Blood Bound

Setting Fire

Alastair scoffed and leaned back to his chair. 

"Anyone betraying Redhounds while they are a part of us is foolish. You, your Mother and Father, Grandmother and Grandfather, even your ancestors, have taken vow to keep the secret of the Redhounds to themselves, protect Redhound like a family they are, no matter if they have been training with us or not." Alastair makes sure he looks into each and everyone's eyes. He's a hunter, not a warlock, he wouldn't know either if there is someone unfaithful in the room. 

"But... um..." Neill glances around, Alastair and his brothers and sister have been very close even though their mother is a Deathstalker, Aria Deathstalker. But his father, Mateo Redhound, was a splitting image of Alastair, warm, wise, but strict if he has to. 

So when one of his brother or sister had to be given to the Deathstalker, nothing was changed. Mateo and Aria will always keep their children together, scheduled family day out and dinners, just like when they were all still one clan. 

And when Steven Deathstalker, Alastair's brother, introduced his three children to Alastair, the tradition continues, they still dine and play together, like one family, no matter what the color of their clan is. 

Neill, as expected, will always stand with Redhounds. That doesn't mean he's not faithful to Deathstalker, but he wouldn't betray both of them.

"Don't worry son, everything that's said in this room, will be the secret to this group only." Alastair's voice deepens, 

"Someone dares to betray that, it would be their head on my sword. Would everybody swear to secrecy?" 

One by one swears their secrecy to Alastair, even Elias that never liked to be told anything. 

After Neill hears each and everyone's oath, he cleared his throat and he speaks. 

"I'm not exactly sure if this is happening to another clan as well, but... I've heard a Deathstalker talking about some... weird man that's been giving them offer." Neill lowered his head, and also his voice.

"Golds for a Redhound's head." 

The room fell to silent,  and no one knows what to say, or do. Especially the guards. 

"Have anyone heard, or offered a similar thing?" Alastair asked, more like demanded. 

"I have." 

All of the eyes moved to the woman beside Elias, wearing brown kimono top, a Nightingale, more precise, the grandchild from one of Alastair's uncle, Juan. 

"Speak, May." Alastair leans forward, tangling his fingers with each other on the table. 

May straighten her pose and hesitatingly started to speak. 

"I thought this was a mad man's joke, I mean I've always thought to be a hunter, we will always be the enemy to both nightwalkers and lunatics, especially nightwalkers." May stopped a second to lick her dry lips. 

"So when that old man, gave me a flyer, I wasn't surprised. I threw it to an open fire beside me, as I was walking on the Serbab morning market." 

"What was written on the flyer?" Alastair asked, and May looked back to Alastair's eyes. 

"One thousand golds, for each of Redhound's head." May's voice cracked when she spoke the words. May, she's not the closest to the family indeed, but one of the most kind-hearted woman in the clan. She must be thinking about her mother who's a Redhound. 

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Alastair asked again. May's eyes traveled from one side to another, and then back to Alastair's. She shakes her head.