Traveler's Plight

The sound of crickets rang out in the dusk air.

Standing on top of a hill, Lily looked down towards the town. Coming down from travelling through the mountains that bordered it to the north, she thought that it was within a reasonable distance that they should continue going, but her travelling companion did not.

Setting up a fire for the night, her companion was a Kitsen, a wolf that was capable of taking human form, though they retained their ears and tails when they did. His name was Raienmyr, and Lily had asked him to come along with her at the request of his sister, another Kitsen whom Lily was good friends with, despite Raienmyr and Lily's conflicted past.

"I really think we should keep going."

Raienmyr sighed as he stood up and walked over beside Lily.

"I mean, the town is right over there. We can see it from here."

"But between the town and us lies a great deal of forest. 'Tis not advisable to travel through that at night."

"Come on, Raien," Lily pleaded with him. "I have my tech and magic. I could easily make enough light for us to see and get through the forest."

Raienmyr grabbed her in a hug and sighed. "'Tis better for you to keep a low profile. Both of those would immediately raise it tenfold."

Lily knew that he was right. Only a limited number of humans could wield magic, fewer with the control and skill she could. Even fewer in number were those able to make sense of the advance technology of the fallen Eldritch.

But Lily was not from this time. She was from a future time, where she had a background in engineering and chemistry. Their studies were based on the fallen Eldritch's technology, so she knew how to tinker around with them.

"I guess I can't pull off what I did in Triekell in every town I go to, eh?"

"Aye."

Releasing her from his hug, Lily watched as Raienmyr went back to the fire pit.

"I know we stopped for the night when I was travelling with your sister and her merchant because that's what merchants did, but why would we do so?"

Raienmyr poked the fire, releasing a blaze of embers. "For the same reasons travelling merchants would. The perils that they face are the same as anyone would. Bandits, wild animals, loss of cargo, I could go on."

"No, I get it."

Biting her lip too hard, she started to taste the blood in her mouth. Spitting it out, she wiped her lips to clean off the rest. Realizing how she could continue on, Lily rummaged through her pack, and applied a light salve onto her lips.

"Do we still have water?" Lily asked as she turned and went back to the fire pit.

"We do, but 'tis our last waterskin. We'll need to restock our supplies once we get to town."

Lily uncapped the waterskin and took a quick drink from it, swishing the water around in her mouth to wash out the taste of blood. Handing the waterskin to Raienmyr, she walked a pace away and spit it out.

"It's an old habit I developed in the war that almost destroyed my home," Lily said as she walked back to the fire.

"I did not ask," Raienmyr said as he took a drink of water.

"But I'm telling you anyways. Figured I should, since you'd ask anyways. Why I do the things I do." Lily kissed his forehead. "Sorry, I know the risks. Believe me, I know. But I'm going to town anyways."

Raienmyr tried to get up, but only collapsed as he did. He could only watch as Lily went around, packing up her things while leaving plenty of supplies for him.