As there was a guard watching over the two rooms day and night, Aliana slept in Luz's room that night. When four o'clock in the morning came, they got up, trying to make as little noise as possible. Remember that shape-shifters have excellent hearing and smell. Aliana began to undress and urged Luz to do the same while she changed into her wolf form. Luz didn't understand why she should undress, especially considering that she was very shy. The wolf turned her head and ears from side to side, jumping up and down. It was clear that she wanted to talk, but without a mental link to Luz, it was impossible to communicate. Defeated, she had to change back into her human form and said, "Luz, you have to change into your wolf form. You're taking too long."
"But I'm human, not a shapeshifter. Remember? It's impossible for me to change. How can you expect me to do something like that?" Aliana slapped her forehead when she realized that her great plan was falling apart.
"But I'm a human, not a shape-shifter, remember? It's impossible for me to change. How can you expect me to do something like that?"
Aliana slapped her forehead when she realized that her grand plan had suffered its first setback. Her cheeks and ears turned red with embarrassment at how silly she had been. She picked up her clothes and got dressed again.
"Change of plans. I'll have to ask for help to get into the forest with you. I wouldn't want to run into Antraxs or witches, and with all the party preparations, it can't be until after the celebration."
Luz's eyes filled with tears. She felt her hope of leaving crumble.
Aliana felt her pain and decided to leave anyway. She would only go to the safe zone. She knew she couldn't get past that area in her female form and was aware that they wouldn't be able to get past the trap, but she preferred to omit this information as Luz might think she didn't want to help her, so it would be a white lie.
Once the decision was made, they climbed out the window. It wasn't easy because the fall was high, but they managed to get out thanks to a rope and because Luz was able to rest her feet on Aliana's shoulders from time to time. She didn't have enough strength to support her entire weight as she climbed down the knotted rope, unlike Aliana, who, being a shapeshifter, had greater strength. The sentries were watching to make sure nothing came in, but not who was leaving, which is why they didn't notice the escape. The guard at the door didn't notice them leaving either. Of course, he would only be there until someone brought breakfast. Aliana had ordered the previous day that no one should arrive early and that breakfast should be served around 10 a.m.
It was not yet dawn, and both girls' hearts were beating fast from the adrenaline. After crossing the plain, they managed to reach the entrance to the forest. Now it was dawn, and the yellow and blue colors above their heads amazed Luz.
"Hurry up," Aliana urged Luz to follow. 'Don't just stand there like a fool, we have to keep going. If they see us, we won't get anywhere."
They both entered the dense forest. The trees were majestic, and Luz could no longer recognize what species they were.
"This way,' Aliana shouted. "Here's the mud puddle you fell into."
Although Aliana knew that Luz would not make it home today, at least this would help her recognize the terrain for the next opportunity.
"Let's keep walking north. That's where you came from," Aliana continued.
They kept walking without stopping until the quinceañera realized she was standing where the trap had been. That silver thing was gone; the warriors had taken it, and she knew she couldn't go more than a couple of meters without them. The risk of encountering monsters was high, and in her female form, it would be impossible for her to escape those horrible creatures, especially if Luz was with her. She decided to stray a little from the path and walk parallel to the herd.
After four hours of walking, Luz was exhausted and thirsty.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Luz asked breathlessly.
"Are you tired?" Aliana asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, very tired, and I'm very thirsty. We left with only the clothes on our backs and didn't bring any water or food."
Aliana hadn't thought about that detail since, as a shape-shifter, she had a high tolerance for hunger and thirst. Today she learned that humans didn't have the same endurance, so she took advantage of the situation to distract Luz and came up with the idea of going to a small lake.
"Luz, I know a small lake near here. We'll stop there so we can drink and cool off a bit."
After a few minutes, they found it.
A small lake with crystal clear water sat in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by beautiful wildflowers that gave off a delicate scent. The water attracted life, and they could hear the songs of small birds in the treetops surrounding the lake. The sky was completely clear in the middle of the day, allowing the sun's rays to create sparkles of light on the surface of the moving water.
Luz knelt at the edge of the lake, cupped her hands together, and drank the water. It tasted so good. She dipped her head and looked around. She tried to commit the beautiful clearing with the lake in its center to memory.
"Are there any poisonous animals or monsters in the lake, or anything that could hurt me?" Luz was curious, as the lake invited her to dive in and swim.
"There are no dangers in it. We have visited it for years and have never found anything bad in it."
Its waters were crystal clear, and from the shore you could clearly see the bottom and the creatures that were underwater.
Luz was fascinated. She really wanted to dive in, but she needed to keep walking if she wanted to get home. They left the area and, after a few turns to disorient Luz, Aliana decided to tell her that they couldn't continue because of the risk of straying too far from the safe zone and that they would have to coordinate with the warriors in case something bad happened on their way. She hated lying, but it was the only thing she could think of.