It seemed Yuuta and Rhydal were on the same page regarding the shadow creature. Rhydal was relieved to hear, because if they were to leave it behind, he’d never be able to get it out of his mind. Not only out of pity for its imprisonment, but because it could pose a threat to whoever encounters it. Especially if it’s the missing kid. [I will try and convince Flayke to let us investigate. Maybe he’ll let us do it on our own, depending on the threat level,] he signed in response.
They’d decided to begin walking to the new trail, and Yuuta suggested he marks the trees as they walk. Rhydal nodded. A smart plan, he thought. That way they’d avoid the problem of getting lost in the seemingly endless forest, surrounding them from all directions. As he drew his katana, Rhydal’s eyes locked on the blade and the way light reflected off it. He observed its form and the design on its hilt, his gaze travelling along its surface. Though he was relatively new to working with metal, and far from making swords himself, he couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship. A few questions went through his mind, such as where he got it, how it was made and when — but those would have to wait, that wasn’t his priority now.
They prepared to leave the surface of the icy barrier and Yuuta accepted his offer to hold hands (strategically). Something Rhydal didn’t account for, however, was that Yuuta wasn’t wearing gloves. He’d left his hands fully exposed to the cold air. As soon as they made contact, the difference in temperature sent chills Rhydal’s spine. He froze up in response, as his skin adjusted to the change. But he quickly regained his composure, tightening his grip slightly.
As they began walking forward, he turned to Yuuta to lecture him for his poor choices. But as soon as he saw him smile and nod a thank you, he went silent. Rhydal nodded, his expression softening before quickly looking away.
Even after they made it safely across, he decided not to let go, letting Yuuta decide.
The trees around them became denser once again, as they entered into the depths of the forest towards the other trail. Rhydal was relatively silent, walking almost in a daze as he focused on the sounds around them. If anything missed his field of vision, he’d rely on Yuuta to let him know. The noise of their footsteps through the snow and the animals around them would’ve been a relaxing backdrop in other situations, but at the moment it was only a distraction. Luckily the main trail was mana, but Rhydal could never be too sure.
It seemed the closer they got, the quieter their surroundings became. It was a bit easier for Rhydal to focus, but it raised alarm too. With the snow rising higher and the forest becoming denser, it provided a disadvantage if they were to be faced with a threat. Rhydal furrowed his brows, his pace slowing down. He turned to Yuuta, raising his hands to sign, but before he could a shriek echoed through the woods.
Rhydal’s eyes widened and his head snapped to the source. But the realization dawned on him that it wasn’t the lost kid, rather some forest creature. It left before he could even inspect it, taking the trail of mana and their clue with it.
Rhydal let out a long sigh, facepalming. He turned to Yuuta again with a puzzled look. [Great. Where to now?]
@OhSumana 
Yuuta