Jeannie~

We’re lost, she thought. She laughed out loud and everyone turned to look at her. “Jeannie, this is not really-” she laughed harder. “Oh, this is great. Absolutely wonderful. We went through all that, rescued three kidnapped kids, faced a scary elf thingy, found a dead body, and camped out in the forest- yes, Silva Vivus Umbrare, the Forest of the Living Shadows- and survived only to get lost. This is perfect.” She wiped tears from her face, not even sure if they were tears of laughter or of despair. 

She was now laughing (and crying at the same time) so hard she couldn’t breathe. She could almost hear the others’ worried glances. “Is she okay?” Iyara asked Demi. Demi frowned. Well, Jeannie couldn’t see her, but she knew that Demi would be frowning. “I think she will be…” Alana’s sleepy voice was confused. “Why is Jeannie laughing and crying at the same time?” There were some more whispers that Jeannie couldn’t make out. 

“Um… Jeannie?” She didn’t know how much time had passed since she’d started her crazy meltdown, but she was silent now, wiping the occasional tear away. “Are you okay?” It was Alana. Even in her weird state, Jeannie knew she had to stop. She couldn’t be like this. If her worst fear was being a dead weight, then this was that- to the extreme. She pulled herself together.

“Oh- yes, yes, I’m fine,” she said, and even to her, she sounded insane. Her voice was high pitched and shaking with barely suppressed laughter. “Are you sure? Because you don’t really sound fine, Lizzy.” Jeannie started. No one had called her Lizzy in so long. (No one really ever had, except Alana. Because Lana and Lizzy matched, Alana had explained so long ago. But Alana started calling her Jeannie like everyone else did as she got older and the days of Lana and Lizzy were long gone.)

“Yes.” Jeannie whispered the word. It was hardly true at the moment, but Alana was eight. Even if Jeannie forgot it sometimes, even if Alana was an old eight, she was still that: eight years old. Closer to seven than nine. So Jeannie had to be fine. She had to make herself be fine. “Yes,” she said, more forcefully this time. “I’m fine, Lana. Thanks.” She half-smiled. Maybe the days of Lana and Lizzy weren’t all the way gone.

~the next morning~

“Hey, Jeannie.” Someone tapped her shoulder. She jumped and turned around to see everyone (literally) staring at her. “Woah, what’s going on?” she asked, worried. “Nothing, we just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Demi said. “Oh- yes, yes, I’m fine. I just needed a good night’s sleep.” She didn’t sound convincing to herself, but she hoped they’d buy it. She was a little more fine than before- that was true. “Thank you,” she added and smiled. (The smile, she was pretty sure, was not convincing, seeing as it made Iyara’s face look even more concerned.)

“HEY! PEOPLE! COME BACK!” Everyone jumped and hurried over to Caston, who had apparently wandered off. “Look-” he pointed to a tree. Jeannie stared at it, uncomprehending. “Um, Caston, that’s a tree…” She looked around, wondering if she was missing something. “Of course!” Azi said suddenly. Everyone else, though, looked just as bewildered as she felt. “Good news, we’re not lost anymore. Bad news, we’re probably about to be attacked by Murkbeings and or Hollowfaces and or Shadowbeasts-” 

“AGAIN?” Macy yells, kicking a stump. “Ow,” she mutters. 

Then she kicks the stump again. “Macy, stop, you’re going to break all your toes,” Zander says. “Okay, can we please just focus on the issue at hand,” Sebastian says angrily. “EVERYONE CALM DOWN! CAN Y’ALL REMEMBER THAT THEY TRACK FEELINGS OF HATRED!” Bradley shouts. Jakob covered his ears. Sounds of feet hitting the ground so rapidly it blurred into one loud roar of sound. “They’re here,” Iyara said quietly. Jeannie, who had been unconscious for most of the last attack, was completely lost.

Well, not anymore, now that at least ten bizarre and terrifying creatures. “Try to fight as calmly and with as least hatred as possible,” Demi suggested, stabbing a creature, which proceeded to spatter dark sludge all over the surrounding trees that immediately began to evaporate. "And how do you suggest we do that?" Iyara asked sarcastically, decapitating another.

Zena squeaked in terror. Alana grabbed her fellow under-tens and pulled them to the middle of the circle as the rest of the group formed a protective circle around them. Jeannie rather wished she could join the three in the center.

A knife whizzed past her ear, narrowly missing herself, Jakob, and Sebastian, impaling itself in a tree.

Oh, great.

Is it hogging an RP if no one's posting and I post from Jeannie's POV twice in a row?

Yeah, yeah it is.

Hi! I'm working on a POV!

Demi~

I watched in horror as knives were thrown all around us. Did the Shadowbeasts yeild weapons? Or was there someone out there...

"Fight back!" Sebastian yelled, and I didn't need to be told twice.

I grabbed one of the knives from the ground and dashed over to a tree. I cut off a large chunk of the bark as a sheild and made my way to the children and Jeannie. Jakob's chin was quivering and Alana and Zena looked quite frightened.

"Listen, it's going to be all right," I reassured them, but I wasn't convinced myself. "We've dealt with situations similar to this before, there is no need to worry. Do all of you know how to climb a tree?"

Alana and Zena nodded but Jakob shook his head. 

"Ok, you all will be safer up in a tree, while we fight here. Alana and Zena go to that tree over there," I said, pointing to a tree to my left, "and I will carry Jakob up too. Jeannie, can you stay with them up there?"

"Yeah," Jeannie agreed and she took the other girls' hands and ran to the tree, careful to aviod the airborne knives darting everywhere.

I scooped up Jakob and followed them to the said tree. Trying not to draw attention to ourselves, Jeannie, Alana, and Zena ascended the tree. I bent down so Jakob could be on my back and I could have both my hands free while climbing.

I grabbed a low branch and hoisted myself up, continuing this method of pulling myself and Jakob up until we reached a long, strong branch that the girls were sitting on. I instructed Jeannie to take Jakob and sit him down on the branch and she did so.

"Ok, please just stay up here and don't leave. Jeannie is in charge," I told them. "And-"

Just then I heard a yell ring out. I climbed down as fast as I possibly could and saw a Shadowbeast attacking...Bradley! I picked up a dagger that earlier had been thrown, and charged at the Shadowbeast. 

I summoned all the might I could and charged the Shadowbeast holding Bradley. 

"STAND BACK!" I shouted to the others as the black goo splattered, dissolving everything within a ten foot radius.

Bradley fell to the ground with a thud, as the Shadowbeast had dissolved. After I had stopped the beast I tried to run away as fast as a could to avoid the goo, but a little had managed to get on my arm. It stung like a mad hornet, leaving a large wound on my forearm. I had some healing balm in my pack, but first I rushed to Bradley's side. Iyara followed me too.

"Bradley! Are you all right? Are you hurt?" I asked quickly. 

"I d-don't think so..." he muttered. "That awful goo got on my leg and shoulder, and it's burnin' real bad."

"Stay here with him, Iyara, I have healing balm in my pack." I rushed to my pack and frantically searched for the ointment. If a Shadowbeast's goo is not treated in the first five minutes it may cause more damage. I found it and dashed back, while the others vigoriously fought. 

"Here! I have it!" I quickly opened the bottle and applied the ointment to Bradley's wounds and my own.

Then, another scream rang out... 

Bradley's POV

"Ow! Easy, Demi!" I said, as Demi applied ointment to my arm and leg.

"Sorry. Hey, what was in that book?" She asked me, still applin' the onitment.

"Ummm, nothin' important. I mean, definately not somethin' that keeps me from turnin' into a legendary monster that definatly doesn't exist." I said, quickly coverin' my mouth.

'Oops. Bradley, ya did it again!' I thought to myself.

Bradley JUST said "ribtd". Is he tryin' to say "rib ted"? WHAT ON EARTH IS A RIB TED?!

Hey! I just wanted to say that if you made a Forest RP Part 2, I would definitely join it. I haven't read all of this RP but it seems really cool.

:) 

Jeannie~

The situation had whirled out of Jeannie’s control and she was having a tough time accepting it. She pushed Jakob into the tree with Zena and Alana. “I’m staying right here, okay? If I… get hurt, you three need to get out of the tree, immediately, and find Demi, Sebastian, Macy, Zander, Azi, Caston, Ash, Bradley, or Iyara and stay with one of them. Okay? You won’t wait for me.” Alana opened her mouth to argue, but Jeannie interrupted before she could say anything. “Alana, you’re the oldest. No matter what happens, you need to get to one of the others with everyone intact. Understand?” She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Jeannie smiled sadly, turning around as she brandished a sword she didn’t know how to use.

A knife whizzed passed her ear, pinning a strand of her hair to the tree. Never mind. She wrenched herself free, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it. “Change of plans. The trees aren’t safe. Get down.” She pretended her voice wasn’t shaking more than a little bit. Alana jumped down, landing lightly, looking scared. Zena followed, her eyes wide with terror. Jakob, who was five, wouldn’t come down. “Jakob, I’m going to catch you. It’s okay, I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” He shook his head mutely, clinging to his tree branch. Alana climbed back up and whispered something in his ear. “Okay,” he whispered back. She jumped down and he jumped after her, landing on his feet. They congratulated him, but inside, Jeannie was screaming frustratedly.

“We have to hurry,” she told them, pushing them towards Demi and Sebastian, both of whom were furiously hurling knives back at whoever (or whatever) was throwing them at the group.

“The trees aren’t safe,” Jeannie explained. “I have terrible aim, I’m sorry. It’s more likely I’ll hit one of you then whatever is attacking us. Is there anything else I can do?” Demi shrugged, and Jeannie thought she saw a hint of frustration in Demi’s eyes, which honestly? Jeannie was being annoying. It was fair enough. “Never mind. I know what I can do.” She grabbed Jakob and Zena by the hands and Alana grabbed Jakob’s hand. They ran, Jakob stumbling a little bit, into one of the tattered tents hidden behind a large tree, where Bradley was sitting with bandages wrapped around several limbs. “Are you okay?” she asked uncertainly. Bradley really was a magnet for trouble. “Yeah, I’m fine. These bandages are gettin’ really annoyin’, though,” he said ruefully. Jeannie grimaced sympathetically.

“Well, is it okay if I leave Alana, Zena, and Jakob with you? Thanks,” she said, without waiting for an answer. “Don’t let anything happen to them. Yell if you get attacked.” She left the tent.

After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, Jeannie was completely exhausted. She felt like she’d shaved off years of her life, and while years of attempting to play catch with her siblings and cousins had only ended in bonked heads all around, in these few minutes (hours?) she’d managed to hit at least five of the disgustingly gooey creatures and was now throwing with mediocre accuracy.

“Demi-” she wrenched another knife out of a tree and threw it back, “we aren’t going to survive much longer, we need to get out of here. Like, now.” Demi threw a knife that didn’t belong to her, which was what most of them were doing. But whatever was throwing the knives was throwing knives faster than Jeannie could talk, which was saying something. “I know,” Demi agreed. “We can retreat to the village, but how do we know they won’t follow us?”

“We don’t, but honestly, we’re going to die if we don’t leave the forest, and maybe-” she started, and then a rhyme floated into her head. “No, wait: remember that rhyme? ‘What lives in the forest will never leave it/the dangers there/are there not here/run while you can, my darling dear/for once you are home/you’ll be safe.’ They won’t follow us!” Sebastian jumped into the conversation. “Jeannie, that is a children’s rhyme! Do you want me to recite the one about the egg who fell off a wall? This is not a game!”

“I know, Sebastian! This isn’t a game! The rhyme was translated from the old language, don’t you think that means it has some truth to it?” He looked at her, perhaps wondering if she’d hit her head on something or if someone had dropped her as a small child. “No, not at all, Jeannie.” 

“I think I’m with Jeannie on this one, actually,” Iyara jumped in. Sebastian glared at her. “Well, do we have another plan?” Macy challenged him. “Fine! Fine, I guess I’m the only one whose common sense hasn’t taken a vacation for the day,” he said angrily. “So are we going or not?” Zander asked.

Sebastian sighed loudly and threw another knife. “I guess we are. Retreat. I know where we are now.”

Everyone mounted their horses, Alana riding in front of Jeannie, Zena with Sebastian, and Jakob with Iyara. Jeannie thrust her right leg back and pushed her left calf into Seafoam’s side and she lurched into a canter. Galloping wasn’t safe with so many trees and even if it was, Seafoam wasn’t big enough to comfortably carry both Alana and Jeannie. Jeannie silently apologized for the extra weight and she steered Seafoam onto the trail, which was a little clearer now, and even though Jeannie still had hardly an inkling of where they were, she remembered this path.

~~

Demi, Zander, and Macy are all probably skilled enough riders to still be fighting back at the... things... as they retreat.

Hopefully it'll only take a couple more posts for us to wrap this RP up and begin part two. Also I apologize for the horridness of that rhyme XD 

Bradley's POV

"That... Was close. Ho, boy, this is harder than I thought. Keepin' a secret from these people, and thanks to my mouth tryin' to cover up my lie, I only made Demi think I'm hidin' somethin'!" I said, as my left arm tingled.

I looked at it, and saw a patch of dark fur.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no! This... This can't be happening! I can't--It just can't!" I exclaimed.

Sorry it's so short, my timers goin' off.