The second of the two suns began to dip beyond the horizon, and the cool night rapidly began to settle. It was still technically my first night on Verkun and though I’d planned on travelling through the dark, the option was automatically scrapped as I now had a ‘guest’. Some luck I have… Dragging in the carcass of what looked like a small doe with pink fur and a pair of minute horns, I glanced briefly at the young man.

Upon arrival to the clearing, he had been unsure as to where to go. Now, I found him situated at the base of a large tree roughly forty feet away from the fire. He sat stiffly, hugging his legs with his chin resting on his knees, his gaze focused forlornly on the flickering flames. Interestingly enough, he made no movement to approach as I’d entered, but instead shifted his attention to me.

Before leaving the camp, I’d made sure to set up two sticks vertically on either side of the fire with one horizontally. From the medium-thick horizontal stick I tied a collapsible pot filled with water. That way, by the time I returned, it’d be boiling. Making quick work of the doe – though there wasn’t much meat on it to begin with – I simply tossed the chunks of meat in, along with a few seasonings. Unsheathing one of the many knives at my belt, I began dicing the few vegetables I’d come across in the forest, and tossed those into the pot as well. With every other toss, I took the opportunity to glance at the young man. He sat huddled beneath the same tree, his body shaking from the increasing chill the night brought as he silently continued to follow my movements.

Raising his chin ever so slightly, he suddenly turned his head away with a soft exhale, resting his left cheek on his knees now as he tightened the grip around his legs. The shivering intensified as a cool breeze passed through the clearing. With an inward sigh, I removed a spoon and one of my collapsible bowls from my pack.

Heaping a large helping into it, I stood and silently made my way over to him. He looked up just as I reached him, his eyes widening as I knelt and pressed the warm bowl into his left hand. He firmly held it with both hands so as not to drop the hot contents, glancing at it before gazing up at me in confusion. Ignoring the obvious question, I dropped the spoon into the bowl and removed my cloak, draping it firmly over his shoulders.

Aware that my features were now noticeable, it was of no surprise to see his expression go from shock to a mixture of fear and concern as I stood.

Just as I turned to walk back to the fire, he called out, “W-wait!”

Half-turning, I fixed my black gaze upon him, my expression neutral. Apparently, he had extended an arm when he’d called out, which he now lowered, his eyes focused on my face.

After a few moments of silence, he swallowed roughly before finally saying, “T-thank you…”

In response, I turned back to facing the fire. “Eat. It’ll keep the cold out of your bones.” As I began to walk back, I called over my shoulder, “Make sure you eat slowly. Since you haven’t eaten in a while, your body needs to get used to having food in your system again.”

“But… What about you?”

Having reached the fire, it was now that I looked over at him, slowly raising an eyebrow. “What about me?”

He faltered momentarily before continuing. “Aren’t you going to eat, too? And,” he glanced at the cloak around his shoulders before looking back at me. “Aren’t you cold?”

Taking a seat next to the roaring fire, I simply reply, “I’m not hungry, or cold.” From my peripherals, I saw him open his mouth to protest, having taken an audible breath and everything. “I’ll be fine. Just eat before it gets cold.” I snap with an icy glare.

He nodded sheepishly before digging in. “It’s delicious!” He exclaimed after the first bite.

“If I hadn’t eaten for as long as you have, I’d think so too.” I respond neutrally, gazing distantly into the fire.