Blood had smeared on her armor once again.

“Ha… I hate washing clothes and this is what happens. Nevermind, I will wash this later.” She left her bloodied armor on her makeshift mat and went to a tanning rack.

Mizuki was intending to hunt a bear and after two days of tracking, she finally found some trail, but instead, what she found were several bandits trying to rape a girl. Then she noticed another’s presence who was also interested in these bandits, Direwolves.

There are no direwolves back in her homeland.

Only smaller ones but still bigger than a dog. Same with the animals she found in this land, the bears she finds in the forest were always two to three times bigger than what she had seen previously. There were also other animals she had never encountered before; such as the bird type animal but have a human torso, a giant long necked chicken, giant spiders, a stag with golden horns, horse-sized horned hounds and man eating horned snakes. It made her very interested in wandering the forests of the new lands she had found.

‘Hmmm… it’s a clear sky tonight but… there will be rain tomorrow huh.’ she checked the weather using the clouds on the sky and wind.

The sound of crickets and early flapping of bats were already signaling the coming night. She made a small campfire near the river. On the makeshift tent she made, were the unconscious couple. Both of them were sleeping soundly after she was able to immediately treat their grievous wounds and injuries using her self-made medicinal salves. But she had a hard time in treating the girl’s wound as she had lost a large amount of blood. If she didn’t have any knowledge on caring such deep wounds, the girl would’ve died already.

She is currently skinning the direwolves at the river bank, while constantly watching their surroundings.

Mizuki already wanted to return to Balanli to sell her acquired loot and unexpected game but-

‘I can’t leave this two, especially this guy. But the problem is I can’t carry both of them and I don’t have any pack animals or horses to carry them. My cart can only carry small number of baggage and it is already full.’ Mizuki mulled over on what she would do to the two.

She already looted everything that can be sold from the dead bandits. And put them all on her small sled, including the weapons and the spilled contents from Nessi’s basket. On the campfire, were the skewered fishes she caught from the river.

‘Maybe I should make a drag sled...’

Mizuki was already on her last direwolf when she felt something rustling in the camp.

Upon feeling enough warm from the campfire burning near her body, Nessi woke up.

She slightly opened her eyes while supporting her body with her two elbows to rise from a sleeping posture. The brightness of the fire makes it hard for her eyes to see after just waking up so she tried to use one of her palm as a shade.

She heard the flowing water nearby so she assumed that she is sleeping somewhere near the river although her exact location is still unknown to her. Above her were large leaves and branches that make up a small shelter enough for a single person. Then her hands felt the soft warm pelt under her that is spread out over the same large leaves on the ground that made up her bedding.

The campfire is built like a large stove by stacking up the small stones together. It has a large opening that acts as the entrance for the firewood. Then it is covered with an unknown metal that resulted on having the smoke and heat spread further on its surroundings.

“…” Nessi suddenly felt the cold. She slowly went and sat on a stone by the fire, trying to warm her hands and body.

‘So… I am… still alive…’ she felt the increasing warmth and the slow beating of her heart as the signs of a living body.

‘Uhh… w-where– ’she was about to survey her surroundings when a voice with strange accent stopped her.

“Oh, I am impressed. You lost a lot of blood but still you are the first one to wake up.”

Mizuki went back to skinning after she found that it was Nessi who woke up.

At first, Nessi’s face frowned in confusion then she finally remembered the person who saved her life. Then she heard a loud growl that came from her.

“Well, now that you are awake. Let us eat.” Mizuki smiled

Nessi then noticed that Mizuki seemed to be working on something that it is piling up beside her. Mizuki adds firewood unto the stove then lines up a dozen of fishes and thick meat on top of the hot metal then went back to her work.

Sizzling sounds and fragrant aroma of roasted meat and fish filled the air which soon invaded Nessi’s nose causing another growl from her stomach. She can only cower in embarrassment.

Mizuki placed a well-cooked meat and fish on a large thick leaf which served as a plate and held it at arm’s reach of Nessi.

“I know that you have things you wanted to ask about but fill up your stomach first. It is uncomfortable to hear a growling stomach while we talk. It is still hot so use this stick to help you eat.”

“S-sorry….” Nessi timidly accepted the leaf and took a bite.

‘Hmm, it’s good!’ she quietly exclaimed.

Both the flavor and hunger made the food in her hands very tasty for her tongue. Her nose smelled some herbs and spice she is not familiar with. The delicious flavor spreads in her entire mouth. Such taste suddenly made her remember something in the past.

‘Ah yes… it was home… ’

The life they had when they were still living in the farm.

‘Mother must be quite worried right now.’

Some of the meat she got from the metal plate has different texture and aroma. It also released varying peculiar sweetness and sourness. Mizuki grins after seeing her devouring the food readily.

“Eat your fill. Your body needs it.”

Mizuki also began to eat her own share. Nessi quietly observed her as she consumes a fish. Nessi could see that they have the same height even if both of them are sitting. She noticed that Mizuki is not wearing the black armor. Right now, she is wearing something similar to a green shirt with long sleeves that has beautiful embroideries of flowers. And because of this, she was able to see that the chest area of Mizuki is bulging, making it obvious to her that Mizuki really is a female.

Mizuki wore some kind of dark colored baggy pants that had a small leather belt with few empty pouches and two daggers. Then she also found herself staring at Mizuki’s pale-like skin of her back and shoulders. Her long black hair was tied on the back of her head like a standing tail of a horse.

‘She really is a foreigner…’ Nessi thought as she also saw how the shape of Mizuki’s eyes was very different than of that of the people in this country.

‘Mother told me that she can only speak in few words of our language but she seems to be fluent enough for me. ’

Mizuki then tossed something towards her, it was a fully filled waterskin.

“You need also to drink. Your body needs water after sweating and crying that much.”

Nessi felt a sudden thirst after she took the first gulp of water. Then after satiating her thirst, she felt a pleasant surge of energy from the inside of her body.

She was about to stand up when she was stop by piercing pain in her leg and head. Only now she realized that half of her head is wrapped in rags used as a bandage. And her injury on the leg was covered with leaves wrapped also with torn clothes.

“… t… k… uo…” she muttered something in a soft voice but was still heard by Mizuki.

“Hm?”

“… thank… you…”

Contrary to her sincere gratitude, Mizuki only blinked in confusion on her words.

“Thank you? For what?”

“ummm… for… saving me?”

Mizuki showed a confused face. She mulled for several seconds, trying to think what Nessi meant then when it seemed that she realized something, her response was something Nessi did not expect.

“…Pffft”

“?”

“Hahahahahahahahahaha!”

Now it was Nessi’s turn to be confused. She doesn’t know if what she said is funny to her but she knew that Mizuki is laughing at her gratitude.

“No, I am sorry for that. Yeah… *snicker, speaking of which… you are right, I did save you.”

“umm?”

“Anyways, you’re welcome.” Mizuki returned to her work.

Nessi was about to ask more but decided not to as she doesn’t want to bother her savior. Then she noticed a pile of something besides Mizuki then she saw the skinned direwolves. The beasts which ripped apart the bandits who had beaten Pierre and almost violated her were being skinned for their fur by a single woman.

She suddenly remembered what transpired previously in front of her. And she also remembered the feeling of being so weak that she cannot even resist the licking tongue of Death. It made her remember a certain past that she is trying to escape and forget.

“You still can’t walk right?” Mizuki asked, noticing a sudden change in Nessi’s face.

“Uh… yeah…”

“Unlike yours, that boy’s injury is not that deep. He may be able to walk after a day of rest but I doubt he can carry you or put you together in my cart so we will be make a new one here. Help me with it after you finish eating.”

“Ah yes!”

After several talks over the fire and food, they were able to finish eating and started tying some wood to make a sled. Mizuki cut large tree branches that could hold human weight and used it as their material. Fortunately, Nessi’s weaving skills made it easy for them to finish the skeletal part of their work.

It was this time when Nessi finally got a closer look to Mizuki. She was quite curious on the weapons that Mizuki used during her fight with the direwolves. It looked like a very long knife or sabre but much thinner and less curve.

“Is that… a long knife?” Nessi asked.

“Huh?”

“Your weapon...I mean.”

“Oh, of course… these weapons must be a strange sight to the people of this country.”

Mizuki then showed two shorter blades and a longer blade.

“These two are called wakizashi and this one is called katana.”

“Ohh… wake…sasey and… kata…na…”

“Yeah, I never actually wanted to use them against such beasts because just like swords or any bladed weapons of this land, they were easy to get chipped if they struck a thick bone. And I don’t know if I can find a skilled blacksmith who can fix them if these need some maintenance. By the way, where do you live? From what I know, only Balanli is the nearest town in here.”

“Mmm, I lived there.”

“And this guy?”

“He is… someone who also lived there.” Nessi decided to hide Pierre’s identity for now without lying or telling the truth. This way, she will still be safe if Pierre decides to introduce himself later if he wakes up.

Although Mizuki is her savior, she still doesn’t know if Mizuki will be taken by greed and ransom Pierre which would later come back to her. It may be rude for her benefactor but she had enough trouble already.

But Mizuki already knew the boy.

“Heh… the son of a local lord is with you? Are you his lover?”

“Eh? You knew him?”

“Yeah, I met him along with his older brother when I first met their father after I accidentally slew some of his town guards.”

Nessi heard such account. But this only made her uncomfortable. So she had to ask.

“You are… a girl… but you were able… defeat the monsters that killed those… those men…”

“Yes?”

“But then… how are you… so strong than those men? Aren’t you afraid?”

For Nessi, such things were only for men and depended on men. Although she heard that Mords allowed their women to take part in raids and battles, they were minorities. She cannot even imagine herself taking up a sword.

There was a long silence but Nessi waited patiently for Mizuki’s answer.

“It’s nothing special.”

Mizuki threw another piece of wood on the fire.

“… years in the battlefield must have made me numb of such a thing.”

“Battlefield? What do you mean?”

“My first kill was when I was eight years old and battlefield became my home after that. ”

‘Wait, eight years old? What in the world is her country?’ Nessi thought.

Mizuki actually got the idea why Nessi is asking her such question. Back in her homeland, women were usually regarded in low status or just used for bearing heirs and children. Her clan was one of the few exceptions who openly trained women and men in arts of war and martial arts on equal terms. Their practice, traditions and culture were already rooted in their way of life also due to their deep connection with several Shinobi Clans. Most of the top and effective shinobi assassins and spies she knew were mostly young girls and women.

“And monsters don’t feel fear… or sometimes, even pain.”

Crackling burnt wood on the campfire made Nessi huddle back her expose legs.

Another silence covered the two of them before it was broken by a sound of deep long howl of wolves.

“Don’t worry, they will not come.” Mizuki assured her.

While she is busy mulling about Mizuki’s words, the foreigner suddenly remembered something strange.

“By the way, did you notice or saw some bandits carrying any bows and arrows?” Mizuki asked.

“I am not really sure… but I haven’t seen any one of them using such weapons. Why?”

“Strange… there is a very peculiar arrow mixed in the corpses…”

“Eh? Aren’t you the one… who was shooting them down?”

“Yeah… when I also found you, I never sensed or saw any archer other than me… but look at this…” Mizuki showed her a quiver full of arrows.

“This is my arrow, it is made from Senetil Wood and these are Grimhawk’s feathers.” Mizuki took one from the quiver and explained its parts for Nessi then she got another arrow which is obviously different.

“And this is the arrow I found from your horse.”

“Horse… Wait, are you saying… that the one who shot down Willheim is not one of the bandits?”

“Willheim? Ah, that’s the name of your horse… as far as I remember, I only aimed at the wolves and no horse. So someone else, must have shot it down.”

“Doesn’t this mean… that someone from their group… had escaped? Arent we in danger… what if he called for his other fellow bandits?”

“No, that would be impossible. I can guarantee that all bandits were wiped out completely during the direwolves’ attack. But the real point of this arrow is that… someone wanted both you and that boy to get caught.”

Such revelation only caused confusion for Nessi.

“I don’t understand…”

“Me too… maybe you just got caught from a plot that involves that boy. It is very common among the children of nobles.”

Conflict with his brothers about the inheriting the barony is one of the major things that come into Nessi’s mind.

“Nevermind, let us finish this sled so that we can go back to Balanli tomorrow morning.”

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It was a very cold morning that woke up Nessi, the campfire seemed to have doused by the cold wet wind. The sound of her getting up also woke up Mizuki.

Thanks to Mizuki’s medicinal, Nessi’s wounds were able to heal faster than it would have on normal concoctions. This abnormal regenerative effect is the reason why it is highly sought out by merchants and traders. But she still can’t walk well so she had to use a walking stick made up of a tree branch as a support.

‘I am sure Chidori wouldn’t mind me selling and using one of her clan’s secrets.’ Mizuki mischievously thought. The mixtures and concoctions she made were actually highly guarded secrets of a shinobi clan which she learned after “borrowing” several scrolls.

“Well, they would only kill me if they knew what I was doing to their treasured medicines.” Mizuki only laughed at the thought of being hunted down by thousands of shinobi elite.

They didn’t have to take any breakfast, as the night before they already packed some smoked meat and salted fish to be eaten as they walk. The man whom Mizuki is planning to depend on however, Pierre, still haven’t woke up so she have to pull the sled along with her loot while Nessi helped carry the lighter goods.

It was already noon when met up with a Balanli patrol that was quite shocked and surprised to see their young lord unconscious and wounded. Nessi had to explain what happened to them and the party leader, a man named Osleu, decided to send Pierre on a horseback to Tevarin Castle while Nessi and Mizuki are to be escorted back to the town. They have separated with Pierre who was still unconscious due to his wounds. Mizuki told them to remind their lord that she will collect her “payment” personally later.

It was another three hour stroll through the woods and dirt road. But due to riding on a horseback, they were able to reach the town much easier and faster. Mizuki fastened the sled on her own horse while Nessi rode with another rider.

When they were finally at the gates, they were met with soldiers trying to disperse the crowds of people at the gate.

“What is this? Why is this not taken down yet?” an angry soldier with better armor on a horseback just arrived and instantly berated his underlings who were trying to control the situation.

“We deeply apologize!”

“Nessi… you are finally back! Where were you? How-” a woman seemingly recognized Nessi from top of the horse. But she didn’t even take a glimpse nor even greet the woman.

Her eyes were stuck on the same thing that attracted the attention of the crowd. She quickly got down from the horse, forgetting even her wounds and inability to walk. Then she forcibly inserted herself on the crowd until she is at the base of the stake.

In full display at the gate, was a long wooden stake with a corpse hanging on its pointy end. It was skewered from its bottom and all the way to its mouth.

As she came near, she realized that it was an old woman.

Then her eyes told her that she knew this person.

It was someone whom Nessi was quite familiar with.

“Why…?”

She asked a question at no one.

“Why is… mother up there?”