Chapter 4
"We should've borrowed a carriage! I can't stand walking!" Thalia whined, dragging her feet through the grass. Regretting choosing to journey without her maids.
The road from Eden to silver dust has been dreadful without transportation. My legs ached; my stomach was empty. However, it is much better than the palace, now, I'm often surrounded by fruits, vegetables, and plants.
"Mommy… I'm hungry." Aiden's small voice cracked through my mind as his stomach growled. His face was pale, lips dry.
"we're deep in the forest, we should find a place to camp for the day, somewhere away from the boars and creatures. Then we'll eat!" Thalia announced happily
I raised a brow. "a boar? My mom has told me about them. Aren't they wild species? … I don't think I'm strong enough to fight" I paused "I'm not good at fighting but I'm good at healing. My mom taught me many tricks. " I downplayed.
"healing tricks, that's good, on yours and my part, when I use my strength you can heal me! Perfect!" Thalia exclaimed "also you're strong, if you learn to actually attack, you'd be hella powerful"
We continued to walk through the forest, but something felt off, I could hear something heat up from behind me, a chilling animalistic growl, loud thumping. Without a thought I looked behind me, thinking it was the princess wanting to keep another animal as a pet again. This time it wasn't. it was a large boar. Its eyes flashed red as it locked eyes with mine, drool slowly sprinkled on the floor as it prepared to attack. I flinched.
I quickly pushed Kian behind me, ready to attack. "Stay behind me," my voice changed slightly. "yeah, of course I'll learn it. I just need time you know."
Thalia stepped forward, removing her white gloves then throwing it near my direction. "a feast, you're so going in our food bank." She grinned.
The beast planned to make us it's dish. The boar arrived its nostrils flared angrily.
"give me a signal when you need healing!" I said, trying to prove that I'm useful.
"Got it" a smirk formed on her lips "delicious food!" The boar charged. The ground tearing into two. Aiden cried out as Thalia shoved him behind the oak trunk, without warning. Keeping him safe.
She raised her hands, drawing on the last traces of her strength. Her knuckles sharply stomped on the hard ground, the ground cried desperately as cracks started to form. With great strength she pulled an enamours rock as a shield. Her left hand was a shield whistly the rock on her right hand was squished into medium sized rocks, aiming it at the boar.
The strike hit the boar across its flank. It roared, stumbling for half a breath, before thrashing forward with even more rage.
"There, there big guy!" Thalia shouted, as she searched for a nearby tree, "you can start the healing, Rina!"
I've barely used my magic, and my magic is draining, I must stay strong. The water slowly danced out of my pouch, I chanted the spell, feeling the water splash against Thalia's bruised knuckles. The healing was slow and faint, however it worked this time, even though it only healed her scratches.
"Nearly done!" I thought frantically.
The boar thrashed, snapping the bindings apart like twigs. It barrelled forward, tusks slicing the air.
At the last second, she pulled a tree from its root, aiming it directly at the boar. The boar hurriedly rushed to Thalia, meeting its doom, the boar was crushed by the trunk. It's branches piecing through its body.
Nerina breathed heavily as the water burst in little droplets in every direction, the impact sending her sprawling backward into the mud. She tried desperately to mask out her exhaustion, not wanting to feel like a burden.
"Urgh! Mud! No!! My beautiful gown!"" Thalia groaned loudly, trying to clean he gown "this is "Nara you know! I need to change! Where is the suitcase"
The beast bellowed, whimpering loudly, its body moving slowly. BAM! The beast dropped on the ground, creating mountains and mountains of echoes around us.
Silence fell over the forest.
"Well…" Thalia wiped her brow groaning slightly, picking up her suitcase and strutting toward the nearby lake as if nothing had happened. "… at least we have more food now."
Her legs moved quickly along the muddy grassland "cut it up and clean it up. I will find some salt rocks."
My arms trembled slightly. my body trying to regain some energy. My eyes scanned to the tree trunk were Aiden landed.
I watched as his frail body waddled towards me. "Mommy I'm okay... it's the big scary monster gone?"
I let out a sigh of relief as I saw him. "Yes... and there's food" I exclaimed.
His mouth watered as he heard the word 'food' highlighting his desperate need for food "food!" he jumped happily. His childlike innocence warming my heart.
A few moments later
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Thalia returned with a handful of jagged white crystals clutched in a white cloth, dressed in a completely different outfit. "Salt rocks. I found some salt, is the beast ready to be marinated?"
"I don't know how to cut up a boar, I did try" Nerina said
Thalia pulled a small dagger from her thigh strap—something I hadn't noticed she carried before—and set to work like she'd done this before.
Her movements were surprisingly efficient, hands steady, slicing through the thick hide. I watched as she worked. She cut the beast skin way firmer than my weak slices.
"Why? You haven't seen a royal live so commonly?" she spoke noticing staring "I carry knives with me, just in case… you know? Anything can happen".
"Um... not really… I always just see maids preparing the meals- for royals and- let their guards fight for them, I didn't even think that you can cook" I murmured, trying not sound rude.
"I can, cook! I'll show you" Thalia screamed loudly, quickly making a fire with nearby branching.
She ran around the forest, collecting firewood. Once that was done, she cleaned, marinated, and fried the meat under the fire.
Thalia let out a satisfied smile, grinning widely at both of us "dinner is served."
Aiden wrinkled his nose but clapped his hands. "Food! Food! I bet it's going to be yummy!
I couldn't help but laugh softly.
Thalia jumped onto the chair made from grass, her baby pink and white laced tank top paired with silk silver regular shorts, adding to her child-like behaviour. "See? It's delicious, isn't it?" she grinned, expecting an applause for her cooking.
"It's very yummy!!" Aiden cackled.
"it's not bad, it's good" I said trying to mask out how good it was.
"Aw I know right! The maids taught me how to make them, although it would've been better with other spices and pepper." Thalia muttered, losing her concentration again, snapping out of it quickly, she replied "You should change; gowns are very heavy. Check the suitcase, I'm sure the maids packed something in there" her hands delicately moved around the meat, gently tugging the meat into pieces before placing it in her mouth.
I nodded, before standing up.
"I've also never seen a princess fight so brutely like that" I started, as I searched through her suitcase. Finding an outfit to change out of. I found a similar outfit to what she's wearing now "is her wardrobe just pink coloured clothes?" I thought. I looked at both suitcases, curious to see if her clothes were mainly pink coloured clothes. Shockingly, it was filled with other colours, although most were pink, some were blue, yellow, purple and red.
I quickly shut her suitcase, opening mine and Kian's suitcase.
"I get that a lot, since I have no magic I rely on strength, I don't really care about what people think." Thalia ranted.
I quickly picked a comfortable wear for Kian and I, before calling Kian to change near a bush.
MOMENTS LATER
"I saw a village, or town near here. We can find some materials from there or maybe find a place to stay for a while" Thalia sighed.
"a place to stay? That's good" I replied. Aiden sleeping soundly at the bed made with leaves, clothes and come branches.
For a while, we ate in silence and got ready to sleep under the night sky. Listening to the crackle of fire and the occasional hoot of an owl and sounds from other animals. The forest, once so threatening, now felt almost peaceful.
Our eyes closed, resting up for our journey tomorrow.