It was already the late afternoon, when they left Verdance.
The fading sunlight filtered through the trees like warm dust as they trudged through the forest on a a winding network of dirt paths and moss-covered stones that stretched eastward.
Riven led the way at first, referencing the map he'd gotten from the shop before. It wasn't extremely detailed, but it was clear enough to keep them moving in the right direction. "We'll stay on this main path until we reach the ridge line," he said, mostly to himself. Yue Lin didn't respond. She just followed a few steps behind, quiet as ever.
They walked for hours, passing the occasional overgrown stone or rusted merchant sign. The sky gradually shifted from gold to grey-blue, and the shadows stretched long across the ground.
Still neither of them spoke much.
But a while later, Riven felt like he had to say something.
"You always this quiet?" he asked eventually, eyes still on the path ahead.
A pause. The sound of leaves underfoot.
"Mostly," Yue Lin said.
A moment later, she added, "It's easier."
Riven didn't disagree.
They kept walking, letting the conversation die there — if it could even be called that.
By the time the sun began to dip behind the ridgeline, the trees had thinned slightly, and the path curved toward a flatter stretch of forest. They spotted a clearing just off the main road — a ring of flattened grass and scattered stones, clearly used before by passing travelers. A half-burnt fire pit sat in the middle, ringed with darkened rock.
"This'll work," Riven said, stepping into the space. "We'll get to the Galecrag hills tomorrow if we leave early."
They both dropped their travel pouches — light things, barely enough to count as proper gear. Each of them carried a flask of water, a few preserved rations.
None of them had brought a change of clothes as they could just clean them with qi.
But even so, Riven realized they hadn't prepared enough.
They'd brought no tent.
"How do we do this?" he asked, a little helpless.
Yue Lin tilted her head. "Sleep?"
"I mean—" Riven gestured vaguely at the clearing. "We didn't bring a tent."
She blinked once. "Do you need one?"
"…I was hoping for something better than rocks and trees."
Yue Lin glanced around the space, then stepped toward the tree line. A few moments later, she returned with a handful of wide, dry leaves and sat down near the base of a tree, using them to pad the spot beneath her. She shifted once, tucked her legs under herself, and closed her eyes — not asleep, just settled.
Riven watched her for a moment, then sighed and did the same. He folded his outer robe to use as a pillow and leaned back against a patch of mossy bark.
It wasn't comfortable.
But it wasn't awful, either.
They sat like that for a while, the last gold bleeding out of the sky.
"…You seem experienced," Riven said.
"I've been around," she replied. "A few times."
Riven thought about that.
He hadn't had a good few months.
Lost an arm. Lost his family.
Stranded in a place he didn't know.
Used as a replacement to join a demonic sect.
Witnessed murder — committed some, too.
Betrayed by someone he thought he could trust.
It wasn't exactly ideal.
But at least he'd always had a bed to sleep on.
That's at least something...
He smiled wrily and glanced over to Yue Lin.
"Why'd you join the sect?" he asked.
Yue Lin didn't answer immediately.
Then: "I didn't have anywhere else to go."
The answer was simple. Not dramatic. Just true.
Riven gave a quiet hum in response. "Same."
He didn't feel like unpacking the more complicated process behind it.
A small silence followed. This time, it didn't feel awkward.
She shifted slightly.
After that, they spoke no more.
The wind moved gently through the clearing, rustling the grass like breath. Stars pricked the night sky — small and clear between the drifting branches above. Somewhere far off, an owl called — soft and low.
Yue Lin leaned back against the tree trunk, arms loosely folded, eyes slipping shut. Still and composed, even in rest.
Riven stayed awake a little longer.
Not out of caution.
Well — not just.
If he could have, he wouldn't have slept at all. But he knew he'd need the energy. The Galecrag Hills weren't close, and a hunt wasn't something to do with dulled senses and heavy limbs.
So he sat with his eyes half-closed, letting his thoughts settle. Listening to the wind. Watching the mist gather around the base of the trees.
And eventually, when he was sure everything remained quiet, he leaned over and gently nudged Yue Lin's arm.
She opened her eyes without surprise, as if she'd never been fully asleep.
He gave a small nod and shifted position, lying back down.
Sleep didn't come quickly. It never did.
A small part of him still tried to listen for movement. Still tried to predict where the next attack might come from.
He just hoped Yue Lin really was as reasonable as she seemed.
And wouldn't try to kill him in his sleep.
>>>
Morning came quiet.
Pale light threaded through the leaves, dappling the clearing with gold.
Riven blinked awake, groggy but rested. His muscles ached slightly — not from injury, just the fatigue of long travel and sleeping against tree bark.
He pushed himself up slowly, brushing off moss.
Yue Lin was already awake.
She stood a few paces away, tying her hair back into a high tail — the ends damp, clinging slightly. Her robe sleeves were rolled to the elbow, and her expression as unreadable as ever.
Did she find a pond nearby to wash?
He didn't ask.
Instead, they packed their gear — if you could even call it that — ate a quick mouthful of dried rations, and set off again.
The path carried them eastward, winding past roots and rising into more rugged terrain.
After a few hours, the canopy thickened overhead, and the light dimmed.
They were in another forest now.
Riven didn't know its name — if it even had one. It didn't look particularly dangerous, but he kept an eye on the side brush anyway.
Just in case.
They continued on, the trail narrow now and flanked by tall ferns.
Then — movement.
A flicker of motion up ahead.
Riven saw him for just a second — a man crouched near a fallen log, eyes wide, mouth parting in surprise.
Then he turned and bolted, crashing through the underbrush.
Riven stopped walking.
Yue Lin came to a halt beside him, hand already reaching for the knife on her thight.
"That's weird," Riven muttered.
She nodded once. "Be careful."
Riven checked if his needles were easy to grab just to be safe.
They continued on.
Ten minutes later, as the path curved between two thick clusters of trees, they stepped into it.
Six figures emerged from the brush — spread in a wide arc across the path.
Steel glinted. A few wore mismatched armor. Most just had knives, clubs, or cheap swords strapped to their belts. One of them, taller and broader than the rest, stepped forward with a wolfish grin.
"Well, well, well," he drawled, eyeing them lazily. "Look what we've got here. A couple of little kids out for a walk."
Riven was ten — though he looked closer to thirteen. A side effect of both cultivation and necessity.
As for Yue Lin… he hadn't asked her age. But she looked about the same.
In the world of cultivation, you were considered a teenager the moment you hit ten — the age most could finally sense qi.
That made them young, sure, but not children.
But he didn't think correcting the man would change what was about to unfold.
"You two picked the wrong road," the bandit said, stepping forward with a grin.
Riven didn't move.
But he was ready.
A twitch. A bad word. A blade drawn too fast — and he'd throw.
His only hand — the left — hovered near his right waist, fingers curling around a needle tucked into his belt.
This wouldn't be like the banquet.
This was a real fight. Life or death.
He wasn't going to pull punches.
He'd use his most dangerous move from the start.
Velvet Thorn Acupuncture.
It was time to see it in action.
Behind him, Yue Lin shifted slightly — subtle, poised.
Then one of the bandits reached for his sword.
Riven's arm snapped forward.