[Episode 6]
Where had the urgency gone that had made Silka and her group act as if they were about to leave at any moment? Instead, they lingered at Rahi's cabin, lazing about for days on end.
Silka and Kai would occasionally head into the forest, seemingly out of boredom, to hunt small animals like rabbits or pheasants. Whenever Kai felt restless, he would stand in the yard, punching the air or using a wooden pillar as a punching bag to break the silence. But Luke was different. He seemed to have no interest in hunting or training; he simply followed Rahi everywhere.
At first, the imposing presence looming behind her felt suffocating. But now, Rahi had grown so accustomed to him that she could sense where Luke was standing without even turning around. Before she knew it, he had become her personal porter, carrying her heavy basket as if it were the most natural thing in the world and clearing branches from her path.
"...I'm coming too."
Luke blurted out the unasked words and naturally snatched the basket from Rahi's hands.
"The festival is coming up. I have to prepare flower tea for the villagers, so today we have to go deep into the forest."
As Rahi spoke while tying her laces, Luke, who had been leaning against the wall, silently stood up. As Rahi, wearing her wide-brimmed hat, stepped out, Luke's massive shadow naturally fell over her as he followed.
There was little conversation as they walked the forest path. Luke was silent, but whenever Rahi faltered on the steep rocky slopes, he reached out his large hand to firmly support her elbow.
"Thank you, Luke."
When Rahi smiled shyly, Luke buried his face deeper into his hood and turned away. But Rahi saw it—the tip of his ear peeking out from his hood was flushed deep red.
"Look over there! See those white flowers? They make tea with a lovely scent."
When Rahi spotted the flower bed and ran over, Luke set down the basket and stood tall beside her. While she carefully picked the blossoms, Luke paced back and forth, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings like a sentry.
A moment later, Luke knelt down and began searching for the exact same white flowers Rahi had picked. His large fingers snapped the stems one by one, adding them in bunches to the basket.
"Wow, Luke! You're really good at finding them. You've picked way more than I have."
As Rahi looked at him in surprise, Luke reached for the next cluster without a word. Thanks to his help, the picking—which would normally have taken half a day—was finished in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the full basket, Rahi thought back on the past few days. Specifically, the things she kept finding while sweeping the cabin.
'What is this? Animal fur?'
At first, she thought it was from the animals they hunted. Clumps of fur, thicker and stiffer than a finger joint, resembling a wild mane, were often found near the bedding or the doorstep. But Rahi soon realized the color was identical to Silka's or Luke's dark hair.
'...It's too similar to be from a hunt.'
Rahi gripped her broom, hesitated, then shook her head. She decided not to think too deeply. They were leaving in a few days anyway.
When she returned inside, Kai was standing on a chair, tapping the dried corn hanging from the ceiling.
"Oh, you're back? Hey, kid, I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
"Kai, get down! You're going to break the chair."
As Rahi shouted, Kai jumped lightly to the floor. Silka, sharpening a dagger nearby, chuckled.
"Hey, Kai. Take it easy. If Rahi kicks you out, you'll be sleeping in the woods tonight."
"No way! Rahi is too kind for that. Right, Rahi?"
Kai approached with a cheerful smile, but Luke stepped between them, slamming the bag of flowers onto the table with a thud.
"Don't come any closer."
"Come on, bro! That's unfair. I was just trying to help with the tea."
"We don't need it," Luke replied curtly. Kai grumbled and retreated to his corner. Rahi watched them, sighing with a faint smile. She realized they weren't as bad as she'd feared.
"Alright, everyone, calm down. Kai, keep your promise to chop the firewood. Silka, please put that knife away so we can set the table."
Silka shrugged and sheathed her dagger. "Yeah, yeah. Gotta listen to the landlady. Luke, are you just going to stand there like a stone statue?"
Ignoring the joke, Luke stared out the window at the twilight forest.
"...Once you're done sorting the flowers, give me a shout. I'll carry the basket,"
Luke murmured softly. Rahi nodded. Silka's words about leaving soon lingered in her ears, but the lively chatter and the scent of flowers filling the cabin strangely put her mind at ease.
The night was deep, and only the faint crackling of the firewood remained. Rahi lay in bed with her eyes closed, but she couldn't sleep because of the low voices in the living room.
"...He'll be here tomorrow."
It was Silka's voice—sharp and low like a blade.
"You mean Ruki? If he saw the mark, he's already nearby. He's surprisingly sensitive for his size," Kai replied. Rahi held her breath. The mention of 'Ruki' made the atmosphere noticeably heavy.
"Once Ruki joins us, we move immediately. Luke, you heard that? If we delay, the pursuit squad will be on us. The humans here must never know who we really are."
A brief silence followed. Rahi strained her ears. Finally, the sound of the floorboards creaking under a heavy weight echoed, followed by Luke's deep voice.
"I know."
"Know what? Just look at you. You're walking around with your guard completely down, trailing after that little brat. You weren't actually planning on settling down here, were you?"
Luke didn't respond to the sarcasm. Instead, the sound of a chair being pushed back echoed.
"...Stop it, Silka."
A chilling warning hung in his voice. Rahi's heart raced. 'Pursuit squad,' 'identity,' 'human girl'—it was all terrifying.
"Oh, how scary. Fine, let's sleep. Kai, go cram yourself in the corner."
The cabin fell silent, but Rahi couldn't move. Then, a shadow fell across the crack in her door.
Swish.
Someone entered without a sound. Rahi knew it was Luke. He stood by her bed, looking down at her as she pretended to sleep.
She felt his gaze sweeping over her face. Rahi struggled to keep her breathing even. Luke stood there for a long time, the heat from his massive frame touching her cheek.
Rahi clenched her fists under the covers. The scent of a dense forest and woodsmoke made her heart pound. Luke didn't move a muscle, the floorboards groaning ever so slightly under his weight.
Then, the cool air rippled. Luke's large hand slowly approached her hair. His thick, calloused fingertips picked up a strand of Rahi's hair scattered across the pillow.
He gently rubbed the strand between his fingers. It was a touch entirely different from the rough strength he'd used in the forest. His fingertips brushed the rim of her ear, sending goosebumps down her skin.
Luke leaned in. The distance narrowed until his ragged breath touched Rahi's cheek.
'...Should I just take her?' The thought ground through his mind. His yellow eyes flashed, sweeping over her closed eyelids and red lips. Looking at her small head that felt like it might break in his grasp, he remembered what Silka had said.
'Pursuit squad,' 'movement.'
His fist tightened. His hand paused near the nape of her neck. An impulse surged to grab her and stuff her into his luggage right then and there. But Luke withdrew his trembling fingers and took a step back.
Before reaching for the doorknob, he turned back one last time, staring as if trying to imprint her image in his mind forever.
Click.
Only after the door closed did Rahi exhale. She ran her fingers through the hair he had touched. The warmth felt strangely lingering.
'Who are these people?'
Rahi stared at the ceiling in the dark. The words 'identity' and Luke's persistent gaze swirled together in her mind.