“Another beautiful day isn’t it Maya?”

“Yeah, just a tad too bright” Maya replies with a big smile, followed up by adjusting Enit to shade her eyes from the sun. “Can’t be helped, it’s time to get to Johnathan’s!”

As they begin their journey to town, Maya's mind wandered with a tinge of uncertainty. "What will Johnathan have us do?" she mused, her voice a whisper carried away by the wind. Johnathan, a kind-hearted soul, had only shown them compassion since she first met him, but Maya couldn't help but doubt her own strength for the labor-intensive job he has even if she was in her male body. With a soft sigh, Maya gazed ahead, her eyes could already see the distant cluster of buildings that gradually grew larger with each step they took. There was a sense of relief in knowing that there, while her new home is away from prying eyes, was still close enough to get to town rather quickly. "Looks like we are making good time getting to town."

“Well, it helps when you don’t build your cabin too far away” Emma says laughing.

Strolling into town, they were met with the lively presence of townspeople going about their daily routines. The air buzzed with a sense of camaraderie and purpose, as neighbors exchanged warm greetings and cheerful banter filled the streets. Entering the trade market, which occupied a modest space befitting the town's size, an enticing aroma wafted through the air, drawing Maya's attention. More specifically the scent of freshly baked bread. Only to notice the stalls with fresh fruit causing her mouth to water at the sight of colorful produce. Maya, now savoring the scene, remembers she doesn't have any money to buy with. Continuing their stroll, they traversed the town, passing by a variety of shops that showcased an assortment of clothing and armor. While there was only one armor shop surrounded by several clothing shops it still stood out among the array of fabrics and textures, being the only to have gleaming metalwork in front. Further along, they approached the small townhall, a modest yet dignified structure that stood as a symbol of community. As they neared the other side of town, their footsteps led them to a noticeably larger building, the carpenter's shop. Its sturdy frame stood tall but what set it apart was that it was the widest of all the buildings they had passed. The rhythmic sound of wood being cut blended with the scent of freshly sawn timber.

“Looks like we’ve made it to Johnathan’s place” Emma announces, “Let’s go find out what we can do to pay him back for all his help.” as she starts to walk inside.

Maya trailed right behind, entering the main building of the carpenter's shop. Inside, the vast space resembled more of a warehouse or storage facility, its purpose evident in the abundance of wood and stone materials. Stacks of timber were neatly arranged and waiting for transport. Near the back of the building, large doors were thrown wide open to allow sunlight and fresh air in and there stood a long tree, partially inside and the rest hanging out. Over the tree, a tall and rugged man, his figure weathered by years of physical labor and wielding a large drawknife gripped firmly in his hands. The blade, approximately a foot in length, gleamed with the signs of countless hours spent honing and sharpening. With practiced precision, he applied steady pressure, expertly pushing the blade forward along the length of the tree's trunk, methodically removing thin strips of bark.

"Hey Johnathan!" Emma's shouts. The hunched figure working on the tree straightens up, towering above both Emma and Maya. Standing at well over six feet tall, he turns to face the source of the greeting. The burly man reveals a rugged yet jovial face which is adorned with a big, bushy black beard that reaches down to his chest, framing his features with a sense of rugged masculinity. A worn piece of cloth is wrapped around his forehead, serving as a functional headband, keeping both sweat and strands of hair at bay. Every time Maya saw him, all she could think of is the iconic image of a lumberjack.

“Good to see you again ladies” as Johnathan starts to walk towards them “How did building the cabin go?”

“It went great thanks to help from Emma, just need a ‘rain’ test for leaks as Emma put it.” Maya replies.

“HA HA HA” a loud deep laugh can be heard from Johnathan “That’s good to hear.”

“With us finishing up the cabin yesterday we thought we would come by to help out and see what we can do to pay you back for all the material you gave us.” Maya says with what little morning energy she has, trying to sound confident.

“I distinctly remember telling both of you that you didn’t have to come by right away to pay off the material. You just finished making your home, you two should take some time to relax and recover.”

"We managed to get some rest last night, I still don't think many people would have been as considerate as you. On top of that, it's important to us to show you the same level of respect and gratitude that you extended to us by trusting us to repay our debt." Maya says as sincerely as she could.

“That’s very kind of you to say so, but most folks in this town are pretty nice, I honestly believe anyone here would have done the same. That’s part of the reason me and my lady moved here to begin with” Johnathan pauses “Well, I don’t have much planned for work since I didn’t expect to see you so soon” Removing the cloth from his head, “How about for now we eat some breakfast while I think.”

Maya’s stomach growls from excitement for food, “Sorry, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until you brought it up.” Her face turning a shade of red brighter from embarrassment.

Johnathan begins to laugh again, even louder than before “Then let’s go chow down!”

Maya and Emma trail behind Johnathan as he leads them to the far-left side of the room, where a door reveals a welcoming living space. Inside, a cozy kitchen, though a bit snug for someone of Johnathan's size, followed by the aroma of sizzling eggs and bacon, accompanied by the scent of freshly baked bread. Jonathan's wife is bustling around, attending to the delicious breakfast preparations. As they settle down at the table "Honey, I have some guests joining us this morning. Will that be, okay?"

A slender woman with long, flowing black hair turns around, adorned with a ribbon tying it together at the top, her petite frame appearing almost comically smaller beside Johnathan's towering presence. As her eyes fall upon Maya and Emma seated at the table, her face lights up with joy. "I’m so happy to see you two again," she exclaims, “Having two beautiful young ladies here is such a delight. Breakfast is almost ready!"

“It’s wonderful to see you again as well Nancy!” Emma replies as Nancy goes back to humming and making breakfast for everyone.

Johnathan whispering to the girls “I think she wants to steal you as her own kids.” He begins to giggle, right before a towel flies into his face from the kitchen.

“I heard that, John!” Nancy chimed in as she continued cooking.

Only a few minutes pass before Nancy comes to the table with breakfast, setting it down for everyone to eat, “He always loves to tease me because I always wanted a daughter” making sure the girls were served first. While her words seemed light-hearted, they almost came off forced, not that anyone was paying that close of attention when the steaming breakfast sat right before them.

Johnathan casts longing, puppy-dog eyes at his wife, a silent plea for the mouthwatering meal she purposely delays serving him. Anticipation fills the air as she circles the table, finally placing his plate in front of him. But it was all part of a playful trap. As soon as the food touches the table, he seizes the opportunity, swiftly snatching her by the waist and pulling her onto his lap. With a big gushy kiss on her cheek, “I love you too honey” before reluctantly releasing his grasp, allowing her to rise and settle into the chair beside him.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The room goes silent as everyone begins to eat, enjoying the hot, homemade breakfast Nancy prepared for them.

----------------------------------------

“Hey, are you ok?” a voice could be heard through the darkness. As she slowly regained consciousness, she realized the ground beneath her was rugged and rocky, yet her head was cradled by something surprisingly soft and comforting. Confusion clouded her thoughts as she wondered, “Who said that?”

Maya slowly opens her eyes and as her vision returns, she sees a girl’s face nearly directly above her own staring down at her. “Who are you?” Maya weakly asks.

“I’m Emma. I’m glad to see you’re ok, had I come any later I think you would have been wolf lunch.” Emma says with a smile.

“What happened?” Maya asks, trying to recall the last few moments before she blacked out.

“The townspeople have been having a bit of trouble lately with a wolf pack eating their livestock and causing issues for traveling in the woods, so I came out to investigate and resolve the issue. I was waiting for the right moment to strike but then you just happened to be in the middle of the pack about to get mauled to death, so I stepped in and took care of the problem.”

“I remember, I was surrounded by wolves about to pounce and someone…I mean you, darted in and took them out with ease. You were incredible, then I guess I passed out.” Maya begins to feel slightly embarrassed having been rescued like a damsel in distress. About to hide her face in shame, she realizes Enit isn’t on her head. With panic about to set in, “Where is E… my hat?”

“Oh, I took that off and put it on your lap.” Emma replies calmly.

Maya's gaze shifted downward, and to her surprise, she found Enit laying atop her lap. Turning over, a realization washed over her, a sudden awareness she hadn't moved from her position beside Emma's lap. A flush of embarrassment painted her cheeks a deeper shade of red as she swiftly straightened herself, almost instinctively placing Enit upon her head in a hurried motion.

~ Good to see your alive and well Maya ~

“Shhh” Maya tries to say quietly in response to Enit.

“Did you say something?” Emma asks.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble Emma. My name is Maya.”

“No trouble at all, as I was saying I was already out here to take care of the wolf problem. The only part that changed was that I attacked sooner than I had originally planned.”

Maya notices that on Emma’s left leg blood is running down the side from a cut, most likely from one of the wolves’ claws. “Oh no you were hurt from that fight!”

Emma shrugs it off, “I’ve had a lot worse than just a scratch.”

Maya, not feeling comfortable with the fact someone got hurt saving her regardless of the fact Emma was already here to take care of the wolves, takes Enit off and starts pulling out items. Beginning with the recently filled waterskin then a rag and lastly with a thick roll of leather tied off in the middle. It wasn’t that the leather itself was thick but whatever was contained in it was causing it to be as large as it was. After setting everything to the side Maya puts Enit back on her head. “Even if you say it’s just a small scratch, animals can carry harmful….” Cutting herself off in thought, is this world even aware of bacteria? “…um they could have something in their claws from dirt or something else that could give the cut an infection and make you sick.” Holding her hand out now waiting for her leg, “Let me see your cut please.”

“No no I’m fine, like I said I’ve had much worse.” Emma insists, but Maya wasn’t taking no for an answer at this point. While Emma was waving her off, Maya grabbed her leg and pulled in towards herself, nearly causing Emma to fall back had she not caught herself. Before Emma could push Maya off, she had already removed the cap to the waterskin and was already rinsing the wound with the water. After closing the cap, she began to dab at it gently so as not to cause Emma any pain. Once the wound looks clear of dirt, she unrolls the thick leather bag. While to some it could resemble a tool bag, it was not filled with tools. It was filled with little jars of dried and stored plants. Searching through them she pulls out some dried Hyssop and fresh Aloe. While keeping the Hyssop in the palm of one hand, she uses the knuckle of her other hand to knead the plant until it was well ground. She then ripped off an Aloe leaf, squeezing out the juice contained within over the cut before placing the ground up Hyssop over the wound. Holding everything in place, she slowly wraps a new rag around the leg to keep it in place and to prevent dust or dirt from entering the cut until it heals up.

“There, now it should heal up nicely and with any luck leave little or no scar.” Maya says smiling back at Emma putting her stuff back into Enit.

“First off I now have more questions for you, but first, this wouldn’t happen to be some form of healing magic, would it?” Emma asks.

“I couldn’t say I know healing magic, but I have years of knowledge on plants and what they can be used for, whether it’s to heal a cut or help with infection or disease.”

“I wonder, if you’re not in a rush somewhere do you think you would have time to look at my sister? She’s been sick for quite a quite a while now. Maybe if you could check her out, there might be something you could do?”

“What kind of sick?”

“I don’t know, we’ve had her seen by several doctors, but no one seems to know what ails her. Unfortunately, we really don’t have the means to try to get a doctor from the capital. One of the larger reasons I started taking odd jobs around the town is to save up and maybe get someone, I mean the wolf problem wasn’t the best example, but it still helps to save up. But lately, with as fatigued as she is, even if I saved up enough to take her to the capital, I don’t think she would be able to handle it and forget trying to talk any of them to travel here.” Emma’s words sound discouraged.

“Well, the least I can do is look at her and see if I can figure out a remedy.” Maya says smiling back, “I mean you did just save my life and all.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Emma is beginning to cheer up more than she has in a long while. “However, I do need to bring back these wolves to get paid.”

Looking around, nearly a dozen wolves lay dead on the ground. “Even if both of us carry two there would have to be several trips.” Then an idea popped into Maya’s head, with a smirk, “I think I have the solution to getting all of these wolves back to town and in one trip.”

Emma looking at Maya with a puzzled look, “How? I figured it would take the rest of today just to get them all back.”

~ I don’t think I like where you’re going with this Maya ~

“Sorry Enit” she whispers to him as she removes him off her head. Maya then goes to the closest wolf and begins to slowly shove the wolf’s carcass into Enit. Grabbing the tail then the back legs, followed by the body and finally the head. Though Enit was sized to fit Maya’s head it didn’t seem quite possible that the wolfs body was small enough to fit the opening itself, yet it did without struggle. After getting the first wolf in she proceeds to walk to each one and repeat the process. Emma watching this, eyes wide, never saw Mayas’ hat grow larger nor the wolf shrink in size, it looks like the wolf just fit which was baffling. Once all the wolves were stored, she puts Enit back on her head.

~ I am made to help with your items, not be your cemetery of carved up beasts! ~

“Get over it, this is very temporary.” she says under her breath.

“Were you talking to me?” Emma says on the other side of the opening.

“Yeah, I was saying I think that was the last one!”

“It’s probably best to start heading back to town while we have the light on our side” Emma says while waving Maya towards her. “We are only a couple miles from town so it’s not too far from here.”

“Great! I kind of got lost as I was trying to find the nearest town.”

“You got lost? Where are you from?”

“To be honest with you, I don’t know where I’m from.”

“How do you not know where you’re from? You had to have come from somewhere.” Emma asks, continuing to pry.

“You see, I was living with who I thought was my grandmother in the wood’s kind of far from here. She recently passed away and that’s when I found her diary. I found out my parents had died in a fire around the time I was born, and this lady found me and decided to raise me as her own child. So, I set off to figure out where I’m from and more about my family” Maya says sticking to the story her parents decided.

“I’m so sorry to hear that and I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Emma says solemnly.

“It’s ok, she passed away from age so we both knew it was going to happen.”

“Well maybe when we get to town, we can find you a place to stay, so you know you at least have a home to go to while you try and figure stuff out.” Emma says trying to reassure Maya.

“That would be nice” As they continue to walk through the woods towards town.

Some time passed before Maya realizes she really needs to go pee. “Hey, um, Emma can we stop for a moment I really have to go.”

“No problem, I’ll keep an eye out.”