She never left home.
Yet, the tracks left outside could not have been by anyone else.
Staring at the vacant room, Baihu slowly closed her eyes.
She knew her cub well. Well enough to know that behaviour was due to an outside influence—namely, her friend. The little thing would take a nap before anything given a chance. Deducing the obvious cause of the missing cub, Baihu should be fine. No danger would find her cub. She knew Aurelia was capable of protecting her cub. The peak of the mountain was also safeguarded by the fairies, who already knew not to let the cub out. Again, no danger would find her cub.
But.
She found herself irritated.
Stepping outside, she called for her cub.
No response answered back.
Her irritation grew. The call she gave was a special one. One specifically for attracting the attention of her cub. It was low and long. A soft melody capable of travelling an unthinkable distance. Previously, right before heading down to the village, Baihu had her memorise the tune.
It was clear now she wasn’t listening.
“Mmmble…” (L)
An unintelligible mumble filled the quiet room.
Baihu was pulled out of her recollection. Her cub had finally fallen asleep; now wasn’t the time to focus on the unimportant.
A soft exhale sounded in front of her. Meeting the eyes of the person sitting before her, she studied their posture. A hint of nervousness was present in their form. Eyes glancing down occasionally, lips pressed tightly, and shoulders slightly hunched.
“Long time?” (A)
“Yes.” (B)
The arrival of her friend had been unexpected. Yet, given her usual disposition, it wasn’t all that surprising. Baihu had to set out earlier to procure food for her. The journey up this mountain was trying even for the most experienced.
“I see good company is the reason for your silence?” (A)
Her friend let out a light giggle.
Baihu didn’t respond.
It was best she believed that. Telling her friend the true reason she ignored her calls wasn’t necessary. After all, that adventurous spirit of hers was special; it shouldn’t ever waver. The world was always in need of a kind adventurer.
“If… If I may ask, there’s something I’ve been wondering about…” (A)
The giggling of her friend died down as her expression turned stern.
An odd heaviness descended upon the room. Once again, it was silent, but, unlike before, it wasn’t a silence meant to last.
“She… she wouldn’t happen to be his child?” (A)
Pain.
The old and familiar feeling throbbed within Baihu.
It had been quite some time since she felt it this bad.
Baihu steadied her heart. She expected such a question, or better yet, an assumption, to be made. The average being of this world came from two parents. Given such an assumption, it wouldn’t be wrong to extrapolate such a conclusion. Baihu herself had done this. Assuming she must have parentage, yet, when searched, she had nothing to show.
Just like Lei-Lei, it was as though she appeared from thin air.
“Ah, well, never mind that! It’s not the reason I’m here….” (A)
Baihu stared at her.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Had she taken too long to answer?
“A few traces of them have been found on the Western mountains.” (A)
A sudden announcement was made in a sombre, low voice.
It appeared the creatures they had sought to cull were still well and good.
“I need your help…” (A)
It was only natural that help was needed. No one being could completely eradicate those creatures. First born from the haunting corpse of a once-great being, the Forsaken had quickly evolved into the terrors of the world. Enemies of all intelligent life, the Forsaken contained within them an almost mad drive to hunt and butcher. It is widely believed that they mainly target intelligent life out of envy for peace of mind they do not possess.
To battle such creatures, one had to be equally dreadful or more in order to win. When Baihu first left the safety of the mountains for the world, she encountered such a creature beseeching her friend. Closing her eyes, Baihu relived that moment. She still remembered the taste of the lifeless creature as it hung from her mouth.
It did not bleed blood.
Instead, it only released a faint essence similar to dust filled with an intense longing.
A longing Baihu knew greatly.
It took a lot to battle such creatures. At the time, Baihu had been filled with a fierce determination. A determination fuelled by the desire to find others like her. It had been easy to fight, kill, and slay those monsters with that in mind. Almost too easy.
Now?
It was impossible. Such determination had died long ago. Killed by many things but most of all a lack of progress. The flame of determination that had once burnt reduced to nothing. Baihu didn’t want to fight; she couldn’t. Especially now when what she was searching for had so easily wandered to her arms.
She had nothing to gain from this.
The loss of her peaceful life was her reward. Travelling to the westernmost mountains would likely force her to leave Lei-Lei here. In the mountains with the fairies to grow up alone.
How could she go?
“I… I know this is asking much, but I—” (A)
Baihu stretched her hand and grasped her friend’s own rested on the table.
It wasn’t even a question.
“I will help you.” (B)
Despite it all, there was no way she would leave her to face those monsters by herself.
Never ever.
Her desire was a complicated and fickle thing, but what was laid in front of her was not. Her friend was in trouble and needed help. That was simple enough to understand. Baihu wouldn’t abandon her friend in need.
Not if she could help it.
“No sleeping, Lei-Lei!” (A)
“No, stop! What are you doing?! Let go of me!!” (A)
Sitting at the table, Baihu silently observed the pair. She had already woken her cub earlier, only for her to fall back asleep. When she went to attempt again, her friend had offered herself to do it. Stating she would make sure that her cub won’t dare try again.
Baihu watched as her cub was lightly thrown in the air and spun around.
“Weeeee!” (A)
“WAAAAHHH!!” (L)
After a few seconds of this, her cub was placed down. She proceeded to turn away from her friend and run directly to Baihu. Scrambling to get up on her lap.
She tightly hugged Baihu.
“Masssssster, kick her out! Please!” (L)
Baihu slowly started rubbing her cub’s back. A few days had passed since her friend had arrived. Seeing as she needed a break before they set out once more, Baihu postponed their journey with the expectation she would for a little bit.
What she didn’t expect was how often her cub would argue with her.
“Why are you still here?! Get out of my house!!” (L)
Her cub was always grumping in the morning. Rocking her back and forth, Baihu tried to calm her down. There was a reason she didn’t use this method to wake her. It often left her cub grumpy for the rest of the day.
“Wasn’t that fun!” (A)
“No!!” (L)
Baihu needed to step in.
“Aurelia, be more careful.” (B)
“Ahhh, oh. I’m sorry, Lei-Lei…” (A)
They had made up again.
Glancing back, Baihu watched as they walked hand in hand.
It was a good thing she told them to get along.
A thud sounded as soon as Baihu turned back.
She turned once more.
Lei-Lei was lying face flat on the snow.
“~Lei-Lei, if you don’t get up, I’ll be forced to leave you here~” (A)
“Good, go! My Master will pick me up anyways….” (L)
“~Eh? Really? I don’t think so…. Lei-Lei might be trying to trick me again~” (A)
“I’m not! And, stop talking to me like that!!” (L)
Lei-Lei got up from the snow.
“My Master will pick me up even if I pretend to fall!!” (A)
Baihu frowned.
“~Is that so?~” (A)
Aurelia turned and smiled at Baihu.
“N-No…. I didn’t mean it like that….” (L)
Walking back, Baihu held the hand of her cub.
“Let’s walk a little more.” (B)
“Y-Yes! Master….” (L)
In the end, Baihu still had to carry Lei-Lei most of the way. She simply did not have the stamina to do the entire journey by herself. And, as expected, she wasn’t the only one. Slowing down her stride, Baihu raised a hand and rested it on her.
Quickly, she began to infuse part of her mana into her.
“You didn’t need to do that….” (A)
Baihu shook her head. She could tell her friend was still struggling with the cold. Most creatures would’ve swiftly died the moment they stepped on the top of this mountain. Even with the enchantment she gifted her friend and the mana she infused in her, most would still die here.
Aurelia was a remarkable person.
“Hehe, thanks.” (A)
Stopping at the fog that separated the peak of the mountain from its body, Baihu took a deep breath. Hidden here were those who would have so kindly raised her. She grew up in this fog. Concealed and unseen. And so would Lei-Lei.
Opening her coat, Baihu gently nudged the cub awake and placed her down.
“W-Where are we?” (L)
“The home of the fairies.” (B)
“Fairies?” (L)
A small light abruptly flew out of the fog and blew past Lei-Lei.
“Ah!? What was that?” (L)
Another followed shortly after, and another, and another more. Before long, the small area they occupied was lit up by light blue lights. The faint smell of fresh-fallen snow accompanied them.
“She’s here!”
“It’s true!!”
“Another one!”
The lights danced around them.
Here, on the impenetrable border, the fairies had come to greet them.