Chapter 56 – She was… Smitten

Chapter 56

She was… Smitten

Date : Day 2 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren woke when gentle light from the dual suns of Sol and Luna shone through the window. The golden and silver rays fell across his face. He stirred. His eyelids fluttering. The remnants of sleep still clinging to his consciousness.

He sat up. And rubbed his eyes. The heels of his palms pressing against his lids. Driving away the last traces of dreams.

Elise beside him also woke. She felt the sudden loss of body weight beside her. The warmth that had been pressed against her side was gone. With half-closed eyes, she looked up. Her vision blurry.

"Hmm... Morning already, Hyoren?"

Her voice was rough with sleep. Low. Barely a whisper.

Hyoren looked at his side. Elise's hands moved lazily on the bed. Sweeping the soft fabrics. Searching for warmth. Not wanting to leave the comfort of the soft bed. Her silver hair cascaded around the pillow and the bed. A messy halo of silver strands.

"Yawn... Good morning, Elise..."

He smiled at her as she sat on the bed. The movement slow. Reluctant.

She looked around. Trying to gather her mind back. Her disheveled hair moved alongside her head. Falling across her face. Sticking to her cheek.

Hyoren stood. The blankets falling away from his body. He crossed over the room to the bathroom. His head turned to the bed as he opened the door.

"I will wash my face first, Elise."

He saw her nodd. A small motion. Then he closed the door.

He went to the washbasin. The porcelain was cool against his palms. He splashed water onto his sleepy eyes. The cold was a shock. Refreshing. Then he dried it with a towel. The fabric rough against his skin.

His reflection stared back at him. The face in the mirror was different. He touched his chin. His beard had grown even longer. The stubble had become a full beard. Coarse. Unruly.

"So this is what a 50 days worth of beard looks like."

He chuckled. The sound low. Amused.

He then picked up the shaver he bought yesterday. The shape was just like a normal knife. But it curved inward. Matching the shape of the jaw. Unlike modern shavers. The design was simple.

Some parts of this world matched or even passed modern convenience. The magic tools. The storage bags. The guild system. But some were still behind.

He shrugged. The motion reflected in the mirror.

"Can't be helped. Gotta use whatever is available... it was better than leaving this beard. It's starting to give me an itch."

Hyoren then shaved his beard. At first his attempts were clumsy. Not used to the tools. Modern shavers were easy to use. While this old school one might hurt him if he was not careful. The blade was sharp.

He nicked himself once. A small cut on his jaw. A drop of blood welled up. He pressed a cloth against it. Waited for the bleeding to stop. Then continued.

After struggling for a while. Finally he was done. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Now his face was smooth. No beard or moustache. Clean. But the familiar face he always saw on Earth was already gone.

Instead, the face which stared back at him looked more rugged. Leaner. The angles sharper. His skin was now tan. Darkened by weeks under dual suns. His jaw was more pronounced and angular. There was no waste fat. No softness. His eyes somehow looked sharper. More alert. And there was a faint scar on his left cheek. The wound mark from a past battle.

"This is my current face, huh... Fifty days in the wilderness truly can change people's appearance..."

As Hyoren contemplated, the door suddenly opened. Elise peeked through the gap. Her sleepy eyes blinked. Adjusting to the light.

"Hey Hyoren, what took you so long?"

Her voice was still rough. Impatient.

Hearing the door open, he turned his head towards the door.

Elise then widened her eyes. Her fully awake surprised face, framed by her disheveled silver hair, was almost comical. She was frozen. Her mouth opened. Making an O shape. The sleep vanished from her expression. Replaced by shock.

Hyoren smiled. Unaware of the cause of her reaction.

"Sorry Elise, I was shaving my beard..."

Hyoren then tilted his head. Confused by her expression.

"What's wrong, Elise?"

Elise snapped from her frozen state. The stillness broken. Reds started to creep from her neck to her ears. A flush of color that spread rapidly across her pale skin.

"Nevermind, Hyoren. Take your time."

She quickly closed the door while mumbling. The latch clicking shut. Her voice was muffled. Faint through the wood.

"That's unfair. That face under his beard... that caught me off guard... he was so..."

Hyoren didn't catch her mumbling. His head continued tilting. Puzzled.

"What's happened to Elise, I wonder..."

He shook his head. The motion slow. Bewildered. And washed his face again. Cleaning his face. The cool water calming his skin.

He nodded. Satisfied.

He reached for his travelling clothes. The sturdy but comfortable tunic and pants Elise bought him at Boram's shop. The fabric was soft. Well-worn. He quickly wore it. The fit was comfortable. Then he went back to the bedroom.

He saw Elise lying down on the bed. Her face buried in the pillows. Her silver hair spread across the fabric. Hiding her expression.

He smiled. Walked towards the bed. Touched her shoulder. Gentle. Prodding.

"Hey Elise, I'm done. You can wash your face now... Please don't sleep again, we are going to depart on our quest, right?"

Elise abruptly raised her head. The motion sudden. Startled.

"Huh??"

Her gaze locked onto his face for a while. The green eyes widened. The flush returned to her cheeks. Then she suddenly jumped from the bed. Her movements frantic. She went through the bathroom door. The latch clicked behind her.

But a few seconds later, she opened the door again. Ran towards the wardrobe. Picked her leather tunic. Bolted back to the bathroom. Averting her face from Hyoren. Not saying anything. The door closed again with a soft thud.

Hyoren tilted his head again. The motion becoming familiar.

"Seriously, what happened to her?"

But he shrugged it off. Decided not to think too much about it. Some things were better left unexplored.

He then reached into his storage bag. The Personal Pack. Took his new armor. The brown and grey Ramtauro armor. The leather was supple. Strong. He quickly put it on. It fit snugly against his body. Contoured to his frame.

He flexed his finger. Tested the movement. Rotated his shoulder. Twisted his torso. The armor moved with him. No restriction. No chafing.

“Good. Jena is a truly good leatherworker.”

He nodded. Satisfied.

As he finished wearing his leather armor, Elise opened the bathroom door. She was wearing her new green leather tunic. The sleeveless design made her smooth skin visible. Even with a mantle. The fabric hugged her figure. Accentuated her curves. Especially when she tied her silky silver hair into a ponytail with the matching ribbons. Hyoren could easily see her underarm. The pale skin. Smooth. Exposed.

Hyoren averted his eyes. And coughed. The sound awkward.

"You look ready, Elise. I'm also ready. Should we depart?"

He didn't ask about her weird demeanor. He knew asking about it would make it even more awkward. Better to ignore it. Move forward.

Elise nodded as she did her hair. Her eyes were now sharp. Alert. Not a single sleepiness or awkwardness left. Though her pointed ears still had shades of pink. A lingering reminder of her earlier embarrassment.

"Humu. Let's go, Hyoren. We don't need to rush, but I would like to depart early."

She then attached their party storage bag. The Adventurer Pack. And her short sword on the belt. She was not taking her bow yet. They were still going to eat breakfast and walk in town.

Meanwhile Hyoren did the same. Attached his storage bag. Steel dagger. And four cinder-maw daggers on his belt. The weight was familiar. Comforting.

Both of them were now lightly equipped. Without cumbersome weapons or bags. Ready for travel.

Hyoren rolled his shoulder.

"Having storage bags is so convenient. We have more supplies and tools, and we are not even burdened by them."

Elise tapped her boots on the wooden floor. Checking if her boots fit snugly. The leather creaked a bit. Soft. Pliable. Then she turned around and smiled.

"That's right. We got cloaks, tents, and other tools but our burden is actually less."

She then opened the door. Exited their room. Hyoren followed her. His footsteps echoing hers.

After making sure the room was empty, Elise locked it with a key. The brass key turned in the lock. A soft click. Then they went downstairs into the communal room.

They arrived at the communal room. The atmosphere was solemn. Quiet. The morning light filtered through the windows. Casting long shadows across the floor. Martha cleaned the counter with a rag. There were a few adventurers eating at the tables. Hunched over their meals. Silent.

Hyoren and Elise sat at the counter. The stools creaked under their weight. Martha smiled at them. The expression warm, welcoming.

"Breakfast, dears?"

Elise put the room key on the counter. The brass glinting in the light. She smiled.

"Yes, Martha. Give us two portions. Also, we are going to depart for a quest as we said before. So here are the keys. We will be back in 2 or 3 days."

Martha's warm smile widened. The corners of her eyes crinkling.

"I see. I will try to keep the room you used unoccupied then."

She then turned and entered the kitchen. The swing door creaking on its hinges. Bringing back trays with two plates of their breakfast.

Each plate contained grilled fish and rice. The fish was seared perfectly. The skin crispy. The flesh tender. Steam rose from the plates. The aroma filled the air. Martha then put them on the counter.

"Enjoy this Grilled Red Pike, dears."

Elise and Hyoren smiled. Their stomachs rumbled. The sound loud in the quiet room. The fish looked delicious.

Elise then faced Martha. The corner of her lips turned down. A small frown.

"Thanks for a delicious breakfast as always, Martha. But you don't need to keep our room unoccupied..."

Martha shook her head. The motion gentle.

"No. You are my most beloved regulars. And I want you to come back here. Understood?"

She then smiled. The expression maternal. Caring. She went back to tending to other customers. Her rag wiping the tables.

Elise smiled wryly. Turned to Hyoren.

"She is always like that. Unless I go on a long quest for over a week, she keeps my room unoccupied just for me..."

Hyoren smiled. The gesture understanding.

"You are truly beloved, Elise. Just accept her kindness."

Not only Martha. Her other acquaintances also loved her so much. Like Yorogin. Boram. Jena. She was surrounded by many warm people. People who cared. People who remembered.

Elise heard that and blushed. Her pointed ears reddened. The flush spreading from her neck to her cheeks.

She focused on her plate. Her eyes downcast.

"N-not really... let's just eat, Hyoren. I'm peckish."

Hyoren chuckled. Not wanting to argue. He also went to his plate. The fish was tender. The rice fluffy. Perfect.

Both ate in silence afterwards. The only sounds were the clinking of utensils. The soft sounds of chewing. But Hyoren noticed. Elise's mouth corner was raised slightly. Her expression relaxed. Happy.

After they finished eating, both stood at the same time. The stools scraping against the floor. Elise left a few copper coins on the counter. Then said goodbye to Martha.

"Martha, we're heading out now!"

She waved at Martha. The gesture bright. Energetic.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Martha. We will come again in a few days."

Hyoren bowed slightly and smiled. The gesture respectful. Grateful.

Martha smiled. Her expression warm. Maternal.

"Safe travels, dears. May Luminara's light always shine towards you two."

With Martha's prayer to see them off. They departed on their first ever quest as the Freedom Party.

***

In front of Wanderer's Inn, Hyoren and Elise stood. The morning air was crisp. Cool. The scent of autumn lingered in the breeze. Fallen leaves scattered across the cobblestones. Brown and gold. The season had begun to claim the city.

Elise took a deep breath. Enjoying the fresh morning air of Autumn. Her chest rose and fell. The coolness filled her lungs.

"Let's go, Hyoren. Firstly, we buy fresh produce on the way, then we depart via West Gate."

Hyoren nodded. His body relaxed. Ready.

"Lead the way, Elise."

Elise then started walking. Her steps were light but unhurried. She knew where she was going.

Hyoren walked beside her. Enjoying the morning. The dual suns had risen high enough to cast warm light across the streets. The shadows were long. Stretching across the buildings.

Few adventurers walked around them. Definitely going to quests or trying to get good quests at the guild. Their equipment clinked softly as they moved. Swords at their hips. Staffs in their hands. Packs on their backs. The morning rush of the adventuring life.

They exited the side road. Entering the main street. The busy Adventurer's District greeted them. The noise grew. Voices calling. Merchants hawking. The clatter of cart wheels on stone. The smell of food wafting from taverns and stalls.

After walking a while, Elise stopped at street vendors which sold fresh produce. The stall was modest. Wooden crates filled with vegetables. Bundles of herbs hanging from the awning. Dried meats suspended from hooks.

The vendor smiled widely. His face weathered. Lines creased around his eyes.

"Hey adventurers going on a quest? Want to buy my jerky? Here I have a lot. Special discount for you beautiful elf lady."

Elise smiled hearing the compliment. Her ears twitched. Pleased.

She browsed the wares. Her eyes scanning the offerings. Fingers touching the produce. Testing the quality. Then she faced Hyoren.

"What do you want, Hyoren? Do you have any specific food you can't eat?"

Hyoren shook his head. The question was thoughtful. Considerate.

"I'm fine with anything, Elise."

Elise nodded. She then pointed at the wares. Her selections made.

"Please give me 6 portions of this spicy squirrel jerky. 10 portions of this bread."

She put her fingers on her chin. Thinking.

"Also few portions of these noodles, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and this nirleaf."

Hyoren saw her point at similar vegetables he knew. Cabbages. Carrots. Potatoes. And one unknown leafy green vegetable. The nirleaf. The leaves were pale green. Almost translucent. With faint silver veins running through them.

Elise then looked up at the vendor. Her brow furrowing slightly.

"No fresh meat or fruits?"

The vendor who had been picking up Elise's order shook his head. His smile was apologetic. Regretful.

"I'm sorry. I only stock vegetables and preserved food. Is this all your order?"

Elise nodded. Accepting the limitation.

"Can't be helped then. I will go to the butcher and fruit vendor. And yeah, that's all. Please pack them for us."

The vendor packed their order. His hands moved quickly. Efficient. Wrapping the items in brown paper. Tying them with string.

"Okay. Jerky is 300 Kres, bread is 400 Kres. The vegetables and noodles total is 300 Kres."

Elise handed 10 copper coins. The metal clinked against the counter. She received the packaging. The bundle was substantial. Heavy.

The vendor smiled. Grateful.

"Thanks for the patronage!"

Elise put the goods in her storage bag. The items disappeared into the spatial void. She started walking again. Her steps resumed.

"Let's go, Hyoren. We need to visit a butcher and fruit vendors next."

Hyoren nodded and followed her closely. His footsteps matching hers.