The Key of Kilenya by Andrea Pearson Page A

moment, watching the
shadows for any sign of danger.
    Seeing nothing, they waved goodbye to Kenji,
who watched from above. Once they got to the sparse trees, Akeno
took off down the path, and Jacob almost tripped as he hurried to
keep up. He expected the wolves or a Rog to jump out at him at any
moment.
    After running for half an hour, Akeno stopped
and put his hand up against a tree, apparently listening.
“Nothing,” he said, steadying himself against the tree to catch his
breath. “We’ll stop here to rest. I don’t want to be too close to
the barrier while it’s dark.”
    Jacob readjusted his bag. “I hope the whole
trip doesn’t consist of us running from wolves.”
    He followed Akeno into the forest, and they
looked around for a place to set up camp. After searching for a few
minutes, they found a large, over-turned tree with thick bushes
around it. Akeno put his finger to the tree’s trunk and
muttered.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Telling it and the bushes to form into a
tent.”
    The branches of the tree and bushes started
to move, encircling Akeno and Jacob. Jacob stared at them, almost
not believing his eyes, then jumped out of the way as a squirrel
dashed across the ground, followed closely by intertwining
branches. Akeno wasn’t kidding when he’d said he could tell living
things what to do.
    Moments later, a somewhat round little fort
had been created. There was a small opening in the roof, and the
walls were made of tightly woven branches. The floor of the hut was
matted, springy, and perfect for sleeping.
    “Will this be strong enough against the
wolves?” Jacob said.
    “They won’t be able to get in.” Akeno sat
close to the wall on a bouncy section of branches. He pointed to a
spot on the other side of the hut. “You’ll need all the rest you
can get.”
    Jacob agreed, and they both lay down and fell
asleep.
     

     
    Jacob awoke an hour or so after the sun rose,
feeling refreshed and energetic. He rolled over, looking at the
other side of the hut, and saw that Akeno had already left. He
jumped to his feet and started pushing against the walls of the
hut, but nothing gave.
    “Akeno! Hey! How do I get out of this
thing?”
    “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you,” Akeno’s
voice sounded muffled through the wall. “I’ll always leave a place
for us to exit. Once you’re out, though, you won’t be able to get
back in, so make sure you don’t leave anything behind.”
    The branches whisked around Jacob, and then
he stood in the open, next to the bushes and fallen tree that
looked as they had the night before. It was a clear morning, and a
brisk breeze lifted his hair off his forehead. A feeling hit
him—excitement? Was it possible he was excited for this
trip? He frowned at himself, not ready yet to let go of his grudge
over having to go at all.
    Akeno sat on a log and put on his shoes,
fresh leaves attached to them. “That ought to do it,” he said.
    “That's so weird.”
    “Hey—at least it keeps the dirt away.” He
stood up, adjusting his top hat. For the first time, Jacob took
notice of Akeno’s other clothing. His black T-shirt had the word “dare” spelled out across it in bright red, and he wore
brown pants. Dare?
    “The Minyas came while you were sleeping,”
the Makalo said, “but I let them go play. We’ll need to call them
again.” He walked to a dandelion plant and picked one of the
bigger, fluffier heads. He whispered into the seeds, and blew them
into the air, turning the head so as to get every one.
    Jacob watched the seeds float off. “Why
dandelions? And what do the seeds do?”
    Akeno shrugged. “They're available during a
large part of the year. The seeds carry the message to the Minyas.
I don't know how, so don't ask.” He smiled to show he wasn't trying
to be rude. “Okay, they're coming.”
    “How do the Minyas fly without wings?” Jacob
asked.
    “They use their magic as a way to maneuver,
and choose what does and doesn’t affect them.