Three days had passed since the fight against the Rat. Life had returned to normal in Ashbrook. Edgar spent his days in the woods with the other hunters. Clara took care of the house, while Lily spent her time playing carefree games with the other children in the village.
For Aiden, every day now followed the same routine. In the morning, he helped his family. In the afternoon, he met up with Bone in the old shed. They trained until nightfall.
Bone walked. Ran. Threw his arm. Caught it. Started over. Again and again. The progress was slow. But it was real. By now, the skeleton could cross the entire shed without stumbling. Its throws were more accurate. And above all... it seemed to understand its master's intentions better and better.
Sometimes, Aiden didn't even have to finish a sentence anymore. Bone was already carrying out the command. This morning, however, Aiden had made a decision. The shed had become too small. He slung the leather strap over his shoulder before opening the door. Bone was already waiting. Hidden beneath its old sheet.
"Today, we're changing training grounds."
The skeleton tilted its head.
"If we keep training here, someone's eventually going to notice all the damage."
He glanced around the shed. A shattered crate. A wooden plank riddled with holes. Two broken clay pots. And a window that was still missing a pane.
"My father is going to start thinking the shed is haunted..."
Bone looked around at the damage. Then lowered its head slightly.
"It's alright."
He picked up the old sheet.
"Come on."
A few minutes later, they quietly left the village. Aiden had chosen a trail that was rarely used. It led deeper into the forest than the one the hunters usually took. He didn't really know this part of the woods. That was exactly the point. Hardly anyone ever came here.
"This will be perfect."
Sunlight filtered through the branches. A thin mist still lingered above the damp ground. Birdsong accompanied their first steps. Bone followed his master at a distance of about one meter. His movements had changed again. He no longer looked like the clumsy skeleton that had crawled out of the Black Grave. His steps were steadier. His back was straighter. Even the way he watched his surroundings was different. His silver eye sockets were constantly moving. From one tree. To a bush. Then up toward the sky.
"You're paying attention to your surroundings..."
Bone turned its head toward him. Then looked up at a branch above them. A squirrel had just climbed onto it. The skeleton followed the little animal with its gaze until it disappeared.
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"You're really curious."
They continued walking. About twenty minutes later, the trees grew much denser. The light became dimmer. The birdsong faded. Even the air felt cooler. Aiden came to a stop at the edge of a small clearing.
"Here."
The ground was almost perfectly flat. Several dead tree trunks made ideal targets for Bone's training.
"This should do."
The skeleton looked around the clearing. Then waited for its next orders.
"Start with a few throws."
Bone detached its right arm.
Clack.
It took aim at an old tree trunk.
Then threw.
Thack.
The arm struck the wood directly. Not dead center. But close enough.
"Much better than three days ago."
Bone walked over to retrieve his arm. Reattached it. Then threw again. The second throw was even better. So was the third. After about ten attempts, Aiden noticed that Bone barely had to think before using his skill anymore.
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Bone Throw Lv.1
Proficiency Increased.
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"Keep going."
For nearly an hour, Bone repeated the same exercises. Throw. Retrieve. Throw again. Then Aiden added new challenges. Thinner branches. Stones. Tree stumps farther away. Bone still missed often. But it was improving before his very eyes. At last, Aiden raised a hand.
"Break."
The skeleton immediately came to a stop. Aiden sat down against a tree. He pulled a waterskin from his bag.Out of habit, he held it out to Bone.
"You..."
He stopped himself.
"Oh, right. You don't drink."
The skeleton looked at the waterskin.Then at Aiden.It genuinely seemed to be trying to understand what had just happened.
"Sorry. I keep forgetting you're a skeleton."
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Servant Emotion Detected.
Confusion.
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"Seriously..."
Every day, Bone seemed to develop new emotions. It made him less and less like the undead described in books. As Aiden closed his waterskin, something caught his eye. A footprint. In the damp earth. It didn't resemble the tracks of any animal he knew. It was small. Smaller than a man's. But... it had five long toes. Almost like a hand.
Aiden crouched down.
"That's strange..."
Bone stepped closer as well. It studied the footprint without moving. Aiden looked around. A second track lay a few meters farther ahead. Then a third. They seemed to lead deeper into the forest.
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Unknown Footprints Detected.
Threat Assessment...
Calculating...
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The result never appeared. Instead, the window vanished abruptly. Aiden frowned.
"That's it?"
There was no response. He looked back at the footprints. They were fresh. Very fresh. The damp earth hadn't even had time to dry.
"Maybe it's just an animal I don't know..."
He tried to reassure himself. Ashbrook was a small village. It was only natural that he didn't know most of the creatures living in these woods.
And yet... a small voice in the back of his mind was telling him to leave immediately. Bone was still staring at the tracks. Then it slowly raised its head. Its silver eye sockets turned toward the depths of the forest.
"Did you notice something?"
The skeleton, of course, didn't answer. But it never took its eyes off the darkness between the trees. Aiden followed its gaze. He saw nothing. Only trees. Ferns. And shadows. He took a deep breath.
"We came here to train."
He tightened the strap of his bag over his shoulder.
"Let's keep going a little farther."
Bone slowly turned its head toward him. Then, as always, it took its place one step behind its master. Together, they resumed walking.