Seeing one bed made Rhydal freeze at the doorframe. His first thought was to give it over to Yuuta, to avoid discomfort between them. He could’ve slept on the ground, he reasoned, the stiffness after would’ve been nothing new. And Yuuta seemed pretty young, too, judging by his appearance, height and… The candy. It was Rhydal’s job as an adult to make sacrifices. But then Yuuta argued against him, proposing an alternative that made him reconsider things. He thought — it was a mission, the question of discomfort shouldn’t matter when they should be focusing on quality rest. As he looked at Flayke in his arms, all curled up and already half asleep, he decided. Yuuta can’t have him all to himself.
As soon as the sun rose, Rhydal got out of bed. His thoughts were already overflowing with what the day held. Possible plans, unseen events, accidents, his mind wouldn’t let him rest one bit. And there was awkwardness lingering in the air after sharing a bed with a stranger. He greeted Yuuta with a half smile, before getting ready for the morning.
Downstairs, the two were greeted by Flayke, who was already full of energy so early in the morning. “Morning,” Rhydal greeted, making his way to the table.
He stayed mostly silent during breakfast, but listened carefully to what Flayke had to say. Splitting their duties was a good tactic, less to worry about. He thought, finding the kid was likely the least of their problems. Approaching him when he’s already vulnerable, and then reasoning with him would be a difficult task. Especially for someone like Rhydal, who had a reputation of scaring people even if he had the best intentions. Not only that, but the questions Yuuta mentioned the previous night were still on his mind. Nothing that Flayke said answered them, but Rhydal wasn’t sure if it was his place to ask. He glanced at Yuuta for a moment, checking what he’d do. But he only confirmed he’s on board and asked to receive information from Flayke. Rhydal nodded. [“I agree. I’d like to help solve this case to the best of my abilities. If we don’t manage to find the kid, any additional information would be valuable,”] he added, both in sign and verbal speech.
As they prepared to depart, Rhydal put on some extra layers of clothing just in case. He nodded, showing he understood the warning, before waving goodbye to Flayke. He slipped his goggles over his eyes and headed out with Yuuta.
The two made their way outside of Tore, into the forest where their first clue potentially hid. Rhydal kept his head down as they walked, watching for any sign of footsteps or lost objects that could lead them to the kid. But the snow kept falling, covering every trace. He’d tried to focus his hearing as well, since Yuuta couldn’t pick up any sounds. But it was eerily silent, aside from their own footsteps. He looked up at Yuuta from time to time, making sure he doesn’t miss when he speaks.
Yuuta pointed out his thankfulness for the crystals, but Rhydal could barely feel anything through the layers of clothes. Or maybe they’d already gone numb. [I suppose these do help. I’m not too sure, I haven’t been exposed to extremely cold weather,] he shrugged. [But why did you mention that? Are you cold?] he asked, his expression neutral despite his growing concern.
As the snowflakes filled the space around them and a chilly breeze swept across the air, traces of magic seemed to linger. Its presence, though faint, alerted Rhydal and he turned towards Yuuta. It seemed he’d noticed it as well. As he suggested they focus on following its traces, Rhydal nodded in agreement. [I sensed it too. Good to know we’re on the right path, for now,] he signed. Rhydal then put out his palm as if to signal a pause, before stopping his walk and closing his eyes. He focused on the mana in the air, letting his senses guide him to where it’s densest.
Making their way forward, the tall trees towering over them was a bitter reminder of his hometown. Though the smell of pine and snow covering added an unfamiliar twist, it did nothing to deter his thoughts of what he’d left behind. Rhydal grew tired of the landscape only a few minutes in. But if there was one positive side to it, was that he was accustomed to navigating mazes of trees.
The two found themselves in front of a frozen lake, the second location Flayke had mentioned. Its surface showed a captivating image, mirroring its surroundings almost perfectly. But all around it were trees, trees and more trees. It was as if they couldn’t escape the forest, no matter how far they went. Rhydal made eye contact with Yuuta, as he wondered whether they’d split or not. Rhydal took a moment to think, before voicing his thoughts. [I don’t know if it’s safe to split up. Though it would help us cover more ground, it’s an unfamiliar environment and I’m suspicious about what else could be hiding in here,] he explained. [And, this place is very silent. The entire time I couldn’t pick up any clues, aside from mana.]
@OhSumana 
Yuuta