Chapter 169 – A Quiet Talk
[I think this is the place?] (Eva)
[It is, there is nothing to be worried about.] (Syrus)
[I’m not worried… You didn’t stop from going down the wrong street last ti.] (Eva)
[Because it was funny.] (Syrus)
[Hey!] (Eva)
[Syrus, don’t be rude. Everyone gets lost eventually.] (Luna)
[You didn’t help either!] (Eva)
[I was busy.] (Luna)
[We share the sa body.] (Eva)
[Doesn’t an I can’t be busy.] (Luna)
Anlesa after talking with Lavender to get the location of the duo’s place. Went to go find the parent and child that Maca wanted to escort at so point in the future. On the way, Eva did get lost.
“This should be the place.” Eva knocked on the door to the wooden house. “Hello, Mary, ho?”
The door handle turned, and a “Hello?” was heard before the door had fully opened.
There was a woman with black hair, and coming out from above her ears, a pair of black goat-like horns that appeared to be cut. Her eyes were a sharp gold that seemingly examined everything she saw.
“Hi, sorry for disturbing you.” Said Syrus, “We are just here to hear the details about the commission that Maca had set up.”
“Oh, okay.” The woman opened the door fully and allowed Anlesa to co inside. “Please follow for a mont.”
They walked through the small house towards the back door.
The backdoor led to a small open area where the back and side entrances of many houses opened towards. There were decorative elents up that hadn’t been taken down in forever and a large pit where they could start fires.
Once there, Mary called out, “Max, I need you here for a mont.”
“Okay, Mum.” A kid replied back, sharing the sa physical features as his mother but with tiny horns that were only slightly popping out of his long hair.
[Cute kid.] (Syrus)
[Your soft spot for children is showing again.] (Luna)
[I don’t have a soft spot.] (Syrus)
[That might be the biggest lie I have ever heard you say…] (Eva)
Anlesa ca back inside the house for a private chat with the family as they sat by the kitchen table.
The mother asked first, “So are you here to accept or just hear the details?”
“We are undecided; so family moved into the city, and there are a lot of children, so to be honest, the thought of staying has been very strong in o-my mind.”
Mary nodded. “Did you hear about this directly from Maca?”
“No, Lavender, but Maca had asked for a favour before… you know, everything happened, which I figured this might be it considering.” Syrus answered truthfully. For the mont, they were starting this conversation with the plan of backing out but were ready to help the family if they stayed within the city. As Lavender said, there was no urgent need to bring them to Eletscoep.
Syrus very quickly listed out her questions. “My questions are, is it a one-way trip; to the inner or outer segnts of the country; do you have the proper docuntation, and when did you want to go?”
“Wow…” The boy was a little amazed by how fast she was.
Mary didn’t seem flustered. “Is that all?”
“Yeah, honestly. One’s got to know the logistics for any long trip.”
“I know that word.” The boy, Max, smiled proudly.
“Good job, kid,” Syrus said with a warm smile. Syrus asked, “Teach him yourself, or is there a group school here?”
“I do, but other parents nearby also take turns with the groups of kids.”
“Good to know.” Syrus nodded. “As ntioned, so family is here now, but it was quite an abrupt move, so I was curious how others teach here.”
“I had so education in a town school, but that was it. You?” Mary asked, but Syrus felt she was more probing for information.
“Ho schooled. Though, my mother would've made a good educator of any level.” She gave the truth, which didn’t cause any reactions.
Then Eva asked, “Is your family from Eletscoep?”
Mary instinctively reeled back slightly. “Why do you ask?” Her voice tried to hide its worry.
[...Well, there is sothing there.] (Syrus)
[Based on timing, she could’ve been a kid and have actually been in the city to rember the events.] (Luna)
[Luna.] Syrus warned.
Eva calmly said, [It is fine now, Syrus. I just didn’t think it was an appropriate conversation to have at the ti. Now it is fine.]
Syrus took control and answered calmly, “I’ve got so family whose origins ca from there. Not that they have lived in the country for a few generations. My cousin still has so of the physical traits. Maca has looked out for her when she has been in this city. Though mostly asking since you want to go there, which, you know, is not the easiest place to get into.”
“Okay.” Those words smoothed Mary, but there was still a little bit of suspicion in Mary’s eye.
Syrus asked again, “So, yeah, any dates planned for the journey to Eletscoep?”
The two spoke for a while longer, and Syrus answered Max’s questions whenever one popped up. He asked about her job as a hunter, as he wanted to hear about different perspectives on the job. Luna was impressed with how inquisitive he was and praised the mother for teaching him.
After the eting, Anlesa got so of her answers. There was still no date planned; they were only going to go to the outer segnts. Docuntation was prepared, and finally, for Mary and her son, it was going to be a one-way trip.
Max was a little sad when Syrus said they were going to leave, but she said she would be happy to answer a few more questions if he saw her around the city.
Once ho, they spent a lot longer debating about the job than any of them ever planned, all while Eva still kept making potions to pay future requirents. The big issue now was that they were all kinds of undecided. Luna was still leaning no, and Eva was still leaning yes, but both were also leaning in the opposite direction, partially.
As Luna predicted, knowing the family made the decision harder for a number of reasons. The first was rely because the family was kind.
Mary did seem to be worried during the eting, which, while suspicious, also could just be signs of her wanting to be safe and secure. If her concerns were about sothing more dangerous, they felt more guilty about the idea of not helping when the ti ca, as it would be an insult to Maca, who had helped them.
Elly ca knocking on Anlesa’s door. Syrus invited them in, and Elly entered their house. Instead of comnting on the ss on the table, Elly asked, “Facing a problem?”
There was a noticeable tiredness in Anlesa’s expression.
Syrus sighed, “Yeah, debating a job.”
“What kind?”
“A really, really long escort, aka a month-long trip to Eletscoep.”
“Wow, that is a long one.” Elly said in a quiet exclaim, “Any reason to do it?”
“Money is good.” Syrus gave so quick details of the trip, avoiding any ntion of who was involved and about Maca.
Once she was done with the basic information, Syrus said, “I actually had the thought of taking the children to Eletscoep as a new ho.”
“I do appreciate the idea. I understand the children might find such a journey hard, but getting that far away would be good. However, isn't the main issue with that plan getting a citizenship?
She sighed, “I know, getting into the city for a job is one thing; becoming a citizen is a whole other hurdle. Either way, I still need to go there to understand if I want to find a way to push for it.”
Elly asked, “And your reason for not going?”
“Everyone here and the danger surrounding.”
Elly paused as her lips pressed together. “...What are you not telling ?”
“Pardon?”
Elly replied, “Well if the benefit was only monetary gain and to learn the possibility of citizenship for and the children. Then, whether we were here or even in Cancole, it would make sense for you not to want to go at the current mont, but the fact that you are so undecided ans there is more reason for you to go.”
Anlesa let out a little chuckle. “Sigh. You are right; there are other reasons why I should go on this trip. I have been kind of trying to justify to myself why they aren’t valid reasons.”
“Sounds like you are in a deep rut.”
“Yep, quite a damn pain.” Syrus sighed, “Enough about for a mont; how are you going?”
“Switching topics. Fine to both. The children have adapted well; so do prefer the old house, as they found a two-storey house a fun place, and what we have now is a lot smaller, but because of the limitation, they have been focusing on a remodelling effort.”
Syrus said, “Creative little buggers.”
“Already acting your age?”
“Plus an extra thirty, maybe I should plan my retirent.”
“If you do, let know; we can hire you as a stay-at-ho nanny.” Said Elly. “Overall, things are going alright. I’ve already talked to a few people about getting a study supply of logs.”
“Restarting business here?”
Elly said, “I do need to make money; I can’t exactly close up shop, and it could be a good opportunity selling in a trade centre.”
“I wish you the best.”
“Thanks, I’ve already got a few workers now.”
“You did ntion that so of the kids had been working under you.”
“That hasn’t changed, and their skills have improved to a decent point. The ones who are taking charge of the remodelling effort are those who have learned the most.” Elly’s words couldn’t hide the bits of pride she felt for the children.
Syrus asked, “Is that part of the reason why you wanted to buy the nearby buildings, to make a proper workshop?”
“Partly, but I am low on funds; even the sale of the old place didn’t get as much as I wanted. The places here are certainly much cheaper, but I do need to be careful, as I still have fourteen growing children to feed.”
“You should have enough wiggle room.”
“Well, I guess we are both in a rut because I’ve been going back and forth on the decision.”
Syrus joked. “Where is the adult with answers when you need them?”
Elly pushed, “Well, do you want to hear so advice?”
Anlesa didn’t imdiately answer; maybe so advice from an external opinion was what they needed.
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