A Perfect World - Chapter 3

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two of them turned in for the night, wrapped tightly in Sixth’s animal hides. The seasons were changing, but winter’s chill persisted.

That evening, Griffin’s eyelids had fluttered closed tiredly. It hadn’t taken long for sleep to find her.

However, it was the case that she was still ill, and a resurfacing fever disturbed her rest. She awoke groggily in the middle of the night, sweating and feeling too hot. After fumbling around in the dark, she found the water skin and took a few large swigs.

“You okay?”

Her restlessness had roused Sixth from his sleep.

“Yes, just thirsty.”

Her companion made a sound of contemplation.

“It’ll take time before you’re healed up.”

Griffin grimaced. He’d said they could stay a few days, but she wanted to get going as soon as possible.

Maybe he’d sensed her thoughts.

“I’ve said it once - if you push yourself, you’ll make things worse.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she grabbed her ‘blanket’ and rolled onto her side.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke to him.

“Thank you for… helping me.”

Sixth cleared his throat before responding.

“Well… you’re welcome.”

The two weren’t familiar with one another, and the atmosphere soon turned awkward.

Griffin thought of asking him how he’d come to live in the wilderness by himself, but a series of scuffles and yips sounding from outside the cave interrupted her thoughts.

“Sounds like wolves…” She whispered anxiously, her eyes wide in the darkness.

Sixth made a shushing sound and she obliged. After a few minutes of tense silence, the sounds reduced in volume, signifying the beasts’ departure.

Sixth had told her how he’d scattered the entrails away from their location. Unfortunately, it seemed that the wolves’ sense of smell had been able to track the remaining meat.

They hadn’t cooked during the evening, not wanting the aroma of roasting pork to give them away. In their hunger, they’d eaten some of the meat raw. A desperate act, but they were starving.

“It should be safe to talk now.” Sixth said uneasily.

Griffin gripped the animal hide tightly, trying to think of a way out of this predicament. The move that matched her goal was to leave as soon as possible. However, that didn’t address the core issue – the fact that the smell of their kill was attracting predators.

“We need to eat this pig fast.”

Sixth caught on to her reasoning.

“I hope you mean for us to cook it first…”

Griffin reassured him.

“No, but it won’t be a problem.”

She’d been forced to eat raw meat before and it had been far less fresh.

Feeling tired again, she yawned.

“I’m going back to sleep.”

Hearing Sixth grunt in response, she closed her eyes and curled into a ball. It didn’t take long before the sound of snoring could be heard, coming from her direction.

She dreamt of a castle that night. Wolves assaulted its walls and she had the task of defending it.

She struck the beasts with a long torch, but it was no use. They were driven off temporarily, only to return again to batter at the gates.

It was only when morning came and the phantoms evaporated under dawn’s first light that she could rest at last.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having not slept soundly, she awoke at noon to find Sixth cutting the pig with a flat stone.

“You’re awake.” He remarked casually, biting off a piece with his canines. He too had eaten raw meat before. Starting a fire wasn’t always possible and risking illness was better than starvation.

He handed her his stone knife with a piece of pork stuck to it.

“Here, eat something.”

Accepting his offer, she put the meat into her mouth and started chewing. The taste was acceptable, but the texture was clammy and cold.

While they were both eating, she looked around to see that he’d dug a hole in her wall.

He spoke.

“I found a few large stones earlier. If you’re feeling up to the task, you can help me gather more. The stronger we make this barrier, the better our chances of not getting eaten.”

Nodding, she stretched one arm above her head and yawned. Feeling a spike of pain near her ribs, she winced and rubbed the spot with one hand.

“Ow.”

Sixth stopped eating.

“…I’ll handle the barricade. You should eat up and rest up.”

“Okay.”

She thought about insisting on helping but, aside from her sore body, she was also feverish.

They ate quietly until she was too stuffed to continue. Dusting off her threadbare skirt, she stood up.

“I’m going outside for a bit.”

Sixth nodded.

“Okay, but wait for me.”

After he’d finished, the two of them went together. Griffin found a spot in the sun for herself, and watched Sixth as he went about the business of finding material for their shelter.

His movements were urgent as he scrambled around the area. It was understandable, given how defenseless they were. If a wild animal ambushed them, they’d have no way to protect themselves.

Griffin felt a useless, as she wasn’t able to think of a solution. She’d kept close to the roads for this exact reason and never ventured far into the woods.

Raising her head to look at the sky, she used a hand to shield her eyes from the glare. It felt wonderful, the feeling of warmth on her skin. However, due to their present circumstances, she wasn’t able to fully enjoy spring’s arrival.

A while later, after he’d gathered enough stones, Sixth called it quits.

“We shouldn’t stay outside for long.” He said, walking over to her and dusting the dirt off his palms.

She nodded in response.

She’d just begun to warm up and was feeling a little drowsy. Wrapping herself up next to the fire before dozing off sounded appealing.

“If you have any business to take care of, you should do so.” He warned.

Realizing that she’d drunk a large amount of water today, she scampered off to the bushes.

After she returned, the two of them headed back to their shelter. After Sixth had barricaded the entrance, they spent the rest of the day there.

It was dull, but it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They passed the following days in a similar fashion, doing little else aside from eating and sleeping. A hard winter had left them both thin and weak, so they quickly devoured Griffin's kill.

Soon, there remained nothing of aside from a few bones. They’d cracked those open, but neither were eager to try the marrow.

Having had enough meat to eat and time for rest, Griffin’s condition improved rapidly. The nightly sounds of animals also decreased and, after judging that it was safe, the two of them decided to continue their travels.

After burying the remains of their camp, they set off on their journey with Griffin leading the way.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You eat tree-bark?” Griffin asked, looking strangely at Sixth.

He nodded.

“From saplings, yes.”

The fact that they’d gorged themselves before setting out had helped keep hunger at bay, but as days passed without being able to catch a single bird or rodent, it returned in force.

Using one of the sharpened stones he carried on him, Sixth peeled off a strip of bark and scraped the insides. He handed a bit of the white substance to Griffin, who munched on it thoughtfully.

“It’s a little chewy, but not as bad as I expected.”

Sixth nodded again.

“Why didn’t we eat this earlier?” She asked, curious as to why he’d only shown her this now.

“It’s not very filling. And, well… there are some side-effects if you eat too much.” He said embarrassedly.

She raised her eyebrows. “Side-effects? Like what?”

He waved his hand back and forth.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s, uh… nothing deadly. Just… uncomfortable. Oh, by the way, how are we going to feed ourselves once we get to the city?” Sixth asked, changing the topic.

Griffin seemed surprised by the question.

“What do you mean?”

He looked up from his task, a small pile of bark-shavings laying in front of him.

“If you intend for us to live the rest of our lives in these woods, I wouldn’t complain. However, I don’t think that's something you want.”

Griffin stared into his brown eyes thoughtfully. He’d guessed correctly. She wanted to return to civilization, after she’d found that keepsake of hers..

“Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” She replied. A sudden gust of wind blew a few strands of hair into her face, which she brushed aside.

After the two of them had shared their paltry foodstuffs, they moved on.

When they’d walked in silence for a time, Griffin spoke up.

“Sixth…”

Her companion lifted his gaze towards her.

“That’s me.”

Griffin wore a look of contemplation.

Her thoughts went to the days she’d spent in the orphanage. Supplies were few, and not only food. Clothes, blankets, space - even attention was limited.

There were two nuns running the place, with ten times as many children.

She stared at her companion, her eyes clear and frosty.

Sixth frowned.

“What with you?”

She held his gaze for a moment longer before a smile bloomed on her face.

“You’re weird!”

Clasping her hands behind her back innocently, she moved her face close to his.

Sixth pulled his head backwards uncomfortably, the movement distinctly bird-like.

“Pot, meet kettle.”

That statement confused her.

“What?”

After taking one step backwards, Sixth scratched his nose.

“It’s an idiom. ‘A pot calling a kettle black’ means being a hypo-… it means accusing another person of something you’re guilty of.”

Griffin pinched her lower lip in thought.

“So, you’re saying… I’m weird too?”

He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

“You understood immediately. Well done.”

Griffin got the feeling that she was being mocked. It was not something she was familiar with.

“Are you… making fun of me?”

Sixth shook his head from side to side, his face the picture of innocence.

“No. I’m seriously complimenting you.”

Griffin’s brows furrowed as she stared at him.

“I wonder…”

She turned to face away from him and started walking again. Her footsteps were light and careful. If someone saw her, they’d think that she’d lived in the woods all her life.

“Why are you coming with me?”

She addressed her companion over her shoulder where he trailed a few paces behind. He’d already given an explanation, but she doubted it was the truth.

It took a second or two for Sixth to respond.

“It’s because I’m lonely.”

The corner of Griffin’s mouth curved upwards.

“I thought you wanted to look after me?”

Sixth replied easily, his voice unbothered.

“That too.”

The conversation continued like that, the two probing and bickering with each other as they trekked through the old forest.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An object clattered to the ground near Sixth’s feet, making him look up from his task. The sun was starting to set and they needed to prepare themselves for nightfall.

His eyes came to rest on a long, straight stick, trimmed clean of branches or leaves. 

He raised an eyebrow at Griffin.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

She held a piece of wood, similar in appearance to the one she’d given him.

“Can you fight? I can show you how.”

He looked like he wanted to refuse but, after thinking it over, he accepted.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to polish my skills. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced swordplay.”

It was Griffin’s turn to look surprised.

“…Come on, then. We can play a little before it gets dark.”

It would be incorrect to say that she was an experienced duelist, but among the trainees she’d known, there were none as skilled as she.

As for how she’d learned to use a weapon… that would remain her secret, for now.

After bending down and picking up his stick, Sixth took a stance. It became clear that he hadn’t been lying – he knew a thing or two about fighting.

After shifting forward an inch, he smirked at her.

“You ready?”

Griffin clasped her ‘weapon’ firmly.

“I am.”

The two of them glared at each other silently until Sixth made his move. Shifting his weight to his front foot, he lunged forward, aiming for her shoulder.

Griffin had anticipated as much – his posture had given him away.

Dodging to one side, she swung her weapon at him. The attack was difficult to defend against, due to its arc.

Sixth was quick to respond and changed his thrust into a side-sweep.

Griffin saw through his strategy.

He intended for the base of his ‘sword’ to collide with hers and then, using the point of contact as a fulcrum, he would swing his weapon towards her head.

She shifted her feet and deflected his blow. After doing so, she counterattacked.

A flurry of blows was exchanged as they battered against each other’s defenses.

Griffin smiled joyfully. The feeling her heart pounding in her chest and her blood singing in her veins was something she’d never tire of.

She felt her movements getting faster as her body shook off the lethargy from months spent ill and bedridden.

Their spar came to an end all too quickly when she found herself standing over Sixth. The point of her sword rested against his throat.

The boy looked up at her in shock, his weapon laying a few yards away.

“Ouch.” He said while rubbing his ribs. “I guess I lost…”

Griffin held out her hand, which he took absentmindedly.

“There’s time for a few more bouts.” Griffin said.

While looking towards the late-afternoon sun, Sixth nodded.

“All right, then. Let’s go again. This time, it’ll be my victory!”

The second bout was harder fought than the first.

After a clever fake-out, Sixth landed a solid blow to Griffin’s abdomen, granting him victory.

Griffin was eager to continue, despite her loss. After catching their breath, they commenced the third round.

Its outcome was... less close.

Physically Sixth was Griffin’s superior, but her battle instincts outstripped his by miles.

“I lost.” Sixth said with a pained face. Griffin’s strike had come out of nowhere, effortlessly striking him in the chest.

Yet, he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. He raised his weapon, gazing seriously at his opponent.

“Again.”

Hardly a dozen seconds had passed after the fourth bout’s start when Sixth’s weapon was sent flying once more. He looked on dumbfoundedly as it spun over his head.

‘As expected from her…’

Griffin had dominated their final round from start to finish.

She looked surprised herself, judging by how she stared at her wooden sword.

“I… won.”

Her tone was filled with childlike joy.

Sixth sighed.

“Yeah, you fought really well.”

His expression was indecipherable.

The praise clearly affected Griffin, giving her eyes an extra sparkle.

“You were good too. Where did you learn how to fight?” She asked curiously.

Sixth shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, you know – here and there.”

Some of Griffin’s joy was replaced by irritation when she heard his reply.

“Can’t you give me a real answer?”

Sixth looked at her seriously.

“How about you give me a real answer first?”

His request gave her pause.

“What do you mean?”

Her companion stared at her before turning and walking to where his ‘weapon’ had landed. After picking it up, he idly fiddled with it.

“What are your plans for the future?”

Hearing his question, Griffin became serious as well.

“Do you… really want to know?”

Sixth started drawing lines in the soil without looking her in the eye.

“No. But since you’re asking something about me, I thought it only fair that you tell me something about yourself.”

Hearing that made her feel… insulted.

“Forget it, it’s fine.”

She turned, intending to wash herself in the nearby stream. His attitude had entirely soured her mood.

Sixth started speaking from behind her, causing her to halt.

“A retired knight taught me how to use a sword. My father was a statesman, so we were well off.”

Griffin looked over her shoulder at him.

He raised an eyebrow while waiting for her to say something.

She found his answer hard to believe. The contrast between the boy in front of her and a wealthy man’s son simply too large.

“Then what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” She asked, unable to restrain her curiosity.

Sixth waved his index finger at her.

“You’ll have to answer me first. An answer for an answer – I won’t have it any other way.”

“All right, fine.” She said, combing her bangs out of her eyes. “I have a goal.”

Sixth snorted.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit vague?”

Griffin smiled innocently at him.

“You’ll have to answer my question first if you want to find out more.”

If he wanted to play games with her, then she wouldn’t disappoint him. However, he’d have to stick to his own rules.

Sixth chuckled. He could tell that this back and forth was going to drive him crazy.

“Wow, using my own tactics against me. Fine, you win."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun had almost set when Sixth started telling his story. 

He’d insisted that the two of them finish setting up their camp before doing so, and Griffin had naturally agreed. Neither of them wanted to be unprepared when night arrived.

Presently, they were warming their hands against a small fire. She would’ve thought it impossible to start one, given how wet everything was, but Sixth’s skill with a bow-drill was prodigious.

“It must’ve been five years ago, I believe.” He started, staring deeply into the flames.

Griffin looked at him out of the corner of her eye, noting his somber look.

“Truthfully, I’m still unsure of what happened. It was so sudden...” He said, sighing deeply.

He gazed at the tapestry of stars above, as if he could see the events of his past reflected in the shimmering lights.

“It was dark when I heard a knock on the door. My mother and I lived alone at that time – father’s business kept him on the road for most of the year.” He said slowly. 

The stick he’d been using to poke at the fire stilled.

“I was already in bed. I’d spent the day attending lessons – history, language and geography. My parents wanted a good education for me, insisting that I shan’t feel inferior, no matter where I go.”

The memory brought a smile to Sixth’s face.

“I should’ve expressed my gratitude more, huh?”

Griffin said nothing.

The closest thing she had to a parent was the orphanage’s nuns, who she strongly disliked.

Sixth continued.

“That isn’t to say they were perfect. Father was a miser, but he was generous when it came to delivering punishment.”

He chuckled, one hand moving downwards to rub at his rear. It seemed he could feel the sting of the beatings he’d received even now.

“One time, I caught him… well, the details aren’t important.” His face turned pale as he recalled the image that’d been burned into his mind.

“I guess I felt sorry for mum, so I told her. They must’ve had an argument about it and it was somehow revealed that I was the one who saw the deed.”

Sixth sucked in a breath through his teeth.

“He came into my room the next day. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he had… something in his hand. I was so stunned that I didn’t react quickly enough when he…”

He stopped, his eyes becoming big as he stared at Griffin. Then he broke out in a fit of nervous laughter.

“Good lord above, I almost died that day! And I have the scars to prove it.” He said, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.

He shook his head.

“I’m rambling. The knock – my mother answered it. You can guess what happened next.”

Griffin simply looked at him, waiting for his story to continue.

Seeing her response, he sighed.

“You won’t guess? No? How dull. Regardless, It definitely isn’t what you expected.”

Sixth started stirring the fire again.

“After the door opened, my mother started screaming.”

He looked at Griffin, his face deathly as the grave.

“When I came running, carrying the fire-poker in my hands, I found the front door wide open with mother nowhere in sight.”

At this point, she was hanging on to his every word. The only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the campfire.

Sixth pulled out his stick and held the glowing tip in front of his face.

“I ran over to our neighbors – an old perfumer and his wife I’ve known since I was young. I didn’t know what else to do. They hadn’t heard anyone screaming, so they didn’t believe me.”

Griffin scrunched her brows together.

Sixth continued.

“Don’t misunderstand, when I say they were our neighbors, I mean they lived next to us. It was impossible they’d heard nothing.”

He started swirling the burning tip back and forth in a circular motion. Griffin felt her sight being attracted to that glowing point until she was unable to tear her gaze away.

“Nobody else had heard anything, either. But, as the days passed, it became clear that she’d really gone missing. I stayed in our home by myself during that time, waiting for my father to return.”

He stuck his poker back into the fire again. The movement snapped Griffin out of her daze.

“He never did.”

“But that still doesn’t explain how you came to be here.” Griffin said, her voice hoarse. Her throat had gone dry while listening to his tale.

Sixth chuckled.

“That… is a story for another day.”

Before she could protest, Sixth wrapped himself in one of his hides and laid down next to the fire.

“Tomorrow, it’ll be your turn to tell a story. For now, we should get some rest.”

His words caused her to pause. They had made a deal…

“Fine, but you’re going to tell me the rest.”

Sixth harrumphed with his back to her. 

“We’ll see.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------