Blood Bound

The Village

It's probably 6, or 7 PM. Bess keeps on looking at her left wrist to look to her leather wristwatch that was a gift from her last job well done, but she left the goddamn watch in the last motel she was in, in Troca. Even though she knows the owner well, J.N, and vice versa, she worried he didn't find the watch himself. She still hopes he did finds it, and keep it for Bess. Bess made sure to carve her initial on the back of the watch, thank God, she just needs to pray J.N still remembers her actual name starts with A, not B.

"You sure you don't want to rest?" Henryk asked Bess, maybe for the third time. Bess sighed loudly.

"You tired, kid?"

Henryk quickly shakes his head, Bess glanced at the kid. He does pants quite a bit, but Bess is sure he's used to walk distance.

"Where are your parents?" Bess quickly regrets that question, two seconds after she closed her lips.

"Dead, attacked by lunatics."

Bess panicked, glancing at the kid half sure the boy is about to break down and cry. But his expression doesn't change, not even a bit.

"A long time ago?" Bess, isn't the type that sympathized. Well, actually she doesn't know how. Blood? Death? Those aren't things that can scare or hurt Bess in any kind of way.

Henryk nods.

"Four years? Around." Henryk guessed. Bess lifts her eyebrows. Four years?

"So you're like... what? I mean how old."

"Um..." Henryk took some time to guess.

"I think I'm going to turn 13 this winter."

Next month, Bess thought. That means he has been alone since he was nine. Quite though, Bess thinks.

"So, what did you do after... that happened?"

Henryk scoffed, "I was confused. After all of our food and supplies were gone, I know I had to at least get out to be able to keep living, and then..." Henryk glanced at Bess a bit before continuing.

"I was attacked by a lunatic, and saved by the Redhounds." 

The sentence brought Bess's attention, and Bess look back at Henryk that's switching his gaze between Bess's eyes and the messy forest road, avoiding fallen branches and rocks.

"A woman, with red long hair, green eyes. She has an arrow gun too. Behind her then another guy came after, riding a horse carriage."

"Let me guess, a redhead too?" Bess hid a smile. Henryk nods, not surprised.

"Those were your Mom and Dad, right?" Henryk asked. Bess shrugged her head.

"Maybe." 

-----------------------

The moon peeked, as Bess and Henryk are so close to Tura.

"Are we there yet?" Henryk sighed, and wipe his dripping sweat with the back of his hand. The wind is starting to get colder as they're getting higher, closer to the mountain.

"Yeah, a little bit more." Bess nods, squinting her eyes to look far. She can see the windmill inside the village from afar.

They continue to walk towards the closed big gate. The view of the windmill now hidden behind the tall wooden gate.

"Excuse me! This is Bess Redhound, I want to rest for a bit! I have the money!" Bess shouted in front of the gate. The villagers have known her pretty well, but this village isn't... your average village. They're not the type to give things for free even for a family.