Chapter 03

The blizzard continued to pour down with almost no visibility. A small group of people marched through the raging blizzard with snow as high as their knees. Except for one person, where it was up until her shoulders. She was trailing behind a large man, moving in the path he had made, while hauling a large deer corpse.

“Relkas!” A man, not too far the group, shouted and waves his arm. He was only a silhouette from the group’s position. “The stone marker is over here!”

The man named Relkas made a large smile that spanned from ear to ear. After confirming with the scout, he reassured the other people with him.

“Alright boys! We’ll regroup up with Akrum at the stone marker and make our way to the city!”

Everyone cheered and tightened their grip on the game they have hunted. Including the girl who trailed behind Relkas.

“Esia, just a little further and we will be home.” The little child who was hauling a hunted deer while trailing behind Relkas’s back is Esia.

“Yes, father.” She replied cheerfully. “But I am not so much as exhausted. I could even pull one more deer.”

Relkas could only laugh heartily at her remark, daring to pull one more deer. “That’s my girl. But we are almost there and everyone seems to be full of energy still. Now, let us be off!”

The whole group cheered and continued marching.

They regrouped with Akrum and another person, another hunter from the group, and headed west towards the city. It really was not long before they saw a large wall made of stone. The group all sighed in relief, having finally reached their home.

As they drew closer to the city, the gates slowly opened up and let them in. Those who were pulling the deer were led to a large house. As soon as Esia started walking, Relkas took the rope away from her and told Esia so return home to her mother.

“But I want to help! I want to learn how to butcher!” Esia complained to her father, throwing a tantrum.

“Why not let her, Relkas?” Akrum appeared from their backs pulling along a deer himself.

With almost no room left for arguments, Relkas allowed Esia to participate in butchering deer. With a delighted smile, she followed behind Akrum, pulling the rope her father snatched earlier. Her father can only sigh.

“My daughter has become more of a man than any boy her age in the village. Maybe all boys until their teens.” He heaved a sigh once again and followed along.

After the deer were butchered, Esia came running towards her father. She held up a deer’s skull, pinkish and smells of game still, and wore an expression of delight. Her clothes were smeared with and smelled of blood.

“Look, a deer’s skull! With its horns intact!” She happily declared so and immediately gazed upon it.

‘So, this is what a deer’s skull look like. Ehehehe it’s my first time seeing one. Truly different from those depicted and described in books. It excites me so!’

She mumbled to herself. But unknowingly, her father heard her mumbles and pondered.

I do understand her excitement. But it feels strange hearing it from an eight-year-old child, and a girl at that. Quite a surreal sight with her clothes and cheeked bloodied. Moreso, books? She already knows how to read? Did she, perhaps, go to a friend’s house?

He had many questions about his own daughter. It felt strange to him. It felt mysterious. But he passed it off as a child prodigy with unusual preferences.

After his contemplation, Relkas took Esia, waved the other men goodbye, and headed home. The snow was much calmer compared to when they were outside of the city walls. And as they walk down the road, passers-by and onlookers were bewildered at the sight of a little girl carrying a skull of an animal. Even Relkas bowed his head in embarrassment.

As soon as they reached home, Esia zoomed towards her mother who was by the hearth cooking in a large pot.

“Calm down, Esia. I am cooking right-“ As Esia’s mother turned around, she saw her blood smeared daughter and holding up a freshly skinned and cleaned deer head. She was smiling but everything else told she clearly unhappy. “It seems your first hunt was a success.”

“Yes! Father taught me well” Esia excitedly said.

“I see. Maybe you could enlighten me on your hunt after dinner.” The mother smiled at Relkas, yet her grim facial expression seemed to say otherwise.

Relkas could only look away wide eyed and profusely sweat despite the cold winter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The profession of being a hunter is quite popular, especially in the region. They are similar to jack of all trades. Foraging, guides for people who go into forests, bodyguards, and sometimes even town guardsmen and watchmen. But they mainly excel in hunting game in the forest, and especially during the harsh winter.

Esia had already finished bathing and joined her parents on the table. The bowl was prepared with soup and vegetables and the meat she hunted. Along with it was a big dry bread roll, where one typically eats it with the soup.

While eating, Esia was telling her story of her first venture outside the city walls. Chasing deer all over the place, waiting on top of a tree with a bow and arrows at hand, and even being unable to grip a dagger or a bow because of still hands from the sheer cold. Although the harsh blizzard was very unexpected, they were still able to return home.

After dinner, she spoke more of her adventure. She spoke in words almost unimaginable for a child to normally say, sometimes being too formal or too profound even her parents could not understand. Esia’s mother also pondered where she had read books. She glanced upon Relkas but he, as well, shook his head.

Speaking with almost no stopping surely tired Esia out. Her eyes became heavy and speech slowly became mumbles. And in a small voice she uttered,

‘The body of a child truly is an inconvenience...’

Esia’s vision slowly blurred and darkened, unable to stay awake and speak of the adventure she had outside of town. She couldn’t say more after her small mumble. But ever so faintly, she heard the sweet voice a woman.

“Good night, Esia. It’s time for you to watch over the kids.”

Esia had woken up and sat straight from her bed. She glanced out the window and saw the brightly lit cupboards and furniture. She jumped out of bed and opened her windows to only find the chirping of birds, the almost bare deciduous trees, and a bright sun that seemed to illuminate everything.

Bright sun?

Esia pondered and her eyes widened with disbelief. She rushed back into her room and wore her usual loose dress and cincher on top, as well as an apron. Dishevelled, she hurriedly walked toward the kitchen only to find Frianne filling up bowl after bowl with soup and giving a piece of bread to the children of the orphanage.

“Oh, you finally woke up.” Frianne slightly chuckled and directed her to take a seat and have breakfast.

All the children were awake, some were eating and some were awaiting their food. Esia heaved a sigh, probably the biggest one yet, and took a seat at the table.

=============================================================================

Esia dreamt of her past, her childhood during the old days of Heom. It was a much simpler city compared to how it grew now, all thanks to the Count.

She was sitting at her desk in the main hall where some of the children were playing. While watching over some of them, she also finished some of her paperwork that was slowly piling up at her desk. Although paperwork, most of them were letter of introductions and letters from suitors.

She set aside those papers and thought to herself, ‘this could be used for the kids when learning maths and such’.

Her dream suddenly came to mind. The dream of her younger self with her parents. Quite a nostalgic world for her. A nostalgic time from her past, so short and fleeting.

‘Mother’, such a nostalgic word.

Esia blankly stared into the paper she was holding and reminisced on her past.

“...-sia!” She could hear something, a voice, but faint. She turned her head slowly and noticed Frianne.

“Mother Esia!” Frianne shouted at her, startling both Esia and the children at the room. Some of those who were outside peeked from the garden.

After all, it was very rare for Frianne to raise her voice. The last time they saw her yell was when a persistent suiter visited Esia almost every day while leaving flowers by the main entrance. It would have been a different story if it were food.

“Ah, sorry Friane. What is it that you want?” After realising that Frianne was in front of her, she gained back her composure and asked Frianne.

“It’s nothing compared to now. Go to bed. You didn’t even realise I was calling you ‘Mother Esia’ many times.” Frianne looked at Esia with a mix of concern and temper. It was unusual for Esia to ignore the word ‘mother’ attached to her name.

“I’ll take care of their afternoon lessons, so you better head to bed and rest.” Frianne added before Esia could say anything back.

With almost no room for argument, Esia agreed to her proposal and left for her room.

“Well, take care of them for me.” She finally left the room.

As her silhouette disappeared, Frianne heaved a sigh.

Of course, she would be exhausted. She hauled those foodstuffs like a workhorse a few days back. And now she’s receiving a lot of letters from suitors again. She’s also making a plan for kids who are about to be adults, and other plans regarding the orphanage as a whole. No wonder she woke up late earlier. Hopefully she gets a good rest.

As she finished contemplating, she prepared for the afternoon lesson. But before she even started, someone was knocking from behind the main door of the orphanage. Wondering who it could be, Frianne went over and opened it.

“Good afternoon, madam. Are you Esia? The keeper of this orphanage?” A man in uniform greeted her with a smile.[VD2]

He was slightly taller than herself. He had a bushy moustache that slightly covered the top of his upper lip and his hair combed back. If looks could kill, he’d be wearing a steel mask every day. Eyes were droopy but strangely enough, he gave off a feeling of being a kind old man even if he had no visible white hair, even with a frightening and intimidating face. It felt like he had a gentle and kind aura around him, despite having a gaze that seem like it could cut.

This sort of man stood in front of Frianne, asking where Esia might be.