For several long moments after Garron finished speaking, none of the children around the campfire said a single word, as although every one of them quietly stared into the dancing flames before them, the thoughts occupying their minds were vastly different.
Many of the younger children looked visibly shaken, as the realization that this journey would continue for another two months while growing even harsher with every passing day quietly drained much of the excitement they had carried with them while leaving Ashfang Village.
However, while most of the children struggled to hide the anxiety on their faces, a completely different expression slowly appeared across Riven’s.
"Hahaha..."
Riven chuckled, as he smiled a genuine smile that wasn’t forced or born from relief, but rather was the quiet grin of somebody who had suddenly realized that his life had become infinitely more exciting than he had ever imagined possible.
"What?"
Mary eventually asked, as she could no longer ignore the ridiculous grin spreading across Riven’s face.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
She continued, as both she and Stacy looked at him with genuine confusion.
"Doesn’t what Garron just said bother you?"
She asked as Riven simply shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Not really."
He admitted.
"As strange as it probably sounds, I actually think it makes me happy."
He said, as both sisters blinked in confusion.
"Happy?"
Stacy repeated, as Riven doubled down and nodded.
"Compared to the hellhole I was living in back at Hagrid’s brothel, where the only thing waiting for me every evening after training was another insult or another beating from the cripple, this..."
He said, as he slowly gestured toward the campfire, the surrounding forest, and the dozens of children sitting together beneath the night sky.
"This honestly feels like a dream."
He admitted with a small laugh.
"We’ll get tired, and the journey probably won’t be easy, but what Garron never said was that by the end of it, we’re all going to be much stronger than we are today."
He continued, as his smile never once disappeared.
"And besides...
It’s not like any of us are alone anymore."
Riven added, as for a brief moment, he looked toward Mary and Stacy before glancing around the rest of the campfire.
"For the first time in my life, I get to spend time with people outside of training."
He admitted.
"I’ve never had the chance to make real friends, travel beyond Ashfang, or dream about what tomorrow might bring, but now it finally feels like anything is possible."
He said, as listening to those words, both Mary and Stacy found themselves smiling without even realizing it, as for reasons neither of them could properly explain, Riven’s optimism felt strangely contagious.
"So you’re one of those, aren’t you?"
Stacy asked with an amused smile.
"Huh? One of what?"
Riven replied with an eyebrow raised.
"One of those dreamer fools."
Stacy replied while laughing.
"Theres not a single bone of common sense in you. Is there?"
She asked, as Mary quietly chuckled beside her.
"I still think that was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do."
Mary added, as Riven rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"...Yeah."
He admitted.
"It probably was."
He said, as the three of them quietly laughed together before the conversation naturally faded away.
A short while later, Garron made his way around the campfire distributing the roasted fish one by one, as by the time he reached their side, all three accepted their portion with grateful smiles before devouring the meal with an enthusiasm that made it seem far more delicious than it truly was.
After finishing the last bite, Riven quietly stood up with his towel and made his way toward a secluded bend along the river, as taking advantage of the rare opportunity, he carefully began washing the dried Night Panther blood from his face, hands, and clothes while making sure not to let the cold river water wash away the medicine that still covered the wound across his chest.
Knowing that Garron had warned them they might not find another reliable water source for many days, Riven took his time cleaning himself as thoroughly as he possibly could before finally standing back up and wringing the excess water from his clothes, when suddenly, two sets of footsteps approached him.
"You’re Riven, right?"
A young voice called from behind him, as turning around, Riven found two boys roughly his own age looking at him.
"We heard that you killed a Night Panther."
One of them said.
"Is it true?"
Riven studied the pair cautiously for a brief moment before quietly nodding, as the two boys exchanged a glance before smiling.
"I’m Garsim. I’m Andy the blacksmith’s bastard son."
The taller boy introduced himself.
"And I’m Dara. My father was Druitt the butcher."
The second added.
"Since we’re all going to be travelling together from now on, we figured it’d probably be smarter if the stronger people looked after one another."
Garsim explained.
"We’ve seen you tagging along with the sisters."
Dara continued.
"And from what we’ve seen, both of them seem plenty capable too."
"So..."
Garsim said, extending his hand.
"What do you think about the five of us sticking together?"
"We share food if somebody runs short, keep an eye on one another, and make sure nobody gets left behind."
The tall boy offered, as Riven instinctively scratched the back of his neck in hesitation.
"It sounds like a good proposition, but I’ll have to ask the sisters too before I can confirm."
He admitted honestly.
"But... I personally am fine with it."
He said, as a broad smile spread across Garsim’s face.
"Hell yeah!"
The boy muttered, as one after another, Riven shook both of their hands, feeling a quiet happiness spread through his chest because for the very first time in his life, somebody had approached him seeking friendship of their own volition, as although he did not consciously realize it yet, somewhere deep inside, he understood that such an opportunity had only become possible because people had finally begun seeing him as someone worth standing beside.