While Rose was fencing against the trees using a stick, Cindy and Jack calmly enjoyed the tranquil silence of the forest. After about four broken sticks they reached a mountain stream, and the air slowly began filling with the sounds of nature. Curious about the sounds Rose cocked an eyebrow and pointed in the direction they were the loudest, she couldn't quite ask since her mouth was filled with all kinds of berries. The adults looked around, but not seeing anything unusual, they could only shrug.

- What do you want to show us?

- Gulp. I'm not showing anything, what are those fucking noises?

- Noi.. ah.. - realised Jack - there are beasts further in the forest, I didn't expect you'd hear them from so far ah... away.

- Hm.. I wouldn't expect them to make such pretty damn sounds.

- Do you mean birds Rose?

- Don't birds make bloody loud schreeching noises?

- Not - said Jack while looking to the side, and up - ah.. quite.

Rose stuck her tounge at Jack, run off further to the front and walked slightly skipping and looking around at the trees, after throwing her new stick to the side of the path. At the same time, Cindy poked Jacks side with her elbow, and laughed at him shortly.

- I ah.. mean - said Jack while trying to push his insufferable friend of the path - how was I supposed to know.. ugh.. fucking noises means pretty sounds...

- Didn't you just forget she doesn't know much about the world? She may be aware of this and that, but she didn't experience it.

- Why is it you, the... - Jack did not finish seeing a dangerous glint in Cindys eyes, and just patted her on the back.

Rose breath, by breath tuned out the sound of the adults, of the stream, and the leaves rustling in the wind. Focused on the sound of singing birds, she stalked towards a tree slightly away to the right of the path. Suddenly a brown small bird flew out of a bush next to it, and in one fluid motion, Rose pulled out her saber and cut through it.

- Eeew.. why does it have liqui.. huh..

- Rose?

- No damn problem, just been a while since I was cut, so I forgot animals fucking bleed. Where is it's core?

- Normal animals do not have them.

- How am I supposed to keep its damn sounds then? Ah?!

Jack picked up Rose, and put her on his shoulders for a piggyback ride.

- Cindy? Can you hold my saber? It will filthy Jacks damn robe.

Jack waved his left hand, and the saber flew out of Roses hand, the blood slipped from it to the ground, and the saber flew into it's sheath on girls left.

- Rose, would you like that bird cooked later?

- ... Sure, if the damn useless thing can't give me it's singing, then at least it should try to taste well.

Cindy lightly slapped the girl on the back, and barely heard Roses mumbled sorry. Girl then squeezed Jacks ears, and pointed forwards while her faces showed a strong look ahead, if not for the light blush on her cheeks. Young wizard then run, evading trees and branches.

A couple hours later the trio made it in time to see the sun set above the mountains, just as they made it out of the forrest. Rose was now nodding off in Cindys hands, while Jack was looking for a magical mark. As he found the little blue symbol, it released a thin line when Jack supplied a little bit of his mana into it. It led towards a caves entrance hidden by rocks.

Cindy put down Rose, and went to the cave to check for tracks of any beast, while Jack stayed to keep an eye on the girl. The woman noticed there indeed were tracks, likely belonging to a lone wolf, she went back to Jack and the two decided to wait for Rose to wake up, as she seemed to be slowly opening her eyes after being moved.

- Shhh, shhh... Jack, pay attention to the cave. Rose, stand up and stretch a little with me.

- Fuuuck..? Suure..

Jack began forming some blue geometrical figures, while Rose mimicked Cindy. After few exercises little girl felt refreshed, and focused at the adults.

- The cave we will rest in has a rather weak monster in it, would you like trying to hunt it?

- Just like specters?

- Hmm.. uhm.. not - whispered Jack, not stopping his hands, forming more intricate figures - exactly. Where did the specterc have their cores?

Rose pointed a little below her heart, and the adults nodded.

- It's the same for most monsters, the weak ones, like the one you will hunt though, unlike specters have tiny cores. You should try to aim for it's throat, but wearing it out by cutting the sides would be safer.

- Got it. Is the fucker behind the rocks?

- It's gone for now, we will mask our scent. You go hide close to the cave, but do not try to fight inside.

Rose passed the caves entrance, and hid behind the stone next to it. She tuned out all sounds, and waited for a new noise to come.

- This should make up for her lack of education on theory, shouldn't it?

- I would ah.. - said Jack as he finished forming his spells, and they seeped into the skin on his hands - think so. If she can adapt to new monsters, there will be no arguments to send her into the basic course. Ah.. Do you remember what she should know on theoretical subjects?

- Don't small town guild teach local geography?

- Would she ah.. even need that? We will be training her later, right?

- Guild history? That should be a surprisingly easy subject for her.. at least for the early materials.

- Which she will have ah.. missed.

- Maybe she will pass to train with kids...

The two stopped, as they noticed the small for a wolf monster. It was a green and grey, it's eyes shone yellow, reflecting the night light.

Sound! Pheeew... Sword are on my knees.. good, I won't fucking trip or make noise. Breath in.. It should be gett.. pebbles.. Ok, it's nose.. the rest of the bloody head.. breath out, and spring the tip into it.. Fuck!! Motherfucker!!

Wolf jumped back, as the tip of the sword Rose held in her left hand brushed by it's neck, leaving a shallow cut. Beast growled, backing away slowly, it's head low, while the fur on it's back raised. Rose stayed low, circling to get out into the open space, her sword kept in front, while saber kept low at her side.

Monster lundged at it's prey, but Rose jumped back trying to pierce the sword into it, only to almost get it knocked out of her hand. She desperately slashed with the saber, and managed to hurt wolfs backside. Rose steadied her stance, slightly of balance, growling at the monster. It lungded once more, swiping wide for the jumpy target, but suddenly whimpered as it felt pain stabbing through it's chest. Rose barely evaded beneath beasts claws, let go of her sword lodged in it's chest, and swiped her saber holding it in both hands through retreating wolfs neck. She then quickly sprung back, and from crawl got back up, still holding her saber with both hands in front of herself. The beast though no longer had strength to move, and quickly died.

- Fuck.. You guys gave me the damn pretty jacket, and now it's all dirty.

- Don't worry, remember how Jack removed blood from your saber earlier?

- Oh, how nice.

- Um.. I will then - said Jack, while his heart beat louder and faster than when he fought monsters himself - help Rose, and clean the cave.

- Good, give h.. ok, good you changed, then pass the dirty clothes to Jack, and I will show you how to skin the wolf.

Rose wanted to peak at Jacks magic, but she still obediently watched Cindy work. Later the girl set up her own sleeping bag, mimicing how the adults evened out the ground, and when Cindy was finishing the cooking outside the cave, Rose watched Jack check if all the wards are properly set up.

- Ah.. I tell you Rose.. I almost jumped in to help.

- Was I that fucking bad?

- Not that.. ah.. - said Jack while biting into roasted wolf leg - bad, but you could certainly learn some new things in the training program.

- Hey, that...

Rose no longer paid attention to the other two, and looked towards the north, lost in thought. Once she finished eating her part of the wolf, and was half way through her beer, she stood up, and pointed where she looked.

- I want to go up there!

Jack and Cindy looked in the direction she pointed, and laughed lightly.

- We will be going through a pass thats much closer to our location.

- A pass?

- Through the.. am.. - said Jack, while sipping from his cup - mountains, to Mountainfall.

- Mountains, what fucking mountains?

- The..

Adults looked a little higher, and just above the peaks Rose pointed at, saw a half-moon.