Sonya was glad when Sioc and Siorradh had finally stopped growing. Their ravenous hunger now became something more stable and manageable like her own. But now she was looking up at a volki man who was a head above her height and a slim woman who was looking her in the eyes. Sonya was secretly happy that she sported the bigger bust size though. But she doubted the sneg-koshka cared. In fact she was probably glad because they didn't get in the way. Siorradh was more of a rogue type.

Their personalities didn't change much. Sioc was still her little... not so little loyal soldier and eager student. Siorradh, Sonya guessed was just revealing more of her personality. She was loyal, that much was clear. And just as eager of a student. But she wasn't someone that was afraid of pointing out where and when Sonya fell short on something. Or offer her what she thought would be a better alternative. It was mostly helpful and Sonya was patient about it...

Other times it was plain annoying because the cat wasn't always right. Sonya had pointed this out on numerous occasions that Siorradh was still naive about certain things and Sonya was the elder with fourteen years more experience. But she was wise enough to use legitimate examples to show this. Sioc... He enjoyed simply letting things be. Sonya felt like he had a lazy side. Maybe more of a laid back nature when it came to conversations. He was still eager to impress... Which presented its own problems.

The two young demi-humans were more than eager to try and out do the other. Sioc with his brute strength and perseverance... or Rather stubbornness... And Siorradh with her swiftness and cunning... And mischievousness... Often times their rivalry made her worry. But she couldn't help that their antics remained amusing. It was a week after the second wave and Sonya had made very little progress with anything other than making charcoal writing utensils and making detailed plans in hopes that they would increase production. Which, only three out of four times was the case.

Sonya sighed as she looked over her logs again. The money they had had only increased a little. She had recorded the route the dwarf peddler took and how much he sold things they might need as well as what was the highest salable item available that she could so far obtain... Which was low quality basic compounding and arrowheads that Sioc was fond of making even though he had more than enough to use to make ten quiver full of arrows. Then there was the stone knives that Siorradh liked to make which were well made and even had bone handles. And the monster hides. They were pretty.

Sonya still took in the fact that they were not going to make much money quickly. Not unless they took up requests again. And they couldn't. Sonya was still injured to where she couldn't fight just yet. Or really travel like they use to. And they had two more weeks before the wave in Siltvelt.

It was frustrating. "You know, you could just tutor other people in Rock Valley and Melromarc in your style of martial arts. I'm sure people would pay for that." Siorradh offered as she busily chipped away at a piece of quartz with a piece of wood before grinding away at it. She was getting very good at this.

That was when Sioc came back with what looked like a cross between a deer and a mountain lion. And it looked like it had been rather dangerous. But the volki boy... Man... Was grinning widely. The cat girl... Woman... Simply rolled her eyes.

" What? You could not avoid bashing its skull in could you?" Siorradh taunted while Sioc began to prepare what would be dinner. On that note, Sonya did not do any of the cooking. Anymore... She was not allowed. Completely forbidden. Somehow, some way Sioc had easily surpassed her in cooking abilities. And it was probably with the help of the cook book. How did this kid go from being a John Snow in cooking to being the designated cook? Was he going to aim for the next Gordon Ramsey? She hoped if he did he would be nicer and less crude languaged.

Siorradh sighed. Sioc was ignoring her. She looked over to Sonya. " Sonya-san... you are about to mix the wrong herbs again. Here let me show you..." The snow cat said as she quickly made a poultices that far exceeded the quality Sonya could... Siorradh going to run her out of apothecary work too?

Was there anything she WAS good at besides strategy and logging information? She sighed and went back to studying how to write the common language of this world after Siorradh shooed her away from the another apothecary related disaster. At least she was beginning to grasp this language quickly enough.

"Siorradh, would you like taking over the apothecary work?" Sonya asked after she started to take a break from writing and copying the Melromarkian character table. At least it wasn't as complicated as trying to remember kanji. Or how the English alphabet worked. Despite being born an American she hated trying to learn English.

Siorradh looked up from making a vial of 'common medicine.' She pondered it for a moment then nodded happily and went back to work looking like she was concentrating very intently. Sioc was now preparing the intestines to become sausage casings. Sonya learned that dried meat was easy to make but required them to drink more water. She also learned that any other meat wouldn't last very long so whatever excess they didn't eat would either be used as bait or turned into dried meat or smoked.

So now Sonya was in a dilemma. Sure, she could teach other people how to fight... But she also needed some kind of talent that she could use. But what? What on this... Planet? World? Was this place round or flat? Did it really matter? What in the lands of Melromarc was she good at? Sonya groaned. At a loss she started to pick grass and weave them together as she waited for dinner and in between her studies. Eventually she had a nice hat that she wore happily on her head.

Maybe she could make herself a pair of sandals next? Eventually, studying started to become a chore and weaving things was a fun activity. She made herself some sandals and a hat for Siorradh. Sioc was more than happy not looking like a 'shadow' or ninja as Sonya called them. Siorradh was grinning though. " I wonder how much something like these would sale for? At least a few copper if not a silver coin?" Siorradh said to Sioc who just nodded before looking up at what the cat lady was talking about. He blinked.

" You know, a bunch of those could make a quite a few copper... Or maybe some silver?" He said and shrugged. Siorradh shook her head. The volki hadn't been listening at all. He simply went back to cooking them dinner. Which no one could be mad at him for. He made delicious food. Well seasoned and everything. Sonya simply smiled at the feline for making a good suggestion.

" At least he isn't hugging up on you like he use to." Siorradh said looking annoyed at him. Sonya laughed softly.

"Jealous that he was getting more attention?" Sonya asked remembering when she was smaller and would also try hugging her... And then get in a fight with Sioc. Siorradh looked up at the trees. " No. Whatever makes you think something like that?" The cat lady said before Sonya gently patted her on the shoulder. "Can I have some sandals too?" Siorradh asked.

Sonnya nodded and got to work." Don't give him TOO hard of a time. Our aspiring cook does feed us. Even if you are sometimes the one catching the food." Sonya said and then gave the young woman a teasing smirk. "Just remember that when you hunt, don't use poison."

Siorradh smiled sheepishly and laughed nervously. " Honest mistake." The cat said.

Sioc huffed. " That nearly made us all very very sick." He grumbled. The feline scowled at him. The canine just simply handed her a plate with a slab worth of medium rare deer-lion steak. Sonya's was cooked to medium and his was rare.

" Thank you for the food!" They all said and started using the hand made chop sticks they all had to eat with. Sioc had already cut their meat into sizable pieces.

Siorradh looked at Sioc a little annoyed. " You know, we can't always just eat meat. What about mushrooms? Or some kind of vegetables?" Siorradh asked. Sioc shrugged as he popped a practically bloody piece of steak into his mouth. He waited until he finished chewing to speak. Sonya smirked, knowing she had taught him well.

"You learn how to identify food worthy veggies and I will learn how to saute the things." Sioc said calmly. " If we get a pot, maybe we can have stew now and again." Sonya blinked when she noticed them sharing a smirk and a nod. She felt uneasy about this. Whenever they did that it was like a dare. And they did not go back on dares. This part of their rivalry worried her the most. But maybe things would be different on this one?

Fat chance. The next day Siorradh had outdone herself with bringing a basket full of 'edible' plants she had found foraging the next day. Sioc simply prepared a fire and cleaned his frying pan to get ready the sausage he had made yesterday. He would be busy making dried meat all day. Which meant they would be busy with other things all day. Sonya was starting to make something similar to a tatami mat. She had unlocked a shield last night as well.

Category- Skill branch
Weaver's Shield
Equipment bonus: Apprentice Weaving Unmastered
Efficiency level: 0
C

She was working on trying to master the shield so she could possibly master others... But the only thing it reacted to were the sandals she made. So she went out of her way to try and master it and then use it to level up her weaving efficiency. That took all day to do. Luckily once she mastered it the efficiency went up after completing a number of mats.

The poor dwarf peddler had a wry face when he was paying them more than they were paying him the next day.

All was well. Sioc's food was edible, Siorradh's edible veggies were not poisonous (Sonya checked while she wasn't looking) and they made a few silver back. Now if Sonya's arms weren't hurting like hell.

The day after the big sale they returned to their normal routines. Sonya couldn't exactly help them in a fight but she was still a part of the party and supported them from the rear. Her slaver shield had been unlocked and now allowed for their stat growth and level growth to increase. So she wasn't entirely useless. The weird thing was that the shield came already mastered. She also understood that this shield might take a little while to level its efficiency. Sonya contended herself with practicing pushing a tree over. Of course, the tree wasn't going to budge for her but that wasn't the point in her mind. She needed to strain herself to stay in shape and she couldn't use her shield in combat effectively still. In fact she realized she had a debuff that was counting down the days until she was healed. Another week.

That was when the spear guy passed by with his party and laughed at her. Oh how much she would love to just push the tree over and on top of him. Instead she was content with chasing Ishiku-san around with a large red balloon that looked like it wanted to eat him. She had a much higher defense than the Red Balloon had offense so when it tried to bight her it only ended up tickling. She laughed like a maniac as she chased him with Ishiku-san's party members wondering if they should intervene. They did not. This was Sonya's exercise for the day. And their revenge. That and watching a grown woman waving her arms around while covered in red balloon monsters was funny.

" Do... Do you... Ever... *Huff Huff* Run out.. * Huff * …. Of energy?" Ishiku-san asked around the beginning of evening as he stumbled away from a walking Sonya. She stopped to think about it. " Sure, eventually." She said. With one Red Balloon that was chewing at her arm, another the side of her and and a third her waist. " Bye." She said leaving the spear hero to collapse on the ground. They had been running in large circles since morning.

Siorradh stared at Sonya. " Do you like him or something?" The feline asked with a frown. Sioc was also frowning. Neither of them really liked the Spear Hero.

" No, not really. I just thought it was a fun Idea to chase him with this." She said with a straight face as she started to flap her arm that was being gnawed on. The cat woman sighed and stabbed it and the other two..

" Really?" Siorradh asked as Sonya thanked her and started to walk back to camp. Sonya looked at the cat seemingly genuinely perplex with the idea. " Is it so unbelievable that I like giving the guy hell because he is an ass to me?" She asked. " I mean... I might be a little sadistic at times..."

Sioc walked next to her. " What do you think of us?" He asked getting her to stop in her tracks.

Sonya looked confused. Siorradh looked at the wolf man as if he was out of his mind but it was obvious she was wondering that too. " What do you mean? I like you guys! You both have really helped me out and have been really cool." She said readily with a smile. Sioc looked unsure of himself with this answer.

"What are we to you?" Siorradh asked. Sonya looked at them both and gave it some thought.

She sighed, pulled Sioc over next to Siorradh, made him crouch so the were level with her and hugged them both tightly. She hugged them like that for a long moment. Sonya smiled brightly at them after stepping away and started to walk back towards camp, only looking back to make sure they were going to follow. She felt like her answer was clear enough for now.

Siorradh gave an exasperated sigh when she looked at Sioc. "What am I to you?" What the question he really meant to ask. A little more than a week left until Siltvelt's Wave.


Just to be clear: 1 I had to end this chapter short. 2. Sonya does not have feelings for Ishiku-San other than a bit of resentment. And maybe a bit of Sadism to his suffering... Anyways, I am trying to keep track of Siltvelt's Wave, so let me know if I need to edit anything. xD Okay then. On to Chapter 11!