"Let's look for a cave, Allyssa before it gets darker,"
Sabi ko kay Allyssa sabay hila ko sa kaniya na patayo dahil madilim na ang paligid at delikado kapag hindi kami nakahanap ng kweba na pwedeng pagpalipasan ng gabi kaysa dito na pwede kaming mapahamak sa labas lalo na't wala kaming ilaw na gagamitin upang makita ang dinadaanan namin. How I wish I have my phone so that I can use the flashlight.
"D-Davina, are we going to die here?"
"Shh, don't say that. We need to walk faster,"
Ani ko sa kaniya sabay hila ko sa kaniya dahil natatakot na din ako tapos nagsasabi pa siya ng ganyan when I just started my new life here with my mom tapos mamamatay lang ako dito ng hindi nagtatagal.
"Allyssa, I found a cave! Let's go,"
I said as I look at her and I was pulling her when she really looks tired habang naghahabol ng kaniyang hininga and hearing her stomach growling as she looks at me.
"H-How c-ome t-hat y-you loo-k ok-ay aft-er walking so fast?"
Sabi niya as she let go my hand para gawing tungkod ang kamay niya na hinawak niya sa kaniyang tuhod kaya medyo nakayuko siya.
"Eh? Haha~ maybe it's because of my adrenaline that I can't feel my tiredness,"
"Gosh, I'm so tired and hungry,"
"Anyway, let's go to the cave that I found before its really dark and dangerous animals come out,"
I said as I walk slowly towards the cave that I found para makasunod pa din siya sa akin since halos magcrawl na siya sa damuhan.
"I am really hungry, Davina,"
Allyssa said to her while she is looking for a rock and wood near the cave they found so she can start a fire with those. Halos nakahiga si Allyssa sa pagkakaupo niya no'ng makalapit siya kay Davina kung saan ang kweba at lalong dumilim ang kapaligiran nila and Davina had many attempts to make a fire bago siya nakagawa ng bonfire at amaze naman na amaze si Allyssa dahil sa ginawa at tinanong paano niya nagawa 'yon.
"You should know to make fire with these things if you want to survive, Allyssa,"
I said to Allyssa since iba ang gamit namin sa pag-luluto dahil mas madali iyon na paapuyin kaysa sa ginawa ko since ginamit ko 'yong bato to peel the tree branches para mas madaling umapoy and cut a little from the tree as I use the other tree to make fire with the tree shreds.
"You are so cool! I didn't know you are capable of this when I thought you only know how to stay at home,"
Ani ni Allyssa at hindi ko alam kung may pagkasarkastiko 'yong sinabi niya but she is right that I am staying at home the most even in my past life but I think I should go out if I want to help my mom and become a knight is what I really want to try when I was reading historical stories because female knights are so cool.
"Are you complimenting me or teasing me?"
"Hm? Complimenting you,"
Allyssa said to her na tila ba pinag-isipan pa ang isasagot ng ilang segundo na nakatingin kay Davina na napakainosente ang reaksiyon ng kaniyang mukha.
"Really? but I feel like it's not,"
"Of course, I am complimenting you!"
Sagot ni Allyssa sa kaniya habang ngumiti sa kaniya since magkaharap sila ngayon at nakikita ni Davina ang reaksiyon niya sa liwanag ng bonfire na ginawa niya sa loob ng kweba. Napakunot noo naman siya kay Allyssa sa sinagot sa kaniya at napabuntong hininga nalang since she didn't find her strange since she's been acting different to her but she felt comfortable being with Allyssa kahit na kakakilala niya lang ito.
"Yes, yes. We need to save energy so you should go sleep now to quell your hunger. I will stay awake,"
"Alright, just wake me up if you feel sleepy. We will take turns,"
"Yes, so go sleep now,"
Allyssa nods as she sleeps leaning on the rock behind her while Davina looks at the sky as she sees the dark night with stars. She is thinking about what happened to her for the two days she was here with unfamiliar surroundings and they are trapped in the mountain she is hoping that they can go home safe and sound.
"I hope we can go back tomorrow kahit na nasasayangan ako sa pagsali bukas ng training,"
Ani ko dahil maaga ang pagpili nila na makakasama sa training for knights since they need to see those who are qualified to join the training and I have to wait until next year if we can't make it tomorrow.
~~~
Meanwhile...
Miss Lyn is looking for them since it is already past dinner time but they are still not home when Allyssa said they will be back before dinner so she asked her neighbors or the people if they saw them. Luckily, one of them saw them going to the mountain when he is about to go to his farm nearby kaya naman humingi siya ng tulong upang hanapin sila, and they gathered around to look for Allyssa and Davina in front of the mountain when they saw someone coming out of the mountain with a light. Miss Lyn felt relief when they saw a light approaching the entrance of the mountain pero no'ng makita niyang hindi sila Allysa at Davina ang nakita nila ay nag-alala na naman siya at muntikan pang mapaupo but someone beside her caught her.
"Miss Lyn, calm down. We will look for them,"
She calms down as they approach the two guys from the mountain which is the doctor who is looking for certain herbs and his companion, none other than, Hanz and Ian who are wondering why are the town's people in front of the mountain is there.
"Good Evenin--"
"Did the two of you see two ladies in the mountain?"
The chief of the town asks Hanz after describing Allyssa and Davina from Lyn's descriptions about them who was interrupted by greeting them while Ian frowns because they interrupted Hanz but Hanz signs Ian to never mind as he faces the guy who is asking them.
"Are they Allyssa and Davina?"
"Yes, they are,"
"We saw them earlier and greeted each other as they parted with us after that,"
Hanz said what happened and he didn't think that they will be lost when he is not worried when he saw them getting away from them kahit na iba ang tinatahak nilang daanan since they are from this village so he is not worried as they will be familiar when he scolded Ian dahil tumanggi sila since he is glaring at them dahil tiyak na matatagalan sila sa paghahanap ng kaniyang hinahanap na herbs kaya ginabi sila.
"Do you happen where they went?"
"We saw them going to the part where the sign or warning is,"
Ani ni Ian na seryoso ang mukha niya kaya napatingin silang lahat sa kaniya na nabigla at naging nag-alala ang kanilang mukha while Miss Lyn sobs when she heard Ian's statement since the signs tells that it is dangerous in those part of the mountain kaya napabaling ang tingin ni Hanz at Ian sa kaniyang pag-iyak.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Hanz whispered Ian since wala siyang nakita na sign but he trusts Ian so he thought he saw it somewhere where they went to since he was busy with the herbs he is checking earlier kaya hindi na siya masyadong tumingin sa paligid niya since Ian will do that job upang hindi sila maligaw kahit gabihin pa sila.
"I didn't know that they are not back and I think they saw the warning sign,"
Ian whispered back to Hanz as they town's people started to go inside the mountain after they asked them. Hanz felt guilt as he remembered Ian's action with them kaya napabuntong hininga siya at tumingin kay Ian.
"We will help them look for them,"
"Prince H-- Sir Hanz, we don't need to and we are not familiar with the paths,"
Ian said seriously to Hanz who is frowning at him.
"Don't you forget that it's your fault why they run to that side? You scared them with those stares of yours,"
Ani ni Hanz kay Ian kaya napabuntong hininga naman si Ian since he knows that it is somewhat his fault looking at them like that.
"...fine,"
Ian said so Hanz smiled before they went back to the forest with the town search party as they followed them going to the path where Allyssa and Davina runoff and saw the town chief.
"Are you two going to help to look for them?"
"Yes,"
"Thank you for helping us when you are a visitor to this village,"
He said and Hanz just smiled at him as they continue walking and looking around with the torch as their light.
"We should look for a cave, Sir Hanz,"
"Cave?"
"Yes, it is the first thing you should do if you are lost in a forest. It is fortunate if they are in a cave but if not then,"
Ian said as he leads the way since going into a cave is the best choice to go to have a rest or spend the night especially if you cannot protect yourself.
"You know that they are just ordinary women, and don't have the common sense or have the survival instinct, Ian but I am hoping that they are safe somewhere while we are looking for them,"
"If they survived before we see them,"
Ian said casually as if he didn't mind if they died or not while searching for them and Hanz sighs as he is worried about him since he changed a lot after losing Avy as he shakes his head to focus on searching.
"Ian, don't you think we are going far from the search party?"
Ani ni Hanz dahil malayo na sila sa kasamahan nilang naghahanap since Ian is walking away in a different way from the others as if he knows where is he going but he is just following him.
"I know, but we should look further if you want to help them, right?"
"Yes,"
"Then, we should check it out since you have and you also know how to fight, Sir Hanz,"
Ian said while walking in the direction where Allyssa and Davina went as if Ian's instinct guided him in that way. Ian smirks as he faces Hanz na nagtataka dahil sa pagtingin ni Ian sa kaniya after he stops walking in front if him.
"See. I just saw a light from that cave not so far,"
Ian said as he pointed the cave na hindi kalayuan na may ilaw kaya hindi makapaniwala si Hanz sa nakikita since they found Allyssa and Davina by looking a cave by Ian's suggestion.
"...let's go check them out,"
Hanz said at nilagpasan si Ian while Ian just follows Hanz walking fast to that cave.
~~~
"Allyssa, wake up,"
I said since I heard the sounds of grasses and bushes kaya mahina kong ginising si Allyssa na natutulog as I pick up the stick that I prepared na pinatalas ang dulo nito as I let her stay behind me.
"Why?"
Mahinang tanong ni Allyssa sa akin mahabang nakahawak sa damit ko na natatakot as we go near to the entrance of the cave na patago para makapag handa to attack whatever that thing is and we can run as soon as possible after attacking with the stick.
"Allyssa, prepare to run after I attack whatever it is, okay? Run as fast as you can,"
"O-okay,"
Allyssa said kahit na natatakot siya sa likod ni Davina na nakahandang umatake sa kung sinuman ang aataki sa kanila.
"Be ready. Papalapit na,"
Davina said as she was ready to attack their enemy when Ian immediately pull Hanz who was about to take the attack from her kaya napalabas naman sila Davina since she didn't successfully attack their enemy.
"Eh?"
"Hanz?"
Davina was surprised as she was kneeled on the ground and saw Hanz na nagulat din na napaupo paharap sa kaniya dahil sa paghila ni Ian while Allyssa who is about to run stops when she saw Hanz and Ian.
"That was close,"
Hanz said after recovering from the shock, "Sir Hanz, you should be careful next time," Ian said as he helped him to stands up habang si Davina naman ay napaupo dahil sa kaba, takot, at hindi maipaliwanag na nararamdaman in case that she accidentally killed someone makes her scared out of it.
"S-orr--"
"Wahh!!!"
Allyssa burst out as she hugs Hanz while crying instead of helping her and she even interrupted her for apologizing to Hanz for almost stabbing him. Hanz just taps Allyssa's back as he can't push her away while Ian just watches them and Davina stands up as she felt relief that someone come to look for them since she can just scold Allyssa later.
"Let's go back now before it gets darker,"
Ian said kaya naman napabitaw si Allyssa kay Hanz while Hanz smiled at her.
"Are you both okay?"
"We are okay! Thank you for looking for us,"