Then Eliss rushed over to where Amukelo knelt, her face pale and her eyes wide with worry. She knelt beside him, reaching into her pack with trembling hands to retrieve a healing potion. Her hands shook so badly that she almost fumbled the bottle, but she managed to pull it out, her fingers clutching it tightly as if it were his last lifeline.
"Here," she whispered, her voice shaky as she uncorked the bottle and pressed it into his hands. "I… I'm so sorry… I didn't see… I should have—" Her words caught in her throat, a choked apology escaping her as she struggled to catch her breath. Her hands hovered over him, green light shimmering as she casted a healing spell.
Amukelo drank the potion. He glanced at her, though his tone was with frustration as he said, "It's fine..."
She swallowed hard, her face a mixture of guilt and self-reproach. "I… I'm sorry," she stammered, barely able to meet his gaze. She tried to pour some of the healing potion for herself, but her hands shook so much that some of it spilled. Her face flushed, and she hastily wiped her hands on her cloak, her lips pressed tightly together as she blinked back tears.
Amukelo's voice softened slightly, though it still lacked comfort. "I already said it's fine. But you need to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Eliss nodded quickly, her head lowered. "I… I will. I'll try harder," she whispered.
Once the immediate wounds were healed, Amukelo glanced over at his fallen horse, its lifeless body sprawled on the ground where it had fallen. He let out a resigned sigh. "The horse is already gone. We can't stay here, and we can't butcher it for meat—its blood will only attract more predators. Best thing is to leave it and keep moving."
Eliss nodded silently. She looked at Amukelo, and her chest tightened at the thought that she had endangered him.
After a moment, Amukelo glanced at her, noticing her troubled expression. "What about your horse?" he asked. "Did those wolves get to it?"
Eliss blinked, as if coming out of a daze, and looked back toward where she'd commanded her horse to retreat. "I… I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
She whistled softly, a faint, hopeful note that carried into the trees. For a long moment, there was only silence. Amukelo shifted his weight, preparing to start on foot if necessary. But just as he took a step forward, the sound of hooves echoed faintly through the forest. Moments later, her horse emerged from the trees, trotting toward them.
Eliss let out a weak laugh. "Look… it's still alive," she said, her voice wavering slightly. She stroked the horse's neck as it nuzzled her hand, though her smile had a hint of regret.
Amukelo looked at her, his gaze softening for just a moment, but he didn't comment on her forced cheer. Instead, he nodded, climbing up onto the back of her horse. Eliss swung up onto the saddle, positioning herself in front as she guided them back onto the road.
They traveled through the forest, the thick canopy overhead gradually giving way to sparser trees and rocky ground. The landscape began to change, the familiar greens of the forest slowly fading into the dry, dusty terrain that signaled the edge of the desert.
Eliss remained quiet as they rode, her mind lingering on the encounter with the wolves, and the interaction in the village.
Amukelo noticed her silence, though he chose not to comment. He didn't need to push her for an explanation, he knew well enough the weight of self-blame, the tendency to dwell on mistakes, to dissect them until they became wounds all their own.
As the day wore on, the landscape continued to shift, the trees thinning until they finally gave way to open, sandy terrain. The forest was behind them now, replaced by a wide expanse of desert, its rolling dunes stretching out under the vast, open sky.
Eliss glanced around, taking in the sight of the desert with a mixture of apprehension and awe.
In the distance, the outlines of Gathe appeared, its sandstone buildings blending seamlessly with the desert landscape. They were close to their destination, a place where she could finally rest a little bit.
As they rode closer, Eliss took in the sight of the town with appreciation. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, amber glow over everything, and she felt a faint flicker of excitement despite herself. But when she glanced back at Amukelo, his face was set in an expression of detachment, as though he were barely seeing the town at all.
As they approached the gates of Gathe, Amukelo and Eliss were stopped by two guards.
"What brings you to Gathe?" the guard asked.
Amukelo reached into his cloak and pulled out his adventurer's badge, holding it up for the guard to see. The guard's gaze shifted from suspicion to recognition, and he gave a short nod. He then turned to Eliss, eyeing her as if expecting her to pull out her badge as well.
"She's with me," Amukelo said, making it clear that no further questions would be entertained.
The guards exchanged a glance, nodded, and stepped aside, allowing them to pass through the gate and into the town.
Eliss's eyes lit up as she took in the scene. Despite the dry, unyielding landscape surrounding the town, Gathe was alive with color and activity. She paused for a moment, taking it all in.
She hurried to catch up to Amukelo, who was already making his way through the crowded street. "So… what exactly are we doing here?" she asked, breaking her gaze from the sights around them to look at him.
Without turning back, Amukelo replied, his voice low and focused, "I have some people to meet here."
Eliss tilted her head, curious. "Who are these people?"
He sighed, his tone hinting at a reluctance to explain further. "They're… people I need to speak with. But I don't think you need to meet them," he added flatly. "You're free to do whatever you want tomorrow. The day after, we'll leave."
Eliss blinked in surprise, her gaze shifting to the lively street. "But… it's beautiful here. Why would you want to leave so soon?"
Amukelo stopped, just for a moment, his eyes scanning the town with flat expression. "I… I just don't want to stay here any longer than necessary," he replied.
Not wanting to push him further, Eliss nodded, respecting his boundaries. As they continued through the bustling street, Amukelo led them to a modest inn nestled between two larger buildings.
He secured a room for each of them, and as they made their way to the rooms upstairs, he turned to her briefly. "I still have one thing to do today," he said, his tone back to its usual gruffness. "You can either stay in your room or explore the town. I don't care."
Eliss nodded, though she felt a pang of unease. Despite the lively atmosphere of Gathe, the idea of wandering alone in an unfamiliar place wasn't exactly comforting. She watched him as he deposited his belongings in his rooml.
Before he left, she caught a glimpse of him packing something into his bag—a set of clothes in a deep blue, different from his usual travel-worn attire. She raised an eyebrow but decided against asking, sensing that whatever he was preparing for was not something he intended to share.
He walked out of his room, barely glancing at her as he made his way to the stairs. Just as he reached the bottom, Eliss stepped out of her room and she followed him.
Amukelo noticed her trailing him and let out an exasperated sigh. He walked through the inn's entrance, heading down the street toward a more refined part of town, the slightly upscale area where the better shops and traders conducted their business. Yet with every step he took, he couldn't ignore the soft sound of her footsteps trailing just a few paces behind.
Finally, after several moments of quiet irritation, he stopped abruptly and turned, facing her with a slightly irritated look. "What do you want?" he asked with sharp tone. He met her gaze, noticing the slight flush of embarrassment that crept across her cheeks.
"I… I don't know where I can go," she admitted, looking down as she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. "Or who to talk to."
Amukelo blinked, a faint flicker of surprise crossing his face. He looked at her with a flat expression, struggling to hide his astonishment at how she could be so at ease but so uncertain at the same time.
"Then… go get something to eat," he said finally, gesturing to a nearby food stall. "There's plenty of places here. I can pick you up once I'm done."
Eliss's face flushed, and she let out an indignant huff. "Why do you think I want to eat?" she asked quickly, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
Amukelo raised an eyebrow, folding his arms as he looked at her. "Then what do you want?" he asked, his tone flat.
She looked down, her gaze flickering to the food stalls and the faint scent of spices and roasted meat wafting through the air. Her face softened, and after a moment, she mumbled, barely above a whisper, "…Eat."
The response left Amukelo momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected her to admit it, let alone in such a quiet, almost childlike way.
For a moment, he was unsure whether to laugh, scold her, or simply shake his head. Her honesty had caught him off guard, and he found himself at a loss for how to react. But before he could gather his thoughts, Eliss straightened, her face flushing as she attempted to regain her composure.
"Alright then," she said quickly, regaining her usual confidence as she glanced at him. "I'll go eat. See you later."
Before he could respond, she turned and hurried toward the nearest pub with a quick pace, as if she were eager to escape the awkwardness of the moment. Amukelo watched her go, still processing the unexpected exchange, her response echoing in his mind.
He shook his head slowly, a mixture of amusement and bewilderment in his expression. "What's wrong with that girl?" he muttered to himself, feeling a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself. There was something oddly refreshing about her honesty, her straightforwardness, even if it was baffling at times.
Amukelo shook his head once more, "Unbelievable."
With a final glance in her direction, he turned and continued down the street, heading toward the shop he'd originally intended to visit.