Hidden Path to Love

Out in the Forest

Wei Ying let out a small yawn as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. According to what he could see from the window, which he had just finished cleaning, it was a nice day outside. Bright and warm, his favorite.

It had been a busy couple of days, he had made the right assumptions the other day. Some visitors had come to stay at the castle, three royal families to be exact. Six rooms to prepare and look after for as long as they decided to stay.

Wei Ying had heard that they were suitors, explaining why they hadn't stayed much longer. They took the normal 3 days, as in, arrival, work, rest, gone. Others, like the King's betrothed and his younger brother had stayed a few days longer.

He finished cleaning the last room, the one that had been a mess due to the visitors who had stayed here. He had to clean lots of fluids that he didn't even want to know where they had come from. They had even managed to damage some of the furniture. At least right now it seemed to have come back to normal, only some dusting having been needed.

He headed towards his room, leaving his supplies in the closet beforehand. He kneeled down, crouching next to his bed, moving some linens he used when it was winter. Underneath he had a bow with a quiver, a little something he had kept from his old home. He decided to also take his journal and quill in case he decided to sketch his surroundings.

He sat down on his bed with a thump, taking out a stone which he kept inside the quiver. He checked each of the tips, sharpening those who need it. Once satisfied, he put on the bag and took the bow, heading towards his door.

He used some other passageways that he had found, this time one hidden behind a painting in the hallway, to head downstairs. If he took a right, he could find the dungeons, which would lead him to a back door.

As Wei Ying made sure that no one had seen him, he went out, running to a place which he visited quite often. He moved through the forest, pushing branches out of the way and picking up some berries here and there. Soon enough he found the small hidden lake.

He walked up to it, leaning down to see his reflection, fixing up his ponytail after laying down his bow. He threw some water at his face, refreshing himself before his fun started.

Wei Ying was told soon after arriving at Gusu that they weren't allowed to kill any animals within the limits of the castle. That also included the forest area close to it, which he didn't understand why. It was one of the reasons why he didn't hunt for sport anymore as he used to, if he craved something to eat though, he had to go towards the outskirts of town.

Now in days, he would use his powers to raise certain objects, like tree parts or stuff he would find that was not needed. He would add some life to them, making them move or hide and he would practice his aim. It was like a game, seeing how far they could go before shooting then down.

If he had time, he would make tiny puppets that were meant to represent some of the animals he used to hunt when small. It would be his entertainment to study said creatures, trying to emulate how they behaved and moved.

A few days ago he had finished one resembling a pheasant, his favorite animal to hunt when he used to live with his adopted family. He had kept it hidden behind a tree, in a small ditch on the ground with the rest of his materials or snacks for when he got hungry.

Wei Ying took out the puppet, inspecting it, making sure it was in full working order before releasing it. To anyone else, it would have seemed like the creature came to life, the pheasant taking off in flight as if startled. After some distance, it hit the floor running around before inspecting some of the bushes.