149 Meeting Alcinous

The warm light of the morning sun streamed through the cracks between the curtains in Macha's bedroom. The rays of light hit the dressing mirror in the corner and bounced off of the reflective surface, illuminating the room. Her dreams had been restless and her worries for Tyr and Luna kept her up, so the light did not wake her.

Earlier, she had penned a note to Hrod, explaining the situation. Since she would be away, she did not want the Valois businesses to suffer, so she sent over Tyr's seal. This would allow Hrod to continue any affairs that needed to be done.

Since Macha could not sleep, she had already donned her armor and sat anxiously on the bed. She was lost in her memories and her eyes stared, unfocused at the bedroom wall. She thought about how strong and confident Tyr was before he left and worried about how much he changed over the past three years.

KNOCK

The solid strike on the door resounded through the apartment, pulling her back to the present. This was the moment she waited for. Macha quickly rushed to the door, wanting to start her quest to save her friends.

When she opened it, she found a black-haired man with amber eyes staring down at her. He had a scar across his right cheek that seemed to be fading. He wore a black armor that obscured his figure, making her strain to see him clearly. "Macha," she heard her name stated more than asked.

"Yes, please come in." She opened the door and moved to let the man in. "I wasn't sure what to pack. I've never done this sort of mission before." As she told the stranger what was going on, she pulled out her small travel bag.

Alcinous did not sympathize with King Freyr's decision to send the Sathar out for this mission. Babysitting a weak woman was the last thing he wanted to do, especially when there was tension with Phocée. He would have requested that a less important unit be dispatched, but he had a change of mind after he saw the letter from the spy.

Watching Macha open her sack caused him to narrow his eyes. His voice held little patience when he ordered, "Leave it." He did not understand why she packed a bag in the first place. ???????????????? ????????????'???? ???? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????, he thought.

Macha looked up from her things. Even when Tyr left, he took a pack of supplies with him. She had never heard of people not packing essentials like food or water before. "Leave the bag? What about food? We don't know if we'll be able to find any." she needed clarification on what he meant.

Alcinous's brows drew together, and he gave her a cold look, "Did you not learn how to survive without food?" The King had claimed this woman traveled on missions and trained daily. From what he observed, she was nothing more than a runt. Before he left, Sierra reminded him to keep the woman alive because she may be the future Queen one day. As far as he was concerned, if Freyr wanted this woman, then he grew blind with age.

"Survive without food? Like hunt?" she inquired. She wondered if she asked her question incorrectly or if she misunderstood what he said.

Alcinous saw that she wore her armor and weapons. He threw the bag off the table and pushed her out the door. "Let's go. You're wasting time." Her armor looked like it had been fashioned with only S quality materials and he hoped it would be enough to keep her alive. His team's skill would only protect her so much. If she acted stupidly, there would be nothing he could do.

Macha spun around after she crossed her threshold, slowing her footsteps. This man had been rude and still did not introduce himself. There was no way she would run off without at least making sure this was the correct person. "Hold on. Who are you? Do you really expect me to follow you around knowing nothing about you?"

Their eyes met and she could tell he tried to stare her down. ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????, ???????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????????? ????????????, she thought. People like this preferred to exert their dominance early and establish their superiority. She understood he definitely had more experienced than she, but his rude behavior was not acceptable.

After a few moments, he realized she would not yield. A scowl threated to show on his face, "I'm Alcinous Gabris, leader of the Sathar. King Freyr ordered us to help you find Lord Tyr. Listen to me and do what I say. If you don't, you will die. Now move." He raised his hand to give her another push, but Macha reflexively whacked it to the side.

"Nice to meet you Alcinous. I'm Macha. I hope we can get along on this mission. Please be patient with me, since I have little experience compared to you." With their introductions out of the way, she spun back around and began walking again. She hated being pushed because it reminded her of Constanza and did not want him to attempt to push her again.

When she turned around Alcinous clicked his tongue in annoyance.

When they entered the courtyard, she searched for the rest of their party. Usually, groups met down here before their missions, but no one else was here. Alcinous called forth his black panther mount and sat waiting for her. Macha summoned her cheetah and they began to ride through the city. A few times she heard him mumble something, but he never looked at her.

Eventually, the two got to the city gates and she could not contain her curiosity anymore. "Where are the rest of your people?" She remembered he had mentioned, 'King Freyr hired us.' This meant there should be more than just him.

Alcinous turned his head to look at her. He wished she would stop talking. "None of your business. Don't talk unless you're spoken to." There was no reason for him to explain where or what the others were doing. He believed if they could do the whole mission without any of the others meeting her, then it would be for the best.

The man's unpolite nature surprised Macha. She wondered if he treated everyone like this or if she had somehow offended him. It was unfortunate, but if he chose to act this way, then the trip would feel longer. There was no reason she needed to try and befriend someone who acted like an ass to her.