Chapter 5: The beginning of a long journey, Part 2

POV (Gerald)

The figures of Orion and the two children disappeared into the darkness of the forest. It was not an image I would have expected to see. However, the whims of fate are difficult to predict.

"It's quite rare to see you so emotional, Master Gerald," Mary said.

"Sometimes it's hard to keep a neutral attitude. You could have at least greeted your brother." 

"And you could have treated him like your son, father." 

"Always this sharp tongue...."

 Mary had the same blue eyes as Orion, hidden behind her glasses, and short blonde hair. She was the only maid wearing a suit instead of the classic maid's outfit. She would be so beautiful in more feminine clothes but she was very different from the other women of her age. Maybe I should have raised her as a lady. But then, I was not sure being a lady would suit her.

 

 

"You know the nature of my relationship with Orion. It would have just made things more difficult."

"If family relationships were supposed to be simple, the young master and his sister wouldn't have gone this far."

"You're right, but it was avoidable. Over the years I've seen Aldrick change and become a different man. At least, he wasn't the one I followed to the war with Evelyn and swore loyalty to. He allowed himself to be corrupted by all the negativity from his social position. I should have stopped him but I didn't. I will not let her children pay the price for my mistakes."

"Why didn't you tell them the truth ?" Mary asked, looking me in the eyes. I could feel her disapproval.

"It isn't necessary, they have very few memories of their mother. When they return, I will tell them. Are the preparations complete?"  I asked, heading back to the carriage. 

"Yes, all witnesses have been eliminated, including the dungeon guards. The most loyal servants have quickly gone to work, and the others have been eliminated. The risk of information leaking out is nil. "

"Perfect, sorry for letting you get your hands dirty."

"My hands are at your service, Master Gerald,"

She hugged my back for a moment before letting go . 

" Oh surprising..." I said , looking at her.

"I must always be professional even in this kind of situation. But I felt that you needed it, Father." 

She replied in the manner one would expect from a maid. Mary got behind the reindeer. The carriage drove down the road and left the scene.

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POV( Rinne)

We were walking through the forest for several hours. The sounds of nature filled our ears and I realised that this place could be quite frightening in the middle of the night. However, there was a big, strong man in front of them. But...

 'Please, why can't he keep his mouth shut?'

"And that's how I found myself surrounded in the Damparo Valley. It was scary..." 

Orion was telling a long story with a hundred twists and turns. His loud voice could almost cover the noise of some of the small animals.

 "Clap" "Clap" "Clap" 

And Lyanna kept clapping at his stories, making him want to tell more. She was trying to distract herself. As for me, I was tired, hungry, and about to commit my second murder in 24 hours. There was a lot going on in my mind and emotionally I was not in the best mood. A few times, I felt the urge to vomit as I recalled the events of the night, but I held myself back.

"What do you do for a living, Mr. Orion," I asked out of curiosity but mostly to put an end to this. 

"Call me Orion. And I'm a bloodhound." 

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"A bloodhound?"

"In other words, those who work for pay. We are just men and women with no definite affiliation to a kingdom or family. We use our powers and skills in the service of people who know how to put the right price on it."

"A bit like mercenaries?"

"Yes, in a certain way. Although most of the jobs revolve around protecting individuals, hunting monsters, collecting artefacts and sometimes killing and looting."

"That sounds pretty dangerous though." I said, thinking about it. 

The information I obtained was interesting.

"It is. But the most dangerous thing for a bloodhound is a bloodhound. It's a world where the most trusted people can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Anyway, in a few days we'll get to the next region and we can use the teleportation portal to..." Orion began to say, already making a plan. 

"Bad idea."  I said, interrupting him.

"Huh?" 

Orion reacted awkwardly, turning to me.

"To use a teleportation portal, it is necessary to present your identity papers. We should avoid leaving any traces of passage." 

"Ah yes, that's right. Then we will take the main road to...""

"Not a good idea. The main roads directly connecting the cities and regions are often used by merchants . Thus they are managed by the kingdom's forces." I answered again.

 "Oh yes, I forgot that detail..." 

Orion began to think of an ideal solution. Lyanna came closer to me and made several signs with her hands to communicate.

"Yes, you are right, we should do this. " 

Orion looked at us curiously, waiting to hear what we had to say. He didn't seem too bright, but at least he seemed the type to listen to everyone's opinion, even children like us. It was something that I quickly understood and appreciated. Good job man!

"My sister's idea is to go to the next town, find a safe shelter and observe for a few days how the kingdom will react to the news of Aldrick's death. We'll also need to buy a couple of artifacts to hide our appearance if possible, as well as weapons, books, maps and supplies." 

Orion merely crossed his arms and nodded his head in approval. The plan was set.

"Have you already eaten?" he said suddenly. 

"Not yet."

"We'll take a little break. You seem to be getting tired anyway."

Although he didn't seem to be paying attention, he still noticed.

"Do you have any food on you? "

"Oh no we're going to hunt a bit. "

"During the night? it's far too dark to hunt anything. "

"Rule number one, kids : your perception of your surroundings determines one third of the final outcome." 

He bent down to pick up a stone. His hand found itself surrounded by spiritual energy. In one movement, far too fast for our eyes, he threw the stone. The shrill sound of the stone tearing through the air reached our ears. 

"I hope you have a big appetite." 

Orion said with a broad smile on his face. We went up the direction that the stone took and at the end of it lay the body of a large boar on the ground. Its head was pierced with a fairly large hole in the middle. Orion took out a small pocket knife and in exactly three minutes he cut up the animal, took out the best parts and prepared a fire for cooking. Lyanna and I watched him with great interest. I had to admit that I was somehow touched by all this masculinity. 

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