Another week passed.
The forest had grown familiar, its paths now well-worn under our feet. The sound of the creek nearby, the rustle of wind through the leaves, even the birds' cries had become part of our home's rhythm. Borin and I had established something close to a routine: hunt, train, expand the base, test new ideas, and occasionally, get on each other's nerves. Kurokami had grown slightly bigger too, sleeker, stronger, and more curious.
We had just finished expanding a proper smokehouse when it happened.
It started with rustling.
Not the usual rustling of forest critters, nor the heavy steps of a boar.
This was lighter. Steady. Intentional.
Borin raised an eyebrow. I nodded, already reaching for Kazuma, now sheathed at my hip. Kuro was alert, tail stiff, ears perked. He gave a low growl. Then she appeared from between the trees.
A woman.
Beautiful.
Stunning, even.
She had long, jet-black hair that shimmered faintly even in the soft daylight filtering through the canopy. Her eyes, a deep violet, were striking against her fair, almost porcelain skin. She wore a dark red leather bodice, accented with silver buckles and intricate runes etched into the straps. Her midriff was exposed, revealing defined abs and a long scar running diagonally across her right side. Slim-fitting pants tucked into black boots hugged her toned legs, and a black cloak flowed behind her. On her back, a curved blade rested in a sleek, black scabbard. She walked with confidence, hips swaying slightly, eyes locked on me with a glint of curiosity and something else. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she stopped just outside our camp.
"You always greet guests with weapons drawn?" she asked, her voice smooth, almost playful.
Borin muttered under his breath. "Aye, only the good-lookin' ones talk like they're not a threat."
I kept Kazuma lowered, but not sheathed. "You didn't exactly knock."
She smiled fully now. "Didn't realize the forest had a door."
Kurokami growled again but didn't move.
"Name's Kai" I said cautiously. "This is Borin, and the grumpy one over there is Kurokami."
She tilted her head. "Kurokami? Fitting name. I'm Reina."
"And what brings Reina to our part of nowhere?"
She stepped a bit closer, now standing just within the camp's outer clearing. "I was tracking something. Saw smoke, figured there might be someone alive out here. Didn't expect a cabin and… a wolf."
Borin huffed. "Smokehouse don't build itself, lass."
Reina laughed, a melodic sound that, somehow, made me lower Kazuma just slightly.
"Mind if I rest?" she asked.
I looked at Borin. He shrugged. "Your funeral."
Later that evening, we sat by the fire. Reina shared little. She was a mercenary, or so she claimed, wandering between the three kingdoms, taking contracts, hunting bounties, and surviving where others didn't.
"And you?" she asked, eyes on me. "You don't look like a soldier, but you move like one."
I shifted. "You could say I'm… new here. Still figuring things out."
"Magic tattoo" Borin said through a mouthful of smoked meat. "Weird language, lights up now and then. Throws wind like he's a walking tornado."
Reina's gaze flicked to my arm. "May I?"
I extended it slowly. She traced the markings with a gloved finger, her touch oddly cold.
"Ancient" she whispered. "Haven't seen this in… a long time."
I blinked. "You recognize it?"
She sat back, thoughtful. "Not exactly. But I've read stories. This kind of magic is old, raw. Dangerous. People don't wield it anymore."
I didn't know whether to feel special or doomed. Reina stayed the night. The next day, she asked to spar. I agreed. We cleared a small training circle near the cabin. Borin took the best seat, on a log, chewing jerky and Kurokami lay nearby, watching intently. Reina moved fast. Fluid. Each strike was clean, precise, measured. I could barely keep up. But I'd been training too. I ducked one of her swings, slid forward, and tapped her side with the blunt edge of Kazuma.
She laughed. "Not bad, farm boy."
"I've upgraded from scavenger, thanks."
She twisted, feinted a move, then swept my legs. I hit the ground with a thud.
Borin howled with laughter. "Aye! That's what you get for flirting instead of fightin'."
"That wasn't flirting!"
Reina leaned over me, upside-down from my perspective, that damn smirk on her lips again. "You sure?"
We returned to camp that evening. Reina stayed another night. And another. By the third, I stopped asking why. Kurokami still didn't trust her, but he didn't growl as much. Borin was… amused by the entire situation.
"You best not get distracted, lad" he said one night as Reina went off to scout. "Pretty faces can hide sharp daggers."
"You think she's hiding something?"
"Everyone is. Especially the quiet ones."
I didn't know what to think. But Reina was here now. And something told me she wasn't leaving anytime soon. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe not. But for now, we had company and I was okay with that.