The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 76

I was awakened in the stillness of the night by Avani. "There is one last thing I want to do before we go," she said as she reached for her clothing. "Will you come with me, Leo?"

"Of course, My Lady," I said, stifling a yawn as I stood to dress.

We left as silently as we could, trying not to disturb anyone as we passed. We first went to the kitchen, where Avani grabbed some fresh fruit, a few boiled eggs, flatbread, a small pot of honey, and a stoppered bottle of fruit juice. Placing it all into her rucksack, she shouldered her pack and we went on our way—wherever that was.

She led me out of the village on the same path we had taken to Sundara's—now Chanda's—house, but we turned a different way at one of the many forks. Instead of meandering a short ways along the hillside, this path climbed upwards fairly steadily, though it was not an exceedingly steep path.

The forest was pitch-black at that hour, and even my enhanced vision could not penetrate very far. The moon was as yet too slender to cast much light, and what little it did provide was unable to penetrate the dense canopy above. I paused as we stepped into the inky darkness and asked if we should carry lanterns. But Avani murmured, "No, that's not wise. Although few predators hunt near the village, we do get some now and then. And it's best to try not to draw their attention with the light. If it becomes necessary, I can cast a light spell. However, I can—and have—walked these paths with my eyes closed. So take my hand, and I'll guide you. Just go slow, and take care where you place your feet."

We made our way through the forest slowly, my other senses compensating for the loss of visual cues. I heard shrill cries and the rustling of leathery wings as bats flew overhead, the scurries and squeaks of small rodents, and the chatter and calls of numerous crepuscular animals and birds unknown to me. Somewhere in the far distance I heard a loud shriek followed by squawks and barking cries, and, startled, I jumped. "The leopard hunts," Avani commented, as she paused to listen. "But he hunts far from here, so we needn't worry."

After we'd hiked for quite some time, Avani cautioned me that we were approaching a steep section of the path. The ground shifted beneath our feet as we scrambled up, slipping on fallen flowers and leaves and loose soil. Avani kept a firm grip on my hand, though, and we helped each other to climb up. When we reached the top, I saw an opening in the trees, and the pale grey of pre-dawn lay just beyond.

I stepped between the parted trees into the dim light—though it was bright in comparison to the forest behind us. Looking around, I saw that we were on a relatively open, fairly flat spot on the side of the hill. The ground was covered with soft grass where I stood, but up ahead it gave way to bare rock. I walked to the edge and looked out, awestruck by the view before me.

Emerald green hills covered in lush forest undulated as far as I could see, like velvet cushions thrown down by the gods for their repose. The sky was a deep blue still, nearly black, but just above the hills before me, the edge of the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Looking back, I saw Avani had sunk to the ground and just sat there in silence, her eyes closed. I turned and walked back over to her and sat on the ground next to her. Pulling a pair of mangoes from her bag and handing one to her, I said, "This place is lovely, with a magnificent view. But I assume you didn't come here just to admire the scenery."

She shook her head, then leaned against me as I put an arm around her. "No. I wanted to come here because... this was where Sundara died. I... I wanted to let him know that, well... that I'm okay.

"You see, Bhima's abuse had gotten worse and worse as he grew increasingly angry with me for continuing to see Sundara. He somehow figured out that we'd continued to meet privately. Looking back, I suspect he just followed me—he was a good tracker, and could move silently when he chose. If he did follow me, I had no idea he was there.