I'm back! Sorry for not updating in so long, life got in the way for six months. But I will hopefully be updating more regularly now, atleast once a week. But I hope you enjoy this instalment, and please review to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter 12

They walked for hours. Before even twenty minutes had passed Valkyrie was tired and complaining. The heat and humidity made her struggle to breath, and having to push her way through the dense rainforest turned out to be hard work. Her headache pounded against her temples, and the lack of water was making everything worse. She frequently got headaches, but never this bad; her head felt like it could split in two and the world was spinning. Skulduggery, for his part, didn't seem to mind the heat, and he kept up a furious pace, his long strides meaning Valkyrie had to half jog to keep up. Eventually, he noticed her discomfort and slowed down. Soon after that Valkyrie collapsed exhausted in a tree stump, demanding a rest.

"How far did you say we had to walk, Skulduggery?", Valkyrie asked, chewing a leaf to rid her head of pain.

"Well, according to the map it was only five miles." Skulduggery's voice contained the slightest tremor of doubt.

"So, according to the map you don't have, are we nearly there? We can't have much more of five miles left to walk." Valkyrie said hopefully.

Skulduggery hesitated, weighing up the risk of what he was about to say. Self preservation was fighting with honesty. It was an even fight, but eventually honesty won out. "Valkyrie, we've walked about 15 miles."

Valkyrie's hope gave way to despair, and then anger as she realised that for once, Skulduggery had indeed, gotten them lost.

"So what you're saying is that we have just walked fifteen miles, in the wrong direction, in this bloody rainforest, because you memorised the map wrong!" If looks could kill Skulduggery would be even deader than he was now.

Valkyrie slumped back against her tree, and tried to control her seething temper. She was not impressed. Skulduggery and his ego had once again got them into trouble. She tried collecting her thoughts, and looked up at Skulduggery, who, surprisingly, was looking slightly reticent.

"Ok, what were we actually trying to find in the first place?

Skulduggery's sheepish look vanished, and now he just looked smug. "Even I know that Valkyrie. Weren't you listening at all?"

Valkyrie glared and when she spoke her voice dripped with ice. "I suggest, Skulduggery, that you are more civil to your partner, who has just walked 15 miles in the wrong direction out of blind trust for you."

If looks could kill Skulduggery would be even deader than he currently was.

Valkyrie started talking again, trying to find a solution: "Well, if we need to find these caves, we'll be looking for a large rock formation, right? So maybe you could fly up in the air and have a look around?"

There was no answer from Skulduggery, who has tilted his skull to one side and was staring, without eyes, into the distance.

"Skulduggery? Were you listening to anything I just said?" God, she needed to hit someone. Preferably a certain skeleton, but anyone would do.

She turned to look angrily at Skulduggery, only to realise that he had wondered off...and was now examining a large tree.

"Skulduggery, I swear..."

Valkyrie's threats seemed to bounce of the skeleton's ears as he turned to face her. If he had a face, Valkyrie knew it would be plastered with a smug smile.

"I do know where we are. I thought I recognised this tree." he explained.

Valkyrie was speechless. "Are you seriously telling me we're going to start aimlessly walking again just because you've recognised a tree?"

"Well, yes. What other plan do we have? Definitely not yours; there's a reason I'm the brains behind this operation." With this Skulduggery walked off.

Valkyrie sighed. Even in this massive rainforest there wasn't enough space for Skulduggery's ego. But she followed after him anyway, wondering as she did so at her own stupidity for trusting Skulduggery in the first place. Next time, Valkyrie decided, she would be in charge of the map.

It took them four more hours to reach the caves. Skulduggery swore he knew where they were going, but Valkyrie had been convinced they were just walking in circles. Eventually, however, despite Skulduggery's shaky sense of direction, they did arrive, and Valkyrie thought her head was going to burst. She needed another healing leaf, water and possibly pizza and a movie, but unfortunately none of that could be found in the jungle. Valkyrie sighed. The novelty of the rainforest was definitely wearing off.

It was too dark to investigate the caves today, and the noises of insects didn't make the idea of a campsite on the forest floor particularly appealing, so Skulduggery gathered Valkyrie into his arms and rose off the ground into the trees. Soon they found what they wanted, a hollowed out tree, and inside the hole was space for the two of them to sit comfortably.

Valkyrie, unsurprisingly, was sulking.

"Is there something wrong Valkyrie?" Skulduggery asked innocently.

"Oh no. Nothing at all. Only, oh let me see, the twenty mile walk we had to do because you'd convinced yourself that you'd memorised the map."

"In fairness, I had memorised it. I just...lost a part of it for a while. That's the problem with being so clever, you know so many things that sometimes bits just get hidden from view. So in a way, your remarkable stupidity is a good thing."

There was no answer.

"I've had my punishment Valkyrie. Walking with you all day is far from easy."

Still no answer.

"Not that it isn't delightful, of course, don't get me wrong, but my god you walk so slowly. How do you manage it?"

Silence.

Skulduggery sighed, heaved himself up out of the hollow and flew into the night. Valkyrie raised her head, and then smiled slightly. He'd be back, and meanwhile she could make herself comfortable and enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Five minutes later Skulduggery was indeed back, carrying with him several round objects. Once he was back in the hollow, he presented one to Valkyrie.

She turned to face him, took it, and for the first time in hours, cracked a smile. He had found her fresh mango.

"Thanks Skulduggery." Her voice sounded warmer now, and as she spoke her stomach rumbled. She was soon tucking in to the fruit, and she smiled.

"Am I forgiven?", Skulduggery asked.

"Partly, but I will need a piggy back tomorrow. Maybe even two." Valkyrie could never stay properly mad at Skulduggery, and he knew it.

"Don't push it Cain," he teased.

They continued talking, comfortable in their little hollow, but eventually Valkyrie was yawning and he eyes drooped. As she yawned, her head gave another painful twinge, and she winced. Skulduggery, always watching, noticed, and sounded concerned as he asked:

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, my head's been bothering me all day though. It's worse than usual, even the leaves aren't helping."

"Well, let me know if it gets any worse."

Valkyrie nodded through another yawn.

"I think I just need to sleep now though."

Skulduggery nodded, and as she nestled down deeper into the dead leaves she put her head on his lap. Immediately his cool,calming, boney fingers started massaging her forehead, and she fell asleep content with the knowledge that with Skulduggery so close, she was completely safe.