The Arcane Archer's
Silent Saviour

After an uncertain time, I finally started to wake up.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the weather was very cold and I felt like I was moving somewhere. When I really opened my eyes, I saw I was in a wagon pulled by two horses and three other people behind with me.

One of the people when he saw me talking and said, "Hey you. You finally wake up. You're trying to cross the border, right?"

After hearing this, I started screaming.

After doing so, I ran from my place and realized that it was all just a dream. Looking around, I noticed I was back at the entrance of my cave.

Sitting a few meters away someone put on a robe and hid their face. When they noticed I was looking towards them, the person got up and headed towards me while holding a knife

They got closer and eventually they got close enough to touch me.

The person then knelt down and slowly moved the knife down.

"Please don't kill me."

They stopped moving their knives and looked at my face. Under their hoods, I still don't know what they look like because they also wear masks.

The guy just shook his head and then continued moving the knife all the way to my hand and cut a rope that I didn't even know was there.

"Oh .. My shit, I thought you were going to kill me."

That person once again shook his head as if they were disappointed in me for thinking that.

With my hands now free, I tried to get up from where I was but that person used their free hands to push me back. They then grabbed a small bag beside them and took out a small piece of bread and handed it over.

Once it was in my hands, they made a gesture indicating that I should have eaten it. I looked at it for a while before pushing it into my mouth and chewing on it.

While it was very bland, it triggered a hunger pang on me after who knew how many days I had fallen asleep.

As soon as I finished the part they gave me, I looked up and asked if they had any more.

They simply shook their heads and returned to the side of the cave and sat down.

I contemplated just taking a lot of food out of my inventory to eat but since this was the first time I met someone here, I didn't want to risk doing something that would normally be impossible.

Waking up, I went to the other side of the cave where the man sat and looked for my bow that I had left behind earlier. It was easy to find when leaned against a wall with my quiver next to it with a smaller number of arrows then I left it.

I put on both and started making my way out of the cave. Before I left completely, I stood at the entrance and said, "I'll hunt for food. If you're still here when I get back then we can eat together." Then leave.

I searched and hunted for a little less than an hour and caught 3 rabbits in total. Each offers 1 Xp and System points each so I don't level up.

I walked back to the cave and as soon as I realized that a bit of smoke was coming out through the entrance.

Walking towards the cave, I raised the three rabbits for the person to see and then started working on skinning them and spitting out blood so that we could eat them.

As soon as I started working on the first rabbit and made some progress, the person came and took my knife while quickly shaking their heads.

They pushed me away from the rabbit and quickly skinned it. While doing that, they showed me how to do it right and my unpacking skills even leveled up just from watching.

After the three were done, we put them on the fire and started cooking them. As long as they were cooking, I had just started between the fire and that person.

Finally to avoid the awkwardness I experienced, I spoke up.

"Sooo .. can I ask who you are?"

There's no answer.

They looked up and nodded before looking back at the campfire and waiting for their food to finish cooking.

Again there was a quiet silence.

"Are you uhh ... Do you know how to talk or are you mute?"

That guy was staring at me.

In a very quiet voice I could barely contain the fire, I heard a small voice, "Yes"

Even though it was just a small start, I was happy to hear them say something.

We continued to watch the fire in silence until the flesh was completely cooked and we removed it from the stick and chewed it.

Or, at least I did.

The person just sits there staring at their food and not moving a muscle. It continued like this for five minutes (which I kept eating during), until they finally moved and raised their hands to their faces.

They grabbed the mask and slowly moved it slightly away from their faces but kept it. The person then moved the food closer to their mouth and ate some while continuing to make sure the mask was blocking my view of their face.

After a little bit of food was done, they put the mask back on and handed the rest of their food over to me.

I took it and just held it in my hand while continuing to stare at them.

"Why don't you want me to see your face?"

They looked at me and just looked at my face.

".... because .... I ... pain ...." they spoke in a very slow voice

Once again the silence held the conversation and made it awkward.

After a bit of time, instead of me continuing the conversation, they started instead. They grabbed their masks and grabbed them while slowly moving away. Under the mask was the face of a very burnt girl who showed that it continued to descend on her left side.

He left the mask before putting it back on and then continued to stare into the fire. None of us said anything for the rest of the day.

It was dark at last and as I began to enter my tent, he continued to sit there staring at the fire.

"Good night Miss ... Uhh ... You know, since you didn't mention your name, I'll call you Ms. Feuer (A/N: German word for fire.). I want to thank you for somehow finding me and saving me. I want to pay for it somehow in a way or form if possible but for now it's time for bed. Good night Ms. Feuer. "

Then I went to bed.

The night passed slowly when I had trouble finding sleep but it finally arrived at me. As soon as that happened, the night quickly passed and when I woke up I walked out of the tent and saw that he was gone. Outside my tent on the rock was a small book with a small ink bottle and a quill pen to write.

Taking the book, I opened the first page and found a little message.

"I was out in the woods when I shouted out loud and found your guest. Continuing inside, I finally came to find you constantly burning and healing at the same time. Even though under normal circumstances I would take all of yours, I I know how painful it is to be burned alive. I waited for the fire to go out and it finally worked. I dragged you back to your little tent and made sure to tie you up just in case you would try to fight me.

When you wake up, I see the fear in my eyes that further convinces me that you need help. I'm staying with you for a while and teaching you a few things. Although or time together may be short and you don't really know me, I'm sorry to say that I can't respond to many of your questions because the fire has changed permanently so I can't say much. I'm leaving this little journal for you as a reminder of what you've learned in the hope that by the time we meet again, you won't be alive again.

𝕾𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖞, 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝕱𝖊𝖚𝖊𝖗.

PS, I like the name you gave me. "

and that's where it ends.

Although I felt a little strange that she left it for me, I still thought of it as something good. Also thinking of the fact where he said he would take all mine, he turned out to have a good heart.