Annabelle kept Apetrully steady on their back.
She suggested that he'd be on her back. He was getting tired, and she wasn't sure if he'd be able to walk the whole way back. Not that Annabelle would've minded holding onto him the whole time, but she didn't want him to suddenly fall asleep.
Since then, he clung onto her back. Apetrully might've been a monkey in a human disguise, but he acted more like a koala right now. A cute, sleepy koala.
Annabelle smiled and held back a chuckle. If they looked back, they felt certain they'd see Apetrully's tail sway from side to side even if he wanted to wag it.
She kept her eyes staring ahead of her, a bit of the night sky above being in view, but they merely focused on Apetrully.
The way he breathed, the way his heart felt against her back and its beats like a simple soft melody the two were familiar with, every little thing. He even fell asleep on her. They were glad he felt safe and comfortable enough to do so.
It made the rest of the way back feel like merely minutes, even if it was likely longer.
Once they were back in Big Green, Annabelle made sure to lay down slowly and carefully so as to not disturb Apetrully from his slumber.