A couple of hours had passed since they left the village, the sun climbing steadily into the sky.
They have been walking for quite a while without taking a single break, but to Rukiyo's surprise, Blank has not voiced a single complaint.
He followed a couple of steps behind her, matching her steady pace without any sign of fatigue, but every now and then, she can catch him sneaking glances at her, as if trying to memorize every detail of her profile from the back.
If it was done by someone else, it would have been creepy, but somehow, it's.. Oddly endearing because it's him.
Rukiyo still hasn't forgotten that he chose to lie for her sake, and she doesn't think she ever will.
They kept walking while Rukiyo kept a close eye on the map and to her relief, the area they have covered so far has expanded significantly since yesterday, meaning she can now explore without worrying much about getting lost.
She mentally noted that if they keep moving in a specific pattern, the surrounding area will clear out automatically— a useful feature indeed.
She kept her eyes glued to the map and veered onto a different path, one that leads them even further from the cave she had stumbled into the night before.
The path shifted subtly— the trees grew taller, the air smelled richer with pine and damp earth.
They're deep in unfamiliar territory now, far enough that even Blank paused occasionally to glance around like he's making sure they're not being followed nor lost.
She didn't slow down, her stride stayed confident as she followed her map's guidance toward an unmarked stretch of land.
No caves this time. She thought dryly, glancing around for a moment.
She still hasn't forgotten about the quest she received last night, especially since the quest told her to make a home somewhere.
How can she do that though? It's not like she feels safe in her environment.
"U-Uhm.. Where are we g-going?" Blank asked, his voice soft as he broke the silence. "W-We're strayed off our path.."
Rukiyo looked over when Blank finally spoke up, breaking the silence that lingered between them.
She glances back at him. "We're exploring."
The response was simple, but to make sure, before he can say anything further, she quickly added a little white lie to justify their seemingly aimless wandering.
"I need to memorize the area, so I won't get lost in the future." She stated, looking away from him and focusing more on her map.
Blank looked unconvinced, but didn't press the matter.
He just hummed to himself and kept a pace behind her, his eyes glued to the back of her head like he's trying to decipher her real intentions.
Truly though, he doesn't have the heart to question her. It was his choice to follow her after all.
With that matter aside, Rukiyo kept her focus firmly on the map, pointedly ignoring Blank's curious stare, but as they pressed forward, something caught her attention.
A shimmer of blue can be seen in the map just ahead of them, causing her to blink, confused.
Then she heard it— a low but distinct sound of running water, making her steps slow without meaning to.
The noise is unmistakable.
A strong gush of water rushing over rocks or through narrow channels.
A river? She thought as she glanced toward the source before looking back at Blank briefly, discreetly checking if he noticed too, but he simply stared at her, confused just as she was.
Okay, he didn't notice. Rukiyo concluded with much fight and picked up her pace, moving faster than earlier.
The trees began to thin out and the light ahead of them became brighter, then they broke through the tree line and found themselves right on the edge of a swiftly flowing river.
It seems like I was right. She thought, blinking, looking around and looking back to where they came from specifically.
She went still and stared at the tree line.
It took longer to arrive here than she had expected and maybe it was just her imagination, but the sound of running water had felt closer before when she first heard it.
Is it because Ryukiyo is a dragon? Rukiyo wondered before turning to Blank.
She cleared her throat, the sound breaking through the hum of the river. "We're taking a break here. I want to bathe, so I'm going to search for a more private spot."
Before he could offer any comment or question, Rukiyo started moving, walking away along the riverbank in search of a secluded spot for her bath.
Blank instinctively opened his mouth to stop Rukiyo, raising a hand reflexively to grab her arm, but he quickly caught himself just in time, his fingers closing around nothing.
He let out a sigh instead, his gaze drifting to the river and walked over.
He crouched down by the riverbank and stared at his reflection for a few moments, the faint current causing his face to distort and warp in ways he barely recognized.
The sound of water rushing around him has a strangely calming effect and he finds his thoughts wandering back to Rukiyo, on how beautiful she looked walking ahead of him— like she knows exactly where to go.
"Just w-what is wrong with me.." Blank mumbled to himself, plopping himself on the ground and dropping his pack beside him.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and sighed, not caring if he sounded pathetic.
He raised a hand and tugged his messy strands down to cover his eyes more, his lips parting for a second before pursing together.
He was impulsive, that much he's aware, but he really likes Rukiyo and would like to be her friend.
She doesn't like she wants to— wait.. Would she allow me to be her friend? Blank thought, his hand going still as his eyes slowly went wide behind his bangs, his mouth going dry.
Does she even want me as her friend?