Mordeu was surprised to hear that; he lifted an eyebrow at Fjall, but before he could say anything, Alana said:
"How are you so lax about everything that's happening?" Alana's voice was getting louder and angrier; her eyebrows were narrowed, and her heartbeat quickening.
Mordeu was taken aback by her tone, bewildered about why she was getting so emotional over the issue. "Well, because it's none of my business!"
"They invited us here, and our safety might be compromised; what if one day you wake up, and you're engulfed in flame?" She gestured with so much enthusiasm, it looked like she was losing her mind over her unhealthy obsession about the issue.
"Well, if that day comes, I'll regret not listening to you right now, but if it doesn't, then I'll be happy that during my time here I never got into things that were not my business," Mordeu finalized sternly. He hoped that she would finally get the message that in that aspect of her interest in the Alvitirs, he did not wish to indulge.
Alana looked at him straight in his eyes; she shook her head at him before turning to the one standing beside him. "What about you? Is the safety of your mate still none of your business?"
She was manipulative; she aimed straight at where Fjall would not refuse her. And she was successful; Fjall cleared his throat for the second time; his hand fell from Mordeu's shoulder, and his ten fingers intertwined as he looked between Alana and Mordeu, cautious as he tried to pacify both parties.
"They will surely say something about what has happened; we should wait till morning, but if they don't, then I'll join you to investigate the issue, it's never too late, Alana," Fjall said softly. He shamelessly moved his eyes to Mordeu, but the other only shook his head disappointedly at him.
Disappointedly, because he could hardly believe that with mere words Alana had succeeded in convincing him to go aboard on her ship of meaningless curiosity.
His inability to understand where Fjall was coming from was consequently the lack of the intense desire and concern for his mate.
"Fine," Alana acquiesced. Before she walked away, she shared eye contact with Mordeu, allowing it to linger a tad more than it should. Mordeu removed his eyes first.
Watching Alana walk away, Fjall could not hold back from saying, "it's so weird watching couples bicker."
"What nonsense are you uttering?" Mordeu asked.
Fjall laughed and focused his gaze on his brother, finding it funny that he could not see what was staring at him right in the face. "Come on, don't you see that she likes you?"
Mordeu was already fed up with anything that had to do with Alana, "Damn it, Fjall, she and I just met; it's too soon to jump into that conclusion; she just wanted someone to accompany her in her stupidity to find something against the Alvitirs."
Fjall dismissed his words, holding steadfastly on his observation of Alana's feelings. "Screw that, Mordeu, can you not see the way she looks at you? She obviously likes you and wants you to fuck her."
"Disgusting," Mordeu said with a grimace as he walked away from his brother.
Mordeu was not a saint; he was far from being a virgin; he had a reputation in his village; he even earned himself a nickname. However, having to think of a slight possibility that Alana wanted something more than a platonic friendship with him, he found disgusting.
Fjall laughed before joining him; they headed to their room. He looked over his shoulders, and he could see that some guards were already taking the bodies of the assassins away from the courtyard where the fight had taken place.
"I still cannot stop thinking about how good Alvitir's boy was with the sword. He was fast, precise, and very flexible." The compliment flowed out of his mouth as a result of the memory of Alvitir's boy easily sending the assassins to their makers; he couldn't hold it back.
Mordeu's focus moved back to him, his previous wonder popping back into his head, "Why didn't anybody help him out?"
"He told them not to. He had said that he was not our responsibility, and as such, we shouldn't involve ourselves with it, especially since it was an assassination. Simply, he just didn't want anyone hurt," Fjall shrugged.
"I guess he's not as snobbish as he looks."
Mordeu agreed with him, though he had never found him snobbish. "He's one of a kind."
"Undoubtedly, why would a wolf be using a sword? I mean, Ayra was more brutal and feral as expected of a wolf, but her brother, do you think he isn't a wolf?"
Mordeu looked at him in the eyes; he couldn't deny that that question had surfaced in his mind, but it was impossible that Alvitir birthed a human or another creature that wasn't a wolf. And also, he just did not want to entertain the possibility that Alvitir's boy wasn't a wolf, reasons he had not the faintest idea of.
"I don't think that's the case; it's more plausible that he just hasn't really been in touch with his wolf yet," Mordeu defended, more so that he would believe his own words.
Fjall nodded in agreement, "Maybe that's the case."
It wasn't a rarity that there existed people like them who hadn't been in contact with their wolves yet. In simple terms, they had not wolfed out. Some, however, regardless, possess the special abilities that came with being acquainted with their wolves even though they hadn't wolfed out. And others were reduced to living as a mere human.
Mordeu took into consideration that the latter was the case of the Alvitir's boy. He prayed that it would be so. Practicing the sword probably was his own way of trying to live above the mere human.
It made him unique.
Swords and whatnot were mainly for elves, especially the ones that were not born with magic. Having a wolf practice sword was a seldomness, one unspoken of in the history books.
With a ghost of a smile, Mordeu and his brother entered their room, and with thoughts finding their way around the events of the nights, Mordeu slept off.
In the morning after they have been served breakfast in the feasting hall, Mordeu, Fjall, and Alana took their positions in the courtyard as they listened to Alvitir as he began his speech on the pedestal he stood with his children behind him.
Ayra's gaze was on the trio. Alana noticed this.
"I apologize sincerely for the unforeseen and threatening events that took place here. It is a fault of mine for not providing appropriate security during your stay here. I ask that you forgive my incompetence," he bowed.
Alana scoffed at him.
Mordeu ignored her and continued listening to what Alvitir was saying. However, his focus was disrupted by the sound of a door creaking. He and most of the trainees glanced towards where the sound came from.
It was the elven princess, along with her entourage of vampires and elves.
Ayra's gaze turned wicked in a second, as if at any moment, if given the opportunity, she would rip the skin off of the princess. Her gaze was frightening.
"I urge that you people worry not about your safety; today we will be joined by our brothers from the houses of Balor and Stregobor and with them, they will bring more guards for your protection." He cleared his throat, "However, it is in my greatest disdain that I have found myself in an unfavorable position where I have to ask for your help."
Murmurings filled the courtyard. Ayra's face contorted as she stared at her father in confusion. The white-haired boy was expressionless; he stared ahead, dead in the eyes, he was not looking at anything in particular, as it seemed, he was lost, his focus was not anywhere in the courtyard. It seemed like whatever was going on around was of no concern to him.
"I need your skills, witch, vampires, wolves, or elves to protect my son," Alvitir announced to the wonder of the spectators.
The crowd gasped.
"It is not an obligation; it is not an enforcement, but a volunteering work. My son is in need of help, as you all have seen; his life is in danger and he needs to be protected."
"Why?" Alana asked loud enough for everybody to hear, and that caused the attention of every single creature in the courtyard to turn their eyes to where she stood.
"Why is your son's life in danger and why are you risking our lives trying to protect him?"