Chapter 182: Granted

Ned sat across the two Gold Rank Hunters. Their faces show doubts as if they don't believe that Ned would be their next employer.

Moments passed, while Bram (the messy hair hunter) kept on rolling the toothpick between his lips a knock came in through the door. The metal knob rolled and a figure in black with a black mask strode in.

And so it was Swift. On par with Ned, and will spar with Ned.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mond said, looking at the new arrival. He eyed Swift with deep discern. "You must be a House member to enter the manor. Who let you in, kid?"

"You," Swift said, pointing a finger at Mond.

The latter almost stood on his chair as Swift did the gesture. Twali, behind Mond, shrugged his shoulders.

"I-I mean," Swift said, rounding her voice. "Y-you are the best handler Lord Tarragon had."

Mond coughed, threw his back against his chair, and grinned wildly. "You kid," he said. "Of course, of course."

Bram and Arm shook their heads, saying as if 'not again.'

"But," Mond said. "Who let you in?"

"I did."

Everyone looked at Twali, again, with surprise. Aside from Ned, it was also Twali who knew the identity of Swift. Maybe much longer than Ned, maybe he just kept it in the shadows. He smiled, now his decision bore fruit. "He is Master Swift. He will be our employer's sparring partner."

The three hunters nodded with relief. Now they don't need to find someone and take extra time looking for Ned's sparring partner.

Mond said, "Then the stage is set."

Arm said, "We'll see how you will fare, kid."

Ned said, "I'm looking forward to it myself, Master Arm."

Bram nodded.

Twali smiled.

Swift said, "I've been meaning to fight you after the Chance Arrow Game, Ned." He then turned to look at Twali. "Master Twali, thank you for inviting me here." Swift then bowed.

Which made Twali almost jumped on his spot. Yet, he regained control. He waved his hand, dismissing Swift, and said, "Not at all, Swift." He said those words as if with care, luckily the three seemed to not notice as they were busy talking with each other.

Ned left the room and was accompanied by Twali and Swift from behind. They left the three hunters busy arguing with themselves. They argue about time.

Ned could only shake a head, since he knew what they meant. They might gamble again if which of which might last longer. Was it Ned or Swift?

The rest would soon find out as one of the house's guard, in metal plate boring the Tarragon's emblem on his left chest, led them to the sparring ground.

The door wedged open and they were greeted with smiles from the nearest hunters and recruits alike. The rest bellowed as they spar inside the smaller sparring circle at the sides of the semi-rectangular room.

Ned was back after three days, and he was met with an overwhelming crowd. Weapon racks over every edge, some were still full but mostly empty. Hunters trained recruits wielding different weapons. To Ned's right, to where his spot, once, recruits fought inside the sparring circle. Others stood outside the circle to observe. They yelled as if they were in a pit.

As soon as Twali arrived, dozens of hunters stood in silence and stopped whatever they were doing. This made Twali on the good side of Ned. They made way for the three, and another three as Mond, Bram, and Arm trailed from behind.

Torches with oil danced against the breeze from the East. They walked going to the middle with grass, cut with black pavement under their foot. From the massive door to the center was a straight walk.

They were in the middle when one hunter recognized Ned and said, "Shyou!" Wasn't a question, but a surprise.

Ned turned, silver hair waved, and dusky blue eyes looked to where the voice was. "Horn," Ned said and stopped.

Swift stopped and looked over her shoulder. Twali stopped, did the same—looked over his shoulder. The rest halted.

Hunters crowding the place went from murmuring to a complete silence as they glared toward Horn. "Sh-shwhat?" He said. "He's the impostor I've been telling you, lot." He said, talking beside his shoulder, but there were none whom he knows. He went red.

"Jerra!" Not long after, a voice rang from behind. It was as if he was devoid of what was happening and just snapped after hearing Horn's confirmation.

"And Bud," Ned murmured.

The Wood rank hunter strode the crowd, colliding. The bridge between his nose, he was so proud of, was smudged with bluish color, his eyes sunken with a dark circle. Yet, eyes were lively like a hunter waiting for his prey. He stopped beside Horn and was then followed by the fifth team or the remaining of the team.

Loti from behind Bud and the farmer guy stopped behind Horn. Then another member came in through. Jerra with her yellow hair, and thin spectacles. She murmured beside Loti.

They seemed to pass the recruitment as all of them were now wearing Hunter's uniform exclusive for House Tarragon. They wore a grey and brown jacket and fitted, with a brown belt for items to hang onto. Grey and brown for trousers with pockets on both sides. Their boots were similar, aside from Jerra that gleamed with white and hills were an inch higher than the male counterparts.

Great, Ned thought. Horn's team.

"Ned?" Swift said from Ned's left. Black mask gleaming under the streak of sun. "Who are they?" Swift stood with defiance as if she was sparring with Ned but was disrupted in-between. She stood one-legged, the other foot tapping the ground, and arms crossing her chest. Her feminine side won this time.

One thing about being a hunter or companion was that they can wear a mask without much of a problem. As long as they were registered in the Canton of Commerce, their privacies were secured. Aside from Sasani, who now Swift with a mask, other hunters wore masks inside the sparring ground.

If Sasani could get herself a mask, and pay for it. What about the Ghostbloods? This means without their mask, they walk among the citizens of Bogblot and be normal like them.

Ned balled his hand over his mouth and coughed. "Well," he said and sighed. "They were the recruits from the fifth team."

"Jerra, Jerra," Loti said. Hair tied in a pony from behind, but still, messy and white and grey. "Or was it Ned, Ned?"

Ned nodded to Loti and respond with a smile. "I am Ned," he said. "Master Horn, Bud." He greeted farmer-boy with silence.

"Y-you?" Jerra said from beside Loti.

Loti said, "Yes, Jerra-kid. Meet Jerra." And winked at Ned."

Swift said, "Jerra?"

Horn said, "Ned?"

Twali said, "What is the meaning of this?"

And horn said, "Shut up you there." Looking at Twali.

And the three, big shots, from behind Ned said, "We should kill him." And nodded.

Mond then moves in-between Ned, their employer, and Horn—who was two meters away from Ned.

He bowed to Twali and said, "Master Twali please forgive me. This hunter"—glared at Horn—"was our new captain from the city of Mud Ridge, West of Bogblot."

"Ah, that is why," Twali said, smiling. Thin eyes narrowed. "Your tonality, Bantiswalians?"

Horn looked-up at the towering Twali: he was in six nearly seven feet, and build was slim, added with a black suit, he looked imposing for a personal servant. Horn shallowed a lump of saliva before he composed himself.

"Shyes," Horn then said, surprised he still got a voice. "Shnorthern part of the region Sweverraveth, of the Great House Ya'qub."

Twali raised an eyebrow, conspicuous, determining, and analyzing. "Then why leave Sweverraveth?"

"Shwell," Horn said. "Shwe barely get rations there, so my tribe decided for me to become a hunter."

The crowd looked at Horn, then back to Twali, all, but Ned and Swift under the mask narrowed eyes.

"How was it so far?"

"Shso far, better than my tribe."

"Where in Sweverraveth?"

"Deepest part in the North, Master Twali."

"Uk-uk-luk-lon, Harragra-thirithtran, or Sut-chup-slansonkan?"

"Sut-chup-slansonkan, Shmaster Twali," Horn said, eyes almost jumping out with surprise. He took a step back looking at Twali.

"It's fine—what's your name?"

"Horn."

"No," he said. "Your name."

The wind blew from the East, the sun rose from the East, and Horn looked at the East. The shell-eater took a moment before answering. Hunters around them formed a circle, but not too close to Twali, and struggled to relate, even Ned.

A traveler he once was, Ned thought. Looking at Twali now with admiration. His way of voice shows how he could easily mingle with other people.

"Erishakalakruthanhagarloth, Shmaster Twali," Horn said, no sign of stuttering. Speaking in their perfect Bantiswalian accent: a little nasal while the tongue touching the tip of the teeth.

"Well, Erishakalakruthanhagarloth, " Twali said, in perfect Bantiswalian accent. "You will be safe here."

For a moment, Ned saw a tiny dot leaving Horn's eyes. He wasn't aware that he was almost crying. Horn bowed, and thanked Twali, for only the two of them knew the meaning of the last words.

"Now, tell me, Master Horn," Twali said, looking at Ned. "What could be the problem here?"

"Yes, Master Twali!" Horn said, his accent gone. "The kid here took part in recruitment with a different name." He then looked over his shoulder, and the lady with yellow hair nodded and moved forward. "This here is the real Jerra."

The crowd gasped, who in the right mind would become an impostor and enter the House Tarragon's manor. Well, only Ned did.

"Is that true, Ned?"

Ned nodded, no lies. He doesn't want to lie to a person that trusted him.

Swift moved closer to Ned. "Why would you do that?" She whispered under her warm breath, under her mask.

"A little challenge," Ned said, tilting his head closer to Swift.

Ned heard a short heave and Swift moved closer to Twali.

"Twa—I mean, Master Twali," she said. "This could be a simple problem that needed to be accommodated later."

"This here," Mond said. "Is not a simple matter, Swift."

Bram and Arm stood behind him with amusements. Sometimes they nod and whispered with each other.

"Yo—I'm sorry, Master Mond," she said. "Then how would you solve this problem?"

The crowd turned to Swift completely confused, and Ned, and to Mond, and Twali. They were all eager to wait how would the event escalates.

"Well," Mond said. A stout guy with belly almost showing under his shirt. "Ned could pay."

A slap was heard from behind Mond. Arm and Bram shook their heads with their hands on their forehead.

"No," Twali said. "This is far beyond that." He eyed Ned. "What do you recommend, Master Horn?"

Calling Horn a Master seemed to turn the switch of pride inside him. He stood like a soldier, and for a moment, Ned heard the sole of his boots snapped. "I recommend a fight between my best recruit against the impostor called Ned."

Ned sighed. Of course, he thought. These people were hunters, and fighting is a sport.

"How about that, Ned?" Twali said.

Ned nodded, it was his fault from the beginning. And now, he must claim the prize.

"Then, it is decided," Twali said, "your recruit against Ned."

Mond took a step back, completely out of place between the conversation. While the crowd murmured, too loud Horn must raise his voice in response.

"Shthank you, Master Twali," he said. "Then, I would like to choo—"

"No!" Swift said. The crowd went silent, glaring at Swift. "I will fight with Ned against your recruits."

Ned was taken aback. So, if he can't fight Ned, then she must join Ned. Ned smiled, thin, but almost visible.

"Granted," Twali said. "Two against two then."

Then the crowd went into an uproar. They immediately pulled something inside their front pocket, back pocket, side pocket, and pouches. Coins clinked as they counted their bet for the upcoming fight.