"True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable." — David Tyson
…
Mr Achibe's POV
We arrived at the Forests of Albania using a Portkey.
When we reached the drop-off point Mr Mateo had described, there was no one in sight. But I wasn't just a wizard; I was a hunter. I tracked the students by the signs they left on the trail and found that they had headed towards the market.
I informed Mr Morrow, who had arrived with me.
"They must have gone to collect information regarding the target," Mr Morrow said, pondering the situation. "If not for that Headmistress making another ruckus at the departure, we would have been here on time to intercept them."
"No use crying over spilt milk, Mr Morrow," I replied.
We agreed to hold our position. If we moved towards the market, we risked missing them if they circled back into the forest via a different route. This was the shortest path they had to take eventually.
So, we hid high in the branches of the ancient trees.
These forests were not like the jungle on the island. The Albanian woods had plenty of free space and large clearings, which made it difficult to tail the group without being noticed. Fortunately, we had come prepared with enough Disillusionment Potions to last a month.
It was just after 5:00 PM when the group emerged from the direction of the market.
They looked absolutely like crap.
"These kids do not know how to take care of themselves. Them and their hygiene," I whispered to Mr Morrow.
He nodded in solemn agreement.
They were discussing the information they had gained. Honestly, I was impressed. They had walked into a den of wolves and come out without losing a limb. Collecting intel on Rakepick was just the cherry on top.
Then, we witnessed the scene of Charlus hugging Emma.
Mr Morrow whistled silently and turned his head away to give them privacy. It was an embarrassing moment for both of us—watching students hugging in the moonlight. If this had been at school, Charlus would have been skinned alive and tied upside down from the ceiling for public displays of affection.
Fortunately, it wasn't anything cringey, like kissing.
Guess they are still just kids, huh?
The next day arrived, and the group started early.
It was convenient to have a partner for surveillance. I had slept half the night, and Mr Morrow was sleeping now. Seeing the students packing up, I shook him awake.
"Mr Morrow... Mr Morrow... Dude, wake up!"
I urged him a little forcefully. He jolted awake at being called 'dude'. He looked at me suspiciously, but I kept my face straight, betraying no amusement. He probably thought it was part of a dream.
We followed the group towards the mountains.
Their decision-making skills were... questionable. But we had to bear it. They were children on their first real mission outside the island. At least it wasn't a total disaster.
Mr Morrow seemed satisfied with his students. My students, on the other hand...
Ximena, the little troublemaker. Was she seriously afraid of snakes? She literally spent the last five months in a jungle infested with them!
Anders, that dunderhead. I guess I could only call Sulaiman my prize student. He was the only rational one in the bunch. And Akiko... well, Akiko was being Akiko.
I recognised at a glance that the terrain they were approaching was cursed. I saw it, and so did Mr Morrow. We both tensed.
Fortunately, Regulus stopped the group. He had noticed something wrong with the land.
I was impressed by the boy. What I couldn't stand was the smugness of the old man next to me. Mr Morrow looked so proud, puffing his chest out as if he had taught the boy to sniff dirt himself.
Honestly, give me a break.
Finally, it was my time to shine.
Sulaiman performed the ritual to track the target.
Ah! My student. I turned towards Mr Morrow and bragged about the complexity of the African tracking ritual for a solid minute.
He didn't look impressed. He just looked at the map.
This is frustrating. Why are you not reacting? Am I monologuing to myself, dude? I thought internally.
Then, the voodoo doll pointed the way. The students gathered their gear and started their journey towards Ruin 5.
Mr Morrow's face went grim.
"Why the long face, Mr Morrow? The students are advancing," I asked.
"They are heading to the valley," he said quietly.
"Yeah, they are heading to a valley. So?"
He turned towards me, his eyes dark. "They are heading towards THE Valley."
It took me a second to realise which geographical feature he meant.
"Fuck!" I cursed aloud.
We looked at each other and followed them anxiously. We both knew exactly what was waiting for them down there.
…
Regulus had noticed the magical signatures trailing them since yesterday.
At first, he thought it was a spy from the market. But the signature was familiar. One felt like Mr Morrow, and the other one, earthy and wild, didn't take long to identify as Mr Achibe. Regulus ignored them.
The group started towards the distant mountains.
It would take two to three days to cover the distance. Crossing five mountains was no small feat. They aimed to cover two peaks per day.
Today, they started with the first mountain. It was mostly rocky terrain, which was steep. A simple Sticking Charm applied to their boots allowed them to walk up the incline as if it were flat land.
When they reached the summit of the first mountain, Sulaiman stopped them.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the jagged rocks. Sulaiman stomped his cane into the soil; it stood upright on its own. He crouched down, picked up a pinch of dirt, and smelled it.
"Guys, there are Snow Leopards in these mountains. Be careful," he warned grimly.
Snow Leopards didn't take long to deal with if you saw them coming. The problem was their camouflage. They could hide in plain sight, appearing as nothing more than snow-covered rocks until they moved. They were patient hunters and could pounce with an impressive speed.
The group tensed. They readied their wands and tightened their formation.
Although the terrain was new, their instincts from the island survival trial kicked in. They moved cautiously through the night, checking every shadow.
They reached the bottom of the first mountain around 9:00 PM. They covered a good distance.
The magical tent was quick to expand and convenient. They had prepared dinner that morning, so they ate their fill quickly and set the watch schedule.
Akiko would guard the tent for the first half of the night. Sulaiman would take the second half.
Mr Achibe's POV
From our perch, I watched the camp settle.
A few hours later, Anders woke up while everyone else was sleeping. The big lad was probably hungry. He crawled out of the tent and found Akiko sitting still as a statue, guarding the entrance.
He went near her.
Akiko noticed him immediately. They had spent five months surviving together; she knew his habits. She knew why he was awake.
Without a word, she reached into her pouch, took out a piece of dried jerky, and handed it to him.
Anders sat down near her. He ate his midnight snack quietly, keeping her company in the cold mountain air. They didn't say any words. But the silence was the company they both took comfort in.
Witnessing this scene, an unconscious smile formed on my lips.
They are really good kids, I thought to myself.
I checked my watch. It was time. I poked Mr Morrow.
"Your turn, old man."