I have been staying with Griff and his wife in their cottage for the past four days. Originally, I was planning to head to the nearest town and ask for help to call home. This village is too primitive and they don't communicate with outsiders. If I were to call home for help, I need to go to a bigger town to borrow a phone.
The first time I asked Griff if he knows someone who owns a mobile phone, he looks utterly confused. I even go and ask around the whole villagers, but no one knows what I'm talking about. After a whole day of talking with the villagers, I come to the conclusion that they never heard of electricity and such.
The nearest town is located miles away, it will take a whole day of walking to reach there. Upon hearing that this village is located deep inside a forest, I give up the idea of going out on my own.
Griff promised me that he will bring me to the nearest town next week when he goes out to trade furs for their daily supplies. The villagers usually only go out once or twice every month due to the distance from their village to the nearest town.
In these few days, the only valuable information that I learn is that this village is called Dacian and the nearest town is called Taehthra. I never heard of this town before, its either its too small that I never bother about it, or my knowledge on geography is too bad.
Griff and his wife were kind enough to let me stay with them these past few days. They have an extra room inside their cabin. It's for their future child, Luisea said. She also gives me a pair of shoes and a black dress. According to her, it belongs to her sister who comes to visit last time. Since we wear the same size, she let me have her clothing instead.
To show them that I'm very grateful for their hospitality, I even go to the extent of helping her farming every day for the past few days. It's my first time ever working on a farm. At first, she let me water the crops twice a day, but after a series of an incident where I end up destroying her crops, she never let me step into her farm again.
Hence, these past few days, all I have been doing is eat and sleep. Occasionally when I'm too bored, I will walk over to any villager's woman that I can spot to gossip. Unfortunately, they don't like to talk to an outsider so I was left talking with my inner monologue.
I can tell that I've gained a few pounds in just a few days' time.
On the fifth day, I saw a young girl I never saw before coming together with the neighbor next door. She look just like me when I arrived on the first day, confused and lost. A bit chubby, probably around eight or nine years old based on her size.
"Hello, how are you?" I greeted her and smile courteously.
"… Hello…" She sounds a bit hesitant.
"I never saw you before? Are you visiting your relative?"
The girl keeps quiet and didn't say anything.
"I found her lost in the forest. Poor girl, she must be from that traveling merchant's family. There seems to be a wolf attack last night. There are frequent attacks by wild beast around here. There's rarely a survivor." The next-door neighbor that I-forgot-what-his-name-is answered.
"I see… What a pity…"
He brings the girl back and asks his wife to take care of the new guest.
'The villagers here are probably used to picking and bringing outsiders home. They act like it's the most natural thing to do.'
I waited for the little girl to come out so I have someone to talk with, but she never comes out again. After a while, I give up and go back to the cabin and start dusting and sweeping the floor for the tenth time that day.
***
Later that evening, the wife of next-door neighbor that I-forgot-what-his-name-is come over and deliver some meats to Luisea. I watch them exchanging courtesy at the door as I sit under the window, sewing my torn pajamas.
"This is from our hunt last night." She hands over the meat to Luisea.
Luisea took the meat and thanks her before she heads to the kitchen.
"Look, Lumi, we have meat again tonight! Its been a few days since we eat meat. We can have stews tonight!" She looks at me with a happy face.
"Yay! I wonder what meat is that?"
"Good meat." She starts busying herself with cooking.
"Do you need help with cooking?" I put down the needle and walk over to her side.
"Oh, yes. Why don't you walk over to the farm and dig out some potatoes and carrots? Ten potatoes and 4 carrots. No more, no less."
"Alright, I'll come back as soon as possible."
I walk to their family farm located at the end of the village which was located right next to the river. It takes me about ten minutes to reach there. Along the way, I greeted every villager that I meet.
"Good evening, madam."
"Good evening, sir."
"Hi there!"
"It's a lovely day, isn't it?"
It takes me some time and huge efforts just to dig out a few vegetables from the ground. As I walk back with the basket full of crops in my hand, I glance over the next-door neighbor's house again to see the girl. I still couldn't find her.
'Oh well, maybe they want back to find her family.'
***
Dinner that night is that horrible same meat that I eat a few days ago. I wonder if they rarely get to eat meat, both Griff and Luisea eat more tonight compared to previously.
'Ahh… They must love this meat very much.'
I offer Luisea my untouched portion of stew in my bowl.
"You don't want this?" She looks down at my bowl.
"I'm full. I eat a lot of potatoes and a bun. You can have this."
"Alright then, I'll take this."
She takes the bowl and gives half of it to Griff.
Griff looks at me and smiles before he speaks, "This kind of delicacy is hard to get. We don't get to eat this meat very often."
Thinking about these past few days, apart from the dinner we have on the first night I arrived, we never have meat again. Its either crops from their farm, wild forage, or fishes from the river.
'The stew is rather bland, but they consider it a delicacy. What a pity…'
Ahh…. I can't wait to go home and eat a grilled pork chop.