บท 77: Uninvited Guests (Part 2)

Upon our return, the woman opened the doors before we even arrived at the hut. 'She was probably checking who's coming. Either trauma from last night, or their problems didn't disappear yet', I thought. "How was the hunt?", she asked while we stepped inside. "Not great to be honest. Due to the blizzard, most animals remained in their shelters. Finding anything in such thick snow is another problem. Hopefully no such blizzards occur any time soon", I replied.

"We don't want to impose on you. I think one more night of rest should be enough for us to make it home", the man said to me. "So long there's no blizzard, you should be alright. Let me check up on your wound", I replied. Though the bleeding stopped, any sudden movements or strain would open it up again. I had some dried herbs which would help him out, and it wasn't an actual concoction. '... They seem like nice people, it's the least I can do... I suppose', with that in mind, I prepared the herbs.

"This will help the wound heal. It's not the best, but it should be enough for you to make it home. Focus on resting and recovering today... You on the other hand, can help me with the two rabbits. This will be our dinner", I said. The woman was happy to help out, as we roasted the rabbits over the fire. Me and Shelly ate our previously roasted meat, while the pair ate the rabbits.

After the meal, the pair got comfortable next to each other, while I took that chance to whisper to Shelly. "Keep guard for me, okay? I need to get some sleep", Shelly nodded and laid next to me. I had mixed feeling about sleeping at that point. Not because they'd attack me, after all Shelly was there to prevent that. I was afraid of that dream. The dream might've seemed short for me, but usually a few good hours passed. Moreover, in case of emergency, I wasn't sure if waking up was an option.

Nonetheless, I couldn't stay awake since that would make me weaker too. There was no need to announce that to the pair, so I simply closed my eyes. Thankfully the dream didn't appear, and I woke up sometime in the evening. 'Shelly's still next to me, and the pair seems to be asleep. Good, no complications and no troubles', I figured and took some meat out. "Hungry?", Shelly released a few of its usual noises, before grabbing the meat from my hand.

As we sat there, I tried to figure some stuff out. My training with the Art of Stealth wouldn't be effective in snow. In my mind, there was no way to leave the snow undisturbed. Boot prints, however shallow would be left. '... Stealth and snow don't really go together, I suppose. Though my training with speed... Since the usually visible obstacles are now covered, I might give it a try a few times. If it's pointless, I'll focus on something else'.

There were other things for me to focus on. The Art of Hidden Weapons probably required some attention. Moreover, my idea with the strings was never put to life. That was something I could focus on during snowy weather. Of course the pose from the diagram was also useful. At that point, I was able to assume it for about nine minutes. That alone was a good improvement, and noticeable too. My muscles felt more flexible, and allowed me to have a slightly stronger burst of strength. Though abuse of such bursts could lead to injuries, it was akin to a hidden card for me.

A while later, the woman woke up and noticed me awake as well. "I made sure the fire didn't die, but then I must've fell asleep", she said. "Thanks, I'm sure you guys are hungry again so let's heat up some food... While you do that, I'll collect more firewood. I'm starting to run thin". She proposed to collect the firewood herself, but I declined. "I'd like to move my muscles a bit anyway. I'll do it", she nodded and received a few pieces of meat from me.

"Mah!", Shelly exclaimed before following me outside. "Sure, but no free rides this time. Besides, the forest is just there", I replied. Though branches would be enough for a while, I decided to cut down one of the smaller trees. With a proper supply, we wouldn't need to collect wood for a while.

With enough firewood, we returned to the hut, and ate some warmed up meat. "I feel much better already. To be honest, I didn't expect much from these herbs but the effects are great", the man commented. "How did you figure out to use these herbs?", the woman chimed in. "The old and tested 'try them out and see what happens'... No, I didn't test them out on you. I knew they'd work. I suppose if you were to live inside the forest for a while, you'd learn a thing or two as well".

My reply wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. They could learn how to survive inside the forest, and what is beneficial to them. The longer one relied on hunting and surviving, the more experience would be gathered. Most people had no idea because they lived a relatively easy life inside a village, town or a city. Such skills weren't important even for warriors, they'd simply carry supplies with them.

"Must've been tough for you at the beginning...", the man said a bit saddened. "Hehe, you reminded me of something actually. I started out without much knowledge, while hunting wasn't easy for me either. Therefore I relied on fruits, and berries to feed myself. Don't ever touch the red berries that seem plentiful during spring and summer. You'll spend some time in the bushes yourself, if you know what I mean", I said with a slight smile.

"Haha, really? We'll be sure to avoid them then", the man replied. The woman and her husband shared some of their funny stories. Though mostly they involved their daughter when she was young. After a warm meal and a pleasant conversation, they went back to sleep.

The weather following morning was really nice. No clouds in sight, while the sun slowly climbed over the horizon. I did my usual set of exercises, then heated up our breakfast. "We really appreciate what you did for us. No only did you feed us, you also gave us warm shelter and helped my husband recover. Please, take this", the woman said while handing me some gold coins.

"If you ever visit Redwood Village, make sure to visit us. We'll treat you to a dinner, and show you around. By the way, my name is Ernest, while my wife's name is Rita. I'm sure you'll find us there", Ernest added. Before they left, I gave them some furs to keep them warm. "This should improve your chances of getting home. Have some of the meat as well. You're not really fit to hunt yourselves... If we ever visit Redwood Village, I'll be sure to say hello", I replied.

With that, our two guests left on their journey back home. I checked the map for the location of their village, and it wasn't that far away. About two days of travel through the forest. Though they had to spend the night someplace else, two days was certainly possible with the food they received. After a final wave, the two disappeared between the trees. 'I suppose we can focus on our training now. Hopefully this doesn't become a norm. One set of uninvited guests was enough for me', I thought.