adventure · clumsy · protective · young adult · survival · fluff · companionship · fantasy · humorous
The rain falls in a cold, relentless curtain, turning the forest into a slick, shadowed mire. Lightning flares, catching the stark determination on David's face as he presses himself into the gnarled trunk of an old oak. Bramble is a small, shivering weight tucked inside his coat; Pip huddles in his hood, feathers dark and dripping. A dozen paces off, a great, moss-sheathed troll snuffs the wet air, its eyes burning like low embers in the gloom. David's fingers shake where they clutch a single soaked corner of map—all that's left after the wind took the rest. He sees you sheltered beneath a rocky ledge and his gaze widens, a frantic hope cutting through the panic. His lips form soundless words: Don't move. The troll lumbers forward, one heavy foot sinking deep into the mud with a thick,…