Chapter 15

It was already two days into the trip to Harth and the caravan was taking a break to let the Popo drink from the small creek and everyone was feasting on the Street Cooks meal. Saachi was in the water having a bath since it was a few days since she had one. The water stopped just above her lower hips and she unbraided her hair letting it fall just covering her breast and the top of her scar that ran down her spine. Sandstorm lounged on the shore laying on a large rock enjoying the warm sun just to hear someone coming. Night walked out and called over to Saachi. "Hey, we are leaving!" She turns around and walks back to the caravan.

Hearing Night's voice calling out, Saachi glanced over her shoulder to where Night was called out. Walking out of the water to dry off and get back into her armour. As she walked back to the caravan The Man was rehooking the Popo to the wagon and everyone was getting into it to finish off the last leg of the trip. It was Saachi's turn to walk next to the wagon since she and Night were taking turns walking during nighttime when some monsters were more active. The sunset and it was already getting dark. " Kinder Hunter," Saachi could hear The Caravaner call out to her and as she got close to the wagon that she could see him he continued to say "jump into the back now we are out of a hunting ground. We should be getting there a little after the sun raised." She jumped into the back to see the Street Cook and the Merchant we're finishing a dice game they started at the beginning when the Guildmarm was napping with Sandstorm on her lap. The Man was sleeping on top of the wagon while Night was sleeping up against the wall with Salim partly on her lap. Saachi found an open place on the floor to lay her head down to try to get some sleep but could not rest. Since she could not sleep she got up and sat next to the Caravaner in the front of the wagon. "Could not sleep?" He asked, having the rains in his one hand, reading the map that was laid out on his lap. She nods her head and sees a volcano with smoke coming up out of the top. The Caravaner smiled knowing that Harth was in sight, "There is the Harth." Everyone started to wake up as the sun started to rise shining over the caravan as they pulled into the large cave entrance into the Dwarven mining town.

As they got into town the two hunters helped out setting the wagons into place so the caravan could set up as a small blonde hair girl came running up to them checking out their weapons. The girl saw Night's bow and quill of arrows, quickly took out one of Night's arrows from her quill looking at it. "Your arrows are not that sharp, you will be lucky if they go deep into the monster's hide." She said as she was looking at the arrow. Just to have the arrow snatched from her hands from Night once she noticed that the little girl was holding one of her arrows.

"No." She scolded the girl, placing her arrow back as Saachi just shook her head, she saw the girl run up to her trying to take out her sword from its holster to look at it. Saachi got the sword out and let the girl hold onto it seeing she was not holding onto it. She showed her how to hold onto it so it would not fall onto the girl's feet.

The girl handed it back to Saachi to resheath as the chief of the small mining town called the little girl over to him. Saachi had a smile on her face and looked at Night to ask "not a fan of kids?" Night did not have to make eye contact or say anything with Saachi since she had the mask on but she could feel her glared at her. Salim placed his paw to his face as he saw how Night acted to the little girl than to Saachi just to let out a sigh. They went back to work pushing the last wagon into place with The Man's help. Saachi walked up to The Man as Night was busy doing her own thing. "Did you get the bow done for Night?" She asked hoping he would have got it done on the trip there. The Man nodded and showed the bow off to Saachi. Not knowing much about bows but knowing The Man-made it will be better than the one she is using since she had seen the arrows went into an inch or so in meaning it was not the best. The Caravaner was calling Saachi over to him with the chief by his side. "Can you give it to her for me? The Caravaner is calling me." She asks as she walks away to chat with The Caravaner and the Chief.

As she got to them she could hear The Caravaner say. "This here is the lead hunter in the caravan, they will hunt down the Tetsukabura and remove the large boulders to get the magma to reflow into here." She never heard of a Tetsukabura before she may have found out what it is before Night and herself will be up against it.

The chief seems shocked to hear that two hunters could take on the monster that so many hunters already tried and failed. "If your caravan leader says you can get rid of the Tetsukabura. We should take his word but please get the lava to flow so we can work again." With that saachi nod head as the chief and the Caravaner walked away. She happened to look over as The Man walked away from Night as she was looking at the new bow.

Saachi walked over to Night and Salim, "I hope you will like the new bow, we are hunting down a Tetsukabura and blowing up some large boulders that are blocking the lava that flows into here." She points to an entrance to the nearby Street Cook's open-air that leads into the local hunting ground. "When you're ready, meet me at the gate, I am going to pack some items." She turned and walked away heading to the wagon.

As she entered the wagon Sandstorm jumped up onto the bearl that was at the end of the bed watching her. "You should tell your hunting partner what you truly are." Saachi turns around when she hears him say that.

"Most likely she would turn her back on me knowing I am a monster shifter or try to kill me on the spot." She looked to Sandstorm as she was putting some positions and other items into her pouch to continue, "After all my race was whipped out from the same bloody hunting guild I hunt for. But how do you know?" Sandstorm rubbed his face with the back of one of his paws.

He let out a sigh as he took his paw away from his face "your scent gives you a way to us Palicos." He said just to lick the back of his paw again to wipe the other side of his face. "I think I am going to hang back on this hunt, the trip here took a toll on my old bones."

Saachi just smiled at the old palico seeing him take off the helmet to pet him on the head. "That is fine." She walked out of the wagon to get a meal in her stomach. She sat at the table thinking to herself about how she is going to tell Night about her true self then have to tell her boyfriend too. She placed her head into her palms with her fingers in her red hair. "How can I tell them, hey I am a monster under this skin and the last of my race. They would never believe me." She did not even see the Street Cook place her meal in front of her until he snapped her out of her thoughts.

"You better eat your meal before it goes cold, nya." He said getting back in behind his cooking stand seeing that she was wolfing down her meal before getting up wiping her mouth. Turned and walked away to the quest gate to wait for Night. "Happy hunting." He called out just to have her wave her hand at him still lost in her thoughts.

She leaned up against the stone wall next to the quest gate shaping her sword waiting for Night to come. A few minutes pass when Night walks up, adjusting her new bow and with new arrows in her Quill. "Are you ready to go?" Night just nods her head not wanting to speak so Saachi sheathes her sword back and leads the way with Night and Salim following behind her to reach the camp where they both got a map and picked up the items from the chest. Saachi left the coatings for Night since she was using a bow before heading out to look for the Tetsukabura.