Enter the Forest (Part 2)
"sigh~... As ready as I'll ever be I guess. Though it does seem that after tomorrow's matchups, I'll have some company to cheer the rest of you on." Her smile was brief, but soon narrowed to a soft frown. "It took a long time for all of this to happen, but I suppose it isn't so bad that I get to experience having friends. Kind of regret my 'condition' now..."
Ume pats Maya on the shoulder and smiled for a moment. "Well you know what they say: 'Beggars can't be choosers'. In all honesty, I'm still a little distraught about the situation, but you're taking it surprisingly well most things considered. I hope these memories will be something you can look back on fondly when the time comes."
"It'll be fine Ume. You all got a tournament to focus on tomorrow; so there's no point in me creating any needless distractions. I think we can all agree on that much right?"
Ume was about to say something, but halted as the two sisters returned with their things in hand. Maya could only nod in response and pat the mouse on the back to get her back to speed. "No time for spacing out. We got a trip to get a move on!"
She had a point, but Rumin and Gale wanted to make sure that Ume was okay to go due to how odd her mannerisms have been lately. To evade the conversation, she nodded and quickly went ahead to the front gate. Both sisters looked at Maya, wondering if she had anything to do with the way Ume is acting.
"No need to stare into me like that jeez~... I can strip if you really think I'm hiding something. Cut a girl some slack." She started to disrobe but was halted by Gale, who has had enough of the situation.
"You're gonna be keeping those on whether you like it or not. Sorry for pressuring you. Though, I guess you really are excited for this trip. Come on... We don't got that much time anyway."
They all agreed and accompanied Ume at the gate, now embarking to the Yin Nue Forest. "So have any of you ever been to this place before?" Maya was curious to know if there were any potential thoughts of interest on the forest in question as she, herself hadn't really spent much time there.
"It's only been a few times, but those were only guided tours. The dwellers that reside there are mostly tame, but they did warn us about certain areas which were known to have dangerous creatures. As well as a sanctuary of sorts."
Rumin answered best she could, but it wasn't really all that impressive. Ume didn't really have much to say about the matter either, explaining that she would only visit the river for water now and then. What raised everyone's brow was Gale, who surprisingly had something to input on the matter.
"I suppose it's not that much of a surprise... I don't really go out unless it's to focus on my training. It was only within the past three years that I started making trips to the forest. As sis said, there are creatures out there that you're better off not encountering if you value any semblance of preservation.
I had the misfortune of running into a few, but thankfully they weren't in groups. If anything, we should carefully pick our spot to set up. I'm not really in the mood to get into any fights that we can avoid."
She hoped that things would go smoothly, but in case it does go sour, she was more than prepared to make the stand. Everyone nodded except for Ume, who found the statement worth interest. "You sure live up to that title everyone gives you. I wouldn't dream combatting against the likes of those beasts."
Ume thought about her encounter with the Leviathans yesterday, shuddering for a moment as she walked. "Just do as I say and don't get in any trouble. Long as you do that, we won't have to deal with any problems and enjoy ourselves accordingly. There's a big day tomorrow and it would be good for all of us if we can avoid any form of conflict..."
The tournament meant a lot to Gale. Her intention wasn't for fame or any of the prizes that come along with winning. Nor did she seek it as a means to better herself or prove a point. Deep down, all she ever wanted was to make her Father proud.
Despite his absence and constant back-and-forth letters to each other, she never had anything to show as a sign of her development. Rumin always had her art and whatever trinkets she would sneak into the mail. Muddling through her thoughts, she didn't realize that they had arrived to the forest and she was walking ahead of the group.
Thankfully, Rumin caught up enough to catch Gale's attention, lightly bopping her on the head. "Come on sis. You said that you would be ok with all of this. Could've just said something rather than heading off on your own again. Do you not trust us or is there another reason that you're holding on to for no reason?"
Gale managed to stop in her tracks and snap herself back to reality. She only partly heard what Rumin said, nodding as if she even understood the full context of what was just said. "Guess we're already here... Don't worry about it Rumin. I was just a little distracted; that's all. Let's set up camp."
Rumin could only sigh in defeat, gathering the others to help with the campsite. "You two share an 'odd' bond for sure." It was Ume who took it upon herself to pry into the matter, only for Rumin to ignore her. Maya had to take charge, halting the rodent from pestering any further.
"That's enough now. If she wants to discuss any issues, she'll inform you like always Ume. Give it a rest and get back to setting things up. We don't got all day." The seriousness in her voice was enough to make Ume back off on the situation entirely.
"Thank you..." That was all Maya heard from Rumin as everyone were focused on getting the campsite together. Once everything was set, only silence befell the group. No one really knew what to say after such a situation whether it was out of respect for not pestering or not escalating the current predicament any further.
After some time, the eeriness got the best of Ume, who decided to speak out despite better judgement. "So are we just going to pretend that everything is fine? This doesn't make for a pleasant night in the woods you know."
Maya wanted to intervene, but it was Rumin that actually spoke out before her. "Since you want to have a good time so badly, you can always set up your own camp away from here. It's not like were holding you hostage or anything. At least 'SOME' people out here are able to speak their mind around here!"
She looked at Gale with a fierce stare, causing her sister to stand over her with a look of disappointment. "If you've got something to say about me, say it to my face. What's gotten into you sis. This isn't like-..." A slap to the face puts a halt to that sentence.
"AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!!" Rumin's outburst shocked the group. "You've always been letting me drag you into situations that are uncomfortable to you, and all you do is just nod your head. Not a single thought or opinion ever comes out of you...
All you ever focus on is your training and the next tournament that only happens once a year. Are those the only things you ever care about DESPITE all my best efforts of bonding with you?! There's a lot more to this life than just fighting and getting stronger Gale!"
Everyone was stunned without a word to say. However, Gale did try to let something out of her mouth... "Rumin I-..." It was too late however, as Rumin fled the scene in a fit of anger, rimming with tears from her eyes. "I didn't mean to..."
The atmosphere grew tense as Maya slapped Ume to the ground, visibly angered by what just took place. "I told you to just leave it alone... NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE CAUSED!!! Take a hint sometimes. It'll do you some good. Fuck..." She left to track Rumin down, leaving the two to their own devices.
Gale tried to help Ume up, but the rodent slapped her hand away, clearly upset at the moment. "I don't understand... Just what's going on with everybody? Things were just fine a moment ago?" Ume could only sigh, turning he head to face Gale.
"I figured that you still couldn't see the situation for what it truly was... I don't know what's going on between you two, but this has been something she's been holding in for a long time. It bubbled up until now and I don't think you're gonna be able to talk to her again until you realize what the problem is."
It was good that Maya went after her, but Gale knew time was of the essence. The forest was already a dangerous place and nightfall was fast approaching. Ume on the other hand went on ahead to catch up with the others, leaving Gale to think hard about solving this predicament before things get any worse.