The next day ca and Elle went away in the early morning towards the village for work.
She still completed the chores like filling the water from the well and washing utensils and clothes
like she did most of the days leaving little Noctis to be even more lonely, isolated and idle.
Not today however. Noctis woke up the mont the first rays of sun hit the horizon. It had been
drilled into him and it seed it had followed him in this life.
He freshened up, ready to embark on this new mission, although he didn’t like to call it that, and
ate the ager leftover food he had available.
He took the basket his mother used to collect roots and berries which could be holstered on his
back.
He was so weak, he realised, he wouldn’t be able to bring a lot back anyway.
So he discarded it for now and took a moderately sized pouch instead. He took the multipurpose knife with him.
He reckoned early morning was as good a ti as it could be, with no heat, enough light,
as well as the benefits of being an early bird.
It also ans he wouldn’t et too many people.
He moved out of the house just closing the door, since it didn’t have a lock, and moved along the route towards the forest opening, not too far.
As Noctis moves towards the forest he couldn’t help but feel so sort of relief in his mind. Like he was reaching towards sothing that he longed for silently.
He felt it quite odd. He has never been an adventure freak in his past life.
All his interaction with woods were re facility drills to teach them so camping skills they might need in their future missions.
Why then would he feel like the closer he got to the wilderness the greater the comfort got?
’Maybe it’s because I sub-consciously feel it’s a way to move forward in my mission?’
It didn’t make sense but it wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling so he just decided not to overthink it.
He reached the outskirts and into it. It was a place that people frequented and thus it looked
less wild and perhaps why it looked less intimidating.
Through the night he had scoured through his mories during his visits with his father in the outskirts. He had taught a few basics of archery along with so thods to distinguish between edible and toxic roots.
His mory was exceptionally good, not only did he retain the information through all these years even though he was so young then, his mories were so vivid all it required was one look to identify the roots.
’Now that’s more like it. This is going to be really handy in future missions.’
He didn’t bother dwelling on it much since machinations of the brain were hardly a thing layn understand even in the ordinary world and this probably wasn’t even ordinary.
Without realising Noctis moved through the wilderness instinctively knowing where to look for what.
In just a half an hour he had found enough stuff to fill his pouch and had started eating so still in the forest.
’wow this is awfully easy. Is it beginner’s luck?’
Noctis moved slowly and gently through the trees. Once in a while his instincts flared to change his directions which he complied to.
He had relied on his instincts trained through the years of dangerous training and missions.
Surely the instincts had accompanied him through this transmigration, lest how is it that wherever he moves he feels as if is more and more abundant than before.
He could also feel various small animals moving, andering and hiding throughout his vicinity. He didn’t know his instincts had advanced even.
’Did that creepy hand have sothing to do with it?’
He didn’t believe the notion that he really had it however. Uncalled grace was far far too exceptional these days, much less from... whatever that thing was.
’Should I lay a trap to hunt sothing?’
He debated over it for a bit before discarding the idea. It’s been a few hours since he has been here. Just eating and slowly walking under nature’s abode and the sun was brightly shining in the east sky.
Quite a few people could be seen coming to the wilderness. It wasn’t enough that he would run into them without noticing first but caution was better. Especially on his first day.
Also, better not tread to close to the line of tragedy of the commons~
So with his bountiful harvest and a whole lot of questions about this whole trip he went back to his humble house.
After coming back he determined to use his energy to better use. His body was too weak and stuffy because the bed was rotting all day.
In order to do anything but lay on bed he started doing the chores Elle didn’t have ti to do.
Like cleaning the area around the house. Collecting small twigs and branches fallen off for fire. Between these and bathing and washing his clothes with water from the well most of the day went by.
Finally after getting everything done Noctis laid down on bed, actually tired this ti. He had grown hungry since the morning and since dinner wasn’t until a good few hours he just munched on so roots and he softened by soaking them in water.
It wasn’t flattering by any ans but it was all he had. He had had to start hunting and get so at so he could actually start training.
Deep in thoughts and dead tired he eventually dozed off on the bed.
***
Late at night Elle ca back to a much different house.
The courtyard was clean and wood was cleanly stacked beside the place where she cooks.
She went inside and found Noctis sleeping on the bed and noticed another peculiar thing alongside it.
The basket that was supposed to be empty was half Full with new fruits berries and even so rare roots.
Her heart sped up a little as she decided to wake Noctis up.
"Noctis. Noctis." She shook him awake.
Noctis wole up groggy eyed and aching all over his body. Not too painful, just dull ache after doing so work all too suddenly.
Noctis noticed Elle at his bedside, looking a bit severe.
"Did you go out?"
"Huh? Uh-yeah... I went to the wilderness to pick so fruits." He replied not understanding the expression on her face.
Her eyes went wide hearing the answer, and a monts afterwards frowned tightly
Standing up she said in a voice so stern it almost a harsh shrill,
"Why would you do such a thing!? Do you how dangerous that could have been!?"
Noctis’s expression froze sowhere between bewildernt and confusion. His heart skipped a beat for a second at the sudden change he had never experienced nor rembered.
He felt offended for so reason too. His own feelings confused him all the more contributing to his face twitching for so reason.
He faced away from the woman to take control of his expression not wanting to see her.
Elle looked at Noctis expression and felt worse than she ever did but stayed firm. But when he faced away from her, she couldn’t bear any further.
She sat down on the bed by side and hugged him.
"I’m sorry Noctis. I don’t know why you would do such a thing. Knowing when... knowing how your father..." she said in almost sobbing voice.
Noctis’s heart skipped another beat, frustrating him further. It must be the child Noctis before he awakened his mories in him that was doing it.
But it did not feel any good.
He was used to reprimand from various training sessions. Even most brutal punishnts for failure of any mission. But this nothing enabled him to deal with this bottling frustration and sadness.
No good at all.
After a bit of ti, as both of them regulated themselves sowhat, Elle got away a little, but still close to him, and gently asked,
"Why must you do such a thing, Noctis. It’s so dangerous out there."
"I was only at the outskirts." He replied in a similar soft tone albeit still not facing her directly.
"You could have gotten lost and wandered deeper mistakenly."
"...." At this he didn’t have a reply. He hadn’t thought of this.
Not that he would get lost. He had enough ways to backtrack his steps. That she could have such severe reaction.
"I was hungry." He replied a mont later.
He didn’t see her reaction at this but he felt a little jerk running down her body as she was still holding on one of his hand.
’Should not have said that’
And regretted imdiately.
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