25

He could not take his eyes away from the window. Langdon has been waiting for the hermit to come home. It has been five days since she followed that eagle somewhere. He was amazed that the man did not only tame a huge wolfdog but also managed to tame a massive predatory bird. Indeed, Talon is something special.

Even so, he is starting to worry. He still doesn't know the exact length of days being used to travel to a longer distance destination. When they trekked back then to reach the dwelling, it took them more than a week. Maybe a week is not that long but still he was beginning to worry. The first time he saw the hermit, they were in an awkward situation. The possible things that could happen to the man are endless.

"Rain, where did you come from?" he asked the animal who was now stalking in his direction. He stepped out of the dwelling and met the animal halfway. In the mouth of the wolfdog, a piece of a deer leg was dangling from it. He noticed how this animal preferred to eat deer meat over anything else.

Rain dropped the still bloody leg on his feet, and it almost made him run back inside the dwelling. However, he stood his ground and picked the meat up. Langdon was suspecting that the animal thought him incapable of hunting, that's why he received such a gift every day. The sight of blood alone made him icky but even so, the hermit always told him to get used to it and suck it up, so did just that.

"Thank you, Rain. I'll have a filling meal again because of you." he stroked the animal's head and proceeded to clean the meat. Truth be told, he was reluctant to leave the dwelling because he wanted to witness the moment Talon arrived home. He wanted to welcome him home.

It might not be perfect just yet, but the man already taught her a lot of things. Those things could ensure his survival bit by bit. Hunting and gathering would not be so difficult for him but he wanted to stay where the man told him to stay. That is why he was thankful for the wolfdog bringing him food once a day.

He planned to roast the meat, and give the bone to the animal, and after that, he would spend his day tidying the place and stitching new clothes for himself and for Talon. There is nothing for him to do besides cleaning the home and tending to the small garden of spices. Also, the forest seems mysterious with the fog slowly descending. The visibility is almost down to zero, making him vulnerable.

At night, he could not sleep well without the man beside him. He felt unsafe without the hermit around, and the lack of sleep is making him exhausted. Absolutely adding to his reluctance to venture outside of the dwelling and into the forest. He did not need to worry for food much since the shed has a lot of smoked meat to nourish him. There's rows and rows of preserved food lined up in a small pantry that the hermit made. It'll do.

He decided to cook outside even with the fog and roasted the meat right away. It is almost dusk. His thoughts wander over the missing man once again. It is another tedious day spent without Talon.

****

She only has the handy knife with her, and nothing more. The shovel could be a last resort, but she underestimated the visitors this time. She doubts the small knife can handle the men armed with crossbows and machetes. She thankfully extended her gratitude to the heavens for destroying the artillery that was invented before the deadly tragedy. She stood a chance against them. Those automatic guns, massive weapons were absent in this era. No one dared to manufacture something so dangerous that could easily wipe out the already dwindling population in a snap.

Nevertheless, the absence of such lethal weapons doesn't mean human civilization would not need objects to protect themselves. That is why the weapons they used were more akin to that of the medieval age. Even with that, even with the use of medieval armaments, the population today was more modernized in thought and their ways of living. Hence, why she was now facing horses that the men rode on.

Horses are the major mode of transportation at this time. The animals are not a joke either. They easily stood over the heads of the tallest humans in the district and some more. Muscled limbs were a deadly give away to their powerful stance. These horses could cover a dozen miles in ust an hour. That is how these animals adapted to the aftermath of the tragedy. They have quite a temper and she wondered how these people tame these animals. It is making her consider taming one herself. She had no knowledge of doing it but maybe he could ask about the process when she visits the district next time. These people seem unfriendly and won't be up for a small talk.

She combed her fingers through her hair and just realized that she did not have any headcover. Trepidation leisurely grows in her mind. Seems like she was wrong in her childish belief that it would take a few more years before people in the district dared to venture on the island again.

The odd thing is that the number of the men only comprises 9 people and more than half of them look scared out of their wits. There is no doubt that they are unfriendly since she saw how they tried to raise their crossbows when they heard Mice approach overheard. Luckily, she already signaled the animal to leave.

"Are we in the right direction?" asked the man heading the whole entourage. He is blonde and has blue eyes. They are still not far from the land bridge that connected the islands.

"It says here on the map that we are in the right direction, Boss." It didn't escape Tahlia's eyes that the man stuttered when he answered the question.

She is not sure where their destination was, but they are heading to western region of the island where the most mammals reside. Most of the primates live in the area, and the gorillas are one of those primates. They are quite destructive, the type to attack first, curiosity later.

"We should have brought one of the men who sold the whore, Boss." said the man riding behind the blonde.

Tahlia clenched the small knife in her hand tighter, clutching it close. She was fucking right, there is no way a pretty prostitute like Langdon would be easily handed over.

"Do you want to increase the fertility of this island, Mick?" the blonde man asked without giving the other man a glance. She saw how the man named Mick stiffened.

"Keep your eyes on the maps. Well, take Lanny back and take that bastardly hermit as well if we need to." the man said in a cold voice. The man's voice was brimming with sincerity. He would really take Langdon back and her as well. The thought of it made her fuming.

The noise they made as they trekked through the jungle was loud. The snapping of twigs, the neigh of the horses, and their loud voices did not overpower the thundering in her chest. This is a different kind of emotion; the exact opposite of what Langdon makes her feel.

She needs them to leave the island. However, she is not invincible enough to subdue these men without suffering some bloody injury herself. The knowledge she has of the island could aid her but if she wanted to keep the standing agreement with the district heads firm, and not waste a sweat at all, she would just let them venture into the territory of the massive primates.

Planning some more in her head, she followed the group in stealth, and remained concealed in the thick bushes, tall grasses. She would watch them closely and if there's an opportunity, striking a deal won't be that bad. Keeping the agreement with the district will protect her if things go awry. Just by eavesdropping on them, she already knows that these people hailed from District V.

Weighing her options, and planning things accordingly, she could overcome this impediment without casualty at all, or she hopes so. After all, they are heading in the western region of the main island. If she won't take care of the problem, then nature will.

This situation could go for days but she would wait it out, no matter how long it takes.