Sunlight peeked through the leaves of the trees, falling on the ground gently. The warmth of the sun was soothing in the cold wind of Ulrik.
It's been long since Aria saw the sun.
Ulrik had a very harsh winter this time so she had to stay in her hut most of the time.
"Kuhuuu!"
Aria smiled as a bird flew towards her and sat on her shoulder.
"Era niya royema renin lan su wuya sa bhe." (Let's find something for you to eat as well.)
She said gently and continued walking ahead after a short rest. Her long red hair moved across her waist as she walked. Aria tied them into a bun as she picked up her bamboo basket again.
She was here to collect a lot of firewood so that she would be able to cook inside her hut. If this was done, she would not need to get out of her hut for the next few days. She already had enough vegetables and since it was winter, they wouldn't spoil.
Her grandmother used to warn her very strictly not to go out of the hut every day. At that time, she used to come to the hill only twice a month, but now she didn't have any choice.
Her grandmother passed away three months ago and since then Aria had been living all alone in her hut. To sustain on her own, she had to step outside quite frequently...sometimes for food, sometimes for water or sometimes for firewood. There were many other things on the list.
Before, she never had to do these things.
Aria blinked furiously as tears threatened to escape her eyes at the memory of her grandmother.
She had never experienced living alone when her grandmother was alive. Hence, it took her a long time to get used to it.
Still, sometimes at night, she feels scared and cries to sleep.
"Kuhuuuuuu!"
The bird sitting on her shoulder tweeted loudly.
As if it sensed her sadness, it flew around her in circles. Aria chuckled at its enthusiastic efforts to make her smile.
Gradually, she forgot her grief for sometime atleast.
"Lu Kanta Nemi Pur Urusa Noni Yukl Ro Pur Bhe." (Yes, we can't stay sad otherwise grandma will be sad too.)
The bird tweeted again as if in agreement.
Aria found something to eat for the bird first.
As it pecked on the food, she took out her axe from the basket and moved towards one of the trees.
However, she had taken only a few steps when she suddenly stumbled.
Aria gasped and stretched out her hand. Her index finger immediately pointed towards the tree. A vine suddenly uncurled itself from the tree and wrapped itself around her wrist and her feet, holding her in place.
Eventually, Aria found herself standing stable.
She sighed in relief. A moment later, she shook her hand slightly as she was sure that she wouldn't fall down.
The vine unwrapped itself and went back to its place as if nothing had happened.
Aria frowned as she looked at the ground ahead. It was covered with leaves and branches but when she had stepped forward, her feet just couldn't get the balance she needed. It wasn't flat. Though she understood that the hill was supposed to be uneven but she had felt something else.
Something like the flesh of an animal...
Aria frowned as she bent down and removed the leaves and branches slowly.
A gasp escaped her lips when a shiny metal with a very sharp edge came into her sight and as she uncovered it more...the traces of blood on it made her take deep breaths.
Blood had always given her an eerie feeling, and she had always tried to avoid looking at it. But at this moment, the possibility that someone was wounded and needed her help made her do whatever she was doing.
It must be in a lot of pain. Aria thought to herself and her eyes started getting teary on the living being's behalf.
It was such a cold night and, from the way she found it, covered in so many leaves and branches, it must have been here for a long time.
All this while, Aria had been thinking that the body she was uncovering belonged to an animal. But as she continued, the sight of human flesh made her pause in her actions once.
It'd been so long since she had seen a human being.
In fact, the only human being she had seen in her whole life was her grandmother.
The thought that there might be more like her and grandmother somewhere had always made her feel curious. But her grandmother always used to dissuade her from thinking such things.
'Both of us are enough for each other, Aria.' Her grandmother used to say.
Aria never thought that her grandmother was not enough for her but sometimes when she felt lonely, she would feel the need of someone else too. Someone else who could talk to her, who could listen to her...
Aria didn't seem to realize it, but a kind of eagerness came into her actions when she started again. Her movements were faster than before, and slowly she removed the last leaf from the face of the person.
Her lips parted in amazement as she stared at the face.
A sharp chin, a slender nose, beautiful pink lips which had gone dry due to his present situation. He was a very beautiful person.
Aria blinked again and again as she stared at him.
The tweeting of the birds brought her out of the trance, and she continued what she had been doing. She uncovered his body completely.
Due to the cold night, the wet soil had been covering him. Aria grimaced when she saw a very sharp thing stuck in his chest tearing through his clothes. She could see that it was soaked in blood. The mud covered that area completely.
A disappointment marred her face.
She found a human being like her but ...in this kind of situation.
Could she save him when he was already so injured?