The princess wanted to say more, but cut herself off as her wounded companion began to drift off to sleep. Her eyes widened a little, panic and fear flooding her system in equal measure. She reached out for her friend, intending to try and rouse her back into consciousness, only to pause as the steady rise and fall of Veikto's chest caught her attention. Relief flooded the princess' system, and she let out a shaky sigh. So long as she didn't slip from this life and into the next, sleep was perfectly acceptable. Good, probably. Amelia didn't want to leave her alone whilst wounded and undefended, but it seemed that there was nothing else for it. With sword in hand, the princess rose to her feet and turned away from her sleeping friend, heading out into the surrounding forest to try and accomplish the goals that had been set for her.
By the time darkness fell, Amelia had returned to their makeshift campsite. The princess had been relieved to find Veikto was still sleeping there peacefully, undiscovered by any more predators that might have been stalking the forest, and still on this side of death's gates. Her success with the tasks she had been given was mixed, however. Gathering the herbs Veikto had requested had proved simple enough, and Amelia had gathered some dead branches that would serve to keep the fire alive and fed whilst she was at it. The princess had also managed to find a small stream that served as a source of fresh water. Fishing had proved beyond her, though. She was simply too inexperienced, too unused to physical labour, to manage it. Instead, she had gathered a handful of small berries that she had found growing nearby, with hopes that they would provide a worthwhile substitute. She knew enough to avoid eating them without knowing what they were, for fears they might be poisonous, but hopefully Veikto would be able to tell her. For the time being, she simply went hungry.
Despite her companion's advice, she looked a right mess. Amelia herself was covered with dirt, and her dress was both stained and wrinkled from the day's events. She sat at the edge of the fire, poking at the embers with a long stick she had found, whilst occasionally feeling it pieces of the dead wood she had gathered earlier. She threw the occasional glance at her companion, a glum expression on her face, whilst she contemplated the possibility of trying to fashion some sort of bed or padding out of what she could find.
