The next day, the Unlikely Defenders freshened up at the creek by their campsite, plucked more berries to eat for breakfast, and then decided to carry on with their journey toward the castle on the mountain. Charlie could tell that everyone felt uneasy about not only the fact that they were getting closer to civilization—or where civilization should be, anyway—but also because they had stayed somewhere overnight without notifying anybody back in their realm about the fact that they wouldn’t be returning home last night. Their parents were probably worried sick by now. No doubt the police had been notified as well. Charlie wondered about her parents. She knew the others would be worried about their kids, but would hers really be? Or would they be relieved? Charlie had this sickening, bad fe
