The Distant Trail of Ciara Badvia

Prologue: In the Depths of the Lily Mountains
Part 2: Shopping in the Town of Lily

ARRIVING IN TOWN

At the Kingdom of Solzarand, the town of Lily, a small village located in the Yurea mountain range which towered north of the capital city, Saria.

Tyril and Well’s house was further up the mountain, reachable by several hours’ worth of walking. It was not an easy place to settle in, but Rosa seemed to have her own reasons for doing so. They’d also both grown used to the inconvenience and having little to no contact with anyone aside from their families.

As usual, the two walked along the mountain path that no one else ever set foot on. Well led the way, his sword on his back. It was from Tyril’s father, Yuis Zeeland, who was also Well’s swordsmanship mentor from childhood. He had entrusted the old, double-edged weapon to Well, who seemed to treasure it more than anything else.

Right behind Well was Tyril, wearing a black cloak, skirt, and white shirt—an outfit resembling a mage’s. Although Yuis rarely spoke about her mother, he had given Tyril this outfit, saying it was a memento of her.

The sky was calm, with yesterday’s snow clouds gone and replaced by a clear blue sky. The temperature warmed up considerably, and the mountainscape fully embraced spring. It made for a delightful journey to the town.

Tyril’s steps were light, her hair swaying with the pleasant breeze. As she trailed behind Well, she felt slightly happy. Losing reading time was regrettable, but being outside under the open sky filled her heart with joy. Maybe she should be grateful for Well’s invitation after all.

Maybe asking him to treat me to lunch was a bit much.

Tyril lightly reprimanded herself and stuck her tongue out, but she didn’t let Well see her nor say those words aloud. In return for today, she could treat him another time and on a different occasion. She’d come up with a reason to invite him into town, too.

“The weather’s so nice, Well.”

Those words were directed to the silent boy ahead of her. Tyril thought it wouldn’t hurt to show her gratitude for the invitation.

“Mhm…”

“It feels great. The sky is clear and the wind is warm.”

“Uh-huh. Sure is.”

“It was snowing just yesterday. Hard to believe it cleared up overnight.”

“Oh yeah,” he replied lifelessly, seemingly lost in thought. Tyril wasn’t even sure if he was listening.

“Well? Hey, are you actually listening to me?”

“Huh? I’m listening. You were talking about the weather, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…” His forward response made her feel awkward. It wasn’t like she particularly wanted to talk about the weather.

Eventually, the two arrived at the town’s market. In these walks together, they would usually be in the midst of meaningless banter by now. Once they were there, Well would tell her that he wanted to see that shop and Tyril would make fun of his taste, while she would point to somewhere and tell him that she wanted to have some cake, much to his exasperation. Yet now they arrived in town without such a conversation. It made the place look less vibrant than usual.

The market, however, was bustling—spring vegetables, wild greens, and meat from animals fresh from hibernation lined up the stalls. While they couldn’t find luxurious ingredients, considering the modest meals they had during winter, Tyril and Well saw these items as a considerable treat. They weren’t comfortable with crowds, but they still ended up filling a large cloth bag with ingredients.

“Maybe we bought too much,” Well said, slinging the bag on his right shoulder. “But everything just looks so delicious! What should we have for dinner? Maybe rabbit stew? Oh, and deep-fried vegetables. It’s been a while since we had that.”

Tyril being Tyril, she carried her fair share of groceries in both hands. She realized that they indeed bought quite a lot. “You’re really fixated on food. People like that end up mooching off others, you know,” she teased.

“T-that’s just how I am. Eating delicious food is a good thing, isn’t it? Come on, let’s just have lunch,” Well said, and so Tyril attempted to take Well’s hand and pull him along—yet he didn’t budge. “Oh, wait a second!”

Tyril froze, startled. Well’s yelling instantly turned the atmosphere tense. “Huh? Well?”

“Er, actually, I… I still have something to do. I want to stop by another place before we have lunch.”

Immediately, the tension eased. Well’s smile looked somewhat strained, and he looked regretful about raising his voice.

“Oh, right, right. You did mention that. Sorry, I got carried away.” Tyril laughed it off lightly.

Well didn’t say anything in response, but his expression relaxed and he smiled back. He was the same as ever—underneath that brusqueness of his was a warmth that spoke of his concern for her.

Tyril truly wanted to believe that.

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Edited on October 11, 2023.

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