“A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”

- George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

It had been a few days since you left the caves of Jareth for the Forest of Yewlen. At this time, you had encountered numerous swamps and marshes, filled with wretched smells and insects that you wished you had not encountered. Nevertheless, traveling with your small group of companions was delightful in every way possible; that is, besides Tao and Luhan still having their small bickering sessions. You felt something along the lines of a mother who had to separate her two children fighting over a toy.

"I'm hungry," Baekhyun mumbled. "Can we eat our afternoon meal now?" You stared at him with a raised eyebrow as you jumped over a large moss covered log. "Hungry? We just had breakfast four hours ago." "Exactly! That was four hours ago!" he said with an exasperated face, groaning as he continued lagging behind the rest of the group. He looked up in the sky, and your eyes followed his gaze. He was looking at Kris and Aeyow gliding in the air. "Why can't I have a turn on Aeyow?" he asked, jutting his lower lip out slightly.

"Because the dragon does not enjoy your presence," Suho answered knowingly, making the others chuckle for they knew this fact was absolutely true. Baekhyun huffed and mumbled to himself as he continued walking. "Man, you're even slower than his royal highness here," Tao laughed as he nudged Luhan's shoulder, making the other boy jolt to the side. Luhan growled and glared at a smirking Tao. "Shut up, thief." The taller boy sneered at him and began cutting down branches that were in his way with one of his swords.

"If you keep doing that, something bad is going to happen," Suho stated as he continued to stare at his map. It was covered in colorful lines and symbols that you never bothered to ask him about. It would probably hurt my brain to ask him about stuff like that, you thought to yourself. Tao sliced through another branch and hummed jokingly at the scribe's warning. "Mhm, of course, oh so wise thinker."

A hand reached out quickly and gabbed his wrist, interceding just as his blade was about to chop through another tree branch. Tao looked up at the owner of the hand, his eyes meeting Kai's serious expression quickly. "Don't be foolish now, Tao," Kai said. Tao rolled his eyes and slid his sword back into its sheath, grumbling. "Fine then."

"Baekhyun! Hurry up, will you? You're slowing down the group!" Suho called as he turned around, making the entire company halt till the other had caught up to them. "Sorry. I'm just not used to walking so much!" Baekhyun gasped as he took a deep breath of air. "Usually in Jareth, I would just climb everywhere." You raised an eyebrow. "But wouldn't that be much more difficult and strenuous?" He grinned as and shook his head, his sweaty hair falling over his eyes before he swept them to the side. "Not at all. I've been doing it all my life," he explained. You nodded even though you did not fully understand how that could possibly be.