Chapter Six

Chapter Six

I brought the axe down, splitting a piece of wood perfectly in the middle with a dull thwack. I knew my father would be proud if he could see me. He taught me many years ago how to handle these chores. Mother never approved and would point out that it wasn't necessary, they had a son to rely on for these things.

Until they didn't.

With a grimace, I repeated the process, my mind drifting to the village and what was left of my family. I hoped my little brother was coping with his two older siblings gone. If it had been a choice, I would've stayed but the Elders were always very clear. Becoming the Guardian wasn't a choice, but an honour and duty. There'd been a whole ceremony and speech.

I couldn't help but wonder if they told my predecessors the exact same thing when they were forced to leave their families behind. All for the elusive Winter Stone. I didn't even know what it looked like or what it did except that it would let me shift into a real wolf. Although I wasn't sure if that was a myth or not.

The sound of footsteps made me look up. It was Konomi with refreshments and snacks, which she carried with great focus and concentration.

"Rudeus thought you might be a little hungry," she said, pausing a step away from me. She held out a plate of sausages and dried fruit.

Moments like this made me think of my older brother and what his life could've been like if he hadn't died. He would've been the luckiest man on earth to have a woman as warm and dutiful as her to tend to their home, but he would never have seen the wild side of her that ran into ice cold water without hesitation or climbed trees to steal eggs from nests. He would never have known that laugh of hers though, the one that was far too loud for a decent woman. Those were all parts of her I would never have known if we hadn't left the village, parts of her that I loved the most.

I pushed the thoughts away and wiped my hands on an old cloth before accepting the plate. "Thank you."

Her gaze went to the battlefield of logs. "He also said you've done plenty."

"Just a little more. Otherwise, I'll feel guilty for staying here so long," I said.

Konomi's smile touched her eyes. "You're always so diligent, Mayu. It's one of the things I admire most about you."

Her compliment made my cheeks even hotter than they already were. I didn't know what to say, so I just ate the dried sausage while I gave my muscles a rest. All the walking and hiking had been good to build stamina but the scarcity of food in the past weeks had taken a toll on my body.

I held the plate out to Konomi. "Do you want some?"

"No, thank you." She watched me with those curious eyes of hers. "You're not trying to get all this wood done today so we can sneak out without feeling guilty, right?"

Her question stunned me. Mostly because I had considered it.

I set the axe down, not even bothering to deny it. "You know me too well."

A triumphant smile lifted Konomi's lips, drawing my attention to them. They were red like ripe raspberries and I'd often wondered if they would taste like it too. I quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of my head and instead, brought them back to what was more important.

"I still think Mason and Rudeus are suspicious," I said as I gave the empty plate back to her. "All of this is suspicious."

"It's strange, I'll agree with you on that. I didn't know the Winter Stone had been missing for so long or that multiple Guardians have tried to retrieve it." Konomi kicked some of the logs to the side. "I suppose they could've been lying but they knew their names and details that nobody outside our village should know."

"Exactly. Suspicious."

She chuckled and it made my heart ache. To distract myself, I chopped more wood. That gave me something to do and somewhere to look that wasn't her beautiful face.

"I still think we should leave as soon as possible," I said between thuds of the axe.

Konomi let out a thoughtful hum. "I don't believe that's wise. We should take this opportunity to rest, to hunt, and to talk to other travellers about the area. If we have better directions, we can avoid getting lost again."

I let the axe come down again. "You're right, I know you're right. I'm just uncomfortable. How many Guardians has the village sent on this quest? Did they really all pass through here? If that's true, how long has the Winter Stone been gone? Has the village been without protection this whole time?" I rattled off all my questions, bar one. Why did nobody ever return? I was too afraid of the answer.

"I want to know the same things." Konomi's gaze found mine. "I'm certain we will find all the answers eventually, but right now, our survival is more important than answers. Rest, food, preparations."

"If we're going to stay here longer, then I suppose it's a good thing I've cut so much wood," I said, picking the axe back up. Mother never approved of me learning these types of skills but there were other important things she taught me, like how to give more than to take. Even if I wasn't ready to trust Mason and Rudeus, I wasn't going to take advantage of their hospitality.

I cut more logs into pieces, only to realise that Konomi was watching my every move. I tried not to pay her attention but it was hard to ignore her. Especially when she was looking at me so intensely.

I lowered my axe. "You don't have to stay."

"I enjoy watching you. You're strong."

Her compliment stirred something in my chest but I ignored it. I cut a few more pieces but my focus was blown. I lowered the axe again. "I can't do it with you watching me. You make me nervous."

"Why?"

"I, just, because."

She took a step closer. "Can I try?"

"Try what?" I followed her gaze to the axe. "You want to chop some wood?"

Konomi nodded, only a small step away. Her hand landed on my wrist, her touch featherlight but deliberate at the same time. She looked up in my eyes, the sun making hers sparkle. "I want to be able to do this too. You should teach me."

My stomach twisted into knots from having her so close and I could feel my traitorous gaze flit down to her lips. It would only take one move to bridge the distance but I could never, no matter how much I wanted to. She could never know how much I was yearning for her touch, how I wanted her in ways that would make her ears burn if she could hear me thoughts.

I swallowed my desire away, bringing the axe in between us. "Sure, I can teach you. Here. Grip the end with both hands. Spread your legs slightly, you want to make sure you have a good stance." My cheeks flared hot as I relayed innocent instructions that suddenly didn't sound all that innocent. This was supposed to help me not think about her.

Konomi bounced slightly, testing her foothold. "Okay, now what?"

Without looking at her, I put a log on the cutting stump. "Aim at the middle, but don't force it. You don't want to lose control. It's better to do it gently at first."

"Oh, I'll be gentle," Konomi promised.

The heat in my stomach sank to my lower belly. If only she knew what she was doing to me, would she be disgusted with me? Upset? No, that wasn't Konomi. Knowing her, she would likely feel sad for me that I had these feelings that she couldn't return. She would be gentle with me and that somehow made it even worse.