Mira

"Okay, new rule," she said, twirling her spear. "If you can land a single hit on me, just one, I'll do whatever you want. Clean your tent, carry your water, whatever."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Anything," Rynne said confidently.

Lance grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You're going to regret that."

The next few minutes were a blur of chaotic, frantic movement. Lance lunged and swung with wild abandon, throwing every ounce of energy he had into his attacks. Rynne dodged and parried with ease, laughing the entire time.

"You call that a swing?" she taunted, stepping aside as his spear whooshed harmlessly past her. "I've seen toddlers with better aim!"

"I'm wearing you down," Lance panted, sweat dripping down his face.

"You're wearing yourself down," Rynne shot back, effortlessly sidestepping another clumsy thrust.

Finally, with a desperate burst of energy, Lance feinted left and then lunged right, aiming for her exposed side.

For a split second, he thought he'd done it, but Rynne moved like smoke, twisting her body faintly, just enough to avoid the strike. She swung her spear in a wide arc, hooking Lance's weapon and yanking it out of his hands.

Before he could react, the tip of her spear was pressed lightly against his chest.

"And that's game," Rynne said with a grin.

Lance groaned, collapsing to his knees. "I hate you."

"Hahaha, of course you don't," Rynne laughed, offering him a hand.

Lance took it, letting her pull him to his feet. "Okay, maybe I don't. But you're still obnoxious."

Rynne laughed. "And you're still hopeless. But you're my hopeless chief, so I can only keep training you until you become a powerful warrior."

As they walked back to the camp, Lance couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Rynne. Her teasing might have been relentless, but it was clear she cared, enough to push him, challenge him, and, in her own way, believe in him.

"Same time tomorrow?" she asked as they reached the edge of the clearing.

"Do we even need time? We spent the entire day training, it's a miracle I haven't collapsed." Lance replied with a weary smile.

"Hahaha, that is true. You should pay Mira a visit then, to get you patched up, she always does a good job," Rynne said with a wide grin.

"Mira?"

"Yes, her tent's right over there," Rynne pointed.

"Alright, thanks."

…

Lance went ahead towards the tent. There was no door to knock on per-se, so Lance was relieved when she noticed someone was at the entrance and asked them to come in.

"Lance? What brings you here?" Mira asked as she looked to, Lance's body gradually coming into view completely. "You're covered in bruises, what happened!" Mira sprawled to her feet, inspecting Lance's body.

Lance was surprised to see her react in such a manner, but he maintained composure as he shifted backwards a bit. He wasn't used to being touched like that, blood might have started flowing towards the wrong direction even. "I was in the training area with Rynne throughout the day."

"What? How could she drag you out and keep you for so long?" Mira fumed lightly, shaking her head as she squinted her eyes.

"It was nothing like that, I went there myself. Actually, I quite enjoyed our time together." Lance said truthfully.

"Is that so? Then, you won't mind accompanying me to grab some herbs, will you? It should help you see around the forest while calming your mind" Mira proposed her idea almost excitedly, catching Lance completely off guard.

He couldn't quite understand it. The way Mira interacted with him was as though they had known each other for a long time. It wasn't easy to get used to immediately, but Lance appreciated it. "I would really love to, but I've already made plans with Rynne, we're supposed to train tomorrow as well."

"Oh, is that so? Then you don't have to worry, I'll talk to Rynne."

"O-ok, if she agrees then."

She chuckled lightly, "Mmm. Come sit down here, I'll look at your wounds.

Just as Mira said, she did talk to Rynne, and the next morning, she brought Lance outside the camp to pick some herbs.

Lance for one, couldn't quite comprehend where the compassion Mira so showered him was coming from, but he certainly was not opposed to it.

As soon as they left the camp, they were met with a dense forest and uncharted territory for Lance. He followed Mira through the winding paths of the forest, the soft rustle of leaves underfoot the only sound accompanying their journey. Once in a while, they would hear some birds calling, but that was it for the most part.

Unlike the energetic and brash Rynne, Mira exuded a quiet calm that seemed to put Lance at ease. Her indiscriminate show of gentle care also made them feel closer.

Lance watched Mira from behind as they made their way through the forest. Compared to Rynne, she had a more feminine feel to her, and she wasn't as slender as Lia, cupping the most outstanding proportions of the bunch.

'This place is a trap for a young man like myself.' Lance thought to himself.

"Keep up, Lance," she said gently, glancing over her shoulder with a soft smile. "The best plants are farther in."

"I'm trying," Lance muttered, stumbling over a root. The forest floor seemed determined to trip him at every step. "How do you even spot anything in all this green? It all looks the same to me."

Mira chuckled. "You just have to pay attention. The forest speaks if you're willing to listen."

Lance shook his head, amused. "Right, because talking trees are totally a thing here."

"They aren't," Mira said with mock seriousness, though her lips twitched in amusement. "But if they were, I'm sure they'd tell you to be quieter. You're scaring off the good herbs."

"Ah…" He had related what she said to the shamanic talk he heard from Lia, unfortunately, Mira spoke only figuratively.

Their destination was a small clearing by a babbling brook, where the sunlight filtered through the canopy in dappled patches. Mira knelt by the water's edge, her delicate hands brushing over the plants growing nearby there.

"Are you sure it's even growing here? Everything here looks like grass." Lance said, sparking a light laugh from Mira.

She plucked a few with practiced ease, adding them to her basket before turning to Lance.

"Come sit," she said, patting the mossy ground beside her. "I'll show you."

Lance hesitated for a moment before sitting cross-legged beside her, his curiosity outweighing his usual clumsiness.

"This one," Mira said, holding up a small plant with broad green leaves and pale blue flowers, "is called moonshade. It's good for soothing burns and rashes. It's contained in the medicine I used on you yesterday."

Lance examined the plant with interest, nodding. "I see. It looks a bit like aloe vera. We use that for burns and bruises back where I'm from."

"Aloe vera?" Mira tilted her head, her emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Tell me about it."

Lance explained what little he knew about aloe vera, describing its gel-like consistency and its effectiveness in soothing small injuries burns. Mira listened intently, her expression thoughtful.

"That sounds similar," she mused. "Maybe our moonshade is your aloe vera's cousin."

"Could be," Lance said with a shrug. "Though I doubt your plants come with magical side effects."

Mira's lips curved into a playful smile. "Not magical. Just… enhanced." She gestured toward another plant with small bright red berries. "What about this one? Does your world have anything like it?"

"Looks like holly berries, but I'm guessing these aren't just for decoration," Lance replied.

"They're not," Mira said, plucking a few and holding them up. "These are bloodfruit. When crushed, they can speed up healing for minor cuts and bruises. But eat too many, and you'll wish you hadn't."

"Poisonous?"

"Not exactly," Mira said, her smile widening. "Just… unpleasant. Let's say your stomach won't thank you."

"Haha… diarrhea then."