Permafrost

11: Black

⭐️Chapter 11: Black

The next morning, Ryn woke up to the smell of fruit and something else cooking. She still didn't know what time it was, there were no clocks located within the place. Talon wasn't calling her either. Oh well, she could get up by herself anyway. And she did. She realized she had slept in the clothes she wore yesterday. They'd have to be washed...She made her way into the kitchen, only to find breakfast on the table. The beetle was there too, Stag was it? He didn't notice her, but Talon did.

"Oh, good morning dear. Did you sleep well?"

Ryn nodded. She had gotten good sleep, despite not knowing how much. Did it really matter though?

"Good, good. Here, have something to eat."

Ryn sat down and put a few fruits on her plate. She saw the other thing that was cooking was some kind of tiny fish? It wasn't evolved, but she didn't know what it was. She ate some fruit, and wanted to strike up a conversation with Stag, but didn't know where to start. Talon noticed her eyeing him strangely.

"Ah, you can talk to him, he won't bite."

Actually...

"Thank you Talon, but um...I'm curious about something. Did...did the Frost Army...attack your home too? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, I get it. I'm just...curious."

Talon paused for a moment. She then set down the basket of biscuits and bread she was carrying with her beak and sighed.

"Indeed. I used to like near a place called the White Woods. It was so beautiful, and peaceful. It was never owned by the Fire tribes or clans, so I never understood why the Frost army would want it taken down. Perhaps there was a stowaway or immigrant in there, I'll never know."

Ryn nodded in understanding. It sounded like a place she could visit when this was all over. In fact, maybe after this crazy adventure of hers, she could revisit all the places she originally wouldn't be able to. That would be nice, all her allies could see their homes and/or treasured places they had lost to the fights or wars. That was, if she got any allies. She snapped out of her thought process. Maybe now she could add in Stag?

"So...where did you meet Stag?"

"Ah, him?" Talon asked as she picked up the basket again and brought it over to the table, "He was actually fleeing from the Pyro Army. They had burned down his section of the forest, which consisted of old wood structures. It was truly a devastating thing..."

Stag listened without interrupting. He simply had nothing to say, though he was a little interested in meeting Ryn.

"Yeah, having your home burned down must be worse than having people kidnapped...then again, either could be worse depending on the situation..."

Talon nodded. Ryn smiled, but was surprised upon hearing Stag speak up for the first time. His voice wasn't actually deeper than expected, it was pretty light, which fit his small body.

"So, what's on today's agenda?" he asked, popping one of the small cooked fishes into his mouth.

"Well, the usual chores...Ryn, did you plan on doing anything?"

Ryn had to think. She had no weapon, so most training was out of the question. She wouldn't be able to train physically, she would need a proper teacher for that and the right build. She had neither, so she had to do something else. Maybe she could explore the forest a little bit. Not stray too far from here.

"Uhm. I might search around this place a little. Not go too far, if you understand me."

Talon nodded.

"As long as you know what you're doing and are staying safe."

"Thank you."

Ryn grabbed a few more bites to eat. She tried the fish and found that it tasted very good. She also are a biscuit with some fruit, which tasted really good. When she was done, she excused herself and went back into her temporary room. Maybe there was something in there she could take with her? Perhaps someone had left something behind. She searched the closet, but only found a singular playing card. It was a two of hearts. She didn't know what that meant, but she figured she might as well take it.

She searched the dresser next. There were no leftover clothes of the sort, or jewelry. The one thing she DID find in there however, was a small bag containing a utility knife. She took it out of the drawer and took the utility knife out of its case to examine it. It had clearly been used, but there was way less rust on it than she had expected. It had bottle openers, a thingy for corks, all that stuff. She'd need this. She put it all back to its original state, back in the case, and then into her bag. She stood up, taking the bag with her.

Alright, time to explore outside the house. She walked back to the front door of the place and announced she was exploring and therefore leaving. Talon called back to her with an "okay", so out she went. Ryn was surprised to find that the snow was still there, and quickly put her winter jacket back on. Now she was ready. She climbed down the ladder and landed on the snow.

It was a few inches thick. Ryn wasn't surprised at that, it had probably been snowing all night. Nonetheless, this wouldn't affect her much. She began scanning the ground for footprints or lost items in the snow, which was easier said than done. The forest trail she had walked on yesterday was also covered up. She saw no new tracks there, either.

It felt so weird being alone out here in absolute quietness. It almost felt like she shouldn't be there, like she was a thief sneaking away into a forbidden place. She had to admit though, she felt kinda cool like this. An unseen mysterious girl, poking around in the woods. Suddenly, she heard a rustle and looked up. She saw nothing, and yet she had a feeling...

She was being watched.