Chapter 2:
1 Southward
D slept well, if he could. Though not exactly being Human doesn't really intittle you to a decent amount of sleep without nightmares and remembrance from the past. It was his own little tradition most of the time to usually leave about sunrise. He was thankful for those who harbored him, but he never said goodbye. It would be best if they woke up and he was gone. No one had to worry about him, he felt it wasn't anyones burden but his own.
It was still dark outside, the sun hadn't came up yet. D collected his things and put on his hat before heading downstairs. The rooms had a bluish morning tint to them, but it wasn't too dark. D could see in the dark perfectly anyway.
He made his way down the stairs, across the living room, and was about to open the door to go get his horse from the stable when a raspy voice spoke up.
"Leaving so soon?"
D turned around to see Granny sitting on a sofa. One of their finer pieces of furniture, but not to well kept up. He was a bit surprised he didn't notice her. They had so many pieces of random junk collected throughout the years he could have easily passed the old woman as anything. He wasn't expecting anyone to be up.
"You look surprised. You should know better not to think a farm doesn't get up this early," Granny chuckled to herself. "I have a favor to ask of you, and I believe you would be well suited for it."
D listened, though he made no acknowledgment.
"I'm very old and I've lived my life to my hearts content. My Kess is leaving the farm to start a life of her own with her fiancé and I'm afraid my Araydia hasn't got much of a choice on where she belongs."
Granny averted her eyes back to D.
"I'm listening." he replied.
Granny cleared her throat, "I was saving up what little income we get to buy Ray a train ticket, but it seems much more convenient for her to have assistance. That of an adult who can keep her in line and that of a man who can protect her. Her Uncle and his family lives South, and since you're heading that way."
"I'm afraid the road I take is not suitable for a girl-young woman-such as Ray. It's too risky, I'm sorry."
Granny knew he was right. The girl would only get in his way and it was indeed dangerous, but the poor elderly woman was desperate!
"Please Hunter! I can pay you! I know I can trust you, I feel it! With your assistance you can protect her! I needed a sign from the Lord, I couldn't give her away to any stranger, and you came trotting down our road! Please, it's not out of your way."
The hunter hesitated.
"Please. as an old woman's dying wish, just get her granddaughter safely home back to her family."
Family. that word.
"As you wish.." D replied.
Rays of sunlight started to peak out from behind the mountains and through the valley. It was a bit of a cold morning and Araydia's breath was visible against the morning sky. The clouds were a soft pink and purple from the rays of the sun.
The girl was outside, barefooted. She was wearing her plain khaki farm dress again, with her hair tossed up, not even brushed, and not fully awake. She scattered pieces of corn for the chickens, which were clucking and walked around her cold feet. It was a hard job, but she loved her farm. She loved the animals.
"Ray!"
Hearing her name, the girl looked up with her aware blue eyes, bangs once again loosely falling on her face. She blew them away. She would have shouted back at Granny, if that Hunter wasn't with her.
'What does he want?' Ray thought.
"Araydia, you foolish girl, go back inside and put some shoes on! You'll catch a cold!"
No use in arguing. She could if she wanted, to make a bad impression on D, but she figured he was leaving today, so who cared.
Araydia fumbled up the steps and into her bedroom. She threw on a pair of stockings and shoes before finding the mirror on her wall and inwardly screaming.
She ripped the hair-tie out of her hair. Her messy, ebony locks fell to the middle of her back. Ray allowed herself to gawk on her own appearance for a bit and then finally run a comb through her hair.
'Pfffft, it's not like there's anyone to impress anyway!'
A knock came to her door and Granny stepped in.
"Pack your things, you're heading to your Uncles."
Araydia dropped her comb and stared at Granny. She had been through this talk before, if a better way of traveling presented itself before they could get a train ticket, Ray would leave that way, if she liked it or not. And she did NOT like it.
"But Granny. I said I wanted to take the train! We just have to wait a little longer to get enough money, it's not so hard!"
"Ray, just listen to your elders for once!" Granny was starting to raise her voice. Something Aunt Kessie had warned her not to make Granny do, she was getting too old to yell.
"You know how expensive these things are costing more each day. Plus on top of that your food expenses, it's too costly for such a long trip. If you go with the Hunter you'll be getting to the same destination, and at sooner time! Ray, don't make this any harder on me."
Ray felt like fussing and whining and crying till she got her way. Her pretty face was starting to become pouty and teary eyed.
"Just put your hair back up and don't come down till you're ready."
Ray finally came downstairs. She could only take what she really needed; clothes and whatever other necessary things she needed. She wished her bag were bigger so she could take her whole kitchen. She knew she would be hungry.
The girl allowed a good amount of midnight bangs to flop in her face. She didn't want to look at D and she didn't want her Aunt and Grandma to know she had been crying. She didn't want possibly Granny's last image of her to be a crying one.
Granny and Aunt Kessie exchanged their goodbyes with Araydia, and Aunt Kessie promised Ray she could count on her wealthy Uncle to send her up for a visit via train. To see her Aunt's new home, husband, and possibly their first child. But more important, Ray knew she would miss her farm most of all.
D was outside, already mounted on his horse. The girl put her bag over and seemed a little timid to be riding a half-robotic horse. If everything was better, she would have commented on how it was the ugliest horse she had ever seen. Putting her foot in the smooth metal stirrup, she slipped and the horse snorted.
"Ahh!"
D looked at her and held out his hand.
"I'm fine, I know how to get on a horse!" the girl replied. Araydia managed to get on and seemed a little lost at how she was suppose to hang on. She had never been the person not controlling the horse and she didn't want to have to put her arms around the Hunter to hang on.
On realizing Granny and Aunt Kess were waving from the porch, Ray didn't want to make a fuss and slipped an arm around the man. She waved back.
The cyborg horse started to trot back down the road. Ray looked up at the man. All she could see was his backside and long, wavy, chestnut brown hair down to the middle of his back.
"Do you have a name? Or does everyone just call you Hunter?" she asked.
"D. My name is D."
1 Southward
D slept well, if he could. Though not exactly being Human doesn't really intittle you to a decent amount of sleep without nightmares and remembrance from the past. It was his own little tradition most of the time to usually leave about sunrise. He was thankful for those who harbored him, but he never said goodbye. It would be best if they woke up and he was gone. No one had to worry about him, he felt it wasn't anyones burden but his own.
It was still dark outside, the sun hadn't came up yet. D collected his things and put on his hat before heading downstairs. The rooms had a bluish morning tint to them, but it wasn't too dark. D could see in the dark perfectly anyway.
He made his way down the stairs, across the living room, and was about to open the door to go get his horse from the stable when a raspy voice spoke up.
"Leaving so soon?"
D turned around to see Granny sitting on a sofa. One of their finer pieces of furniture, but not to well kept up. He was a bit surprised he didn't notice her. They had so many pieces of random junk collected throughout the years he could have easily passed the old woman as anything. He wasn't expecting anyone to be up.
"You look surprised. You should know better not to think a farm doesn't get up this early," Granny chuckled to herself. "I have a favor to ask of you, and I believe you would be well suited for it."
D listened, though he made no acknowledgment.
"I'm very old and I've lived my life to my hearts content. My Kess is leaving the farm to start a life of her own with her fiancé and I'm afraid my Araydia hasn't got much of a choice on where she belongs."
Granny averted her eyes back to D.
"I'm listening." he replied.
Granny cleared her throat, "I was saving up what little income we get to buy Ray a train ticket, but it seems much more convenient for her to have assistance. That of an adult who can keep her in line and that of a man who can protect her. Her Uncle and his family lives South, and since you're heading that way."
"I'm afraid the road I take is not suitable for a girl-young woman-such as Ray. It's too risky, I'm sorry."
Granny knew he was right. The girl would only get in his way and it was indeed dangerous, but the poor elderly woman was desperate!
"Please Hunter! I can pay you! I know I can trust you, I feel it! With your assistance you can protect her! I needed a sign from the Lord, I couldn't give her away to any stranger, and you came trotting down our road! Please, it's not out of your way."
The hunter hesitated.
"Please. as an old woman's dying wish, just get her granddaughter safely home back to her family."
Family. that word.
"As you wish.." D replied.
Rays of sunlight started to peak out from behind the mountains and through the valley. It was a bit of a cold morning and Araydia's breath was visible against the morning sky. The clouds were a soft pink and purple from the rays of the sun.
The girl was outside, barefooted. She was wearing her plain khaki farm dress again, with her hair tossed up, not even brushed, and not fully awake. She scattered pieces of corn for the chickens, which were clucking and walked around her cold feet. It was a hard job, but she loved her farm. She loved the animals.
"Ray!"
Hearing her name, the girl looked up with her aware blue eyes, bangs once again loosely falling on her face. She blew them away. She would have shouted back at Granny, if that Hunter wasn't with her.
'What does he want?' Ray thought.
"Araydia, you foolish girl, go back inside and put some shoes on! You'll catch a cold!"
No use in arguing. She could if she wanted, to make a bad impression on D, but she figured he was leaving today, so who cared.
Araydia fumbled up the steps and into her bedroom. She threw on a pair of stockings and shoes before finding the mirror on her wall and inwardly screaming.
She ripped the hair-tie out of her hair. Her messy, ebony locks fell to the middle of her back. Ray allowed herself to gawk on her own appearance for a bit and then finally run a comb through her hair.
'Pfffft, it's not like there's anyone to impress anyway!'
A knock came to her door and Granny stepped in.
"Pack your things, you're heading to your Uncles."
Araydia dropped her comb and stared at Granny. She had been through this talk before, if a better way of traveling presented itself before they could get a train ticket, Ray would leave that way, if she liked it or not. And she did NOT like it.
"But Granny. I said I wanted to take the train! We just have to wait a little longer to get enough money, it's not so hard!"
"Ray, just listen to your elders for once!" Granny was starting to raise her voice. Something Aunt Kessie had warned her not to make Granny do, she was getting too old to yell.
"You know how expensive these things are costing more each day. Plus on top of that your food expenses, it's too costly for such a long trip. If you go with the Hunter you'll be getting to the same destination, and at sooner time! Ray, don't make this any harder on me."
Ray felt like fussing and whining and crying till she got her way. Her pretty face was starting to become pouty and teary eyed.
"Just put your hair back up and don't come down till you're ready."
Ray finally came downstairs. She could only take what she really needed; clothes and whatever other necessary things she needed. She wished her bag were bigger so she could take her whole kitchen. She knew she would be hungry.
The girl allowed a good amount of midnight bangs to flop in her face. She didn't want to look at D and she didn't want her Aunt and Grandma to know she had been crying. She didn't want possibly Granny's last image of her to be a crying one.
Granny and Aunt Kessie exchanged their goodbyes with Araydia, and Aunt Kessie promised Ray she could count on her wealthy Uncle to send her up for a visit via train. To see her Aunt's new home, husband, and possibly their first child. But more important, Ray knew she would miss her farm most of all.
D was outside, already mounted on his horse. The girl put her bag over and seemed a little timid to be riding a half-robotic horse. If everything was better, she would have commented on how it was the ugliest horse she had ever seen. Putting her foot in the smooth metal stirrup, she slipped and the horse snorted.
"Ahh!"
D looked at her and held out his hand.
"I'm fine, I know how to get on a horse!" the girl replied. Araydia managed to get on and seemed a little lost at how she was suppose to hang on. She had never been the person not controlling the horse and she didn't want to have to put her arms around the Hunter to hang on.
On realizing Granny and Aunt Kess were waving from the porch, Ray didn't want to make a fuss and slipped an arm around the man. She waved back.
The cyborg horse started to trot back down the road. Ray looked up at the man. All she could see was his backside and long, wavy, chestnut brown hair down to the middle of his back.
"Do you have a name? Or does everyone just call you Hunter?" she asked.
"D. My name is D."