The forest was so still now, so quiet.
Just a little while ago, I could hear the clash of swords and loud, scary roars.
Bright lights flashed everywhere, and tiny bits of ash were floating in the air, still burning.
Uncle Toby and Dad had been fighting something out there.
But now... everything was quiet.
The only sounds were tiny bits of ash floating down, sizzling and crackling as they drifted around me
I could feel my heart pounding hard in my chest, faster and faster.
.I pressed my hand there, trying to make it calm down.
"It's okay, Sylvie. Dad's strong. He's gonna come back," I whispered to myself, even though my voice shook.
*Step Step*
There were sound of footsteps!
A figure was coming toward me, and as it got closer, my heart beat even faster.
My legs wanted to run to him, but part of me was so scared he'd just… disappear, like a dream.
" Sylv, I am here " Dad's calm voice reached my ears.
"Dad!" I cried out loud, it was really him.
I could feel tears building up, and soon they spilled over.
I wanted to ran toward him, needing to hug him, to just be close.
Ever since he'd left me here, all the sounds of fighting and those scary roars had made me so tense.
Before I could take a step ahead.. he held up his hand, speaking in a calm but serious voice. "Sylvie, just give me a minute and stay where you are, okay? There's something I need to take care of first."
I watched as he crouched near the shield, digging around.
There were little round, shiny things he was messing with, and other stuff I didn't know.
After a while, he seemed to be done.
He looked around one last time, then finally turned to me... but he wasn't exactly looking at me.
He was looking just past me.
'Who's he looking at?' I glanced to my side, but there was nothing there.
Before I could ask, he came over and said softly, "Sylvie, I need you to press that switch again. Daddy can't come in until you do that."
I pressed the little orb in my hand, and the shield around started to shimmer.
Then, it slowly began to break apart.. or that's how it looked to me.
The view got clearer, and I could see Dad standing there, smiling at me with that warm look in his eyes. He looked so... relieved.
After losing Mom, I was terrified I'd lose him too.
Every second had felt like a nightmare, the thought of him not coming back pinching at my heart.
But now, here he was, alive and smili-
I stopped suddenly.
He wasn't okay.
His hands were burned black, and there was a big, ugly wound on his chest.
"Ahh!" I cried out.
"Dad... what happened? Are you... are you okay? Does it hurt a lot? How did this happen?" So many questions were going around in my head.
I wanted to go closer, but I stayed where I was, too afraid he might fall if I touched him.
As if he could tell what I was thinking, his eyes softened, and he stretched out his arms.
His voice was sweet and warm as he said, "I'm alright, Sylvie. Really." He glanced at the wound on his chest. "This? It's nothing. It's already healing. Don't worry, your dad's very strong, remember?"
Even though I didn't fully believe him, my feet moved all on their own, and I ran into his arms.
All the fear and worry I'd felt while I was alone just melted away.
"Let's go see Uncle Toby, shall we?"he said, holding me close.
"Mhmm," I nodded, snuggling into his chest as he carried me. My dad really was strong.
----
When I picked Sylvie up, I could feel her shaking, those tiny hands clutching onto me like she was afraid I'd vanish if she let go.
Every step made the burn in my hands flare up, and the wound in my chest throbbed, but I kept moving, kept holding her close.
"I'm alright, Sylvie," I whispered, even though I knew she could feel my heart pounding just as fast as hers.
I walked towards the area where Toby was lying.
Between the two of us, he had suffered the most. He might have to find another way to replace his lost leg, but for now... I needed to take care of him, too.
A voice called us toward the cave, but I wasn't eager to go there just yet.. not until I was certain of Toby and Sylvie's safety, and ready in case it was a trap.
There was a lot to think about and a lot to do... but all of it could wait.
At least I wasn't alone in this; Toby was here with me, like he always had been.
For now, we needed rest. The battle had taken its toll on us, physically and mentally.
When I got close to the tree where Toby lay, Sylvie stirred in my arms.
She must have noticed that his leg was gone.
"Papa, Uncle Toby... he... his leg? It's missing? What... what happened?" Sylvie's voice broke mid-sentence.
Who could blame her?
I didn't answer right away.
I was conflicted about telling her the truth.
This wasn't something a child should see, but there was nothing I could do.
I would have shielded her from it if I could.
So I just held her tighter, before telling her anything.. hoping that, for now, it would benough.
"He lost his leg during the battle, but don't worry, he'll be alright. He's a tough basta- " I stopped myself just in time.
Lily would rise from the grave and kill me if Sylvie learned that word, too.
"He's a tough man. A missing leg won't stop Uncle Toby from anything." I tried to reassure her.
Honestly, I had no idea what we were going to do either.
There were treatments and healing that might help, but out here in the jungle... there wasn't much we could do.
"You're here. I'm glad she's safe," Toby's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Uncle Toby!" Sylvie ran out of my arms and rushed to him.
She'd always been empathetic and compassionate, just like her mother.
"How's your leg holding up?" I asked, sitting beside him.
"I've stopped the bleeding... patched up the tissue for now. But as you know, I can't grow it back."
"Well, we can figure out our next steps later. For now, I'm hungry, and I bet you two are as well. Let's rest here and eat something first."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Toby agreed.
After resting a bit, I went to search for food, leaving Sylvie with Toby.. they could look out for each other.
I didn't wander far, not wanting to risk anything else happening.
But, as if mother luck had finally decided to favor us, I found a couple of deer killed nearby, along with plenty of wood.
Likely the aftermath of our battle and the terrain shifts.
I returned to our makeshift "camp" and started preparing the food.