"Have you been worried about me?" Thorian looked at his proud mount, angry with him for not calling him as soon as he woke up.
Doki was sitting as if he were a human, his tail swaying back and forth, and his gaze was focused on the sky as if he didn't want to look at Thorian.
Thorian smiled at his friend after he acted like that and said, "I must thank you; many nice things have happened since you brought me here, so I owe you some good meals."
Co! Co! Co!
"You're not a chicken; stop making those sounds with your mouth; it takes away from the intimidation points you have." Thorian was thankful that there was no one around.
"Yes, let's go to sleep..."
Without wasting any more time, after saying goodbye to Suki, it was time to rest, and if everything went as planned tomorrow, he would return home. Not only were there many things to do, but everyone should be a little worried.
Maybe that's what Thorian wants to think, although he really didn't care.
...
When Thorian opened his eyes again, he discovered that nothing had happened, and he was still lying in a wooden bed. The soft quilt that Suki had given him the night before kept him warm and comfortable.
It had dawned, but the rain continued to fall. Thorian lit an oil lamp he found nearby, and the light softly illuminated the room.
The sound of rain, the soft bedding, the dim light—Thorian felt for the first time as if he were back home, and his heart remembered that feeling he had long lost.
The door opened gently, and Suki entered, holding a tray of food covered with a wooden lid. She looked at Thorian, who was awake, and said, "You've woken up in good time; let's eat."
"Oh, I really need to eat something." Thorian smiled gently and gratefully received a bowl of food from Suki.
It was only then that he realized it was a dish of food.
"Did you prepare this?"
Suki was alarmed and asked quickly, "What are you talking about?"
"Mm, it's nothing..." Thorian pretended not to pay attention to the food and tasted it; Suki, who wanted to see his reaction, didn't miss any detail.
"You should eat; it can cool down quickly." Suki, who also hadn't eaten, tried to calm her nerves.
"Delicious food. I haven't tasted anything this good in a long time... I should look for the woman who prepared this food; if she's young and single, I might consider marrying her." Thorian, who noticed how Suki had looked away, said to her, "My mother told me I should marry a kind, beautiful woman who knows how to cook. Of course, my duty as her husband is to ensure she lacks nothing and protect her from any harm."
Suki felt her heart pounding; she couldn't utter a word, and with confusion, she tasted the food she had prepared herself. When she chewed on that meat, she knew there was nothing to marvel at, so she looked at Thorian's reaction and knew he didn't seem to be lying.
Thorian continued eating; a while ago, he had faked his reaction because he still couldn't fully sense the flavors of the food and only ate because he knew he needed to.
Right now, he was in the stage of growth; if he remembered correctly, he should be of legal age, and it was usually when people got married. Engagements were very common here; usually, the daughter's father looked for a capable man, and if both agreed, they could form a marriage that would be celebrated when both reached legal age.
Many of the elders from different water villages wanted Thorian to marry the princess of the Northern Nation, but after repeatedly refusing, they had stopped insisting, and they also didn't know if this would change anything in the future.
After the meal, he thanked Suki and walked towards a reclining wooden chair that was on the side of the room.
"Won't your mother ask about you?" Thorian turned his head to look at Suki, who was eating very slowly.
Suki shook her head and said, "I usually watch the island for any danger, so there's no problem being in this place for some time."
"This island is too big to be protected only by you; it would be a good idea to establish a small Water Nation base here as an additional rotation; we'll need ports where cruises can land, and it would help a lot to have one here."
"That would immediately connect us to the war; it would be difficult to accept when we've been avoiding taking action all this time." Suki had thought about it, and although she believed it was fine, she couldn't be selfish with the other people on this island.
At that moment, loud bell tolls were heard, alarming the whole village, and Suki, who was eating, jumped up. She looked at Thorian and said, "Invaders!"
Thorian stood up and, putting on a blue coat, took the sword resting on a wooden table. "I'll take care of watching from afar; if you need help, I'll support you immediately."
"Be careful!"
"I will." Thorian left the wooden cabin, and, calling his Griffin with a whistle, it descended from the sky.
In a few moments, Thorian soared through the sky and soon found the invaders. Not seeing any enemy cruisers, he focused on the three figures standing in front of the Kyoshi statue and murmured, "Are they from the South? What are they doing here alone?"