I grabbed it, biting down with as much grace as my hands allowed. "Mhm. Crunchy, like the bones of my enemies. Delicious."
The forest around us was eerily quiet. Birds were conspicuously absent, except for Chubby's occasional muttering about "suspiciously quiet."
The wind whispered through skeletal branches, carrying a faint metallic scent. My eyes narrowed. "Okay… I do not like this. Nothing good ever happens when the woods smell like betrayal and wet iron."
Latte, ever the dramatist, peeked through the carriage window. "Is that… screaming?"
Before I could answer, a sharp, piercing scream cut through the woodland, echoing down the valley like a curse. Coffi dropped a nut in shock.
Chubby's tail twitched violently, shadow fur bristling. Hector's eyes narrowed, hands weaving more intricate signs.
I set my bread down, standing with mock grandeur, hands on hips. "Well, isn't this exciting? Should I swoon, faint, or just glare at whatever pathetic mortal made that noise?"
