20 White tiger

Early morning…

Everyone woke up in time to depart, although everyone was still too tried. Lou was like still half asleep and the twins, well, they were sleeping standing. They woke up truly only when they heard commanders voice.

"We will depart soon! Do last cheek that you have everything" Xin Huo exclaimed and made his way to check his own baggage too.

Lou only now realized that she forgot something. It was still in her room. The thing that she did buy, a present she wanted to give her big brother as gratitude for everything that happened to now.

She didn't want to delay the journey, just because she went to go get it, so a big sight come out. A disappointment was on her face for a second, but she soon collected herself. Like nothing ever happened.

Actually, Bell and Lill saw her disappointed face, even if she showed it only for a second, and everyone that was nearby her heard the sight that she gave out. Yaone was worried so he come over to her side.

"Did something happen?" He asked Lou, he didn't know what happened, but he would help if it was something, he was capable of.

Lou shook her head and smiled at him. She was happy that he worried about her, but she didn't want to bother others about something that small.

Just like that, they were about to depart, and a lady from the inn come running to them. Looked at everyone and when spotted Lou she shouted, "Miss, you forgot this!"

When she saw what the lady had in her hand, her lips made a slight smile. She nodded and thanked the lady for coming all the way here.

Now she could give her present to her big brother later. And just that made her happy.

After the lady left, the journey started again. Lou was in the front, just because Ash didn't want to be between other horses and right after these two come Xin Huo, and the rest of the company. Yaone rode the horse with one of the twins, Xinge.

On the way to the forest, Ash started acting strange, he suddenly stopped and didn't want to come near the forest. Lou hoped that it was nothing serious, and her hope was shattered.

A big, white tiger, with a big 'fluffy' tail, slowly come the middle of the road, as if it was his home and bed, it lazily laid down and slept. He didn't really attack the people that were not even 100 feet from him.

As the 'monster' seemed quite strong, they decided to take another road to continue riding. The afternoon come quick and the sound of hungry people could be heard. So, they stopped, and everyone looked at Lou with expecting eyes, only Yaone didn't know what was happening now.

Lou didn't believe that they again depended on her for preparing dinner. She got annoyed and shouted, "If YOU are hungry then go HUNT something, only then will I cook for you". After shouting she come of Ash and sat down on the nearby rock. Looked away from them and pouted.

Xin Huo did sit down too and looked at the people that disappeared in a mere few seconds, and only Yaone stayed, still not knowing what is happening after Lou shouted.

"I think they see you more as a leader than they see me as a commander" Xin Huo snickered and waved to Yaone to come closer. "Can you go around to pick some firewood?"Yaone nodded his head and started going around picking nearby branches that were on the ground.

Lou after hearing brothers Huo's comment looked at him and said with a little sarcasm or self-mockery in her voice "If it weren't for my cooking skill then they wouldn't be so eager to go hunting"

"Well, your cooking is delicious after all" He praised honestly.

"If it is delicious, then why won't you eat?"

"Huh?"

"I told everyone! That if you want to eat then go hunt, that is excepting Yaone"

"Huh? Wait! Was that directed at me too? Why?"

"What why? You were having the puppy eyes too, so why shouldn't you work a little too? Just because you are a commander then it means that you can do nothing?"

"Well, they already started hunting dinner, there is no need for me to do that too"

"Then you can go gather-" Lou sentence was stopped by the shocking view. She froze with big eyes and a slightly open mouth.

And it wasn't the hunted dinner, but something even more unexpected happened. The white tiger from earlier was lurking at them, not attacking or anything, just staring at them. Or to be precise at the picking up firewood Yaone.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Xin Huo didn't know what is happening only because he was in front of Lou, and the interesting event is happening behind him.