I spent the whole day reading the book I found in the library. I've always been a book worm, but usually I read fantasy books. I finished the book around dinner time. My stomach was growling as I put the book away on the shelf and went downstairs.
I feel as though my memory has improved as well as my physique; if I try, I can recall every plant in the book. I wonder if the recovery potions I drank also improved my memory. My ribs finally stopped hurting -although they still ache- and the bruises on my face were already yellowing. I can't believe the recovery speed!
"Look at that! You are almost good as new. A day's rest was all you needed." Dania said with a smile as I came down the stairs. "By tomorrow there should be no injuries left! That will make the journey much easier."
Something caught my eye in the sitting room and I turned and saw two huge packs, stuffed full. We are talking backpacker size big. She must have been busy today.
"You move quick." I said, pointing a thumb back towards the packs while I sat at the table with her.
She laughed, "I always have stuff stored in case of emergency. I didn't have to do too much."
"I wish I could have helped you, I feel guilting doing nothing." I said, honestly.
"Not to worry! I'm actually quite happy to be helping you. It's been very lonely out here by myself, if I'm being honest. I've always wanted to travel but I was afraid to go alone."
"10 years is a long time.." I said, empathetically.
"It is.." She said. "I always thought that we would have children, but we weren't blessed with little ones. Having you to take care of has made me realize how much I want children. And that means that I need to go out and find another mate."
'having you to take care of..' I internally cried. I am as useless as a child here too. I made an internal vow to myself to find a way to be helpful!
"Does the feline village have chipmunks living there as well?" I asked. I have not seen any inter species couples, which makes me think that they can't (I mean, that's how it is on earth).
"No, unfortunately. And I don't know where there might be another chipmunk village… but I will never find them by staying here either."
"I like your positive attitude!" Mentally, I promised myself that I will try to be as positive as her with this new life.
At this point my stomach decided to growl very loudly, interrupting the conversation.
"Oh that reminds me, I made oats and berries for dinner. It's one of my specialities, so I hope you like it!" Dania said as she brought two bowls over.
It looked like oatmeal with berries on top. I usually add sugar or milk to my oatmeal on earth, but I have not seen anything akin to seasoning here since I arrived. I grabbed a spoon and took a bite.
Wow!! It's sweet!
I took another look at the food in front of me, it tasted so good compared to the bland food I have been eating since getting here.
"Doesn't it taste sooooo good?" Dania asked, as she shoveled 3 spoonfuls in her mouth one after another.
"It's sweet! I love it!" I said honestly, smiling ear to ear at the adorable glutton in front of me.
"It's the oats! I mix sweet oats in with it and let it set all day to soften, then top it with the berries before serving. I got these a while back from a traveling merchant that passed through."
"This is my new favorite food." I told her, as I ate with almost as much gusto as her.
I was pleasantly surprised to find myself so full after one bowl. She is an amazing cook! I will need to learn more from her so that I can continue to eat good food after we part.
After dinner we chatted for a bit about our travel plans and then each set off to bed early. We planned to leave early the next morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARSHALL POV:
After running east for distance, I caught her scent.
My heart was racing when I was headed home. Something felt wrong, but I couldn't figure it out. She seemed to enjoy our night together, I know I did. I didn't want to stop, but I was afraid of hurting her. Everything was peaceful when I left for patrol in the morning, but over the course of the day something began to feel off. As soon as my relief showed up, I raced home to find her gone.
I continued following her scent when I stopped in my tracks to double check what I just smelled. It's that scent again. I can't place it, but it almost seems familiar. It's mixed with her scent.
The farther i went, the more convoluted the smells became. It became hard to distinguish which was which and I had to slow down. I continued following the trail until her smell disappeared completely. My emotions were running rampant, my wolf was restless. Without a fully realized bond, I have no other way of finding her. I threw my head back and howled in desperation.
She seemed to be with this unfamiliar person, as long as I follow this other scent I might find her. As the thought crossed my mind, it started raining heavily. Tracking any scent would be near impossible now. It's like the gods don't want me to find her!
I decided to head towards the Feline tribe. Just because her scent disappeared doesn't mean I won't find her, i told myself. Ever since she disappeared my heart hasn't stopped racing. My chest hurts as much as if someone gutted me. I feel like my whole world has been ripped from underneath me. I knew she was my mate from the moment I met her. She hasn't been able to feel the bond, and I've been waiting patiently…
I should have just told her. I should have taken her for my own the minute she was well. I can't let things end like this. There's no way she's…
I had to double check. The only reason I shouldn't be able to smell her…I shook my head at the absurd thought. Here's hoping they just used a masking elixir on her.
I will find her. I have to find her! I took off running towards Lashwood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MIKA POV:
The trip wasn't terrible, except that it was raining heavily on the first day. I didn't want to delay any longer so we decided to head out anyways. Dania really had everything. She had umbrellas made from giant leaves that kept us dry for the most part. However as the rain continued, the temperature dropped. Somewhere around mid afternoon Dania transformed into a giant chipmunk- She still only stood about 5 feet tall even in her beast form. She went up in the trees to look for a place for us to stay. Meanwhile, I continued trudging along in the sloppy mud. I wonder if these leaves can be used to make waterproof boots?
I stopped to shake the mud off my feet, it was squishy and uncomfortable. I could hear the rain, loud and clear. I've been able to hear everything very sharply, see things that I wouldn't have before, and smell things I couldn't before. It's still hard to control on demand, my hyper-senses seem to fade in and out. Hearing is the only thing that's very consistent. I've gotten accustomed to the noises and found that if I fold my ears back (yes I can do that now!) it dampens the sound.
My ears pricked up. The rain sounds different over there. I walked towards the sound and heard dripping and an echo, like in a cave. I found a large cave that was hidden behind some vines. From the looks of it, this cave wasn't naturally formed. The walls were covered in deep claw marks, like someone etched into the rock to make this little hide away. I called out for Dania to come take a look.
"Oh, this looks like an old smuggler's hide out!" She said, as she waltzed in and checked it out.
"Smugglers?" I asked
"Yeah. Usually rogues. They like to sneak into villages and steal provisions. They then hide those stolen goods in nooks like this before selling them to other merchants for a profit.
"So… like bandits?" I asked
"I suppose you could say that. From what I understand, bandits are rouges who have settled down in one area. Smugglers tend to travel."
"Makes sense." I said as I came in and dropped the heavy pack.
Dania and I made a fire to cook with and keep us warm, as we hunkered down for the night.