Chapter 2

                                    

                                          
Jack huffed slightly as he made his way down the tree. Going up hadn't been a real problem but descending the tree without falling down proved to be more complicating. That and he had been watched at night. He could still remember the fear coating his tongue in a metallic taste when he had woken up in the middle of the night.
Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary but when Jack blinked sleepily and looked down, he had squeaked as a pair of golden eyes were fixed on his trembling form. The wolf hadn't moved until a few hours before sunset and even after it had left, Jack had been wary to get out of the tree.
He wasn't about to jump in the monster's mouth simply by being so stupid to think it wasn't around anymore. The forest was quiet, save for the twittering of the birds and a few squirrels rushing over the floor. It was enough of a hint for Jack to realize the wolf wasn't around.
The woods wouldn't be so calm with a predator lurking in the shadows.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Jack instantly crouched, frozen to the floor as he held his breath. He could barely hear any sounds above the rapid thumps of his heart but when nothing happened, he let out a sigh of relief and quickly scrambled away.
The moss was cool and damp underneath his shoes; partially soaking the fabric while Jack tried to look for the quietest route possible. Even if the wolf wasn't around at this moment, he had the knowledge of moving silently through the woods. Who knows what's out there.
He jumped when a bush rustled sharply and groaned when a few robins fluttered out, twittering at each other as they flew away. As his pale fingers patted over his thumping heart, he quickly made his way through the forest, pushing his nerves away and suppressing his skittish behavior.
No doubt any predator passing by could scent the reek of fear pouring off of me anyways.

Jack huffed as he quietly jumped over a fallen log, trying to find a spot where he could see the sun. How was he going to orientate himself on the sun's position if he couldn't even see where she was?
As he passed by a tree, he stopped and slowly turned. He could vaguely remember something his father had once said to him. He died early in Jack's life, due to a human error combined with a beaver's unseen markings on a tree.
His father, Edmund, had been a lumberjack and knew his way around the forest. He had always made sure to pour all his knowledge into his son, probably hoping that the boy would one day help him out a bit. But that was before the tree fell the wrong way and crushed his old man instantly.
Shaking his head slightly, Jack reached out for the tree and slowly circled it, all the while brushing the tender skin of his fingers over the rough bark. When the roughness faded away for moss, Jack stopped and smiled, glancing over his shoulder. "So, that's North." He said before looking past the tree, "South, West and East." He flung his pale white hairs out of his face, looking through the trees with a thoughtful frown.
"The village is in the South, so no point going there. And I know there's a bigger town towards the East...so..." He murmured to himself, deciding that he should go North-West. Even if he didn't know where the Witch was, surely she could find him as well? And if not, Jack was certain he could stop by a village and subtly inform for her whereabouts.
It was a few hours after the sun reached its highest point that the silence in the woods was interrupted by a low growl. Jack stumbled on his feet and spun around, trying to look for the source of the sound. He squeaked and jumped on the spot when the grumble resounded again, harder this time before he blushed.
With an embarrassed flush warming his cheeks, he quickly searched in his bags and came up with several strips of dried meat. Shrugging his slender shoulders, he quickly started munching on one as he continued on his way.