Chapter 146: Hatched you myself
I tread carefully through the forest, my eyes scanning every leaf and vine for something new, something that might give me a lead. Most of the plants I’ve come across here are familiar, the kind that I’ve already meticulously cataloged in Noelle’s journal. It’s starting to feel like another wasted effort when I finally relent and head back toward my horse, ready to move on. But just as I’m about to swing myself into the saddle, something catches my eye—something peculiar.
I walk closer, my boots crunching softly over twigs and fallen leaves, and squat down to inspect this odd little plant growing amidst the underbrush. There’s something distinctly out of place about it, a memory tugging at the edge of my mind. I reach into my inner pocket, my fingers finding the worn leather cover of Noelle’s journal. With a practiced flip through its familiar pages, I stop when I find the drawing: Greater Water Dock. The greenish-red leaves and tiny clusters of pale green flowers stare back at me, a perfect match to the plant before me.
But it doesn’t make sense. Greater Water Dock should only grow near bodies of water, near ports or lakes. There is no way it should be here, so deep in the woods, thriving like this. Unless... unless someone planted it here.
And I know exactly who that someone is.
My heart pounds in my chest, the rhythm so loud it drowns out every sound of the forest around me. A surge of hope rises in me, so powerful it makes me dizzy. Noelle. This has to be his doing. The thought of him, the possibility that he left this as a sign, fills me with a desperate, aching joy. I clutch the journal tighter, my hands trembling as I take a deep breath to steady myself.
Without wasting another second, I rush back to my horse, my mind racing as I search the surrounding area. If this plant is here, there have to be more. I can’t let myself think that it might be a coincidence. I won’t. I need to believe that he’s out there, that he’s been leaving a trail for me.
And then, I see them. Four more clusters of Greater Water Dock, each leading further north. I almost laugh, a sound caught between disbelief and pure elation. It’s real. It’s him. Only Noelle would have thought to do something like this, leaving behind these small, precious clues.
A fierce wave of love washes over me, and I grit my teeth, determined. I love him so damn much, and now, for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I’m closer to finding him. I swing up onto my horse, my heart still racing, and set off in the northern direction, holding onto hope with everything I have.
After ten grueling hours of relentless riding, the small village finally comes into view. My heart, which had been pounding relentlessly in my chest, suddenly speeds up even more at the sight. I force myself to take a few calming breaths, trying to rein in the whirlwind of emotions crashing over me. There’s a mixture of hope, fear, and sheer exhaustion, but I can’t afford to lose my composure now.