VI

Aron seemed hesitant even though they had walked quite a distance from the hut. Marie's death, the comfort that had been bound, the things that should not be done. Aron felt like he was trapped there, with no communication with outsiders. Sometimes he would go to town to sell the game, then buy some arrows.

Marie took pretty good care of Aron. Although his body was not fat, the man was quite healthy. Aron had no other family, and neither did Marie. Both of them belonged to each other until Aron finally felt a deep loneliness. The world was so unfair for taking away the people he loved.

The fat woman lay in bed for several days. The large black mole near her nose moved when Aron gave her a drink. The woman's body was stiff, until now Aron didn't know what illness Marie was suffering from.

Aron had tried many things: making herbal drinks, putting charcoal under her bed, looking for a healer in town. But nothing worked, she could only move her eyelids. 

Every day Marie's condition worsened, she felt pain all over her body, lack of sleep was the cause of her blackened eye circles. Her hair was sticky from sweat, her body smelled like onions. Aron became frustrated. He went to the city and begged people to save Marie. But no one wanted to come just to see Marie's condition, people were afraid that the woman would spread disease or curse them. Who didn't know Marie? The rumors about her boiling her child became the stuff of Hudtown children's tales.

Marie had saved Aron's life, taught him to hunt. Aiden had gotten his crossbow skills from Sercan and honed them while living in the forest. Seeing her dying, he felt guilty that he had done nothing.

"Anyone please, Marie, she's in pain," Aron's voice boomed among the bustle of the market, some people just turned their heads, a man with a large belly paused for a moment then continued walking, a fruit vendor served the customers without being bothered, "tell me anyone who is an expert in medicine." Aron spun around trying to talk to anyone, but no one cared.

"What's going on?" Two people dressed as Grissham soldiers approached him. 

Aron rubbed his face in annoyance. He didn't want to deal with the palace people. When he turned to leave, a soldier stopped him. 

"Tell me what's wrong?" It was their job, to check Hudtown every day and report to the palace.

Aron brushed off the soldier's hand, and left. The two soldiers followed him.

The houses in Hudtown were built with pale black stone. In winter, the town would look like a mix of black and white. Some of the outskirts were overgrown with weeds, and sometimes the walls were mossy. The density of Hudtown was palpable. Perhaps this way they could maintain the warmth among the residents. 

They walked straight through the main street, slightly uphill and uneven in texture like pillows arranged in a row, bubbling. Many people were passing by, it was probably harvest time and there were many new stalls in the market.

Aron flinched as someone opened the door. The soldier couldn't ignore anything that looked suspicious. 

"What are you guys doing here?" Aron looked annoyed that they almost broke his door.

"I'm Zero." He turned his head and found a woman lying down, "Today is our schedule for patrolling, we just wanted to check."

Their clothes were a mix of blue and black. Black pants, combined with a hanging skirt of the same color with two long dangling cloths in blue. The ends were triangular and had black flowers carved on them. Their arms were wrapped in silver with a tiger's head carved inside a circle. The right sleeve has four flower petals, slightly elongated and narrowed.

Aron ignored them, he turned around and picked up some wood and added it to the fire. Inside the pot were leaves and roots submerged in water. The sound rumbled with the heat of the fire, it was almost evening, so the reflection of the light was felt on the man's face.

"How long has she been like this?" The other soldier asked, his body slightly lower than Zero's.

"There's nothing you can do." Aron squatted down and shifted the wood deeper to maintain its temperature.

"We have to make a report. If you really want a bunch of other soldiers to come here, go ahead."

Aron stood up and looked at Zero with a challenging gaze. A sharp nose, slightly tanned skin, shoulder-length wavy black hair. Shouldn't the soldier be polite for being in someone else's home? Aron loved that hut as much as a king loved his kingdom.

"Isn't that what you're doing to the people of Hudtown, arresting rebels, troublemakers, people who want to protest." His hands moved behind his back, "so what are you going to say about this?" Aron pointed at the woman with his eyes.

Zero was at a loss for words when Aron insinuated the behavior of the Grissham warriors, who were quick to label a citizen as guilty of a small mistake. A young man was once caught stealing apples and the Grissham soldiers were there. Aron saw it, they took the young man who was probably still a decade older. Meanwhile, a nobleman who hit a merchant was not charged with anything.

The man who had short black hair stepped closer to the woman. "We'd say if there was a sick woman here, I'm sure her death would be quicker."

Aron's blood rippled, his teeth clashed, his facial muscles hardened. "You'd better leave before I chop off your head with an ax."

"So how long has it been?" Zero seemed unconcerned with the threat.

"Long enough." 

"Good." Zero nodded lightly, as if noting it down on a parchment and would give it to the king.

Sky was very birght when the city turned into a grove of trees. The trunks of trees were towering, they had to walk to Grissham's palace, and it would take at least three days. Foolishly, Zero didn't bring a horse from the palace and Aron didn't want to spend money to rent a horse owned by a Hudtown resident.

Zero's mission was to find someone in Hudtown for a big task. So he had been resting in the city for a week. And he had visited Aron several times. The horse he brought from the palace turned out to be sick and died. He would have to wait until another soldier came to visit Hudtown, but their journey had to begin soon before Aron changed his mind.

Aiden didn't bring much food. Looking at Zero ahead, he felt it wouldn't be enough. Although he didn't want to share, it would be even more troublesome if the little head died on the way.

They crossed a path that no human had ever traveled. The bushes were dense, scraping their feet. Dried leaves seemed to cloak their footsteps.

"Are you sure this is the right path?"

Zero, who was in front, stopped. Looking around, the sunlight filtered through the leaves. Birds chirped noisily, flying towards their rear. Both of them turned their heads, wondering what was making a swarm of birds fly in the forest. When they turned to face forward, they were stunned to see a large, green figure standing right in front of them. It looked like it had just woken up from a nap and disturbed some birds that were perched on a tree.

"For the sake of our ancestors. What is that?" Zero was frightened, but dared not move from his spot.

What they were afraid of in the first place was just a wild animal, but they got something bigger