"Are we there yet?"

Nashiro asked Ari, wondering if they were close since his body was getting numb.

"That's the third time you asked. We're close! I told you this 15 minutes ago."

Ari was getting pissed off with the constant complaints.

'Why do I have to get the short end of the stick?' he thought to himself as he glared up ahead at his 'superior'. He doesn't like being bossed around, especially by her. She demands too much of him but didn't want to make their relationship sour so he listened.

They turned left into the forest as the sun was coming down.

Nashiro didn't question it. Maybe it was a shortcut to the destination but when he leaned a bit to see what was up ahead, he was shocked. It was a cliff into the abyss and they weren't stopping.

"H-hey! That's a cliff. Turn! Turn now!"

He shouted and pulled on Ari's shirt a bit. He wasn't even paying back an eye to him, only getting closer to the edge.

"Aaaaaah!"

He closed his eyes and expected to be free falling to his demise but after a few seconds, his heart was still beating and he could breathe normally.

'Huh?'

He opened his eyes and saw a massive tree that streched up into the sky.

It was a fortress of nature.

'I-is this their base?'

"Welcome to the treehouse. This is the ranger's base of operations." she said getting off her horse.

"It's also where we train and get to know each other" Ari continued.

"How did we get here? I thought we jumped off a cliff."

He looked around still confused from where they entered.

"We have a barrier that protects this place and sends off an illusion. You saw a cliff right? That's what keeps other people away from this place and keeps our location secret."

"The only people that know about our base are the royal family and other clans that are part of our kingdom."

Nashiro was wowed. He must be one of the only people that knew about this place that didn't fit that criteria.

"Are you sure you should be showing me this?"

He asked curiously.

"I was against it," Ari crossed his hands and looked away.

"I don't believe you are a bad person. You can keep a secret, right?" She snickered and winked playfully.

"Of course," he nods quickly.

She turned around and opened the wooden door. It was so cleanly placed that you wouldn't be able to tell it was a door unless you were close to it.

Ari walks in behind her without saying another word to Nashiro. He wasn't sure and totally trusting yet but he went in anyway.

"Come in, no need to be shy,"

She giggled and called him over.

Nashiro smiles faintly and walks in. As expected, wooden objects dominated the room. It was a small living room area along with a kitchen nicely separated from each other.

"Impressive right?"

She smiled.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll get you something to eat"

Ari sat on the small sofa in the living room while Katsumi went to the kitchen and started cooking up a meal.

Nashiro sat on the sofa next to Ari who was reading a book he picked up from the small bookshelf next to it.

"What are you reading?"

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Ari didn't respond and just glanced at him disinterested in making small talk.

'Not a talker, is he?'

He sighed quietly and looked around the place to keep himself busy.

The living room was lit up brightly with windows letting in the required sunlight. The lanterns on the wall next to it gave him a good idea that those light up when the sun sets and have the same effect. The walls were well polished and it was a proper home in a way.

'This is all too strange to me'

There was a picture on the wall that caught his eye. It was a group picture of the entire squad together and they were like a close family. There were more males than females but he could tell there was no discrimination or malice between them. Then again, it was just a picture and his own thoughts and it could be the furthest from the truth.

"Food is ready!"

She announced and placed the bowls on the table.

Ari stood up and put the book in its place before he sat down at the table to eat.

Nashiro sat next to him as he looked at his bowl.

"Don't let it get cold. It's mushroom stew so I hope you like it."

She smiled gently as she was washing some of the dishes.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

He asked.

"No, I'm not hungry right now so eat as much as you want."

Ari didn't seem to mind him asking that and he was enjoying his soup although he wasn't showing much emotion.

Nashiro took the spoon next to him and tasted it with his eyes closed. He chewed nervously and swallowed.

'A-amazing!'

The taste was godly and he dug into the stew, eating quickly.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. When you finish, put the bowls in the sink."

She walked by casually.

"Oh Ari,"

She stopped at the stairs.

"If I catch you peeping again, I'll make you sleep outside until the captain comes back, got it?!"

She eyed him with those dangerous dagger eyes that Nashiro quickly turned back to his food and Ari was getting the full brunt of it. Ari quickly nodded and planned to stay away from the bathroom.

He knew what he did a few nights ago and Nashiro could sense the guilt oozing off him as he avoided eye contact. Once she left for upstairs, he was finishing up his food.

"She's, to put it simply, intimidating to say the least,"

He moved his bowl away to the side.

"She's just bossy and I hate it."

He said, leaning on his hand while drawing circles on the table with the other.

"Bossy? Isn't she in charge though?"

"It's only because the captain sees her best fit to run the base. I don't want her to order me around like I'm her slave!"

He spat.

Nashiro moved his hands towards his chest as he didn't mean anything by it.

'Maybe there is some inner conflict,'

He sighed internally and stayed there in silence.

Some time went by and Nashiro was very tired. The chase with those trolls took its toll on his strength. He leaned his head on the table and closed his eyes as he was falling asleep.

'It wouldn't hurt to take a quick nap'

He thought and closed his eyes.

Ari lit up the candles around the place and was sitting down, reading his book.

Katsumi was wearing her purple nightgown when she came down the stairs.

"Where is Nashiro?"

Ari pointed her to the kitchen without lifting his focus from the book.

She walked over and gasped, seeing he fell asleep uncomfortably. She walked back to Ari.

"You didn't even have the decency to cover him with a blanket let alone give him a room to sleep in?!"

She hissed.

"Huh?" he stood up, "I didn't notice."

"You had one job Ari and you couldn't even do that. I don't care if you like me or not but goddammit show some effort towards other people!"

She went over to Nashiro and nudged him a bit. Nashiro raised his head sleepily.

"I fell asleep?"

He yawned.

"Come with me, I'll take you to a room. The beds here are very comfy."

She grabbed his arm and walked with him slowly up the stairs. It was a rather long walk up the spiral stairs until they got to the required hallway. She opened the room for him and sat him down on the bed.

"You get some rest, I'll have a few questions for you tomorrow and please forgive Ari, he's still new around here and he lacks manners so don't think we're all like him."

"Don't worry, I know he has the best intentions."

"He's just lazy and doesn't want to listen, but he'll figure out this clan is no joke sooner or later."

She sighed frustratingly.

"Anyway, get some rest, I'll come see you in the morning"

She put out the candle and slowly closed the door as he tucked himself in the blankets.

"Good night!"

"Night!"

She replied and closed the door. He laid down on the pillow and his body sunk a bit into it.

'It's so comfy' he thought and yawned again before turning to the other side where the window was and stared at the moon which was shining ever so slightly through the small clouds covering it.

'What a day!'

He took a breath and exhaled it calmly as he tried to get some well deserved rest.