Yossarian eyed the grizzly man as Georgia's uncle reciprocated his look back, the two staring in a long full silence.
Water ran then fell off the Uncle's drenched body, the rain - picking up in intensity - hammered down on the cottages clay roof, rough wind slamming into the door. The sound of a truck engine steadily receded in the background. Yossarian closed his eye's to listen to the song of the wind and rain, lose himself in the whimsical nature of pattering rain and high-strung cries of the wind. It was one of nature's beauty that he often connected with the most. Harsh, chaotic and saddening yet in combination, it was mysterious and unpredictable.
He opened his eye's again to see the Uncle, unchanged in look and position, still staring at Yossarian, still waiting for an answer. He held an intimidating aura around him, unnoticeable to Yossarian in his first glance of the man who just seemed bland and common, his uniqueness only found in further inspection.
He glanced to Georgia who, surprisingly to him seemed to actually exhibit an emotion. Her expression shocking him even further, She seemed to be visibly shaking, eye's locked onto her uncle, her fear seeping into his own body.
He locked eye's with the man again before responding, deciding to choose his words carefully and if possible, honestly. "As I'm sure you heard from your wife, I came to escort your rather young niece, who came to drop off your ordered alcohol."
The Uncle didn't respond but merely sat back and ran his hand along his drenched wet beard, few drops of rain brushed off its uncontrolled curls. "It's true that I did make an order sometime back, but my brother typically makes a habit of coming himself, whenever he's free to transport them, even if he takes a while. So this, this is unordinary." He finally replied, throwing his hand in Yossarian's and Georgia's direction, on the opposite side of the table.
Yossarian bit his lip, the man was already sceptical of him, and in Yossarian's experience, scepticism was a hard stain to wash off.
"You may be right, but it seemed to me that your brother, her father, was rather busy. Sometimes the unpredictable happens. Who's to say this won't be the only time he does this."
The Uncle only seemed to grunt in response. He eyed Georgia, whilst Marianne busying herself in the kitchen in solace came back to place a fresh kettle of tea onto the table. Her quivering nature befitting to the rising awkward and hostile nature in the air.
Yossarian jerked himself back knowing that he was losing the man's patience. He had to grab the man's trust and interest fast or he might not make it through the night.
"Listen, I'm going, to be honest with you," Yossarian placated, leaning on the table, closer to the Uncle, whose eyes shot back to meet Yossarian's. "I didn't just come here to protect young Georgia here. Your brother and his rather grouchy, yet surprisingly friendly companion, Guillaume, gave me a rather odd request. Help solve the issue that has plagued your town. Do you know why they would ask me this?"
The Uncle seemed to tense up, the eye's lighting up with suspicion, yet Yossarian sensed interest building up behind his gaze. The Uncle inspected Yossarian, before responding. "Why?"
"Because I have experience in this field of issues. Issues that not any sort of person can handle. Issues that the party seem all too busy to deal with. Issues that those in my profession can handle."
"And what Profession is that?"
"Witchcraft and Alchemy my friend, not just one but two. A double deal if I must add." He heard Marianna gasp in the background, his eye's picking up on the boy - Deamon - getting closer to his father's large body. These were all common responses Yossarian experienced when revealing his identity, yet the Uncle didn't even batt an eye. He stayed their unflinching in his gaze.
"Then why did that rat drop by?. To my knowledge, you lot and their lot don't usually see eye to eye, like a cat and dog, always at each other's throats." He blatantly asked.
"That's because she too has a common interest in the issue revolving around this town. And like you said even cats and dog's sometimes have to help each other out when a wolf strides into their shared territory." Yossarian tossed back, sitting further back in his seat, a smile fashioning onto his face, "So, what do you have to say about that?"
The man didn't move for a while, he stayed still, eye's closed, debating heavily in his head Yossarian's words and their potential consequences. He opened his eye's again.
"The issue predates my time, I moved here when a was still a lad. Trying to find a stake in life for myself, away from my family. Like you experienced in your own visit, I was faced with fear and suspicion. That was forty, maybe thirty-five years ago. I'm still seen as an outsider to them families that been in this village for years. Dammit, even after marrying into one, none of them sees me like family. But when they saw my sincerity in staying, they told me one thing. Never venture further north to the base of the Titan. Cos something lives their, something that scares them, something they don't want others seeing, something I guess even they don't want to see. Even My dear Marianne," He went on Marianne coming closer and taking his hand, fear and despair plain on her face.
"She don't know what's their but she been taught never, ever to go that far into the woods, lest she be taken away. After the recent disappearances, everyone been on edge as of late. That rat sniffing around hasn't help calm them down, but instead rile them up further. So sorry I can't help you but," He said, his voice slightly quivering, his hand holding Deamon tightening."If you can solve this issue, free the village from their sorrows, then do what you must, but know this. You must watch yourself from not only what lurks inside the forests but from those that lurk in the village. Lot more danger in humans then from beasts"
He warned, his voice firming itself out by the end of his speech, his eye's flashing between Georgia and Yossarian, "And whatever you do, don't drag my niece or my family into this. Now I think it's time you two got some rest. Georgia, show this man to the spare room and you can sleep with Deamon tonight."
Yossarian and the man both stood up, the man offering his hand to Yossarian, Yossarian taking it solemnly. "I promise, to do whatever I can to help." Yossarian promised.
The Uncle merely grunted before facing his family, Georgia grabbing Yossarian and pulling him into the cottage's corridor. They past two doors before finishing at the end of the corridor to another room, inside lay a single bed, and a woollen rug. Yossarian found it rather dreary yet couldn't find the energy to complain. He stumbled to the bed and sat down, feeling its hard body and frame, knowing he wasn't going to get a good rest tonight soured his mood further.
Georgia lingered in the room's door, waiting, Yossarian sighing, "what is it?"
She was silent for a moment, before looking down the corridor and responding, "Please don't listen to my uncle, if there is a way I can help, please let me."
Yossarian felt comforted by her sudden plea of charity, yet knew he couldn't allow her participation. This would be dangerous work, a mysterious problem that he wasn't even sure He might be able to solve. This wasn't any place for a young girl.
"Georgia, my dear, as touched as I am, I can't accept your offer. This is by far too dangerous for you, hell it might even be too dangerous for me."
"But I could help, Pa sent me here to assist you-"
"He sent you here to guide me." Yossarian interrupted, starting to get slightly annoyed.
"Then let me guide you, let me help you whilst you travel through this mess. Maybe in the meantime, you can even teach me stuff along the way that might be of assistance to you." Georgia added, embarrassment etching through her body, 'Maybe even allow me to apprentice under you."
Yossarian cocked his head to the side, amusement stifling his throat. Me, a master, who would have even thought that to be a possibility. He let out his frustration in a sigh before responding, in a calmer voice, "Thank you my dear for your offer, put I can't accept it right now."
"Please I can be very-"
"Let me think on it during the night, alright?"
"Alright."
"Good, then good night." Yossarian finished, Georgia solemly exiting the room. Yossarian undressed his coat before diving into the sheets of the bed, grimacing at its hard features yet the thought of being a master filled his mind. Who would have even thought it, me, a master of all things!