“But… “ Yorgar is protesting our denial “Aren’t you, man and woman, living outside in the woods, all alone?”

“That doesn’t necessitate marriage” I say. I sneak a look at Amina. Damn, she is calm and collected. If she had only been a little more flustered. I don’t know.

“That’s right. Sir is merely my benefactor and friend.” She says. It stings a little.

“But then, what is the problem? You can just leave, if you have no responsibility for her?” What cruel words. Amina is also visibly scared by the prospect. Don’t think she has it in her to survive by her lonesome.

“Amina happens to be pretty important to me, I won’t abandon her” I hoped that line scored a few points.

“Well, she can come too. We are based out of the large city Berliso. Besides our clan house, most of us have a private residence. I also have a wife waiting there for me, you know?”

“What do you think?” I turn to Amina and ask. She doesn’t answer immediately but appears hesitant.

“Why are you asking her? Aren’t you the provider? Couldn’t you just demand she comes if you want her to?” This guy, really.

“It is important to me that she feels comfortable making the move” I say. She has been through a lot.

Yorgar’s eyes widen and light up a little as he seems to have gotten an idea. “Ah, I get it now!”

“What do you get?”

“Ah, nevermind, nevermind, stuff for later. But doesn’t it get stupid lonely out here? And to be honest, this hut is pretty damn small, too. And you don’t seem to have the luxuries you could get in the city” He gestures to our skin and straw beds. Ah, I totally forgot feather mattresses and bedframes were a thing. It was not that I couldn’t get them.

Amina seems to have made up her mind in response “I’ll go”, she says in a meek and quiet voice.

“Great, great. Do you have any business to take care of here?” Yorgar inquires “I mean, before we leave?”

I think of the guild. I pretty much do half their work, so I better inform them, that I am planning on leaving.

“Yeah, I’ll have to pop by town before leaving. I work there every other day.”

“Huh? Isn’t the nearest town a couple of hours away?”

“Hey, dryads are pretty light, if I remember correctly?” I smirk and grab Yorgar, lifting him up. He is even lighter than I remember Hannah being.

“He-hey!”

“Do you like travelling at high speeds, Yorgar?” He looks confused.

“I’ll get us to town in less than an hour. Amina, you think of what we should bring in the meantime.” I hold Yorgar in my arms and start to pick up speed.

The intention had been to have a bit of fun scaring him, but… “Woohoo!” He is absolutely loving it. But as the city appears, as if emerging slowly from the fog, he taps my arm and shouts “Stop!” Which I do.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

“What would people not think if they saw that?” I think a little. “Well, these folk may be pretty used to it.” I have multiple times carried Amina into the city after all.

“Really? People must think of you as quite the weirdo…”

“Huh, no I think they just think of me as a little obnoxious” I did drive like half the hunters out of town after all.

“No, I am pretty sure they will regard you as weird” I just cave in. I have never been that good at estimating what other people think, anyway.

As we make our way to and enter the guild, the young female receptionist makes noise “eh?”

I walk up, planning to state my move, but she comes in advance “Hunter Yos, isn’t this an off day?”

“Ah, that’s not why I am here. I am planning on moving away. Just came to inform you” She looks shocked upon learning that. “Pl-please wait here for a moment” she says, while running to the back. Moments later, the marvelously mustachioed Derby enters.

“Yos, my boy, why don’t we talk about thi-“ He freezes as he sees Yorgar, who also suddenly seems to try and hide his face.

“Yorgar? Is that you?” Well, they know each other.

“He-hey, I am not Yorgar, I am Yorgar’s son, uhm,,, Yorgir” What the hell, that sounds so made-up. Even

“Yos, what is your relation to this young man?” Eh, now he is asking me. Well, if Yorgar is pretending to be his own son.

“He’s my nephew!” I heard a smack from besides me, but I don’t turn to look.

“Nephew? So he is the son of your brother?”

“Yeah, Yorgar is my step-brother” Derby is looking very confused.

“Well, I knew Yorgar back in the day, he never really mentioned a brother.”

“He didn’t know then, he was born after I had left the house and set out on my own”

“Yos, aren’t you supposed to only be around 24 years old?” Ah, I got confused by this whole thing. I fucked up.

There’s a loud sigh beside me “Derby, I am Yorgar, as you suspected. Please lead us to a private room, I will explain.”

Derby flashes a smile, and leads us up to a room on the second floor. The smile seems warm and welcoming.

Once we are seated, Yorgar starts “Ah, Derby, been a long time.”

“Sure has. I learnt much from you”

And so, an entangled past is exposed.