Aspra and Rouge traverse their way through this new forest, now getting much colder and dangerous the further north they go. Rouge sticks close to Aspra's staff, she's been using it to let out her black flames for warmth. Though, she's grown suspicious of Aspra. The colour of her flames is the same that was used to eradicate her village not so long ago.

"I never asked... what's your name?" She asks her.

Aspra looks down at her, not yet realizing that rouge is onto her lineage.

"Aspra..." She pauses. "Aspra Skura." She decides to lie on a whim, wanting to put her association to the Mavra family behind, scoring points with Rouge without realizing it.

"Oh, i see..." She nods, too afraid to press her for more. She can tell something is off with her, but to ask her straight up would mean she distrusts her, and though that might be true, she'll benefit nothing from pushing her.

Aspra looks around from tree to tree awkwardly, she's not actually sure how to converse with Rouge. Most people her age would usually be praising her and doing the talking.

"So your cousin trained you... what rank is she?"

Rouge pauses for a second to try and remember. "B-2"

Aspra nods along as she registers the rank in her head, she's been told about ranks but hasn't commited them to heart.

Mages in the Kitrino kingdom are ranked from A to E, with three stages inside each rank. B-2 would suggest that she's better than a regular mercenary or soldier. The three stages indicate how strong someone is compared to the lowest rank in their grade. A B-2 rank indicates that she's twice as strong as a B-1 grade, and a B-3 would indicate that she's thrice as strong.

"Is she like a big deal or what?" She asks.

"Umm... she told me she used to be. But she's not anymore."

"What do you mean 'not anymore'"

"I'm not sure... They told me not to worry about it" she pauses, looking to the side. "So i didn't."

Aspra sighs, but she understands she wouldn't learn anything even if she were to continue bugging her.

Looking up at the sky, Rouge's eyes have a dreamy look to them.

"When i grow up, i wanna reach S grade."

Aspra tilts her head slightly to look at her, and she cant help but chuckle.

"I thought that was impossible."

Rouge can't help but laugh along.

"Actually, two people have managed it before. And one of them is even alive now."

Simply nodding along, Aspra is a little less tense now that she knows her ridiculous wishes, though she's still feeling awkward, unsure if she's supposed to encourage her or share her dreams aswell.

"Well uh... if your dream is impossible that means you can just... grow stronger forever."

Rouge just stares forward silently, now feeling the ineptitude.

"We'll uh... be in my cousins town by early morning. Not worth sleeping out in the cold so we might aswell keep walking." She pauses. "I'm a little hungry though."

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Aspra sighs. "I've been hungry for days."

"W-what?"

Aspra looks at her through the corner of her eye.

"I can't just kill a bear or something. I dont know how to start with cooking that thing." She looks back on their path. "You'd think my instincts would guide me on how to butcher a damn animal..."

Rouge looks baffled at what she's saying. "That's not how it works..."

"When you're hungry enough your body goes on autopilot and manages to eat anything edible."

Rouge takes a slight step away from her, still smiling awkwardly.

"We are in for a long night..." She sighs.

"Dont worry. I have a few more days of not eating before my brain tells me to become a cannibal."

"That's not what i'm on about." She says in mock offense.

"But you were thinking it."

"...Yeah i was." She whispers.

As the hours pass and they grow tired, they keep moving forward through the heavy snow and dense atmosphere, every breath they take feels capable of giving them frostbite. But the lights of the town they've been looking after for so long can be seen in the distance, dim but standing out within the endless expanse of white.

Rouge can barely hold herself up by this point, it's clear she's not used to travels like Aspra is.

Once they reach the towns gate, she collapses, barely caught by Aspra before her face could hit the floor.

"Damn it... you're the the one who knows what your cousin looks like... dont fall asleep..."

She tries shaking her, but there's no waking her now. Aspra thinks to herself that she'll be bedridden for a few days from how sore she's going to be from this marathon. She'd be suprised if she doesn't get sick, but atleast they are here now.

"Atleast there are people here..." she whispers to herself, letting Rouge's body lean on her so she can keep on moving.

"Her cousin's name... Roz was it?"

She stops by everybody she passes, asking for any information to widen her search, until she's lead into a training dojo. From what she remembers, Rouge was taught how to fight a little by Roz, so if this is right, it won't be suprising. Still, she's feeling tense once more.

Knock knock...

After a few seconds, she hears a yawn from inside, followed by footsteps and the door opening.

The woman who opened the door towers over Aspra, though she's only twice her age, the roots of her hair are whitening, though the rest resembles the pink Rouge has.

She looks around as if looking for someone, not noticing Aspra at first, looking all annoyed at being disturbed so early in the morning. "Damn kids think they are funny knocking on my door and running."

"...Down here."

She looks startled at the unexpected voice, but then looks down, realizing her mistake.

"Oh! Short." she whispers, rubbing her eyes.

She looks confused at first, why would a child want? But then notices Rouge leaning onto Aspra's shoulder, her protective instincts kicking in instantly.

"R-rouge? Hell is she doing here?" She asks, picking her up from Aspra. "Is she hurt?"

Aspra looks up at her, her lips almost curling to a frown.

"I found her village ravaged in my travels... She lead me here."

Roz looks upset but signals for her to come inside.

"You're not much older than her... you were travelling alone?"

She sets Rouge down on a bedmat to rest before turning her attention fully to Aspra.

"It's fine... i'm capable of fending for myself. But i rushed here because i dont know how to care for someone else."

She shakes her head, "You're just a kid, you have no business travelling alone."

Aspra lowers her head to look at the ground.

"I'm gonna get straight to the point... i have no where else to go right now... Rouge offered me to stay here a while, but this isn't her place. I'll be out in a flash."

Roz's face contorts in pity, but then she smiles.

"You can stay here... I hate to admit it, but you seem... For someone your age atleast."

She looks down at Rouge resting peacefully, then back at Aspra.

"Thank you for bringing her here. I take it there wasn't anyone else left..."

Aspra nods slowly before collapsing into a bedmat herself, drifting off to sleep in an instant.

Looking down at them, Roz remains confused at this whole situation. She kneels down to take a closer look at Rouge. Her knees are slightly bruised and bleeding, peeking from the back of her shirt there's a giant, black scar running along her spine that causes her to wince in pain just from looking at it.

In contrast, she tries looking for any sign of harm on Aspra, but her body seems to be in perfect condition with no sign of visible fatigue, it's as if she simply teleported here.

Letting a stranger live with her would be completely insane; but the fact is, aside from her strength, Aspra seems to be just an ordinary child that helped out her cousin. Well... There's something scary about a child managing physical feats that not even an adult would be capable of with years of training.

She can tell that Aspra has probably advanced her endurance beyond her age, though she's rather... unsettled by that.

She covers them both in blankets before turning to leave, the uncertainty in her mind is at war with wanting to house this child she's just met.