I open my eyes to Naomi resting her head on my shoulder and the carriage stopped at a waterhole for the horses. I look around and see that Naomi fell asleep after we stopped for the night and she was shifting a lot in the chill morning, I take my arm out of my jacket and wrap it around her, as she huddles closer for warmth. I smile and notice that my breath was now visible in the coldness of the morning, I slowly pick up Naomi, purposefully trying to make her comfortable enough to not wake up, and I carry her into the warmth of the cabin of the carriage.
I open the door and I see nobody else had woken up yet, I hop up the stairs carefully and shut the door quickly to prevent letting the warm air out, then I lay Naomi down on the seat and leave the room before one of them wake up. It could have been a weird situation if they saw me in there so it was for the best that I left.
I put my coat all the way back on as I walk out into the woods to search for some firewood or foodstuffs to cook with. I have never been much of a cooker or crafter, but thanks to my ability I can least craft decently, plus my new awakened ability to add or remove properties to objects adds to my crafting skills, making my skills limitless. I leave my thoughts as I stop myself from walking into a tree, I sigh and walk past it and continue gathering foodstuffs.
I walk back with a few things in my hands and I decide on a stew for breakfast, I quickly cook up a stew and serve myself some as I hear some shuffling in the cabin. I peer back over my shoulder as the door slides open and Selina walks out yawning, she shivers and shuts the door again. I can't help but crack a smile as she walks back out in her thick overcoat on "Oh, Leon, your awake too? Are you an early riser like me?" She walks over and sits next to me on the ground, she looks at the stew I'm finishing and anyone can tell shes fantasizing about it.
She opens her mouth to speak and I interrupt her and speak first "If you want some then I can make you some." She nods as I set my bowl down next to me and get up to make another bowl for her when I finish and turn around I see her leaning over and about to put a mouthful of my stew into her mouth "I was making you a bowl, couldn't you have waited a minute?" She blushes profusely and I immediately determine that she was after an indirect kiss through my spoon, I hand Selina her bowl and take mine back in return "Sorry, but a kiss isn't gonna be that easy."
I sit down again and she scoots a little closer "Normally, I go for a run in the morning but it's getting too cold and I've been in malpractice for so long so I'm not fit anymore. Just look, my ads are practically gone." She lifts her shirt slightly and I look at the budding abs she has, she quickly puts her shirt down and shivers "You look just fine to me, maybe it's the coldness that's making you feel less fit."
She nods and starts eating her soup with a sour look on her face "I just wish it was summer, then I can show you how strong I am and how far I can run." I laugh and finish my stew, then I rinse the bowl and sit back down "You don't need to prove those things, you can act however you normally do or whatever is most relaxing for you." She looks up at me and smiles, then quickly finishes her food and hands me the bowl for seconds.
I fill it up again and she eats again, I stand and walk off to the cabin to see if anyone else is awake yet. I open the door and Violet is yawning while finishing the top of her shirt "If you had walked in one second earlier, you would have seen the good stuff." I laugh and she giggles as I hold my hand out and she steps out of the cabin while steadying herself on my hand. Once she's fully out, I grab her jacket and turn as she opens her mouth to speak but notices the jacket and just smiles "I thought you might need this, it's getting too cold for any normal outfits."
The next one to wake up is Josephine who takes over for driving the carriage despite my objections, I hand her a bowl of stew and she quickly eats it, as I help Selina and Violet back into the carriage and follow them shortly after. I lean back out and talk to Josephine quickly "Naomi will take over once she is fully rested and has eaten, so don't expect to drive for long." She just smiles and starts driving, as I almost fall out, luckily Violet and Selina had pulled me in.
Once Naomi wakes up, I give her the last bit of soup and some water, so she quickly takes over for Josephine "You're the person we are escorting, why would we let you drive?" I look over at Josephine who looks back at me, I just shrug and she reluctantly hands Naomi the reins to the horses "Fine, but if you start getting tired then you can ask me to take over anytime Naomi, we are friends after all." I hop back into the cabin and sit as Josephine follows shortly behind me "Naomi can be a bit stubborn when it comes to these things but if you wish to marry her, you have to hold your ground, Leon."
I look over at her while I shut the door and smile "Don't worry, I hold my ground just fine." Josephine smiles back and Selina looks out the window at the forest moving past and Violet leans on my shoulder as I read a book, I recently borrowed. Josephine checks her notes and reads some documents that she needs to sign to be completed. I flip the page as Violet quietly speaks "No, I wasn't finished with that page yet, you read too fast." I sigh and go back a page as Violet leans in closer to read it, I flinch and try to look away as much as I can as her chest pokes into my view, Violet remains completely unaware as she leans back and relaxes "I finished now, you can turn the page."
Once we finish the book after a minimal amount of Violet leaning in, I lay down and watch out the window as the town comes into view in the distance. I see some of the beehive fields as we pass, and a bee even lands on the window in front of me. Why do they survive in these cold temperatures, these must be magic bees or something. I notice Selina peering next to me at the bee "I think that's a rare type of bee that kills you instantly when it stings you." I back up a little and Selina filled the space quickly, not showing any fear of the bee.
I zone out in my thoughts of what we can come across out in this town when Selina taps me on the shoulder and I look over at her with a few tears welling up in her eyes. I follow her gaze to see the bee resting on her nose, she looks at me slowly with her tears welling up more "U-um, Leon, can you help me please?" I nod and focus as I pull out some wood in my pocket and put it up to the bee, the bee tries to fly off as I trap it in a wooden cage I quickly.
Selina quickly throws her arms up and hugs me tightly, I quickly grab her by her waist and move her onto my lap. She blushes and looks me in my eyes "L-Leon, this is too sudden for me to handle." I laugh awkwardly and point over to where she was at before and where my hand had moved to protect her "Actually, I was just moving you from the bee, it was about to sting you, so I move you and put myself in the way."
Selina quickly looks over at my hand as it has the bee sticking from it, I smile and feel my hand weaken "L-Leon, what if its the killer bee that can kill you?!" I mutter after her "Isn't that what Killer Bee means? Plus I feel fine." Selina picks up my hand and examines the sting area, she pulls the bee off and quickly pulls the stinger out "Leon... Why'd you do that for me?" I smile as my hand goes numb and I feel drowsy "I did it cuz I felt like it, plus it probably isn't a killer bee." That's all I hear before I fall asleep and my vision goes blurry.