✿ ᴇᴄʜᴏ ✿
" Are you sure you'll be okay dear?"
" Yes. Thank you for the hospitality." Martha bids me farewell as I intend on leaving their village soon, and head for the next, just as I turn to leave—
" Wait!" That voice. That determination. Nigel comes from behind and stands in front of me and I see him already dressed and carrying a bag with handy things in it—he really wants to come with me.
" Nigel what do you think you're—" Martha wasn't done asking when Nigel cut her off.
" I'm going with this girl Martha. And you're not going to stop me. I'll help people on my way, just like she did. I'll have fun and I'll come back home with stories to tell the other kids. I want to be of use for once Martha."
" But—"
" He can tag along as long as there's no noise, interactions and he makes me Shepherd Pie any minute I ask for it." Nigel nods at my words in clear understanding.
" Aye Captain!"
" The name is Echo." I correct.
" Echo?" Questions Nigel in thought. " What a strange name."
" And be gentle when calling my name. I would prefer it in a whisper."
" Aye… Echo." He whispers my name as I start walking and he follows me from behind.
" Thank you for the hospitality Martha. I shall leave now. And I shall send my greetings to you by Nigel on his return."
" Thank you. Please do me a favour and always make sure Nigel is okay. Can you protect him for me?" Martha inquired and I give her a small nod.
" I'll do my best to protect your nephew." When I say that, I notice the worry that was on her face slowly disappearing.
" Thank you Echo! Have fun!" Martha sure bids me farewell.
" Bye Echo!!" I hear the children with Martha yell at me and I grit before I continue walking towards the exit of the village. Now everyone here knew my name, every person I do not want to come across ever again.
༻☆༺
" I am terribly hungry." Nigel groans behind me and I would've ignored him for the fifteenth time today but I could no longer take his whining.
" Then eat Nigel. Nobody here is stopping you from eating." I grit an answer at him and he whines again.
" I would've eaten Echo. But something's telling me you won't wait for me. You'll abandon me if you see the chance to."
" If I see the chance? Affirmative. I will abandon you at chance but you whining in my ears might make me push you down the very landslide beside us." I'm certain Nigel looks at the landslide beside us because I do too.
If someone were to fall down there it would take three to help bring them out, and if Nigel happens to be thrown down there by me, I wouldn't help and instead abandon him. He wasn't of any much importance anyway.
" Echo?" Nigel calls again, this time his tone in worry.
" What is it Nigel? You are so much more of a disturbance than I expected. If I knew you would get this clingy on the first day then I wouldn't hav…"
" ECHO!!"
" With a whisper Nigel. Call my name with a whisper and I shall—" When I turn back to lecture Nigel I notice he isn't behind me and I see him falling down the landslide. As expected he fell down.
I move a little more closer and I see he didn't fall by mistake or anything, a wolf was pulling him done by the collar of his shirt and Nigel would be wolf breakfast.
" Echo! Help!"
First day together and he was already in trouble. Traveling alone and I was entertained with peace and loneliness, every sound of silence was harmony to me, but right now traveling with Nigel had brought me nothing but irritation, disturbance and insecurity.
" Echo!!" I shake my head at Nigel's call. If he wants to be wolf breakfast then so be it. Who am I to intrude into people's lives?? Fate brought him to the mouth of a wolf, who am I fight with fate? " Echo behind you!!" Nigel yells and just as I turn to the so-called whatever he pointed out, I see more of the wolf that had just attacked him.
They all start running towards me, at their full speed like I was someone special but they were busy hunting for food, whichever wolf caught me would be the lucky one to eat me. I would be wolf breakfast. I can't be wolf breakfast too.
Without another thought, I spread my arms apart as I fall down the land slide backwards hoping to rather experience the fall than be dragged down like Nigel was. But the wolves still jumped after me and pulled me down like Nigel was pulled.
༻☆༺
I and Nigel were rounded up by the wolves as they went around us in circles threatening to eat Nigel first. I was okay with Nigel being eaten first because if I were to be the first Nigel might run away before it's his turn to be served.
" I am so scared." Nigel shudders beside me.
" We wouldn't be in this mess if you weren't screaming all the way and attracting bad company." I grit at him and the growls of the wolves makes him shake even more.
" Please eat Echo first! It's all her fault! If she had let me eat before then we wouldn't be in this mess at all."
" Are you blaming me for the trouble you caused all by yourself?" I question as Nigel looks away with his frown.
" It's not like it's not your fault." Nigel whispers. " Let's just think of a good way to get out of this mess rather than blame each other for it."
" What's the idea? How will us two escape a pack of wolves when we're in a pit??" I question as Nigel looks around in hopes of finding an escape route. " There!" Nigel points at a side in the pit and when I turn to see where he pointed, I see stones in the wall like a ladder that would definitely help us climb out of here. " That's our escape route Echo."
Not bad. He found us a way out of here, really impressive. " Now how do we escape
these hungry wolves?"
" Leave that to me Echo. I've got a plan." I raise a brow at Nigel in question. " We'll both run separate ways okay? When you run towards our exit, I'll run the other way and have the wolves follow me from behind. Just the moment you climb out of the pit, I'll run to the exit too. Brilliant isn't it?"
" How are you certain the wolves will follow you and not me?"
" I have my ways, Echo."
++++
" Echo, you ready?" I and Nigel both get up on our feet as we stand with our backs touching, I'm facing the exit of this pit while he's facing the back. " One! Two! Three! Run!"
Observing the number of wolves in front, I manage to jump past them and just as they were about to follow me, I hear Nigel whistle. " Come on boys! This way!" I don't look back because I'm not sure if the wolves obeyed Nigel's call, but I sure can hear Nigel screaming like a little girl.
I'm almost at the stones, almost at my way out of here, as soon as I reach the stones, I turn and see Nigel running with the wolves, they did follow him, now's my chance to get out of here—but with Nigel.
I start climbing the stones and as soon as I reach the top, I pull myself onto the safe part of land and as I look down I see Nigel already climbing. ' He's fast.' I thought. " Echo! Take my hand!" Nigel yells out as he stretches his hand for me to take, with a sigh, I take his dirty hand and then help pull him up.
Nigel lies on the sand, clearing exhausted as he lets out pants and I get up on my feet shaking my head. " It feels soooo good to be back on the safe part of Earth." I ignore Nigel as I continue my journey. " Echo! Wait for me!" I hear Nigel getting off the ground as he dusts his already torn clothes.
I hear him yelling and when I turn back, I see him throwing stones back down at the wolves in anger. " Keep on yelling and you'll attract more wolves you stupid oaf." I continue with my journey.
" Oaf?! Echo did you just call me an Oaf?!"
" A stupid one." I correct and I can hear Nigel grumbling behind me. " Hasten up, our next stop is Mid Dust Village up ahead, you shall't accompany me with clothes like that of a homeless child. I might be thrown in jail if people see you like that, they'll certainly think I forced you to come with me."
" What's wrong with my clothes huh?!"
" Everything. Even your own look is exhausting when I lock eyes with it."
" Echo!! You're so rude!" I hear Nigel running after me. And when he's by my side, he starts complaining. " Here I was thinking this wolves incident would've brought out a little bit of kindness in you! Here you are calling me an oaf, a homeless child, naming my looks exhausting to the eyes, what else now?!"
" Do you want to go back to Martha?! You are making a hell of noise Nigel!" Nigel whimpers like a lost puppy when I yell. " One more sound from you and I'll push you back in the pit, send a message to Martha to go help you back up. Maybe by then, your limbs would've been wolf food already."
" Sorry Echo." Nigel apologizes calmly and I breathe to calm myself down. I could've just ignored him when he begged to come along, why did I agree??