Reconnect

As usual, our rest began only a short while prior to sunset. I'd better start a fire before the only other source of light left us.

Yet having Oscar right over my shoulder, looking like a pup awaiting a treat, forced me to delay my assigned task and instead go to Betta. She was getting ready to take the buffalos for a walk.

And by that I meant she was ruffling Amanita's cheeks while chanting in a low voice "Who's a good girl? Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

I didn't dare interrupt. Instead, I waited to be noticed and greeted by the act of her expression turning from peach sweet to coffee bitter.

"Something the matter?" She yanked her neck sideways, producing a crack.

Probably better to not beat around the bush.

"Is your shoulder alright?"

Her eyes narrowed. A reply didn't arrive straight away, giving me time to regret my words.

"Why do you ask?"

I took hold of my elbow—tightly. "You know why."

"Say it."

"If you're hurt, my duty is to take a look and take care of the injury."

One of her eyes ticked. "Are you so used to bullshit you can't smell your own? Don't waste my time with lip service and go back to your tasks before night gets the drop on us."

"Betta, I'm worried."

"Are you?" She took a step forward, prompting me to take one back. "Or do you just want to keep up appearances? Did Rasbora put you up to this because she is the one who actually cares? If you wanna make me owe you then at least be straightforward about it."

Oscar was still looking at me. Divines curse it. "You're right. Sorry for being insincere, but I… well, I…"

Better to back off. Pushing further would be suicidal.

"I do care about you, even after everything that's happened between us."

Terrible answer. It didn't matter that it was true—it was still terrible.

I braced myself for the impact, for the imminent landslide that would crush my bones.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Eh?

Betta started taking out her shirt. "I must've pulled a tendon. It was my first brawl in a wolf's age and I was stressed for some reason—so I went overboard."

Just like that, she exposed her body to me.

And my eyes immediately went to the scar at the center of her chest. Broad, gnarled and of a stale pink, it stood out in her otherwise white skin.

Then it ripped open, the flesh severing and pouring blood like a gusher. The bone exposed itself. The smell coiled around my throat. It looked as fresh as the day—

"Oi, you gonna get on with it or what?"

I blinked a few times. "Y-yeah. Sorry, I got stunned for a moment."

"Don't you get any dumb ideas or I'm crushing your head, and I don't mean the big one."

Skipping my reply, I went straight to checking her injury.

The shoulder was indeed strained, but for Betta's body that was about as serious as a blister. It would take her at most three days for a full recovery—well, a little more if she overworked it, which she definitely would. Of course, with my magic I could skip the whole process altogether.

A little blue light and some sparky sounds later and…

That's strange.

It was taking longer than it should, so I gave it an extra push of effort.

There we go. Phew.

This wasn't enough to tire me, but it did take a bit more energy than I thought it would. Perhaps the internal damage wasn't as minor as I'd initially guessed.

I could also make the scar disappear, provided she allowed me, but I opted not to say anything. She put her shirt back on, took the buffalos and left without even a thank you.

No matter. Oscar's wide grin was all I could ever ask for.

"See? Things go great when you talk them out, Dori. You just gotta get a little uncomfortable by taking the first step."

His insinuations dropped a speck of mud in my mood, but I didn't let it show and just thanked him.

ᗢ⫘⫘⫘⫘𖦹⫘⫘⫘⫘♡

Four weeks later.

"You can count on me for whatever you need." "If anything troubles you, don't hesitate to let me know." "I'm here for you, Dori."

Those kinds of lines grew more common as the weeks went on. Increasing like the strength of the winds at the shift of season; and biting just as deep into my skin.

His innocent lack of subtlety had an awkward but endearing touch. Like a kid trying to keep quiet about a surprise party.

My way of dealing with it was the equivalent of spoiling the surprise and ruining the fun for everyone.

He would extend me a hand again and again—but I'd look away every time, pretending not to notice.

…

We stopped by another settlement today. A village of a few dozen houses built on raised platforms at the center of a bog. Unlike the Gem Capital with its gaudy bridge—or Crystalpond's Floater where you could just cross with a boat—here we needed a resident to teach us how to traverse a specific route so that neither us nor our buffalos would get stuck in the thick peat.

The path was signaled with a few wooden pillars that jutted above the surface. It was a platform built underwater, impossible to see in the waist-high mixture of water and dead foliage. Many twists and turns tangled the track—that way, a would-be cast of Cursed couldn't cross by sheer chance of numbers.

As soon as we got atop the platforms we were guided to a communal hut with a big hearth to change clothes and dry ourselves. Wind Season blew in full swing, so staying wet was ill-advised.

Betta left the second she was dry. Rasbora and I stayed to spend some time with the locals. The wooden cottage rhythmically shook under the thrusts of the outer winds—its sounds paired with the cracking of fire and chatting of folks, weaving a tight-knit and soft atmosphere.

One of the people Rasbora had been getting along with was an affable senior lady.

"My, that's a fine amulet you got there, deary. The handiwork looks so smooth."

"Thanks." Rasbora's cheeks warmed up. "Ah actually carved it mahself. Well, with the help of Pa back home. He polished the rough details."

"I have a similar charm from my late husband." The lady took out a piece of clear quartz in the shape of a jellyfish. "We used to visit the temple together every week."

"Ah did the same with my parents too." Her head tilted down. "Though lately ah feel kinda bad about not paying mah respects. We're in such a hurry with our journey ah don't get the chance."

"Well, you have some time now, right? Come, I'll guide you to our temple. It might be small, but it's very devout, and the Paladins themselves visited when I was a little lass."

That must've been all the way back when Jacks had my age and journeyed with our predecessors.

"Corydorin, can we pay it a visit?"

"I mean, you don't need my permission, you know?"

"But wouldn't ya wanna come? We can make offerings together. Ah know how good your cuts are."

A temple, after all this time…

"Sure, let's go."

Perhaps it would do me good to reconnect with some old habits.