52 Lost Little Chicks Chasing After Older Brothers (3)

"Here", Vera hands me a bowl of stew, sitting beside me to watch the dark, quiet night.

Although I'm not one for having both of them join us in such a risky journey, I can't deny that it's a bit easier having another person take care of the essentials like cooking meals, and gathering firewood—and though I don't say it, keeping Obrecht in check.

The night watching job was left out for the both of us.

"Are you still angry", Vera asks in a small voice.

My gaze flickers to where Obrecht is coaching Krael in his fighting techniques, practicing stances on how to better handle his knives and attacking opponents without getting disarmed. Since his weapon is shorter than a sword, it's a must for him to learn battle arts.

(A/N: Battle arts is like martial arts.)

"I'm not angry", I say after a while, removing my mask to start eating.

Vera sits down beside me, watching me eat while I ignore her.

"I don't think I'll get used to seeing you like this." Vera chuckles.

I look to her in question for a second.

"Well, for one, your eyes are stunning", she breathes out. "Do all surface-dwellers have golden eyes and pale hair?"

I shake my head. And then, in a quiet voice, I add, "The Lycan-kind have golden eyes too but it's rare to see white haired people among them."

As if sensing something, Vera shifts her eyes away guiltily. Just when I thought that she isn't going to ask anything further, she whispers, "Do you miss it? Up there?"

The silence stretches around us as I take some time to answer. Do I miss the surface? It's not like I have anything to miss out there but the memories. The shadows at my feet flicker, a shadow vine creeps up to my calf. I don't notice that the sound of clanging metal and footsteps halt, as Obrecht caresses the small shadow vine permanently situated on his arm who knows since when.

"…If there are a few things I do miss from the surface, it would be the green forests, the four seasons, the sun, the moon, and the breeze."

"Sun? What's that? Is it some kind of delicious food?"

I laugh a little. "No, it's a huge star that lights up the world when morning comes, just like how Aovialutre's light shines every morning. But come nighttime, the moon takes the sun's place to guide those lost travelers by moonlight."

Vera hums.

"…What?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing much, it's just, I never heard you talk a lot before. I actually thought you didn't like me at first when we just got acquainted."

Her words strike a critical hit at my heart. Realizing that I like Obrecht, even way before, and that I may have accidentally been jealous of Vera—I hold my mask to adjust it guiltily.

"…It's not like that at all. I just didn't know how to interact with you."

"Oh", she breathes out in relief. "So that's what it was." She pauses and then begins to talk animatedly like her usual self, "I was so scared earlier when you said so much! I was thinking along the lines like, 'Waaaah, what to do, Videre's scolding us and he said more than ten words—he's definitely very, very furious!', the whole time."

Chatting light-heartedly with Vera, I chuckle a few times more, feeling as if I had grown closer to her than I was before. I ignore the staring of two jealous people behind us. Vera doesn't notice though, as she asks about what I saw during my ceremony. She's quite curious of Aovialutre and what she looks like, though we're still unsure if it really is her. If it is her, why call me out?

"But isn't it sad", Vera asks as her gaze flits upwards to the million crystals above us. "That beast is living secluded in that temple's garden all alone, not knowing someone is there with it."

I gaze upwards as well, my hands supporting me as I lean backwards. Isn't it much more melancholic to live trapped in that temple with no one seeing you, unable to leave and be free?

A prickling feeling on my startles me as I abruptly shift my gaze to the darkest parts of the forest ahead us.

"What is it?" Vera also stares ahead us.

"…My neck was cramping."

"Oh", Vera laughs.

"…Go back and get some sleep. Grab Krael while you're at it. I'll help you train tomorrow if we're free."

"Really", Vera exclaims.

I nod in affirmation. "But only if you behave."

She stands up and skips towards the campfire. Upon seeing her, Obrecht takes her place and sits beside me in a relaxed manner, but his tone of voice is very serious when he asks, "You felt it?"

"…I did."

It may have been short but the nagging feeling of eyes predating on us couldn't be mistaken. My domain has been stretched out when it was just the two of us. Obrecht could easily defend whereas I just needed to detect things much earlier. But with the addition of inexperienced young Hunters, I compressed my domain to a smaller range so I can easily attack and counter if need be, and yet, that too, has its shortcomings.

"…I don't know which part it was staying earlier but to be safe, we should head out earlier in the morning."

"Mm."

I take off my mask after checking that the two were already laying down on their bedrolls, asleep.

"…You're not going to sleep too?"

The corners of his lips lift up by a fraction, but I know that it is Obrecht's sincerest smile.

"Why? Are you planning to sleep with me?"

I clench my fist and softly smack the side of his head.

"…Pervert."

"If loving someone is perverted, let me be a pervert whole-heartedly", he solemnly says.

I flush, clobbering his head much harder until he gasps in pain.

"…Ah." Did I put too much strength in that?

When I turn to him, I find that he is staring at me, the hand that I had hit him with is cozily wrapped inside his palm. He uses his other hand to trace the markings on my face. The knot on my throat bobs up and down in a hard attempt to swallow.

"I've always felt that this line on your face looked like tears streaming down.��� He caresses the lower part of my cheek. Unable to bear it, I look downwards. "It's ironic for someone who I've never seen cry."

Breaking into a small smile, I tease, "I haven't seen you cry either. One that isn't an act—"

The wheels in my head pause, all my attention focused on the soft lips that caressed my cheek, along with the nose that traces the markings on my face. He moves unto my ear, his laughing voice making my ears turn a shade of fiery red when he says, "Breathe."

A gasp escapes me as he seizes my waist to sit me on his lap. I nervously look behind us to see if the others noticed.

"It's okay, they're asleep. They're probably dead tired from all that running and chores they did for the whole day. This time, you should only focus on me."

"We're leaving early tomorrow", I quickly warn him.

"So?"

"…So…so we…"

"Exactly", Obrecht says as he hugs me tighter, his forehead resting on my shoulder. "You can keep watch. I'll just take a nap like this. Isn't it much warmer this way?"

With arms tightly clutching my upper torso, I resignedly used my shadow to grab my mask and place it on half of Obrecht's face, the fur shielding his back from the coldness of the night. I wasn't able to take notice of the playful satisfied smirk on my lover's lips when I did so.

I notice the small snake-like black markings on one of his arms, and poke it. Without lifting my finger, the little sneaky vine writhed and squirmed, trying to escape, yet I did not let it.

Who allowed you to stay on Obrecht arm?

Shaking like a bullied child, I sigh and release it, yet it does not escape. Contrary, it wraps itself more on Obrecht's arm, as if the first thing it would do when its mother (Obrecht) wakes up is tattle about me bullying it.

Leaning back slightly, the steady rhythm of his heart lulls me to sleep. I close my eyes, but my spirit is wide awake, quietly observing our little campsite. A little bored, I draw the rune of my name on Obrecht's arm with my index finger, practicing it after I remembered Father's words.

A Wraith marks it lover by his own rune. Mother was too embarrassed to show it to us at the time, but I know it was beautiful; snow white runes tracing down her neck to her shoulders, down to her arms, beautifully painting her tan skin. It was beautiful.

I open my eyes to study the man beside me, my thoughts shrouded and indecipherable among the shadows.