Chapter Seven: "Clare, Bane of Teresa of the Faint Smile"
By the time disguised Ivan the Terrible had arrived in Lyrall as well as left the Winking Pike to begin searching for his purpose for even being in town – to begin looking for she who would be his newest warrior apprentice, for she who would be the organization's newest claymore, for she who would be the means to finding out the reasons behind Teresa's demise – the time had been around mid-afternoon. In turn, as the claymore man had started subtly looking around for his student, as he'd asked at both the barracks as well as the church about any suspicious activity during the last seven days, the afternoon sun went from being in the sky to drooping towards the horizon to peeking just over the horizon… before vanishing behind that horizon altogether and letting the moonlit nighttime wrap its shroud around the world.
It was getting to be actually pretty late into the night when Theodore Rodgers witnessed Ivan the Terrible step lightly through the front door and into his quiet, emptied, cleaned up inn. At once, the innkeeper noticed that his mysterious guest of room five – although smiling a warm smile at having been noticed – looked quite weary from whatever he'd been doing all afternoon long.
Ah, yes, Ivan had been looking for someone, correct? Correct. Yet, judging by the way he looked to be alone now like he had been when he'd left the inn earlier in the afternoon to start his search… Theodore guessed that his guest of room five hadn't had any luck in finding his certain someone.
Well, there was always tomorrow, right? Right. And at thinking such optimism to himself, seeing that Ivan looked a bit unbecoming, the innkeeper of the Winking Pike was quick to try to keep his guest's spirit up.
"You've returned." Theodore acknowledged gently with a smile on his face, pausing in sweeping his inn's dining room floor to give Ivan his full attention, "And from the looks of things, unfortunately… you've returned alone. No luck in finding that someone you wanted to find, eh?"
"No. I could not find her today, no matter what I did or tried or thought of." Ivan the Terrible admitted, shaking his head tiredly as he looked to go to his room for a bit of rest, "Like you suggested to me, I went to the barracks as well as church of this town and asked for information to help my search. I received no helpful info, however. Thus, it only made sense for me to not find my… someone on this day."
"How dispiriting to hear you had no luck in your search this afternoon." The innkeeper voiced sympathetically, honestly feeling sorry for his guest of room five, "Ah, well, at least there's tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that, hm? Are you not hungry, friend? I can go back in the kitchen and fix you up something nutritious to help you sleep well tonight which will aid you in looking around town tomorrow. There'll be no charge, of course. It'll be on the house."
"I appreciate the offer… but no. I am not hungry. Nor am I thirsty."
"Well, perhaps you're not hungry or thirsty but you're evidently troubled. Thus, you could use a friend to talk to and an ear to listen to your troubles." Theodore stated at once, pulling up a set of chairs, motioning for Ivan to sit in the one opposite of him, then taking a seat himself while looking very curious, "Come on, boy, sit. I won't bite. By the gods, I got to talking about my granddaddy earlier today but didn't at all get a chance to hear your tale of why you're in town. Who is it you're looking for? What girl is it you wish to find?"
In all honesty, as he sat down with his newly made friend in Lyrall, Ivan hadn't known what to think about finding someone in Lyrall all afternoon. During his recent looking around Lyrall, he hadn't known who to expect to run into. More than likely, as it went with claymore recruits, it should have been a young woman in her twenties or thirties. Still, for certain in this town, thanks to what he'd been told by Rubel back at the waterfall pond yesterday, the claymore man very well knew that he was to find – all in one – his newest apprentice, the organization's newest claymore and the means to finding more about the reason why Teresa of the Faint Smile died to Priscilla last week.
And the key to getting all of those things was somehow through Teresa's sword. The sword that Ivan knew – due to Rubel having explained it to him yesterday – that the someone he was looking for would recognize him by. The same sword he had had out in plain sight all afternoon… but had not drawn any girls, lasses or females of any sort out of the crowds to his side.
"Friend? You doing okay? You look distant." Theodore wondered of Ivan curiously, "Mind, we did just meet today. So, if you don't want to talk with me about who you're looking for her in Lyrall then I completely understand."
"No, no, it's quite alright, Theodore. We can talk about some things. I'm not afraid of you. And you can stop addressing me as friend. My name is Michael Norlinth." Ivan warmly explained, meanwhile thinking up a good cover story for why he was in Lyrall searching for a mysterious someone, "As for who I'm looking for in Lyrall… it's my cousin."
"Your cousin?"
"Yes. You see, I've been traveling the roads of this land for nearly all of my years alive. My cousin, though, she just started at my side last month. She's quite inexperienced in the ways of living out in the wilderness. Her parents died due to illness and that's how she was placed her in my care." Ivan the Terrible explained fluently, having years of storytelling experience on his side thanks to being a claymore and needing to invent such tall tales, "Well, it's only been a month since the passing of her folks and I was to look over my cousin as a result. Still, you know how deaths of loved ones affect a person… So, in the end, my cousin ran off into the wild on her own thinking everything was happening too fast."
"I see. That's truly sad, Michael. I'm sorry for your and your cousin's troubles." Theodore admitted gravely, eating up every word of the false tale Ivan was inventing with ease, "But for your cousin to flee from you because she thought things were being done too fast about her parent's deaths… what a childish thing for her to have done."
"That's correct. Still, cousins will be cousins. And she's my cousin… My lost little cousin now."
"Tell me, how long ago did your little one run away?"
"Several days back. It was south of here and I've had folks tell me that she's headed northward towards here."
"And… now you wonder if she's here in town hiding, eh?"
"No, she won't be hiding. She'll be waiting for me to take her back into my care. I'm sure she's learned her lesson about having run away from me. Right now, she'll be scared, uncertain and aimless. When she sees me, she'll be more than glad to be back in my hospitality again."
"I surely hope so. My what a trial you're suffering through, Michael… Your cousin, what does she look like? How old is she? She sounds like quite the child to handle."
"Uh, I, um… My cousin is indeed quite the child to handle…" Ivan admitted, trying his best to go along with the story he was telling and improvise, "What does she look like? Well, she's only up to my chest in height. That and she's thin."
"Yes, yes. Alright. What else?"
"Er… She has light brown hair that drapes to her shoulders. Some of the portions of her hair are longer than the rest so it hangs past her shoulders in fact. Her eyes are also just as light brown."
"You don't say." Theodore said back, feeling increasingly excited himself at what he was being told and thinking of a certain girl currently in room three at the same time, "And her age? Would you say that she was perhaps ten or twelve?"
"I… Why yes. Yes, she would be that age." Ivan admitted, not knowing why but seeing that Theodore looked a bit happy over something. Perhaps a part of his made up tale of his nonexistent cousin? "Why do you ask, Theodore? Is there something you know and I don't? You look… happy."
"Ho ho, well, Michael, you left in such a hurry earlier this afternoon that I never got the chance to hear this information beforehand. Now that I've listened to it, I feel like an absolute dope." The innkeeper chuckled, getting to his feet and having curious Ivan follow him to room three, "You said that you were looking for any suspicious girls who have stood out from the crowds during these last seven days, no? Well, I plain forgot when you asked that I've had a certain young lady – a girl of maybe ten years of age – staying by herself in room three here for the last week. And after hearing your description of your cousin… I would bet my life now that the girl in my room three is your little lost cousin."
"Truly? A girl of ten has been staying in this room for the last week by herself?" Ivan the Terrible wondered curiously, suddenly feeling odd about the topic about a ten year old girl having been by herself in Lyrall for so long, "I don't… I can't believe… Ha ha, Theodore, you don't say?"
"Oh but I do say. For the last seven days, a little girl has been staying in this room saying she's been waiting for someone to find her. She has light brown hair and eyes like you just described. And if her staying here alone isn't odd enough for you, my friend, then listen to this; she was brought here by a man dressed all in black who paid for her lodgings to last a whole month here! How's that for odd?"
No… Ivan suddenly couldn't believe what was happening or what he was hearing. He couldn't fathom what he was realizing. None of this he was experiencing could be right at all. Seven days ago, a man dressed all in black had paid for a ten year old girl to stay in room three where she'd waited for someone to come get her since?
"Your cousin, Michael…" Theodore questioned brightly, "Was her name Clare by chance?"
"Huh? What? Oh, um, the man who brought the girl – uh, my cousin to your inn, Theodore…" Ivan said back, having been drawn out of his troubled thoughts and momentarily ignoring the topic of his made up cousin, "Was the man in black… What did he look like?"
"Uh, he was very curious looking, friend. The man was quite polite, well dressed and well groomed. He had on all black clothes including a hat as well as glasses. Maybe he was bald but I couldn't exactly tell." The innkeeper explained, not noticing the slight grimace of disbelief and awareness on Ivan's expression, "Either way, the black dressed stranger paid grandly for your cousin to stay here. Where he found her he didn't say but she seemed quite alright inside and outside of his care. He left her here with me and now here you are to take her like she's been waiting for you to do for the last week. What good fortune, no? You and your cousin have a guardian angel watching over you."
Yes… Rubel was quite the guardian angel when he wanted to be. Judging by what was being said, it seemed more and more that he had been in Lyrall last week along with purposefully paid for some little girl's room and board in the Winking Pike.
Now, not only was he ominous but Rubel especially proved to be quite the master of twisted jokes in Ivan's opinion when Theodore opened the door to room three, checked inside, led the way in, lit the bedside lamp, fatherly awakened a small form underneath the bed sheets and then… Ivan indeed observed a girl of about ten years old sleepily sit up, glance at him in the lamplight, rub her brown eyes as well as take notice of the swords on his back.
"You…?" The little girl mumbled at once, looking Ivan up and down intently all of a sudden at seeing the blades on his back, "Are you a claymore-"
"Clare, little one, I'm sorry to wake you but is this not your cousin who you've been waiting to come get you for the last week?" Theodore wondered gently to the little girl in bed, Clare, cutting her off, "Is this not your older cousin, Michael? Is this not who you've been waiting for during the last seven days?"
"Michael?" Clare grumbled in confusion, studying silent Ivan with sleepy eyes, "My cousin?"
Ridiculous… THIS COULDN'T BE! Yet, with how everything had led him up to this point, even as Ivan the Terrible's heart along with mind tried to desperately reject the idea, some part of him couldn't keep from knowing that this little itty bitty girl, Clare, was to be his newest student, the organization's newest silver eyed slayer, the means to discovering Teresa's fall to Priscilla! For he had heard from Theodore already that Clare's room and board had been paid by a mysterious man in black – that mysterious man being Rubel, of course – last week. And as he numbly drew Teresa's sword from the sheath on his back, Ivan completed his searching in Lyrall for the someone he was ordered by Rubel to find.
"Teresa's… That's Teresa's sword!" Clare exclaimed, looking from Teresa's blade to grim Ivan in growing anticipation, "How do you have that?! You're just like her, aren't you? You're a silver eyed-"
"Cousin… Stop rambling." Ivan firmly stated at once, not wanting the excited child in bed to blow his cover in front of Theodore who had not caught on to what was being discussed, "It's alright. I'm here. After a week of you waiting, I've finally come for you. Now hush."
Silence. For the longest time since Ivan the Terrible had thanked Theodore for having found his supposedly lost little cousin as well as had the innkeeper leave the room for private reasons, grim silence was what was shared between the disbelieving claymore man as well as she who was going to be his light brown haired, brown eyed, ten year old child of an apprentice; Clare.
This child… This girl no older than ten… Yes, this Clare character was the one Ivan had been looking for in Lyrall all afternoon. It was clear that she was going to be his new student, the organization's newest silver eyed slayer and the means to knowing Teresa's death. How did Ivan know these things for sure?
Firstly, his unmistakable instincts as a yoma hunter said so.
Secondly, as Theodore had explained moments ago, Clare's room and board for the last week had obviously been paid for by the black messenger of the organization, Rubel.
Thirdly as well as most importantly, the little girl had instantly recognized Teresa's sword when it'd been drawn. That was the most crucial fact of them all.
Still… for whatever reason the organization had, this little lass, Clare, was far too young to become a claymore! Heck, she was far too young to even know what the title of "Claymore" meant. She couldn't possibly understand what she was doing seeking out the yoma slaying order; that to become a yoma hunter meant she would have to throw away everything that meant happiness, contentment, being a human.
Yet, maybe she did.
Since she knew Teresa's sword, since she knew he was a claymore himself, Ivan couldn't deny that it seemed that Clare did have some experience about who or what claymore meant and what they were underneath their human appearances. How was that, though? How was it possible for a ten year old human girl to see through Ivan's disguise? To see that he wasn't carrying around two simple, large blades on his back but refined claymores – one that had formerly belonged to she of the Faint Smile herself – meant to slice through yoma flesh?
"There is more to the story of Teresa's death than I am telling you, Ivan the Terrible." Rubel had said back at the waterfall pond yesterday while having given Ivan his orders, "If you wish to know of the truth then take that blade – the blade of Teresa of the Faint Smile – and bring it with you to Lyrall. There, someone will recognize Teresa's blade and come to you. That someone will be your new apprentice. That someone will be your means to uncovering the truth of number one's death."
"Are…" Clare mumbled to Ivan, having watched him intently from her bed since she'd laid her eyes on him and woken fully up from her slumber earlier, "Are you… a claymore? You have to be one, carrying around those swords like that. And you have Teresa's sword. Why? Who are you? How are you a guy and not a girl? Claymores are supposed to be women-"
"Quiet. I have gained many names in this world during my campaign of taking yoma heads from their bodies, girl. Yes, I am a man. Yes, I am also a claymore. Accept it. My true name, mind, is Ivan. Ivan the Terrible. As for why I have she of the Faint Smile's, former number one's, sword, it was my subtle means of finding you in this town like I was recently ordered to do." Ivan explained firmly, narrowing his eyes in the lamplight that illuminated room three around him, "And speaking of being subtle… In this town, you, girl, are my cousin. You will address me not as Ivan but as Michael until I say otherwise. No more will you ramble about claymores around me. No more will you ask about my swords. It will attract unwanted attention to you."
"So your name is Michael?"
"No… Well, yes and no."
"So your actual name is Ivan the Terrible but you're using another name like Michael because you're in disguise, right?" Clare wondered curiously, cocking her head to one side as she looked at her claymore superior's eyes seriously, "I mean, if you're a claymore then you have to be in disguise because your eyes aren't silver. They're blue. Why?"
"I have my ways of not wanting to draw attention as a claymore. The organization has its ways, more like." Ivan the Terrible explained, taking a seat on the bedside chair to the left, "And such ways include changing eye color at cost which is that I cannot sense yoma power… Yet, such talk is meant for a claymore like myself. Not for a child such as you."
"No, I'm not a child! Not anymore, anyway." Clare argued at once, a heated glint coming to her eyes at having been called a child, "I'm going to be a claymore. I found a messenger in black and said I wanted him to make me a claymore and he said he would. That's when he left me here in this room, told me someone would get around to training me and now here you are with Teresa's sword. So are you going to teach me to be a claymore, Ivan, sir?"
"No, do not address me as Ivan, girl. I'm Michael for the moment. And as for me teaching you anything about being a claymore… I'm confused. You have plenty of life to live. You should be thinking last of becoming a silver eyed slayer and living as a human first like the rest of the kids in this world."
"I'm not a kid! I… I can't stay a kid." Clare grumbled, abruptly looking sorrowful rather than determined towards her claymore superior, "Not after what happened to Teresa. Not after all that she did for me."
At this sudden if not sad mention of Teresa, at seeing such a large amount of sorrow show on Clare's expression when she spoke of the former number one, Ivan's curiosity was dramatically increased. From how she had just talked about her, it seemed that Clare had had some kind of connection with Teresa of the Faint Smile in the past. That couldn't be, though! During all of her life as a claymore, as Ivan had come to learn about her during his days at her side, Teresa had never been one to open her heart to anyone; especially to humans. Truthfully, Ivan as well as a few other silver eyes had ever had the rare honor of even being close to being friends with her.
Yet, here was this human child, Clare… acting all teary eyed and depressed at the thought of Teresa of the Faint Smile. At the single mention of Teresa, the little girl had become very quiet. With her legs pulled up to her chin and wrapped in her arms, she looked very lost in her own thoughts about things only she could understand. Things that Ivan felt that he wanted, no, needed to find out. Things that would answer his questions about the demise of his longtime rival due to Priscilla.
"You cannot stay a child because of what happened to Teresa? You mean to tell me that you knew she of the Faint Smile?" Ivan the Terrible wondered softly, bringing Clare back into the present and out of her deep thinking, "You mean to say that you wish to become a claymore because of something that has to do with her? Does your reason for wanting to become a silver eyed slayer have to do with her death, Clare?"
"I need… I need to kill that horned monster that killed Teresa! There's nothing else I want to do but that!" The little girl exclaimed suddenly, her eyes brimming with tears, "Teresa… why did she have to die? Why?"
"Wait, hold on, Clare, did you see Teresa die last week? Were you involved in some way?"
"Yes! Yes, I involved! Augh, hic, we were going to go somewhere quiet and safe and leave the world alone. Why did those other claymores come to kill Teresa? She didn't do anything wrong! All she did was kill bad humans, bandits, hic, hic, to save me and then-"
"Hush. Slow down, girl. I can't make out what you're saying. Calm yourself." Ivan insisted, grabbing a hold of the water jug nearby left behind by Theodore on the bedside table earlier, "Here, take a drink of this. Clear your throat. Take some deep breaths. Relax… Now, Clare, go slowly. Explain to me why you must become a claymore. Explain to me how you know Teresa. Fill me in on why she killed humans and who came to kill her last week. Take your time… We have all night."
And so, during some hours of the night, the little girl Clare explained as best as she could through her teary hiccups to incredulous Ivan the Terrible her honest story.
Sometime last month, Teresa of the Faint Smile had eventually met little Clare, been hostile towards the her at first, had come to love the girl, had killed a band of brigands to save the child as well as an entire village from harm and had then been assailed by numbers two through five in the northern village of Florence last week… when Priscilla, seized by rage, had awakened along with killed claymore numbers one, three, four and five; Teresa, Ilena, Sophia, Noel.
By the end of her telling and retelling all that she knew about her days at Teresa's side, Ivan the Terrible was truly lost for words. He was downright undecided on how to act next. As Rubel had said yesterday back at the waterfall pond, the claymore man had not only found his newest pupil in Lyrall but also the truth behind she of the Faint Smile's death.
Teresa… she had taken Clare into her care. She had taken a human child into her claymore lifestyle where humans did not survive long. She had gone on to kill bandits to protect that human child. She had spared Priscilla and the hunting party because of that human child. And then, due to her show of mercy… she had died because of that human child.
In short, Clare was the reason for all of the trouble! She was the bloody bane of Teresa of the Faint Smile! She was the reason number one had died last week!
And now, like some kind of sick joke… the organization was looking to stick Clare on Ivan the Terrible for supposed training? What, so he would soften up like Teresa? So he would make the mistake of killing humans to protect the child? So he would make a mistake, show mercy at a bad time and get himself killed easier while looking to gain revenge against Priscilla in the future?!
"Clare… I thank you for telling me all that you know about Teresa's death. It has set my worries at ease about many things." Ivan admitted, nodding his thanks to the emotional human girl on the bed, "Still, you do realize that the moment Priscilla took Teresa's head from her shoulders… you were and are the very reason she is dead, correct?"
"I… Yes, I know!" Clare admitted, clenching her fists tighter at the truth, "I know, I know, I know! That's why I have to become a claymore! That's why I want Teresa's flesh and blood inside of me. That way I can kill that horned monster like it killed her!"
Silence. Grim silence was what followed Clare's words. Then, with a serious tone, Ivan questioned, "Girl… Did you just say that you wanted Teresa's flesh and blood put inside of you?"
"YES! Yes, I do!"
"Do you realize what that even means? Do you not realize that that would be a waste of effort and time no matter how it was done?!" Ivan snarled, suddenly becoming very angry at realizing why the organization had said yes to Clare wanting to become a claymore and why they wanted her to be his student, "You wish for her flesh and blood to be put inside of you but you could never be Teresa! She was one of a kind! I should know that because I – I – Urgh, you think that you knew Teresa? I knew her for years and this – this isn't at all… Clare, you cannot become a claymore!"
"What? Why? I have to!"
"Bullshit!" Ivan exclaimed, seizing Clare by her shoulders and staring hard into her eyes with his own, "You're blind with hatred. You're not thinking straight. You're thinking like the child you are. Teresa wouldn't want you to become like her! From the story you just told me about you being with her, she wanted you to live your life rather than travel with her and I fully agree! The life of the claymore is not meant for you. It will bring only failure and tragedy."
"Well, I don't agree! I have to try!" Clare argued back immediately, struggling in Ivan's grip meanwhile, "Please, please, Ivan, sir, you have to help me become a claymore. That's why you're here. You were ordered to come get me. The man in black said that a claymore would come and teach me to be strong! And when I am strong I'll have Teresa put inside of me! Then I'll be strong enough to fight yoma. I'll be strong enough to kill that one horned monster!"
"But that's just it. You won't ever be strong enough. Not even with Teresa inside of you!" Ivan stated heavily, growing impatient, "You'll be the weakest of all claymores… No matter how it is done, with Teresa inside of you or not, with me training your or not, you'll only be a fourth of a sliver eyed slayer rather than half!"
"I don't care! I'll still be a claymore like you and Teresa-"
"You won't be anything like Teresa! You'll still be a child with a death wish instead! Something she wouldn't want to see you be if she was alive!"
"She – Ugh…."
Despite her obvious will to go on arguing her case, Clare suddenly went limp and silent in firm Ivan's grasp. Quietly, resolutely, after having performed the subtle pinch on her vital points near her shoulders which had knocked her out cold, the claymore man laid the little girl back onto the bed. Without another word, having pulled the bed sheets up to Clare's chin, with his heart aching at all of the things he'd learned tonight about Teresa's past month with the human child, Ivan the Terrible left room three and entered his own quarters.
In room five, Ivan the Terrible decided he would sleep lightly. Then, several hours before dawn, he would depart Lyrall without the human girl who – thanks to his neck pinch on her – wouldn't be awake until noon tomorrow.
Truly, the organization would not be pleased with the claymore man's rebellious course of action. Still, in their presently weak state, what would they do about it? What COULD they do about it? Nothing. They couldn't do anything and therefore would do nothing about him going his own way because they would have no other choice but to let him do as he pleased. Besides, it was their fault for trying to force a human girl - a handicap that could get him killed - onto him with warning.
Clare. Naturally, she would not forgive Ivan for leaving her behind in Lyrall where he truly hoped she would grow to be a happy human with a family in the future. In fact, if Ivan wrote a good enough letter to Theodore before leaving then perhaps the innkeeper would come to even adopt Clare as a kind of daughter.
All in all, as he let his eyes droop in weariness and his mind slipped closer towards slumber, the claymore man was aware that leaving the human girl in town was the right thing to do… For seeing as she wanted Teresa put inside of her, he knew deep down that the organization was not interested in the wants of the child at all. No, they were solely focused on using her as an experimental claymore; an experiment meant to try to bring back she of the Faint Smile in a sense.
Indeed, the only sensible reason the organization had accepted Clare into their ranks was due to her wanting the flesh and blood of Teresa inside of her. Then, with Ivan training her, even with a fourth yoma power, Clare would possibly have a slim chance at becoming a suitable warrior; at becoming a living piece of Teresa. Yet, that slim chance… wasn't worth taking. It was a chance which Ivan knew Teresa, if alive, wouldn't want Clare to take to gain revenge against Priscilla.
No, as he dozed in room five, Ivan the Terrible was certain of himself as well as his intentions. For the honor of Teresa of the Faint Smile's memory, he understood that Clare wasn't destined to become a claymore. She was destined to live her human life to its fullest instead.
Or so he would unknowingly believe… until his next meeting with Rubel tomorrow where his firm beliefs about Clare's future would be warped, twisted and made uncertain by the smuggest of black messengers.
