It was sunrise over Emet Village as we pulled to its gates. Some ways before the village, I switched to a horse and rode ahead of the convoy so as not to be seen as an invading force with all the wagons and fifty-plus riders. My entire household was more than sixty in total, with the help.
"Who goes there!? Oh... is that Carlos!? Wait..." Lucian's voice echoed from above the tower.
The hinges on the gates screeched as he and another on duty pulled them open. He was bundled up warm. "Didn't you just leave yesterday?"
"Aye, I did. A lot happened. Can you wake Zephyr?" I asked.
"Sure. Come in quick and let me open the tavern." He nodded, walking inside.
My people slowly rode in behind me. The gate closed and sealed behind us.
"Headly... go find an open field somewhere close, then look for a large black building with a blue top and bring everyone there."
I left my captain with the task and rode straight toward Seline's house.
After tying my horse at the small barn behind the house, I used my key to sneak inside quietly. It was still warm, as the fire's last embers were smoldering. I carefully navigated aside the table and chairs in the kitchen and made my way toward her room, but her bed was empty. It was dark, so I couldn't see well.
I walked in further.
"AYYAHH!!!"
I stepped aside, automatically, not knowing where the attack would come, but it was the wrong way. Wrong move, really.
(SLAM)
I was hit! Damn it! Something landed on my ear, and it was hard enough to draw tears in my eye. I landed on the floor and already fully understood what happened.
"Seline! It's me. It's Carlos."
She was holding a wooden sword. Thank Ehlite. My head would have rolled off because I hadn't knocked.
"Carlos!?" She knelt down and, after confirming it was me, gave me a big hug. "You scared me to death! I thought some shadows attacked me!"
"No, it's... Shadows?" I asked, a little confused.
She pulled away and gave me a sweet kiss. "Never mind. My daughter is losing her mind. How come you're already back? W-wait..."
She pulled her hand away from my hair, and that's when the first familiar sensation of warm blood trickling down my back reached my brain.
"Let's go wake Mother." She quickly stood up.
She pulled me onto my feet as I was trying to convince her I was okay. "It's probably just a scratch and—"
"NOW!!"
Her worried voice was the most nourishing sound I'd ever heard in my life. Even the pain was welcomed.
I let myself be led up the road in the now somewhat bright village and arrived at Metill's house. She opened the door. They didn't lock it? I suppose they didn't have to.
"Sit here and hold this against the wound," she said, handing me a shirt, and left for the door in the distance.
I felt fine, so I worked on the fire, and it was burning by the time a sleepy Vistellia (Granny) in a large robe came out, followed by a comatose Metill and my future wife.
"I hear there was an intruder... turned out it's just a blessed man from Dharma," she said, smiling.
Instead of looking at my wound, she went and gathered her things.
"Dad?"
We all looked at the door closest to the kitchen. It was Manata Emil in full training gear.
"Carlos? When did you—"
"Why are you up and dressed?" asked Metill.
His father cut him off before a barrage of questions that was sure to come. "Oh, I'm starting training early," he said quickly, accepted the situation, and did a few stretches. "Why are you bleeding?"
Before I could answer, Vistellia returned. "He was playing a fool," she said, carrying a box and some clean cloth.
"Manata, please tell Zephyr I'm here, and my people are in the tavern," I asked him.
He left in a haste. He was young but probably the most fanatic about Leader Zephyr. Zeph himself has great expectations for the boy.
I felt something cold and wet. It was a wet cloth cleaning my wound. "...That was quite a swing, sweetheart... but you're lucky we don't need stitches."
She warmed a frozen paste in a stone plate above the fire, and the warm, lovely-smelling paste soothed my head and covered the wound. She covered it in a single piece of cloth, making me look like one of those pirates my grandfather told me about.
"So tell us why you're back so early?" Seline sat beside me and offered some tea she made in the meantime.
"I'm a spy..." I took a sip, enjoying myself as they were left speechless. "...Well, at least in theory."
I told them everything, just leaving the letter out, which I still didn't understand. The words were foreign to me, and what could a single phrase possibly tell Zeph? Also, what kind of a letter is that? Is it good? Bad? I wished Ciren were there, who had a much better understanding of literature and languages.
"I see that girl's power is the real deal!" Seline was overjoyed. "She saw me attacking someone... just didn't say it was you or exactly when."
Thank Ehlite that she didn't suggest using a real sword and all.
"That girl is a mystery, very disappointed when I asked if I wanted my own future told and firmly denied," said Vistellia.
I wholeheartedly believed what Zephyr said about her. You don't need a reading. I already know my destiny, meaning I'm the one who controls it. There is no such thing as definitive futures.
"She is a good girl, and her power is real," said Seline as if the girl needed protection. She was convinced. I hope she doesn't end up with dozens of readings, just to get glimpses of hypothetical futures.
The door behind us opened, and Lylly came in with Manata close behind her.
"Zephyr was already away with Lucian to the tavern... who attacked you, Carlos?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
I had another round of explaining to do. Damn, it was nice to be home.