Chapter 38: Dawn on the Plains and Small Footprints

Dawn was known only by the faint brightness of the sky.

Thick gray clouds completely covered the heavens, and the rain that had fallen all night showed no sign of weakening as it continued to pound the ground.

Even huddled together under the rocky overhang, the relentless wind kept stealing away our body heat.

Rowena had become completely sullen.

Wrapped in the blanket I had given her, she sat curled up at the edge of the shelter, hugging her knees as she stared at the endless rain.

From time to time, she let out a bored sigh and poked at a nearby puddle with a small stick she had picked up.

Eventually, perhaps growing tired of that as well, she picked up small stones at her feet and began tossing them outside one by one.

Of course, the little stones were swallowed by the sound of the rain, changing nothing.

How long did that stretch of time last?

Well past noon, the torrential rain finally began to weaken little by little.

“…Alright. Let’s move while we can.”

I stood up and took out a change of clothes for Rowena from my pack.

I put away the soaked, cold blanket and changed her into dry traveling clothes.

“Come on, Rowena. Let’s move ahead while we can. Once we reach the inn, we can have something warm to eat.”

At my words, she nodded and held out her small hand.

We stepped once more onto the muddy plains.

The road had turned into something like a brown river of sludge. With every step, our feet sank deep, making it difficult to move forward.

We advanced carefully, step by step—

Slip.

“Ah!”

With a small cry, Rowena lost her footing and fell hard.

She was completely covered in mud.

Not only her cloak, but even the clothes underneath were stained brown.

They were clothes chosen specifically because they could get dirty, but Rowena still looked deeply shocked.

Tears quickly welled up in her large eyes, though she tried desperately to hold them back.

“Are you alright, Rowena!”

I rushed over immediately and lifted her up.

“Does anything hurt?”

She shook her head slightly, but the moment she tried to stand, she winced and let out a small groan.

When I removed her shoe, I saw her right ankle was slightly swollen.

(…A sprain. It doesn’t seem too serious.)

I crouched in front of her and turned my back.

“Come on, climb on. I’ll carry you from here.”

With an apologetic look, Rowena carefully clung to my back.

Carrying her small body, I started walking again.

Though the rain and mud made the footing terrible, I kept my steps steady and strong, doing my best not to worry her.

Before long, a faint orange glow from the setting sun began to filter through gaps in the clouds.

And in the distance ahead, we could see the warm lights of an inn town spread along the river.

“Look, Rowena. Just a little farther.”

I felt her nod slightly against my back.

When we reached the town, we hurried into the largest and cleanest-looking inn we could find.

“Excuse me, we’d like a room. And could you prepare hot water right away?”

The kind-looking landlady at the counter was surprised to see us drenched and covered in mud, but she responded gently.

“Oh my, you must have had a terrible time in this rain. And the little one too. Yes, I’ll have hot water prepared immediately.”

Once we were shown to our room, I quickly removed Rowena’s muddy clothes.

Fortunately, the swelling in her ankle wasn’t severe.

Using the hot water that was brought in, I carefully wiped her body clean.

I crushed some medicinal herbs Pip had given me, applied them to a cloth, and gently wrapped her ankle.

After confirming she had no other injuries, she narrowed her eyes in comfort.

Seeing that expression, I let out a relieved sigh.

Next, I washed myself and changed into clean clothes.

Sitting on the bed with a refreshed body, exhaustion washed over me all at once.

But there was still more to do.

I asked the landlady to change the water once more and brought the dirty clothes into the wash area.

“Rowena, we’re doing laundry. Watch closely.”

In a bucket of hot water, I carefully washed the mud out of the clothes.

Beside me, Rowena also began washing her undergarments as best as she could.

Her movements were clumsy, copying what she saw, but the sight was somehow endearing.

“No, not like that. Do it like this—gently, like you’re kneading it.”

When I showed her, she mimicked me with a serious expression.

After finishing, we wrung out the laundry tightly and hung it up on a rope stretched across the room.

The room was soon filled with the smell of damp fabric.

I glanced out the window.

The rain was still falling softly.

(We can’t move until these dry…)

And Rowena’s foot needed a bit more rest as well.

(Well, it’s not a journey we need to rush.)

I took out the notebook given to me by the knight from my pack beside the bed.

But the edges had gotten wet from the rain, and the ink had begun to smudge.

(…This is bad.)

I clicked my tongue quietly.

(If I see one somewhere, I should buy a waterproof leather pouch…)

Thinking that, I gently traced the blurred letters with my finger.