We put a decent amount of distance between ourselves and the lake over rolling hills that led towards a forest. It was difficult to tell exactly where we should aim for, but Brick had said that any ground we covered wouldn’t be wasted. We could figure out our entry point when we reached the forest border.
It would have been a lot easier if we’d had Bonaparte to scout ahead, and I found myself missing the dire-weasel despite not knowing him as well as the rest of the group. Now that I had the ability to speak to animals, I wondered what his voice would sound like. Would Bruiser’s voice in his bear form differ from his human one?
I missed Bruiser as well. If he was here, I’d be riding on his back rather than torturing my poor feet to catch up to him. When I laid eyes on him again, he would be getting a severe telling off for leaving me behind.
I set my eyes on the forest and kept walking, determined not to slow the group down. Brick and Jackal seemed to have an infinite amount of energy and could keep up their quick pace all day with no trouble. Nightfall was nimble on his feet, but matched my steps, taking his vow to stay by my side quite literally.
“Do you need to stop and rest?” Nightfall asked, concern painted across his delicate features. His elegance only made me more aware of how sweaty and exhausted I was feeling.
“No. I mean, my energy is getting a bit low again, but I’ll… I’ll just eat as I walk. We don’t have time to stop.”
“Do not push yourself beyond your limits,” he said sternly. “We will reach the edge of the forest tonight regardless, but we will not enter tonight. We will need to scout for footprints and try to see if we can find their trail. Such business should occur in the morning, not in fading light.”
“I suppose,” I sighed. “I just feel bad holding everyone up.”
Nightfall set his mouth in a firm line. “We are in this together, Emma. We go at your pace or not at all. Wait here.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He strode forward with his long legs and pulled Brick and Jackal to a halt. They looked back at me with concerned expressions, and I burned with shame. No matter what Nightfall said, I didn’t want to delay our rescue mission. We had no idea what Bastion and Bruiser were going to be facing without us.
Jackal jogged back to me, with the other two close behind.
“You need a rest, Emma?” Jackal asked, looking at me like a puppy dog who just wanted to get pats. “I will stay and rest with you. We can eat those rolls you like!”
I was about to decline when Brick cut in. “Stay and rest your feet. I’ll go ahead and set up camp. You can take as much time as you need.”
“I… okay,” I sighed. “Thanks.”
“Are your feet sore?” Nightfall asked, gesturing for me to sit. “Let me have a look at them.”
I sat and took out a plate of cinnamon rolls, handing one to Jackal and starting on another myself while Nightfall took off my sandals and massaged my feet.
I hummed in appreciation. While I could deal with any blisters or other minor injuries with a few lines of my Healing Song, nothing could quite match a good foot rub.
When he was finished with one foot, he took the other in his grasp, examining it as he pressed his thumbs deep into the muscle and rubbing in soothing circles.
“Are your feet sore?” Jackal asked, cocking his head at me curiously, like he was trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle.
I felt bad for him. When I’d been 5/20 Intelligence, I’d felt at times like I was trying to think through a foggy haze of vague ideas. Now that I’d finished my degrees and raised my stats, I still felt like the same person, but like my thoughts were sharper. Faster.
Jackal seemed to have a rough time with the most basic mental challenges, and it was all down to the ridiculous way this world was set up.
“Just a little,” I answered him patiently. “They feel a lot better now. I’m just not used to walking so far.”
“Oh,” he said, then stood and crouched in front of me. “I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”
“What? No, you don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.” I looked to Nightfall for guidance. I still wasn’t used to Jackal’s abruptness, but they had been on a team together for a long time.
“I can take it, it’s okay,” Jackal said.
“He’s half minotaur, he definitely can take it,” Nightfall said, picking up my satchel. “You might as well use his services while they’re on offer and save your feet for tomorrow. I’ll take this.”
Jackal gestured again for me to climb aboard, and I blushed, but put my arms around his neck and let him grasp my thighs, hoisting me up onto his broad back.
“Light as a feather,” he grinned at me with a sideways look and set off at a much faster pace than I had managed before, with me bobbing along to the rhythm of his gait.