How long must this go on

 "What was in that wine?" ChaCha practically winked. Was it the morning after or had it been longer? Oh, she really didn't want to think.

Only they were alone now. War either trotted off somewhere or became a mystic being and carried Corrin off like a little bird. Not that she nor Milo had been much help to the little vixen. Yet, she wasn't a crying infant, either.

"But what if..if we slept through something..we don't know?" Now Milo was jumping to conclusions. He got to his feet and ran out of the cave barefooted to meet the hot sand. ChaCha followed as her toes soon stung in the hot sand. It was true the cave was cool. Maybe they hadn't missed anything in the outside world. 

"Do you think we might have...um..hybernated?" She asked as he was looking for the moon in the sky. 

He remained even lipped. He shook his head. He did not know.

ChaCha sighed. She went to put the kettle on. She was certain they were both starving. Although, there was nothing in the cave to eat. Of course, her stomach growled. Honestly, she could go right back to slumber. She nursed her bottom lip. Milo wasn't back. She went to the entrance and squinted a peek in the bright sun. Sure the ocean was epically blue and the sands so white yet it gave her a headache to look outside.

Yes, she'd spent far too long in the dark by the firelight, studying walls of martial lingo and lore, meditating, maybe even dreaming. Of course, none of that was going to bring a huge drumstick. She looked to see what herbs might still be about to make a warm tea. But it might as well have been clouded water with grass. She made a face of disgust. Maybe she should look for more wine. They couldn't have drunk that much. Just as she was on her way to investigate, Milo arrived with the fish and even a few clams.

"Did you steal those?" It couldn't be possible.

Milo only smiled as if he couldn't tell her a secret. She would have to learn it on her own.

in the midst of it

 

Milo wasn't sure if he could understand this. Being here with someone from his past and ChaCha along with their fearless leader War. He tried to think about before, and what he went through with Corrin. It felt like a blank space now. Yet, it had been a long and hard ride with her. Being under her spell. 

Sure, he'd learned a lot from her. Especially, about the dark martial arts, the writings were on the wall of the cave ready for them to endure. He never felt quite comfortable with the energy of it, but of course, he only used it to get through all the perils with their mishap adventures with Corrin, who always had a way of seeing it through from the sects they came across. After all, it was a wicked world out there. 

Of course, he missed old friends. Unsure if they were dead or alive. It was strange how he didn't know what had happened during the end of Corrin's reign (which he no longer feared) and how he woke up and found ChaCha. Maybe it was fate.

"Let's have a drink," ChaCha said. She'd found a room of jars of wine. "We should celebrate." She brought him a bowl of wine. Of course, she'd made the cave a home. She'd mended clothes and did most of the cooking and cleaning.

"Celebrate?" Milo looked at her wide-eyed as if she'd started drinking without him. She only smiled back.

"Let's celebrate that we've come this far. This is our chance to make things right with the world," she said they needed to study hard, practice through mental awareness and martial arts training.

"Make things right?" Milo winced as he sipped the wine. "How is that possible?"

"Oh, you know you are good," She nudged him a bit as the wine dripped down his fingers. Yes, he was certain she'd started without him. "We are good together."

Milo nodded with a quick smile. He did like the sound of it. After all, he was glad she was here. He was glad to know she might actually be fond of him because he was naturally fond of her. 

They drank then as if tomorrow was a promise. And they would be the best of friends learning how to navigate through such a hostile world. After all, the little things still meant a lot to each of them.

How it will be

 ChaCha was still trying to figure it out the man from the sea. How could this be? War was a horse? Was it Corrin's doing? Was she that masterful?

"I don't think so," Milo shook his head no as they looked at the drawings under the torchlight. It was like watching a dance with moves of the hands and legs in proper positions to let in certain energy and then to somehow let it go. All the while, making one stronger even the brain more powerful. Maybe.

"I don't think she has any control over him," he shrugged as he hugged himself. Naturally, he was being cold and she couldn't let herself ask about what had happened under the sea when ChaCha thought it might be the end. 

"But..but he can control her," ChaCha said, thinking no way did she have this kind of faith. Were they to become Martial Artists or just warriors?

Milo nodded. He told her he didn't know War was this kind of powerful. He'd heard of his stories as a General and how he'd taken over cities without wiping out the common people. "He does know right from wrong," he nodded and added that some Martial Artists were rather ignorant of this concept. "We live in a world that doesn't understand respect, even if you are a great fighter."

ChaCha nodded. Yes, it was like being thrown to the wolves. She didn't know what to make of it. This might as well have been a dream or quite possibly a nightmare.

She looked over her shoulder and noticed War brought fish from the sea and a few crabs too. "I have faith in leaving this to you two," he smiled. "First food, and then we will discuss what's next."

Milo nodded and went to clean the fish. ChaCha found a pot for the stew. There were a few roots for seasoning and even a carrot or two along with some potatoes to round out the meal. They set out on the daily activity of what a bagger might live on. In the end, she found some flour for fry bread. 

"What about Corrin?" She asked as they made themselves comfortable around the open campfire near the cave where they ate.

"Let her rest," War said as he ate. "She can't really see her future clearly for the past." He said it was all in her head. "But only she can figure this out. I can only do so much." War said once upon a time she was a talented girl. But she'd been manipulated because someone thought she would be too powerful.

ChaCha nodded as she nibbled on the bread and ate more of her veg than the fish. Really, she was not a seafood person. War watched her eat and her eyes shot him a look that she would most certainly eat the fish and she did.

War smiled at her. "I have an inkling, you'll do quite well with medical procedures. You seem to know your way around the kitchen." He pulled a manual of some kind from his robe. "Read this," he thrust the book toward her. "Study it diligently. We need someone like you with us."