The veil of darkness dispersed from my eyes as the eyelids struggled to open. Familiar voices chatted outside of the tent, discussing various topics, though I couldn't make out anything that was said. It took a few minutes for the sounds to become distinct.
I could very easily make out Zeraf asking a plethora of questions about anything and everything. Anyone could see that she was a social butterfly who adapts well to every person. Maybe it's because of her curiosity about others. She believes every word said to be true, which will prove to be one of her biggest weaknesses in the future. That's where I need to guide her and protect her. She may be stronger than me but I will always be smarter.
The curtains flapped open and two ears perked up, the hair at the base being held back by the fabric of the tent. (''I know you love sleeping but we really have to get ready to leave! We are on a ticking clock!!'') Ironic. She has the audacity to tell me that I am slowing us down by sleeping. This damn girl.
(''Are you forgetting how you took a whole hour to get ready yesterday!?!'') I raised my voice at her, resulting in an embarrassing voice crack. My cheeks burned red as the girl gleamed with an evil smirk. (''Oh poor Abby! Are you still going through puberty at this age?'') I have no idea what shade of red my cheeks were, but I know that revenge will be sweeter than any nectar.
The ground stood firm under my hands as I lifted myself up, bending forward and staring at Zeraf. Her smile never faded off her pale face. A few strands of her dark brown hair fell from her shoulder and swung loosely by her side. Rays swam through the small opening above her head, making her glow brighter.
Sometimes it feels too hard to admire Zeraf's beauty through her annoying pestering. Though I must accept her even with flaws, I can still see myself with Zeraf despite everything. No matter what we will end up together.
(''-are you even listening to me?'') My stomach was met with a soft punch, not hard enough to hurt me but just the right amount to force the air out of my lungs. What a barbaric woman.
(''Why did you do that?!?'') My voice came out hoarse and croaky, struggling to muster up enough strength to speak normally. She simply laughed and backed through the green flaps of the tent.
To my left sat a fresh pair of clothes along with a towel. I frantically searched through my bag. The pits of my stomach burned as my heart sank. (''Ahh'') My fingers wrapped around the small bar of soap. Thank god they didn't find it and steal it. This was the item I was happiest about packing. Feeling clean without the burden of fatigue was important in a battle, and I came prepared to bathe anywhere.
With my left I grabbed the pile and held it above the soap, they shouldn't suspect that I even brought such an item. Upon exiting the tent I was hit with a wall of air. Gusts strong enough to knock down anyone who was caught by surprise. I was no exception. The hard ground was cold against my skin, grass slightly wet from the morning dew.
Ghost was casting a continuous stream of wind to dry the clothes hanging from a wire stretching from tree to tree. It seems that she has already bathed and prepared herself for the road. Zeraf wasn't doing anything much different. Her hand ignited into a small flame which she held close to the clothes. I hope she will dry mine too…
(''I'm going to wash myself in the nearby stream, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes.'') I announced my plan to the two, it's best we are all informed of what the others are up to. If something were to happen everyone can in turn hastily arrive at the scene.
(''Sounds good Abby, Ghost and I will hunt nearby for some breakfast.'') Ghost who had been busily drying clothes calmed her winds to collect the strung-up garments.
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It took no longer than five minutes to reach the bank of the stream. Fish swam down along with the weak current and navigated through the meandering path. The bank sat about two feet above the water itself, with a bit of an overhang exposing the golden clay foundation.
The water was clear, glimmering, and reflecting the sunlight creating various motes of colours. I could see every rock being dragged along by the current. My hands cupped and trapped some water in the middle. It freely flowed down my throat, its icy coolness made me wince as it travelled down to my stomach. It was refreshing nonetheless.
First, my shoes slipped off with a simple push. I placed my socks inside them so they aren't lost. The fabric brushed against my skin ever so slightly while I pulled the top off myself. The trousers came off with little resistance. I placed them a few feet away from the water itself to ensure they don't become drenched.
A jolt ran up my spine like lightning, making my hairs stand on my neck. The water was colder than I had expected. A second foot followed the first, eventually submerging my body up to my stomach. Chills enveloped my body for a short period of time before finally adjusting to the temperature.
I proceeded to scrub myself clean with the bar of soap, cleaning up all the sweat that dried onto my skin. Ridding the body of external impurities felt so liberating. Nothing beats a good bath in the morning.
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A few minutes pass by, cleaning and scrubbing every inch of me. I could feel my lips spread in a wide smile every time my hand brushed passed by my stomach. The grooves along the skin by the refined muscles, they were the fruits of my labour. For several months before leaving, I worked out in hopes of building up endurance and strength. It's nothing compared to Zeraf's monstrous raw force, but compared to other humans I had a hand over them.
The towel dampened with every touch on my body. It sloppily swayed from side to side as I swung the dry parts to clean myself. A pile of fresh clothes waited for me on the grass. The damp towel hit the grass with a wet slap.
My hand filled with fabric as I got dressed with the fragrant clothing. Fields of flowers spread far and wide in my mind, enveloping me with a further sense of freshness. This was the last time I will be able to smell the scent of home. Memories attempt to gush through the endless canals of my mind, quickly stopped by a loud scream.
It was definitely Zeraf, but the tone of it was upbeat, I guess the hunt is going well. That is where the wolf part of her really shines. No bush is left unchecked when her predator instincts kick in. It wouldn't be weird to see her figure flying across trees in the chase of prey.
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After taking some time to clean my clothes in the clean stream. It didn't wash as well as the fabric cleaner at home but this was sufficient for now.
My body felt lighter than ever after bathing in such a pure stream and getting dressed in such wonderfully smelling clothes. The ground below my feet was as green as the surrounding nature. I could feel how healthy the wildlife here was through frin. With the Nature magic, I am able to sense the track ahead as long as there are trees or an abundance of flowers. Grass gives off a weaker amount of frin which was practically insignificant.
As I got nearer to the campsite, Ghost popped into view, shuffling around small amounts of branches and kindling. A large circle of rocks had been placed and the wood was used to erect a sort of pyre for lighting a large fire. On both sides, a metal pole was stuck into the ground.
(''Oh hey Abby! Mind helping me gather some firewood?'') I nodded my head and placed the clothes onto the wire strung across.
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With two people, collecting the wood went by a lot faster. It hadn't rained for a few days so the only moisture was from the morning dew. Most had already fallen into the ground or evaporated with the rising sun, sadly enough though my socks soaked up what was left through the grass. Wet socks weren't the end of the world but the sloshing sound was certainly a pain.
Zeraf had gotten back with the fruits of her labour. Boars hung from her arms, rabbits were strapped to her waist and two deers were held in her tight grip. A smile wider than the whole forest was spread across her face, satisfied with her prey. Truly a fearsome woman.
We lit the fire a few minutes before she arrived, in order for the heat to be strong enough. Zeraf was quick to skin the animals and place them above the burning flame.
It took little effort from the flame to heat up the lifeless meat, cooking it up from the outside. I grabbed my knife and cut small areas to let the heat soak through quicker.
The char spread all over the skin of the animals, covering all the pinkish-white with a dark black and brown. Ghost had thrown a few herbs and spices she was given from the inn, which sizzled and melded into the char.
After a few more minutes the meat was fully cooked through, partially sped up with Zeraf's fire. (''Dig in!'') Zeraf was the first to leap at the meat, grabbing a large chunk of one of the deers.
Ghost and I eagerly followed, grabbing different parts of animals. There was plenty of food to last us for tomorrow morning too. Flavour danced across my tongue, twirling and exploding throughout my mouth as I chomped down on a boar leg. I don't know how my face must've looked to the others but heat spread across my cheeks, it felt almost as if I was blushing.
A certain feeling welled up inside my chest, clawing its way around my body. Was it cooking food in the wild?...Or was it that this is the first chapter in the new epic of Abaddon. The thought of something so wondrous lit a fuse inside me, lighting a flame that shall burn down any challenge ahead!
But for now…I really should eat a bit more. Zeraf threw away the concept of ladylike and hungrily scarfed down an endless stream of cooked meat. Sadly it wasn't endless, and now there was a single rabbit me, and Ghost were forced to share. Its taste was as great as the rest of the other meats.
(''Thank you for the meal!'') I offered thanks to the two who did most of the work. They bowed their heads in response and cleaned up the site. I packed away the makeshift tent into a small sack and attached it to the bottom of my rucksack.
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After those two finished with the rest we picked up everything and left, leaving the campsite as it was when we arrived. We had walked a little bit to where we are now along the main road. It was a path formed of small grey stone briquettes. On both sides of the path wooden posts stood tall with lanterns hanging down. Inside each lantern was a light crystal, it would collect frin from the sun during the day and light the path during the night. I heard that the Goddess of Light makes a huge killing off each sale. The books I've read talked about how they are used in every corner of the world. We even have some in our village back in Shiwick.
The sun was resting just slightly above the tree line, shining down its glorious beams over the trees. According to the map, the distance between us and the edge of the top half of the forest wasn't far. It wouldn't take us more than an hour.
In the far distance, you could make out the summit of the Lloesy mountain. At the tip, you could make out a white purer than any other. The snow at the top of this mountain is said to have miracle recovery magic. It is one of the purest forms of frin infused into nature. It would fetch a high price in the Bitum central marketplace.
I had grabbed the horns from the deers earlier, they can fetch a lot of silver coins, even a gold coin if I can barter well enough.
With my head in the clouds, I failed to realise how much ground we have covered. Ghost had nudged me, clawing me away from the thoughts of Bitum.
(''What-?'') We had another while to go through the forest, but…It was gone. A barren field filled with stumps of trees. Fog meandering and blocking all the green grass. Even the stone path ahead that was supposed to stretch between both parts of the forest was gone as if it were ripped up and thrown elsewhere. It had to be done recently, the soil looked fresh and hydrated.
A shiver ran up my spine at the thought of having to traverse through such a thick wall of fog.
(''I've got a bad feeling about this…'')