We had been traveling for days now, under the harsh elements of the February winds. Cold, exhausted, dreary and plagued with distrust we trudged along the frozen path. We were friends yet enemy's, we had trust but we didn't. Ever since I had lied to Samuel he had lost his cheery, giddy manner and replaced it with a rather unwelcome one in which no one was very fond of. He had steered clear of the gang as well. He was off, something about them did something to him, something strange.
The new gang was rather friendly to say the least, two of the brothers pull numerous pranks and jokes on me and the various other travelers we had experienced. Some of which I would have preferred to not meet. The third and final brother was very intelligent, but he always held something back. He would play with his brothers and guide them along on their mischievous tasks, but never was he actually laughing. He would smile, oh yes he had a nice cheeky grin to him, but laugh? Laughter was hard to earn in our small array of creatures as of lately. Nor would he be caught in play with his brothers, willingly at would alway try to hide his childish acts, saying they are only for babies and cowards. I believe otherwise, to admit to ones unwanted acts was as admiral as admitting that one is not perfect.
The third brother, who I call Einstein, would never go near Samuel, nor would the other two brothers, and when Samuel was walking on the outer right of the group the would float along the outer left. And so on and so forth.
There we loomed in our shadows while the too familiar silence of the night took over. We had developed a pattern so to speak. Morning would come, the new gang would destroy someone's morning, though never Samuels, and make everyone else's, Noctowl would appear on the skyline with food in hand, we would eat and talk about our dreams and nightmares, we would continue our journey while Noctowl would fly ahead, then later at night fall Noctowl would reappear with out diner and proceed to tell us about the "cozy" place to sleep he had found while on his flight. After we had reached our so called cozy destination we would lay down to sleep and tell each other what we wish to see in our dreams. Then, finally, we would let our minds drift to happiness, while one of us stayed awake to thwart any of our little pranksters new ideas. We had learned to watch each other while we slept soon enough, it didn't take long for us to realize that during our time of rest the gang would setup traps for us to run into.
It took me awhile to realize but eventually it came to me, not only had Samuel changed, everyone had. Lizeth and Samuel stopped talking as of now, Lance, Carl, and Connor would do what boys do best, be stupid, but a different stupid. A stupid so stupid it is to particularly stupid to explain. Then finally our three new friends, which I still don't know much about would float along side one another. One brother would be talking with the other about a new silly trick to displease someone while Einstein would be muttering something under his breath.
Once, only once, I had caught a bit of his muttering. When he found out I was eavesdropping he flipped out, almost fried my fur with the natural electricity he had within him. He was saying something about a mural, and a lie. He had said that if he and his brothers could make it back to the mural and give it to the elder maybe then she would believe him.
I didn't know but maybe this was his usual behavior, I couldn't yet tell if he had changed. Noctowl would greet me ever morning, he had warmed up to me. I don't know why but ever since I had made him proud, a moment I wish I could have bathed in for hours, he had truly acted as if he valued my company. I would often dwell in a moment that Noctowl had chosen to use as a chance to speak to me, one which was happening now.
He had been talking to me for hours now, about everything. We were in the "tell each other what we wish too see in our dreams stage" and Noctowl and I were off in the right hand corner or our nice, little, grassy spot he had found.
One question he had asked had stuck with me for a few minuets now. He had asked me what I thought of Samuel and his 'unusual' behavior. This made me wonder if even he knew what was going on with him. I knew I didn't, maybe my feathered friend could help me...
"Well, do you have an opinion about it or not?" His voice was slightly hushed so I and only I could hear him.
"No no, I do, I just don't know what it is yet. What about you, you always seem to know what to say or do." He smiled at my response a chuckled lightly. Something I had gotten used to.
"That comes with age my dear, old age." He glanced at Samuel then the new gang. The fire illuminated his face well, but it showed all the small flaws in his features. Including the scars that stretch across his skin. Feathers had grown where they were not leaving the coloring of his face visible. Like on most of his avian kind, he had dark chocolate colored skin. Along with the dark feathers that framed his face, this gave him a 'tall, dark, and handsome' look. Suddenly I found myself wondering if he had a family, and if not why? Why didn't he have himself a nice little wife, house and children of his own to take on adventures through the different kingdoms. This thought however, was quickly swept away by his deep voice.
"Samuel, he's not unhappy to see them, more like unnerved. He's scared of them, why I know not, but I do know that they are not the kind of creatures he would like to spend this adventure with. They don't seem to mind much, they don't even seem to realize his existence, sadly. Maybe if they did, something could be done." He looked back at me and smiled again, he smiled. Smiled. Not grinned, no not a grin, what I was just given was another genuine smile.
"It's late Effiel, and you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow, get your 'beauty sleep' your going to need it. That is what they call it now a days correct?" I nodded my head slightly and he laid his head down they lightly whispered a sweet dreams to me. Big day, since when? Another night, another unanswered question.
