The morning sunrays crept through the window. It was warm but ticklish at the same time. The early spring was cool and refreshing, making one feel energized.
Arianell slept exceptionally well in the past week. She dreamed a lot, but all her dreams disappeared quickly with the first morning sound.
The west was deserted not only by plants, but the animals would also avoid it. Humans were the only ones staying there, as they could transport food and supplies from far away. However, nature was always silent.
A lot of animals live alongside magical beasts, but since nothing grew outside the forest border, the living creatures were unwilling to step out into the human world.
The only exception was Arianell's house. It was almost two weeks since she arrived, and many curious living forms would visit her every day.
It was a small bird knocking on her window this time.
Arianell slowly opened her eyes after listening to the subdued tuc-tuc. She developed the habit of sleeping on the couch as she felt more comfortable living in one room only.
The little visitor grew impatient. It started knocking again with much more force.
"Uhhh… waking up. I'm awake!" Arianell sat up and looked out the window.
"Is that… Resplendent quetzal?!"
The bird has a small green body and red breast, its feather shined like a cobalt. It was a very good-looking bird, but she wasn't expecting to see one here. Quetzal flapped its wings and flew away as soon as she stood up.
"Maybe it was a look-alike… Well, local fauna doesn't make sense to me anyway."
At first, she was surprised to find all kinds of small animals around her house, but later she just decided to not be alarmed anymore. Most of the visitors were birds, but one time she even spotted a reddish-brown fox tail hiding from her. After making sure, that they were harmless and just curious about a new human being so close to them, she stopped to mind them.
People said the west was cursed by the Silver Dragon Goddess, but to her, it was an extremely lively place. The book she read in her past life was wrong in many things, but the description of the Forest was spot on.
Arianell went to the bathroom to wash her face. The house was in the middle of the wild, so her everyday hygienic needs had to be fulfilled by hand. The running water was a fantasy, but the crystal-clear water could be found in the well in the backyard.
She had to draw water up for cooking and washing, but this little physical activity didn't ruin her mood at all. On the other hand, what she hated was chopping wood. The spring night could be chilly, so she took care of a fireplace every day.
The water in the basin was cool but welcoming in defeating morning drowsiness. Arianell walked to a small garden in the back, stretching her body as she moved.
The backyard was bare for now. There was a small shelter made of wood attached to the house with a medieval-looking bath inside. It looks like a natural spring people from her old world would pay hundreds of dollars to soak in.
To take a bath she would have to heat the water and then fill the tube little by little. It was a horrendous task, and the amount of needed firewood made her head dizzy.
Next to the shelter was an olea tree. The trunk was almost as wide as her body and the leaves' colour ranged from dark green to silvery ends. Small clusters of buds started to form, so once the fruits started to ripen, taking a bath next to them would be a luxurious experience.
The rest of the area between fences was made of ploughed soil. Arianell has visited the Deneb a lot during the last week. The round trip took her almost two hours every time, but she had to buy many things to furnish her new home. She brought back a wide range of equipment, starting from bed linens, towels, and gardening tools. She has spent a considerable amount of gold coins emptying her little pouch in half.
Having a small vegetable garden was her first step towards sustainability and independence. However, the seeds she brought back were for autumn harvest crops like pumpkin or squash. Waiting half a year for her food to grow was too long, so she needed some leafy vegetables that could be harvested in the span of a few weeks.
For this, she must meet up with a blacksmith.
"Good morning, miss Nella!"
"How are you, miss Nella?"
"I have a fresh batch of bread. Come and buy some!"
The city of Deneb in the morning was just like any other cities she visited in Randel's County, just the scale of its market was much smaller. Vendors sell a lot of tools or handmade items, but the number of serious customers could be counted on one hand.
Since she just moved in, she has been a frequent customer of some of the stalls. Keeping small talk was not very hard and soon, she was able to get on friendly terms with the people living there. Her face with bright amethyst eyes became the talk of the town, but as she quickly became acquainted with the vendors, people stopped gossiping about her.
However, the scarf hiding her hair was still a necessity.
Most people moving around were housewives hungry for juicy gossip. The marketplace was mostly visited by the women, while the tavern was a favourite hangout place for men. But today, something felt different. Women of all ages were excited for some reason, some of them even took out their best dresses to wear.
The chitter-chatters were heard everywhere, as some young girls even took out the mirrors and kept on fidgeting with their hair or make-up. It felt like a huge pre-marriage event, where single people meet up and find a prospective partner.
"I know what you are thinking… They look like monkeys in heat, aren't they?"
Suddenly, a pair of arms hugged her from behind, as she was caged by the unknown person. The human's breath tickled her ear, a very intimate action.
Arianell turned around and looked into the amber eyes, her lips curved with a smile.