Sylphid's Happiness Revisited

Chapter 9

Traveling was easy for Bell and Ryu, without noticing they had ended up holding hands the entire day. Until they had found a nice location to rest for the night, as the sun was just beginning to fade into the distant landscape lighting up the sky in a beautiful blend of orange and red. Bell glanced around for a second, "Looks like a good place to rest. Plus there is a source of water." He pointed to the three-foot-wide stream.

Ryu nodded in agreement, but she was distracted. Every step she took felt just a hint harder than the last. The anxiety of seeing Astraea again after so many years was wearing on her heart. She snapped back to the moment when Bell waved his hand in front of her face. "Ryu, are you alright?"

Ryu shook her head to clear the mental fog that had begun to settle. "Sorry, just growing anxious." She glanced around to find the camp was already mostly set up. "Why didn't you snap me out of my stupor earlier? I should've helped."

Bell shrugged, "It's fine, I don't mind doing this much." He paused for a moment, "Starting tomorrow you'll have to be the one who hunts. I don't... think I can use the bow properly. Especially with my hand as it is, so I think it's fair."

Ryu could still feel the warmth and noticed they were still holding hands, "How..." she muttered. 'How had he managed to set up the majority of the camp with his hand still in mine.' She then looked around again, almost all of the small items had been set up but none of the larger items. Things that would require two hands. She then began to loosen her hand, with a small blush, "Sorry about that. I hadn't realized."

Bell looked at his hand as the pressure lessened, "I don't mind... I found it... comforting." Bell wasn't facing her, but Ryu had the distinctive idea that he had been blushing slightly.

Dinner was a pleasant but simple set of paper-wrapped half-dried meats and fruits. They wouldn't last long so they decided to just have them over the first night. Bell had managed to start a fire normally for them to heat the dried meats.

Ryu took a bite off of the freshly heated meat, and she was surprised by the lighter flavors. She had prepared herself for the rich and heavily seasoned it normally had. Bell noticed her jolt of surprise, "I had asked Mikoto to try to make it very light on seasonings."

Ryu chuckled lightly and nudged him in the ribs, "Just how much do you know about elves that we prefer lighter flavors?"

Bell blanched and the insinuation and blushed heavily, "No... nothing like what you're thinking. I just remembered a story from the past. Besides I doubt you would want the stuff Welf would make. He put enough seasoning to knock out a silverback."

Ryu caught the obvious change of subject, "It's fine, truth be told, that's what I had expected. So, this is... pleasant." She hummed lightly just enjoying the warmth from the small fire and the peace that having Bell next to her brought.

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Bell asked softly after they had finished the food for the night.

Ryu nodded, "I am, I think the warmth and the shock of the food helped me disentangle the anxiety. It's... not gone, but it's better." She plucked a few strands of grass and shifted around in her hand for a bit until she eventually sighed and tossed them into the small fire.

The grass popped and sizzled as the moisture in the blades began to boil. "What do you think might have been left for me with Goddess Astraea?" Bell asked suddenly, snapping Ryu's mind to attention.

She took a few seconds to gather her thoughts, "It could be a dozen things, but if I had to guess I would suggest a letter. But that raises many questions, if they know you are the captain of Hestia Familia then why not just have it sent to you."