The fog of sleep gradually dissipated from her mind, awakening from that dream of the past. A bitter memory of her childhood that she wishes she hadn't had right now, especially not in such a vivid way. Miriam got up from her makeshift bed and, noticing the tears running down her face, lifted her shirt to dry them as best she could. She couldn't let Elisa see that and use it against her later... "The last thing I need right now is to give her any more things she can use against me... especially if I want to fix things between us."  With that in mind, Miriam got up from the floor and walked out of the tent.

"Oh, I was just about to wake you up." Elisa was sitting in front of the fire and was surprised to see the cub come out of the tent. Miriam is usually a heavy sleeper, and it's quite difficult to wake her up, so it was very unusual to see her waking up all by herself.

"Yeah, well... I'm awake now..."

The blonde noticed that there was something off about her. She looked droopy and apathetic, which, oddly enough, made her feel worried.

"Did something happen, did you have a nightmare?"

“That's none..." – she blurted out but stopped in the middle. She wanted to answer her that that was none of her business, but... "Truth is, I don't want to fight with her again. Not after that dream."  So, Miriam took a deep breath and answered normally. – Something like that... I don't want to talk about it."

"I... I see. Uh... then..."

"You don't have to say anything... go get some sleep."

"...I understand."

With that, Elisa rose from her spot, walking into the tent to take her well-deserved rest. Miriam moved to a pile of branches off to the side and grabbed some to feed the fire. She sat down in the same spot the blonde had been in a moment ago and began to ponder.

From that moment until dawn, she kept thinking of a way to approach things with Elisa. A way to at least bring about a real truce where they could both talk normally, discuss without raising their voices or insulting each other, anything that could bring real peace to both of them. It was fine if they didn't make peace completely, Miriam just wanted that when they did talk, it would be without the need to treat each other as mortal enemies.

"*Yawn*"

The sound of a cute yawn attracted her attention. Neminah woke up and, with a sleepy look on her face, headed straight for her, sitting down next to her and resting her head on her shoulder.

"Hey, did you sleep well?"

"Umm." Was her only reply, before falling asleep again. Miriam let out a small giggle and began to pet the girl's head. "Was that how I looked to her at that time?"

"Don't go back to sleep. Go wash your face, c'mon."

"Okay~"

As the girl went to do her business, Miriam abandoned her previous train of thought, concentrating on what was in store for her for the day ahead.

As far as they knew, the monsters were moving from their natural territories, deep in the mountains, into the Cedarstone Forest. This meant that there was something or someone that was displacing them, either a much more powerful monster or, what Miriam believed, human action. With the things her mother had mentioned, it might have been the latter. "If they are causing trouble on the other side of the mountains, they're surely thinking of using that to distract Agrilisa's soldiers and take advantage of it to invade them." Miriam delved a little deeper into that idea. "If things go well, maybe we can get some information that will be useful to mom." The cub smiled, thinking that maybe, and just maybe, this little trip really could turn out to be something very good for all of them.

"Sis, should I wake Eli up?"

"...No, let her sleep a little longer."

Neminah looked at her in surprise. It struck her as odd that she, Miriam, would grant Elisa some leniency.

"Are you okay, sis?"

Rolling her eyes Miriam replied, "I'm fine, it's just... never mind, just let her sleep, okay?"

"Okay, but... something happened between you two last night?"

The sudden question surprised Miriam. It was as if the girl suspected something. The dragon narrowed her eyes at Neminah, wondering if she should say something. Though the foxkin only returned a look of curiosity. Seeing that there was no problem in telling her, Miriam gestured for her to come closer, which she immediately obeyed, sitting back down next to her older sister.

"Look, don't say anything to her, okay? I... I'm sure Mom was planning something else by sending us on this mission. I've been thinking and I believe that besides sending us to level up..." the cub paused, feeling a bit hesitant to voice her thoughts about what she believed were Reilanis' true intentions. She turned her gaze back to the tent and, hoping Elisa wasn't awake, finished expressing her idea. - I think she wants Eli and me to make peace."

A smile broke out on Neminah's face and her tails wagged vigorously. She had wished for so long that her two sisters could finally get along. The little foxkin was very concerned to see how they were constantly fighting and hurling insults at each other. Such things reminded her too much of her time when she lived in the brothel. But, seeing that at least Miriam was willing to work things out between them, made a great relief wash over her. She immediately hugged Miriam, letting out a happy purr.

"When are you two going to make things up?"

"Don't say it so loud! Look, I'm still thinking about how to talk to her, but it's not that easy. For now, just, don't say anything to her, understand? I need time to think of something."

Nemi responded with a vigorous nod. She was pretty excited about the good news. She truly hoped that things would work out well between them, she even thought that, if either of them asked her for help, she would definitely do whatever it took to assist them. This made all the sleepiness that was left in her disappear instantly, and she was filled with new energy, a very positive one, which she took advantage of to get up from her place and tell her older sister that she would make them a tasteful breakfast.

 

---

 

It had been only a short while after Neminah had left the tent that Elisa had woken up. Whether it was because of the argument she had had with Miriam earlier, or because even she seemed to have been thinking about the past, she had the same dream as the cub. The same memories had replayed as she slept, and as expected, it brought complicated feelings to her heart. Those words she shouted at Miriam on that occasion, the face of the girl who ran away from her with a broken heart, and, above all, guilt and regret. Feelings that she didn't usually express, but that at this moment had overwhelmed her. The blonde stood for a while staring at the ceiling of the tent, fighting against herself, her pride, and her heart pitted against each other. It was in that moment of silence that she heard both girls talking.

"...So... Master wants us to make peace... *sigh* and even Miriam wants to do it too..." Elisa brought one of her arms to her face, covering her eyes. She felt confused as to what she wanted to do or should do. "Even I want to end all this, but it's so... If I do, where will my pride as the older sister be left? Miriam is right... in the end, what have I ever done for our group other than complaint? Vistelia is in charge of gathering the information that Master needs, even now they are a couple... quite a happy one from what I saw the other day. Nemi, even though she's just a kid, sometimes cooks the food for everyone, and with her cheerful attitude brings calm and positivity to everyone."

Elisa's thoughts had gone down a deeply negative route. She started to become depressed and feel completely unnecessary in Reilanis' family. "Even Miriam... while I have said a thousand times that she is useless or a coward, she has proven to me many times that this is not true... she... she is actually much more capable than me in almost everything... how do you expect me to feel at ease when that girl has so easily surpassed me in such a short time? ...part of the group... which group? You guys are a family that I'm not a part of... even the status windows constantly remind me of that..."

Elisa was silent for a moment, stopping even her thoughts. She realized that, in the end, all the things she had said to Miriam were actually the things she thought about herself, and that made her feel pathetic. She didn't want to go through with it anymore, if she continued, she would end up in a spiral of self-loathing and she couldn't stand that. "Tch, what a horrible way to wake up." She decided to get up and leave before she got even more trapped in such pessimistic and depressing thoughts.

Outside, she greeted Nemi, who returned her good morning energetically. When she saw Miriam, although she hesitated, she greeted her calmly, as if nothing had happened. The cub, somewhat uncomfortable, returned the greeting, in a quite normal way, although in a low voice. Both looked awkward, but at least it could be said that they were at peace.

After a while, they breakfasted on the delicious meal Neminah had prepared. Soft, fluffy pieces of white bread, stuffed with orc meatballs, washed down with a sweet paste of fresh tomatoes, accompanied by a warm drink of ground Cals' seeds (Technically Coffee). Feeling their stomachs full and happy, they began to gather everything in the camp. They extinguished the campfire, and Miriam, after checking the map, walked ahead, leading them a little further west, up the mountain, but following the trail of blood, which they had suspected belonged to the trolls they had come to hunt.

"Listen, from here on keep an eye out for any sound or movement around us. The forest is getting thicker and should be very easy for any monster to ambush us. Nemi, if you hear or smell anything, tell me immediately, understood?"

"Aye, sis."

"Good. Elisa, I need you to check our rear, I might not notice something, so it's your job to let me know."

"Understood."

And just like that, so easily that even Neminah was surprised, Elisa had accepted her orders. No protests or complaints, not even her usual condescending tone. Miriam, though surprised, decided not to give the matter much thought and nodded toward her. Neither Nemi nor Elisa noticed a small smile on the cub's lips. A smile formed as she saw that it could genuinely be peace between the two of them. "Maybe... we really can make things up if we talk it off calmly." Thought the girl as she continued to lead her companions.

The group of 3 continued to travel through the dense forest as Veldor began to rise above their heads, approaching its zenith. Even though they had made good progress, following the few traces of blood or other tracks and marks that indicated that rather large monsters had passed through, they had found nothing. Miriam didn't know if that would be considered a good or bad sign, and she was struggling to find an answer. She looked up at the sky, and seeing that it was close to midday and that the other two girls looked tired and hungry, she decided to head for a place where they could rest and eat.

"According to the map, there should be-"

Instantly, Miriam stopped and hid behind a tree, signaling the other two to do the same. She had felt a shiver run down her back, a clear indicator that her [Danger Detection] ability had been activated.

"What's going on-"

"Shh."

Elisa tried to ask, but Miriam immediately silenced her, then signaled her by showing her open hand and then pointing to a place several meters ahead. The blonde followed the indications, and after focusing her gaze, her expression changed to one of warning.

In the distance, in a clearing that Vistelia had indicated would be a safe place to camp, there were five trolls, with their own small camp set up. Just as Reilanis had described them, tall as a tree, with slender limbs and stout bodies, pale light blue and dirty skins. Their faces were hideous, with large, stubby noses and, protruding from their jaws, large fangs pointing upward.

The gigantic monsters were lounging about the place while eating some orcs, several of whom were still alive. Dismembered or with their guts spilling out of their bodies, but alive.

Realizing that they could do nothing but watch, Miriam instructed them to withdraw as quietly as they could.

 

---

 

"So. What are we going to do?"

"For now, nothing. As long as the 5 of them are together, there's no way we can do anything."

"At least now we know where they are, right, sis?"

"That's the only good news."

Although they looked relieved, in reality, none of the 3 had let their guard down, and they kept the conversation low, so as not to cover the sounds of anything that might want to approach them.

They had backtracked a couple of miles, just in case, and had settled down near a giant tree stump, where they decided to have some lunch of jerky and a couple of fruits to appease their hunger.

"Elisa, remember what I told you last night?"

At that question, the blonde narrowed her eyes, wary and somewhat annoyed, realizing what she was referring to.

"I remember, why?"

"Forget all that. This isn't the time for that nonsense. Since we found those bastards, we need all our strength."

"I see. Yes, I agree."

Trying not to sound so relieved, Elisa answered her as calmly and politely as she could. She certainly had a feeling that, having found the monsters they came to hunt, Miriam would change her mind about what she said, but she was still a bit worried about it.

With that settled, they now had to figure out how they would approach the new problem.

"It sucks that the 5 of them are in the same place, and to top it off it's one of the places Vi pointed out to us. With the next one too far away from us... if we leave those bastards, we'll surely lose our chance to hunt them down."

"Can't we try to lure them?"

"No, Nemi, I don't think that will work. They look idiotic enough, but if we lure one the others will surely go after that one. And if by some chance they don't, the fight would be too noisy, and with the silence in the forest thanks to them scaring everything around, they'll hear us with no problem. The only thing we can do is wait until one of them gets far enough from the rest, and lure him into a trap..."

"Or kill them all at once..."

Elisa sighed as she finished her words. It was very unrealistic to accomplish such a thing, at least not for them, who lacked the strength to pull it off. The only real option they had, was to keep an eye on them and wait for one to split up, and lure it in and away enough to be able to kill it without alerting the rest. Miriam looked at both of them, thinking about what would be the best course of action, also remembering the situation she had pending with Elisa. Although she seemed to be acting more cooperatively, she needed to talk to her to clarify the situation and avoid any rose that could put them in danger. With that in mind, she decided to look for a nearby place that seemed safe enough to set up camp. They would be watching them as much as they could so they might find the right time to attack them.

"Here's what we'll do..."

Miriam gave her opinion on the matter, and they both agreed. They gathered everything they had used and began looking for a place to settle. By the time Veldor was approaching twilight, they had found a place good enough, and relatively close to the trolls, perhaps the best place so far. It was an abandoned cave, with no tracks or signs of being used in a long time. It was deep enough for the 3 girls to walk in and have more than enough room to be comfortable, and its entrance was also small enough to prevent any large monsters from entering. They could even take advantage of the narrow entrance to place medium-sized logs, tie them together and turn them into a sort of door to close the entrance, making the cave an incredibly cozy place.

"Ha, I haven't lived in a cave for ages."

"Right, the last time we did this we were still traveling up north. We were just kids back then."

They both smiled as they reminisced, in one of those rare moments when they agreed with each other. Though, realizing that, they looked away, uncomfortable. Though Miriam felt that maybe that was the opportunity she needed. She glanced sideways at Elisa and, she decided that if she was going to do it, it was better to do it right away.

"Nemi, can you get everything ready here? Elisa and I will go gather firewood and the logs to make the door for closing the cave."

"Aye! Leave it to me, good luck Sis!"

Giving her a bright-eyed smile, Neminah began to prepare the tent and the other things in a very good mood. Miriam for her part, took a confused Elisa by the hand and walked out from the cave towards the forest.

After walking a bit, and without letting go of her yet, the dragon girl stopped.

"Look, there's something we need to talk about."

"...I'm listening."

She remained silent for a moment, trying to think correctly about what she wanted to say. Took a deep breath and then turned, looking Elisa in the eye.

"From now on, things are going to get really fucked up.” – She expounded, keeping a calm expression. The blonde nodded in comprehension, which gave her cause to continue. – You and I have our... history. And right now, with those bastards right in front of us, we don't have the afford to fight each other."

"That’s... true..."

"That's why I want us to call a truce. At least until we get this whole thing over with. Elisa, can you follow my orders and cooperate with me so we can get rid of those stupid trolls and successfully return home? If you won't do it for this, do it at least for Nemi. I don't want her to keep watching us fight constantly. Especially right now."

Leaving her with that peace offering, Miriam held out her hand, waiting for Elisa to take it and settle the deal. The blonde remained silent for a while, thinking about what to do. It was true that right now it was really stupid to fight each other when they needed to be extremely alert. Plus, the trolls looked like opponents that, even fighting just one of them, would be very tough. Taking that into consideration, she could agree to have a truce. However, there was something she needed to say first.

"I understand. I'll accept, but on one condition."

"...Which one?" Miriam replied suspiciously.

"I want you to forget what happened last night."

The cub was surprised at what she heard. "Is that the condition? Forget about last night? Did she mean about fighting alone or about everything we talked about?"

"You'll have to be more-"

"Everything that happened last night. I didn't say anything, and neither did you. That's my condition."

Miriam noticed that Elisa seemed to regret what she said the night before. Why else would she be given that kind of condition? Seeing that it was nothing complicated, she nodded and replied in agreement. With that, Elisa nodded back and they shook hands, making their truce completely official. At least, until they were done with their mission.

Neither showed it on their faces, but both were relieved and, to some extent, quite happy with how things had turned out. Unaware of it, they shared the same thought at the time. "Hopefully this will help improve our relationship."