The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

First Contact (Winter 9)

"I won't hurt myself, I promise!" Audrey raised an eyebrow at Madoka's gaze but she was not worried about that.

"Broom," Madoka ordered.

"Wha—" Audrey uttered a noise but quickly retrieved the broom for Madoka. Several other cleaning tools were requested, things that Madoka has gathered over their long journey. Of all weapons to combat things she hated the most, brooms were her main choice. This place was messy and she took it upon herself to ensure it was worthy of Audrey's presence. Madoka could hear the princess's complaining reaction in her head but that only drove her will to sweep up the place.

She stopped as the smell of savory meat wafted through the logging cabin. Audrey smiled as Madoka was drawn to the food. Cooked meat pierced with sticks hung over the fireplace. There was a peculiar set of meat that Madoka has never seen before.

"Dinner is done!" Audrey gestured at the firepit. Madoka noticed something next to the deer's remains. It was the dragon wing. "I have zero clue how the dragon wing is going to taste. So... You get to try it first! Yeah!"

For some reason, Madoka felt nervous that Audrey was suggesting her to eat the dragon wing meat first. Tentatively, she grabbed a stick with the strange meat and sent her prayers to the kind gods before taking a bite. The meat flaked apart and dissolved in her mouth resulting in a savory and delectable flavor. It was the sweet taste of victory over the ultimate elements; a golden moment of melting folded-over joint meat and a powerful reminder of the results of her hard work.

Seeing Madoka's satisfaction, Audrey also dug in. The sweet noise of elation from the former princess's mouth filled Madoka's ears and it encouraged her to eat more. Eventually, both girls ascended into a food heaven no one else in the world would ever discover. Perhaps it was the first time Madoka ate in awhile but she did not care. The taste was glorious.

They would eventually stay here for a couple of days. Madoka hoped that her friend's legs would heal up swiftly but secretly hoped she could still carry Audrey on her back when they eventually departed or saw signs of people coming back.

Yet the days went by and no strangers ever showed. That beam of light remained but Madoka chose not to mention it to Audrey. She simply did not know how to bring it up.

Later, she found herself one day being absentminded. It was rare to have quiet days like these now, since all the two girls did in the past few weeks was trudge through snow and now she had time to relax. Yet something stirred in her heart. A restlessness that she could not ignore crept in her mind, probably leftover habits from her old life. She hunted some more with crude arrows fashioned with rock tips while Audrey made plans and recovered. Supposedly, the Dragon Wind God challenged her personally but Madoka simply nodded as she listened to her ramble about her odd cultivation of mana and spirit stars until they went to sleep.

The sun was hidden before icy clouds, some of the days it did not bother to show itself. This abandoned and war-torn lumberyard lay next to a frozen river that continued to flow downhill. Madoka found an axe nearby and thought back to her idle days in the North Estate. She felt a hint of nostalgia as she held it. It did not speak to her hand's grip the way a war axe did. This was a mere tool never meant to taste blood. She gave it a few swings and filled the time with more idling.

Was it okay for her to be this... unproductive?

Madoka noticed there was a pile of logs strapped in next to the mill with a single snug rope. It managed to make it through the weather until she came along. She climbed on the mill with the axe and admired the view. Then she smashed the rope and released the log stack.

A loud crash reverberated the valley as the pile of logs tumbled down into the frozen river. Snapping wood and crackling ice echoed in the atmosphere followed by an endless cacophony of rushing disturbed water, Madoka idly watched it all happen. She caused that mess and she was okay with that.