Beginning of the journey-12

•Maria POV•

We walked back towards Roy's home.

Will looked at me from time to time, my face flushed a deeper red every time I caught him catching a glance.

When we got up to the house Roy was walking out of the door, with a huge back tossed over his shoulder.

"Are you all ready?" He said looking at me and Will.

"Yea- wait did you get the clothes the chiefs spouse gave me?" I asked looking up at him.

He smiled and nodded, then looked at Will.

"Did you say your good byes?" he said the smile completely vanished from his face.

I thought back to when will said that Roy didn't like him, maybe he was right.

I looked at Roy, his expression guided at Roy wasn't friendly at the least.

"I have." Will said plainly, Not a hint of aggression in his tone.

I felt a eerie chill run down my spine thinking that Will's words may have been true and, Roy was wanting me as a spouse.

I really didn't know why I had such a bad feeling about it, from what I've seen Roy was a good guy.

But I just wasn't really attracted to him, I've known him all but five days.

-you've known Will four days- a voice echoed in the back of my mind I shook my head clearing my thoughts.

Will and Roy started walking I followed in the middle.

My mind time and time again drifted off into that subject, Peps words relentlessly repeated in my mind despite my best efforts to clear my mind.

After a while Will coughed and interrupted the silence between all of us.

"A-are you alright Maria? You seem out of it?"

I looked at him from vet my shoulder thinking up a lie really quickly.

"Yeah! J-just n-nervous!" I said giving the best smile I could in the moment.

Roy's ears pinned backwards it listen to the conversation.

"About?" He commented in, I had just made that up in my head. I couldn't exactly give a full detailed answer to it so I thought a bit before replying.

"Well… I guess, it's just because I've never really been outside the Bear Tribe up until now…"

"Makes sense, but we will keep you safe. It shouldn't be that bad with the route we are taking. It'll take a little longer but I rather travel more than fight more I'm sure Will agrees." Roy said the last bit had a lot of tension but I just thought I was imagining it.

Will nodded his head "Mhm."

Now I was a bit curious, how long did it really take to get to this Deer Tribe?

"Roy?" I called his ears flicked in acknowledgment but he didn't look at me.

"Hm?"

"How long does it take to get to the Deer Tribe?" I asked in curiosity, we were walking in the thick forest now. The birds chirped out a song as we continued.

"Uh well, remember when I said it was miles away?"

I thought back on the time we had spent together, it didn't take long since I didn't see Roy a lot.

"You mean when you found me?"

"Yeah, well it isn't just a couple of miles."

"Meaning?" I asked looking at the back of his head, he looked at me over his shoulder in a kind of guilty look.

"Meaning that it will probably take around a month."

"Do what!?"

Roy adverted his gaze and focused back on walking.

"Well yeah, I mean unlike us you need rest."

"If it was just me and Will it would probably take a week or a week and a half. But that would be with us running a bit." He paused and shrugged.

"Besides it might be better to take it slow, there are a couple of tribes on the way. So we can stay the night there or so…" he trailed off.

"That's a long time…"

"Yeah, but you know from what I heard back in the Bear Tribe. The Beastmen in the Deer Tribe are pretty friendly even to outsiders so it would be a good place to stay for a while." Will commented, I smiled he was getting less nervous around everyone and that made me happy for some reason.

"Well that's good at least!" I chirped trying to sound cheerful.

In reality I didn't want to be stuck in this world for that long, but what if my body in my world really was dead? Would I be stuck here forever?

I sighed and looked up at the canopy of the trees, sunlight shined through the leaves. Yes the world was beautiful but to live here forever?

There was silence for a long while, I began feeling tired of walking after a while.

Will started to notice after a while, he gave me some words of encouragement.

Roy let us stop and rest by a large oak.

I sat on the ground and rubbed my feet, they were sore.

Will watched me with a pitiful expression, I guess he felt bad.

I didn't want to whine and complain, but the walking was tiring.

After a while Roy, leaned off the tree and stretched, his tail twitched.

"Alright let's cover some more ground, before dark."

The sun was still in the sky but had gone down.

I stood up and sighed, to my despair.

Will looked nervous as he walked behind me.

"M-Maria?"

"Hm?" I looked at him from

Over my shoulder.

"Uh… I noticed…uh you are… your feet…"

I looked at him in confusion.

"I am my feet?"

Will let out a embarrassed groan as he covered his face.

"That's not! What I meant to say!" He quickly corrected picking on on my waving hands.

"I-I noticed your f-feet are aching,

s-so I t-thought i offer you to ride my back…"

His face was redder than a lobster I thought it was cute

To be honest.

"Really? Are you serious about the offer?"

"Y-yeah."

"Then I'll take you up on it!" I smiled gently my face flushed slightly.

Will was extremely stiff, he took care of ever step he took.

Hanging onto his neck from behind as he walked.

I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up at his ears, the were so fluffy I just want to grab them.

I sighed and looked off towards Roy his ears were pinned all the way back.

I adverted my gaze feeling uncomfortable.

After a while sleep graced my eyelids.

•Wills POV•

I could feel her heart beating in rhythm with mine, it was comforting.

I followed Roy, he made me nervous.

I felt like at any moment he could turn on me.

I sighed and readjusted my grip on Maria's legs.

Her sleep didn't get disturbed…