Primora Academy

Chapter 5: The Walk

N/A

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Friday, The Trail

12:00 pm

Nia and Mikhale walk for several hours through the surrounding forest. When they finally stop, the sun is high enough in the sky for Nia to know that it's midday. She sits down on a stump and pulls out her gourd of water, taking a large gulp. Her eyes scan around the trees and nearby creek. In her human form, things aren't as clear, unless she focuses, but are just as beautiful. The colors of the leaves still clinging to the ground are a welcome color of orange and warm brown. The warmth can be felt from the sun as it breaks through the trees, chasing away the slight chill of early spring.

Watching Mikhale pull out the map he had shown her hours before, she wonders where there might be a good berry bush in the vicinity. Replacing the gourd in her pack, she slowly makes her way closer to peer over his shoulder. Nia stares at the map, unable to tell what is what from the angle she stands. She rises to her tippy toes, but is still unable to see it as the man before her looks around for something. She huffs inwardly and decides to just ask.

"Where can I find a good berry bush around here?"

The sudden sound of her voice causes him to jump and screech like a terrified animal. Nia buckles over in a fit of laughter.

"Heavens above, Nia! You nearly scared me to death!" he says with his hand gripping his chest as he scowls.

"I'm sorry, Mik. I didn't mean to scare you," she says as she wipes away the tears in her eyes, still giggling.

Mikhale folds the map back up and starts to walk again. Nia runs to grab her pack and takes off after him. When she catches up to him, he's standing over a bush filled with plump, orange-colored berries. He turns to face her and smiles. Nia looks down at the berries apprehensively and back up at Mikhale.

"They're safe, I promise. I checked them out myself," he says as he pulls a small book, bound in leather, out of his pocket and flips through the pages.

He stops on a page with a drawing of the exact same plump, orange berries. Nia moves closer and studies the page with her brows furrowed.

"Sunshine Berries. Where did you get this?" she asks, pointing at the small book that fits perfectly in the palm of his hand.

Mikhale smiles as he raises his brows.

"I got it at the travel shop in the market. You don't have one?" he asks and she shakes her head.

"I figured you might not, so I picked up two."

He pulls a second one from his pack and hands it to her.

"Do you think of everything? I'm so glad you're with me," she says with a smile as she rams her shoulder into his arm.

Mikhale grunts from the impact and smiles, chuckling. She tucks the book into her pack for later use and pulls out a small jar, filling it with the juicy berries. Clamping the lid shut, she tucks it away next to the book, and Mikhale watches her walk away.

8:00 pm

Nia listens to the fire crackle as she sits on a log that Mikhale pulled over for them. She likes listening to the world around her. It makes her calm and puts her mind at ease as she closes her eyes. Twigs snapping make her open them and look around. Mikhale appears from behind a tree and drops the firewood he'd gone to collect a little while ago. Nia watches him walk past the fire and sit down next to her. There's something about him that always intrigued her. She never could put her finger on it. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, Nia rests her head on his shoulder and soon her lids grew heavy.

Saturday

7:00 am

Forest green eyes flutter open as a cool breeze nips at her nose. Nia sits up and stretches. She turns to see if Mikhale is still asleep as she yawns, but, before she can even open her eyes, his voice sounds from behind her and she jumps to her feet.

"Good morning, Nia."

"By the Gods! What the fuck, Mik? I almost pissed myself!" Nia says jumping up with wide eyes and her chest heaving.

"Dirty, Nia. You shouldn't talk like that. What would your parents say?" Mikhale asks with a grin on his face, satisfied with himself for eliciting such a reaction from her.

Nia feels anger coursing through her veins. Without thinking, she throws a right hook at his jaw. Her hands immediately clamp over her mouth as her eyes widen. She begins to stutter out apologies as Mikhale's face turns red and he clenches his jaw while his nostrils flare out.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mik. You just-just scared the hell out of me a-and I reacted. I didn't mean it."

His face says all she needs to know. She crossed a line and now he was angry as well as hurt. Nia could see the flames in his eyes that she'd only ever seen once before when they were children. Nia drops her hands to her sides and hangs her head. He walks past her to the nearby creek and sits on its shore.

She waits half an hour before going to see if he's okay. During that time, she chastised herself for punching him without thinking. Nia can't believe she hit him. He had scared her, but it wasn't his intention and she knew that. Pulling out everything to make a decent breakfast, she puts most of it on Mikhale's plate. As compensation for his face, she decided to give him all of the berries she'd collected.

She slowly makes her way to where he's sitting and sits beside him. Nia hands him the plate silently and he looks down at it before slowly taking it. Looking at his face, she sees the bruise she gifted him. She stands and goes to her pack, retrieving a spare piece of cloth. Dipping it in the ice-cold creek, she wrings out the excess and approaches Mikhale cautiously. He looks at her as she reaches forward and presses the cold cloth to his wounded face. He winces and she gives him an apologetic smile. He places his hand over hers and sees the guilt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mikhale," Nia says softly.

"I'm sorry too," he says with a small smile.

Nia sits back down next to him and takes one of the berries off his plate, popping it into her mouth. He watches her and chuckles. She giggles back and bumps him with her shoulder. Mikhale wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close. She rests her head against his shoulder and he rests his chin on top of her head. They bask in the late morning air, thinking about what this journey will do to their friendship. After they finish packing up, they put out the fire and continue on their trek.