Kai looked around the inside of the hut while Katherine moved from one side to the other with a speed that contrasted with the exhaustion she was still dragging from the previous days.

  The catgirl crouched beside a corner, pushed aside a few dry leaves, and began gathering the few provisions they had managed to store. She took several wild fruits, a small waterskin, and a bundle wrapped in rough cloth that probably contained dried meat.

  Her tail flicked in short, nervous movements, as if she still had not fully accepted that this time they were truly going to leave the vilge. Kai leaned for a moment against the doorframe and watched her work without interfering.

  ‘We barely have anything, but at least I’m not leaving empty-handed like before,’ he thought.

  Katherine lifted a small leather bag, checked its weight, and then frowned when she noticed it was too light. “This is everything we managed to gather,” Katherine murmured as she adjusted the strap of the bag over her shoulder and avoided looking at him directly.

  Kai crossed his arms and looked over the contents before nodding calmly. “It will be enough for now,” Kai replied as he tilted his head slightly and kept his tone firm, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt.

  Katherine made a small grimace, then bent down to tie the food bundle more securely. “I don’t like leaving with so little,” Katherine admitted as her ears pulled back and she pressed her lips together with clear discomfort. Kai let out a breath through his nose and stepped away from the entrance.

  “Neither do I,” Kai said as he brought a hand to his neck and shifted his gaze toward the outside of the vilge, “but staying still won’t do us any good either.”

  Katherine finished packing and finally straightened up. For a second they remained silent, listening to the distant sounds of the vilge. ‘Strange,’ Kai thought. ‘Not long ago this pce meant nothing to me, and now leaving it feels heavy.’ Without saying anything else, Katherine took the main bag and moved to his side, ready to leave.

  The two of them walked toward the area where Ivark was. The orc was standing beside one of the recently built structures, inspecting a pile of stacked logs with a serious expression. His massive figure still looked out of pce among the huts and catgirls, but he no longer gave the impression of being an intruder on the verge of breaking everything. When he saw Kai approaching, he stopped what he was doing and straightened his back.

  Kai stopped in front of him, lifting his chin a little. “I’m finally leaving for the city,” Kai said as he kept his eyes fixed on Ivark and spoke with a seriousness that was meant to make clear that this was not some improvised outing. Ivark nodded slowly and pced a hand over his chest. “I understand, Master,” Ivark replied as he lowered his head respectfully and then looked at him again with his dark eyes. “The vilge will be left in good hands.”

  Kai looked at the orc, then turned his head slightly, gesturing with his eyes toward the rest of the settlement. “Try to get closer to the catgirls,” Kai suggested as he made a short motion with his hand toward the huts. “If they want to live together better, they’ll have to stop seeing each other as strangers.”

  Ivark stayed silent for a second, as if giving that phrase more weight than it seemed to carry on the surface. Then he lowered his head in acceptance. “I will,” Ivark replied as he pressed a closed fist against his chest and showed an almost solemn seriousness. “If I’m going to stay here, I can’t keep being just the orc they tolerate.”

  Kai let out a faint sound of approval. “Exactly,” Kai said as he nodded.

  Ivark then looked at Katherine, then back at Kai. “I wish you luck on your journey,” Ivark decred, “and I hope you return with something useful for everyone.”

  Kai allowed himself a brief half-smile. “That’s the pn,” Kai replied as he raised a hand in a dry but sincere farewell.

  Katherine also gave a small nod. “Don’t let everything fall apart while we’re gone,” Katherine added as she adjusted the bag over her shoulder.

  Ivark let out a low ugh. “I’ll do my best,” Ivark answered.

  By the time they stepped away from him, Sira was already waiting for them near the vilge entrance. The catgirl was standing beside the path with her arms crossed and her tail swaying from side to side with restrained energy. Her eyes moved first to Katherine, then to Kai, and finally to the bag of provisions.

  “I thought you would take longer,” Sira commented.

  Kai walked up to her and observed her in silence for a moment. ‘She’s uncomfortable too,’ he thought. ‘She just hides it better than the others.’

  “Everything is ready,” Kai said as he cast one st gnce at the vilge behind them and felt a slight pressure in his chest as he saw the huts, the figures moving in the distance, and the pce that, in some absurd way, was already beginning to feel like his.

  Sira uncrossed her arms and stepped aside from the path. “Then let’s go,” Sira replied as one of her ears turned toward the forest and her fingers tightened slightly, as if she wanted to start walking before she had too much time to think.

  Katherine moved to Kai’s side. “We’re coming back, right?” Katherine asked as she gripped the strap of the bag tightly and lifted her gaze to him with an unusual seriousness.

  Kai looked ahead, toward the path opening between the trees, then answered without taking his eyes off the forest. “Yes,” Kai said as he took the first step out of the vilge and tightened his jaw slightly, “we’re coming back.”

  And with Sira and Katherine at his side, he left behind the huts, the gazes, and the retive safety of the settlement, venturing once again into the unknown path ahead.