Feeling warm and rested, Lili couldn't help but let out a little yawn and attempt to do a little stretch only for her hands to hit something solid. She felt like opening her eyes and having a look at what was around her, but the truth was that she just felt too comfortable in her current position.
She could feel a comfortable fur blanket on top of her and under her head there was a strong arm as her pillow and against her side she could feel the solid body of a man. Confused by this she tried to recall what had happened the night before, but her memory of last night was completely gone. All she could recall was laughing and drinking which probably wasnt a good idea since she was still so small. Despite this, she did feel extremely intrigued by this feeling of a solid body next to her as she lazily turned towards it and slowly opened her eyes to the sight of perfect white skin and a set of 10 hard abs.
Seeing these familiar-looking abs made Lili immediately realize just whose embrace she was lying in. Even as she realized this no thoughts of getting away from this boy named Art came to her head, for an unknown reason to her she actually felt happy to be lying next to this boy.
Watching his chest move up and down in a hypnotic rhythm Lili couldnt help but reach out and grab a feel of his hard abs. Feeling its hardness and perfect definition she couldnt help but feel intrigued as she squeezed it and moved her hand around the outlines of it.
How could such a young person have such abs was beyond her imagination? Unsatisfied with just the one she started to feel around more as she moved her hand up and down over the abs. Feeling all the perfect bumps, her hand slowly started moving lower and lower down to the last AB from where a V-shape then began. Below that her hand sadly ended up touching the fur blanket that covered his lower half.
If Arts body was like this then she couldnt help but wonder, what was the rest of his body like then. Moving her hand to the fur blanket she started to hesitate.
Biting her lip softly Lili pushed herself into a sitting position and built up some courage to have a peak. Ah, just a little peak isnt going to hurt right? I mean a lot of dudes like to compare their sizes every once in a while, I just wanna know what I'm competing against here.
Eyes peeled and focused the covers started to slowly be lifted up and something black was revealed. Pushing a bit further Lilis expression turned into a frown as she noticed the black pants covering the good part.
Ah, damn his wearing those black pants. What should I do now? If I go a bit further then would he notice? No, wait isnt this kind of wrong?
Just then Lili got spooked and froze up as she heard Art's deep voice behind her.
"What are you doing Lili?"
Quickly pulling her hands away Lili turned to look at him and innocently said.
"What do you mean? I wasnt doing anything."
Art didnt say anything further on the matter and instead grabbed hold of Lilis waist with both hands. Feeling his strong hands grab hold of her waist Lili couldnt help but let out a surprised yelp and say.
"Ahhh! Art what are you doing?"
Without a word, Art pulled her close into his embrace and looked at her with worry on his face as he then said.
"How are you feeling Lili? Are you ok?"
Held in the Arms of Art with their faces so close to one another Lili could not help but feel her cheeks redden for an unknown reason, but more than anything she felt extremely embarrassed as she was reminded of her moment of weakness when she had cried for Art to help her.
In her previous life, she never had whined, begged or expected anyone to come to her help so she never had begged anyone to help her out of the many tough situations life had thrown at her. Relying on others or asking for help was just not something she ever did, for the simple reason of not wanting to appear weak in front of others.
To have come so low that she had actually ended up asking Art for help and most of all crying herself asleep in his arms brought her great shame. Thinking of it made her want to run and hide somewhere deep underground where nobody could find her, but on the other hand, she also felt extremely grateful for what Art had done.
Even if the boy might hold some questionable ideas of a future concerning her as a concubine, his actions did still show her that he truly has a kind heart. To show such care to a stranger you hardly know is not something many would have done and it was something nobody had ever done to her in the past. The way he gave her first aid when she fainted also showed her that this boy was also quite reliable.
Too embarrassed to look him in the eye she just placed her head against his firm chest and said quietly.
"I'm ok. You dont have to worry about me. I'm much stronger than you might think."
Feeling his hand on her head she could feel him start to gently pat her head as he then said.
"You sure? You dont sound too convincing, especially after what happened yesterday. If theres something on your mind then just say it. I'm not going to judge you."
Hearing his words touched Lili deeply. She wanted to hug him closer and cry tears of gratitude in his arms but the thought of it made her feel even more embarrassed. Clenching her little fists Lili bowled up her feelings of weakness and put on a brave face as she looked him in the eye and said.
"No, really I'm ok. Just forget about yesterday. That was nothing more than a small moment of weakness from me and it will never happen again. Soon I'm going to become rich and powerful and its going to be you who is going to be asking me for help next time we meet."
Hearing this Arts eyebrow immediately rose in question as he asked.
"What do you mean Lili? Where are you planning to go?"
Pushing herself off of Art Lili sat at the side of the bed as she said.
"I'm going home of course. My fathers probably already waiting for me there and I need to take care of the chickens and the garden anyway. After all the garden is not going to take care of itself."
Looking at Lili Art couldnt help but ask.
"Your father? Whats his name? Or actually, now that you said that, I remember that I never did ask for your name. Please do tell me what is your family name, Lili? Looking at your appearance you must be from a noble house, right? Did you run away from home or something? You cant actually be living in that small house next to the lake right?"
Feeling flustered at his questions that she actually didnt even know the answers to herself Lili couldnt help but counter his question with her own.
"And, whats it to you, Art? I mean your real name is not Art now, is it? What sort of a person would ever name their child Art, that would just be too confusing especially if you were to ever speak of Art with someone."
A smirk came to Arts face as he then said.
"Hmm, Art might be my name or it might not, but sadly I cannot say for sure unless you say yours first. Although I think I have quite a good idea of why you might be. But unless you speak first and confirm your identity I sadly cannot trust you with my name for your safety and mine."
Eyes wide Lili couldnt help but ask.
"You know my family name? What is it?"
A smirk came to Art's face as he said.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. Maybe if you gave me a hint like the first letter of your fathers first name then I might say your family name."
Confused by this Lili couldnt help but raise a questioning eyebrow at his words. Is this guy seriously playing a questioning game with me? How am I supposed to know my fathers name or my family name?
Thinking on this Lili then said.
"My mothers name is Lili if that helps?"
Hearing this Art seemed to go into further thought as he said.
"Lili, you sure that is your mothers name? I have never heard of such a woman before. You arent lying are you?"
All Lili could recall was her mother naming her after herself, but never was there any mention of a family name in her memories, so all she could do was shake her head in denial of lying and say.
"I dont know. Cant you just say my family name?"
Seemingly being even more confused by this Art said.
"Ahh, come on Lili. Dont lie to me. Everyone has a family name. Even lonely orphans know their own family names. Are you seriously trying to tell me that you dont know yours? You're clearly well educated and healthy and yet you say that you dont know."
Moving on her knees Lili clenched her little fists as she looked him in the eyes and said seriously.
"But I'm not lying, I really dont know."
Brushing off her words Art looked her in the eyes and said.
"Like I'd fall for that. You're no fun Lili. If you cant even give me a few hints then thats that. I'm not playing this game with you anymore."
Feeling annoyed by Arts insistence on not saying her family name, Lili started to pout. If he wasnt going to say it then she would just find it out herself. She was already in this guys debt and she wasnt going to ask for anything more or else she could never be even with this Art fellow.
Lili huffed at him in and got off the bed while saying.
"I'm leaving. Thanks for everything."
Next to the door, she could see a wooden hanger with her broken black cloak on it. Going towards it she then heard Art say.
"So just like that, you intend to leave? What about my proposal? Why not come with me to Camelot if your life at home is not to your liking? If you come with me I will give you whatever it is you desire. In Camelot, you wouldnt need to think about earning coin or any daily chores. Or at least let me escort you to your house the road is too long for you to go on foot."
Putting on her cloak and tying it around her waist so that it wasnt dragging on the ground Lili turned to Art and said.
"You have already done too much for me Art. I cannot continue relying on you or anyone else. I know I have to survive on my own only by doing so will I become strong. And, once I am strong then it is me that will be helpful to others. I want to save people and be of use to others."
Getting off the bed Art came to Lilis side, grabbed a coin pouch from his cloak and said.
"Fine, I understand your point since I feel the same way. That is actually why I am out here, to begin with. This is my test. But please at least take this small bag of coins with you and dont ever venture into towns alone again. This place is much more full of danger than you might think. Here there are laws, but they are hard to enforce and many evil deeds go unpunished. Just remember that and maybe I can come visit you at least once a year and bring you whatever you wish to have from town. That way you will not have to risk yourself."
Pushing the coin pouch away Lili shook her head and said.
"Thank you, Art, but please keep the coins to yourself and dont worry about me. Let me do this fully on my own. No, I have to do this on my own without any help, I want to prove to myself that I am strong and capable of surviving fully on my own, even if I might be just a girl."
After saying that Lili hurriedly was about to open the door, but Art suddenly took hold of her arm and pulled her into his embrace as he then said.
"Promise me that you'll stay safe. If you cant promise me this or if you break this promise then I'm never letting you go. I'll keep you tightly on my side and well protected even if it is against your will."
Lili couldnt help but feel shocked by the boys words. She also could feel the strong emotions behind them, this boy for whatever reason seemed to truly care for her like no one had ever done before. The thought of this made her feel warm inside and the thought of leaving him became ever more painful. Small tiers came to her eyes as she turned herself around and hugged him back passionately and said.
"I promise. Just make sure to stay safe yourself my friend."
Immediately after saying the word friend Lili couldnt help but feel like the air suddenly became colder as if Art was a bit disapointed by the word friend. Pushing these thoughts aside Lili reluctantly broke away from the hug and then heard Art say.
"Yeah, lets see each other soon again friend. Although we could always be a bit more than just friends If you'd like. I definitely dont mind."
Smiling at his words Lili playfully smacked his arm and said.
"In your dreams buddy. Hihihi."
With that Lili turned around and left. Each step she took felt heavy as if she had just made a horrible decision just now. With each step going further and further away from Art Lili couldnt help but feel her heartache.
A part of her wanted to just continue staying by his side, but another part of her didnt want to rely on Art and be a burden to him, besides she had been gone from home for too long already. Most likely Terminator was already worried sick about her and there was also the chance that her father was there waiting for her.
Maybe she might just go grab Terminator and then join Art in the place called Camelot. That was a possibility she was willing to consider. But more than anything she needed to grow up and become stronger and more independent. Also, didnt he say something about having a soon-to-be bride during their first meeting, so wouldnt it just be strange for her to hang around him as a girl for too long? But maybe it wouldnt be so strange if she was to cut her hair and dress up as a boy finally?
While thinking of these things she went downstairs to the bar to receive her pay for last nights show and what awaited her there was surprisingly an almost empty but clean bar. In the corner next to the stairs she noticed the same group of low-budget assassin-looking characters with one extra member in their group this time. Now there were 4 of them. One drank some water while the 3 others seemed to be sleeping.
She couldnt help but wonder what were they still doing here. Were they waiting for something? While thinking of this she couldnt help but notice that the Fatman was gone. Now there was only some old Hag cleaning the tabbles.
Walking to the Hags side she said.
"Mm, excuse me. I'm Lili the start, the one who sang last night. Could I get my reward for the singing?"
Hearing this the Hag turned to her and immediately she noticed that she was not happy for some reason as the Hag then said.
"Ah, you're that girl then. The pretty little troublemaker. Yeah sure I will give you your reward."
What did she mean by troublemaker? Was she talking about the fight between that Robin and Art, but how was that her fault?
While in thought the woman had gone into the kitchen and then came back with her price. With a hard smack, she placed a big piece of hard-looking white bread on the counter and a single copper coin.
Looking at this she couldnt help but ask.
"This is it?"
A mocking grin came to the hags face revealing her yellow crooked teeth as she spoke with spite in her voice as she said.
"Its more than a little girl like you deserves after the trouble you caused last night. Either take it or leave it or better yet you could just go please that noble boy up there again and get a better reward from him if this isnt good enough for you."
You fucking bitch, why I ought to... She was about to say but a feeling of danger came over her. She could feel multiple malicious eyes upon her. Turning to look at what it was she noticed that the 4 hooded men in the corner were all looking at her. One tall thin man held a wooden bow at his side and she could see that all of them had the outlines of two daggers on each side of their dirty cloaks.
Their stares made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to run, no she needed to run. Quickly stuffing the bread into her leather pouch she also took the coin and then left without a word. All she could hear was the old hags voice as she said.
"Ungrateful brat."
Angered by her attitude she wanted to say something, but remembering that she was but 6 winters old and not wanting to ask any more out of Art she decided to let it go as she left.
Running to the southern gate where The Old Man Al had been the other night she noticed that there was some other man she didnt recognize. As the man climbed off the wall to come and open the gate Lili kept on looking behind her to see if those hooded men were going to follow her. If so then she could have just gone to Art, but to her relief, nobody was coming.
The entire village was deathly silent and the road was slightly muddy. It seemed like nobody wanted to go out just yet. Maybe they were waiting for the sun to come out from behind the clouds first and dry out the land. Either way, Lili then made her exit out of the village and back towards the small stone bridge.
This time she was well-fed and rested so she could easily keep a steady jog as she went along the road. After many hours she made it to the small stone bridge and from there she just needed to follow the stream all the way to the small waterfall.
Looking behind her at the winding road that led to the village of Einsway. Lili couldnt help but think back on everything that had just happened. Despite only gaining a single copper coin and some hard white bread, she felt happy to know that she had also gained a friend. For the first time in this world, she had actually met and talked to people and sure there were some not-so-good people out there. There were also good people there also.
Her loot was not great but her reputation had definitely grown, which was kind of like an investment in her mind. The beginning price for her performance might have only been a single copper coin but it was one copper coin closer to a million coins and with each gig her reputation would grow and so too would her value and revenue.
There was no doubt that there were also other skills that she could use in order to gain more money, but at least her path to greatness seemed somewhat clear now. With these positive thoughts in mind, Lili hopped down the small bridge and onto the path of the stream. Like a little girl, she started hopping along the stream as she whistled and sang songs.
Like so the journey seemed to go by quite fast. Day turned into night and night back into day as Lili kept on going and even came up with a few new songs along the way, but then she stopped and realized something.
Oh no, I totally forgot to ask about the Lute. I totally dropped it somewhere when I passed out. Damn, well too late to go back for it now.
Head hung low in realization of this she was to start whining even more over her fate, but then a stinging pain hit the back part of her head. It felt like her senses were once more warning her of something dark approaching.
Turning to look all she could see was the stream going for a good 200 meters or so until a fallen tree blocked her vision from seeing further but she couldnt help but feel that there was something there in the distance.
Focusing on her vision she tried to focus but only caught a glimpse of something green. Maybe a deer? She wasnt sure, but the bad feeling still remained as she increased her pace and started to run.