CHAPTER 4

The rustling sound startled everyone, but none could find enough sense to awaken. Gav jumped up to figure out what the sound was and where it was coming from. He saw that a large black wolf had managed to rumble through some of their belongings and drag out their food. The wolf was salivating and gnawing on a large piece of sausage, and Gav was very angered at this. He got up and attempted to shoo the wolf away, but to no avail.

He went inside his tent and grabbed his cuffs. As he exited, he looked at the wolf and raised his fist as if he were going to hit it. The closer he came, the more he saw that the wolf's body was depreciated and very thin. This frail canine's fur was small and his figure was gaunt, and he looked as though he had not eaten in several days time or more. Gav bent over and saw that it did not want to drop the piece of meat it had, but that it would not put up a fight. As Gav bent, the wolf dropped the sausage on the ground and kneeled down, lowering his eyes to the ground. Gav was astounded at this behavior in the animal.

What he surmised was that the wolf was hungry, smelled food, and snuck it out to eat it because it was so malnourished. Instead of punishing it for this, he squatted down in front of the wolf. It shied, but did not whimper. He reached his hand out, and at this the small wolf did whimper. Gav steadied his hand and his senses.

"I'm not gonna hit you," he whispered.

The cub stopped moving and let Gav touch him. Gav's hand scratched lightly and petted at the forehead of the cub, and as Gav did this the wolf's eyes narrowed and his mouth extended as if in a grin from ear to ear. Gav could tell that the wolf enjoyed this, and as he was petting him, he patted on his back a few times and motioned for it to get up and come forward. He broke off a piece of the sausage and held it in his hand. The wolf sat straight up, head narrowed and focused on Gav's eyes. After seeing the obedience that he desired, Gav allowed the meat to drop into the wolf's mouth. It toyed with it for a minute as it gnawed, and Gav simply watched. He picked the food bag up and secured it back in his own tent, then came back out to the campsite with a few small pieces of the sausage.

Gav brought two flint stones out of his pocket and struck them together on the dry timber circled by stone in their encampment, and the fire slowly restarted itself. The wolf lay by the fire, and Gav kept feeding it small pieces at a time until it fell asleep before the dancing flames. Gav watched the wolf and the fire, and wondered about all of the things he experienced today. The pain in his side rekindled slightly as weariness, and he held it as to apply pressure to ease the cramping. A small noise once again emanated from behind him, and he was unsure of what it was. There Aerwyn sat looking on him and the campsite.

"Hey," he said with a slight cringe in his voice from his cramp.

"Hi", she whispered back.

"How long have you been up?"

"Since the wolf took the sausage I left out," she smiled.

"Oh… I was wondering how he got a hold of the bag, and that explains it," he smiled back.

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just… well… impressed."

"By what?"

"You actually fed and took care of the cub. It is quite an experience to watch you taking care of something," she said as her eyes transfixed on Gav.

"Heh, I guess. It's nothing I wouldn't normally do."

"I know. I like watching you as you normally are. You're a very interesting person."

"Glad someone seems to think so… you're quite interesting yourself, Aerwyn."

"Wow."

"Huh?" Gav questioned.

"That's the first time you've ever called me by my name."

"Oh; I'm sorry I never thought to speak it before this moment," Gav apologized.

"Don't worry. I'm not upset."

Gav and Aerwyn smiled at one another and looked up. She emerged completely from her tent in her nightclothes, and walked up to Gav at the campfire. As she was about to sit down, he motioned to her to stop. She did so, but looked strangely at him. He took his over shirt off and laid it on the ground, and then motioned for her to sit on its spread. She bent over slightly, allowing herself to sit down on her behind and get comfortable inside the jerkin he laid down.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It's nothing," he replied.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act as though nothing you do matters."

"Oh… it's just… thing I have. It's not like a complex; I just guess that I know it's supposed to be the right thing to do. Where I was raised, it was proper to do things this way."

"Where I was raised, it was a courtesy never offered."

"Then you should allow yourself to be re-raised," he said with a smile.

She looked upon him in total amazement, unknowing of his intention by his words and unable to determine what the proper response was. She didn't know if he was asking her to change herself, or to just allow herself to be changed. She read his face and expressions, dug into the way he said what he said, and determined that it was nothing more than a well-meant comment after seeing him beam with happiness at his own suggestion.

"Perhaps I should. Or perhaps you should."

"Nah, I like treating people well," he responded.

"What is it you're trying to say, that I do not?"

"No… you're reading into what I'm saying too much. I just spoke for myself. I don't know you as well to say what you should or shouldn't feel, all I can do is speak my mind when it happens to project a thought out of my mouth."

"Hmm… at least you say what you mean when you say it."

"Yet another of the qualities I was raised with."

"You seem to have been raised with lots of good qualities."

"Funny we should even talk about this, because to be honest with you Aerwyn, I was not raised at all."

"What do you mean?"

He narrated a story to her about how he was born in Bastok under the care of several different politicians, and in his younger years he was taught by Cid the engineer himself. His life went from one extreme to the next as a child, and he was quickly introduced to lots of the foreign customs and races, even beastmen. He watched Orcish and Elvaan battlefields at age nine, and ran from Quadavs at age thirteen. The only beastman he had not yet seen was a Yagudo, and he hoped to never see one because he believed it was the only beastman race that was predominately evil and spawned of pure hate. He stopped for a moment.

"What is wrong, Gavain?" Aerwyn asked.

"I dreamed of a Yagudo once… it was a very terrible dream. I dreamed that one had plucked off my limbs one at a time and gnawed on them as though it were a kabob of some type. They then put a band over my eyes and began to torment me. I never understood the meaning of this, especially since I've never even seen one to know what they look like."

"I have seen plenty of Yagudo tribes; we traded with a Yagudo Priest once, some of the Windurstians are on peaceful armistice terms with them and enjoy free trade with one another."

"Does it look like an enormous walking black raven?"

"Yes, actually that is what it looks like."

Gav's skin went a pale white color. He stared off into a thousand yard space for answers about why he would have such a premonition.

"Don't worry about it," Aerwyn said, and she placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He turned to her and smiled at her with his mouth wide and agape. He did not know what to think of her gesture, but returned it by leaning his head on her shoulder. Aerwyn blushed mightily at this, yet stayed calm.

"Aerwyn…" he whispered to her.

"Yes, Gav?"

"Why did you want to reintroduce yourself to me?"

This put her in a calm silence once again. He picked his head up and looked right into her eyes. She began to melt inside, but on the exterior she held her head and eyes high as to not be read by him.

"That is simple. I just want to know who I'm living beside, that's all."

"So you give letters like that to everyone?" he inquired slowly.

"No!" she said sternly. "I just… I don't know."

"Don't worry about it," Gav said. He placed his hand on her shoulder this time and stared into her eyes awaiting her reaction to what he did. She blushed even more, and leaned in towards him. At this point both their noses were no more than an inch away from one another, and they could both feel their breath inside of their mouths.

"Why not?" she breathed out to him. She closed her eyes and waited. Gav cleared his throat and bent back slowly away from her as to get up and stretch, but before he could move one more inch away from her nose she launched her face onto his. He gazed at her for just a brief moment, and then felt that her lips were pressing against his own. She was grasping for his own lips with hers, and he finally succumbed to her and let her take his lips. He also motioned for hers, and opened his mouth a little wider as to let his tongue fold inside of her mouth and rasp for her own tongue. The kiss was slow, yet passionate. They both held each other's faces as they kept kissing, and they breathed air into one another's mouth, swiveling their heads together as the kiss continued.

After a few more moments of this, they both exited one another's grasp and simply looked. Not a word was said between either of them, they just looked at each other and marveled at what had occurred. Both thought to each other about what to say and how much they had to say to one another, but instead they just let the moment go with a silent acquiescence of breath and a lost gaze inside of each other's eyes. The chill of the night blew over both their bodies, and they noticed by the smoke that the fire had died and the wolf cub was still content and asleep. Gav thought he should go back inside of his tent, and began to find words again after the long stare.

"I'm going to go inside of my tent now, Aerwyn. You should go into yours, because it is getting colder out here." Gav got up slowly, and turned around to go into his tent. Before he did, he felt Aerwyn's hand reach onto his. She looked up at him as though asking for help. He bent down and crossed his arms into a fashion of the letter x, and as he held out both his hands, Aerwyn reached for his. She held on tight, and he hoisted her from the ground.

"I want to stay with you in your tent," she said. She leaned her head on his chest and breathed slowly. He could feel her chest pressed up against his, and he could barely feel her pulse.

"I don't want to be alone and this cold," she pleaded. Gav looked on her with a smile and led her inside of his tent. He spread out his blanket inside the tent and pointed for her to lie down on it. He exited his tent partially after this.

"Where are you going?" she slightly cried.

"To get my jacket from the ground so we can have some extra cover," he said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

"Alright," she said in a higher pitch than normal. He walked out and grabbed at his jacket, then went back inside his tent where Aerwyn was. He pulled the jacket into a bundle the size of his head, and told Aerwyn to lift her head. He held his hand under her head and placed the jacket underneath it. She laid her head back onto it and felt comfortable on it. After this, he smiled at her and curled up in a corner of the tent slowly.

"What are you doing?" Aerwyn asked.

"Sleepin'," he replied slowly.

"But aren't you gonna sleep next to me?" she said. She held her hand out and motioned for him to come closer. She opened up the blanket slightly and invited him inside. He hesitated, but entered in it with her. She wrapped her arms around him slightly and let her head rest on his own. He did not understand how this chemistry was so potent and so possible all at once, and did not understand why he felt so warm when he was with her. Why he felt so good whenever she was around. Why they were able to kiss one another with so much passion and have not shared any type of life with one another except on this ugly Gustaberg field. He thought of the word love, and thought of it's meaning, then dismissed it. He believed he was ineligible for that type of emotion for some reason that he held against himself. Yet he allowed himself not to fix those thoughts in his mind at this time, and just stay with Aerwyn and keep her company and keep her warm, as she'd ask him to do.

"Thank you," she said shyly.

"For what?" he said back.

"For staying with me. It helps me sleep."

Gav smiled back at her and let himself look at the moment for what it was worth. He did not know what had truly happened or why, but he just knew that he was in his tent with a woman whom no more than twenty four hours ago he was very shy towards. This woman who intimidated his libido so bad and challenged his ego was laying with him in his own tent on her own free will, and she asked him to be with her. He felt privileged. As she held him, she turned forward and kissed his forehead gently. She turned her body around, and her backside was against Gav's groin. She pushed herself into him as an attempt to get warm, but another reaction emerged from Gav. He attempted his best to control it, and shied backwards as it happened. The whole time, Aerwyn was smiling to herself as she knew exactly what was going on, but she didn't budge one time. She wanted to see what he would do.

He stayed where he was, and merely allowed Aerwyn to stay warm and fall asleep inside of his blanket. He lay there looking at her most of the night. Once she started breathing heavier and tossing, he wrapped the whole of the blanket around her body and moved to the corner of his tent. He did not allow himself to sleep until he saw a glimpse of a lighter blue hue outside, which meant the sun was appearing. He let his eyes close and began to finally sleep.

When Gav awoke, the sun was brightly shining in through the tent, and all he could see was the brown of his tent mixed with the white of the sun's light. He rustled around and leaned over to his other side to see if Aerwyn was there, and he saw that she indeed was not. He reached through the blanket to see that her body was not present, and he arose slightly to go outside of his tent. Aerwyn sat outside, with her things packed and ready and on her shoulder. She smiled lightly at Gavain, and he simply looked back.

"Good morning, Gavain!" she said.

"Good morning to you too. How long've you been up?" he replied to her.

"Not too long. Some of the others thought we should get going, and so they've already begun to traverse, and are awaiting us up ahead of the trail," she said as she pointed with her hand uphill.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Cuz you were sleeping so soundly," she smiled to him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, stretched his arms and gave out a smile to Aerwyn. He figured any other questions he had would take up too much time to answer, and that they'd have time to talk on the way. He gathered up all his things, strung them into a bundle and carried them on his back. He walked up to Aerwyn and held out his hand at her. At this, she looked upon Gavain in a questioning manner.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Your bag, let me carry it for you."

She smiled widely and blushed a slight bit at this display. But she knew his bag was heavy, and she strapped her own on herself and looked up at Gav with a focus.

"Your bag is heavy… and my bag isn't light by any means. I think we should both carry our own and simply carry it together."

"Carry it together? But that doesn't make any sense."

"If you walk with your load, and I walk with mine, then it's nothing we're not already used to, and we're both still carrying ourselves. But if we walk together while we're carrying our loads and just be with one another, we won't have to worry about the loads on our backs because we'll be moving for our destination together, and the loads will lighten on us because we'll have each other to carry our minds, in turn making our arms seem less important."

Gav said nothing at this, just looked at Aerwyn with a full smile on his face. He hoisted up his bag at his side and turned to the steep grade of the hill, facing the blazing early day sun. Aerwyn stood beside him, and they began a slow pace upwards together. The rest of the party remained just a few hundred feet ahead and were all talking amongst one another. Lumomo looked behind herself at the pair of Gav and Aerwyn, and told everyone to stop and wait. Gav and Aerwyn walked up towards the party side by side. Aerwyn went in towards the rest of the members and greeted them, and Gav stood before them as they greeted him also.

"Good morning to you all as well," Gav said. "Well, I think we should head up towards Drachenfall on the bridge there. We can stop by the outpost on the way and ask someone about this Hunting Bear fellow and see what they know. Is everyone well rested and ready?"

They all said yes in unison. Gav stood at the front of the line of them and led them eastward. They were all quite silent as they began their pace, all determined now on reaching the goal that they had set out to accomplish. Gav was feeling warm now, but the sun today was not brutal like it had been the days before. Clouds overturned most of the blue sky, and wind was blowing steadily over everyone's shoulders. As they walked on into the wind the party began to feel lighthearted about their simple quest, and all began to converse with one another on various topics. One topic Gav listened to was a conversation between all five about the Airship Travel Agency.

"I've traveled many an airship, and never had one complaintaru!" Lumomo said.

"What was it like? I bet it must've been kinda frightening or at least a bit amazing the first time around," Sern inquired.

"Hmm… I am also interested in this. I doubt they would let simple Galka ride airships however," Parragoh loomed.

"That's no way to think. Of course any race can ride an airship; it's all run by every race there is, Parragoh," Lillian explained.

"I'm sorry… I tend to be a negative thinker when it comes to anything outside of home."

"Don't worry, sir. Just remember that curiosity is the best defense to ignorance, not anger," Aerwyn noted. "My airship travels have been quite limited, but for the most part they have been pleasant. My father and I took travels to Jeuno a few times, but mostly just on business. Father normally wouldn't let me leave the airship to go anywhere, because he was afraid I would be confused for a member of the royal family."

"What royal family do you speak of, Miss Aerwyn?" Lillian asked.

"In San d'Oria, there is a family of Elvaan who are considered royalty. Most of them reside in the Chateau d'Oraguille, but some of them are still spread out to even higher positions of power in Jeuno. Jeuno is popular for its neutrality, but every nation competes there in Ballista, and it is the converge point for everything that focally happens in Vana'diel. In order for anyone to get anything everywhere, it has to go through Jeuno first. Whether it be packages, armor, crystals, or even the mighty chocobo, it all stems from something that originated in the heart of Jeuno."

"Isn't that where Cid trained to be an engineer, Gav?" Sern asked.

"I'm not too sure, but I think so…" Gav answered.

"So you've been to Jeuno as well, Gavain?" Aerwyn inquired.

"I can't remember right now, but I'm almost sure that I have." Gav looked out and saw that they were upon the valley where they would need to pass through to get to Drachenfall. "We're in North Gustaberg now you guys. The outpost should be just ahead a few thousand feet."

They all walked through the valley together and saw that it was all quite deserted. The outpost also looked to be deserted from what they could see. Their pace quickened slightly and the outpost grew closer and closer to them. As they met at the front, a lone soldier sat against a post sharpening a blade.

"What can I help you strangers with?" he said, still focused on the blade.

"My name is Gavain, I am the leader of this group. We are looking for a Galka named Hunting Bear as a part of our journey."

"Go on Drachenfall's bridge, and he should be no more than a few feet from sight. Be mindful of lizards, they're starting to get a little more tense out here lately."

"Thank you sir!" Gav replied.

"You're welcome," he said as he waved them off. His tone was dismissive, but at least he was helpful. The group headed for the bridge and as they did, they heard the man once more say something. "Wait! That Elvaan female in your group… is her name Aerwyn?" he asked.

"Yes, I am Aerwyn," she stepped forward and said.

"Your father has informed our military that you are to be home at once to prepare for departure to Windurst. We hope you've enjoyed your stay here, and pray your father has as well, Lady Aerwyn."

"Thank you, but why so formal?"

"Ma'am, your father saved my life many years ago. I have no reason to be anything less than such for his daughter."

"Thank you kindly sir." Aerwyn bowed, and the man bowed back. He waved them off, and they departed for the bridge once more. As they closed in on the bridge, a large armored Galka stood in its center overlooking the falls.

"You all finally made it. Good job! I'll take your field reports now." He extended his hand, and Gav looked around as though lost, because he didn't remember anything about a field report. All of a sudden he felt something tugging on his pant leg, and little Lumomo jumped up and down with a few pieces of paper in her hands. He looked down and smiled at this always-prepared Tarutaru and was glad that she was. He took the paper and handed it to the Galka, and he brought out a satchel into Gav's hand.

"3000 Gil for you to split among your team members. Job well done! Congratulations, you are now Bastok and Gustaberg veterans!" the Galka said.

Gav split the monies each way they were meant to go, and everyone acquired 500 Gil. They all exclaimed at this, and stayed on the bridge to look at the falls for a moment as the sun began to fall behind a cloud.

"A chocobo courier is on his way now with one for your departure Aerwyn, as I'm sure you're aware of," Hunting Bear said.

"Yes. I am aware, but sir, may I inquire something of you?" she asked the Galka.

"What is it?"

"My friend, the man who led us in our party for this mission, can he be arranged to travel with me? I am in need of his assistance until we reach the airship docks. My father asked me to bring him along at the last minute," she said. Gav looked a little strangely to Aerwyn, who kept a straight face as she told the Galka this.

"That is fine, my lady. We will have it arranged once the escorts arrive momentarily for your friend… I'm sorry what is your name sir?"

"Gavain!"

"Right… Gavain to ride with you."

"Thank you so much sir!" Aerwyn exclaimed.

"Thank you sir," Gav added.

Both Aerwyn and Gav walked off the bridge, and the rest of the party awaited them at the bridge's end. They all faced one another and said their goodbyes.

"We'll meet again right Lillian?" Sern asked.

"I am more than certain," Lillian smiled. She walked up to Sern and hugged him gently. "Goodbye, Lumomo. Good luck Parragoh! Miss Aerwyn it was so nice to meet you," she said.

"Nice to make your acquaintance as well, Lillian. Perhaps in the future we shall party again!" Aerwyn added.

"I hope so. Mister Gavain, it was very nice partying with someone who knew this place as well as you."

"No problem," he said simply.

Lillian looked at him for a brief moment, and he smiled back and waved. She turned and walked for the Port Bastok gate. Lumomo and Parragoh waved and smiled at everyone as they walked behind Lillian. Sern patted Gav on the back and headed for the gate as well.

"I'll see you later this week, man!"

"Alright Sern, take care of yourself," Gav replied.

The chocobo escort arrived shortly after Sern left, and Aerwyn hopped on the chocobo and instructed the escort that Gav was to ride with them on the chocobo. He mounted the same chocobo Aerwyn was riding. He had never rode a chocobo before, and this strange large bird was very sturdy it seemed. As he mounted it, he heard it make a strange noise similar to the sound of "kweh" and it looked behind and blinked its eyes in approval of both Aerwyn and Gav. Aerwyn looked back at Gav and smiled, and just as he was smiling back she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and held her waist gently, and they headed towards Bastok.