Small Respite

The journey stretched long into the afternoon, the sun bearing down oppressively on the barren landscape. Though The Ruined was an unforgiving place—the ground uneven and pitted and the sun almost unbearably hot while the air still retained its chill—Ruvala navigated it with practiced ease, guiding Orren along winding paths worn into the cracked earth. Selene, still weak and aching, lay back in the cart, half-draped in a blanket to ward off the sun as she watched the landscape shift around them.

At first, it was difficult to notice any change. The land remained arid, dotted with skeletal trees and the occasional rocky outcroppings. But as they pressed on, Selene began to see more and more signs of habitation. Small cairns piled parallel to each other at regular intervals—she later realized were path markers—led the way on either side of the cart. Small trails crisscrossed the terrain and she could see foot and hoof tracks alike. In the distance she could see a sturdy rock wall

As they approached the rock wall, Selene could tell that it was made from stones of all sizes stacked neatly on top of each other, with no holes between them. And just on the other other side, nestled within a shallow valley, she saw it.

It was a hut of stone and packed earth built half into the side of the valley wall, sturdier and a bit larger than she had expected. The structure blended into the landscape, its sharp edges and sloping, uneven roof giving it a camouflaged look, almost as if it had risen naturally from the earth itself. A wooden door, weathered but strong, stood further back from the overhang of the roof, creating a protected space within where stacks of neatly piled firewood sat. The air here felt different—still wild, still tainted by The Ruined, but with a quiet resilience. A small bit of solace in a wide expanse of despair.

Orren came to a stop, exhaling a deep, heavy breath and began pawing at the ground. Ruvala murmured something to the elk before tying his reins to a post. Then she turned to Selene.

"We're here," she said simply.

Selene hesitated before shifting her weight and attempting to climb out of the cart. Her body protested immediately, sharp pain lancing through her side as her stomach tensed to sit up completely. She cried out and Ruvala was beside her in an instant, steadying her with a firm grip around her shoulder and at her back, gently lowering her back against the pile of blankets.

"Don't strain yourself, you're still injured," Ruvala said, her voice low but unwavering. "Here, let me help you." She moved the hand from Selene's shoulder to under her legs, and the hand at her back braced against her shoulders and suddenly she was in the air, instinctively grasping her hands around Ruvala's neck. 

She felt the flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck to her cheeks, but she kept her eyes down and said nothing. Selene had been much more stubborn that morning, only letting the other woman put an arm under her shoulder as they walked, but this time, she was not given the choice to protest.

Ruvala's shoulders felt firm and strong under Selene's arms, the muscles underneath her shirt hidden by its lose folds. She smelled of earth, campfire, and old blood, just a little bit tainted, but not unpleasant. 

Selene let herself be carried toward the hut, and as soon as they stepped through the threshold, warmth surrounded her. The interior was surprisingly spacious, the small entry outside deceptive in more ways than one. Against the far side the room, to the right of a doorway, was a fully stocked cooking area with a large clay and stone hearth set into the wall, while herbs hung from a drying rack over one of the counters. A sturdy wooden table with two mismatched chairs occupied the space in the middle of the room. 

To the left, on the opposing far corner, a large table sat, a vast variety of tools and weapons Selene had no name for filling the wall above the table as several large shelves and a few storage chests spanned the wall past the table. 

A wooden trapdoor set into the floor near Ruvala's feet caught her attention. A cellar for storage, no doubt. The house was small, but it was well-built, well-stocked—comfortable in a way she hadn't expected.

Ruvala moved further into the house, past the front room and entered a second room. It was slightly less spacious than the front room but there was a large bed to the right, covered with animals fur and blankets, with storage for what she assumed would be clothing and personal items, and a place to the far side of the room that looked like it was used for bathing.

Ruvala laid Selene gently onto the bed before standing up and turning.

"Don't move," she said, disappearing through the doorway.

Selene sat in the bed, surprisingly far more comfortable than it seemed, and looked around. A large bathing area seemed to be sunken into the floor, which she noticed was all stone fitted together, similar to the wall outside. For being carved into the side of a slope, Selene was perplexed at how bright it was. It should have been pitch black inside—she shouldn't have seen anything. She looked up, seeing a myriad of small bright openings where light poured though, illuminating the room. Perhaps magic, perhaps ingenuity. 

A noise made Selene look at the doorway, where Ruvala now stood, a pack slung over one shoulder and holding a small leather pouch. She walked over to the bed and pulled something out of the pouch.

"This was near where you fell," Ruvala said, taking one of Selene's hands and dropping the object into her palm.

Selene looked down and felt a lump form in her throat. It was her moonstone necklace—the one her mother had given her. The silver chain was dirty and the pendant smeared with dust, but otherwise, it was intact. Her fingers curled around it, and she reveled in the solid, grounding feel of it in her hands. She felt slightly guilty, she had forgotten all about it in the chaos since the night of the hunt. 

"Thank you," she murmured, barely above a whisper as she placed it back around her neck. She would clean it later.

Ruvala gave a slight nod. Selene watched her as she unslung the pack from her shoulder and began taking bloodied cloth out of it and placing them in a basket. 

After a moment, Ruvala spoke again. "There's a woman in the town. An innkeeper. She'll be able to take you in."

Selene frowned. "You're sending me away?"

Ruvala didn't look at her. "You'll be safer there. The town is small, but it's a good place. People look out for each other." She paused, then added, "You'll need to integrate. Find work, make connections, but it's the best chance you have."

Selene was quiet, slowly absorbing the news. She didn't know what she had expected. Surely she didn't expect to stay here, but the idea of completely starting over in a place she didn't know among people who might not accept her, filled her with unease.

Ruvala stood, dusting her hands off as she picked up the basket and took it towards a large basin set into the ground next to the tub. "We leave tomorrow morning. I'd like to get two full days of travel in. Night is dangerous here and I don't camp under the stars if I don't have to."

Selene nodded slowly, watching the shadows cast from the light above move across Ruvala's sharp features. There was something deeply solitary about this woman, something both resolute and untouchable, and it made Selene's heart ache. A wolf should never be alone. They were pack animals, built on family bonds and community.

"But won't you be lonely?" she asked before she could stop herself. Ruvala knelt down at the basin and tipped the basket inside. The cloth hit water with a small plop and Ruvala grabbed a smooth wooden staff laying on the floor and started to stir and agitate the water. 

"I'm used to living alone."

Her tone was short and terse, and Selene did not push the subject. She started to feel drowsy again, the short ride and the sun having taken away most of her strength. She let her body sink back into the bed, wondering if she would be able to thrive in this new town. She looked back over at Ruvala, drowsily appalled at herself as she drifted to sleep wondering what her shoulders looked like uncovered by fabric.