Joey continued to wait until one week passed. He used this time to train while he concluded that he could not worry, that was just adding to the guilt that was making him suffer.
He practices using his spear. He continued to do this for days, when he was hungry he would harvest some soft berries that melted in his mouth, he would drink water from the stream and carry out his basic hygiene.
On the seventh day, it was morning Joey was practising his spear. He did a series of beautifully executed moves followed by him spinning his spear in his fingers and quickly thrusting strikes each time. He incorporated his body movement perfectly and finished his show.
"Wow, It's good to see you're not wasting any more time" Joey jolted out of fear of the sudden words. He had heard no voices other than his grunts for weeks. He looked to see Mila dressed casually looking at him with a smile. He looked at her for a second before scanning her head to toe.
Seconds after he saw his sister pop out from behind her with a cheeky smile with her natural tired expression.
"Y-you" Joey dropped what he was doing and ran over to them, he hugged Mila "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt, I didn't know what to do, I was scared and his sword was, it was on fire".
"Jeez, stop crying, I just changed into some new clothes" Mila tried to pry him off her but she couldn't. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry" Joey was too emotional to help it, then he let her go.
"You're only 15, I shouldn't expect so much from you, It was my fault sorry for shouting at you, I'm completely fine" Mila reassured.
"What about your wound? Joey questioned.
"If something like that would kill me there is no way that I would have lived to see today" Mila joked, "But aren't you forgetting someone?"
Joey looked behind Mia to see his sister with puffed cheeks, "Don't hug me, I don't want it anymore." Joey didn't listen to her, he lifted her and spun her around. Rayla tried to be upset but laughed.
This was the happiest Joey had been in a long time. "C'mon enough crying let's go into the house, I never built it for nothing." They had yet to go into the main house since they had arrived, now Mila was going to take them.
"Wait, Rayla, do you know Mila already?" Joey asked. Mila for some reason gave Rayla a weird look before she answered hesitantly "Yes, she told me she will take care of us, will she be our mom?"
Joey laughed and said, "Yes, she will be going to live together, she's going to be a part of the military soon."
"Will you leave me?" Rayla asked, which Joey replied jokingly "We can just lock you in a suitcase and carry you, maybe even a handbag if were feeling fancy"
"No! No handbags, It won't even have snacks"
When Mila and Joey heard this they both laughed, if she was locked in a suitcase wouldn't snacks be the least of her worries? Wouldn't she pass out?
"You kids think too much, don't talk about what hasn't happened yet I might not even go. Maybe I'll just rest forever"
"We both know that's not true, you are too strong not to join, did you see what you did to that red-haired guy? You blew him away! I don't even think he survived that" Mila chuckled it off and idle chatter.
"Cmon Rayla, let's not catch whatever crazy your brother has" Mila started hurrying Rayla along making her laugh "Haha. brother is crazy".
Joey scoffed at their childishness, they walked up to the main house and it was made out of bamboo shoots and leaves. It wasn't a shack but it was 2 stories high and even had balconies. It had rays of sun that would fall onto it at different angles.
Inside there were things like mattresses, but the frame was made of bamboo, so was the water system. It was a very clean home.
"Did you make all this by yourself?"
"Yes, it took a few months to get it done but it took a lot longer to make it look this good, then I found this canopy and made it all over again," Mila spoke about this proudly. Joey took up something from a nearby table and placed it back.
He thought nothing of it as he was just looking around but Mila seemed to be angry as she fixed the object exactly how it was. Joey didn't realize she was a perfectionist.
After minutes of Mila setting the object straight, they went on to finish the tour of the house. There were a lot of rooms so Joey and Rayla could pick one. They were in the dining room for a late lunch.
Mila took her time in the kitchen and then she walked out with different food on her arm like a skilful waiter, "I have practised this for months, I can finally put my skills to use."
Joey and Rayla looked at the plethora of dishes, Mila looked at them with anticipation seeing which one they would choose first. There were a lot of meat dishes and soups.
Joey felt a little awkward, Mila was staring at him as if forcing him to pick one. Rayla took one of the salads and they both ate it. The food wasn't the best but you could tell that she was trying her best and she would get better the more she cooked, before he could give his critique Rayla made an outburst "This is the best! what is it?".
Mila's eyes widened in surprise before she laughed "It is great isn't it, it took me months to learn this one, It's conch soup, I added some spices and voila."
"What about you?" she asked.
"I like it, but it's might be a little too salted" Mila's expression sank but Joey quickly added "It's happened to the best of chefs so there is nothing to be said about it."
"Would you want to try one of the other ones?"
"Other ones?" Joey was confused by this, Mila walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen, when she came back she was golding a metre long tray that had multiply dished of the one he just ate.
"Maybe you will like one of these better, try it" Joey was surprised, he could tell Mila put a lot of effort into it, Rayla was happy as well, she could drink all the soup she wanted.