"Meow!"
A sleek black cat no older than a few months came streaking out of the grass to brush against Lucas' boot. He stared down at the cat and wondered why it decided to show itself now.
Realizing that Lucas was not going to pet it, the cat sat down on its hind paws and started cleaning its paw. Lucas glared down at the pretend cat and folded his arms across his chest.
"You look so scary like that. Maybe that is why you can't win the girl's heart."
The cat's words cut deeply into Lucas, but he shook his head ignoring the spirit's teasing. It was rare for them to show themselves to people and they were not mean by nature.
"What? That didn't get a reaction either?"
The cat huffed and placed his paw on Lucas' leg. Lucas obliged the cat and squatted down to its level. Spirits and elves shared a special relationship since long ago.
The cat stared into Lucas' eyes. Being stared at so seriously would normally make him uncomfortable, but he felt like there was some significant meaning in this stare.
"Things have been difficult for you, I see."
The cat replied as it stretched out sinking its claws into the dirt beneath its paws.
"The spirit world has taken great interest in the two of you. Since you have shown me a great time I shall bestow a blessing upon you. It will come in handy when you need it."
The black cat yawned, showing his white teeth before slowly turning away. Lucas felt the cat almost grin as it turned to look at him one last time before disappearing.
Spirits were unpredictable. Lucas tried to decipher the meaning behind its words, but he could not understand what 'when you need it' actually meant.
He did not feel any different to before he had met the cat spirit. The crunching of grass underfoot alerted him that Eva was returning from washing up.
The meal he had been carefully cooking was finished and he got the dishes ready for dinner. There was no point worrying about the actions of the spirits.
Spirits only showed themselves when they felt like it. The elders had said they were constantly surrounded by them, choosing only to participate in the world when it pleased them or their existence was threatened.
Seeing a spirit was a rare occurrence, either followed by great fortune or tragedy. Lucas hoped for the former as his luck was going to run out very soon. The Capital was looming ever closer.
Lucas had tried to stretch out their journey for as long as he could. Once they left the hot grasslands they would start to approach the end of their journey.
The Capital was in the north so the air was milder. It was a city built right next to the sea. Trade routes with other countries caused it to be bustling with activity.
Merchants who traveled to their small village had explained that the city was always busy. You could find almost anything in the lively markets and it was even friendly to elves.
The only thing that merchants really cared about was money after all. It was an unknown world to Lucas. If possible he wanted to hold on to Eva for as long as possible, but he knew that being so close to a human would seem strange.
Likewise, her being close to an elf would only ostracize her from other humans. He knew that it would be best for the two of them to separate once they were there, but he held a small hope that she would want to see him despite it all.
"That smells amazing!"
Eva's smile made all the time he put into making it worth it. He handed her a plate and watched her eat. His own plate stood untouched until she asked for seconds.
'Will this be one of the last times I'll get to see her smile so freely?'
Of course he had noticed the distinct change in the way she acted. It was like she could sense that the end of their journey was drawing near.
The freedom she displayed in her actions was being tightly packed away one piece at a time. The facade he assumed she learned from childhood replacing the smile he so desperately wanted to see.
His hand reached into his pack and clutched onto the gift he had prepared for her. Beside it was the bow he had painstakingly carved for her. He had finished the last decoration last night and oiled it.
It was probably his best work. He had never wanted to follow his adoptive father's path. Alva's father had been disappointed, but understood that Lucas wanted to follow his own path.
Since he had been blessed to have great combat ability, Lucas had decided to be a hunter. It allowed him to spend lots of time in the forest, away from the whispers and stares.
Elves had long memories. Even long after his father had been banished, others would talk about him as he walked past. Despite trying hard to prove he was useful to the village they still whispered and gossiped about him.
Eva didn't make him feel that way though. She was like a light in the constant darkness. A sigh escaped him.
Eva paused while she ate to look up at him. Lucas looked lost in thought as he stared into the fire. His plate was empty beside him.
She felt a nagging sensation that he was thinking about her. A blush threatened to burn her cheeks once more.
"It is so hot here, it almost feels like we have traveled to a completely new country," Eva said in an attempt to distract Lucas from his thoughts.
"The mountains and sea block us from directly traveling to any other countries." Lucas replied almost distantly.
Lucas' voice was almost melodic as it played on Eva's ears. The sun had already begun to set, so the fire threw shadows across his elven features.
Her eyes were transfixed on the curve of his lips as he spoke. His eyes glittered in the firelight, like gold. It was the first time she had taken the time to study his face since they met and now she wanted to memorize it all.
******
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