Third's POV (would appear frequently to get the brothers' povs)
The hallway was empty, naught for the frequent hiccups of Sora as he was carried on Eidrin's arm, supported by his shoulders.
Eidrin walked past the doors, each opening itself as he continued ahead. He stopped at the sixth door, and he stood there, staring at nothing.
"Mistress isn't back yet."
Sora opened one eye. His face red from heat and indigestion. He yawned, and turned his head the other way. "She will be back safely. I don't sense any threat around us." What exactly posed a threat? The Disciples? Rogue wolves? None of which would gain anything from attacking a 'wolf-less' normal girl. Her absence had to be something more mundane.
"She's lost." Eidrin's tone was monotonous, even if his brows arched downwards. He looked down at his nephew who felt too heavy to move. The food mortals ate were unhealthy and excessive in many ways, yet his nephew's weakness was due to his natural inability to adapt quickly.
Eidrin looked straight ahead. "I've found her."
"Where?" Sora raised his head from his shoulders.
"We will go."
Sora rested his head back on his shoulders, expecting a change of scenery soon, but his Uncle kept on marching down the dark halls. The nephew suppressed his sigh. This outing had been planned so quickly, so it made sense that his uncle didn't find it easy to be away from his birth element.
However, if anything happened to their Mistress, the results would be terrifying. Taking initiative, Sora vanished from the building, following his Mistress' trail. He appeared beside a tree, and found cut ropes below it.
"Did someone tie her up?"
"She tied someone up." Eidrin corrected, appearing beside Sora.
He lifted the boy to his shoulders again, and walked down the path. Their Mistress' aura grew stronger and more intense the further they got close.
"I feel bad for them."
Sora huffed. Of course he would. He had tasted a frustrated Mistress before. The very moment they appeared by a bonfire, a large sack bag charged their way like it needed a hug.
Eidrin calmly took a side-step, and the human-sized bag slammed on the tree. "She's throwing people around."
They just watched her, panting heavily with bloodstained fists and almost perfect hair. Two swords were stabbed on the ground. Three bodies were stacked on each other.
Another body was, somehow, on a low tree branch, and the last one was passed out under the tree he's slammed on.
"Oh, it's you two." She lowered her fists, rubbing her neck. "How did you find me?" She looked like a child who just got caught torturing lizards.
Her voice was clear despite the intensity of the surroundings. Even her hair was still obedient. That said a lot about how often she did these.
Sora had heard from the Knight watching her, but had never seen. Eidrin was surprised, but his face didn't show anything. Also her senses had greatly improved if she could target them the second they appeared.
They also wanted to ask if she was alright, but that'd further disrespect the victims who were clearly not. Apart from her fists and sweaty face, there was no other sign of breaking her.
Those victims must've deserved it since she put so much energy on them. The Fifth felt a little jealous.
"We followed your scent," he said simply. "Do you still want to hunt? We are closer to the area I prepared."
Esme's eyes sparkled as she held three fingers up. "Three sentences." The two stared at her, not knowing what she meant. She took her fingers down, and cleared her throat.
"Yes, yes, we can use the bonfire I found to roast our catch." She adjusted her hair, and cleaned off her clothes. "Let's go." She reached for Sora.
Eidrin stepped back quickly. "Yes, let's go." His legs moved quickly, and he headed into the forest.
Sora looked at him, with a frown. "Let her carry me. I can already walk by myself. You don't have to go through the trouble."
"I don't mind, nephew."
Sora clicked his tongue. Something he picked up from the Mistress. His indigestion had gotten better after seeing those worse off than him.
A clearing at the center of the forest had been arranged for the hunt. The Mistress walked carefully towards the sharp steel blades hanging on the rack. Knives were not utensils she used daily, especially blades with such sharp edges.
There were two men, setting up the bags and tying small dead animals to the end of a rope. They spoke calmly amongst themselves but she got the subtle accent of Eindrigin from them.
"They are servants." Eidrin said, standing beside her. She snapped her head to him, forced a smile, and side-stepped. Before he could add, she walked to the servants with a dead fox she'd been holding.
"You scared the Mistress off. Stop sneaking up on her and make your footsteps audible." Sora scolded.
"I will."
The nephew shook his head. This hunting had to turn out perfectly or the mistress might decline every invitation to go out with other brothers. A decision like that would be horrible and sad for those younger brothers in hibernation, and the older brother who travelled far away for his sake.
The hunting started. The Mistress settled with a bow, and a feather from Sora that'd account for her safety and number of kills. They dispersed. Eidrin to the north and the Mistress to the south. Seeing how Eidrin had collected a long blade, Esme wondered if he still wanted to put effort even if he wanted her to get better games than him.
"I shouldn't slack off then," she played around with the bow, stretching and pulling it to improve its flexibility. "I'd be using mostly traps anyway." She threw down the bag and started throwing out bait.
Meanwhile Eidrin stopped under an oak tree, temporarily frozen by the sheer size of it. The reason he had picked that location was to check for the little oak tree his older brother had planted. She had grown so gracefully, shielding her younger siblings below her from the sun.
"Do you like this tree? It might become my favourite."
Eidrin got closer and patted the oak gently. It must also feel lonely since the one that planted her never came to visit. All the responsibility of catering for herself through harsh weather, and now being a good older sister, had to be handled by herself alone. "I will visit you more often. I promise."
"Do you also sense it?"
Eidrin stepped away from the tree and picked a flower from a little tree growing below it.
The person who'd been trying to have a conversation with him, slid down the oak tree, and inevitably crashed from the height. Yet they stood up almost immediately and wobbled towards him. "You could… also sense the loneliness of this oak tree, young sir? You are really insightful."
Eidrin turned to him with an arched eyebrow. He looked him over, thrice. Certainly a foreigner, but not a traveller. He wore light white satin clothes so it didn't feel like he was here for a short visit.
Also despite only wearing one jewelry, the necklace was a rare diamond found only at a lake at Dionus. To afford that, he'd have to be a delicate young master of a doting family. It reminded him of his youngest brothers.
"My older brother planted it." he spoke to the strange young master, against his better judgement.
The young master hummed, looking up at the huge fully matured tree, and back at Eidrin. He nodded. "Your brother's hands must be really amazing, young sir."
"Yes, you can visit here when you want."
The young master nodded again, but asked. "Do you give me permission because your brother planted it? Should I not have climbed it?"
"It's alright since she's lonely. Visit her often since you live here."
The young master blinked, and he took a step back. "Do I already look like I've adjusted? It's only been a month away from my home." He held his braided hair and showed Eidrin the split-ends. "This weather is horrible, and it is always so hot. The oak tree is the only cool place to rest."
Eidrin squinted his eyes at him, in more worry than annoyance. "Return home then." It'd be better for him too, so he could move around with his Mistress at Eindrigin without having to worry about him finding her. He took the blade he had stuck on the ground. "I'm sure the other Dukes wouldn't mind your return."
The young master became stiff— staring into nothing as Eidrin had vanished, returning to the hunt. "How did he…?" A soft smile spread across his lips. "I wonder if he'd be my friend."