After breakfast concluded and the twins went back to their room, Blanc first began by looking at the supplies that they had for the road ahead and how long those would hold them.
Two weeks' worth of food for five people.
That's it.
And that's true only if they are to eat two times a day.
And even if all of them carried multiple skins of water, if they didn't get to refill them, that would hold them for a week.
But at best, to keep more supplies than they consume and to never risk running out of water, they would have to stop at an inn in a village every five days and be able to, hopefully, refill their water and some of their supplies there.
If they can't, a smaller city at the borders of each domain would have to do so.
There, they could resupply properly, and if they were lucky, they could also get stronger. Even though it might be risky.
Next would be clothing.
He had enough clothing on hand.
So did everyone else. No armor, but enough clothing to survive each type of weather.
The issue was what Miyanna had. Better said, the lack of.
Besides the two pairs of clothes she switched between during the day and night, she had her Iron Line armor.
A bad idea to wear it.
So, besides the pieces that she could carry, she would have to discard most of her armor.
This means they will have to buy some if they were to pass through a small city or a village that would have some.
He had enough money.
Thank the Vita that was not an issue at least.
As long as no drastic weather comes, she will be fine for the time being.
Next were their weapons.
Two long swords, his and Celine's.
One curved sword, which was Miyanna's.
Two shortswords for Kael and Lune.
Four bows and seventy-two arrows.
Besides knives, which all of them had, that was it.
No special maintenance had to be done on them besides simple wiping or sharpening.
And with other smaller things, such as burying the dead Morois that began rotting in front of their cave, and walking a bit through the surroundings to make sure all was safe.
All he could prepare alone was done.
Next was to talk later about the route they would take and have the rest prepare their bags.
And if all were ready and had the strength to, they could even leave tomorrow.
He worried that he might have forgotten something, which made him check everything he had already checked two more times.
But nothing seemed out of order or to have slipped his mind.
It was already well past the afternoon by the time he was done.
Yet the time didn't seem to move quickly.
Kael and Lune, during these preparations, went outside, practiced their aim a bit, and even went for a walk around under Blanc's supervision.
After playing for a bit, which eased their tension and made them tired, they went to their room and took a nap.
And since Celine and Miyanna were still sleeping, Blanc found himself alone, staying outside the cave and watching the forest as the wind moved the golden leaves around.
With all the bad that had happened, he realized that between the cracks left behind by all the tears, he could notice some joy too.
Small ones in comparison to all the bad that happened and was sure to follow.
But joy nonetheless.
At that moment, with an exhale, he finally let his mind calm down and go silent.
No worries about the future, no thoughts about the past, and what he could have done differently.
Just silence.
Peace.
A peace so wonderful he wished he could bask in it for eternity.
He did not even notice that he had fallen asleep for an entire hour.
That was how wonderful that silence was.
Yet eternity draws short for those who don't deserve to feel it.
*Tap*
*Tap*
His eyes opened slowly, and what stood before his eyes was a huge, dark snout and a blinding white coat.
"You are still here, child of man," resounded the voice deep inside his head.
The giant fox that woke him up moved back, allowing him to see the three beasts, the creature of True Vita, which protected him against the Moroi that night.
Next to the twenty-foot fox, the deer lay between the fallen leaves as if basking in the warmth of the sun.
And atop a strong branch stood the eagle, which shared the same blinding white feathers as the fox and deer.
The wing the Moroi ripped that night seemed to have grown back, as when Blanc looked at it, the eagle showed off his regrown wing, stretching it wide.
"I am. We all are, actually, all thanks to you," said Blanc, getting to his feet and bowing deeply, "I don't know what happened on your side after I left, but only three Morois came."
"And it seems you have defeated them successfully," replied the female voice as both the fox and the deer looked towards the place where Blanc buried them.
"Thankfully, yes," Blanc nodded.
"I hope you did not harvest their Raw Vita," it said.
Blanc shook his head as if offended, "I refuse to. Cursed beings should never be harvested."
"Good," the voice resounded pleased, as the deer got to its feet. "Now that the danger has passed temporarily, where will you all go next?"
"As far away as possible, unfortunately," began Blanc, "Though I wish I would not. But, *sigh* the Vita has other plans for us."
"All life hopes to have control over its own fate. But the rivers of fate have no master. All one can do is to swim through them and hope that it leads them far," the voice said gently.
"Indeed," Blanc nodded, "But one can only hope those rivers do not lead to a waterfall."
The voice resounded, laughing at his words, "If it does, one has to make sure they fall straight and with a smile on their face."
"I will take those words to heart, thank you," Blanc bowed again.
"Although we can feel we will meet again, we hope the Vita agrees with us. Take care, child of man, not only of others but of yourself too. And when we meet again, we hope you will have the same kindness in your heart," uttered the creature as the three beasts turned around to leave.
"Apologies, but do you have a name?" Blanc asked, unsure how to address the creature.
"One has to utter their own name to receive another," said the voice, amused.
"Apologies, I am Blanc of Blood Denegis," he replied, his hand over his chest, while into a slight bow.
"Blanc of Blood Denegis, we are Lekta, True Vita, and Protector of the Golden Forest. If your roads do take you back to these trees, say our name, for we will remember yours."
And with those words, they slowly walked away in silence, with Blanc watching their grandeur until he could see them no longer.
When they were gone, Blanc too returned to the cave to prepare dinner.
He finished the rest of the stew from yesterday and prepared another batch for the rest before he finally woke everyone up.
As the others ate, they decided on the route they would take, as well as the day of the departure.
Tomorrow.
They had recovered fully, and there was no point in staying there any longer.
Even though Kael had things to say, by the end, all were in agreement.
Miyanna also proposed teaching them to speak as commoners do, arguing that if their distinct appearance wasn't already enough to draw attention, their manner of speaking, Celine's included, certainly would.
And since none could argue against her point, they agreed.
Thus, concluding the last dinner they would have inside the cave.
What has also been agreed on as a requirement was, obviously, a bath in turns, since only Vita knew when they could enjoy a proper bath in the near future.
And after Kael and Lune finished theirs, they went straight to sleep once more, since the promise of a comfortable bed was as certain as their safety from tomorrow onward.
Next, Blanc went in to bathe alone.
But the women around him seemed to have other plans, for as soon as he entered the water, he was joined moments later by a giggling Celine and an embarrassed Miyanna.
There, they bathed, talked, and fooled around until finally, they gave up and decided to return to their room to continue the entertainment from last night and see if it was the alcohol or not that made them act that way.
It wasn't.
And, as the sun of the next day rose over the Omu Mountain and the Golden Forest, five people walked out of the cave that stood at the bottom of the mountain.
The early morning was cold, with the sun not yet reaching that side of the forest.
Yet, as cold as it was, they slowly started walking. Each step, more uncertain than the last.
Uncertain of their safety, what awaited beyond this forest, or how long it would take until they would lay eyes on it again.
Yet, as uncertain as they were, they kept on walking, step after step, until the last tree announced their new beginning.
With an exhale that carried a fear of the unknown, Blanc spoke, "Let's go."
His words signaled a new start to their journey, a long road to their new destination.
The Domain of Blood Maroux.