Hailey

Lucy sat there swinging her legs while writing down on a piece of parchment, bored out of her mind with her teacher Mister Silverman watching her to make sure she wrote the equations correctly.

"Okay done. Can I go now this is boring!"

Silverman chuckled, "You know a lot of people would be grateful for what I'm doing for you. Not everyone gets an education let alone a woman"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll discover it when you're older. You're too young and you have your pride as a hunter and a member of this guild.", He seemed to be reminiscing over something.

"Hmph…I don't even know what that means….so can I go now that I'm done?"

He sighs, "I suppose…I'll tell Jarvis about your work today"

"Okay thank you mister!", She got up and ran out.

As he picked up her parchment and read it over, he thought to himself, 'Smart girl…Jarvis got lucky'

Lucy ran outside of the guild and looked around her street. People were still busy traveling to where they needed to go. Cute little shops filled her part of the streets and as she ran by people waved and said hello to her. She waved back occasionally but really wanted to spend time with her friend. As she made it to the housing district, she knocked on a run down, yellow house with a red roof with a few shingles nearly falling off, windows with closed curtains, and a small dying garden out front.

She heard the locks click, and the door opened. There stood a girl still dressed in her farmer's clothing, with dirty red hair, tied up in a ponytail, around the same age as Lucy.

Lucy hugged her tightly, "Hailey! Did you work today? How was everything in the fields?"

"H-hey Lucy, um…it went well today…we found some ripe ones…"

Shouting suddenly erupted from the house, "Are you an idiot woman! How hard is it to cook a decent meal! I can't work with this food!".

"Oh, looks like your parents are fighting again?",she let go of Hailey.

"Y-yeah it's been like that more recently…I think it's because mommy called the guards on him"

"The city guards came down here!"

"Shh!"

Lucy covered her mouth quickly, and Hailey sighed.

"Let's go walk…?"

"Alright…are you going to tell them?"

"They'll know when I'm not there"

Hailey stepped outside and closed the door slowly and dusted herself of any dirt leftover from working.

"okay… let's go…!"

Lucy grabbed Hailey's hand, tightly grasping it.

"Let's go have fun!"

Lucy led her by the hand running away from the housing section and into the district where the Hunters guild was. Hailey stared at the shops, guilds, and houses, with longing in her eyes.

'It's unfair…', she thought.

***

'It's unfair…' Eliza thought as she walked home. She went so as slowly as she could, fully knowing it only postponed the inevitable.

'Why are they always so overprotective of me! Even getting Alerian's dad involved as well, I've told them so many times how much he dislikes his father!'

Eliza looked around and saw Lucy with Hailey sharing a cookie. Hailey looked pleasantly surprised while eating, while Lucy looked happy, being out on the streets with her friend.

'She's so lucky, why does she get to do what she wants! I have to sneak out to do what she does…well I'll get out of here soon and you won't be the only one to see the outside world!'

She walked past them, dreading to go home and hear the scolding she'll get once there. She always felt terrible afterward, though they would never admit that they were in the wrong at times. Like the time they scolded her for using the few copper coins, she asked for, for a cookie, and scolded her for it. The punishment didn't fit the crime.

As she walked up to the door, it swung open.

Her father looked at her with his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, thank goodness your safe! But you're in so much trouble little girl!"

He pulled her inside and closed the door. The inside of the house was small, filled with memorabilia and furniture. Her mother was stirring a pot of stew when she heard the door close loudly.

"Honey, you didn't leave?"

"Look who's back darling! It's a criminal in disguise as our daughter!"

"Dad let me go! I just wanted to have some fun with Alerian!", she pulled her arm away with a grunt and crossed her arms.

Her mother sighed, "Eliza you know your father worries and cares about you very much. You know you can't just wander around in the capital so leisurely like you're doing now"

"You're our only child, I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt Eliza", her father pulled at his beard, "I just want you safe"

"Well, maybe it's a little too much! Maybe it's getting just a little too much to handle! I just want to have fun with my friend!", she ran to her room and slammed the door shut.

Hailey followed Lucy around, looking at the brick houses, the shops, and the hunting guilds.

"H-hey Lucy…why are there so many hunting guilds…"

Lucy stopped from biting her cookie, "Uhm well mister Jarvis says it's because the hunters bring back animal parts to sell and to protect the capital and any towns with guilds…I guess it's for protection!"

"I guess that's another reason why Lafores can't be broken into easily…"

"Yep! Want to come over for the night? Mister Jarvis won't mind"

"O-oh I would like to…but I think I should be heading home now I think my parents know I'm gone by now…"

"Awe…that sucks…well let me take you home"

"N-no need to! I can get there!", she grasped her arm tightly.

"Honestly you don't have-

"Alice it's okay…I can walk myself home", she turned around and walked away.

"Oh…well take care, Hailey!"

"Uhm…You too!"

They waved at each other before they went their separate directions.

'I should've just said yes…I should've…okay let's just head home…they won't do anything, at least not tonight'.

As it got dark in the night Hailey hummed a calming song. Her mother used to hum it to her when she was younger. But that was a different time. Hailey thought about the times she spent with Lucy and smiled. She always made her happy, and she didn't know how she did it.

'Lucy's my best friend!'

She opened the door to her small house.

"Where on Maynir have you been!"

Her father, a tall man with muscles bulging from his shirt stood in front of her. His name was Henry, but he was mostly known as the guy who could kill with a glare. He used to be in the king's personal guard, but due to some events, he was knocked back down to peasantry. Though he's scum, he still has his pride.

"I-I went to get some cookies"

Henry raised his eyebrow, "Cookies…and it took you until nighttime to get back home!?", his voice raised, with anger this time instead.

He pulled her inside forcefully and threw her onto the floor, closing the door afterward.

"Tell me the truth!"

"I-I am!"

*SLAP*

Hailey yelped. She teared up and held her cheek.

"Don't you dare cry. Now speak! What were you doing out there!"

"I-I wasn't doing anything!", tears started to drip down.

"Listen here!", he grabbed her shirt and lifted her up. "If you tell anyone about this you're dead."

"o-okay…", she sputtered out quietly.

Henry dropped her and walked away. The entire time her mother was looking away. She didn't want to get in the way of her husband's anger.

"M-mom…"

"Shh!", she silenced her harshly before walking away.

Hailey started to cry harder.

'It isn't fair!'