Sisi carefully watched the hare as it continued running in circles, trying to dodge every pounce Jojo made. Once she locked onto it, she used her power to sense every living plant within her vicinity.
When she confronted Mr. Piker before, she felt that she could even sense a giant tree from far away and call upon its vines for assistance.
But now that she was calr and more controlled, her newfound power didn’t seem nearly as effective.
She could only detect plants within about twenty ters. Anything farther than that and she lost control imdiately. On top of that, she could no longer manipulate giant vines or large trees. She could only move small vines underground or bend light branches.
Nevertheless, it was still useful.
She didn’t know whether she had obtained this power because she was a witch, just as Mr. Piker claid, or through so other ans. But as long as she could use it to protect Jojo along their journey, she didn’t mind being branded a witch.
Besides, she would never return to human civilization anyway. Except for the Matriarch and the nurses in the orphanage, she trusted no other human.
Sisi had been distracted for a mont. She shook her head and focused on the hare again.
She pressed her palm to the ground and used a small vine to snag the hare’s leg, causing it to stumble. It lost montum just long enough for Jojo to pounce with all his remaining strength and bite into its neck.
"Grrghh! Grgh!"
As Jojo busied himself finishing off the prey, Sisi quietly pulled the vine back underground, making sure Jojo didn’t realize he had received help. She didn’t want him to rely on her. She wanted him to believe it was all his effort.
Sisi knew Jojo had determination. He was simply too young, his strength and agility not yet matching his sheer willpower.
After confirming the hare was dead, Jojo dragged the animal, despite it being bigger than him, and brought it to Sisi.
He dropped the hare at her feet, blood still dripping from its neck. Jojo looked up at her with an expectant gaze, waiting for her approval.
Sisi smiled and patted his head. "You did great, Jojo. You’ll be a great wolf in the future."
"Of course! Jojo will keep you safe and fed once I get bigger!" Jojo declared proudly. "This is what I should do for my savior! I’ll hunt every day for you, Sisi!"
His tail wagged happily. Despite looking exhausted, his expression brimd with pride, sothing that would surely fuel his confidence for future hunts.
"But you should only pounce when you’re sure you can kill your target," Sisi advised, opening her flask and offering Jojo water. "I saw you pounce many tis. Try to get closer first so you don’t waste too much energy, alright?"
Jojo nodded after drinking.
His father had said sothing similar when he finally caught a squirrel after much difficulty. Jojo had pounced over and over and failed. It was only when his father intimidated the squirrel with a low growl that it slowed down enough for Jojo to catch and kill it.
But this ti, he hadn’t gotten help from his father, and Sisi hadn’t helped him either.
This was his very first independent hunt!
Jojo was extrely proud of himself and even began wondering whether he could hunt a bull for lunch.
Sisi couldn’t eat raw at, so she gutted the hare with her dagger and sliced it into various parts. She made sure Jojo received most of the at. Then, she put her palm to the ground again and closed her eyes for a mont.
Once she opened her eyes again, she said, "Stay here and eat your breakfast, alright? I’ve detected a river not far from here. I’ll wash the at and refill our water."
"Wait! Let go with you, Sisi!" Jojo said imdiately. "The river is dangerous. What if you get taken by a crocodile? Daddy always told not to go near the river without him!"
Sisi chuckled.
"The river isn’t far. I can sense it," she replied. "Just eat your breakfast first. You keep telling you want fresh at, so don’t waste it."
Jojo struggled. He wanted to accompany Sisi in case she faced danger, but he also couldn’t leave the fresh at in front of him.
He looked back and forth between the at and his savior, but Sisi had already left for the nearby river.
"Scream if you need help, Sisi! Jojo will co!" he shouted before finally diving into his breakfast.
"You too, Jojo. Scream if you need help," Sisi teased.
Of course, she wouldn’t actually scream if she were ambushed.
If she did, the proud little wolf would rush to her aid without hesitation. And if she couldn’t defeat the threat on her own, Jojo certainly stood no chance.
Sisi had made a promise to herself the mont she entered Roc Forest: she would protect Jojo, even if it cost her life.
*
The river wasn’t far from Jojo’s location. If sothing happened to the wolf cub, Sisi was confident she could hear him and return imdiately.
But the forest trees were tall and dense, limiting visibility.
Once Jojo was truly out of sight—even though he wasn’t far—Sisi regretted her decision almost imdiately.
Roc Forest was supposed to be beautiful in the morning, but the lingering fog made the surroundings eerily quiet and mysterious.
’Ah, I should’ve waited for Jojo to finish eating so we could co together. At least he would be moral support. Listening to his chatter would make this place feel less creepy,’ Sisi thought as she carefully squatted by the riverside and began washing the hare at, trying to distract herself from her lingering fear.
The river’s water was clear and fresh, so Sisi didn’t hesitate to fill her flask, and took a big gulp.
Then, she filled the flask again and began washing the hare at. Unfortunately, she didn’t bring a pot, it would’ve been nice if she could make a soup out of it to keep herself warm at night.
’I can use a stone bowl, or bamboo to make a makeshift pot. I’ll have to take a note if I can find one of these in Roc Forest,’ Sisi thought as she cleaned the hare at.
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