19 Trip 2

They woke up very early in the morning. If Daryn used earth time, he was sure it was still three thirty in the morning. He did not mind it though, it was for a good cause and he had prepared himself for it.

Darla warmed the meat stew and dished them in seperate food containers. Then she put them in their leather bags. While Daryn stacked the furs they would use for the trip.

He had finished his task first then he went to the back of the shed to take a bath in the small lake.

It was cold and with the water from the lake it was worse. It took all of his courage to dip himself inside the cold lake. Immediately he was in he took a quick bath scrubbing the under of his arms and joints.

When he was done, he used the towel hung at the house back to clean himself then changed into new clothes there. The leather hunting clothes Darla had made for him from their kills.

They planned to enter the market like that so people knew they were hunters and if anyone saw their weapons they would understand and not get suspicious. Plus Darla also said it would give the robbers on the trail a rethink if they saw them.

He went back into the shed and saw Darla had moved everything for the trip to the side of the door so they could just pick it and be on their way. If his instinct were right, he was sure she did background checks incase they missed anything.

When she saw him she nodded and began to go straight to the back of the shed.

"I won't take long" she said as she passed him barely taking a glance at him.

Just then her scent entered his nose. An intriguing mix of rain and dense jungles. He was surprised and pleased. He inhaled her scent again before she passed him to go to the back.

'Why haven't i been able to smell her like this before?'

He inwardly asked himself. Then he noticed his senses had heightened again but barely. He could see the dark corners the lamp light could not reach. He concluded he could only smell her now because of his heightened senses.

'At least this new ability has some qualifying use' (a mother laughed on her seat on hearing this)

As she had said Darla didn't take time at all she was out in two minutes her hair totally drenched. Daryn discovered she actually went head deep in the lake.

She was all dressed and was drying her hair with the towel. Her scent entered his nose again and he sighed happily at the pleasure of it. He had no other doubt she was his soul mate.....if only she knew it.

Once she had completely dried her hair, Darla looked around the house for anything amiss then said

"Come on. We should be on our way before dawn"

She went to the bedside table to put off the lamp. Daryn strided to the door and carried the bags differetiating which one was his and which was hers.

When the light was gone he stepped out the house. He looked in to see Darla coming.....her eyes glowing in distinct mix of green and yellow.

"Wha_"

He has not seen Darla's eyes glow before. As Darla got to the entrance, she stopped in her tracks.

"Darla, your eyes are glowing" Daryn said breathlessly.

Darla just continued looking at him not saying a word.

"Darla_"

"Thats normal. Its my mutation. What isn't normal though is your own eyes glowing....and that too orange"

Now Daryn was the one speechless.

"W_What? M_My eyes are g_glowing" He stumbled.

Darla nodded her head open mouthed.

"I_i guess its from the mutation huh. Y_you know since we_we h_have the same kind of mutation" Daryn said blinking his eyes probably trying to switch off his heightened sight.

Darla paused then shook her hand to change the subject.

"Sure. It must be. Who knew our eyes could shine like lamps at night. I mean i recently discovered mine." She said

They both laughed awkwardly and went silent avoiding each others eyes. Then Darla turned to closed the door and lock it while Daryn walked ahead.

She caught up to him and they both began the trip.

¤¤¤¤¤

They had walked a mile before Darla led them to the path that led to the nearest village. It was not dawn yet and walking among the great trees for Daryn was magical.

With his heightened senses, he saw everything clearly and it was beautiful. But he did not slow down he had to keep up with Darla's

Once per pace, he would look at her glowing eyes.....they captivated him and her scent_ gods!

Could her mutation make her eyes glow in the dark, but his does not. Earlier he had lied so Darla won't ask further questions. He knew his distint brown cannot glow. Even in his past lives it never happened.

And they were supposed to have the same mutation or was there something else she was not telling him....

They had walked an hour and Daryn noticed the progress they were making. Darla's jungle perimeters was far behind them. That too none of them dropped a sweat. The walk had not stressed them one bit.

Then they reached the outskirts of the jungle and Daryn saw the mountains.

'So the closest settlement is among the mountains huh'

And they made the whole trip among the trees with no attack from predators.

Dawn broke and light began to fill the horizon. Daryn's senses began to dull down. His sight returned to normal and his sense of smell dropped a notch his hearing was still ok though.

When they reached the mountains, it was already high morning. Darla led the way.

They climed a mountain path and made their way through the crooked edges. Daryn began to pant.

'Why had she decided to live deep in the jungles?' he asked himself already feeling tired and the mountain climb was making it worse for him. Yet Darla didn't look tired at all.

His pride was hurt. How could he be tired and she was still going strong.

He concluded that this was probably not her first time doing this so she must be accustomed to it.

Daryn hated that he could not use his blessings. Plus it had been long he trained in chi. His physical strength was currently low. Still above a normal human but way lower from what it used to be.

"Darla, could we rest a little? This is my first time on this trip unlike you. You are already used to this" he sighed and rested his head on the mountain side and slid to a sitting position.

Darla stopped and looked at him. She had a mocking smile on her face.

"I was wondering when you were going to say so. I thought you had gotten super strong all of a sudden" she said

Daryn tensed. He felt hurt and confused at the same time. Hurt because of his pride, and confusion because he did not know how to answer her.

He just kept quiet and shut his eyes he needed to rest.