Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 48: 47. Envy Pt 1

Read chapter 48 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

I am Maribel Holloway, age 16, and I am an adventurer on a quest to escort Prince Ren Drakemore to Hyperion alongside my friend Shadow. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/3436dbb7-6e63-4972-b7d2-a17b68e373de The sun dips low in the sky, casting a warm red glow through the scattered gaps in the forest canopy high above us. A cool breeze rides in on the heels of dusk, whispering through the leaves. The forest, already thick with shadow, grows darker as day begins its slow surrender to night. “We should set up camp here for the night,” comes Shadow’s deep voice, resonating softly through me. I’m tucked in close beneath the blanket with my head resting against his side, and his voice seems to echo through my bones. I glance around and see that he’s brought the wagon to a stop beside a patch of road flanked by a small clearing on either side. It’s not a large space, but there’s enough room for a few tents. With a reluctant sigh, I extricate myself from my warm sanctuary beneath Shadow’s arm and stretch as I stand. Shadow hops down to secure the horses while I scan the clearing. Along the edges, I notice several small trees that were cut down some time ago—likely by other travelers who used them for firewood. At the center of the clearing, just off the road, sits a ring of stones surrounding a patch of blackened ash. Clearly, this spot has served as a campsite before. “Did you know there was a campsite along the way?” I ask to no one in particular as I step down from the wagon. “This isn’t the first one we’ve passed,” Ren replies, already gathering sticks for the fire. “There are probably quite a few old campsites like this along the road. You just missed them while you were sleeping.” I join Ren in collecting dry wood from around the clearing while Shadow unloads two large bundles of fabric and metal from the wagon, placing them on either side of the stone ring. By the time we return with a sizable stack of sticks and small logs, Shadow and Willow have already finished assembling the tents—two large rectangular shelters, each spacious enough to sleep four to six people comfortably. “Wow, you put those together fast,” I remark, dropping my final load onto the pile, still a little surprised by how quickly the campsite came together. “Almost like magic,” Willow says dryly, as she pulls a bed pad and several blankets from her bag of holding and arranges them neatly inside the tent to the right. A sudden flash of light catches my eye, followed by a sharp burst of flame from the center of the stone fire pit beside me. I turn to see Ren lowering his hand as the pile of kindling he’d arranged erupts into a controlled blaze. The fire crackles and pops, casting a warm golden glow across the clearing as night settles in around us. I head into the tent on the left, pulling out my bedding and blankets and laying them out neatly. Once finished, I pause and take in the space—it feels even larger on the inside, surprisingly roomy and far more luxurious than I’m used to. Most of the time when Shadow and I camp during quests, we’re crammed together in the wagon. Which... wasn’t terrible. But having a roof over our heads is way better. Stepping back outside, I see Shadow setting a thick log near the fire to serve as a bench. Nearby, Willow has set up a metal tripod, suspending a pot over the growing flames. She’s now pulling out chopped vegetables and bits of preserved meat from her bag, dropping them into the pot. Ren stands beside her, arm outstretched, quietly casting a spell to fill the pot with water. I walk over and take a seat on the log, stretching my hands toward the fire to warm them. Not long after, Ren joins me, sitting beside me with a weary look in his eyes as he stares into the flames. Watching him, I’m a little surprised by how composed he is for someone so young. I would have expected a child—especially a royal one—to grumble about the long wagon ride or complain about roughing it without luxuries. This kid is