Michael

  “Esther?” Michael frowned. That caught him off guard.

  “Yes, the lassie has been acting strange these days, and has me all worried. I fear for her well-being. I know that man has something to do with it.”

  “Perhaps she’s just sick?”

  “She is, but the sickness lies in her head, or maybe her heart.”

  “Are we really talking about Esther?” Michael laughed. “I think you’re overreacting.”

  Agnes glared at him. “Stop defending him. I know what I’m saying.”

  Michael sighed and sat down next to her. “So you think she’s like that because of Denis.”

  “Aye. I don’t like her obsession with that man. She’s always talking about him.”

  “I still think you’re overreacting.”

  “Michael, I know what’s going on. I was young, too. I had a couple of flings before I met her father. I’ve tried to convince her to stay away from him, or at least stop visiting him at the clinic. People might think badly of her. But the girl doesn't want to listen. She always gets angry whenever I bring up the subject. I don't know what to do anymore. I fear that man may do something to my daughter. Something terrible. I trust my baby girl. I know she’s strong, but… I've heard too many rumors about him. That's why I don't trust him around my little girl. She’s just fourteen years old.”

  Michael could see the worry in Agne’s eyes. Esther and Julie were her whole world, and her heart would split if something happened to any of them. However, Esther was not the average farm girl from the countryside, but a Hunter, born in a clan of warriors. Denis was not a menace to her. She was already taller than he, and in better shape; he was still recovering from his wounds and had lost a lot of weight as a result. But Agnes couldn’t understand this obvious fact. For her, their daughters were still fragile little girls who needed her protection. She was not a true Hunter, and thought nothing like one. It was difficult to make her understand that the one in Danger was Denis.

  “Auntie, relax. As I said, you’re overthinking. Grandpa’s paranoia is getting to you. You know Esther. She would never let anyone take advantage of her. Besides, Denis is staying in the village’s clinic, right by the Eagle’s nest. You know nothing escapes the Eagle’s eyes.”

  “Michael! Her name is Emma.” Agnes scolded him. “That’s our village’s priest you’re talking about. Don’t call her that.”

  “Don’t mind her. She loves that name. She gets all proud and conceited when Julie calls her like that.”

  “I know, that’s why I don’t like it. That woman always gets in the way of my fun.”

  “Look, don’t worry about Denis. He would never do something to Esther. The bugger likes ‘em older.”

  Agnes clutched Michael’s left wrist in a flash, surprising him. She then showed a devious smile as she tightened her grip. “You said something about flirting, didn’t you? How’s that you never mentioned any of this before, eh? Speak at once!” she commanded him.

  “I-I can’t. I promised Emma I would never say anything. I’m sorry.”

  “Not even to your favorite aunt? Is your heart that cold, my dear nephew?” She said with a warm smile.

  “I swore in Esliana’s name, my dear aunt. The Goddess of Water will get angry if I break my vows. Emma said the river will rise and swallow me as punishment.”

  “Want to eat gruel for a week, or how about a month?”

  Michael became pale. His will was destroyed with just two sentences. “… I don’t think the goddess has the time to look after one believer, does she? She must have better things to do.”

  “Stop playing around and talk!” Agnes barked.

  Michael sighed. “Listen, you cannot tell anyone about this, understand? Maybe to Aunt Elsa, but no one else, not even your circle of friends at the village. This is a secret.”

  “But how am I going to make use of this if I can’t share it around?” Agnes protested. “You’re taking the fun out of it just like Emma.”

  “You’ll lose some friends if you share this with your group. So stay quiet.”

  Agnes frowned, then opened her mouth wide. “Those bitches! Who, who? Speak quickly,” she said while pulling his arm.

  “I will, I will, but stop pulling me over,” he said, trying to free himself from her grasp.

  Agnes let him go and rearranged herself. She was full of smiles, licking her lips, rubbing her hands. She could barely hold her excitement. “Come on, come on, speak already, damn it. Tell me who they are.”

  “They are two. I don’t recall their names, but I remember one of them is taller than you, and she’s always complaining about back pains or about her family. And the other has reddish hair and likes to smell her bum.”

  “Wha-what?” Agnes broke into a laugh. “By the gods, Michael. Don’t say that about Sunset.”

  “If by Sunset, you mean the red-haired woman, then I'm being honest. I swear that I’m not lying. Haven't you noticed she's always smelling her fingers? Where do you think she put them before that?”

  “Forget about that, and keep with the story. What did you see in the clinic?”

  “I was in the library when I caught Smelly, I mean, Sunset, going upstairs to the clinic. She was walking on her tiptoes and nervously looking around. I was sitting on the ground by the table, so I guess she didn’t see me. I found it strange what she was doing, but I didn’t give it much thought at the time. Anyway, I was reading a book when I suddenly heard Emma yelling upstairs. I ran to see what was going on and saw Emma coming out of Denis’ room and dragging Smelly by the hair, like a little child. She kicked her out through the back door and warned her to stay far away from the clinic while Denis was in there.

  “What happened to Mrs. Back-pain was less scandalous. I guess it was kind of my fault, though. I was talking with Denis in his room when she suddenly showed up. She became red when she noticed I was there. She turned to leave, but, unlucky for her, Emma was right behind her. She scolded her and escorted her out of the building. She forbade her to come back like she did with Smelly.”

  “Is that all?” Agnes said, sounding disappointed. “How boring. I thought you’d caught the man with his balls in someone’s face or something. You got me all excited for nothing.”

  “I’m sorry for the boring tale. But if you want to know, Denis will lose his balls if he doesn’t stop fooling around. It seems those two aren’t the only ones who have visited him.”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Emma told me, well, not me, but to Denis. I was there when she was scolding him about it. She reminded the bugger that he was supposed to be recovering, not plucking the feathers off the village women, if you know what I mean. She threatened to castrate him if she caught him fooling around again.”

  “Maybe I should spend some time in the village’s library as you do,” Agnes said. “It seems that I’ve been missing so much without knowing.”

  “Please don’t. If you do that, Emma will know I told you something. I have enough trouble with Denis. Emma keeps blaming me for everything he’s been doing.”

  “But she’s right. Everything’s your fault.”

  “You too!?” Michael cried. “Is this why you’re asking me to help you?”

  “Of course. I asked Natalie to help me before I came to you. I wanted her to go to Denis and have a sincere talk with him about my daughter, but she told me to send you instead. ‘Clover created this whole mess. Let him handle it,’ she said.”

  Michael’s face became sour. “This is unfair, you know,” he said. “I didn’t want to bring that dung into the village. I wanted to go back and drop him off in the city. But Esther was against it. She said that Emma was the only one who could save him, so we must bring him to her. I should have held my ground and not let her convince me. And Ale didn't help either. She just watched us arguing like an imbecile... I should have brought my loyal squire with me.”

  Agnes snorted. “Then it would’ve been two against one, you daft. Julie never goes against her sister.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Nah, you’re lying. My loyal squire would never betray me. We are tied by the knight’s code.”

  “But Michael, since when have you let the girls talk you out of something? Admit that you brought that man because you wanted to. Stop denying it.”

  “I guess…” Michael got up and looked towards his home. Everything was dark, except for the few lamps hanging around the manor and training hall, and the light coming out from the kitchen’s windows. He recalled that Agnes was making tea in the open hearth and biscuits in a stove, before he ventured into the forest. He checked the bag of biscuits. Only one remained. He grabbed it and slowly ate it.

  “If you have seen him, you would have done the same, Aunt,” he said. “He was all beaten up, feverish. He could have died if we had left him there.”

  “If Esther didn't let you leave him in the city, why didn't you leave him in the town, then? It's on the way here.”

  Michael shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I felt pity for the bloke. He became euphoric after Ale touched him. It was bizarre. She had him on her lap, trying to make him feel comfortable while we were deciding what to do. The man became crazy. He began to cry and scream, calling her: ‘My herald, my herald! I finally found you!’ He tried to hug her. We had to hold him down before he hurt himself or Ale did it. He never stopped watching her during our trip to the village. I asked him about it later. What did he see in Ale that made him act like an animal?” He always avoids answering me. I guess he's ashamed.”

  “Esther told me about it. She was surprised as well. He was sick, lad. I've seen that many times before. The fever makes you see and hear things that are not there. And remember, you were saving his life. Any of you could have been his herald."

  “I guess you’re right. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about anything, Aunt. Nothing’s going to happen to Esther with the Eagle nearby. If Denis tries anything, Emma will cut his balls and then make him walk around the village on four legs with a brush buried in his arse.”

  Agnes shook her head. “I'm still not convinced. I want you to go and have a talk with him. Explain to him my worries.”

  “I’ll talk with him the day after tomorrow. When I go to class.”

  “I want the talk to be private. Not with the girls around.”

  “But—”

  “Don't care! Go and talk with him! Tomorrow!” Agnes commanded him. “I’m not taking my chances with Emma, or that man's tastes. Go and make yourself clear to him. Understand?” She glared at him.

  Michael let out a heavy sigh. “I shall obey, my lordship,” he said with annoyance.

  “Good.” Agnes nodded happily.

  “If Denis doesn’t listen to me, I’ll drag him to the woods and put a bullet in his head.”

  “Don’t push it, Michael.”

  He smiled. “Alright, alright. I’ll talk with him. I will behave like a true gentleman and ask him cordially to stay away from our innocent Esther.”

  Agnes nodded. She got up and grabbed her oil lamp. “I am tired. I'd better go back and get some sleep. Will you stay around a bit more?”

  “Yeah, I’ll wait for the others to come out of the woods or Natalie will get me spanked.”

  Agnes smiled. “Goodnight, my child. And don’t forget what I asked you.”

  “I won’t. Don’t worry.”

  Michael watched Agnes as she made her way home. It was a long walk, almost a mile to the nearest gate. He kept an eye on her, making sure nothing happened to her, and seeing how slowly she moved, she knew he was looking out for her. She trudged through the tall grass and along the short stretch of dirt road that ran behind the property until she reached the stone wall and the small iron gate that separated the mansion grounds from the outside world. Although small, the gate was heavy, and she struggled to open it. The wall blocked his view of her after she crossed the gate, but he could still see the yellow glow of her lamp as she moved forward. The glow continued until she reached the back of the mansion and disappeared through the door leading to the kitchen.

  I forgot to give her back the bag, he thought, looking at his hands. These weren’t free. They’ve cost me an eye and a leg. He smiled.

  He thought about the problem Agnes had just handed to him. He wasn’t blind. He’d also noticed Esther's fixation with Denis. The girl was not only fond of talking about him, but she also visited him in his room whenever she had the chance. She was constantly after Emma, asking her about his recovery and even volunteering to take care of him. Her actions had convinced Michael that he needed to keep an eye on the man. He never liked him, and much less trusted him. He would have preferred to stay as far away from him as he could. However, he kept all these feelings to himself and became friendly with him. All because of Esther.

  Michael started to laugh. No matter what Agnes thought, she was dead wrong about Esther. Her interest in Denis was strictly professional—he was just one of her projects, like the dogs she had rescued and later adopted. She had a love for medicine. Her dream was one day to go to Helsane and join a university to become a doctor. The best institutions in the world were there, and the women were free to study and become professionals with no backlash from society. But the family’s past prevented her from achieving her dream. The closest thing she could do was to study medicine under Emma. However, there was another reason for her obsession with taking care of Denis, a selfish one. She wanted to not only become a doctor, but also a Healer, someone who could use magic to heal a person. Although Emma had warned her that she couldn’t become one, no matter how many dogs and Denises she rescued. As long as she couldn’t open her heart to others, her dream was impossible.

  Michael heard footsteps behind him. He threw himself to the ground, rolled over to his rifle, and aimed. But what he found was not a wolf but a tall, badly shaved man, holding a spear.

  “Victor!” Michael hollered. He noticed the blood on the spear. “Caught anything?”

  Victor nodded. He reached Michael and stuck his spear in the ground. His outfit was smeared with dirt and leaves. “A braskar, a big one,” he said, slightly out of breath. “But there’s a pack of wolves nearby. It was their prey till we stole it.”

  “And the others?”

  “They’re fine. I came running to tell you that grandpa wants to dismember the beast there and split the spoils with the wolves.”

  “How many?”

  “I counted at least sixteen; there could be more hiding. They’re livid.”

  Michael laughed. “Well, it was their prey to begin with… But why are you here? Any trouble?”

  “Grandpa wants you to help carry our part of the spoil. The braskar was huge, probably three thousand pounds.”

  “Gods. That’s more than one hundred pounds for each of us to carry back, minus the bones and blood.” Michael sighed. “Let’s go then. No need to delay this anymore.” He walked off.

  Victor took the spear and joined him. They walked abreast and in silence. Before reaching the forest, Michael looked at Victor and asked, “How’s Ale?”

  Victor stopped and released a long and exasperated sigh. “Michael, you two have to make up already.”

  “I’m not angry with her. She is. I don't even know what has made her mad this time.”

  “I know, but can’t you just apologize to her, please?"

  Michael shrugged. “I will. Like always, I will be the adult in the conflict. But you ought to stop defending her. Let her resolve her own problems.”

  Victor nodded. “I know… Are you, are you really going to the Austin mansion?”

  “Of course. You are my family, Victor. I want to meet the people you work for and see if they are trustworthy. I know I may be a couple of months too late, but the feeling is genuine. And in the meantime, I'll stay at your flat for a couple of days. When will you be returning?”

  “Middle of next week.”

  “Then, we can go together.”

  Victor looked at him. “Hey, can you… forget about going to the Austin mansion?”

  “Why? Do you not want me to go?” Michael stared at him.

  “It’s just… I…”

  “You know. I really want to meet your patron,” Michael said. “What’s his name?”

  “Leonard Austin.”

  “Yeah, him.” Michael smiled cynically. “He must be a good man, giving you a free week to spend it with your family, even though you only have what, four, six months working for him?”

  “Five. I started on Hadronio,” Victor said.

  “Right. You know, I thought you would have it hard in that place, but I guess I was wrong. They seem to be nice people. That’s why I want to go and meet Mr. Leonard. I want to thank him and his family for how well they’ve been treating you so far.”

  Victor coughed and looked away. “Yes, he’s a good man.”

  “I want to visit your workplace. See how it looks. You barely say what you do there, though I have a vague picture of what it looks like since Ale doesn’t stop talking about the place. I want to meet this man she calls Kyle, too. Is he a good gentleman as she says?”

  Victor nodded.

  “I am glad.” Michael smiled. “I believe I deserve to spend some time in the city. Esther and I have to carry Ale’s chores every time she visits you. Don’t you think it’s unfair?”

  Victor didn’t answer.

  “I think it’s unfair. Esther and I also need our time away from the village. By the way, don’t worry about Natalia and Eric, they know about me going and gave me their blessing. And guess what? Natalia even wants me to go, how’s that? I don’t know why, but I think she wants to get rid of me or something.”

  Victor made a loud grunt and hastened his pace, leaving Michael behind.

  Michael watched him take off. He thought of letting his cousin go, giving him some time alone to calm down, but decided against it.

  “Victor, wait!” He shouted.

  Victor stopped and turned. Michael could tell he was angry.

  “Tell me the truth. It was your sister, wasn’t it? She doesn’t want me to meet the Austins.”

  Victor said nothing; he just looked away. That told Michael he was correct.

  Michael chuckled. He found Helena’s attempts to stop him rather naive. He didn’t need Victor’s permission to visit the Austins; he didn’t even have to tell him. He could just go and introduce himself as a member of the Hunter family. He was sure it was the family’s name and connections that had gotten Victor his job and the good treatment he was receiving from the Austins. And it was also naive of Helena to think that her brother could manage to convince him. Victor was not a man of diplomacy.

  “Fine. I won’t go there if that’s what you want,” Michael said, patting Victor on the back and smiling. “But hear me. I’m serious. I need some time off, as well as Esther. You have been living in the city for seven months, and we have never stayed at your place. It’s not fair that Ale’s the only one who can stay there.”

  Victor smiled. “Thanks.”

  They began to walk again.

  “Are you returning next week, right?” Michael asked.

  “Aye. I have to report on Veluev Morning.”

  “I see…” One is an idiot who loves singing, and the other is a rich heir… What a pain. Michael sighed. He glanced back at the manor, his home. I’ll deal with Agnes's problem quickly before moving on to Elsa’s.

  He turned and entered the forest.