The gentle rocking of the hammock and the sound of birdsong greeted him in the subdued light of the forest. His head was still reeling from the previous day's excesses.
Without looking down, Maxi quickly guessed that he was several ters up, the hammock tied between two trees.
"How could this happen?" sighed Maxi, feeling groggy.
He opened his eyes, blinking several tis to adjust his vision. The majestic trees towered around him, their leaves dancing gently in the wind.
A cool breeze caressed his face, bringing with it the earthy scent of the forest.
Then he felt a light weight on his chest.
Intrigued, he looked down to discover silky black hair splayed across his chest.
A woman, sleeping peacefully, her breathing even and calm. Her long hair cascaded down her torso, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding greenery.
He stood still, observing the delicate features of her face. A feeling of confusion mixed with curiosity invaded him.
Who was she, anyway?
How had she ended up there, with him, in that hammock suspended between two trees?
Every detail of the scene seed unreal, like sothing out of a dream. But the warmth of her body against his and the soft perfu of her hair confird that it was all real.
Maxi remained motionless, enjoying the wonderful sensation of waking up with a woman in his arms.
Only a few items of clothing concealed their private parts.
Ti passed quickly, during which Maxi enjoyed the gentle swaying of the hammock in the wind.
Life in the forest ca to life as the birds sang, signifying the start of a new day.
But for the mont, Maxi wanted nothing more to do with it.
Drop in on Baron Irut?
Go to war to get stronger?
It was all bullshit. He simply wanted to stay here.
At the sa ti, he tried to rember the evening before.
A few flashbacks ca to mind as he asked Organ and Laura a few questions during the evening.
At that mont, he was doing his job as chief and wanted to know more about his new n and what responsibilities he was going to be able to entrust to them.
He also wanted to know their aspirations.
He soon learned that Organ was very excited at the prospect of joining the rcenary group, since this opportunity would an that, if he didn't die on the battlefield, he'd be able to enjoy life a little longer.
On the other hand, Laura was quick to admit that her life's goal was to find her lost sister.
But she didn't want to say any more, and clearly wanted to carry the weight of this mission alone.
Maxi, not wishing to rush things, moved on to another subject, and as ti went by, the discussion passed very naturally between them.
Their laughter echoed through the festive evening, and noticing their complicity, no one disturbed the two lovebirds during the evening.
Ti passed quickly, and then sohow what had to happen did, but Maxi couldn't rember how they'd ended up in that hammock.
With the flashback ending here, Maxi remained confused, but now he wondered how to interact with this woman in the future.
Suddenly, a slight movent was felt on his chest.
Looking down, he t her light green, almost erald eyes. Her eyes seed to reflect the sweetness and depth of his soul.
Maxi felt his heart beat faster, as if he'd found sothing important to him.
"I'll protect you," Maxi declared softly.
Laura blinked slightly, as if trying to understand both Maxi's words and what she was doing here.
After a few seconds, she rembered many things.
"Fuck you, Maxi, I don't need your protection," Laura replied firmly, her eyes nacing.
The mood changed so suddenly that Maxi found himself speechless.
Then he laughed so loudly that it woke up many of the rcenaries who had taken the earth as their mattress and the sky as their blanket.
Hearing this laughter, the rcenaries cast knowing glances at each other.
"The chief and Laura must have had a lot of fun last night," said one of them with a mischievous grin.
"The chef and the cheffette you an now haha!"
"Cheffette or not, it makes no difference to us, either way she was far too strong for us to dare answer her!" said a forr bandit with a laugh.
"Peter grinned, having spent the night out too.
Next to him was Jas. The relationship between them had grown closer during the evening, and they had even sworn an oath to beco brothers.
"Surely only the chief is worthy of Laura here," Jas added, looking up at the sky.
...
While gossip was going on outside the grotto, Maxi finally finished his giggle.
"What's got into you?" asked Laura softly with surprised eyes.
"Nothing, it's just...you're perfect, don't change a thing," Maxi replied with a smile.
Laura also smiled in response.
"Just, do you know how we ended up in that hammock? I have hazy mories of that part of the evening."
Laura blinked innocently several tis.
"No, absolutely no idea."
She said nothing more, for her the experience of the evening before was also a first for her.
But unlike Maxi, she rembered everything, and for the part about the hammock...she was mischievous and didn't wish to reveal the truth of what had happened.
"Hm...strange," Maxi thought, but didn't dwell on it.
A few hours passed, during which Maxi and Laura talked about everything and nothing.
Their laughter could sotis be heard by the rcenaries, children and won outside the cave.
But unlike them, everyone began to work.
So went off to cut down so trees to start building the huts, others made food, and a few washed their clothes and armor in a nearby river.
Izo, who was normally an extrely discreet person, never revealing his emotions, showed a certain talent for storytelling by teaching the children so important information about the outside world.
And he did so with energy and vigor, eliciting a few amused and surprised glances from the Quessoi rcenaries who had known him for so ti.
For the children, this information was sothing extrely new, and they listened attentively with starry eyes.
These children, who had almost always grown up in the cave, knew for the first ti what life was really like, and so even began to daydream.
"Uncle Izo, do you think I could ever beco a royal knight?" asked a shy 8-year-old.
The other children also listened attentively, even so of the rcenaries had fun listening to Izo's stories while working.
"Good question. I couldn't tell you myself, since I've never been to the capital", Izo replied with a smile.
All the stories he told were simply what he'd already heard from the villagers of Quessoi, as well as what he'd heard recently when traveling with the saber-toothed tigers.
"However, what I know for sure is that as long as you follow the chief for part of your life and remain loyal to him, you can beco absolutely anything you want!"
Speaking of Maxi, Izo's eyes filled with admiration.
He firmly believed that in this world, nothing could stop Maxi from reaching the top.
Of course, all this was on condition that he survived by his side for a few years, but he wouldn't tell children such details.
What these children needed right now was hope for the future that awaited them.
Izo also wanted them to stop worrying about going hungry and being captured at any mont by evil-doers.
The sun soon showed that it was ti for lunch, and everyone happily made their way to the few pots filled with food.
The atmosphere was excellent, with everyone eating together, talking and laughing.
Maxi and Laura also joined them towards the end of the al, prompting curious and mischievous eyes from the rcenaries.
Naturally, they arrived dressed in light armor.
Sohow, Laura rembered where their clothes were, which prompted a few questions from Maxi, but she managed to avoid them with so ingenuity.
At the end of the al, Maxi stood up with a serious face.
"Good morning, everyone. I hope you had a pleasant night."
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