"Next week."

All ceased their chatter and looked over at Zollo.

Two hours had passed since Namitha left and it was time for a break from the ship.

"Next week we should go camping in the woodlands, near the mountains up north."

"And why would we want to do a shitty thing like that?"

The snow yonder had already begun to pile up. It was bound to be a difficult and dangerous venture. Unless one absolutely had to, travelling of any kind was a big NO during this time of the year.

The man he addressed was Lufner. He was all ears. Whatever it was that Zollo had to say seemed important.

"That wife of yours-"

"Nami."

Zollo scowled and massaged his temples. That woman to him was known as a witch, a swindler and Lufner's wife. There were other not-so-kind names he called her but all that was going to end today as Lufner silently dared him to say anything else but Namitha's rightful name. He had yet to trust her completely. She needed to be put to the test.

"Nami wants to come with us but she has never struggled a day in her life and has never had a taste of real danger. I'll say this as your friend, Luffy, but Nami is not ready for a voyage.

"Protecting her is one thing but there will come a time when she has to defend herself with or without our help."

Zollo shared a look with the other men. Lufner had always been a carefree man who laughed in the face of danger. And although he had an answer for almost everything, he was far too simple-minded to see the bigger picture.

"I hate to say this, Luffy, but Zollo is right."

Lufner much to everyone's relief nodded in understanding.

"Nami is strong."

"That she may be but she lacks something very important: experience.

"Let us not forget she is a woman. That is why this will be necessary."

Everyone braced themselves for Lufner's answer. He did not have much of a choice.

"I'll talk to Nami."

Namitha put on her hood and saddled her bag before turning to Lufner to help with the wooden buttons of his brown, wool coat. He was struggling a bit not because he was incapable but because his mind was elsewhere. He was worried. Worried for Namitha's safety and the like but this trip might do some good. Not only for her but him also.

He had to be strong. For her.

"You okay, Luffy?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Being a step ahead, Namitha stopped her hand inches away from the door in thought. It was about time to meet up with the guys but they had a bit left to idle.

While Lufner adjusted his bag, Namitha surprised him by the press of sweet lips.

"Let me kiss you."

"Why?" So he had asked but had already seized her by the waist and gathered her close. His raspy voice sent shivers all over her.

"When we are out there, there might not be any time for us so make love to me right now as if now is your last."

She drew herself even closer but had one final thing to say:

"I want you to promise me something, Luffy. No matter how hard it may be."

"What?" He kissed her on the mouth and Namitha had to put a hand out for him to stop. Not that she minded. In the past, it was a brilliant way to get her to shut up but this time was different.

Listening needed one's utmost attention and she needed Lufner to understand exactly what it was that had to be said.

"Promise me that you will keep your hands off of me while we are away."

Lufner made a face. That was going to be a challenge.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

It was a promise that had to be carried out. As long as he kept his hands off her, the more likely she would keep her hands off him. It was for both of their sanities. Theirs and their friends'.

"Do you promise?"

She heard him gulp. One big swallow. And whilst waiting in anticipation, she licked her lips. Lufner's eyes lingered hungrily on the disappearing pink and again went forward only to have Namitha pull him back by the hair.

At this, he shut his eyes tight and seethed through the pain. Namitha hadn't done what she did to hurt him. It was the type of pain he delighted in; a fact she knew all too well.

"Luffy..."

She needed him to hurry up. Time was at stake.

"You first."

"What?"

Namitha's face reddened exceedingly. Only to redden even more when a devious smile slowly spread across her husband's features.

She had since then gone into a form of stupor not being able to register when her husband untangled their arms and shuffle her bag off her shoulders. It thumped like dead weight on the floor and his bag followed after.

The hood she donned earlier was also discarded and her fragrant hair escaped like wildfire, cascading over her arms and shoulders.

"I... I..."

"Come on, say it."

Lufner lifted her by the waist and rested her on the table like a bag of air.

"Say what?"

She had honestly forgotten and the steady, snail-like kisses side her face and along her neck were not helping.

She shivered and graced arms around him.

"You want me to love you like now is your last, right?" Lufner whispered in her ear. The warm air that escaped his lips tickled her skin. Namitha whimpered and like snow near an open flame, she was melting away.

"Yes."

"Then say it."

Namitha hesitated. This indeed was a challenge but she had to let Lufner know that she had self-control. She was stronger than her desires.

"I promise."

She swore she saw a pout but got distracted by his hands under her skirt. Lufner abruptly stopped and ruffled her skirt up to her waist.

"Are these?"

There were a pair of his wool trousers and he couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"I've never thought I'd see the day women go about dressed as men."

Namitha blushed. Lufner although taller than she was slim bodied and his pants were not that big. They were comfortable than any old skirt and a matter of fact were supposed to remain secret.

"I get cold. Do you want them back?"

"Yes. I mean no. You can borrow them for as long as you like. I don't mind."

Namitha smiled and grew giddy as Lufner placed a big kiss on her cheek and when about to slide off the table, Lufner stopped her with both hands locking her in on the wooden square.

The mood had long run out the door but Lufner went along and lassoed it back in.

Now it was like it never left.

He kissed her and before they ended going further, it was up to Namitha, the realist of their marriage to add some reason to the mix.

"If we take our clothes off, we'll be late."

They were dressed for the weather. Layers and layers of wool from their head to their toes.

"How much time do we have left?"

"About 20 minutes."

"That's more than enough. If one of us disrobes, one of us can help the other get dressed again."

Namitha's eyes narrowed at his logic. Leave it to the optimist of the marriage to turn every obstacle into an opportunity.

But it just might work...

"And who exactly has to disrobe, Luffy?"

A smile tore across his face and he inched closer to her lips and pecked them before leaning his forehead against hers.

"Well that goes without saying, doesn't it?"

Breath caught in Namitha's throat and she let Lufner kiss her for every single letter of her name. Her hands went straight to unclasping the brooches of her dress and as Lufner touched her, no time was wasted to rid herself of the rest.

As much as Namitha wanted to avoid it, they were late.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Usoff.

'Shishishishi' "Sorry about that," said Lufner, "We had something to take care of."

Namitha walked behind him with eyes fixated on the ground.

Usoff and Sangard were the only ones at the meeting point. Someone was missing.

"Where's Zollo?"

"Probably lost again. I knew we should have agreed to meet up at my house. Should have known better than to trust that shitty sword-for-brains with simple directions."

Sangard lost his scorn and went happily over to greet Namitha. She had been quiet the entire time but managed to give him a smile. The simple act sent an arrow through his heart and he fell on his back with his mind filled with delusions and rapture.

Namitha ignored him and glued her eyes on her husband who stood with his hand over his eyes looking in the distance hoping to spot his green-haired friend.

"How are you, Nami?"

Namitha had taken a seat next to Usoff and it took her a second too long to answer his question.

"I'm fine, Usoff. Just fine." She nodded and smiled and after stealing a final glance at Lufner, she gave her full attention to the archer. He for his namesake didn't miss the target of her wandering eye.

"How is Kaya? Is she doing okay?"

"She is. She wants the baby out by the time I get back," Usoff mused but Namitha was not listening.

"You're not mad at Luffy, are you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You keep staring at him."

"I am not."

"Well, you kind of are."

Her cheeks tinged pink.

Suddenly, Lufner beckoned to a man in the distance. He had spotted Zollo and he and Sangard ran ahead to catch him before he got lost again.

"You guys had me looking for you everywhere."

It was best to ignore him. Sangard surprisingly was doing his best. The only reason he was tagging along was because Namitha was and he would rather be sold a slave than to leave her diet to men who sufficed with undercooked, unseasoned meat. A balanced diet was the way to go and he was the man for the job.

Zollo led the way and they followed.

Franki was absent. He had to work on the ship. Had very much disliked taking detours during a serious project. He would have right away jumped at an opportunity to bond with friends but he had made a promise to Lufner to have the ship ready in time for spring and there was no time to lose.

"Where are we headed, Zollo?"

"Nowhere in particular. We'll have to survive outdoors for a week. Sorry, we don't have a horse for you, princess."

Zollo smirked and continued leading the way, blindly addressing the woman in question.

"I'm fine with walking."

Zollo rose brows and held his chin, evidently impressed.

"You'll have to prove yourself to us. Prove that you're ready for whatever's out there. Out here in the real world, it's every man for himself."

"I'll do whatever means necessary."

"That's my Nami," said Lufner snickering and Zollo rolled his eyes.

Talk was cheap. Anyone could do it. It was a man's cause to add meaning to his word through action. Or a woman, in Namitha's case.

Namitha walked ahead of Sangard and the poor man itched to at least help her carry her bags but refrained remembering that he had given Lufner his word.

"I'll talk to Nami. However, I have one condition: Do not offer to help her, unless she asks for it.

"She does not like to burden those she cares about so please only help out if she asks directly. It'll help a lot."

Sangard gritted his teeth. Namitha was a woman after all but Zollo's words stubbornly echoed in his head. Because she was a woman, it meant that she had to work twice as hard and with a crew almost entirely comprised of men, she would some way or another have to find a way to carry her load whether she liked it or not.

Sometime during their trek through the woods, Lufner held Namitha's hand and walked a pace so slow, they had fallen behind the others.

To distract herself from the happenings of the morning, Namitha looked at the trees stripped of their leaves, admired the blue, milky sky and listened to the melody her leather shoes made as they crunched on the fallen snow.

It had been close to 45 minutes since they left home; something she had never done but she was mostly at ease and determined to succeed.

She did not know what to expect and Lufner tugging her behind a tree away from the other's field of vision to give her a kiss of a lifetime was not one of them.

"What are you doing? Didn't you promise?" Namitha wanted more but the others were getting farther and farther away. Despite the expected hardships the trip had in store, her husband was proving to be the biggest obstacle of them all.

"I didn't promise anything."

Namitha's eyes went wide and she watched in disbelief as he laughed to himself and left her there. She had never been more cheated in all her life.

She hustled behind him.

"You're an intolerable, unfair and sleazy bastard, you know that?"

Lufner laughed out loud and hurried her along to catch up to the others, smiling at the hint of a grin his wife quickly hid away, making him regret not kissing her longer.

At length, they all came to a clearing and took a rest, deciding to set up camp for the day.

Snow was cleared. Usoff carried the tools and soon wood was cut and logs were gathered for their first night of camp. There was only one tent but it was big enough to hold the lot of them. A rudimentary setup but those of them who had grown acquainted with these sort of ventures were more than satisfied with their sleeping bags and reindeer hide.

Soon a fire would be started but they needed food. Fresh meat to be exact. Lufner believe it or not had already eaten half the smoked meat Namitha packed and was still hungry.

Usoff presented Namitha with a bow of her own and she marveled at the detailed craftsmanship. It was made to last and the size was ideal for her size and height.

She had improved since their first session and this was the perfect gift for her debut. She needed to get some practice in.

"I'll go ahead and start the hunt. Does anyone want to come?" asked Usoff and right away Namitha, as expected, stood on her feet, clutching her bow and arrows close. She had been sitting having nothing to do watching the men work and wanted to make herself useful.

This was her chance.

"I'll come with you."

"That's not a good idea."

Zollo had spoken and Namitha turned to him annoyed, awaiting a reason.

"Your attire." He gave her a once over and looked at her as if it were obvious.

Namitha regarded her dress that skirted her ankles. She was clothed for the climate and he had a problem with something she could not control.

"The snow beyond here is wet and deep and the last thing anyone wants in a situation like this is wet clothes. So stay and let someone else go."

Lufner was quietly listening with his back turned, piling wood together. He was very much interested to see what Namitha was going to do next. Something told him that it was going to be good.

"You're right," she said. And to everyone's but her husband's surprise, instead of returning to her sedentary post on the makeshift bench, she took a knife out of nowhere and with impeccable flair, ripped the fabric at her knees revealing her leg wrappings and boots. In a matter of seconds, her long skirt was no more.

Zollo and the others gaped as she stuffed the fabric in her bag, tugged at the leather string on her wrist with her teeth and tied her hair up all while staring the swordsman dead in the eyes. She then turned her back on him and left. The archer who was just as taken back as everyone picked his mouth up off the ground and followed right behind her.

Lufner's shoulders shook as he laughed with glee. He had turned around just in time to see everyone's faces. It was a sight to behold.

Namitha had made a warrior like Zollo lose his composure and Sangard was passed out in the snow completely caught off guard by the maiden's bold but defiant gesture.

"She's insane," mused Zollo.

"Nope. She's just Nami." Lufner wiped the liquid from his eyes and watched them go, standing with his arms folded and his mouth twisted in a wide grin.

Namitha was capable of many things once she put her mind to it and she would forever prove anyone wrong who thought otherwise.

Lufner could not wait till she came back to shower her with kisses and praise but that fantasy would have to wait.

Zollo unveiled his hidden stash of mead and gulped it down, kicking the cook's feet in the process to rouse him from the witch's spell.

When Namitha did what she did, Zollo immediately got chills that ran up and down his back which he stubbornly owed to the cold. But he could not hide the smile that sketched on his face. He had underestimated the woman and he could not wait to see what else she had in store. Things could only get more interesting from there.

"Steady now, Nami."

Namitha held the bow as taut as her arms could pull but she was hesitant. 20 feet ahead was a hare, all covered in bushy white fur, with the most innocent eyes doing as they were doing: looking for food, hoping to survive another day.

"I can't do it."

There was some dried food left so delaying a hunt for a day she thought would not be a problem. She needed more time to prepare herself. Just couldn't bring herself to do such a thing to a poor defenseless animal.

"Yes, you can."

"I've never killed something before, Usoff."

"Life is about survival and when one is out here they must do what needs to be done or else they will only starve to death. This beast will be your first. Now shoot. Don't let this opportunity the goddess Skadi has given you go to waste.

Namitha stoned her heart, took a deep breath and steadied the arrow. Usoff was right. This sort of thing happened all the time and if she didn't kill it, someone or something else will.

The animal squealed as the arrow pierced through its hind leg and while it tried to escape, Namitha shot another to finish the job. The next lodged in its back and her feeling of dread was diminished when she looked to Usoff who puffed out his chest in pride.

He smiled. Namitha did much better than he expected.

"Not bad for your first try. Luffy will be very proud."

That was something to look forward to, seeing the look on his face and Namitha now confident in her ability, went over to collect her kill.

She managed to catch another but the other 3 that followed escaped. It was left to Usoff to show her how it was done and Namitha had never seen a more skilled archer. All the hares he caught were shot clean between the eyes.

Their catch in total amounted to 7 and when it was decided that they had enough for the first night, Usoff and Namitha came across a red deer standing behind a snow-covered bush. A doe not more than a year old. It was waxed fat and the taste of venison, to Usoff's knowledge, rivalled that of beef.

The archer took aim and Namitha saw movement under the bush where the deer stood. Her eyes went wide and her head snapped to the sound of Usoff's straining bow.

"Wait, Usoff."

"I'll get this one, Nami."

And just before he could fire, Namitha ran up to him and pushed him in the snow, crouching down beside him to avoid being spotted but Usoff's loud protest made the doe run off.

"What was that for? I almost had it."

"There is a fawn over there under the bush. That doe had given birth only minutes ago before we got here."

Usoff's mouth took on an O-shape and together they went over to the feeble animal.

"That was a close one, Nami. It's rare for deer to give birth to young in the winter. I should have been more observant."

"Just be careful next time."

Namitha stooped down to get a look at the poor guy. Its fur was partially wet. The mother had barely begun to dry it before their arrival.

"What should we do?" said Usoff. "Its mother will surely return but there is no telling that it will remain safe before that."

There were no wolves in sight but that didn't mean that one wouldn't miss the opportunity of a free meal.

"Return to the campsite. Sangi and the others are waiting on the meat."

"And you?"

"I'll stay here and wait for its mother's return."

Namitha sat beside the fawn and gave Usoff a nod. That was her decision and it would not be of any use to have her reconsider. Her decision was set in stone.

Usoff sighed and before he left, he patted Namitha on the shoulder.

"You sure you're gonna be okay on your own?"

"I'm sure."

And Usoff believed her.

"You did good today," he said and Namitha gave him an appreciative smile. She sure surprised him but she mostly surprised herself.

"Thanks."

Lufner went on a little adventure of his own and he came across a frozen lake and saw a family of deer crossing over. The stag in charge of the herd boasted magnificent antlers that stretched towards the sky and Lufner sat on a nearby rock to observe them in their splendour.

He took off the hood Namitha made him and breathed in the fresh winter breeze that toyed with his raven hair. From the skies fell little wisps of snow that melted away on his warm skin.

He loved nature, more so with friends but at times liked being alone. It gave him time to think.

When about to return, Lufner discovered paw prints in the snow. Not just any old paw prints. They belonged to a bear.

The tracks trailed in the opposite direction from where he came. The area around them was already piling up with snow and that was not the end of it. Lufner saw what looked like blood mixed in and around the prints. The bear was likely injured and he wanted to track it down but had to make sure his friends were okay first.

The time had come and Namitha stood behind a tree and watched as the mother deer smelled the air and with caution, made way over to the place she left her young. Its joy was evident as it nudged the foal and encouraged it to stand. Namitha released a breath she did not know she was holding, glad that the baby had enough strength to stand and the energy to also grope for its mother's milk.

She watched on fondly and was satisfied to see them trot away and disappear into the woods.

Now the job was done and it was time to find herself back to the others.

Namitha was prepared for whatever scolding, she was to receive both from her husband and the bossy green-haired goblin but it was a risk she was willing to take. She had no regrets. This day was going by smoother than she thought.

What she didn't know however was that her every move was being watched.

Suddenly, she was rendered still at the sound of a snapping branch and her body broke out entirely in cold sweat.

A low, deep growl cut through the still air and Namitha fumbled quickly for her knife. She wanted to scream but it would only spur the beast on.

Against her will, her trembling hand loosened its grip on the weapon and it felt like a part of her died inside when it landed flat on the snowy earth. Her attempt at recovering it was in vain as her knees buckled in fear.

It was sadly too late.

To be continued...