Adelia cupped a handful of water with both hands and splashed it on her face and hair, relishing the cooling sensation. She let out a relaxed sigh and swam deeper, the water level now nearly over her shoulders.
The river was almost devoid of life. Only occasionally would she catch a glimpse of one or two fish swimming by, and she was grateful for their presence. Without them, she doubted she would have been able to fully immerse herself in the water.
Nothing good came from a completely empty river…
She looked down at the water to take in her reflection. Hanging from her neck was a brilliant blue pendant in the shape of a fang, which seemed to glow even in the daylight.
"Hmm…" she mused, rolling the pendant between her thumb and index finger. Her parents had never told her what it was made of, but she had been determined to find out for herself.
There was only one race in Dalniar that had fangs like this, and they were none other than the Lycans.
She studied her reflection, noticing that most of her long auburn hair had become wet and her emerald eyes appeared brighter beneath the rays of the sun.
Her gaze remained fixed on the water, as if in a trance. "I seem so... normal," she whispered quietly, her hand gently clasping around the pendant. A sad smile curved her lips. "It's amazing what this thing does…"
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, carrying with it a stronger version of the scent that had caught her attention earlier.
She gently inhaled the fragrance and sighed. It was lovely, but she still couldn't determine its source. There were no sandalwood trees among those in the clearing.
The wind made her shiver a little. She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders gently. It was time to get out of the water. She had spent enough time bathing in the river.
Adelia looked around, realizing that it was a risky place to bathe so openly. The area wasn't well hidden, and anyone could stumble upon it just as she had done. It was very possible that they wouldn't be particularly friendly, especially considering her current state…
It was careless of her to venture so deep into the forest. Bandits and fugitives often lurked at the borders. Still, she often came here because she believed she could take care of herself, and if things ever got out of hand, she had Meryl to rely on.
The wolf's keen ears, instincts, and sense of smell made her an excellent guard, far better than anyone who would have escorted Adelia from the castle.
Adelia's gaze shifted to the riverbank, where she expected to see her companion dozing off under the tree, only to find the spot completely empty.
"What?!" she exclaimed aloud. Her eyes must have deceived her. To confirm, she quickly swam toward the edge and scanned the area closely… not that it made any difference.
Meryl was truly not under the tree.
A different kind of panic washed over her, and her face quickly turned pale. How could Meryl leave her? She had asked her to keep watch. To think she would abandon her in such a vulnerable state.
"Where did she go...?" Adelia asked herself, scanning her surroundings frantically. "And how did I not realize she had disappeared?"
She couldn't call out Meryl's name, as it might attract more attention than she bargained for when she decided to come here.
She huffed heavily, her hand clenching under the water.
"That idiotic wolf!" she almost yelled out loud as she pulled herself out of the river and onto the edge, her hair dripping wet as her porcelain skin glistened. "What got into her? How could she just leave me?"
'She couldn't still be angry with me, could she?' she thought. 'No, we already settled that... then she must have gone out to hunt on her own. That's it!'
"How... how selfish!"
Adelia fumed as she quickly headed toward her pile of clothes. She needed to hurry before someone stumbled upon this path. Meryl wasn't here to alert or protect her anymore.
Her eyes moistened as she approached the tree. Heaven forbid someone found her in this state.
"To think that you would choose food over me, Meryl!" she lamented. "Food that we have an abundance of, for that matter!"
She bent down at the base of the large tree and furiously pulled at her undergarments, putting on the first of them—a sleeveless, transparent white chemise.
"Pray to all your stars, Meryl," Adelia fumed as she attempted to pry her dress away from the pile, "because if I find you—"
She stopped abruptly, feeling a familiar chill down her spine. Someone was watching her.
She froze, her eyes widening slightly, her hands shaking as she clutched her dress. Oh God... to think someone would actually come this way the moment her wolf left! Was her luck that bad?
She remained in her squatting position, unmoving, trying to hide the majority of her almost bare body from the intruder's eyes.
Adelia had never heard her heart beat so hard in her life. It pounded so loudly in her ears that she was almost certain the person watching her could hear it too.
'Could it be a bandit...?' she thought, 'But if it is, they would have revealed themselves by now.'
She quickly reached out for something that could serve as a weapon, feeling the patch of grass beside her. Her gaze remained fixed on the brush, burning with intensity. She needed her bow, an arrow—anything!
After a few seconds, her fingers finally found and wrapped themselves around a fairly thin but strong piece of wood—her bow!
Adelia bit her lip in utter disappointment. Of all the things her hand could have grasped, it was a useless piece of wood. She would have preferred an arrow, or even her book would have been more useful, but unfortunately, she had left it inside Salvia's saddlebags.
As she dragged the bow toward her as she felt the roots of the tree beneath her. If only she could go behind it and dress herself, even if it meant only putting on the rest of her undergarments. But she couldn't risk turning her back, as the intruder might take advantage of her distraction and catch her off guard.
So, the only option she had at the moment was to confront them directly.
Adelia didn't know how things would turn out, but she had no other choice. She could only hope that Meryl would arrive in time to rescue her from this predicament.
She snatched up her longbow from the ground and sprang to her feet, holding her dress in front of her and pointing the slender piece of wood in the direction of the invader.
Her hands shook slightly as she tried her best to steady them, backing a few inches closer to the tree. 'Meryl… for heaven's sake… where are you?!'
"Who's there?!" she called out, holding up her makeshift weapon. "I command you to show yourself!"
Silence.
"I said show yourself!" she repeated, her voice trembling. "I know there's someone there! You've been watching me for a while now."
More silence.
Adelia's hand shook even more vividly now, her earlier bravado slipping away. Could it be that no one was there and she had imagined it all? Or did this person simply want to frighten her?
She desperately hoped for the former, but her hope died as the brush, at least ten meters away, began to rustle.
Her grip on the bow tightened considerably, but as soon as the intruder stepped out into the open, her breath caught in her throat.
The intruder was male, like she had expected but…
The hand holding the longbow wavered as she took in the man's appearance, her grip on her dress loosening.
She couldn't help but let out a small, almost inaudible, "Oh…"