Blood Bound

Redhound's Best & Worst

The old man bowed down to match his eye level with the kid and smiled. 

"Don't tell me you're retiring at such a young age. Why are you not telling me that you're getting married?" He said, still looking at Henryk, but then switching his gaze to Brook and stood up straight again for a better view on the tall young man. Brook frowned, looking disgusted. 

"I'm not getting married, gramps, he wanted to find a mentor therefore I brought him here." He glanced to Bess and shrugged. "We brought him here." 

Slowly, their Grandfather's expression change, less delighted now, much less. That change definitely made Brook nervous, he doesn't know about Bess--well it's rare for him to see her nervous, not even sure if she's capable of being nervous--but his heart suddenly beating so hard he felt like it's going to jump out from his mouth. 

"For the trial?" The old man asked with a lower voice, and Brook couldn't help but glance at Henryk a little. 

Much surprise for the twins and their Grandfather, Henryk stepped out from behind Brook's legs and hold the old man's arm slightly with his much smaller hand. 

"Don't worry, I can take it. I want to be a Redhound, sir, so bad." He said. The old man sighed, looking at the kid and then back to Brook with his eyebrows knitted together. He sighed again and crouch down. He holds the kid by his shoulder. 

"I know you can take it, little one. What's your name?" 

"Henryk." He answered. 

"Hello Henryk, my name is Alastair, nice to meet you." He smiled. Henryk smiled back. He had never seen a smile like Alastair's, warm, and something about it make you sure he cared for you. 

"Nice to meet you too." Henryk reply with a small voice, still containing his happiness on being able to imagine how is it to have a loving grandparents with him. Both of his parents always told him stories about his grandparents, but he has never seen them, he just dreamed to see them. If he daydream about his grandfather now, he sure he will imagine him with Alastair's face and voice. He likes him. 

"Now, I see you've had something to prepare your stomach for our late dinner." Alastair stood up again, looking around for the maid and when he found one he put his hand up to call her. The maid quickly ran in small steps closer to Alastair as the old man asked her to bring him a set of after noon tea with pretzels, almond cookie and fresh fruits. 

Brook would never forget about that, his Grandfather's favorite almond cookie. 

"Sit down, please continue your afternoon break." He smiled and push his grandchildren back to their seat, including Henryk. He sits beside Henryk, right across Bess.

"So, tell me, little man, why do you want to become a hunter?" Alastair asked while studying the boy's features. 

He smiled back. "I want to protect people, and myself. I want my parents to know that I can take care of myself so they don't have to worry that I'll be attacked somewhere when I travel far alone."

"Oh so your parents want you to become a hunter?" 

Brook and Bess got uncomfortable with the conversation, knowing the kid's parents aren't really with him anymore but don't have the chance to say it to their Grandfather either. 

"They... didn't really say so, but you know, I'm better off knowing how to fight for my life rather than not knowing at all, and probably..." the kid stopped for a little, staring blankly somewhere on the old man's chest. "I don't have to watch anyone got killed by the monsters ever again. I'll be able to do something, soon."