He woke up early. Good sleep did not come. Whether it was from the excitement or the storm that rumbled all night, Kai couldn't tell. The inside of the hut felt heavy and a little damp from the rain, even though it had stopped hours ago. His woven mat felt scratchy. He lay there for a long moment, eyes wide open in the dark. Adelaide was a quiet lump on her mat. His parents were breathing softly from their partition. It was still early. Too early for the horn.
He had to get ready. He slid off his mat as quietly as he could, wincing at the tiny rustle of straw. He needed his waterskin. He knew exactly where it was – hanging by the door. Had he filled it last night? He tried to remember. Yes, he was pretty sure he did. He crept over, his bare feet making soft thuds on the earthen floor. He reached the waterskin, a simple leather pouch with a strap. It felt reassuringly heavy. Good. Water sorted. He wished he had managed to snag those nuts last night. His stomach gave a little grumble just thinking about it. Oh well. Adventure waits for no snacks, He thought.
He didn't dare try to change his clothes, they were already the boring brown ones meant for blending in anyway. He just pulled the leather strap of the waterskin over his shoulder so it rested against his side. He pulled open the door flap just enough to slip through and squeezed outside, letting the flap fall back quietly behind him. The air outside was cool and damp, smelling strongly of wet earth and leaves from the storm. Beams of sunlight were starting to push through the canopy, making long, golden beams across the path.
Okay. Quiet. Like a mouse. He reminded himself. He started walking, trying to keep his steps soft and even. The paths were damp and a little muddy in places, which helped muffle his footsteps.
As he was mid-way through his little trek, the meal horn rang. It was a very grating sound, said to scare away animals and monsters, hence the common use of it.
People were starting to emerge from their huts, heading towards the main market area where the communal kitchens were, or just beginning their morning chores. He saw Mrs. Gable already sweeping her front patch of dirt, humming a little tune. He ducked behind a slightly larger hut until she passed. Phew. Close one. If she were to spot him, he would be stuck in an everlasting conversation.
He kept his head down, trying to look like he was just going to breakfast, like everyone else. But he wasn't. He was going to freedom. Well, a little bit of freedom.
He passed the market area. It was starting to get a little busier now. He saw a few kids his age heading towards the gravel court yard, probably already thinking about the warm breakfast stew. He resisted the urge to wave or call out.
He took the left turn he and Grove had talked about, heading towards the western edge of the village. The path got a little less busy here. Thank goodness, he thought. He knew this part well.
He walked faster now, feeling the urgency. The horn had blown, people were starting to eat. They had maybe... fifteen minutes? Twenty? Before someone might finish and wander around.
He spotted the split-trunk oak up ahead. It was exactly as described, a bit wobbly and tilted at an odd angle. And standing right next to it, trying to look casual but constantly glancing around, was Grove. He had his waterskin slung over his shoulder too. And a small cloth bag tied to his belt? Grove brought snacks! Good old Grove.
Kai sped up the last few steps. "Grove!" he whispered, maybe a little louder than he intended.
Grove spun around, his hazel eyes lighting up. "Kai! You made it! I thought maybe... I dunno, something happened." He looked relieved.
"Nothing happened," Kai said, trying to catch his breath." He glanced at the bag on Grove's belt. "Did you...?"
Grove patted the bag with a grin. "Yeah. Snuck some dried fruit. It's not much, but it's something."
"You're a genius," Kai said, feeling a little thrill just knowing they had supplies.
"Alright, alright, not much time," Grove said, suddenly all business. "Elderberry thicket is right there." He pointed towards a dense cluster of bushes just beyond the wooden post and the low mud wall. "And these look like the boulders over here," he said, pointing.
They moved together now, walking behind the elderberry bush. Sticking close to the wall, trying to be invisible. The wall here wasn't very tall, barely waist-high in places, just a low barrier made of mud and branches woven together. It felt flimsy, like you could just step over it if you wanted. But it would make a lot of sound. However, there was a small opening in the wall that fell into disrepair. They could walk right through it if they angled their body enough.
They began moving through the gap, and they were finally outside the wall. It wasn't a sudden, dramatic change. It was just different. The light was softer, greener, filtered through a much denser canopy of trees than in the village center. The air felt cooler, damper, and smelled richer, more complex, of leaves, damp wood, and the unknown. The ground under their feet wasn't the flattened, packed dirt of the village paths, but soft leaf litter and tangled roots.
"Okay," Kai whispered, his voice a little shaky. "We're... we're outside."
Grove nodded, his eyes wide, reflecting the green light filtering through the leaves. He looked nervous, but even more excited. "Yeah. We did it. If anyone finds out we did this we'll be sooo sooo dead."
"Yeah," Kai replied.
They took a deep breath together, that outside air filling their lungs. It felt like they had just crossed a invisible line into a new world.
"So," Kai began, looking around at the tangle of vegetation. "Which way first?"
Grove just grinned, the look on his face mirroring Kai's own feeling of pure adventure. "Let's just see what it looks like outside the perimeter."
"Yeah, but we'll probably have to be some distance away so nobody in the village hears the crunching leaves under us," Kai considered.
Grove nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."
They took a step further away from the wall, and began to walk parallel to it. They walked for just 10 seconds before spotting something.
"Look, look!" Grove pointed. On the bark of a large tree, a round bug with a blue glowing crystals on its carapace lay still. The trees blocked enough light for the crystals to luminate. "Isn't that crazy?"
Kai stopped, leaning closer to the tree. It was amazing. The bug was dark, maybe black or deep brown, but those tiny crystals on its shell glowed with a blue light, like tiny fallen stars. Back in the village, the only light at night was firelight or the moon. He'd never seen anything glow like that on its own before.
"It's like... magic," Kai whispered, completely mesmerized. It was just so cool. So, so cool. He carefully reached out a finger, wanting to touch one of the glowing crystals. Just a little poke! But he stopped himself. Who knew if the bug would bite? It looked cool, but it also looked weird. Weird things could be bitey things. Or maybe sticky. Better not touch it.
"Maybe it eats the light?" Grove whispered back, staring at it too. "Or maybe it's a baby star that got lost and turned into a bug?"
Kai blinked. That was a really weird idea. But maybe? Out here, there was no explanation to anything. All they learned about in school were survival tactics, and the various Monsters and Non-humans.
"Okay," Kai said, pulling his gaze away from the amazing glowing bug. He felt kind of sad to leave it. But he knew there was more cool stuff to be found. "Let's keep going this way." He pointed further along, away from the tree, still walking beside where the wall would be, but way further out.
They walked carefully now. The leaves crunched under their feet. It made much more noise than walking on the dirt paths in the village. It was hard to be quiet like a mouse when the ground kept yelling CRUNCH! every time you stepped. Kai tried lifting his feet really high, then putting them down super slow, but it didn't help much. Grove was trying too, looking all serious as he tiptoed.
Roots were everywhere as well. Like a big, bumpy mess trying to trip you. Kai tripped a little bit but didn't fall. Phew, I feel like I'm in another world with all of these plants. Branches kept smacking into their arms. The forest felt thick. Like a big, green blanket all around them.
The sounds were different too. Not village sounds. Just... forest sounds. Birds made noises he didn't know. Twigs snapped somewhere far away.
"Was that an animal? Or just a branch falling?" Whispered Grove.
"I don't know," Kai replied, scratching his head.
Grove suddenly stopped again. He held out his hand, the universal 'STOP!' sign. Kai stopped so fast he nearly crashed into Grove's back. "What? What is it?" he whispered, already feeling jumpy.
Grove didn't answer right away. He was looking down at the ground near some big, floppy yellow plants. He crouched down slow.
Kai crouched beside him. He looked where Grove was looking. On the ground, on the wet dirt, there was something pressed into it. It was a foot print. But it wasn't a foot like their feet. It was much bigger. Way bigger than Adelaide's foot, or even his. And it had weird, thick toes. Like three fat, stumpy toes squished into the mud. And it was dug in deeper.
Kai's eyes got really wide. His heart started banging like mad against his ribs. Like someone was drumming inside him. Jeez, this is a weird footprint. What in the world was it?
"Wow," Grove's voice trailed off. A smile formed on his lips. "This is going to be even more fun than I thought."