Chapter 11

The day has come once again and the chaos and events that transpired the previous night has subsided. Snow continues to fall non-stop since the night yet there is a myriad of people out and about, all rushing to securing food and thick clothing for the coming winter. Soldiers and guards had long changed their gears from plate armour and chain mail to more flexible ones like leather and hide from animals to keep them warm. This time of the winter is also the time where hunters go out more often, hunting game and foraging sources they can gather and collect from.

But somewhere in the eastern district was a woman, a man, and a beast-kin child. They were standing in front of a slab of stone positioned upright. They were beside the orphanage surrounded and hidden by lush greens, but during winter the fragile branches of the deciduous shrubs only slightly shows the path to the area from space at the back of the orphanage.

Earlier in the morning, Esia woke up screaming. She ran from her chambers to the room where the children sleep. She cried Veyrr’s name over and over again, frantically looking for him but was all for naught as he was nowhere to be found. Frianne, who stayed the night at the orphanage, awoke in surprise. She raced to the sound only to find Esia grovelling on the floor, spouting incomprehensible words as she sobs.

Frianne immediately approaches Esia, trying to calm her down. But, Esia does not stop. Frianne placed both her hands on Esia’s cheeks and lifted them up, enough for Esia to see Frianne’s face.

“Esia! Calm down!” Even Frianne could not help but raise her voice to calm the wailing Esia. “You’re terrifying the children!”

Frianne’s tone was more of concern than that of beratement. She stared into the eyes of Esia, trying to communicate her feelings of concern to her. Esia glanced over to the children in a corner, huddling in fear of the person in front of them. Esia has calmed down for the most part but still filled with unease.

“I... I’m sorry, Frianne.” Esia apologised, speaking in a low voice only audible to those next to her. “I... I need to rest some more...”

With no more words, Esia stood up and walked out of the room with unsteady feet. With a panicked face, Frianne approached Alana and instructed her to calm the other children down for a moment as she would assist Esia back to her room. Alana, understanding the events judging from the scene she has seen the previous night, agreed albeit hesitatingly. Both turned their backs on each other and did what they are supposed to do.

Alana tried brightening up the mood, saying that Esia just misses Veyrr a little too much, thus causing her to act as such. Her attempt at trying to console the other children only acted against her favour. Others started crying, saying they also miss Veyrr very much. The chain effect was too much. The others also had tears forming on their eyes, ready to burst like a dam. Alana was no exception, but her tears were not that of what the other children were feeling.

Frianne returned to the room and noticed the sullen atmosphere. Alana turned head and faced Frianne with a teary look that says, ‘save me’. Frianne also headed over and tried to console the other children. After they all calmed down, Frianne left to prepare breakfast and asked if the children could help, hoping to get it off their minds.

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It was already the afternoon and the children has finished their afternoon maths lessons. Although the atmosphere still feels glum, Alana and Eliam and some other children all tried their best to lift the mood. They mainly played around inside but there were others who wore coats and ran around in the garden playing with the snow. Snow still continued to fall but it has yet to be a violent downpour. Frianne was sitting over at Esia’s desk, assorting junk letters from the same suitors and reading through her notes. Notes about the plans she had for the orphanage, like budget, Frianne’s wages, the children’s strengths and recommended jobs work places when they reach of age, as well as the acquisition of foodstuff from her connections.

Thinking of foodstuff, the promised delivery from Osar has yet to come. Moreso, Esia had mentioned about foodstuff being delivered to the orphanage as well from a merchant she knows. She couldn’t even imagine how much those would have cost, considering the frugal amount of money and donations the orphanage currently has.

As she was thinking of such, someone knocked on the door. If it was Aniem, he would have just entered through the garden then into the main hall. Curious as to who it was, she only wondered who could be knocking on the door. She opened it and saw a few people and a large carriage behind them.

“Are you Ms. Esia?” The man with thick clothing and a coat over them and asks Frianne.

“No, I am not.” Frianne answered with a slight suspicious look, furrowing her brows. “And who might you, gentlemen, be?” She asks back.

As they continue their conversation, some of the kids trail behind Frianne and peep from either her back of from behind the door. As their conversation continued, other children who were at the garden got curious and watched them.

“We’re from the Cardrew group of merchants under the main Haveloft company.” The man at the front replied. After he spoke, he brought forward three pieces of paper with words written on it.

“These are our attestations of identity. The first one being our Cardrew group being officially recognised as a legal entity operating within the Idende County. The second one being our Cardrew group as a separate entity under the main Haveloft company. And the third being our license to conduct business. All document has been approved and signed by their respective governing bodies and have been imbued with a magic stamp.”

Frianne’s eyes widened and most of what the person in front of her sounded like incomprehensible mumbles.

After all, the Cardrew group of merchants is a well-known group in the Idende County with a monopoly on almost all products. Moreso, they are under the Haveloft company which is the largest company in the Alrus Kingdom. They deal with many services from trades to hunter and mercenary associations and even aiding start-up businesses. And all identity documents have been signed by nobles and royalty and have been stamped with magic.

Magic stamps are only available to those who can afford it and has gained a reasonable amount of support and authenticity. These stamps cannot be replicated so easily as stamps are unique to one another mainly because it contains magic, which can only be performed by a select few.

It’s quite a shock to Frianne that such a well-known company is visiting the orphanage for business, specifically with Esia.

“Um, miss?” The man spoke up, trying to get the attention of the dazed Frianne.

“... Ah! Apologies. I was scrutinising the documents.” Frianne replied with a hint of panic. She hands the papers back to the man and asks again after introducing herself. “Firstly, my name is Frianne and I am a married woman. And may I ask what business do you have with miss Esia?”

“Apologies, mrs. Frianne.” The man politely bowed, correcting his earlier mistake. “I am here to deliver preserved foodstuff to Ms. Esia under the orders of the president of the Haveloft company, President Emile Laigram.”

Frianne, again, couldn’t help but widen her eyes in surprise. She has a direct connection with the president of the Haveloft company himself

“I understand. I am sad to inform you that Ms. Esia is currently feeling ill.” Frianne lightly bowed to the man of the Cardrew group. “I also act as her representative during times Ms. Esia is unavailable.

The man stood confused for a bit and called over one of his men who was standing behind him. After a short whisper, they nodded and the man faced Frianne and spoke once more.

“Alright. We will hand over the goods. Where should we deposit them?” The man asked as the other people are preparing.

“There is an entrance that leads directly to the storage at the back. Please, follow me.” Frianne replied and moved toward the pathway beside the garden that leads to the back of the orphanage.

After showing them where to deposit the foodstuff, the man spoke to Frianne about completing paperwork. Frianne led him to the desk of Esia in the main hall. While signing papers and placing her fingerprint on them, the man noticed Alana staring at him with curiosity from the window to the garden.

“Mister?” Frianne called out to him as she finished signing and placing her fingerprint on the documents. “Is something the matter? She asks him and saw him staring at Alana.

“Ah, nothing really. It’s just that looking at that child over there by the window reminded me of a woman I’ve met once. The same race as her” The man looked quite nostalgic. “If she had a daughter then she would probably look like her.”

Frianne now looked with curious eyes at Alana. Alana, who stared right back at them, tilted her head in confusion, wondering what they were talking about.

“Well, I have confirmed everything’s in order.” The man checked the papers, collected them into one pile, and stood up. “Once my men have finished unloading the goods, we shall take our leave.”

“Yes.” Frianne simple nodded and replied.

Again, the man’s eyes were glued onto Alana who was peeping from the outside. He stopped and turned back and spoke to Alana.

“The child hiding by the window, can I talk to you for a bit?”

Alana paused for a while and hopped inside the main hall from the window.

“Alana, please use the door.” Frianne sighed and reprimanded her.

“Sorry, sister Frianne.” She apologised and walked slightly closer to the man. She stared at him, waiting for the question.

“Do you... remember your parents’ names?” He asked as he kneeled down to Alana’s eye level.

“My... parents?” Alana tilted her head and mimed his question. She thought really hard for a brief moment, but in the end, didn’t know a thing. “Nope, I don’t really remember. But I do know everyone’s name here!” She answered with enthusiasm.

“I see. What about your mother? Do you remember what she looked like?” The man continued to ask.

Frianne worriedly asked the man if he could stop probing into her past as it might have been a scar on her.

Alana though hard once again, closing her eyes and even putting her index fingers on her temples, as if channelling energy into her brain to remember things. “Nope. I don’t know, either.” She replied with an easy-going attitude, as if it was only natural that she didn’t know.

The man stood back up and with a hmm and an ‘okay’, He waved Alana goodbye and was escorted out back by Frianne.

Alana, who was left in the main hall, had a smile on her face as she watched the two adults leave. She smiled her brightest but her eyes were dead as a fish. Memories of seeing her parents’ corpses while her dress was smeared with blood. The cold bodies of her parents remain crystal clear in her memory, as if it just happened yesterday, like that with Veyrr’s hand.

Yes, I don’t remember my parents’ names or how they look. I only know of the warmth I felt that day I grabbed the hand that reached out to me, the warmth from other children who were similar to me.

Alana only reminisced as she blankly stared forward.