2 days since leaving Silva

It had a been over a month since they’d originally started travelling, and Astra could now confidently conclude she wasn’t a morning person. At all.

She groaned as the bright morning light crept into her tent and attacked her eyes. She twisted her body to try and dodge the morning’s greeting however was unsuccessful and the comforting grasp of sleep faded away. With one final grumble she reluctantly sat up and quickly found out how the light had gotten in.

The tent door had been left wide open and Amara and her palico Lucy were nowhere to be found.

Under Amara’s discretion, her and Astra shared a tent. But luckily their tent was huge and could comfortably fit the two of them plus Lucy and all of their belongings.

She gave her top a quick sniff and winced. She happily decided it was time to change outfits.

Back when they were resting in Silva they’d made sure to wash all their clothes, allowing Astra to add another thing to her short list of things that brought her joy this journey brought her.

‘Wearing fresh smelling clothes’. She quickly slid into a red top (that was definitely made for boys, but she couldn’t complain. Clothes are clothes) and thick black bottoms. It was no armour, but Amara told her the thickness would prevent vegetation, sharp edges and pests getting at her legs. She equipped her pair of black boots Amara had given her when they first met. Finally she threw the black cloak she used as a blanket over her shoulders. It was made from some monsters thick hide.

She tightly pulled the cloak close and left the tent embracing the morning’s chilly air. Instantly her mood dropped as she was reminded where she was.

During this journey her list of joys has been short but her list of things that well … pissed her off wasn’t. It was long. Very long. And half of them were due to this damn forest.

From its towering trees to the endless thick, overgrown vegetation that made every step you took a pain. Not to mention the fact that humongous apex monsters could be lurking around any corner, who’d happily make her their next meal. As if that wasn’t enough Astra recently discovered that the Great forest of Mori wasn’t an official hunting grounds, meaning if something happened they were on their own, no support from the guild. It would be easier for Astra to list all the things that she did like about this place. The fact that she’d get to leave. Hopefully, as long as she wasn’t killed first. But that shouldn’t be a worry, she had Amara protecting her. She’d already proven how capable of a hunter she was time and time again since they’d been on this journey.

Both stoic, fearless and caring, Amara hadn’t wavered once. Well except for in Silva. The only time Astra had seen Amara faulter is when that hunter said no. After that encounter, It quickly became clear to Astra that the only reason Amara had taken them there was for him.

‘Just who was he?’ Astra wondered. She didn’t know why but she was also a little upset he said no. Which made no sense, as she had no idea who he was. Maybe it was because he looked cool she considered. She then aggressively shook her head. What the hell was she thinking.

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Growl

Her stomach groaned destroying any train of thought she might’ve had. Damn she was hungry.

“Oh look who’s up?” Amara said. She was sat on a foldable stool in front of a little campfire, already cladded in her armour and longsword. There were four more empty stools around the fire, but no one else was in sight.

Astra wandered over and sat in the stool next to Amara, folding her cloak under her as a cushion.

“Here, I saved you some food” Amara said. She handed Astra a plate of cooked meat and bread and a half full waterskin. Amara then glanced at down at Lucy who was lying by the campfire bathing her white coat in its heat.

“She’s up Lucy” Amara said and instantly the palico jumped up and, like every morning she went off to pack up their stuff.

When they’d first started travelling, Astra had felt bad that Lucy always done it alone and had once attempted to help her but had been ‘told off’ (Almost lost an eye) by the felyne in return. Through hysterical laughter, Amara then informed Astra that apparently Lucy didn’t like anyone messing up her system and routine.

“The other hunters are packing up their belongings. Once you finish eating we set off” Amara told her. Astra nodded and then began digging into her breakfast. As she bit into the sandwich she made from the meat and bread, she glanced around the camp. She could see two of the hunters were still rustling around their tents while one was packing his belonging onto the back of their horse. She didn’t know what monster he’d killed but he wore thick, ice-blue armour with white fur and wielded a Greatsword.

Astra didn’t know any of their names. Amara had made it very clear at the start of the quest that there’d be no communication between her and the hunters for her own protection. There would be no sharing of names, history, anything. To them she might as well just be cargo they need to transport to the city Dundorma. Astra didn’t know much about the place except it was apparently a huge hunting city and sometimes referred to as the capital of the guild. But after hearing all that, Astra had to question, why had Amara revealed everything to that hunter in Silva. They did seem like friends but still.

Astra didn’t mind not having any relation with the hunters. Being honest she missed when it was just her, Lucy and Amara. She did feel a little bad for them as Amara didn’t even really want to recruit any of them and made no effort to hide those feeling back in Silva’s guild hall. She had wanted that hunter in Silva, Ryo, if she remembered correctly. She didn’t know why but, if Astra was being honest, she’d also kind of wished he’d joined them instead. She couldn’t explain it, but he was different to these hunters, in fact he was different from anyone she’d ever met.

‘That Leo didn’t seem bad either’ Astra considered as she remembered the village hunter, who’d helped them out. He had kind of felt similar to Amara. But then Amara told Astra he’d also said no, so whatever she thought of him didn’t matter.

After they had been denied by those two, Amara was reluctantly forced to pick between the few qualified hunters interested in the quest. Or more accurately the quest reward.

Astra had complained to Amara, questioning why they couldn’t keep travelling along. Amara then told her she’d want nothing more but she also knew wasn’t strong enough to escort her further alone (Astra didn’t know how she felt about that one). As a result, here they were in the middle of this godforsaken forest of endless dangers with three hunters. What could go wrong?

Seeing the two other hunters emerge from their tents, in red and green scale and plate forged armour, Astra quickly finished off her breakfast sandwich.

They then saddled up on their horses and set off into the forest’s abyss. The three hunters trotted upfront while Astra travelled beside Amara behind on her dark chocolate coated horse, she’d decided to name ‘Coco’.

‘Maybe today we can escape this place’ Astra hoped.