4

Zara remained awake for the remainder of that day atop a hill that overlooked the expansive plains that lay below her. In spite of the late hour, the moon was shining brightly in the sky, which cast a bluish light over the surrounding area. On the other hand, the horizon was lit up in an orange hue by the setting sun. The clouds that were lazily floating through the sky were illuminated by its crimson glow, which painted the clouds in vibrant hues of red and purple.

Despite the fact that there was very little going on, Zara experienced her typical restlessness. Her regular sleeping habits had to be completely reorganized ever since she was transformed into a werewolf. In the past, it didn't matter what time of day it was when she went to bed; now, however, it was impossible for her body to relax unless she had first worked herself into a state of exhaustion beforehand. As a direct consequence of this, she discovered that she was frequently found wandering around aimlessly in her bedroom well past midnight. The majority of the time, she went to bed without having accomplished much beyond venting her frustration before falling asleep. Tonight was the same as any other night. Despite the fact that she had been working on it for such a long time, she had only managed to finish three pages' worth of homework. This wasn't exactly an impressive accomplishment.

"Ugh! Come on, it's about time you got moving!"

Her voice became increasingly frustrated as she continued to kick the desk incessantly. She detested having to engage in pointless activities such as studying when there were more pressing concerns that needed her attention. Her life was fraught with peril, particularly after she had been transformed into a werewolf and all its attendant changes. Even though Alba had reassured her that everything would be okay in the end, she couldn't help but feel anxious about what was in store for her.

I have to keep a positive attitude... If that does not change, I have no chance of surviving this ordeal...

In the end, she came to the conclusion that it would be best to postpone going to the study hall until later. In addition to that, she desired to spend some quality time with Syliva rather than doing anything else. Zara was aware that her presence was never far away, even when she couldn't see her in the physical world. Simply thinking about her made her give a teasing little smile to her face.

The wind picked up all of a sudden, creating whirlwinds of brisk air that whipped through the valley. The ominous sound of thunder could be heard rolling in from a great distance. Zara was startled when she suddenly heard footsteps coming up behind her. When she turned around, she saw Syliva approaching her in an unhurried manner. In contrast to her earlier appearance, she was dressed in a black shirt with a loose fit and matching pants. Her feet were clad in worn leather boots that were embellished on the sides with silver trimmings. Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, which gave her the appearance of being authoritative while also being elegant.

Zara addressed her with a cordial "Hey."

"Hiya."

They kept chatting in a lighthearted manner as they strolled side by side. Their conversation covered a wide range of subjects, ranging from their respective schools and hobbies to the current state of the world in general. The two young women continued their conversation, but they kept their voices low so that no one else could hear it. They traveled for some time before arriving at a clearing that was situated atop one of the hills. They were sitting on a rock that was slightly higher than the others, and from there they could see the seemingly endless plain of grasslands that lay in front of them. The sun began its long descent into the water, which was quite a distance below them.

Syliva asked, "Do you agree that this place is absolutely stunning?"

Zara nodded in agreement. "Simply stunning in every way. Brings back fond memories of my native country..."

Sylvia flashed a timid smile. "You know, I really do believe that I have seen it before in some other place...

Zara cocked her head to the side in a curious manner. "Really? Where?"

"When I used to visit Alba, I used to stay in the castle."

Zara's expression became more perplexed as she furrowed her brows. "But to be honest, I can't say for sure that I've ever been near any mountains or forests..."

Sylvia let out an anxious giggle. "It makes no difference, is that clear? It's great to finally connect with someone who comes from a similar family or has experienced similar things."

Zara responded in a soft voice, "Yeah... Same here." The words that Syliva had spoken left her feeling strangely moved and touched. It's possible that she came to the conclusion that they had something unique in common that neither of them completely understood. Something that distinguished them from everyone else in the group. The moment she had that realization, a pleasantly warm feeling spread throughout her chest.

The sunset reached its pinnacle after only a few minutes had passed. After that, the color of the sky changed to a dark crimson as the day turned into night. After some time had passed, the moon finally emerged from its hiding place and cast a gentle light over the area. The smell of recent rainfall was carried across the fields by the light breeze that was blowing. Zara and Syliva stood close to one another as they took in the scene's stunning beauty in silence.

Zara proposed, "What do you say about the two of us camping out here for the night?" "We are able to spend time together watching the sunrise."

"No problem," was the reply from Sylvia. "I'd love to."

She took out of her backpack a bag containing camping supplies and placed it on the ground. After she had finished unpacking it, the first thing she did was arrange the various cooking utensils, blankets, and pillows on the floor. After that, she brought out two lanterns, lit them up, and hung them from some trees in the area. At long last, she gathered some wood and embarked on the process of constructing a modest campfire. In a relatively short amount of time, she was able to construct a warm and inviting little haven for them to rest in comfort.

As soon as she had finished the construction, she sat in front of the fire with her legs crossed and waited patiently for Zara to arrive. In the meantime, Zara underwent the transformation that returned her to her human form, and she hurriedly approached the campsite from a different direction. When she finally arrived at the clearing, the first person she saw was Syliva, who was lounging next to the fire. It looked as though she was very busy cooking something in the pot that was suspended from the branch above her head. Zara concluded that it must have contained soup because the contents of the container were steaming.

Zara was ecstatic as she proclaimed, "Here I am!"

When Sylvia saw her, she turned around and greeted her with a bright smile. "Finally! I was beginning to become concerned about your whereabouts."

"I am sorry, I got sidetracked there. Anyway, let me get started on dinner."

After hearing this, Zara immediately began searching the surrounding area for logs and branches to collect. After that, she started a roaring fire and then proceeded to set out the ingredients that were required for cooking. By the time Syliva had finished, she had already completed all of the meal preparations. She proceeded to place bowls that were full of meat and vegetables onto a wooden plate that was placed next to the fire with deft hands.

Syliva remarked, "There ya go," as she handed one bowl to each of the girls and then walked away.

Both young ladies sat down across from one another and dove headfirst into their respective meals. They could smell the beef being cooked freshly, and it filled their nostrils with a tantalizing fragrance that encouraged them to eat with even greater zeal. After that came the savory taste of potatoes that had been mashed with butter and seasoned with salt. Because it was so delicious, both of the girls ate more than they needed without even realizing it. They finished their meals, cleared their plates, and went back to their designated spots by the fire when they had reached their full potential.

Zara's inquiry was motivated by her natural inquisitiveness. "So tell me, are all wolves as friendly as you?"

"Not really," Syliva responded with a chuckle after hearing the question. "Some of us would rather not interact with others, particularly those of us who live in groups. However, when you think about it, that probably describes the majority of people, right?"

Zara nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that makes sense to me..."

They continued talking for another half an hour until the sun had set and the sky was dark enough to see the stars. Following that, darkness descended upon the entire camping site, save for the light cast by Syliva's lantern. Even though they were able to see perfectly well because of the moonlight that was shining brightly above them, the lack of artificial lighting provided a sense of tranquility that is rarely experienced outside of natural settings.

Zara beamed with happiness as she announced that "now that the sun has gone down, it is officially nighttime." Would you really want to sleep on the very first night that we were together?

When the word "first" was mentioned, Sylvia flashed a wry smile. "That much is true."

After a ten-minute break during which they did nothing but look up at the night sky in silence, they went back to discussing the issue at hand. Neither of the two girls appeared to have much interest in talking about what had taken place earlier today. They conversed about unremarkable topics instead, such as their favorite foods, music, books, movies, and so on. Soon after, they ran out of things to talk about, and silence ensued as a result.

The only thing that broke the silence that was between them was the crackling of the fire after it had gone on for a short while. Having said that, Syliva did end up resuming her previous position. "Would it be okay if I asked you why your family sent you away? And what are some of the challenges that come along with being a werewolf?"

Before giving her response, Zara gave careful consideration to how she would respond. "During the fight against another pack, my father was killed. My mother sacrificed her life in an attempt to shield me from the assault."

"Oh my goodness... That must have been the worst..."

As she recalled the details of the event in great detail, tears began to well up in her eyes. She quickly dabbed her teary eyes with the sleeve of her tunic in order to hide them. "In any case, I have no idea how much longer I will be able to conceal the fact that I have lycanthropic abilities. If anything happens, please take care of yourself. You're strong enough to survive alone, aren't you?"

Sylvia smiled gently. "Yes, I will. Thanks."

Then, she stood up abruptly. "Well, looks like it's almost time for bed. We should get some shut eye soon."

"Okay, good idea."

Together, they headed towards their makeshift tent. Inside, they stripped themselves naked and climbed into their beds. They curled up tightly inside their blankets and drifted peacefully into slumber. Zara's dreams were filled with visions of running freely across the open plains. In contrast, Syliva dreamed of standing proudly amidst the crowd, holding aloft the banner of the Silver Moon clan.