"Isabella's eyes fluttered open as sunlight filtered through the curtains, and a warm smile graced her lips. “Good morning, I love you," she whispered, her voice filled with the same affection as it had been every morning since they fell in love.
Aulfrick shifted beside her, his voice soft; filled with warmth. "Good morning, I love you too," he murmured, reaching out to gently brush her cheek with his fingertips. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did," Isabella replied. "How was last night? Did you have fun with the boys?"
"It was boring," he admitted with a small yawn, stretching his arms above his head. “I’m really looking forward to our day today. We're heading to one of the villages inland." As he spoke, he rose from the bed, reaching for his pants. "There aren't any direct paths or trails, so we'll take one of the boats upstream to a small town. From there, it's a half-day hike through the forest." He paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "We'll need to gather some supplies before we leave."
The journey to Woodhaven village felt like something out of an adventure movie, yet the reality surpassed any fantasy. Isabella's eyes widened with wonder as they navigated the winding rivers, their boat gliding through emerald waters surrounded by dense forests. Sunlight pierced the thick canopy, illuminating the lush foliage and casting intricate patterns on the forest floor.
The air was alive with the chatter of unseen creatures calling to each other. Vines hung like curtains from towering trees, their tendrils swaying gently in the breeze. The earth beneath their feet felt alive, teeming with the energy of centuries-old roots. Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that they had stumbled upon a place where elves and fairies might actually be real.
By the time they arrived in Woodhaven village, the sun had begun its descent, painting the sky with hues of gold and crimson. The quaint cottages nestled amidst the ancient trees seemed to materialize out of the forest itself, their cozy exteriors adorned with ivy and blooming flowers.
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They settled into a little cottage nestled beside a colossal titan oak tree. Its ancient branches stretched skyward, embracing the evening sky with a sense of timeless grandeur. The tree's girth was astonishing, rivaling that of a small house, and its towering presence imbued the cottage with a sense of shelter and security. This would be their home for the year.
Aulfrick couldn't help but notice the flickering lights above, a minor annoyance that nagged at his thoughts. “Looks like I'll have to fix those soon,” he muttered to himself, spooning up a mouthful of warm stew.
With exhaustion etched into every line of her face, Isabella's gaze pleaded for respite. “Do you think... maybe we could take a few days off?” she asked softly, her eyes flickering with a mixture of weariness and hope. The prospect of sinking into the soothing depths of the wonderfully oversized bathtub the cottage came with seemed to outweigh other consideration.
Their first month settled into a comforting routine, beginning with Isabella's morning rituals. As the sun cast its glow into their bedroom, she stirred awake, her movements more graceful with each passing day. Each step infused with deliberate purpose, Isabella would slip into her exercise routine, her determination evident, her movement almost rhythmic and her heart steady. By evening they would work together in the kitchen, Aulfrick cooking on the stove as Isabella cut and prepared the ingredients while humming some of her most beloved songs.
“Not bad, you managed just over 13 miles in an hour and it’s been just a month since we started. Your swimming is also improving a lot, you managed 5 miles against a very heavy current also within an hour just after.” They had begun training in earnest and Isabella was improving drastically. “You’ve reached peak human performance I’d say”, his hand begun to glow with an invisible light only he could see as he massaged her feet. She’d be perfectly fine to push her workout just as hard tomorrow.
“I’ve earned my rock hard abs”, Isabella's voice rang out, laced with fatigue from the day's exertions. She barely managed to talk after the day’s training. “How are you not tired?” she squinted at him.
“Well, I’m not exactly human am I?” A smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as Isabella playfully poked him in the ribs with a toe. “And neither are you anymore. This will be nothing compared to where you’ll be at the end of next month. Given your rate of improvement you’ll be covering about 25 or 26 ish miles within an hour and that's without the other stuff I’m going to be teaching you.” She cooed a little as he squeezed up her calf muscle with some coconut oil.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be teaching you basic survival skills," Aulfrick continued, his voice a soothing cadence in the quiet room. "You'll need to learn how to hunt, how to hide, to track, identify what you can eat and what can heal you, and much more. Once you've mastered that, I'll teach you the basics of defense and general combat."