Chapter Five - Respite and Rats

A familiar aroma caught Ailith's interest. Her empty stomach pleaded louder, knowing that smell anywhere.

She followed a pathway with dozens of footprints of varying shapes and sizes planted in the mud, soon spotting the warm glow of a campfire in the distance. Voices reached her, cheerful and loud, accompanied by laughter. A smile tugged at her lips as she skipped forward, ready to kick her feet up and relax.

The brisk wind disappeared as she came upon her travelling camp. A great fire burned at the centre with a group of carefree individuals cooking their meals. Ailith's ears picked up the sounds of cups and cutlery clanking together to the side as other members of the camp drowned themselves with all kinds of colourful beverages. Some were bubbling, some were fizzing, and some looked unlike any drink they could distinguish, not that it was going to stop any of them. Those not in a partying mood settled next to their respective tents or hammocks. A few had their nose in a good book while others were exchanging in mild conversation or star gazing to their heart's content.

Many different faces, not just human faces, and Ailith had come to know each and every one over the years. After greeting a few, she found the man she was looking for, sitting by himself next to a smaller fire and holding a bowl of soup in his hand.

''I hope you have enough to spare!'' she announced and hopped down next to him.

Bonamy Luxman was tall, but meek in appearance with soft, brown skin and curly black hair. He welcomed her with a kind smile and reached beside him to retrieve another bowl, tempting Ailith with its delicious smell. ''As a matter of fact, I do. I could hear your stomach calling from miles away.''

Ailith's body bounced as she repressed the urge to nab the second bowl from Bonamy's hands. A wooden spoon rolled along the inside, hitting small chunks of bread that soaked up the juices. ''There's never a need for a map when I can follow my nose back to your cooking.''

''Then I pray it won't get broken again anytime soon.'' He joked.

''That was one time! Besides, I took that broken nose to protect you. You'd have had much worse if I hadn't stepped in.'' Her hands warmed as her friend passed the bowl over to her. Throwing caution to the wind, Ailith brought the bowl up to her lips and slurped half of it down in one gulp. The heat of the soup flowed down to her chest. She could ignore the feeling of her body burning up as her lips tingled at the taste. ''Oh, I really needed that.''

''I can tell.''

Using the back of her hand, she wiped away any liquid that dribbled from her mouth. Taking a moment to let the taste sink in, she pondered. ''I think it's missing something though...''

''Like an extra spice?'' Bonamy probed.

The instant Ailith nodded, the cook leant his body over to reach his small bag. He returned with a small stash of herbs, crumbled it into her soup before taking the spoon and stirring thoroughly. Ailith smirked at her friend's actions. His desire to create faultless recipes rivalled her desire for combat.

''Try it now.'' He handed the bowl to her.

As instructed, Ailith consumed another large gulp and immediately noticed the difference. ''Oh, that is so good.''

''I had a feeling something was off. I needed another set of taste buds to confirm my suspicions.''

''Well, I'm glad I could help.''

Bonamy nodded before eyeing her interestedly. ''What kept you? You're usually very prompt when it comes to missions.''

''I was delayed. Nothing to worry about.''

''I see,'' he offered an engrossed grin. ''A few thought you might have been captured and sold to a warlord in a distant country.''

Amused at the thought, she played along with a sarcastic wit. ''Aw, were you about to band together to come and rescue me?''

''No,'' he shrugged. ''They were going to have wagers to see how long it would take for you to escape and return to us.''

They shared a hearty chuckle as a rat hesitantly scurried next to Ailith. The rodent was about the size of her hand and as black as shadow. Spotting the small animal, she took a piece of bread from her soup and offered it. The rat wasted no time accepting the snack and dashed off.

''Have you talked with you-know-who yet?'' Bonamy asked.

Ailith shook her head. ''No, I haven't seen them yet. The thing about Thwak is they let you know where they are with a good old...''

Ailith almost bit her tongue as something slammed on top of her head, causing a splitting pain to shoot down from top to bottom. Her body jolted and shuddered as she was left immobile, feeling something cold pressing down harder on her scalp. Ailith let out a vulgar shriek and rubbed the bump on her head that she had just acquired.

''Thwak is behind you.'' Bonamy stated.

''Yeah, I noticed.'' Ailith hissed through gritted teeth while trying to soothe the pain.

The last thing she wanted to hear was Thwak's shrill voice piercing her ears and rattling her head even more. ''You're late! You're the one who took that mission because it would be dusted in no time at all. Your words exactly, if I might add.''

Resisting the urge to retort spitefully, Ailith rose to her feet and looked up at Thwak. ''Like I said...I was delayed!''

She had to lift her head to greet Thwak, the Krilleg. Four slender, elongated legs stretched out from a small round body. However, the small body didn't appear affected by the leaning tower of various items, including bags, boxes, maps and clothes strapped to the back. Thwak's eyes were big, although that was nothing compared to a gaping mouth that hurled more insults at Ailith.

Giving her sore head one final rub, Ailith addressed them. ''As I was about to leave, the farm I was working at was attacked by poachers.''

''Poachers?'' Bonamy asked. ''What were they after?''

''The farmer had a domesticated Mamethshire.'' Ailith replied. There was a flicker of interest in his eyes that she noticed.

''That's quite the coincidence. Someone else had a job dealing with some poachers along the outskirts of Padril. Guess what they were after.''

''Mamethshire?''

He nodded.

Before Ailith could question him, one of Thwak's long legs jutted into the ground between them. The Krilleg shifted downwards, almost pressing their face up against Ailith's. ''I'm not concerned with someone else's job! The rules of my camp are simple. I find jobs. You do them and pay your rent so you can find more jobs. It's a great big happy circle! I hate it when people flatten my circle.''

''Alright, alright.'' Ailith retrieved the pouch from her belt. She held it out for Thwak to eagerly take with two pinchers hooked at the end their leg. The limb bent in the middle, allowing Thwak to inspect the contents of the bag. With a shake of the head, a pair of spectacles equipped with multiple lenses nestled on their face. They counted each coin, while Ailith prepared herself for the inevitable barrage.

In no time, every last coin had been counted and collected. Thwak's eyes reconnected with Ailith's. ''I see the signature, but I only see half the payment!''

''He couldn't pay in full, so I accepted what he had to offer.''

Thwak sighed. ''Right, hold still, I'm going to smash your skull in.''

Ailith rolled her eyes and groaned. ''If you would allow me to finish...'' she grabbed a larger pouch tied to the back of her belt. Thwak's ears twitched at the familiar jingling sound. Ailith juggled the new pouch in her hand a bit. ''After I stopped the poachers, I brought them to the authorities and claimed their bounty. Twelve-Hundred Ark altogether.''

She tossed the pouch into the air. Two long legs thrashed about and pinchers chomped down in an attempt to catch it. After a few fumbles, Thwak seized the reward and delight raced throughout their body. Ailith and Bonamy swore that the grumpy Krilleg almost cracked a genuine smile...almost.

With one arm, they reached up to the stack of items attached to their back and snatched a jar overflowing with coins. Counting the coins rapidly, Thwak took a share of the profit, a third to be exact. After Ailith was handed her pouches, the Krilleg rushed away, taking great strides and looming over everyone in the camp.

Bonamy sucked air through his teeth. ''Thwak is going to find a way to get back at you for that.''

Ailith waved her hand dismissively. ''I don't care if I'm made to pull one of the travel carts to the next town, it's worth it to bring that old prune down a level.''

Ailith accepted that Thwak was rarely pleased, no matter how articulate or punctual she was. She'd learned this after many years of travelling with the camp. It was now seen as a fun challenge to hush them by proving her skill.

Her belly growled once again, calling for her to return to her meal. ''So, I take it this is a recipe you learnt in Vella?'' She asked Bonamy.

He nodded and sipped from his own spoon, blowing to cool it down. ''You would be correct. I wish I could have stayed longer. There's so much more I wanted to learn.''

''Why didn't you?''

''They found a cook who was local to the area.''

''Did that matter?''

''Yes. I wasn't sure if I could make a permanent move to Vella. They say they liked me, but they couldn't waste their time on my indecisiveness.''

Ailith was quiet for a moment. ''Was there no way for you to move there?''

It took longer for him to answer, and his voice was quieter. ''Honestly, I didn't look. I want to move, but at the same time...I still don't feel ready.''

''But, I thought you said you do feel ready?''

''One moment I do feel ready, and then when I put myself forward I don't feel ready. I want to plan for everything. But, when I execute those plans it feels like something unplanned has come up and I'm not prepared for it. I'm not sure if that makes any sense...''

''No, no, it does make sense,'' Ailith reassured him. She noticed a small presence behind her. She turned and found the rat had returned, this time with two other friends waiting behind. She took out a few more chunks of bread and tossed it to the rats. Focusing back on her friend, she rested her hand on his shoulder. ''I could always come with you, you know? Give you a familiar face until you settle on your own?''

He shook his head. ''No, I couldn't ask you to do that. You have your own goals. I wouldn't want to distract you from them.''

''You wouldn't distract me. I could find a way to make coin in Vella.''

Bonamy released a nervous laugh. ''Vella is usually peaceful. You won't find many people looking for a fight.''

''Not until I get there.'' She winked. He nervously grinned, unsure if she was joking. She smiled and gazed into the fire next to them, entranced by the dancing flames. Despite her best attempts, she couldn't stop a troubling feeling gnawing in the pit of her stomach. ''That being said, even when I'm not distracted I don't seem to be making any progress with my earnings.''

''How much more do you need?''

''I'm close to Thirty-Thousand Ark now. It doesn't matter though. By the end of the season, the amount I need to apply for a Knight apprenticeship will have increased. I take one step closer and yet I find myself always two steps further away.''

''It's not easy to become a Knight,'' he said quietly. ''Especially for...people like us. Growling stomachs are more common for us than coin.''

''I don't care about how much coin I make...'' she paused to rethink her statement. ''Well, besides to help Mama and Papa! All I need is a chance to prove myself. A chance to show that I have what it takes to be a Knight, even if I'm not of noble blood.''

They sat in silence. Bonamy could see the confidence that she usually displayed slowly seep from her. He fiddled his fingers together, eyes darting from side to side as if looking for any assistance. More often it would be Ailith's duty to encourage him, leaving him feeling out of his element.

Hoping to lighten the mood, he grinned and nudged her arm. ''I believe in you. I've believed in you from the day our paths crossed. So what if you're not noble blood? You're one of the strongest warriors I know! You're kind hearted and always put others first, even if you can be overly charitable when it's not necessary. If there's anyone I know who deserves to be a Knight, it's you!''

His voice was calm and quiet as ever, but he spoke with a firmness that grabbed Ailith's spirit and refused to let go. Her cheeks dimpled as she smiled. ''Thank you,'' her face then scrunched and she turned sharply with a curious expression. ''What do you mean overly charitable?''

Before Bonamy could answer, Ailith felt another presence behind her. She looked over her shoulder to find that the three rats had returned, along with the rest of their family. They waited, long whiskers flapping as their noses twitched. Hundreds of tiny, pleading eyes. With an amused smile, she pushed her bowl over to the rodents. Whatever was left didn't last long as the rats made quick work of the soup and delicious breadcrumbs.

Shifting her focus back to Bonamy, she flinched seeing him grin at her. ''What?''

''Nothing.''

A/N: Hello once again! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Will Ailith be getting her chance to prove herself soon? You'll have to read on and find out. Thank you to everyone who has read this story so far. Please don't forget to vote, and leave a comment telling me what you think and if there are any ways I can improve. Take care.