Kapitel 5: Chapter 5
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Twilight was on its way, and Sixth couldn't help but think back to when he'd lived with the old man. Those days blurred together in his mind. An endless cycle of waking, hunting, gathering, cooking and then staring into the flames just as he was doing now.
Life was a simple affair, back then.
'I didn't hate it, though.'
It was a strange feeling, watching the days turn into weeks and weeks into months.
It reminded him of his childhood before.
He, his parents and his little sister used to go to the ocean on vacation, where his other family lived. There was a clear stretch of beach there. A quiet spot hardly anyone visited.
He was an enthusiastic swimmer since young and comfortable in the water. He remembered how he'd go diving with a pair of cheap plastic goggles to admire the underwater scenery.
It was quite the view – the way the sunlight would hang suspended in the clear water and the dancing patterns it would form on the white ocean sand.
The droning waves, crashing above his head, induced in him the same sense of peacefulness he felt now. It made him feel like a man out of time – like he was watching the world go by.
"You're back."
He'd heard Griffin's footsteps coming up the hill, so he wasn't surprised when she stepped into the clearing. She'd gone to fetch water and had been gone for a while. He'd have been worried, had he not known she'd been avoiding him.
She sat a distance away, the look on her face daring him to say something.
He was smarter than that. He decided to… ignore the uncomfortable topic.
Neither of them had said anything about their earlier quarrel and Sixth had already apologized. There was nothing left to say.
"I'm tired of the endless woods."
After the two had spent a minute in silence, Griffin spoke. Was she trying to extend an olive branch, or…?
Sixth pointed his fire poker at her.
"Well, you're our…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a sound, carried in their direction on the wind. Eyes wide, he looked at his companion.
She was wearing a similar expression, confirming that he'd not imagined it.
"Voices!"
Griffin hurriedly stood up, turning to face the direction of the sound.
Sixth copied her movements.
"There must be a road nearby. If it was a town, we'd have seen smoke."
Griffin turned to him with a big grin on her face.
"Let's go take a look!"
The prospect of returning to civilization was something that brought her much excitement.
Sixth was hesitant.
"…okay, but we should be careful."
Huffing, Griffin rolled her eyes at him.
"I was going to be reckless, but I guess I'll reconsider."
Sixth coughed.
Grimacing, he walked over to the fire and kicked dirt onto it. The sun hadn't set yet, and the fire was small. He doubted that they'd given themselves away.
His silver-haired partner had already started making her way down the hill without waiting for him.
'She's still mad...'
He sighed while packing up the few things he possessed. Within a few breaths, Griffin had disappeared into the trees. He wasn't worried about losing her, as he knew she'd leave markings to show him the way, as was their custom.
'She could've helped me pack.'
Slinging his sack over his shoulder, he followed after her.
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Trailing a natural path that snaked between the trees, Sixth kept an eye out for broken branches or scuffed trunks. He was in a hurry, since it was starting to get dark. He'd not be able to see the signs before long.
'Where is she?'
The sound of voices growing louder served as confirmation that he was heading in the right direction. Smoke tickled his nose, as well as the smell of something cooking.
He came to a stream and following it, he was soon able to see movement through the gaps in the trees.
'There sure is a lot of people over there…'
He bit nervously on his lower lip and creeped closer, trying to get a better look. A dozen large shapes revealed themselves to him as he went to hide behind an outcropping. Dropping onto his stomach, he slithered on the damp earth like a snake.
'Caravans…!'
Now he'd only to find that darn girl! She had to be somewhere around here, but he couldn't spot hide nor hair of her.
'They don't look like military.'
He spotted flashes of metal in the dim light, but they were too sparse to belong to a group of soldiers. Looking closer at the bustling scene, something stood out to him. One of the carriages had been modified in an interesting way…
Suddenly, a hand clamped over his mouth, preventing him from letting out so much as a grunt. He felt long hair tickling the back of his neck, causing him to relax in realization.
"Boo!"
Sixth's fright morphed into an irritation. After prying Griffin off him, he whispered to her.
"How are you so quiet? I didn't hear you coming at all."
She didn't answer his question. Instead, she exchanged her crouching posture for a prone one, settling in next to him.
"They don't look like merchants. See, that carriage over there."
Griffin pointed towards the same one he'd been looking at.
Sixth furrowed his brow.
"Yes, I was thinking about th-…"
A deep sound emanated from the same wagon, interrupting his sentence. It made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.
Sixth assembled the puzzle pieces in his mind. Using his elbow, he jostled his companion out of her shocked state.
"Do you remember when I said I knew the future? Well, I think I can prove it to you now."
His excitement was palpable. Before she could say anything, he hurriedly continued.
"There's a person here, someone neither you nor I have met before."
He spoke a name, causing Griffin to frown.
"What are you talking about? No, more importantly, what made that noise? It sounded like a wild animal…"
She squinted into the distance, trying to get a better look at whatever it was. The dim environment was making it difficult to see.
Sixth was smug.
"It's a travelling circus, dummy. And the thing that made that sound was a lion."
He peered wistfully into the darkness, as if he was reliving memories from long ago.
"Transporting and caring for it must be troublesome. I wonder if it's worth the expense? Maybe if they're performing for nobles…"
He started muttering under his breath, although Griffin, too lost in her own thoughts, hardly noticed.
'Is that really a circus? I saw one once, when I was small…'
"So, what do you want to do? Do you want to go down there?"
It was Sixth who asked the question.
Griffin looked pensively at him out of the corner of her eye, her curiosity warring with her sense of caution. It was a losing battle.
Unable to restrain her enthusiasm, she nodded.
"Yes, let's go down."
Sixth sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I hope you have a plan, because I sure don't. What guarantee do we have that those people won't catch us and sell us to some fat bastard?"
Griffin smiled at him, her small teeth gleaming in her mouth. There was mischief hidden in her eyes.
"Just watch what I do."
She pointed towards one of the figures that'd separated itself from the group.
"Let's meet them first. If it's only one person, we can run away."
Sixth sighed. At least she was considering the possibility that this might go terribly wrong.
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Many different individuals made up something like a circus.
Performers of course, but when the carriages were on the road it was the drivers doing the work. When night came and it was time for rest, the cooks were sweating over the pots, while the maids and errand boys scuttled to and fro, fetching what needed fetching.
There were also guards – handy for dealing with spectators that got a little too riled up when they saw the girls in makeup, and for scaring off bandits and beasts.
It was one of these that sat on an odd stone, holding a wooden bowl in his hand.
"Hey, ser Wilk."
'Ser Wilk' turned to look at the boy loitering behind him.
"Judy?"
His voice was stony as he addressed his little hanger-on.
The lad stared at the bowl in the mercenary's hand.
"Are you done? I can fetch more, if you want."
Wilk swallowed a sigh.
"It's fine."
He knew why the kid was trying to suck up to him. Or had been doing so, ever since he was hired three months back.
He gave the brat a strict look.
"You done your chores yet? Won't you get in trouble for hanging around here? I've half a mind to…"
Halfway into his sentence, he noticed Judy's expression change drastically.
"What's with that face?"
*Hick!*
It was that strange sound that clued Wilk in on the fact that the kid wasn't wearing that stupid face because of him, but because of whatever was behind him.
He whirred around, drawing his blade from its holster fast enough to produce a metallic ring. At the same time, he shifted to guard the kid with his body. A shout was halfway up his throat when he looked behind him and saw…
…a young girl standing there.
She looked about thirteen years old and had long silver hair like an angel. It fell down to her shoulders in thick curls, framing a face as flawless as that of a porcelain doll.
She was crying.
*Hick!*
Her sobs were restrained, like she was trying to hide their sadness.
*Hick!*
Clear tears rolled down her cheeks.
The scene was enough to wring pity out of the crustiest soldier's heart.
Neither Wilk nor Judy moved a muscle, so shocked were they by the appearance of this fairy maiden. It's as if she'd stepped out of a painting.
Their flabbergasted expressions were similar to that of the individual who stood behind the girl.
He was a boy, a year or two older than her. His hair looked brown and his nose and cheeks were dotted with freckles. The word 'ordinary' described him well.
It was no wonder that he'd remained unnoticed. It's like if someone found a silver coin in the grass. Would they even glance at the old leaf next to it?
In this situation, his weak sense of existence counted in his favor. It gave him the opportunity he needed to school his visage into one that was appropriately pitiful.
Wilk's overloaded brain managed to start up again, like a set of rusted gears screeching into movement.
"What's the matter, miss?"
He asked the question unthinkingly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how stupid he sounded.
'She's out here in the middle of nowhere, that's what's the matter!'
Looking at Judy over his shoulder, he gave the boy an order.
"Go tell the madam, and be quick about it!"
The lad snapped out of it and, after casting a lingering look at the mysterious girl, scampered off to the camp.
Wilk instinctively reached out towards her, wanting to comfort her somehow, but he thought better of it.
'It would hardly be proper of me to do something like that.'
Instead, he knelt down on one knee and spoke calmingly to her.
"Don't be afraid. Why don't you tell me what happened to you?"
Through a series of broken sentences, she conveyed her story. Although it was mostly incoherent, the mercenary was able to distinguish a few key phrases: 'went flower picking', 'couldn't get back' and 'he found me'.
Scanning her from top to bottom, Wilk noted the dress she was wearing. It was in a terrible state, but even so, the finely-threaded fabric stood out to him.
He couldn't help but wonder where she was from. He knew the surrounding area well and there were no rumors about missing young ladies.
Needless to say, he assumed that she was important.
Sixth looked back and forth between the two of them. He was doing his best not to smack his own forehead.
''Went flower picking', are you kidding me? And she stole that dress, by the way! Seriously, this was her plan…?'
He let out a breath through his nose.
The hired soldier's attention was drawn towards Sixth. He'd decided to extract some information from him.
"Hey, you! What's going on here? Are you responsible for this?"
He motioned vaguely toward Griffin.
Sixth wrinkled his nose. He didn't like the man's tone. However, it was best to avoid a bad first impression. He decided to tell the partial truth.
"I live in the woods. I found her there."
He indicated towards the forest.
Wilk gave the boy a good looking-over. He noted his primitive clothing – hides and furs in all, without a single thread of fabric. He did seem to be a wildling.
"You live in the woods? Just you?"
Sixth adjusted his sack where it hung from his shoulder.
"Used to be with an old man. After he died, it was just me."
He delivered the statement placidly, without the emotion one would've thought had the departed been close to him.
Griffin's crying halted for a moment. His recounting of his past hadn't gotten that far – she was unaware what'd happened after his mother had gone missing.
Wilk palmed his blade restlessly. It was a nervous tick he'd developed when dealing with troublesome situations.
"Alright, well… why don't you two come with me? You can tell your story to the boss."
His gaze turned towards Griffin.
"There are womenfolk there who'll take care of you, miss."
His tone was soft.
After a moment's contemplation she nodded demurely, her eyes downcast.
Wilk was relieved. If she'd been wary of following him, he'd not have known how to persuade her.
Thinking of something, he spoke to them.
"I apologize. I haven't introduced myself – my name is Wilk, a sword for hire. I'm currently employed by this troupe."
He made a half-bow towards Griffin.
"May I know your names?"
Sixth glanced over toward his companion, but when she stayed silent, he answered for the both of them.
"I'm Sixth, and her name is-…"
"…Madeline."
A beautiful voice interjected.
Sixth let out a surprised noise. He managed to turn it into a cough halfway through - he didn't want to seem suspicious.
Casting a glance towards the boy, Wilk shook his head inwardly and spoke to Griffin.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Madeline. Now, why don't you follow me? I know you must be hungry and tired. I can promise that our camp will be an improvement over your current situation."
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A group of people surrounded Judy as he recounted his story.
He was riled up, if his wild gesturing and incoherent sentences were to be an indication. Not only that, but he didn't seem present. His eyes were glassy and his face was flushed. Exertion as the sole cause seemed an implausible reason.
A woman reached out and pinched his ear, causing his babbling to stop.
"Ouch!"
The pain returned his attention to the present and he stared balefully at the perpetrator.
"Stop runnin' yer mouth. It be better'n see meself than hear 'nother word o' yer shite."
The 'perpetrator' was a woman, forty-odd years of age. Her face was tan and lined, with brown hair pulled back into a tight horsetail. A few stray hairs stuck out around her ears, some of them glinting grey.
"Who's comin'?"
She turned her head to look at the others. They had curiosity on their faces, but they shook their heads. Encountering other travellers wasn't uncommon.
"Rite. Off we are, nat."
Holding Judy by the ear, she headed in the direction he'd come from, dragging him behind her. She was taller than him, so he had to prance on his toes, else his ear might be ripped clean off.
The large camp bustled with activity. People scuttling around, going about their duties. Some chatted while others fiddled with whatever doodads they used to ply their trade.
They passed by a handsome man, idly plucking at an instrument. He nodded at them.
"Cad a rinne an buachaill an uair seo?"
The woman tugged on Judy's earlobe, eliciting a squeal of pain.
"Ne'er ye bo'er, Lael. He done some'n ta earn a lickin', as is."
The man was sympathetic, be he wouldn't be helping Judy. Getting on Ingrid's bad side wasn't worth it.
"Don't die, you owe me money."
He offered the sufferer a word of encouragement in a thick accent.
Judy repaid it with dirty look. However, Lael soon vanished from his mind and his thoughts turned to their unexpected guests. His face reddened like a boiling crab and his mouth curved into a dopey grin.
He was caught so deeply within his own delusions that he didn't notice when they exited the wagons' circle. Wilk was already waiting there, with their two guests idling next to him.
Ingrid's eyes couldn't help but widen in amazement. She was inoculated against the charms of the same sex, yet she still found herself stunned when she saw Griffin. Hers was the kind of beauty that only appeared in paintings. In context, Judy's befuddled state made more sense.
The freckled boy loitering in the rear found himself being ignored again. He could tell his companion was giving these people trouble. Surely, their reactions were a tad overblown…?
His gaze flitted towards Grif-… Madeline.
It would've been noteworthy if she'd been short and pudgy. As it were, her extraordinary appearance was par for the course. She was the chosen one, after all.
A wet gulp drew his attention. He'd noticed the comical sight of 'Judy' being dragged by one ear. It looked painful, but the kid was too busy staring like a delinquent to feel his flesh bruising purple.
'I remember him being the quiet, big brotherly type. This person is a far cry from the one in my memories…'
His gaze travelled towards Wilk, who stood next to him. He saw the man chewing on the stem of an unlit pipe. The fellow had been unsettled, but he was calm now.
'It's probably going to be like this wherever she goes.'
The realization gave rise to mixed sentiments.
'Things are going to get bothersome from now on – I just know it.'
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