A T's T: MINI Tale #1

Instructions

The air was thick with the smell of dew over pine needles. There were little reflections in them; reflections of the podzol on the ground, the little dips and grooves of the bark of the trees, and sunlight streaming in through the gaps in the canopy. I trotted through the ferns, my wrists and palms greasy with mud. Behind me, two bright yellow eyes lit up, glowing underneath a mask of grey and black. "Silver and Shadow are further ahead," I called. Bone nodded, speeding up a bit. In the early morning spring, little birds chirped on the tree branches ahead and filled the forest with melodies. We stopped at a small clearing with a stream cutting through the woods. I knelt and cupped by hands to drink, Bone sitting underneath a shrub and letting the cool water run over her fingers. "Aren't you thirsty?" I asked, water dripping from my chin. She shook her head with a smirk. "Girls are stronger than boys." I rolled my eyes. I loved Bone's humor. I scooted over beside her, cupping the water again and pulling my hands up to her face. She hesitated for a moment, before leaning over and drinking. I felt warm red creep across my cheeks as she wiped droplets from her lips. "Better?" I smiled. "Yup," she nodded. "Thank you, kind sir." For about a minute, we sat there in the peaceful silence, together under the hedge and watching the stream. "Aspen? Bone?" I perked up, spotting Silver walking towards us from the other side of the stream. Shadow was beside her, his hand in hers. "Hey," Bone stood and hugged Silver. "Are Ava and Percy here?" Shadow shook his head. "They're staying back in the field." "We can meet them there," I suggested. "I wouldn't want to leave them alone." Everyone stared at me. "What?" Silver hid back a laugh. "Since when did you get so mature?" I cocked my head. "Um... what do you mean?" Bone smirked and nudged me. "She means well." "Let's go then," Shadow crossed his arms. "Aspen is right." Silver k1ssed his cheek. "Sorry; he's just a protective boyfriend." We followed Shadow through the woods. Bone walked beside me, occasionally looking into my eyes. Up ahead, Shadow and Silver had stopped to look at a family of deer behind the thicket. Silver was bouncing with energy, and Shadow was nodding in approval. Bone tapped my arm and I looked over. "Hmm?" "Come," she motioned. "Look what I found." I glanced back at Shadow and Silver. "What about-" "-they'll be entertained for now," Bone cut in. "Look what I found." She scrambled up onto the first branch of the oak behind us. When she was a bit higher, I started climbing and met her around the middle. You could see the whole forest beneath; Shadow and Silver talking about the deer, the pines, the shrubs, and the ferns. Bone sat on the thick branch we were both on, smiling at the birds and dragonflies. "Isn't it pretty?" she murmured. "Yeah," I let out a grin. Seeing she was focusing on the wildlife and not on the fact that there is a life-or-de3th drop below, I slipped an arm around her wait and pulled her into my lap. She didn't seem to mind, resting her head on my chest. I felt a burst of heat shoot up my veins as her hand curling around my knee. "Look at that one!" she pointed at a blue bird above them. She... really doesn't mind? I inhaled, feeling her body raise with my expanding chest. I just... need to test it. I stopped, unsure, then dipped my had down and k1ssed the top of her forehead. I could feel her sweaty hair against my l1ps and her warm skin on my cheeks. This time she turned, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. "Are you paying attention?" I smiled, my chin on the top of her hair. I was staring into her beautiful eyes, and mine kept flickering to her lips. "AS I was saying, did you see that cardinal?" she turned back to the canopy. I sighed, breathing into her flocks of hair. She really doesn't mind. I don't either.