The Arrival
Heidi slept against him on the train while Vash cleaned his gun. Normally he would not do so in such a public place, but there was no one else on this train any longer. The last person had left a few stops back and no one else had entered this coach. Well, except for the conductor (who gave Vash chills just by being the area, something was wrong with the man), yet the man said nothing in viewing Vash's actions.
This transfer was going to be the best thing that had happened to them. Vash did as much research as could possibly be done. The schools there were excellent. Heidi was going to have the best higher education possible. She would be able to become anything she put her mind to. All Vash had to do was keep working. And save, definitely save. He would afford to send her to anywhere she needed to go, he just had to keep saving.
Needless to say, Vash was tired. The money from the Edelsteins had nearly run out. Every single penny saved was money Vash had earned. Heidi's future would not be based on those terrible things.
This City was going to save them.
Vash did not know when he had drifted off. He startled awake as the train came to a halt. How long had he been out? There were not too many lights outside, had they missed their stop? Damn!
Either way, they had to find a place to stay for the night. He shook Heidi's shoulder. "Heidi, wake up. It is time to get off of the train."
The sixteen year old girl did so and they stepped off of the train into a town called Hearth.
"Did we miss our stop, brother?" Heidi asked him.
"I believe so," Vash responded apologetically. "Something we can rectify in the morning. Right now, let us find a place to stay."
It was not a big place, so it did not take long for them to find the single establishment that had rooms and board. For just having to have woken up, the woman in charge of the inn seemed perky and awake as she found them a key.
"It's not often we get visitors in Hearth," she told them. "There isn't all that much to see here."
"We're on our way to the City!" Heidi continued the conversation, niceness personified.
The woman's eyes widened slightly, smile still on her face. "Oh really? And you came by the train?"
"We missed our stop," Vash admitted as she led them towards their room.
"We are really out of the way here. The train only ever comes this far once a month. Rather erratically too. Doesn't stay for long, I don't think the conductor likes it much here."
Well, Vash did not like the conductor much, but he had bigger problems then that. "You mean the train will not be coming back?"
"Not for a month," she said apologetically. "You're going to have to find another way to the City."
"Oh dear," Heidi gasped, biting her lower lip afterward.
Vash felt complete and utter despair. "Is there... do you know if..."
"It can wait until the morning, brother," Heidi tugged at his sleeve, the innkeeper unlocking the door and handing them the key.
He nodded, allowing for Heidi's common sense to calm him down. "Thank you," Vash said to the woman.
"With breakfast we can talk about getting you some transport to the City," she said kindly.
Which left him with an entire night to worry about it.