Chapter 3
Ryker
Astonishment. It is the only word my mind can conjure at the sight I see before me. Clean men working away in the kitchens. Each performing their own task to perfection and my god it smells divine. Others working around cooks washing clothing and linen with practised perfection. It is orderly and I do not think our raids run this smoothly. Not a single one of the men stop to pay me attention, they are at the task and their devotion to it is unrivalled.
I am ashamed to have claimed I command respect seeing all this, then again maybe she commands fear. Fear that the torture will return.
"Where is she?" I ask Morris still admiring the comical sight of bulking young boys cooking and washing. Doing women's work without complaint, our top ranks would lose consciousness at the scene.
"She is always last to train, when we are all exhausted she continues. Some of the instructors have asked her aid in sword fighting."
"If not training then she is clearing her mind." Kade appears behind us, shows respect before gesturing us to follow.
We make our way to the training grounds and find the sword instructor in a ball of sweat on the grass. The other instructors are either spread out on the benches or drinking by the well. What the hell have they been doing? They are training the teenaged recruits, they should not be this exerted.
"Has Alessia left already?" Kade asks the instructor laying on his back.
"Yeah, said she needed some quiet to think." He opens his eyes after speaking and jumps to his feet at the sight of me.
"Sir, we were not informed of any inspections from the top ranks."
"There have been a few changes around here." I say completely dismissing his remark.
"Yes…we thought it…" The man is at a loss for explanation and I can understand why. The first female hunter and she has the entire training grounds wrapped around her finger within a few days. It is clear she is the cause of all the finer details being tended and truthfully it's a pleasant change.
The air feels less stale with the smell of fresh food being prepared. The bathed men look focused and collected. The benches under shade create a feel of relaxation, an opportunity for calm. The tended gardens make you feel orientated and tranquil with a sense of order.
"Where is she now?"
"This way." Kade turns on his heel to the enclosed forest within the Hunter's territory. The area is large and not even I have managed to explore it entirely, but then I had assumed the top rank since the very start of this war. I barely had time to rest at the start much less, break free and explore.
Kade and Morris walk ahead unwaveringly, they have walked this path before. I wonder how often have they searched for her here? Does she leave to be on her own so often?
Morris and Kade step into a clearing, blinding light from the setting sun reaches my eyes as I step in after. I raise a hand to block out the sun, allowing my eyes to adjust. My eyes widen as I take in the area, pink flowers are spread all around with white smaller flowers in the mix. The scent of lavender hits me from the side and I look to see a field of lavender on my right.
The area is wholly quiet except for the sound of rushing wind passing the trees and blowing over the clearing. I see a figure among the flowers. Dark hair flowing to us in the wind. In a slow movement she raises her stretched-out arms from her sides up to shoulder level, while at the same time raising her chin to face the clear blue skies above.
She has her eyes closed, her body open to the breeze and I have never seen anyone look more free. She makes no move to acknowledge us and just continues her actions. After some time she lowers her arms and pushes her legs out and starts rising to her feet.
She brushes long strands of hair from her face behind her ear and over her shoulder. She steadies herself on her feet and brushes out her short pants and oversized white top before looking up to face me. I am not sure if she did not sense me coming or if she simply does not care.
"Commander Ryker has come for inspection it seems and he was looking for you. Dinner should be ready in half an hour. Please do not be late." They wait for her okay before leaving her alone with me. They seem protective of her, an outcome I had never considered. She offers a curt nod and the two men walk off.
Maybe they know I harbour no ill intent towards her or they do not fear for her, they think she can handle a top rank. A grin forms on my face and the action does not go unnoticed by her. She looks unbothered by it, much like everything else around her.
She is a master of masks, not allowing a single emotion to slip through.
"You seem to be doing rather well." I state and she walks over to me. She walks right past me, but does so slowly before stopping and turning to see if I am going to follow.
We slowly walk back to the training grounds. She has her fingers interlaced behind her back, hair freely flowing in the wind and I only now notice she is barefoot. I am in awe of this woman, she fears nothing. Has anyone been this comfortable within the Hunter's territory?
We are easily feared because of our overwhelming strength and stamina. Our burning hot tempers have not helped the cause either, but we pay well and we protect the cities. We are hailed as heroes by most.
"You have made some changes around here," she looks at me with a glare and I raise my hands in mock surrender, a smile on my lips. She stops and waits for my continuation, "It's good, the men don't seem to mind either. I do not think I have seen any recruits so organised and smelling so fresh."
She faces forward and resumes walking, is she simply going to ignore me?
"Why are you here?" She cuts right to the chase. It is the kind of direct approach you would expect from someone of her character and to my surprise it does not bother me. She is direct but I do not sense any disrespect behind it.
She bares herself with an air of authority that only comes from experience. Most of the recruits are very young when they come to power, barely men. But she is older than most, at best she is three or four years my junior.
"Truthfully, I was concerned. I was not certain you would fare well as a female among so many arrogant men." I show my hand hoping she will come to trust me.
"This place lacked proper care and instruction, the instructors running the place have only ever known training and battle themselves. It was presumptuous to assume they would have the experience to properly run a training facility. Even the instructors before had no idea what they were doing."
I scratch the back of my neck in shame, she is not wrong. In the beginning, we trained new Hunters but later it was left to younger Hunters. With the increasing number of Hunters coming to power the place has gone to shit. We have been so busy playing at politics and raids that we had neglected the future of the Hunters.
She has helped us more than she cares to admit, she has goodness in her, I can tell and I silently thank the gods for sending her to us.
"The men here were exhausted, you cannot motivate men who live in hell." She says side-eyeing me with her steel grey orbs.
"We have failed to check on the conditions here I admit. Thank you for helping our men." She stops and turns to me, stepping into my personal space. We are toe to toe and she looks up into my eyes.
"I did not do it for you, I did it for myself first. My concern for them came after. These men smelled of filth and went to sleep in filth-covered bodies in even dirtier beds. The creatures in the cells kept them awake while they desperately needed rest. Food is delivered, uncleaned and not a single man is taught how to prepare it."
She's clearly angry speaking without reservation, eyes burning with fire. The mask slips for a fraction of a second before she speaks again and she closes her eyes. She looks me in the eye again mask perfectly in place.
"They had no place they could spend free time and gather themselves again. We made benches and they started cleaning the gardens. I taught them how to cook and went into town to buy soap. I showed the remaining men how to wash linen… Correction I taught the boys. Most are still children, you have shoved them into adulthood with no means to navigate it. You should be ashamed of yourselves."
And I am, but shame is not the only emotion boiling to the surface. Anger burns in my veins at her assault on me and my closest brothers.
"News flash sweetheart, we became Hunters at sixteen and had to fend off a wave to allow the people to survive. We had to become adults and create this place to save our world. We were not coddled, we suffered and had to push forward." I am shouting at her and the loss of my temper only further infuriates me, there is no way she will trust me now.
My hands ball into fists at my side and I clench my teeth, the tension in my jaw causes a splitting headache. I have never felt so talked down to and her unwaveringly placid expression only further fans the flames of my rage.
My face is inches away from hers but she does not back away from the challenge, "And you wished for them to experience the same sense of helplessness. Being lost in a world you know nothing about?"