Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the Wannabarra, and Alexas. The Folk belong to Franny Billingsly. The rest belong to Tamora Pierce.
"Alexas? What-"
"No time. Here, drink this." Alexas commanded.
"What is it?" Zahir asked warily.
"A potion to that counteracts the poison the Folk use. Let's go." She said when they started moving. They followed her to a tree that stretched into the darkness. Everything was still. A look of terror flashed across Alexas's face.
"What did you call those monsters? Folk?" Kel questioned
"Yes. They inhabit these forests. Now climb! Hurry! The Wannabarra is coming!"
"The what!" Kel and Zahir cried in unison.
"CLIMB!" After that command, they did, indeed, climb. A rustle came from below them, then came out the strangest monster they had ever seen. It looked, more or less, like a giant rotten pear. It was covered in splotches of gray, moldish-green, and brown. The rest of it was greenish-yellow and dirty-orange. It had dog like ears that flopped on the sides of a head that looked like a cross of a wolf and a horse, and an accordion neck. The Wannabarra, for that was what it was, sniffed, then snapped its head up, the Wannabarra's neck stretched out to get them, but they were too high.
"Here, cover yourselves with this cloak!" Alexas hissed. After a while all went quiet again. Then there was the scattering of the Folk.
"What's going on?" Zahir asked in a whisper.
"They think the Wannabarra's finished with us, they want the scraps." Alexas whispered back. Kel and Zahir shuddered at the thought.
As they reset-up their camp—outside of the forest—Kel took this time to inspect their new friend—she said she would go with them: Alexas had unruly curls that she kept in a ponytail or had a bandana over it. Her hair was brown-black, her almond-shaped eyes were a chocolate color with golden swirls, the gold was from living in the Forests of the Folk. She was small, but had unbelievable strength. She had already proven to be quick-witted and fast—she had done that by living in the forests. She wasn't very outspoken, only when she got mad—and she had a quick temper, so it didn't really matter much. Now, one more thing was on Kel's mind, was she really their friend?