The cave felt emptier now that the fight was over, the air still heavy with the metallic scent of blood. Valerie wiped her dagger clean on the bear's fur before sheathing it, glancing back toward the faint light creeping in from the cave's entrance.
She exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulder to ease the lingering ache from the fight. Just as she turned to check the deeper recesses, she spotted Ashura leaning against the wall near the pile of their meager supplies.
His small frame looked almost unnatural in the dim light too calm, too composed for a child. His clear black eyes tracked her movements, sharp and calculating, but he didn't say anything as she approached.
"You alright, kid?" Valerie asked, wiping the sweat and grime from her face.
Ashura gave her a brief nod, his gaze flicking to the bear carcasses near the cave's entrance.
Valerie scoffed, trying to play off the way her legs were still shaking. "Just had to make sure they stayed dead. Didn't want them getting any funny ideas."
Ashura didn't respond, just watched her with that unnerving calm. Valerie found herself slightly unnerved by how unaffected he seemed by the blood and carnage. Most kids his age would be crying or at least wide-eyed with fear.
She dropped down onto a flat rock, pulling at the remains of her torn maid uniform with a huff. "I swear, next time I'm bringing armor instead of frills."
Ashura stared at her ripped clothes for a moment before quietly muttering, "...Frivolous."
Valerie glared at him, half amused. "Excuse me?.." she slowly turned her head towards his direction and looked at him.
"...wait did you just talk?"
Ashura looked at the other side and grimaced.
'Damn did I say that out loud'
He didn't back down, just folded his arms. "It's inefficient. Your movements are hindered. The fabric is too thin. You're practically begging to get hurt and yes i did just talk,I always could talk i was just lazy."
She couldn't help but laugh, ignoring the way pain lanced through her side from her earlier injuries. "Well, forgive me for not anticipating a fashion critique from a five-year-old."
Ashura just stared at her, his face blank. She swore if he was any older, he'd be rolling his eyes.
"Next time, I'll wear full plate just for you," Valerie teased, giving him a wink.
He just huffed, moving closer to inspect her injuries with a frown. "Thats the bear that gave you those injuries."
"Hey, that thing wasn't just big it was practically made of shadows," Valerie retorted, but she didn't pull away when he carefully checked the bandage on her arm. "Besides, I handled it."
Ashura didn't seem impressed. "Barely."
She clicked her tongue in annoyance but didn't argue. His hands, though tiny, were surprisingly skilled as he tightened her bandage and wiped away some dried blood. Valerie let him work, her gaze softening a bit.
"Where'd you even learn how to do this stuff?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer at first, his small hands deftly securing the cloth. "...I just know."
She wanted to press him, but something about his tone made her hold back. Instead, she let out a weary sigh and leaned against the cave wall.
"You didn't freak out at all when I was fighting," she remarked. "Most kids would've screamed or cried or... something."
Ashura's expression didn't change, but his golden eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Crying doesn't make the danger go away."
The bluntness of his statement caught her off guard. Valerie wasn't sure whether to feel sad or impressed.
"Guess you're right," she conceded. "But you know... it's okay to act like a kid sometimes."
Ashura didn't respond, just stared out at the darkening sky beyond the cave entrance. Valerie gave up trying to read his expression and pulled her tattered cloak tighter around herself.
They sat in silence for a while, the cave quiet except for the occasional crackle of the makeshift fire Ashura had managed to start earlier. Valerie knew she needed to rest, but sleep felt distant—her mind still replaying the fight, the way the shadows had seemed alive.
After a while, Ashura spoke without looking at her. "You shouldn't underestimate enemies. Being careless will get you killed."
Valerie glanced at him, her lips twitching into a faint smile. "And here I thought you were worried about me."
He didn't deny it, just gave her a sideways glance that almost looked like a glare. She chuckled, patting his head lightly despite his annoyed huff.
"Alright, alright. Next time, I'll be smarter about it," she promised.
Ashura seemed satisfied with that and returned to his silent vigil, keeping watch without a hint of weariness. Valerie couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt whatever life he'd had before meeting her, it hadn't been kind.
As sleep finally crept up on her, she mumbled,"First thing in the morning we start our training session and now that you speak it will make theses much easier"
Ashura didn't respond. She let herself drift off, comforted by the knowledge that, for all his strange maturity all of a sudden, Ashura stayed awake muttering that,"He wouldn't let anything touch them without a fight."
After a few seconds he cringed and felt like laughing because he knew too damn well that he was scared shitless by the horror of those bear corpses in the cave with them.
'Yeah ain't no way boy'
To be Continued