Chapter Text
Some time later, the pair of travelers started to follow a river, walking along its side. They soon spotted a shaded area covered by a tree, and decided to camp there for lunch.
After setting up the equipment, Nico started to take their ingredients out. It was a mix of several vegetables, along with some other items.
“What are you making?” Maki asked, sitting on a rock by the river.
Nico shrugged, “Anything you want?”
“Tomato soup?”
“Eh, sure.” Nico started to sort out the ingredients. Maki watched from her rock as Nico skillfully cut all the ingredients, swiftly putting them in the pot over the fire.
“Can you get some water?” Nico handed Maki a pail.
“Sure.” Maki walked over to the river and filled the pail. The river was calm and still, not the strong rushing river Maki had imagined. She looked at the glistening of the river, before going back to give the pail to Nico.
“Here.” Maki handed Nico the filled pail.
“Thanks.” Nico poured the water into the pot, before she started stirring it. Maki sat back on her rock and watched, resting her chin on her hand.
A few minutes later, Nico walked over to Maki.
“Is the soup done?” Maki asked.
“Is that the only thing on your mind?”
“I’m hungry.”
Nico hummed in agreement. “You think there’s fish in the river?”
“Probably?”
“Go catch a fish or two.”
Maki raised an eyebrow, “Really?”
“You know what they say, fresh fish is best fish.” Nico answered.
“I... don’t think they say that.”
“Do they not? I was sure that was a common saying.”
“Nevermind that.” Maki interrupted, “What will you do?”
“Watch over the soup.”
“Ah,” Maki nodded, “Right.”
Maki went to their wagon and started looking through their things.
“Do we have a fishing rod?”
“It should be next to my things.”
“Ah.” Maki took the stick beside Nico’s bags. “Found it.”
Nico looked over to Maki, “You know how to fish, right?”
“Of course.” Maki answered confidently. But of course, she didn’t have a clue about fishing. Well, she did watch Umi fish once when they were younger, but that’s about it. She slowly made her way to the river.
‘So just throw it in and pull it when the fish bites...’ Maki thought to herself. She readied herself, and strongly threw the lure into the river, holding onto the rod. The lure went in, staying still.
It stayed...
And stayed...
And stayed...
Until it was suddenly pulled into the river with great force!
Maki steeled her legs and began pulling, reeling the string in slowly. She may have not known how to fish, but she remembered watching Umi fish when they were younger, and Umi had never rushed in pulling in the reel.
Eventually, after a straining battle, Maki was able to reel in the fish. It was a big fish, that was nearly, if not, as large as Maki was tall. It jumped out of the water and onto the riverside, where it flailed about, trying to return to water.
Maki sighed. Fishing was more tiring than she thought. She slowly approached the jumping fish, and quickly hooked her hand through its gill. It was a lot heavier than she thought, and her armor did not help lighten the load. She then started to take it back to their campsite.
When she got back, Nico was still stirring the soup. She looked back when she heard the foot steps, and gasped at the size of the fish(presumably).
“That’s a big fish.” Nico said.
“I know.” Maki smugly replied. “Is the soup finished.”
Nico nodded. She went over to the wagon and took out a blanket? Towel? A big cloth, that she took to Maki. They both wrapped the fish in the cloth and put it on their wagon.
“We’re eating well tonight.” Nico said with a smile.
“Yes, we are.” Maki agreed.
They went back to sitting around the fire, Nico pouring the soup into bowls for them. Maki took her first sip, after blowing on it for a while.
“It’s delicious.” Maki said. She had a big smile on her face. She had never had tomato soup this good! Amazing...
“I know, right?” Nico replied. They drank their soup in peace, enjoying the surroundings. It reminded Maki of when they were about to perform together, practicing by the lakeside.
Nico then proceeded to take a loaf of bread from the wagon. She ripped it in half and offered one of the halves to Maki, who gladly took it.
They sat there enjoying their lunch, dipping bread in soup every so often.
It was then that Maki noticed something. One of her bags, a gray sack with a red star, tied by a small red rope, was missing from their wagon.
Maki looked at Nico, who also seemed to have noticed. She put down her bowl, and tossed her bread at Maki, who caught it mid-air.
Nico sighed, standing up straight.
“It’s you again, isn’t it?”
Nico turned her head, looking at the trail they came from. Maki also looked, and saw a familiar looking girl carrying a bag.
The girl had short orange hair, along with a slim body build covered by a brown cloak, which also helped but did not completely cover her dirty white clothes underneath. The bag she was bringing was a familiarly colored grey bag, with a red star symbol Maki would recognize anywhere, along with a red rope tying it closed.
“Hey you! Thief!” The girl called out, pointing her hand at Nico.
“Wh- you’re trying that again?!” Nico shouted back.
“...Rin...?” Maki recognized her.
The orang haired girl looked at her, shocked.
“Maki! Help me, this terrible thief has stolen my things and put them on her wagon!” Rin pointed to their wagon.
“...Rin... But that’s my wagon..?” Maki answered confused.
“Eh? Oh...” Rin looked around, “W-well, you’ve been fooled! By a most terrible villain!”
“A villain?!” Nico shrieked.
“Yes!” Rin pointed at Nico, “She is a villain of the peace!”
Nico just stood in shock.
“...Nico?” Maki looked over, eyes a little teary.
“That’s... a lot of lies you just said.” Nico answered. “Now please tell me how you know this petty thief?”
“Thief? Rin is from a family of merchants. Our families are acquaintances.”
“Hmm...” Nico nodded, “I see... You’re family have been caught in a most dastardly lie!”
“A lie?!” Maki and Rin exclaimed together.
“Exactly!” Nico nodded, “That girl comes from a line of no-good thieves and nothing more!”
“You know...” Maki commented, “You’re looking more and more like the bad guy here.”
Nico gasped, eyes wide in shock. “Me? The bad guy?”
Rin vigorously nodded. “Yeah, you’re antagonizing me way too much!”
“But it’s the truth, no?” Nico questioned.
“Well, I mean, umm...” The short-haired girl started darting her eyes all over the place.
Maki sighed. “Rin’s a good person, even if she is a thief. Apparently.”
“Hmmm.” Nico sceptically replied.
“Can we sort this out later. I’m still quite hungry.”
“Oh, what are you guys having?” Rin cheerfully jumped in, “Mind if I join?”
Maki looked at Nico and smiled. And very smugly replied,
“No, Not At All, Of Course You’re Welcome To Join Us.”
“Yay!”
As Rin went to get a bowl, Nico just stared at Maki, mouth agape. Maki just smirked and winked, before picking up her bowl and resuming her lunch.
“Hmph!” Nico turned her head and sat back down, reluctantly resuming her meal. Rin soon poured a bowl for herself, and sat next to Maki. Nico took a peek, and noted how close the two sat next to each other.
And simply, it was too close. The sight of it was so sickening, it made her feel sick in her stomach, and so she decided to stop eating. She stood up and discarded the rest of her bowl into the pot, before starting to walk away.
“Nico? Where are you going?” Maki asked as she spotted her walking away.
“I’m just gonna take a quick walk, be right back.” Nico nonchalantly answered, not even sparing a glance.
Maki worriedly look at Rin, who just shrugged before resuming her lunch. Maki sighed. It was a little strange what Nico did, as it didn’t seem like something she would normally do. Maki decided to just finish her meal first, and talk to Nico later.
}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{
As Umi travelled on her horse, she spotted a stream of smoke rising above from where they were heading. She softly elbowed Nozomi, who was sitting behind her, holding on tightly.
“Nozomi, there’s smoke up ahead.”
“Smoke? Maybe other travelers stopping for lunch?” Nozomi suggested.
Oh right, it was already midday. They had been travelling for quite a while after they had left the previous village. It was soon clear that the smoke was from a campfire, and a wagon came into view along with a familiar-looking girl.
“Well, let’s see if their willing to share their lunch. What do you say?” Umi asked.
“Well, I’m sure anyone would gladly join such a charming knight for lunch~” Nozomi answered. Umi blushed upon registering the comment.
They soon made their way to the campsite, and spotted a certain someone.
“Nico!” Umi greeted as they got closer.
“Ah! It’s the blue Ms.Knight!” Nico greeted back. She was sitting on a log facing the campfire “Is Nozomi with you?”
“Hello!” Nozomi greeted.
“So what brings you two here?” Nico asked.
“We just happened to spot your campsite.” Umi said as she got off her horse, helping Nozomi off before continuing, “We wanted to see if we could have lunch with whoever set up this campsite.”
“Well, that would be me, so sure!” Nico cheerily replied. She motioned for Umi to tie her horse to a nearby post, another horse already tied to it. Presumably Nico’s.
As Umi lead her horse to the post, Nozomi went to over to Nico.
“So, Nicocchi... where’s ya partner?”
“Oh, Maki?” Nico looked behind her toward the river. Nozomi followed, and spotted a lone, red-haired figure by the waterside.
“She’s off fishing.” Nico answered.
“Fishing, huh? Think she’ll catch a big one?”
Nico smiled. “She always does.”
“Always?”
“Yep.”
“I can think of an exception.” Nozomi stated, a smug smile on her face.
“Oh really?” Nico challenged, “Go ahead. Name the exception.”
“You.”
A blush quickly filled Nico’s face. She looked away, and crossed her arms.
“Sh-shut up!”
Nozomi just smiled.
As their conversation continued, Umi soon returned to the campfire.
“So, Nico? May I ask what lunch is gonna be?” Umi politely asked.
“Ah, lunch? We’re just waiting for the fish.” Nico, now calmed down, answered, pointing toward the river.
“The fish?” Umi looked toward the river, and saw a red-haired figure approaching them, carrying a sizeable fish on their back. The figure soon made its way to the campsite, the black hat covering their face. They were close enough for Umi to be sure that they were a female.
“I’ll help with that.” Umi walked over to the figure, offering her help.
“Thanks.” The mysterious person answered in a familiar voice. She handed the fish on her back to Umi, who struggled to hold it in her arms, the fish trying to get away.
Once Umi had managed the fish in her arms, she looked up at the mysterious figure, and recognized her familiar face.
“Maki?!”
“Umi?!”
The two said at the same time.
“You two know each other?” Nico asked from her current seat on a fallen log. Nozomi also looked at the two curiously.
“Uhh... you could say...?” Umi replied. Maki nodded.
“I see~” Nico replied, “Well, could you put the fish away first before catching up?”
“Uh, yeah sure!” Umi looked at Maki. “We have a lot we need to discuss.”
Maki just sighed. She started walking away and pulled the fish, Umi following in suite as she was still holding the fish.
They got to an area where a table was set up, a few meters away from the campfire. Maki pointed to Umi to place the fish on the table, while she went back to her wagon. Maki soon returned with a big knife.
“Steady the fish.” Maki commanded. Umi steadied the fish with her hands, the fish still flailing in an attempt to get away. Maki swiftly chopped off the fish’s head, the flailing stopped completely. Umi flinched at the suddenness of it.
“Nico!” Maki called out. Nico slowly made her way to the table, while Maki walked back to the campfire. Nozomi followed behind Nico, while Umi followed Maki to the campfire.
“Maki?” Umi asked as she sat down.
“Yeah?”
“Can we talk?”
Maki looked to the sky, thinking about it for a moment, before answering.
“Yeah sure. What’s up?”
“Why have you not returned?”
“Blunt as always, I see.”
“Answer me.”
“Hmm...” Maki thought about it for a while. “What do you think?”
Umi thought about it for a while. Why would Maki not have returned? What had she found, that she would rather stay on the road instead of return? Umi didn’t know.
After a long pause, Umi finally replied.
“I... I don’t know.”
“Wanna take a guess?”
“Were you... not happy in the capital?”
“Nope. The capital was my home, of course I was happy...”
Umi thought once again.
“You didn’t want to marry the princess?”
“You could say that.”
“Is that it?” Umi asked. “You could have went back, negotiate with the royal family.”
“There’s more to it. I just don’t feel like telling you right now.” Maki answered.
Nico and Nozomi soon returned to the campfire, carrying a bag with chunks of fish inside. Nozomi sat next to Umi while Nico started cooking the fish.
After several minutes, their food was finally ready. Nico split all the cooked food evenly between them, and they all sat on the logs near the campfire as they ate.
“So where are you going next?” Umi asked. They were all almost finished with their meals. The fish Nico made were really good.
“We’re just following this road over to the next village.” Nico answered.
“Oh? We seem to be going the same way. Shall we head there together then?” Nozomi asked. She looked over at Umi, who nodded at Nico.
“Well, whatsay you?” Nico looked over to Maki, who just shrugged, answering with a quiet “sure”.