An offer from master Finley.

"Oh, thank heavens. You startled me," Hazel breathed a sigh of relief as she eased herself from Finley's hold.

"I've been looking for you all day. Did something happen?" Finley asked, his voice laced with concern as his gaze swept over Hazel's body.

Hazel sighed again. "It's a long story, but I think we'll have to leave sooner. I'm very sorry," her face wore an apologetic expression and Finley quickly waved her off.

"We were planning on leaving tonight anyway. And don't apologise. Your uncle was a great friend of mine and I'm very glad I can help you, Hazel," he said in a fatherly tone, making Hazel feel emotional. He reminded her of her uncle. But she noticed something in his statement...

"We?" She asked in confusion.

They started walking away side by side, Finley striding gracefully with his hands behind his back. "Yes, I came here with two of my students."

"Oh." Students? Did he open another training centre. As far as she could remember, half the village–including where his training centre was–was burnt to ashes. She didn't even think he survived until she saw him earlier that day.

"I did open another training centre in the capital. Business there is much better since there are a lot of people," Finley further explained. "Perhaps you can join me. I still remember you were one of the best students I've ever had," he added with a smile and Hazel smiled back.

She was indeed the best and talking about things that happened in the past made her feel as if it was ages ago when it was only five years ago.

"I would love to join you," she responded enthusiastically. "But I'm afraid I've become more ruthless after being in prison."

Her smile turned to a sad one as she analyzed in her own mind how much her personality had changed. She had always had a quick temper and her uncle used to warn her countless times, but now it had only gotten worse. Her temper had gone from quick to flaring and any little thing could trigger her emotions.

"That will be no problem at all. Sometimes being ruthless is what makes you stronger," master Finley advised and Hazel's eyebrows furrowed. Did it? But remembering the man she sought to destroy, her countenance changed and she looked ahead frostily.

"You're right."

The walk to some place in the outskirts of Hawksley took a little while longer and they both remained silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Hazel only snapped back to the present when Finley stopped and she looked up in a daze. She looked around and could only see a small cottage. It seemed like they were far from the town since there weren't any buildings or cobblestoned paths. It looked more country than what they had left behind.

"I managed to get your things back," Finley said as he walked up to the cottage and knocked on the door. A tall woman opened the door, her face stern and skeptical. But her guard dropped when she saw Finley's face and she let them in.

Hazel felt the warmth of a home as soon as she entered and looked around admiringly at the small living area. The floors and the walls were a contrast between brown and white, a rare colour in most familial homes.

"They're at the back," the woman informed and led them towards a small corridor which opened up to a kitchen. They walked out through the kitchen door and a gasp left Hazel's lips at the large area behind the house.

Wordlessly, Finley and the woman walked towards what looked like a barn and Hazel heard men's voices from the inside.

At the door, the woman gave a slight bow and left while Finley confidently walked in as if he owned the place. Hazel just followed behind him silently.

They passed stables with horses in different colours and sizes, then walked into an area where there were two different doors. Finley walked directly to where the voices were coming from and Hazel followed.

"You're back. We almost went out looking for you," one of the three men seated around a huge desk remarked when the door opened and Finley's tall frame filled the entrance.

He stepped aside to reveal Hazel's face and they all looked at her with different expressions.

The one on the head chair with a bald head and a bearded face regarded her with slightly narrowed eyes, his expression unreadable. Opposite him, the one on the left with blonde hair had his eyebrows raised in surprise and the last one with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes looked at her with a certain curiosity in his eyes.

Hazel stood on the spot awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Finley cleared his throat and broke the silence. "This is Hazel. Hazel, this is Martin and Lewis," he introduced the two men with hair, not bothering with the bald one.

None of them, not even Hazel spoke a word and they all just stared at each other.

"Alright then, we should get going," Finley announced and the awkward trance was broken at once.

Martin grabbed a satchel bag from the desk and handed it to Hazel, then they all got to their feet and followed the bald man outside.

"We still haven't decided on the colour yet," the bald man said to Finley and the latter pursed his lips.

"That was what you were supposed to be doing," he bit out, disapproval lacing his voice.

"Sorry," Lewis, the younger looking one of all of them chimed in. "We just thought it would be better if she chose it herself."

Hazel finally caught on that they were talking about her, but she didn't quite understand what they were talking about because she was busy checking if her things were all intact. They were. She really needed to thank master Finley properly.

"So, miss… Hazel… sorry, how do I address you?" Martin asked, finding the title a bit… odd. He didn't know whether it was because he wasn't well acquainted with Hazel, or it was just the fact that he was used to more… different kind of ladies. Proper ladies and not roguish looking.

"Hazel is just fine," Hazel said, also wondering why the title didn't quite fit her.

"Hazel, then. Do you prefer brown or white?" Martin asked.

Hazel seemed to turn over the simple question in her mind and replied, "Brown."

She saw Martin and Lewis share a glance, a smirk on Lewis's face and a scorn on Martin's.

"Brown it is then," the bald man said as they stopped at one of the barns and they all turned to her. Hazel's eyebrows lifted quizzically.

"Uh…?"

"They were only asking your colour preference for a horse," Finley explained when none of the other men made an attempt to.

"Oh," Hazel merely made a sound. She hated riding horses. The last time she rode a horse her legs ached for an entire week and she wasn't sure if she wanted to relive that.

***

Hello dear readers. I hope you're enjoying the story.

Just wanted to inform you that I feel like the introduction part of the story is almost over so there'll be more dialogues as we move forward. The plot only gets more exciting so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote <3< p>