Chapter Eight
He'd no idea just how long he had been walking, checking each shadow as he passed for information. A few had noticed a boy of Victor's height which had guided him to his current location. A wailing cry pierced the air and caused him to pause, glancing up at the near pitch-black sky. She came close, landing to walk beside him. "Anything?" she asked, her eyes flitting about the darkness."It's not been easy. New moon means less shadows and trees aren't the best at conversation. Fortunately, there have been some footprints to follow." he explained, kneeling to another shadow.
Closing his eyes, his lips moved as he spoke and visualized Victor in his mind. Has he passed by?
No Erebus.
He released a frustrated groan as he stood. "Another negative."
"We'll find him. Have you tried this direction?"
He turned to the east and felt for a shadow. One responded and he hurried to it, kneeling and asking yet again. Yes, Erebus. Small leaf pile ago.
"He was here. Maybe forty-five minutes ago," he said, jumping to his feet.
She nodded and they continued on. "How did you know to go east?" he asked, voice curious.
"We bond with those in our care. It can help in situations like this. Not always, mind you, but it does give us a bit of a way to go should a child get lost when we choose to leave the loop for a limited time." she said.
Quiet fell between them as he continued to find small clues as to where Victor had gone, asking her if she felt any tugs toward any direction before they would move on too far. "What are you going to do with him when we find him?" he asked to fill the silence.
"Most likely reprimand him for having upset the others so much, especially Bronwyn. Ensure he is unharmed and then make our way back to the loop in the morning."
"What about you? How long can you be outside?"
She shrugged. "I have an hour and thirty-six minutes left before I absolutely must leave. Should we find him close to that, then I'll depart and leave him in your care to get him home safely."
"And what if he refuses to return to the loop?"
Her head whipped to glare at him faster than he thought possible. "He will return to the loop. Even if only temporarily to apologize and offer an appropriate good-bye."
He lifted his hands in a placating gesture, "I'm just saying, it'd be a good idea to have a plan for whatever situation should arise."
"And what do you have in mind?"
"What makes you think I have a plan?" he questioned with an eyebrow raised.
She simply paused walking and gave him a stare.
"Okay, okay. I've a plan. It's probably not great, but it does give him options. My estate, Morningside, is something of a safe haven for peculiars I've come across over the years. If Victor is dedicated to this wild plan of joining the Hunters once they've been approved, he'd be welcome to come and live there until he is of age - under the condition he works on the estate in the meantime." he said, detailing what he'd been thinking as he made his way to the mainland.
"The Hunters?" she asked, confusion evident upon her features.
He let his head fall back and sighed. "It's a plan I came up with to help keep peculiars safe. Both inside and outside loops."
"You've never mentioned it."
"It's supposed to be raised as a subject for consideration at the next Council meeting. The long and short of it is that I would recruit those who have experience with fighting hollows and then together we'd train volunteers to be just as efficient as we've become over the years. Then they would be assigned to each county to patrol and eliminate any hollows or wights they encounter. Loops would have higher-ranked hunters living near them in a yearly rotation, though never know the location of the loop or even which Ymbryne is in charge of it in order to further protect the loop should they be captured and interrogated."
They'd made some further progress as he explained his idea and though Miss Peregrine neglected to comment on it, he was glad to have at least explained it to one Ymbryne prior to the meeting.
He paused and placed a hand on her arm to stop them. She looked at him and found he was sniffing the air. "Do you smell something?"
She did the same, analyzing each breath before she recognized the faint scent. "Campfire."
Slowing the pace, Rexton watched his steps closely to avoid making a sound and encouraged Miss Peregrine to do the same as he raised a finger to his lips. As they neared, the sound of wood crackling began to quell the silence and soft light began to illuminate the pair. He shook his head at the sight they'd found. Victor had made a fire to keep warm as he slept propped up against a nearby tree.
He sighed and extended his hand to give Miss Peregrine the lead now that they had found him. She nodded to him and walked to stand over the sleeping teenager. "Victor Bruntley." She stated, her voice hard and serious.
The sleeping boy was startled awake and stared up at them dumbly before realizing the situation he was in. "Wha- Miss Peregrine? How did you-?"
"Never mind the hows," she interrupted, her face stern, "what matters is that you're unharmed and found."
"And that I go back with you." he huffed, crossing his arms. "I'm not stupid. I know why you're here."
"Whatever you may think, it is best that you return to the loop. Even if only to apologize for your actions. I'm sure you've underestimated the severity of what your leaving unannounced has resulted in." she explained, knowing that her charge had his mind made up about leaving the loop.
"Wait. You'd let me leave?"
"Of course. Your life is yours to live Victor. Only you can decide whether you wish to live it inside a loop or not. Just because I am averse to life outside the loop and wish to keep all of you safe within it does not mean you are a prisoner. If Emma or even Bronwyn came to me and expressed their wish to leave, I would assist them with such though it would pain me to see them leave."
Victor paused in thought, processing her words, then glanced up at her in worry. "Bronwyn?"
"She was very upset. I think she expected you to say goodbye at the very least," she said, her voice having lost its ferocity and taking on her normal tone of voice.
He leaned his head back against the tree and groaned. "What am I going to do?"
"About that," Rexton said, cutting into the conversation. "If I may, Miss Peregrine?"
Her gaze met his eyes and though she clearly had more to say, gave leave to him with a stiff nod. "Thank you," he stated, walking closer as he had stayed back to allow the two some sense of privacy as they spoke.
With a heavy sigh, he began to lay out his plan that he'd spoken of with Miss Peregrine earlier, and with the more details he gave, the more Victor's eyes began to shine with excitement rather than regret. "And I'd be able to join the hunters?" he nearly begged.
Rexton let out a chuckle. "Provided that the Ymbryne Council approves of the program, that you still wish to join at the age of twenty-one, and that you pass the required training."
Victor stood and shook his hand. "You've my word," he vowed before turning to face Miss Peregrine. "I'm really sorry I left the way I did Miss Peregrine. I knew it wasn't right but I just felt…"
She smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I understand Victor. Return in the morning with Mr. Ambrose and see your sister. I'll return to the loop to update everyone on what's occurred as I am sure Abe has yet to get them to settle completely."
"Will you tell them I'm sorry for upsetting them?"
"I will, but hearing it from you tomorrow will mean more I am sure."
"We can head out the day after for Morningside. Have the day with your sister and friends." Rexton added, his hand coming to rest upon Victor's other shoulder.
"Thank you."
Miss Peregrine gave a squeeze to Victor's shoulder and then turned, taking off as a peregrine falcon to return to the loop. The two made themselves comfortable by the fire, a comfortable silence settling between them. Rexton allowed his shadow to rest as interacting with so many others to find Victor in addition to the day he had caused it to be fatigued. He glanced over at Victor only to find him fidgeting with a stick between his fingers. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon so decided to break the quiet. "Tell me about yourself, Victor."
He scoffed and flicked the stick into the fire. "Not much to tell."
"I doubt that very much. It's not often I meet someone so eager to go out and learn to fight a hollow. Even in the army, I had to talk some of the peculiars into it."
He nodded and stared at the fire. "My da, he was a firefighter. Saved a lot of people before I was born and even more after. He always told me that there was nothing better than helping someone in need. And no one was in more need than those whose life was at stake. It's why he loved his job so much."
Rexton nodded. "He sounds like a very courageous man."
"He was," he whispered, eyes still fixed on the fire before them. "He died when Bronwyn was three."
"You've my condolences."
"He saved a mother and baby from a burning building. It wasn't easy knowing he was gone, but everyone he had ever saved came to the funeral. Every. One. So many lives were lengthened because he cared. Anyway," he continued, rubbing a hand under his nose, "My mum cared for us best she could on her own, but she eventually got remarried. Things were okay at first, but then he started coming home late. Our meals began to get smaller, even though mum gave us more than she gave herself. It wasn't until he got fired from his job that I realized he'd become a drunk. Blamed mum for it all of course, and then one night…"
Rexton had moved closer and placed his hand on Victor's shoulder when he paused. "You don't have to tell me about this."
He shrugged, "He wasn't a nice man. And when he went too hard at mum one night and she didn't get up, that's when we found out that Bronwyn was just as peculiar as me. Snapped his neck before he could think of coming after us. She was eight."
Rexton cursed under his breath and shook his head. Victor continued, "I made it look like an accident - like he fell down the stairs. And then we grabbed our things and ran. Miss Peregrine found us a few days later and offered us protection in the loop. I met Abe on one of his visits home. He refused to take me with him into the war and I wasn't old enough to get in anyway. Initially, I stayed because of Bronwyn. But I want more from life than what the loop offers. I want to help people, save them like my da did. So when you came and then Abe mentioned the idea of the hunters I latched onto the idea and thought it could be something I could do. Something I could learn to be good at. But when you said I was too young I got angry. I decided that was it and I was leaving as soon as I could."
He sighed and finally made eye contact with Rexton. "Definitely not the best idea I've ever had, I admit. I acted more on impulse rather than think this through. And I'm sorry I reacted the way I did."
"I believe an apology from me is in order as well. I've seen a lot in the past thirty years, a lot of death. Far too many were your age and I tend to give a knee-jerk reaction at the idea of anyone so young facing such dangers." he stated, shaking his head at the memories.
"I understand. You and Miss Peregrine just want us to be safe."
With a smile, Rexton nudged Victor with his elbow, "And here you said you didn't have much to tell."
They laughed and Victor nodded. "I didn't expect to just let all of that out. It's been some time since I thought about life before the loop if I'm honest."
"Perhaps you needed to let it out. Does us good to talk about the past."
Victor returned the nudge, "So what about you?"
"Well, before the war I was in France helping any peculiars I found to evacuate. Some were sent to me by others from other countries and some were locals. Before that was the Great war. And before that, well," he paused, glancing up at the stars. "Before that, I'm not too sure."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed, "There was an accident of some kind. I don't remember what happened or what my life was like before it. I just woke one day and had no memory. The only thing I could remember was who my closest friend was, Enid Emrys. She helped me to remember a few things about myself but the majority hasn't come back. We hope that with time it'll resurface but there's no way to know."
Victor nodded. "Well, that's just godawful."
"It's not ideal, I'll say that. But I've made my peace with it and I'd like to think I'm doing what's best."
The two settled back into silence and Rexton let out a heavy sigh. He glanced at his hands and lifted his left, shifting it around before flexing his fingers and slowly rousing his shadow to see how it was feeling. Before he could even release it he recoiled in surprise as an oily shadow made itself known and his shadow buzzed in anticipation. As it worked to locate the intruder, he gave a glance to his companion and began to speak softly. "Victor. What I am about to tell you is lesson number one of being a hunter."
He gave a confused look, "And that means?"
"When you are told to do something, you follow it to the letter. Whenever I tell you, you take off for the port and you run. You don't look back and you don't come back here."
Victor instantly knew what he meant. "How close is it?"
"I mean it, Victor. You run as fast as you can. Don't you dare use any strength; not even to lift so much as a feather."
"I can help you!"
"You've never encountered a hollow Vic. You might think you can help, but you'll be a constant distraction. Get out of here so you can see your sister in the morning. I promise you, you will have your days of fighting. But not tonight. Go!"
As the boy took off, Rexton focused on the shadow, face contorting in disgust from the scent it gave off. "God, can't you guys take a shower between your quests for blood?" he mumbled.
He glanced around the area, keeping an eye on the moving shadow as he evaluated different fighting tactics and eliminated them one by one quickly. The shadows produced from the campfire were weak but helped to strengthen his own. Due to the new moon, not only could he not make out the details of the hollow but he wouldn't be able to produce a weapon from them so he reached into his boot and pulled a set of daggers from it. He released the catch that held them together and slid them into his hands. A quick fight would be best as he definitely did not have the endurance or strength to go on for long.
Tilting his head from one side to the other, he forced his body to relax as the monster came close, his heart thundering in his chest. It was best to let it believe it had caught Rexton unaware so that it was unprepared for any type of assault. In a flurry of action, he sped back, narrowly avoiding being snared by one of the many tentacles he knew were likely spread wide from its mouth. He groaned in disgust at the wide path of saliva that now coated his torso.
Focusing on the shadow that was barely cast, he feinted left, anticipating the hollow, just to move right, getting close to slice at what he hoped was the torso. With a loud guttural cry, the hollow grabbed Rexton with its unnaturally strong hand, long fingers indenting about his shirt as it squeezed tight about his waist. His arms were held fast against his body, his own daggers beginning to slice against him. He cried out, kicking at the monster. His mind drifted to Victor, hoping he had gotten far enough away as a tentacled tongue swiped against his head and tightened against his throat.
He needed to focus on the here and now, breath becoming shallow and his heart galloping in his chest. With renewed determination, he swung a leg and managed to hit the ribs, causing the hollow to falter but not release its grip. He tried to scream, frustration getting the best of him as none of his kicks managed to ease the beast's grip. Before he could manage another thought as to what to do, the monster's grip released and he fell to the ground, spraining his ankle. His face grimaced and he couldn't stop himself from reaching to hold it in his hand tenderly.
"What in the hell?" he rasped, his throat tender as he righted the daggers in his grip.
His shadow screamed at him to move quickly as it sensed Victor's arrival. His eyes could hardly believe what he saw - the boy had a hold on the hollow and was crushing it with both hands.
"Victor no!" he screamed, forcing himself to move though his ankle was screaming at him to do the opposite.
The young man was suddenly wrenched from the ground, floating in midair. A piercing shriek filled the forest and then Rexton watched in horror as Victor was flung into a nearby tree, his torso bearing the brunt of the impact. Rexton's throat closed in shock, feeling as though the hollow had gotten hold of him once again. His eyes narrowed and he pulled every shadow in the area to him, anger fueling his peculiarity. He saw the hollow lurking over Victor's body, its crushed leg preventing it from coming after Rexton. His lip curled in a snarl and he flipped the dagger in his left hand.
The world went silent as he flung the dagger to land squarely in the hollow, the only sound Rexton could hear was his heart beating steadily in his chest, it's ferocious beat deafening out the hollow's cry. He rushed forward, adrenaline and anger numbing the pain he once felt. Using the embedded dagger as a handhold, he lifted himself up the monster's body, slashing at it's torso with his left hand as he rose to come face to face with it. "Why can't you monsters go back to the hell from which you came?!" he shouted, using all his might to sever the hollow's head from its body.
Blood spattered from the hollows throat, coating both of them in the black foul-smelling substance. It's body fell to the ground and Rexton stood before flipping his daggers together to slide back into his boot. He ran to Victor and began to inspect the damage. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit," he whispered, seeing that the tree had nearly cracked in half where Victor had hit.
He felt for a pulse and was relieved to find one. Weak, but alive. Various scenarios went through his mind, he had no idea where the nearest hospital was though they would likely be unable to help. Two others had died this way in a fierce fight during the war and Rexton feared the worst. He swallowed thickly and lifted him into his arms. A groan escaped Victor's lips and his eyes opened slowly. "...wyn…" he whispered.
"I'll get you to her Victor. I promise."
The black of his hands flowed to cover his body and then slowly began to cover Victor. "This is going to hurt so badly," he muttered to himself, focusing his mind on the surroundings of the Cairn in his mind and calling every shadow he could to transport his body and Victor's through to their location.
He let out a deep groan and glanced at Victor first. He'd fallen unconscious in the shift which he'd anticipated. "One more," he mumbled, words beginning to garble.
Slowly, he stumbled into the loop and braced himself against the wall as he and Victor entered the loop. He felt a wave of nausea flow through him but he managed to stave it off. His breathing had grown heavy and his muscles shook with the weight of the boy in his arms. Holding his breath, he focused once more, the entry hall clear in his mind.
With a loud thud, Rexton felt his knees connect to the floor and he let out a harsh groan at the impact. His lungs burned as he took a deep breath, his throat tight as he fought against the urge to pass out. "Peregrine!!!!" he shouted, already beginning to fall back.
Footsteps surrounded them, but his vision was fading. "Abe… Hollow…" he mumbled, his voice weak and tired.
Mumbled words reached his ears and the light above him was fuzzy as a high-pitched ring sounded through his ears. "Hit a tree. Bad. Like Anders." his voice sounded muffled and everything spun.
He fell back into oblivion.
Author's Note:
Ohmigod. InkyQuill553, you are amazing. Thank you for commenting on Chapter Two and making me realize I had completely forgotten to update here!
So sorry everyone! Enjoy two chapters back to back! And feel free to follow me on tumblr! My username is Vykanya.