It was past noon when Jason left the docks and returned home. He found Nedim and Eve sitting on the ground at the gate of the Mansion. The little girl was in a red pleated skirt and a floral sweater. She was touching Nedim's face crouching beside him.
The boy turned away and did not let the girl touch himself, so Jason could see the boy's face. The blood flowing from Nedim's lip and eyebrow had dried up a while ago, and his clothes were stained with blood and mud. Seeing Jason approaching, Nedim turned his face to avoid eye contact.
Eve stood up and greeted Jason with sad eyes. Jason looked at the girl. Her clothes were flawless and spotless. She somehow managed to tangle her hair again, but it didn't look like she was hurt. Jason nodded, 'Good job kid,' he thought.
Jason stopped walking when he got to near the kids, "Is this how you welcome the elders?" He asked Nedim, who was still sitting on the ground. Nedim rose to his feet, blushing, and greeted Jason lightly with his head.
He was embarrassed to be beaten, and Jason knew the feeling. He didn't force them to explain what happened. It wasn't too hard to guess. Instead of that, ''It's time for lunch. Who wants to eat doner kebab?'' he asked.
Eve tilted her head and looked at him curiously. Jason guessed the girl had never eaten doner before. Nedim's eyes shone, ''Is it on you?''
Jason smiled, ''I am treating for this time. Lead the way.'' There were several restaurants within walking distance, but Jason didn't know who the boy was getting in trouble with this time. Young gangsters had shared the streets, following their elders as idols.
As he had predicted, Nedim chose one of the long routes. Jason tried to guess who battered the boy from the signs drawn on the streets and walls of the houses they avoided, but he didn't. By the look of the signs, the rules and actors from his childhood had changed into new ones.
Jason watched them as Nedim explained to Eve the menu and how to order. Nedim's freckles, which covered his entire face in the summer, began to disappear in autumn. His hair was brown with a touch of red, and his features had traces of somewhere far, perhaps northern Europe.
Because of starvation in his early childhood, his weight was still less than it should have been for his height. He had a complexion that people who blush easily have. It wasn't the color Jason had seen much around here, the boy's family was probably from another part of the world.
Of course, there was no way to be sure as the kid didn't remember anything about his family. While Eve was looking at the menu Nedim had shown her, Nedim couldn't help but keep looking at the girl. Jason cleared his throat, ''If you don't go to wash your face and hands, I guess they'll kick us out of the restaurant.''
After Nedim got blushed and headed to the restroom, Eve turned to Jason, ''He didn't let me help.''
Jason nodded with understanding, ''He's not a kid who accepts help.''
Eve glared at him, ''Won't you help him to get rid of those bullies?''
Jason shook his head, ''There are battles you have to fight alone, darling. You aren't hurt, are you?'' Eve shook her head. ''So there is nothing I need to do. Unless he wants me to help,'' Jason said.
Jason watched in amazement as Nedim's attention turned from Eve to food when meals arrived. ''It seems like I owed you a favor,'' Jason said to the kid after made sure everyone is full.
Nedim smiled, ''Two favor, I took care of the dog and I took Eve to Nancy for clothes.''
''Okay, two. Is there anything you want from me?''
Nedim's face turned serious and Jason saw for a moment the man he might have been when he grew up one day. ''I want you to teach me how hunters fight,'' he said.
Jason looked into the boy's eyes and he could not find hope or excitement. There were calmness and acceptance in the boy's eyes that comes from being rejected too many times. Nedim did not break eye contact and Jason appreciated it.
''Do you want to learn not just to fight, but to be a hunter?'' Jason asked.
''Do you accept?'' Nedim said with a little surprise in his voice. He probably prepared himself for an argument first.
''I promised, didn't I?''
Nedim nodded with haste, ''Yes. I wanna be a hunter.''
''Why?'' Jason asked.
''You are strong. You are traveling the world and earn a lot of money from it,'' Nedim answered without hesitation.
''You know that we travel the world in pursuit of preys and that we get the money for their heads, right?''
''I know,'' Nedim said. Jason nodded, were his own reasons any better than the boy's? No. So why not? ''Are you going to help me?'' Nedim asked.
''Yes, as you please. From now on then consider yourself as my disciple. How old are you?''
''I am eleven, as Zack said.''
''So we have two years to train you. You can take the Academia's exam when you turned thirteen,'' Jason said and thought for a few seconds, ''First lesson, kid, we don't fight anyone. We hunt them.''