From the corner of her eye, Aurora noticed the cub move. But she didn't turn her head, didn't even react, she just continued enjoying her fish.
The cub took a small step forward, then another, and another. It was moving slow and carefully, step by step, while keeping a safe distance from the fire.
It walked forward and the stopped, just inches from her bate feet.
Aurora lowered her gaze.
The cub looked up at her, then at the fish, and then back at her. Its eyes were wide, focused, and clearly hungry.
Aurora stared at it for a moment, and then, without a word, she held out the fish.
The cub didn't hesitate. It lunged forward and grabbed the fish. Aurora released it immediately and watched as the little beast devoured the fish with surprising efficiency.
And when it was done, it looked up at her again with expectation filled eyes.
Aurora blinked once and stared back. Letting out a small sigh, she reached for the second fish, and after a small pause, handed it over.
Since she too was feeling hungry, she picked the third fish and started eating. What she didn't expect was for the cub to finish the second fish by the time she was on her fourth bite.
And once again its eyes looked up at her with expectation.
"I hate cute things." She muttered as she took one last, big bite of the fish and handed the rest to the cub.
When she returned after washing her hands in the stream, the cub was done with the third fish as well. And even then it looked at her... asking for more.
She exhaled slowly. "I'm not catching more." She told in a calm and final tone. She was way too tired to go through that entire process of catching, cleaning, and then roasting.
Instead, she began putting out the fire. She covered the flames until only faintly glowing charcoal remained, leaving behind just lingering warmth.
Only then did she return to the rock and lay down, her body finally giving in to exhaustion.
Though the rock wasn't the most comfortable bed she could have asked for, she still found it better than sleeping on the ground.
Slowly, her limbs started to relax and her breathing slowed. And above her, the two moons hung in the sky, looking quiet and distant.
She stared at them for a moment. Then closed her eyes halfway. "Don't disturb me," she said quietly when she felt the cub jumping up on the rock beside her.
The cub made no sound and made itself comfortable beside her on the rock that was barely large enough for her huge body.
Aurora knew it wasn't really a great idea to trust even a cub in a world like this, but she was too tired to argue with the clingy little beast.
So she just ignored it. Instead, she contacted the system in her head.
"Navi."
[Yes, Host?]
"Wake me in the morning right before sunrise."
[Confirmed.]
Aurora exhaled softly. And just like that, she let go.
Sleep came quickly and pulled her into a deep, uninterrupted slumber.
* * *
Aurora woke to music.
Not the soft rustle of leaves, not the distant flow of water, not even the quiet hum of the forest waking around her.
No.
It was… singing. A cheerful, ridiculous, and entirely unnecessary singing.
"Rise and shine, Host so fine~
Time to wake, it's morning time~!"
Aurora's eyes snapped open.
"…Navi."
"Good morning!" the system chirped in her head, utterly pleased with itself.
Aurora stared at the sky for a moment, her expression flat as she told it, "We need to discuss boundaries."
The two moons still hung above, pale now since their glow had dimmed as dawn approached. The sky had begun to shift, its dark blue softening toward grey. The sun had yet to rise, but the world was waking.
Aurora pushed herself up into a sitting position and something tumbled. And she heard a soft thump followed by a startled yelp.
She froze for a moment before looking down. The snow white cub lay at the base of the rock, its small body sprawled where it had clearly just been… pushed.
Aurora blinked once.
"…Oh."
The cub lifted its head slowly and its ocean-blue eyes locked onto her. He looked at her with... accusing gaze, as if deeply offended.
She held its gaze for a moment before saying, "That was unintentional." but the cub didn't look convinced.
She exhaled softly and slid off the rock, her movements more controlled this time.
"I apologize."
The cub sat up, but still continued staring and judging.
Aurora tilted her head slightly, and then used another trick. "I'll get you food."
That seemed to help. Though not entirely, but enough. The cub's posture relaxed just a fraction.
Aurora straightened and asked, "You are not leaving, are you?"
The cub blinked, which she took as a no.
"…Of course not."
She turned toward the makeshift line where her hides and towel hung. They had dried completely during the night.
She reached for one and pulled it down, inspecting it briefly. It looked so much cleaner and usable than it did last night.
She moved to change, but then paused. Her gaze shifted to the cub and then little beast stared back at her, watching her curiously.
She narrowed her eyes. "Turn around."
The cub blinked again and didn't move at all.
Her gaze sharpened. "... Turn around."
A beat passed, and then slowly, the cub turned away.
Only then did Aurora untie the bathrobe and remove it, setting it aside before wrapping the cleaned hide around her body. She adjusted it carefully and secured it tightly.
It was functional, but definitely not comfortable or ideal.
Aurora glanced down briefly, thinking about the lack of undergarments in this era and world. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about that for the time being.
Next, she slipped into her hide shoes and adjusted them for a better fit. Then turned to the remaining hides and stored them inside the system's space along with the towel and the bathrobe.
Once done, she turned back to the cub and said, "You can look now."
The cub turned instantly, eyeing her up and down as if it was curious what she just did.
Aurora ignored that, and instead, shifted her gaze toward the woods past the stream.
She wasn't planning to return to her cave yet because that Alpha wolf was going to show up soon. And to treat him, she needed to gather some herbs, and probably some fruits too for breakfast on the way.
She used the big rocks scattered across the stream to cross it and stepped into the deep woods, noticing the cub that was following right after her effortlessly.
The forest was filled with the soft sounds of early morning - rustling leaves, distant calls, the faint hum of insects beginning their day.
She moved carefully, her steps measured despite the limitations of her body. Her eyes constantly scanned the plants around her, searching for the ones she needed,
Barely five minutes into the woods, she caught the sound of someone speaking. As she walked closer, she heard more voices coming from ahead.
She moved forward cautiously, parting the foliage just enough to see... and paused.
"…Well," she murmured under her breath as her eyes took in the scene before her.