From his position, Ralph froze. The Faceless Man was heading in Kidaya's direction. Any closer and he will find the girl. He had to do something, Ralph said in his mind. He had to distract the Faceless man who at this second was about to look over the rock. Out of options, Ralph picks up a stone and throws it at the man. The stone hit him and he raised his eyes to see who had stoned him, and their eyes met. His and Ralph's.
Smiling mischievously as if he had won a golden ticket, he straightens up and begins to walk over to where Ralph stood. Seeing the man head for him, Ralph began to run hopping on one foot. The man didn't bother to run after the boy, what or how far could a hopping boy run, he thought, and with that thought, he threw down his sword and strolled after the boy. When he has the boy, the boy will take him to wherever the rest of them are hiding.
Ignoring the pain from his sprained leg, Ralph began to run on two feet. He had to get the man as fast as he could away from Kidaya and hope that she uses that time to run away. Now he wish Miya and Sam were still with them so they could take Kidaya away. He was still running when he tripped and fell down. Before he could struggle up again, the Faceless man was in front of him.
Smiling, he looks down at the boy on the ground. "Where is the girl?"
"Please, let me go, and I promise you'll never see us again," Ralph begged.
"Us? That means she is here somewhere." The Faceless man says about to turn around but Ralph quickly grabs his leg. He looks down at the boy. "Let go of the leg." But Ralph wouldn't. Furiously, he kicks Ralph in the face with his boot. "Let go!" He screamed.
Still, Ralph held tightly to his leg. Looking behind the man at where Kidaya was watching, he whispered silently for her to run away. He would make sure to grab onto the man's leg until she could run far away. His leg made contact with his face again and this time, Ralph could feel a bone get broken. His nose, cause soon, blood begins to trail down.
"Let go, I said!" He commanded kicking the boy again on the face and bursting open another part of his face. He was about to hit the boy again when a sword drove through his middle part and burst out in front of him. Slowly, the man looks down at the sword before turning around slowly again to see who had driven the sword in. Behind, stood the girl with green eyes, hands still gripping the sword. He coughed out blood.
"Here I am," Kidaya says crying, letting go of the sword. "Here I am, behind you." She says tears running down her face.
She had stood up from the floor and finally decided to run away like Ralph was telling her to, when she saw the man's sword some distance away from her. One step after another, she had found herself standing in front of the sword and staring down at it. When the man had kicked Ralph again and Kidaya had seen blood start to gush out of Ralph's nose, she knew what she wanted to do with the sword. Holding it with both hands, she had run forward and drove the sword through the man's back, to his front.
The Faceless man continues to cough out blood falling to the ground, eyes open. Seeing this, Kidaya threw up, still crying. Cringing in pain, Ralph staggers up and walks over to where Kidaya is now squatting and vomiting. He begins to pat her on the back.
"You did the right thing, Kidaya. You did the right thing." He says still patting her. When she was done vomiting, he hugged her to himself as they both sank to sit on the floor. She was still crying, crying because she had killed a man.
He was still patting her when he heard footsteps behind them, Ralph quickly turned around to look, his hand going to grab the sword still stuck in the Faceless man's back, and pulling it out. He swings it around pointing it at the approaching people.
Both hands raised up, "It is us." Came Sam's voice.
Heaving. "Sam. Miya. I thought you two left." Ralph says putting down the sword. Even Kidaya raised her head to take a look when she heard him call their names.
Smiling. "We couldn't leave you two behind," Miya says still coming closer.
"The men, we have to leave before the other two -"
"They are dead." Sam says. "Miya and I attacked them." Nodding at the one beside them. "And him?"
Sniffing. "I ... I-"
"He's dead." Ralph cuts in when he notices Kidaya is having difficulty saying it.
"We have to leave," Sam says going over to help Ralph up.
*
"You want to steal it?" Ralph asked.
"Is there any other way?" Sam questions.
"We have no food or money, and after what happened with that old lady, we can't trust anybody to give us free food or anything. We need to get money and food." Miya explained.
"We also need money for a carriage." Kidaya reminded Ralph.
"A carriage? For what?" Miya asks looking from Kidaya to Ralph.
Shaking his head. "Nothing." Ralph says.
"But I heard Kidaya talk about getting a carriage?" Miya says
"We are meeting someone at Mulrine City."
"Kidaya!" Ralph rebuked but the word was already out.
"I think we can trust them and tell them, at least, they have trusted and helped us so far." Kidaya says smiling at Miya. Miya smiles back. "We are heading for Mulrine city," she says to Sam and Miya. "We will be staying there."
Sam and Miya exchange looks.
"What about you two? Where are you headed from here?" Kidaya asked.
Eyes down. "Nowhere," Miya answers.
"But... You left Vianto -
"To escape from our master, a Viscount who wanted us dead. His family accused Miya of stealing." Sam explained.
"And although I steal now, I didn't steal from them. I swear." Miya says.
"So you two have nowhere to go from here?" Kidaya asks.
"Yes."
And with that answer, Kidaya turns to look at Ralph.
"You know we can't go with them, Kidaya," Ralph says to her when she questions him with her eyes.
"But-"
"Commander Ben only told us to go there, he never told us who we are going as, or what we are to that household. Going with more than the expected number could cause a problem Kidaya."
"They saved us." Kidaya says in her small voice.
"I know, and am grateful for that. But I am sure Sam understands why we can't go with them."
Hiding the disappointment in his eyes. "Sure." Sam says faking a smile.
"But what if the Viscount sends men to find them here just like the Faceless men are chasing us?"
Ralph looked at the little heir and knew he wouldn't be able to persuade her out of leaving the other kids here. He had heard of this side of the little beautiful heir while he lived with his parent in the castle. He had even seen her get her way by persistently asking for a particular thing until she was granted. He sighs. "Fine. They can come with us."
Kidaya smiles. "Really?"
Ralph nods. Then he looks up at Sam and Miya who were smiling too. "But it's not my fault if they kick you out when we get there."
"No problem." Sam says excitedly.
"So how do we get to Mulrine city?" Miya asks.