The next day, after they cleaned up the camp and stored their gear, the group continued the mission. They walked briskly, saving some strength for the upcoming battle.
Elliana walked next to her leader. She glanced at him and then looked down, blushing. She whispered, "I can't believe you almost let us kill each other as a test." Dhorros cracked his neck and gave her a half smile before answering, "I learned that from an old friend." The woman frowned. "Someone outside of the hunters? You've been here for over twenty-five years." The older hunter chuckled, "Yes, you could say that, something I picked up in my mispent youth." Elliana glanced at him again. "You mean, when you were fighting in the pit?" Her mentor slowly shook his head, "That was another life, let's not talk about it." They continued walking in silence, the young woman's questions eating her from the inside.
A few paces behind them, Talhios and Matheon walked side by side. "I can't believe you confronted Dhorros like that! Who are you and what have you done to my friend?" Asked Talhios, half-playfully, half-seriously. His friend kept looking at their mentor's back. "And you backed me up without thinking, even if it was a desperate fight." Talhios made a dismissive gesture. "We can take him any day." The two friends' laughter echoed through the campaign. It got them a reproachful look from a stern-looking Elliana.
The banter didn't seem to affect Ethios. In fact, it didn't look as if he heard anything of the conversation. He closed the march. His shadow mace in hand, he would periodically hit the air in front of him, killing an invisible enemy. The swings left a trail of shadows, like he was holding a torch burning with a dark, cold fire. His eyes shone with the light of those who have nothing left to lose.
A moment later, he stopped. Matheon noticed and called, "Master Dhorros?" The older warrior turned back. He sighed and walked back until he faced the lost hunter. "Ethios?" He called. The mace wielder's eyes found some focus. He looked at his mentor and said, "I'll kill him. I'll kill him, and I'll avenge my brother." The leader laid a hand on his shoulder and told him, "Of course, you will. And for that, you need to grow stronger." The giant squeezed the shoulder and added, "And to become stronger, you need to stay alive." Only when the young hunter locked eyes with him and nodded did he let go.
It was midday as they reached a small settlement. A low wooden fence circled it. There were no guards. Dhorros ordered, "Stay behind me. No one speaks. No one act." They entered the village in silence. The inhabitants cast worried looks toward them. The hunter didn't stop before they arrived at a larger square, made of mismatched flat stones. And they waited. Soon, everyone in the village knew about the hunters' presence, but no one dared to approach them.
A young boy ran toward a house and rushed inside, a small dog following him, tongue lolling. Soon after, a tall, slender man with long blond hair walked out. He strolled elegantly toward the hunters and stopped in front of Dhorros. Then he said, "It's not often we have the visit of esteemed hunters. I'm Kaelun, leader of this group. What can we do for you?" He looked at Dhorros expectantly. Some villagers approached the group slowly. Clearly not at ease, curiosity warring with fear.
The hunter leader made a show of summoning his shadow axe, then he slammed it on the ground. The crowd gasped and took two steps back. Fear was winning. Then he addressed the whisperer's leader. "I'm Dhorros. I lead this group. There's no sugar coating it. Chala declared that whisperers were a threat. We received the order to exterminate you."
Angry and fearful murmurs ripple through the witnesses. Kaelun didn't flinch. He scanned the group of hunters, noticing that only Dhorros had summoned his weapon, and that the young ones seemed unsure what to do, waiting for instructions. He crossed his arms and said, "And yet, we're still alive. Why is that?"
Cracking his neck, Dhorros answered, "I know the whisperers are not a threat. I'll give you one chance, and one chance only." The blond man didn't lose his composure; he opened his arms and said, "Please, explain." Dhorros scanned the crowd, then said in a booming voice so everyone could hear. "The hunters want your riches, and they will have them. Surrender your belongings now, and leave this place to live another day."
The whisperer leader's expression grew hard. "We can't leave with nothing, we wouldn't survive in the wild. You must let us keep some possessions. Tools, weapons, supplies." Dhorros smiled, "As long as you leave by sunset, I'm sure we can find an agreement." Kaelun made an inviting gesture toward his house. "This way, please." Before following him, Dhorros looked at his crew and ordered, "Summon your weapons, kill only those who attack you." The villagers quickly retreated into their house.
The four young hunters positioned themselves in a circle, facing outward, their weapons summoned. "What the hell is happening?" Asked Matheon, his hand holding the shadow dagger, shaking. Ethios shrugged. Elliana said lightly, "Follow Dhorros' lead; the plan hasn't changed." Talhios adjusted his grip on his shield and muttered through clenched teeth. "That crazy bastard, he could have warned us. Just hold the line, no one dies today."
The boy with the small dog approached them. He was clearly afraid, but he took one step after the other, forcing his body to overcome his fear. He stopped a few paces away and asked, " I just arrived here. Why do you take my home away from me?" The hunters froze, unsure how to deal with the situation. Ethios swung his mace and took one step forward. But Elliana held her spear as a barrier, stopping him in his tracks. "I'll handle that," she said.
She walked toward the boy, spinning her spear in the air. The boy's eyes widened with fear. Then the woman let her spear dissipate into the air as thick, oily fumes. The stench quickly drifted away in the breeze.
She knelt next to the child and looked in his eyes. "I'm Elliana. What's your name?" She asked. The boy hesitated before answering, "My name is Kaelor. It's weird saying it. I got it when I arrived here." Elliana nodded and asked, "You didn't have a name before?" Kaelor shrugged and said, "Everyone just called me Boy." The hunter gave him a small, sad smile. "Most of us hunters didn't have a family or a home growing up like you. I learned that home is not a place. Home is where you are with the people you love, and who love you back." The boy sniffed, wiped his nose, and nodded thoughtfully.
Elliana petted the dog before standing up, turning back toward Kaelor, she concluded, "Stay with the one who gave you your name, and you'll always be home."
A few minutes later, Dhorros and Kaelun returned to the square. The hunter leader expression was unreadable. The whisperer was pale, his hands shaking.