Aurora’s hands paused mid-motion as Navi’s words echoed in her mind. A decrease in hostility... all of a sudden?
Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head and her gaze landed on the man in question, only to find him quickly turning his head away.
The movement was subtle, almost too quick to notice, but Aurora caught it clearly. The shift of his eyes, the slight tightening of his jaw - it was the reaction of someone who had been observing... and didn’t want to be caught doing so.
Aurora blinked once, her brows knitting faintly.
What was he doing?
Nothing she had done so far should have reduced his hostility. If anything, slapping him earlier should have pushed him straight back to murderous intent. And yet here they were.
He wasn’t attacking, wasn’t threatening, wasn’t even glaring at her with the same intensity as before.
It didn’t make sense. But-
She exhaled quietly and turned her attention back to the herbs.
It doesn’t matter. Whatever had changed, it worked in her favor. At least for now, he wasn’t trying to kill her. And that alone was a victory worth accepting.
She pushed herself to her feet and turned to face him. "I need to wash the herbs," she said simply. "At the stream." Then, after a brief pause, she added deliberately, "You can come with me if you want."
She didn’t need to look at his reaction to know how that sounded.
An invitation? No. It was a precaution.
And just as expected, the moment the words left her mouth, he stood. There was no hesitation or delay.
Aurora didn’t comment. She simply gathered the sorted herbs and the fruits she had collected earlier and once again wrapped them carefully in the hide before heading toward the cave entrance.
The thick vines obstructed her again as she stepped out, and once more, irritation flickered faintly across her face.
These vines were definitely getting removed.
Behind her, Asher followed silently, his presence as heavy and watchful as ever.
The path to the stream was short. The moment they arrived, Aurora moved without pause. She crouched at the bank, ignoring her protesting body, and unwrapped the herbs.
She dipped the herbs into the water to wash away the dirt carefully. The cool water ran over her hands, carrying away the residue, leaving the leaves clean and ready for use.
Next, she scanned the surroundings quickly before her gaze landed on a flat stone near the edge of the stream. She tested it briefly with her hand, checking its stability and surface. And she realized it was actually a good piece that could be used for even cooking.
She washed it in the stream and then positioned it on top of the big rock from night before where she slept. With that done, she searched again, this time for something to use as a crusher. And she soon found a rounded stone that was heavy and firm enough to do the job.
With both tools secured, she moved on to the next step - containers.
She reached for a cluster of large leaves of a nearby tree. She picked several before rinsing them thoroughly in the stream and then brought them back to her makeshift workspace.
Then, she began shaping them carefully. She folded each leaf into a cone-like structure and overlapped the edges tightly to prevent gaps. Using thin strands of dry branch she had collected earlier, she tied the edges securely so it wouldn’t open under pressure.
She made about seven leaf containers that were capable of holding a portion of liquid extracts of the herbs.
To stabilize them, she used her fingers to dig small holes into the damp soil beside her. These were just deep enough to hold the cones upright without tipping.
Only then did she begin the extraction.
She placed the herbs onto the flat stone and began crushing them using the rounded rock, applying steady pressure as she ground them down. The leaves broke apart slowly, releasing their juices.
One by one, she worked through the different herbs, extracting liquids from leaves, stems, and roots separately and pouring them into the prepared leaf containers.
Her movements never faltered and her focus never wavered either.
Even Asher who was standing a short distance away, couldn’t ignore it. He couldn’t help but be stunned as he watched her do things he had never seen anyone do before. By now, he could tell this wasn’t any guesswork or improvisation, but clear skills.
When she was done extracting, Aurora picked up another leaf container and began mixing the liquids, carefully and precisely. She adjusted the quantities based on their potency and ensured the final combination was balanced as not all herbs needed to be consumed equally.
And finally, the medicine was ready.
She lifted the finished concoction. Its color was dark and unappealing, and its scent... was far worse.
She stood and walked over to Asher, holding it out as she said, "Here, drink it."
He looked at her. Then at the liquid. And then back at her. For a moment, neither of them moved, but then he let out a long, quiet breath and took the leaf container from her hand.
If this was a trick, he would know. And if it was, she would die.
Without another word, he tilted his head back and drank it in one go.
The reaction was immediate.
His expression twisted and his body tensed as the taste hit him - bitter, sharp, overwhelmingly unpleasant. His throat tightened instinctively as his body tried to reject it while his stomach threatened to revolt.
He almost spat it out. Almost. But before he could... Aurora moved.
Her hand shot forward and grabbed his jaw firmly before forcing his head upward. At the same time, she struck lightly but precisely at the back of his neck - a practiced motion designed to trigger a reflex.
"Swallow," she ordered.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up and the liquid went down. All of it.
By the time she released him, it was already too late.
Asher stood there, stunned as his throat burned faintly. His expression darkened rapidly as realization hit and he stared at her, that dangerous glint returning to his eyes.
"Female," he said slowly, his voice low and edged with warning, "are you seeking death?"
Aurora didn’t even blink. Instead, she folded her arms lightly as she spoke calmly, "You are not allowed to waste my work."
The sheer audacity of that statement lingered between them for a few seconds before she added, almost as an afterthought-
"Aurora."
"What?" He asked, slightly lost and surprised.
"That’s my name," she said, her voice steady and unyielding. "Not ’female.’" Her green eyes held his without flinching. "So call me that from now on."