Ren stood in front of the oak tree for a long time, reading the carved words over and over again.
Sorry about the pigeon. I'll make it up to you. Don't trust anyone.
That was so typical of Vex. He had threatened her, tried to sell her eagle, and then left her a cryptic little note like some kind of movie villain. And he didn't even have the decency to tell her where he was going.
"If I ever see that fox again," Ren muttered, "I'm going to skin him and turn him into a scarf."
Behind her, the tiger let out a short huff. Ren chose to believe it was agreement.
She searched the clearing one more time, just to be sure. She checked behind the bushes. She checked the ferns. She even checked the branches of the trees, in case the fox had decided to take a nap up there. But there was nothing. No orange fur, no footprints she could follow, nothing but that stupid message.
Finally, Ren gave up.
"Okay," she sighed, turning back to the tiger. "Village."
