Maybe I should just leave her here and let her find her own way back, December thought, glancing over to the Apprentice. It wouldn\'t be an entirely bad idea, and an Apprentice of her level should be able to accomplish such a task easily. If she couldn\'t manage something so simple, perhaps she didn\'t deserve her position. December, personally, was of that opinion.
Regardless, he reminded himself, casting an illusion around the two of them so that they appeared to be... nothing. A cloud of dust at best. Nothing in their immediate surroundings changed, and from where they stood in the middle of it, it seemed as though everything was as it had been. Only someone paying very, very close attention to the magic in the area would be aware of it, and only then if they knew they were seeking a Sidhe illusion. December had gotten very, very good at covering up his trace.
The forest, once they entered it, was deceptively silent. December kept a sharp eye out. He would have liked to move through this area much more quickly than they were, but coordinating such actions with Tuo would, he was certain, resolve itself into nothing but an ineffective pain in the ass. He and November would have been fine together, but alas, Tuo was not so easy to work with. Not for December, at least.
They were about 1/4 of a mile into the forest when December stopped suddenly, raising a closed fist to indicate that Tuo do the same. There was someone here, and December had a feeling that they had noticed them on one level or another. The Master rotated slowly, silently, reaching out with his senses to try to detect the person. His nose twitched delicately a couple of times as he tried to catch their scent.
Whoever they were, they were fairly good. December narrowed his eyes, then closed them and reached out with his innate magics. There was a light, intangible "brush" that told him that whoever else was out there was doing the same. Which means that whoever moves first has the advantage, December thought, glancing at Tuo. No time to tell her anything... He would just have to trust that she was ready.
December dropped the illusion over her, then waited to see what would happen. Whatever would, it would give away where the person was. And that was what December was looking for.