Morning sunlight slipped through the dense canopy, brushing against Altair's heavy eyelids. He woke with stiffness spreading from his neck down to his waist—the clear consequence of sleeping atop protruding tree roots. The first thing he felt was a light weight resting against his arm.
Lyra was still asleep.
Her head was slightly tilted, her breathing steady, and she looked far calmer than she had when he'd found her at the edge of the cliff the day before.
Altair didn't move right away. Instead, he studied the small details he had missed before—how pale her skin was, and how her fingers were still tightly clutching the edge of his cloak, as if afraid that if she let go, Altair would disappear.
Altair (softly, placing his hand on her head):
"Poor girl… but it's okay. I'm here now. I'll protect you."
Altair gazed up at the blue sky, lost in thought.
Right… what should we do first?
We probably need to find some equipment.
Lyra stirred as she felt the movement on her head.
Lyra (startled): "A-Altair… when did you wake up?"
Altair chuckled softly.
Altair: "A while ago. I wanted to wake you, but you looked so comfortable—like a sleeping baby—that I couldn't bring myself to. Come on, let's grill the fish."
They cooked the fish together while talking.
Lyra: "Y-you should've woken me! And what are we doing now? Are we going to a dungeon like you said?"
Altair: "Not yet. We don't have the equipment for that. We need basic supplies first—at least enough to survive. Oh, by the way, do you know of a village nearby? We'll probably need to go there."
Lyra: "Oakhaven Village. But it takes about half a day to walk there."
Altair: "That's fine. We have enough food. But we need to refill our water first."
Lyra: "I'll follow you. I won't argue with your path… even though we just met. Please take care of me from now on, Altair. Oh—by the way, the fish is done. Shall we eat first?"
Altair: "Please take care of me too, Lyra… Let's eat."
---
After eating…
Altair: "Whew, I'm so full. After fainting last night, I was starving."
Lyra: "Same… I hadn't eaten since you found me. Maybe meeting you saved me. Thank you again, Altair."
Altair: "Don't worry about it. It's fate. Also, would you like to come with me to a clean river to refill water? It shouldn't be far from here."
Lyra: "I'll go wherever you go."
Altair: "Alright. Let's go."
---
After thirty minutes, they reached the river and filled their leather bottles with clear mountain water.
Altair: "So refreshing… I'm going to bathe over there. You wait here, okay?"
As Altair started walking, Lyra suddenly grabbed his hand.
Lyra: "Don't leave me… I don't want to be alone again…"
Altair realized her trauma was still deep.
Altair: "I'm not going anywhere. Do you want to bathe together? You don't have to take off your clothes. I'll just swim in my pants and wash up."
Lyra nodded softly.
Lyra: "Okay."
They moved to the water. Altair swam, washing his back and body, while Lyra stayed by the edge, washing her hair, face, hands, feet, and head.
Altair glanced at Lyra's figure and found himself momentarily speechless.
…Beautiful.
Lyra: "Is something wrong, Altair?"
Altair quickly turned away.
Altair: "N-no, nothing!"
Lyra tilted her head in confusion.
Lyra: "?"
---
After bathing, the freshness of the mountain water seemed to wash away the remnants of the darkness from the night before. Altair stood by the river, wiping the water from his arms, then turned to Lyra.
Altair: "Let's go, Lyra."
He extended his rough but sturdy hand. Lyra hesitated for a moment, then slowly took it, allowing her small fingers to be wrapped in his.
Lyra: "Let's go, Altair."
They began walking through thinning bushes, heading toward the valley where Oakhaven Village lay. Altair made sure his steps weren't too wide, always adjusting his pace to match Lyra's.
Altair: "If your legs hurt or you get tired, tell me. We can rest."
Lyra: "Okay, Altair."
The sun now stood directly overhead, lighting the long path ahead. They carried no wealth—only a bottle of water, leftover fish in their bag, and a simple promise to stay together.
In the distance, faint village bells rang, signaling that a new life awaited them beyond the hill.