The Darker The Way...

The weird shrieks of strange, unseen animals echoed on all sides of them from out of the tangled overgrowth closing in. The trail was getting much fainter and Thort took out his sword to hack at the many branches and vines. Peach screamed as she was lifted off the ground by someone secretly following them. Thort snapped around and raised his sword, but he relaxed just as quickly when he saw who the person was now holding Peach high upon his shoulders. He was as tall as Thort so she grabbed tightly around his neck. It would have been a painful fall back to the ground, onto the treacherous rocks and snake-like roots.

"It's only you, Tubble. Where were you hiding?"

"I was standing off to the side about ten paces back. You walked right past me."

"I was trying to chop some of these branches. They're driving me crazy."

"If you plan on taking a little kid through here, of all places, you should be carrying her. Anything could snatch her, you see."

"That's why we have you here," Thort said.

"I can only be in one place at a time, you know."

"By the sounds of it, you have your hands full."

"Just be careful, is all I'm saying. This place is getting a bit...unruly. What are you bringing her here for anyway? Certainly not to see Roil Nefarious I hope."

"Yes, we are on our way to see him."

"Oh, no. He's in a foul mood. He's been looking the past week for you-know-who without any success and now he's certain he's left the country."

"Well, that kid you have up there on your shoulders knows where he's vanished to."

Tubble lifted Peach up over his head and held her out in front of him at eye-level.

"This little muchkin?"

"Yes I do. Now put me down you overgrown ape before I start screaming."

Tubble looked totally startled for a moment before he burst out in loud, deep laughter.

"Oh, ho ho ho ho, oh boy, whoa ho ho ho. This is going to be good. Let's go."

He swung her back onto his shoulders, and Thort turned around to hack at the branches in their way. Peach wanted to scream like she warned she would, but her legs were very tired and the unseen animals were shrieking loud enough for a hundred dark and scary forests.