When I materialized on top of the world, the morning sun already warming the mountain, Hana was there waiting. Even better, she’d started a small fire, and had a pot of soup bubbling.
“I got back a bit early,” she said. “Kinda had a funky morning, so I figured I could scrounge us up a meal to increase our travel time. Check out this soup.” Though she put on a bold front, I could tell something was off.
I took the pot from her hand and smelled it. “This the bear meat again?” I asked, not relishing the idea of the jerky we’d had so often of late. The buff was helpful, but dear God, it was rough day in and day out.
“Yes, but check out the buff now,” Hana said. “I added some herbs and salt. Not so chewy now that I’ve boiled it.”
I blew on it to cool it down then tried some. It was much improved, and I nearly burnt myself finishing the rest. A notification popped up and I grinned.
Smokey Bear Soup: This improvised soup carries the blessing of the gods. +20% movement speed while traveling, +5 Stamina, +10% Health Regeneration, +10% Stamina Recovery, +20% XP gained. Duration: 4 hours.
“Even better,” I admitted, and noticed that my words seemed to perk Hana up a bit. “Yeah, with today’s hike, the extra stamina recovery will be helpful.” Originally, I’d planned on putting the gift off for awhile, waiting for the right moment, but this girl needed a pick-me-up. “And here is something for you.” I pulled the gift from my inventory and grinned like a kid on Christmas. “Before you try them on, no damn complaining, okay? You saved my life a couple times already, and the gloves, and… and just ‘cause, okay?”
She nodded and stared in shock at what I was holding.
Greaves of Greater Stealth
Quality: Epic: Armor 50
Durability 100/100
+5 Dexterity, +5% movement speed
All noise generated by movement is dampened by 25%.
As I’d hoped, Hana properly freaked out. There was some arm flailing, then a few clumsy jumps.
“Thank you so much! Wow, these are awesome!” She babbled on for a time, but immediately fell to trying them on. The greaves covered the tops of her catskin boots and all of her shins. Only her lovely thighs remained unarmored now.
“They look great,” I said, enjoying the spectacle. “How do you feel?”
“I feel great. Faster than ever. Can’t wait to see how much the sound dampening actually affects my stealth.”
“Well let’s get going, yeah? Alice will be upset if we’re late.”
Hana flashed me a grin, and then, to my delight, threw her arms around me. When she pulled away, her stupid smile was still stuck to her face. “Yeah, let’s get going.”
The trail down the mountain was a breeze compared to coming up, but after an hour of descent, my knees were feeling like rubber. And when we finally made it to the base, we could barely walk straight. Only after a quick break, some water, and stretching, did we continue on.
As Alysand had said, a signpost was just a few dozen feet away from the base of the trail. It pointed in one direction labeled Bridgerun, and in the opposite, Benham. A third post pointed toward the mountain pass and was unsurprisingly labeled Carnen’s Rock.
Pachi had snuck away during the descent and came back just as we were preparing to leave, a buck dangling from her mouth. Her growth had been explosive lately as well, and the deer looked tiny in comparison. Still, it seemed to be enough as she and Tejón managed to pull it apart and split the meal. Hana and I pretended to not feel sick at the sight and sound of the mess, and soon we were traveling again.
The new road was much wider, enough to accommodate a wagon or a few horses side by side. The steep trail we’d used when coming from the herbalist was simply too narrow for real trade. This must be how supplies came and went between the two towns, I thought.
A sparse forest ran along both sides of the road, and birdsongs filled the air. I almost rolled my eyes at how scenic and beautiful it all was, like a movie where the actors break out in singing.
We passed a brook that could only be described as babbling. There, we rubbed the dust from our arms and faces, then refilled our waterskins. As usual, the water this high was frigid, but was also pristine and tasted better than anything in the real world.
I looked up and saw Hana sipping water with cupped hands, and I couldn’t help it. I splashed her in the face. She gasped then returned the favor. We were on our asses and laughing like nerds before I knew it.
Then her face changed, a note of fear knitting her brow together as she glanced over at Pachi. “Pachi says she hears something. A clanking sound. Like armor.”
Her words held an ominous tone, and we wasted no time preparing for a skirmish.
“Let’s hide,” I said, suggesting the obvious. “Worse case, we keep quiet and hope we aren’t noticed. If you think you can, though, let fly with those arrows, Katana Girl, and Tejón and I will hit them in the flank.”
Hana nodded and took cover with Pachi.
Luckily, the stream offered a degree of cover. Along the far side were several boulders with water cutting around their bulky forms. Hana ran over and hid behind them with Pachi. Tejón and I hid in a thicket on the opposite side of the stream.
No sooner had we found our positions than the sound of clomping boots caught my ear. Another minute or so, and movement could finally be seen down the road.
I watched as a column of soldiers came into view, all equipped with what looked like chainmail armor, gleaming steel helmets, and tall spears. They were marching
