Shadows in the Timber - Chapter 9.

Instructions

The sand below my feet felt wet as I ran to Kestrel. "I've been obsessed with wolves since I was 12, and I've researched red wolves many times. I know exactly where they live, and the forests in the area might be sheltered enough to sleep in for a little while," Kestrel explained. "It'll take the whole day to get there, but the districts around the outerbanks have forests, and the chance to see a living red wolf," she rambled on. I trusted Kestrel, but in the pitch black, with the rain picking up and the air around feeling cold, I wasn't quite ecstatic to be walking that long. "It'll probably be 15 miles, or something like that," Kestrel said. I let out a huff, but kept carrying my legs. "We don't know anything about this area, or the food we can catch," I said, attempting to break the silence. This walk was going to be long, and we needed to know how to survive. "I've been researching the environment for a long time; there are 3 types. Forests, the marsh/wetlands, and the beach areas. The forest areas should have squirrels and fish," Kestrel said. I hadn't realized how much Kestrel really knew about the area, but I was very glad. I let out a yawn, dragging my feet across the sand, drawing random symbols. The tide was high, so we strayed away from the ice-cold water. The cold rain pouring down on us was good enough. The town seemed mostly asleep except for the occasional restaurant or bar. Soon we'd reach the end of the beach and have to find a way to get to Ocracoke Island, which is the place we had chosen to stay at. According to my phone, the only way to get there was a ferry, which luckily was free. The walk would take another hour, through the heavy downpour But I'd do anything to escape my brother.