It's a Long Way To Dearest Gravesfield

Chapter 6: Breakfast with Eda

When Hunter wakes, late morning light streams through the window. He stretches, sits up, and looks for Luz, but she isn't in the room. He takes a deep breath and sighs.

"Well...gotta get up some time. Might as well be now."

He walks to the kitchen and finds Eda at the table sipping something steaming, "Hey, good morning, sleepyhead."

"Hi, Eda."

"Did you rest OK?"

"Yeah, pretty well, all things considered." He pauses as she gestures for him to sit down across from her, "Look...about last night...I'm sorry if I woke you. Or kept you up. It won't happen again."

Eda shakes her head, "There's no need to apologize. You needed time for grief. You can't just hold that in."

"But if I interrupted your sleep-"

"Then you must've been feeling really awful," she says, "Look, Hunter...I know this house isn't like anywhere you've lived before, but I want you to feel safe here. Big emotions are fine. I know that the last time you were here, it was the day you learned some pretty awful truths and I get that might make it a little weird. But I want to make sure you're OK and I want you to know I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe."

"You don't even know me."

"Yeah, I get that, but you're a hurt kid, for starters, and I don't make it a habit to leave hurt kids on their own. And second...you're my kid's adopted brother, so you're family, and while, from what I gather, family didn't mean anything to your uncle, it means a LOT here. To me."

He nods slowly, trying to understand why this woman he'd stood so firmly against as the Golden Guard is giving him so much grace.

"Thanks, Eda."

"Any time, kiddo - you want breakfast?"

"Sure. Where's Luz?"

She stands, heading to the stove, "You like eggs?" He nods. "She took Camila for a walk with Lily and Steve. She's ready to go hunt Belos and fight a god today and I'm just like...Lily, keep her grounded or she's going to give me bad ideas. Or great ideas, with bad timing."

He laughs, "Yeah, that's Luz."

"She's really protective of her 'kinda mixed up Bro.'"

Hunter smiles, "I'm glad she's stuck with me. I didn't exactly make it easy."

Eda shrugs, "You had a job to do and she has no respect for rules that don't make sense to her...those two things weren't going to collide without some sparks. I'm just glad she never lost sight of the fact you're not her enemy...you're another kid who thought you could trust the adults in your life and they lied."

"Did she tell you how much he lied?"

"She said Belos made you. You're a Grimwalker. We talked that through when you came back from in his head. King knows, too, and I'd guess Hooty does. But we never told Steve or Lily.""

Hunter pauses, thinking, "So you knew what I was before the Day of Unity."

"Yep."

"But you didn't say anything."

"Why would I? What difference does it make where you came from? You were going to be drained with the rest of us - it didn't really seem relevant how you were born."

"What about now?" he asks.

"Nope, still not relevant. One of my kids is a Titan, the other's a human. What isn't nearly as important as who."