope of finding her and if he didn’t know where those ruffians were, then we were all doomed.
“Wait,” Jack raised his finger up. “I smell something. It seems she is somewhere around here even if she isn’t here.”
I flared my nostrils and growled as I picked up on the scent that he had picked up on. Mia was nearby and she was bleeding.
My body got hot and a sense of urgency overwhelmed me. If she was bleeding, that wasn’t good. We had to run.