"Just so everybody knows," said Blanc as they all ate, "Tomorrow we begin looking for options to cross into the Wetlands Garden."
"Already, my love?" Celine asked, surprised, "Aren't we rushing?"
"Even if we find a way to pass, we will not cross it just yet. I just want to find our safest option to cross," Blanc explained, looking into his food.
It was just a coincidence that the same day Blanc mentioned looking for a way into the last Garden was also the day Miyanna found out she was pregnant.
But nevertheless, it made Miyanna sweat, even in the cold of the taiga.
"Do you think there is a safer crossing, Blanc?" Kael asked, taking his eyes off his book.
"It has to be," Blanc sighed as he began, "We haven't looked properly in the Jaguar Path for many reasons, but the one most important was our campsite. It was too convenient, and we were perhaps too far away to check all our options. But now, there are no turtles to find either. So I won't risk having anyone pass that damn gap on a bridge that breaks when it feels like it, it's too dangerous."
"What gave you this idea?" Miyanna wondered, her bronze eyes staring at him.
"The constant reminder that the books that tell the records of the Silver Gardens mention a way to pass the Gardens," Blanc continued, "But that rock path we took cannot be it."
"It looks like a proper path, though," Lune added.
"Yet the way to access it is through a cave system filled with the same turtles that are thought to be mostly extinct. If that path was the only way to the Taiga, then Blood Certa would not have fallen from grace so much. The turtles were a large part of their incomes, after all," Blanc explained.
"I see your reasoning," Celine nodded, "And the way the Gardens are supposed to be, there should have been a path to the wetlands from the rainforest itself. One we did not find."
"Nor looked for it properly," Blanc added, "But today, we hunt as usual."
To which all nodded in agreement.
What relaxed Celine and Miyanna the most was that, after asking questions to dig through Blanc's reasoning, there was no suspicion of Miyanna's pregnancy. There was only goodwill in Blanc's words.
And so, after breakfast, they began readying themselves for the day ahead and slowly went out of the burrow, starting their hunt.
Blanc slashed horizontally.
But the brown bear parried with its paw, sending the sword's tip straight into the thick snow.
Just in time for two arrows to find their target.
Kael's arrow went into the bear's side while Celine's went straight into its neck.
A loud crash sent snow flying all around Blanc.
The bear was fighting on the ground to breathe.
"It's yours, Miyanna," he yelled, moving towards the next bear that was distracted by Lune and Miyanna, as they ran in circles around the beast, swords in hand, confusing and attacking its blind spots.
The bear was on its butt, wounded from the repeated sword thrusts the two managed while the bear was distracted with one or the other.
Its mouth was open, and the bear was exhausted.
It wouldn't be long now.
It roared wildly, trying to catch one of the two with its large paws, to at least take down one with it.
But Miyanna and Lune were too quick on their feet.
A slash there.
Dodge.
A thrust in its back.
Dodge as the bear turned on its side, trying to crush whoever was behind it.
Blanc stopped midway towards them.
They did not need his help.
"Who is to get it?" he asked the two.
"I already… have one… to harvest," Miyanna said through controlled breaths.
"Wait, really, sister Miyanna?" Lune asked, as she dodged below the bear paw that came swinging for her head, "Thank you!"
"Focus, Lune," Blanc sighed, seeing how close she was to getting hit, "Since it's yours, finish it off; the poor beast has suffered enough."
"Very well," Lune nodded, "Miyanna, if you please."
"Aye," Miyanna muttered as she dashed towards the bear, building momentum.
Her sword was ready.
She pointed it forward.
The bear noticed.
It turned, its paw ready to slam her to her death.
An opening it could not refuse.
One foot away from the bear's range, Miyanna stopped, staring at the bear.
Just as its claws ripped through the air in front of her face.
A beast will always remain a beast, Miyanna thought as she stared at the bear, as it closed its eyes for the last time, crashing forward to the ground, sending Lune flying from its back.
Luckily, she was sent off straight into Miyanna's hands, who reacted quickly, dropping her sword and catching Lune with a grace that was slowly befitting of a commoner made Noble Blood.
"Are you okay?" Miyanna asked, placing Lune back on her feet.
"I do not understand how Brother did it so easily," Lune sighed.
"It's because I held to my sword for dear life, Little Flower," Blanc chuckled as he drew close to the two, "You just stabbed the poor beast and let go as if the hunt was done."
"I got too overconfident, I apologize," Lune muttered, bowing her head slightly.
"Oh no, no need for all that." Blanc shook his head, patting her gently, "You did wonderfully well right until the end. But keep in mind that until whatever you hunt is at your feet, lifeless, the hunt is not done. Many have ways to hurt or kill you even after you think they are dead, after all."
"Understood," Lune nodded.
"Good," Blanc smiled warmly as she petted her head, turning after to face Miyanna, "Great job as well, my love."
"Thanks," Miyanna replied, embarrassed as she went in to give Blanc a quick peck on his lips, perhaps still worried that the taste of puke was still somewhere on her breath.
However, Blanc did not mind or even notice that as he turned to look at the results of their new hunt.
"Four bears, one for each of you. Enough to be considered a decent day," he muttered just as Celine and Kael approached them, "I guess that's it for today."
"Already?" Lune asked as she looked towards the sun, only to realize that it was slowly setting.
"What can you do? Not every day we get to hunt multiple times," Blanc shrugged, "I will defend you all, feel free to begin your harvests, then we can start heading back slowly."