Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter.

CHAPTER 6

It was the long awaited day.

The two had already woken up early and started to prepare for what was ahead. Gon wore his green jacket as he knocked on the bathroom door. "Hurry up Ren! We've gotta catch that ship to Dolle!"

"Coming!" she replied forcibly.

Renée pulled on a gray shirt and stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't look any different but truth be told, she was scared. She wasn't excited about the fact that they'll be riding a ship to get to the examination site.

This was because of her past experience on that cargo ship. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought of her memories at sea.

She heard Gon shout her name again from downstairs and she yelled back, "Alright already!"

Sighing, the red-head grabbed her red jacket and put it on as she went down.

Hearing her footsteps, Tasha waited for her at the foot of the stairs. "You're all grown up." he whispered contentedly, watching her tie her hair up into a bun.

"Thanks Tasha." she smiled at him. Renée's smile faltered and she choked back a sob when he pulled her into an embrace. He ran his hand soothingly across her back, continuously whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"I'll miss you Tasha. A lot." she whimpered.

The man pulled away from the hug and he stared at her face. "We'll see each other again okay? I will be here, waiting for you Renée. Know that you will always have a home to return to." he said, wiping her tears away.

She frowned at him. "You're only going to make me cry more because of that!"

Everyone laughed at her words and it made the girl's heart feel lighter.

Tasha handed her a backpack and a long, thin package. "What's this?"

"Don't open it yet."

This made her fingers stop from unraveling the knots and she and Gon, who watched in curiosity, looked up at him.

"You'll see on the ship." he said simply.

After saying their goodbyes, Gon and Renée set off for the docks. They were both thinking deeply, so they walked in silence.

Unable to contain his thoughts, Gon made a noise, catching her attention.

"What? Did you forget something?"

He shook his head at her question. "It's not that I forgot, but before YOU forget, can we take a small detour?"

The girl raised a brow at him, looking at where he was pointing.

"What would you want in the- oh! You're right! Let's go Gon."

He shook his head and grinned, following her into the forest. Once they were deep enough, Gon gave a sharp whistle.

They waited, listening for any disturbances in the foliage. Finally there was a rustle behind them and their heads craned up to face the creature they had called.

It was a fox-bear.

It raised it's two large paws at them and they stood their ground.

Without second thoughts, the creature lunged and took them into its arms, holding on tightly. It was Kon's signature fox-bear hug.

The two erupted in laughter, their faces buried in the animal's fur. Kon let them go and the two waved at him and to some of the animals that started to get curious.

They copied the gesture, earning a giggle from Renée and a grin from Gon.

The two left their animal friends and continued their walk towards the dock, only this time they were livelier.

If Renée thought that she hated the ship before, she hated it much more now, if that were even possible.

Why?

Well simply because it was filled with men! Filthy, stinking men!

All of them sneered at the two kids that had just boarded the ship that would take them to the Hunter Exam.

"Hey, you kids can't be serious right? The Hunter Exam isn't a joke. Go back home to your mommas!" one of the men mocked them, making the others guffaw.

Gon only looked around with a small smile on his face, unfazed by their jeers, while Renée scowled and glared at the man responsible for the commotion.

Seeing her death glare, he froze on the spot, a chill running down his spine. 'T-that girl sure has balls.' he gulped.

The ship hauled its anchor back and soon Whale Island was a mere speck in the sea.

They walked around the deck, ignoring the side-comments that the big men purposely said aloud so that they could hear. The red-head fought the strong urge to kick one of them on the place where the sun doesn't shine just because he called her his "baby doll".

Gon, hearing it as well, grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. They ended up on the end of the ship that was relatively empty. He finally let her go and grabbed the railings excitedly, staring at the view of the sea touching the horizon.

"Ren look! It's so pretty!" She huffed but joined him anyway, standing on one of the railings and catching the breathtaking view of the vast, seemingly endless blue water.

'Maybe this won't be so bad.' she smiled to herself.

Two hours or so passed and the two got bored. Staring at the sea isn't actually a wonderful pastime.

Gon nudged an almost sleeping Renée and she turned a lazy eye towards him.

"Let's go fishing!" he grinned widely.

She looked at him as if he lost his mind, but seeing that he was serious, she rolled her eyes. "No thanks. I'd rather explore the ship."

"Eh? You sure?"

She looked over the side and saw the sea had turned a dark blue and gulped.

"Yeah I'm sure." she replied hastily.

Gon shrugged and threw his line into the waves as she gathered her belongings and walked away from him.

Renée avoided areas that were populated, leaving her the poop deck, where Gon is, the bridge, where the captain will most likely be, and the cabins below.

Seeing nothing interesting on the top deck, except how filthy it is, she made her way downstairs.

There was a hallway leading to many rooms. Others were probably for the crew as there were signs that looked suspiciously like scribbles.

One door was spared, however, and this was the one she entered.

She was delighted to see it empty upon entry and so she left the door slightly ajar. The room wasn't much, just some boxes of fruits, empty barrels, and a few hammocks.

Renée sat on the floor as the hammocks were too high for her and she didn't want to go through all the trouble of climbing it just to see herself fall off.

The red-head reached for the package that made her back ache and she stared at it.

Without much thought, she opened it, carefully untying the strings and unwrapping the paper. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what was inside.

It was a small katana.

Its sheath was made of sturdy cherry wood. It was thoroughly polished giving the glossy surface a smooth texture. The handle braid was of a dark maroon, and though its pattern was simple, it gave off an air of elegance. The cord on the scabbard was made of the same material as the handle braid, only slightly thicker. However, its color was silver instead of a shade of red. The blade was clearly well-forged. It was light, but not so much that the blade becomes less dangerous and durable, and properly balanced in her grip.

She had no problem wielding it and giving it a few practice swings. She examined the blade further and found a mark by the tang.

Unlike most swords where the tang contains an inscription of the forger's signature, her katana had a small raven engraved on it.

Due to the blade, it was silver and not black, and if one would look closely, there was a symbol etched on the raven's body.

Giving up on deciphering the symbol, she tied the cord around her belt.

Renée wondered where Tasha could have found this wonderful object.

Why did he not show it before?

Feeling slightly peeved that he didn't tell her about it, she picked up her backpack once again and headed back up on the deck. 'Gon would be interested in this little present.'

END OF 6.

A/N: Sorry it was a little later than expected but at least it's up! Please review!