Chương 66: Leaf's Guide

Kichan moved at dawn. The elf village was quieter than the day before. The broken stone markers still leaned against the wet earth, and on the tree balconies, torn leaf cloth swayed tied in place. The elves who had tended to the wounded through the night moved in low voices beneath the leaf-canvas shelters, and young elves stole glances through window gaps at the empty spot where Kichan had stayed. Kichan had woken up even earlier because those stares were a burden. There was not much to pack.

His wake-up rod, the salt pouch, the pouch of black pepper-like grains, a few herbs the elves had given him, a few pieces of roasted root. The water drop clung inside his sleeve, and Dust, still drowsy, had its legs folded on his shoulder. Kichan pressed the pouches inside his clothes once to check. The salt pouch and the pouch of black pepper-like grains were still there. Only then did he feel a little relieved.

"Let's go." The water drop went pop — small.

"Don't you go making patterns anywhere like yesterday." Instead of answering, the water drop made a very faint leaf shape below his wrist, then erased it.

"I said don't." In that gap, Dust stretched a leg toward the herb bundle. Without turning his head, Kichan said.

"You too." Dust folded its leg. The boundary stones outside the village were half-tilted from the traces the orcs had broken the day before. Kichan passed beside them and was about to enter the forest path. Exactly then, black stripes shot out from between the trees. The saber-toothed tiger. Riphiel sat on top of it. Her white hair was not yet properly tied, and a small pack hung from her shoulder. For someone who had sneaked out in the middle of the night, his face was far too confident.

Kichan looked for a long while.

"I heard you can't leave." Riphiel smiled brightly.

"That is why I sneaked out."

"Go back."

"I will give you something good." Kichan immediately started walking.

"I'm not taking it." The saber-toothed tiger pulled up beside him. Its footsteps made almost no sound. That was more annoying. Riphiel guided the tiger slowly to match Kichan's pace.

"It is truly good."

"Coming from you saying it's good makes me uneasy for no reason."

"This time, the World Tree dropped it directly." Kichan's feet stopped. Kichan slowly turned his head toward Riphiel.

"Say that clearly." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Riphiel took two small items wrapped in leaves from her pack. One was a white flower bud the size of a palm. The petals were very thin, and faint gold pooled at the center. The other was a slender branch piece about the length of a finger. It was not cut but seemed to have fallen off on its own long ago — the end was rounded and dry. Yet inside its veins, water-light flowed very faintly.

Kichan narrowed his eyes. Dust immediately leaned its body forward on his shoulder. The water drop at the end of his sleeve also popped out. It circled around the flower, then spread flat into a small leaf shape — neither shield nor blade. Kichan looked back and forth between the two.

"Why are you two giving me looks." Dust flicked a leg. Take it. The water drop also went pop above the flower. Kichan looked down at the water drop and muttered.

"Yesterday you were a blade, then a shield, and today you're even a leaf. Are you a Valkyrie?" The water drop stopped. Riphiel's eyes went round.

"Did you say Valkyrie?"

"Just something that came to mind." The water drop climbed onto the back of Kichan's hand. The leaf-shaped pattern surfaced once, then spread like a round shield, then immediately grew sharp like a blade. Riphiel nodded seriously.

"It seems to like it." Kichan scowled.

"Is that really its name now?" The water drop — no, Valkyrie — went pop. Riphiel quietly marveled.

"You have given a name to a child of the World Tree."

"I just called it something offhand."

"Originally, things that come offhand to mind are often exactly right." Kichan sighed. Then he looked again at the leaf-wrapped flower and branch piece.

"You didn't steal these, right." Riphiel's smile became a little unnatural.

"Why are you making that face."

"It is true the World Tree dropped them."

"And then."

"I simply brought them."

"That's stealing." Riphiel said with a wronged face.

"I just brought what was there."

"That's what stealing is." Riphiel slightly lifted the flower and branch piece in her hand to show them.

"But you need them. Did Valkyrie not react yesterday, and Dust react, and did you not see your own fingertips? I did not harm the World Tree's main body. They are pieces that fell off on their own. Nor did I snap them off."

"But you stole them?" Riphiel shut her mouth. Just then, a short bell rang from the village. It was different from the third bell that signaled invasion. Shorter, sharper. The sound of searching for someone. Soon, the voices of elves followed.

"Riphiel!"

"The saber-toothed tiger is gone!"

"Check the World Tree fallen-flower storage!" Kichan closed his eyes.

"This is because of you, right?" Riphiel tilted her head slightly.

"They are looking for me."

"But I'm with you?"

"Therefore, soon they will be looking for you too." Kichan gritted his teeth. Footsteps grew closer on the forest path behind them. World Tree flower, fallen flower, prohibition on leaving, Riphiel, saber-toothed tiger. Every word he caught seemed to connect to troublesome things. Kichan looked at the flower and branch piece in Riphiel's hand. Valkyrie would not leave the flower's vicinity. Dust was already lightly biting the end of the leaf wrapping. Kichan said quietly.

"Put it down. It's not mine yet." Dust flicked a leg, disappointed. Riphiel tapped the nape of the saber-toothed tiger.

"Will you ride?"

"I won't." Someone shouted from behind.

"There!" Kichan immediately climbed onto the saber-toothed tiger's back.

"Just run first." The saber-toothed tiger kicked off the forest path. The light between the trees tore long, and the elves' voices receded behind them. Even in that chaos, Riphiel turned back and shouted.

"Do not worry! I will put it to good use!" Kichan said quietly.

"Shut your mouth. The pursuit gets faster."

"Ah, I see." Riphiel shut her mouth for exactly two beats. Then spoke again.

"But I do think it is right to put it to good use." Kichan raised his wake-up rod.

"Want me to help you come to your senses?" Riphiel shut her mouth. When they had run a long way and the elves' voices had faded, the World Tree fallen flower and branch piece were a problem, Riphiel was a problem, and the elves chasing from behind were a problem. But Kichan's gaze kept going toward the valley the orc chieftain had pointed to. Riphiel caught her breath and asked.

"Are you still planning to go to that valley even now?"

"Yeah."

"The valley's master is truly dangerous." Kichan tapped the pouches inside his clothes.

"I've got salt and pepper." Riphiel muttered very quietly.

"Korean barbecue is a fearsome food."