Chapter 9

The petite girl didn't seem to have notice, and if she did she's not showing it. Yumi had made a point to left them behind, yet here is one of them tailgating her. Alone, she could move around more easily and swiftly without being detected, but with another person that scenario changed completely. Maybe I could get her drunk or drug her and leave her at the next town, she pondered as she walked carefully on the ice covered floor. By her calculation, night had probably already set in on the outside world, though in here it's always dark but neither need lights to see. Not to mention, Yumi was holding a palm-size illumination rock that gave out a nice glow to see what's ahead.

They avoided many pitfalls, but then they decided to get some rest. Yumi had set up a tent and drawn a circle around it; taking out a talisman from the pouch she placed it right on top of the tent. Sachiko didn't ask and the other girl didn't bother to explain, she's just too exhausted to say anything as they both get into the tent and fell asleep immediately. It was a fragile peaceful moment, until the rumbling noises outside woke them up.

"Stay," the petite hunter said sleepily as she grabbed onto Sachiko's arm. "I must see what is going on out there," Sachiko whispered firmly. "If you go out, you would get us both kill for good this time." Yumi said coldly and the knight winced inwardly at that. "Look," Yumi said after heaving out a sigh of mild irritation. "I've put up and invisible ward on the tent, if you go out now will give away our location to whatever it is out there. I for once would like to just sleep instead of running for my life," she finished letting out a long yawn. Sachiko sat there for a long moment before she nodded in resign and lay back down, moving closer she scooped the already asleep hunter into her arms and drift back to sleep.

MgM

"Whoa!" Yumi stopped and Sachiko bumped into her, nearly knocking the poor girl over the edge. "How do we get down?" Sachiko asked but not looking down. "Climb down," Yumi answered pulling out spikes for her boots and claws for her hands; she gave Sachiko an extra set of spikes and tied the rope around the knight's waist. "You ready?" Yumi asked noticing the knight look a bit pale. "Just don't look down," Yumi said in a gentler tone as she started to descend.

For a fearless person, Ogasawara Sachiko had an uncanny fear for height but the girl's words sooth her fear enough that she followed to lead and slowly made her way down without looking down. They moved slowly, and Sachiko had to use her power to turn her hands into sharp claws since Yumi didn't have an extra pair of claws in the pouch. By the time they reached the bottom of the other side of the mountain, night had already invaded the sun and they set camp. While Sachiko gathered firewood, Yumi had gone to hunt for some foods and come back with plenty of fruits and some fishes.

"Sorry…" Sachiko murmured over dinner (fruits and grilled fishes). "For what?" Yumi asked with a quirked brow looking over at her companion. "For everything," she said without looking at the hunter. "All is forgiven, though if you do it again I might just let you die instead." Yumi said and Sachiko looked a bit crestfallen. "I know that it's a knight's duty to save lives and whatnot, but I'm not some damsel in distress that needs saving. But we could work together to get out of the mess that Gaia tend to put us in," Yumi quickly explained before that sad puppy face went even sadder. "Sounds good?" she looked over at the knight, who seemed to be deep in thought. "I would like that very much," Sachiko nodded and smiled a little at the hunter.

"You know, you should smile more. You look lovely when you smile, though I think you're just lovely in general." Yumi said absentmindedly as she went back to eating her dinner. Poor Sachiko ended up choking on her food and coughing badly upon receiving such compliment from a cute hunter that her cheeks flushed. "Are you okay?" Yumi asked looking at Sachiko with concerned as she pulled out a canteen full of water and handed it over to Sachiko. "Y-yes…" Sachiko replied in between coughs. Sachiko took small sips of the water to calm down her flushing cheeks and her racing heart also.

MgM

Arrows cut the air and grazed his cheek, just enough to drawn blood and made him peed in his pants. "Are you sure that you're still trying to rob us?" Yumi asked with a quirked brow staring at the slim guy dropping onto the ground and weeping like a baby. "N-no… please… have mercy…" he begged, it was a pathetic sight. "Then be gone from our sight, or I shall skin you." Sachiko pointed her weapon at the man. With rapid nods, he scurried away as fast as his shaky legs could carry him.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Yumi asked as they continued their walk down the empty road in the forest. "Hmm… I guess so…" Sachiko said thoughtfully. Before anything else could be exchange between them, something caught Sachiko's eyes and she quickly pushed Yumi out of the way. Multiple arrows missed them and hit the ground, dragging the petite girl and leaped aside just as the ground below them gives way into a trap. Together they run until they reached an abandon home that was covered in cobwebs and layers of dust, just as they got inside the sky decided to start a downpour on them.

Just then, the sounds of footsteps approaching causing the two women to find a hiding place, and lucky for them as there was a small room in the back hidden from normal view. Yumi quickly shoved Sachiko inside and got inside herself, it was a tight space and Sachiko gasped when she felt the petite hunter's body pushed against her own body but Yumi quickly put her hand over Sachiko's mouth to keep her quiet.

"You fool, couldn't even take a few girls down on your own. Useless fool," a man scolded something as he entered the sheltered home. "B-but boss, they have weapons…" a familiar shaky voice replied. "Then you should use the dart to take them out," the first one snapped. "Do you know how angry the Young Master going to be when we come back empty-handed?" the first one asked. "Very…" the second one whimpered. "Yes, now let's get back out there and search for them," the first one snapped and the sounds of footsteps quickly faded away along with the lifting rain.