One of the arrows caught a child next to Kidaya and the child fell down dead next to Kidaya's feet with both his eyes open. That was when many began to scream and run away in different directions. Kidaya stared into the dead boy's eyes and began to cry. Without wasting time, Ralph pulled her away and continued running with her.
They made it out of the market and into a lonely part that led to a forest. The Faceless men were closing in on them. "Ralph." Commander Ben called halting in his step. He had to get rid of the Faceless men.
Ralph stopped and turned to look at the Commander.
He hands the kids' ticket to him. "If I don't make it back on time, get on the ship with Kidaya."
On hearing that, Kidaya begins to cry more. She believed he wouldn't come back. They never did. Her Papa had promised to but never did, her Mama had promised to and never did. They had all died after promising her they would come. Still crying, she runs forward and hugs the commander holding onto him tightly.
Commander Ben squats in front of the girl. "I will return Miss Kidaya, I promise you just like I promised your father to always protect you the day you were born." He wipes the girl's tears with the back of his hand. "Now go with Ralph and do as he says until I return. Okay."
Kidaya nods, sniffing.
Turning to Ralph. "Protect the Lady. If I don't make it back before the ship departs, try your best to get on the ship. Be careful, the Faceless men may be there too. When you see them, you will know them. Once you get to the other side and people begin to leave the ship, join them. When you get off the ship, look for a carriage that will take you to Mulrine City and straight to Count Tegha's house. Show him this," he gives the boy a barge "and wait for me there. I will come there for you all. Okay?"
Ralph nods putting the barge together with the tickets into his pocket.
"Do not lose them. Now go. Run and do not stop anywhere." He hands the bag containing everything they will need to him. "Go!" He commanded.
Holding more firmly to Kidaya's hand, he turns around and begins to run with her.
After they were gone, Commander Ben slits his left hand dip enough to cause bleeding, making sure the blood drips on the floor of the forest, he begins to run in a different direction from where the children had taken. He had to get the Faceless men away from their path and kill them all.
A few minutes after he ran in a different direction, the Faceless men arrived in their pursuit. The one in charge halts his men when he sees the blood on the floor.
"Follow the trail." He said to his men as they all ran in the direction the Commander had gone. "They won't be far away." He says following his men after he glanced twice in the direction the children had gone. He almost went that way, but then he shakes his head and also followed the blood trail.
~
After hours and hours of running, they had finally arrived at the Merchant village. It was different from every other city. It was night and darkness had covered everywhere, the other village had been quiet already, and most people indoors when they had passed, but here was different. Everywhere was busy as though it was still day. There was light everywhere. People were still selling, people still walked about busy with one thing or the other as though it was night already.
Ralph held firmly to Kidaya. He had to find the ships before departure time, but he had no idea which way it was, and this Merchant village, had lots of roads. Seeing a boy a bit shorter than him, he stopped in front of the boy.
"Please where can I find the ships?" Ralph asked the boy.
The boy turns to look at Ralph, then at Kidaya whom he smiled at.
At his action, Ralph quickly hid Kidaya behind him. "Where can I find the ships set for departure?" Ralph asked him again.
Putting a stick into his mouth. "I don't survive on giving free information. If you want information, you have to pay for it. Business is business." The boy says chewing on his stick and looking away ahead of him.
"How much?" Ralph asked.
"Usually I take five coins. But three coins will do because your sister is pretty." The boy says.
Ralph nudges Kidaya further behind him, before putting down his bags and using that hand to dig for the coins in his pocket. He was about to hand the boy the five coins when another hand stopped him.
"Don't let him swindle you. That much information is free." A girl says stopping beside the boy. "The ships are that way, straight ahead. From the way the wind is chilled in that direction, you should be able to tell that the ocean is close. Is this your first time here?" The girl asks.
"Thank you," Ralph says returning the coins to his pocket and grabbing the bags, he walks away with Kidaya who turns one more time to look at the little girl beside the other boy. They smiled at each other.
"Your brother is mean." The girl said folding her hands and watching as they walked away. "I just gave him free direction and all he said was thank you?"
"You should have let me charge them. But you ruined business for me. I hope you've made enough for both of us. Because if we are to get on that ship without money, we will starve."
"Come." The girl said to the boy. "I made quite a few from that foreign couple." She says taking one more glance in the direction Kidaya and Ralph had gone.
After walking some distance, Ralph could see the ocean and ships. The ships were big, he had never seen one before. And from the way Kidaya gasped when she saw it, he knew it was her first time of seeing it too.
"Come," Ralph said to her as they continued down the road. Getting closer, Ralph saw some men checking the children that were headed for the ship. They checked for the hair and eye. They were looking for Kidaya. Holding onto her firmly, he quickly turned away into another road before one of the men could see them. The hair, he had forgotten about dyeing the hair with Commander Ben gone. "We need to dye your hair Kidaya." He said to her heading behind one of the shops. Luckily, this part of the village was empty. He took the dye from one of the bags Commander Ben had given, then he searched around for anything he could use in mixing the dye.
He had accompanied his father to the barracks a few times, and he had seen most of the men there use it, he had even helped some of them prepare and apply it, so he knew how to prepare one. But first, he needed a container, something that looked more like a bowl or plate.
"Search everywhere." A man screamed some distance away.
Alerted, Ralph and Kidaya exchange looks without saying anything.
Kidaya walks up to Ralph and gets the dye from him. "I will do it." She said moving behind the building, a little bit away from Ralph. Kidaya stared at the dye in her hand, not knowing what to do with it. She has never used one before.
"Hurry Kidaya," Ralph says to her when he peeps and sees some men searching in their direction.