Creatures of Curious Kind

The Whispering Woods, they called them. And honestly, if I'd known how much whispering was involved, I might have suggested a name change. Like, "The Slightly Annoyed Woods," or "The Woods Where Everything Tries to Trip You." Because that’s pretty much what happened. Lyra, bless her perpetually optimistic heart, was practically skipping. I, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to trip over my own feet, which, given my general level of coordination, was a full-time job.

"Isn't this exciting, Elara?" Lyra chirped, her voice bouncing off the ancient, moss-draped trees. "We're on a real adventure!"

"Thrilling," I deadpanned, narrowly avoiding a particularly gnarled root that seemed to have a personal vendetta against my ankles. "Just trying to decide if I’m more concerned about the potential for being eaten by something with too many legs, or being tripped by something with too many roots."