Training Trip - Heading Off

Having finished all my tasks in the village, I headed to the top of the hill. When I arrived, Mama Huiya was already outside the house waiting for me, and without giving me much time to prepare, we set off into the forest.

If you're curious about what I'm bringing along, it's not much, really—just a few changes of clothes, some paper and ink, dried meat, cereal bars, and the essentials I always carry with me. Not a lot, I promise.

Anyway, not even a minute after I arrived, we were already on our way. Let me tell you, this journey hasn't exactly been pleasant. It's great, isn't it, to embark on a trip without knowing where you're headed or how long it'll take to get there? Someone really needs to teach this old lady a thing or two about advance notice.

...

Little over a week has passed since we left, and I have to admit, the trip has been surprisingly enjoyable. There have been plenty of beautiful sights along the way—like that tall, branchless tree... and that tree with a little face in its trunk... and, well, another tree… and that other one...

Huh. Moving on.

Our routine this week has been grueling—walking all day with almost no breaks and sleeping no more than four hours a night. To make matters worse, my food supply wasn't exactly abundant to begin with; I probably only have enough for two more days. If I had to name one strength of mine, though, it would definitely be my stamina. It's honestly impressive. I can sprint at full speed for hours without stopping and recover in no time. Thanks to this stamina, I've managed to endure the insane training regime Mama Huiya put me through—and I've only grown stronger over time!

And besides, I don't have human feet. Naturally, I can't wear shoes or other footwear like normal people, but my hooves are far tougher than regular feet, so I don't have much trouble walking long distances.

That said, this evaluation of my stamina only holds true under controlled conditions, where everything is ideal—like the yard in front of the cabin. The terrain there is perfectly flat, and even though I've trained for hours under the blazing sun or heavy rain, it's still a safe environment. I can simply go back into the cabin to rest whenever I need to. Plus, I've always had plenty of food available, so I'm always fully energized—something a few pieces of dried meat and cereal bars a day simply can't replicate. And sleeping so little for such a long time? It's really starting to take its toll on me. In short: I'm tired. Very tired.

Now, about the forest. I've noticed something strange. The forest surrounding the village and the cabin is filled with tall trees spaced far enough apart to let some light reach the ground. This allows small patches of grass to grow, with few bushes and plenty of clearings. But on the sixth day of our journey, I noticed the trees were much closer together and even taller. Almost no light reaches the ground here, yet the vegetation is far denser—lots of bushes and vines climbing up the tree trunks. So far, I haven't seen a single clearing, and the air is much more humid. It's almost as if we've entered an entirely different forest.

I'd love to stop and take in all the different things around me, but all this time, Mama Huiya has stayed just a few steps ahead of me, never stopping for anything. Honestly? It's impressive how she can maintain the same pace for days and not even seem tired—and I'm pretty sure she rests even less than I do!

Thinking about this, I look ahead and try to focus on the hunched figure of the woman in front of me. That's when I realize my vision is blurry, making it impossible to see anything a foot away. Before I can react, my foot catches on a root, sending me face-first into the ground.

As I try to get up, I slip again and hit the ground once more. This time, I stay there, feeling the accumulated exhaustion weighing down on me. Moments later, I hear footsteps approaching and see a shadow fall over my body.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" I hear Mama Huiya's raspy voice ask.

"?" Confused by the question, I turn my face toward her.

She looks at me with a slightly disappointed expression—or figuratively looks at me, you know, given the whole blindness thing.

"First. You overestimated yourself. Why didn't you stop to rest?" She pauses for a few seconds, waiting for an answer, then asks another question.

"What are you talking about? Obviously, I couldn't stop unless you said something, and you only stop late at night! You said-" I reply indignantly, attempting to push myself off the ground again, managing to lift my torso slightly.

"I said what? I never told you to follow behind me," she cuts me off coldly.

"Are you a slave?" she retorts, fixing me with a heavy gaze. An invisible pressure weighs down on me, forcing me back onto the ground. "You felt too tired to keep going, but you ignored your own state to follow me silently. What did you think you'd achieve by doing that?"

"..." I stay silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. "I-I just thought I needed to keep up with your pace..."

"Phoebe, I don't think you understand yet. I'm not raising you to follow orders—not mine, not the chief's, not anyone's." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "You are the next shaman of the tribe. You are the one who gives the orders, or else they will end up swallowing you whole." Her voice softens as she finishes, running a hand through my hair.

"And part of any training is knowing when to rest. No one can endure forever, no matter who they are. If you'd spoken up, we would've stopped to rest anytime," she says, still with her hand on my head. "And I never said—"

I remain silent, staring at the ground, too ashamed to meet her gaze. That's when I feel cold water splash over my head.

"Second. You came completely unprepared. I told you this journey would be long, and yet you didn't bring anywhere near enough food. You even went near the river but didn't bring a single drop of water. A few more minutes, and you would've collapsed from dehydration," she says while walking away from me.

"You only gave me a few hours' notice about this trip! How the hell was I supposed to prepare properly?" I shout, quickly getting up from the ground, my strength restored by sheer anger.

"The wolves won't wait for you to get ready," she replies nonchalantly, waving her hand back at me. "Come, we'll camp a few meters ahead."

"This old woman...!" I can feel a vein threatening to burst on my forehead as I sprint after her.

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