Violet

I was silent for a few seconds, turning her words over in my mind.

I nodded slowly. "I will. I’ll try. Thank you."

Bei smiled and looked back at the fire, and the conversation drifted into an odd silence.

But her question stayed with me even after she had fallen asleep.

What did I want for myself?

I stared out into the horizon and I let myself wonder.

Not too long after, I paid attention for any presence that could be nearby, but there was none, thankfully.

We would be leaving tomorrow night, likely after spending another day here. It was too pretty to just move on immediately after.

We had made it a rule not to stop at a place for more than two days. It was easier that way to prevent detection while also being on the move.

[ - ]

The landscape changed gradually over the following days.

The rocky terrain with its flowering gardens gave way to something different. The ground became softer beneath our feet, the soil dark and damp. The air grew heavier and thick with moisture that clung to our skin and made my clothes stick to my body.

Trees rose around us, but they were unlike any I had seen before. Their trunks were massive, gnarled things with roots that lifted out of the ground like grasping fingers. Broad leaves the size of my torso fanned out overhead, blocking so much of the sky that the light that filtered through was green and dim, almost like we were walking underwater.

Water was everywhere.

Not just rain or streams, but pooled in every hollow, trickling between roots, standing in shallow marshes that we had to pick our way around. The ground squelched beneath our feet, and more than once I had to pull my legs free from mud that tried to swallow them.

It slowed our pace and it was quite disgusting.

The vegetation was so thick and tangled that it would be nearly impossible to move through quickly. Everything dripped and glistened, alive in a way that felt almost overwhelming.

Insects hummed in clouds around us, and strange bird calls echoed from somewhere in the canopy. Things moved in the underbrush, rustling and splashing, though we never saw what they were.

I was beyond eager to get away from here!

If we could just find water and clean ourselves, I would not mind hopping from tree to tree just to get through the area.

"So, there might be an issue as to the direction we’re headed," Bei said as we paused to rest on a fallen log that rose above the waterline. "I’ve been thinking about it."

"What about it?"

I looked at her, a bit confused. I was aware a very large ocean lay in our direction, but that was months away.

"That area includes unclaimed lands," she mentioned.

I looked at her, noting the unease in her voice. "Unclaimed?"

I was sure she had mentioned this earlier when we first left Fresna. Either that or Kael had mentioned it in passing.

"You mean areas that don’t belong to any territories aside the neutral zones?" I asked.

I did not see any issue, would it not be easier there unless...

"Do a lot of rogue wolves live in those regions?" I asked her, starting to understand her worry.

"Some, yes. To be honest. But some unclaimed lands are also unoccupied," she explained. "Most especially due to the hostile environment that can’t facilitate life. They’re usually avoided since they’re hostile to wolves and other creatures..."

I paused to think over her words.

"You are suspecting it could be a toxic area for us to go through," I murmured, voicing her concern and she nodded.

"We would need to go round," Bei said.

I really didn’t want to do this but it seemed we had no other option.

I sighed. "That is fine."

We continued to move after that. Within four days of navigating this wetlands, we finally found a lake.

It appeared suddenly, the dense vegetation parting to reveal a stretch of open water that glittered in the afternoon light. The surface was still and clear, reflecting the canopy above like a mirror. Broad lily pads floated near the edges, their white flowers just beginning to open.

I stopped at the water’s edge, staring.

It was beautiful, and thankfully looked clean!

"Oh," Bei breathed beside me, relieved.

Schools of tiny silver fish darted between the lily pad stems, their movements creating ripples that spread outward in perfect circles.

The air here was different too. Still heavy with moisture, but cleaner somehow, carrying the faint scent of the water flowers.

We stood there for a long moment, just taking it in.

Then Bei glanced at me, a hopeful expression on her face.

"We haven’t bathed properly in days," she said. "And this water looks clean."

"It’s clear." I nodded. "And I don’t sense anyone nearby."

Bei’s face lit up and we waded around, eventually finding a spot where roots sloped gently into the water, the mud giving way to those smooth, colourful stones. We laid our belongings securely against the roots, undressed, and dove into the water.

The water was cool but not cold, a relief against my skin after days of sticky humidity. I waded in slowly, feeling the smooth stones beneath my feet, and watching the silver fish scatter at my approach.

Bei followed with considerably less caution, splashing in up to her waist with a sound of pure relief.

"This is wonderful," she groaned, ducking her head beneath the surface and coming up with her dark hair plastered to her skull.

I smiled, sinking lower until the water reached my shoulders. The tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying began to ease, loosening from my muscles one knot at a time.

For a while, we just floated. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The lily pads drifted nearby, their flowers releasing a faint sweet fragrance. Colourful flying insects skimmed the surface of the water away from us.

I tipped my head back, letting the water support me, and stared up at the patches of sky visible through the leaves.

I stilled and then straightened in the water. Bei had gone sharp and alert at my sudden movement.

I raised a hand to my lips. I could sense a group of wolves moving in the far distance.