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Alaska examines her injured leg. She rotates her foot in a circle. A smile comes to her face realizing that she is now fully healed. Alaska feels a sense of relief at the realization that her injury was no longer a concern. It made her feel happy and grateful. She could now focus on finding you, Inkagi, and Pyro without any worries regarding her physical health. It was a reminder for her to always be patient when it comes to her health.
Ruog told her she was impatient. At first, she didn’t believe it. Before her injury, she’d never realized how impatient she was when it came to waiting for something to happen, like her leg healing. Alaska was the type of person that wanted results quickly. That’s why she always kept insisting on looking for her friends, even though she was in no condition to wander around a dangerous jungle.
With a slight nod, she got up, feeling energized. Alaska takes a deep breath, and walks around slowly without her crutch for the first time, putting pressure on her leg. “No more painful sensation”, she thought to herself as she began to jump around with a smile on her face.
Alaska’s heart was pounding. She chuckles at how great it felt to finally get rid of her crutch. Her leg felt strong and stable as she moved around without any discomfort. The feeling of being fully healed was exhilarating, and she felt a surge of energy and determination. Ruog's words echoed in her mind, and she realized that she had been impatient and impulsive. She was now resolved to be more mindful of her actions and to prioritize her health above all else.
Alaska wanted to be sure that she did not cause herself more damage as she moved from one activity to the next. She was aware of how much energy it took to get around with a crutch, and she thought that there was no reason to be careless. She decided that she would be diligent in her care for her leg and the rest of her body. She listened to everything Ruog told her to do and could now feel the results of it. She would do what she could to stay healthy, and she would not rush through activities.
Ruog watches her every move within the hut. He knew for certain that she would try and venture off on her own, but to his surprise, she just stared at the horizon.
Ruog steps outside the hut to speak with her. “What’s wrong?” his voice echoes into the distance, “I thought for sure you wanted to find your friends.” Ruog was prepared to join her in her search for her friends at the first sign of her stepping into the jungle on her own.
Alaska turns around slowly to face Ruog. There was a tear rolling down her face. “I don’t think there’s any point in searching anymore. I’m not going to find them.” Ruog could see she was downhearted.
“Child, why have you given up? You have not even started your search for them.” Ruog was completely baffled at her sudden change in attitude. When she was injured, all she wanted to do was find her friends. Now it was a completely different story.
Alaska shakes her head and sighs, “No. Ruog, you searched for days. You would have found something by now. This jungle…” Alaska pauses to breathe. Her heart was pounding. “It’s bigger than I thought.” For Alaska reality sets in. She felt as if her friends had abandoned her.
He looks at Alaska. Her face was filled with sorrow. Ruog walks up to her and embraces her, giving her a warm hug. “It’s going to be alright. We can search for them together. One thing at a time. You are now healed, that’s the most important thing right now.”
Alaska nods, wiping the tears off her red cheeks, but more keeps falling from her eyes, “I feel like they just forgot…”
“Do not say that. If they are truly your friends, they would not forget a wonderful person like yourself. Besides, the jungle may be big, but your tenacity is bigger. You’ll find them.”
A warm feeling settled in Alaska's heart as Ruog embraced her and spoke words of comfort and hope. She felt a renewed sense of determination and took a deep breath, ready to press on in her search for her friends, knowing that she had Ruog by her side.
"Thank you, Ruog," she said, smiling through her tears. "I know you're right. I won't give up until I find them."
From that point on Ruog saw a new spark in her demeanor. She wanted to learn about everything there was to know about the jungle. She was starting to help with chores by collecting herbs and food for the day. She insisted on helping Ruog with the small vegetable garden he had behind his small hut. Ruog was happy that he had another helping hand around. Alaska was assertive and active. If she didn’t understand something she would quickly ask Ruog about it to get a better understanding of the subject.
While Alaska was planting some herbs in the small garden, Ruog slams his wooden staff on the ground near her. She hears the loud thump on the ground, stops what she's doing, and looks up at Ruog. She wondered what was going on. “As you mentioned before, you wanted me to stop calling you child. So, I’ll teach you how to not be one. I cannot take you out into the jungle without you knowing how to deal with danger.”
As soon as Alaska heard his words, she quickly got up with excitement away from the dirt of the garden and cleaned off her hands of dirt by patting them together. She springs up from the ground with a big smile on her face ready to learn.
Alaska was eager to learn from Ruog, who had been a loyal friend and companion during her time nursing her injured leg. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh of determination. "Alright, I'm ready to learn. Let's do this."
Ruog brought out sharp daggers and spears from his small hut. At first, he would only show her through short demonstrations and explain how to hold the weapons. Then eventually he showed her how to safely wield a sharp weapon.
Each day he had something new for her to learn. He explained how to navigate the dense jungle without injuring herself or getting lost. He taught her how to navigate through the jungle even at night. Alaska studied his every move closely, taking in every piece of information he shared with her. There were moments she would become frustrated with how slowly she would get results from her training. But she remembered his words and decided to be more patient.
She was amazed at how quickly she was able to pick up the techniques if she followed Ruog’s advice closely and did not take shortcuts. She felt a sense of empowerment with her newfound skills. She was eager to test them out in the wild and felt confident that she was ready for anything that the jungle might throw at her.
“Here, take this.” Ruog throws in the air a new wooden staff. Alaska reaches out and catches it. She looks at it with a confused face.
“Hey, this isn’t yours.”
Ruog gives out a deep animal-like chuckle. “While you were sleeping last night, I worked on a new staff. I made it just for you. What do you think?”
“Wow, it looks and feels great.” With excitement on her face, she grips the new staff firmly. “I never thought of this before but, why a wooden staff? I can just carry one of the sharp daggers you have in the hut.”
Ruog looks at her and points to the staff. "The staff is not just a weapon. It's a tool. You can use it for many things, such as fishing, hunting, defending yourself, and even helping you climb trees. Daggers, knives, swords, and spears… They are effective, yes. But violence should not be the answer to all your problems. That is why I carry a staff. Showing off a blade tells others that you intend to kill,” Ruog pauses and takes a deep breath. “You are not a killer. And for that reason, you will not carry any blades with you.”
“But then why show me all the daggers and spears?” Alaska was even more confused after he said that.
“Because a good warrior must be prepared for all forms of combat. You must be well-rounded and skilled with anything that you can get your hands on. However, if you have your staff, you won’t ever reach for a blade... A weapon that spills blood.”
Alaska can see in Ruog’s eyes that he has been through a lot. She wondered what he faced earlier in life. She was tempted to ask him, she especially wanted to know more about his son. But she decided not to be rude and pry into his life.
Ruog's teachings had been insightful so far, and Alaska was grateful for his guidance. As she grasped the new wooden staff made especially for her, she began to understand the importance of having a versatile tool at her disposal.
"Thank you, Ruog. I'm excited to try it out,” Alaska tested the weight of the staff, swinging it around in the air and practicing a few strikes. She could see the potential in the tool, and she was eager to learn more about its various uses. She stops herself for a moment. “Oh, and I’m still doing the breathing exercises you taught me.” Ruog begins to laugh.
“Remember, those breathing exercises are the most important part of your training,” Ruog remembers well how Alaska would protest before doing the breathing exercises when she had her injured leg, saying there was no point to it.
Alaska listened closely to Ruog's words, taking in the wisdom that he had gained from his experiences. She realized that his teachings were not just about survival, and self-defense, but also about self-discovery and growth. She admired his willingness to share his knowledge and guide her on her journey.
Alaska was amazed by the skills that she was learning, from building shelters and foraging for food to defending herself and navigating the jungle. She was grateful to Ruog for being her teacher and friend, and she looked forward to continuing to learn from him and applying his teachings to their search for her friends.
A loud sound can be heard from the depths of the jungle. As Alaska was training with her staff, Ruog looked to his right. Alaska stops swinging the staff after hearing the noise. She was breathing hard from all the training she was doing. Sweat comes rolling down her face. She wipes the drops of sweat off her forehead and looks in the direction that Ruog was looking.
“It’s that sound again. What do you think it is?” Alaska asks Ruog. She had noticed the sound when she got lost in the jungle trying to look for her friends with her injured leg. Every time they would hear this loud sound, a noise as if coming from a creature calling out into the depths of the jungle, Ruog stiffened his body. At first, she just assumed it was a normal sound to hear in the jungle, but Alaska couldn’t quite figure out why exactly Ruog would suddenly become defensive when asked about that sound.
Ruog takes a deep breath and looks around carefully, scanning the jungle with his staff in hand. He refuses to answer her question. She noticed that he would either give a short vague answer or not answer her at all.
"We must be careful. This could be a sign of danger.”
“Yeah, I know. You either tell me the same thing or nothing at all. Ruog, do you know exactly what that sound is about? If there’s something you know that I should know, please, tell me.” Alaska drops her staff. It was obvious she was getting frustrated with his erratic behavior.
Ruog's behavior made Alaska feel uneasy. She was beginning to sense that there was more to him than meets the eye. His sudden mood swings and avoidance of the topic seemed to suggest that he might be carrying some sort of burden from his past. Alaska wanted to be a good friend to him, but it was clear that his unwillingness to explain what was happening was getting to be too much for her. Alaska hated being clueless about the situation.
“Just pick up the staff and continue your training. Do not worry.”
Alaska sighs in frustration. “No! You’re going to tell me what’s going on. I need to know.”
“You’re acting like a child again.” He raises his voice; a tone of agitation can be heard. “Do as you're told.”
“You can’t use that as an excuse. For a long while now I’ve done everything you’ve taught me. I’m not a child. Not anymore.” Alaska marches up to him. She lowers her voice after taking a deep breath. “This isn’t like you. What are you so afraid of?”
Ruog avoids eye contact. He turns away from her as she attempts to reach for his shoulder. Her heart was racing. Her mind was full of different emotions. He walks away from her and goes into the hut.
Alaska whispers under her breath as he walks away from her “Keep running… It won’t do you any good.”
Alaska walks back to her staff laying on the ground. She picks it up and takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes and positions herself in front of the practice dummy. When she was ready, she opened her eyes and swiftly struck the practice dummy sixteen times with intense ferocity. A left strike then a right. She quickly repositions her feet in the process to maintain her balance then follows it up with an uppercut, followed by a downward strike. By the end of her practice session, she was exhausted. Alaska’s sweat pours down her face as she grips the staff in hand. With frustration still pent up inside her she grits her teeth, yells out, and strikes the dummy one last time, knocking it to the ground.
She stared at the practice dummy almost in disbelief that she did that. Her upper body strength was improving. She wiped her face clean of sweat one last time and fell to her knees. She was exhausted. Alaska tries to catch her breath while staring at the dummy on the ground. She looked back at the hut and couldn’t quite understand why Ruog was acting the way he was. She couldn’t get it out of her mind. 208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDz8Gbc9Hk
