Old Village

5

Hound held onto his hand as they pulled him through the thicket. They knew they were getting close to their village now but it was a little harder for them to find the right path. They eventually found the carvings in the nearby trees and navigated their way from there.
They walked a few more minutes. And then stopped. Fuse almost ran into them again but they barely noticed. They were standing in front of a huge wooden structure, with sharpened stakes pointing outwards to scare away any unwanted explorer. Not that there was much, besides Apex legends or Hammond employees.
"We're here", they said rather quiet. Hound didn't dare to move yet and Fuse didn't push them. He just held onto their hand and squeezed it a little every now and again, to let them know they weren't alone. Bloodhound really appreciated that, appreciated him.
Before one of them could take the first step the giant gates opened and an excited hunter came running out.
"Blóðhundur? You came?", he called out in their native language and ran towards them. Hound took a step back, fearing a beating or a negative reaction. But the hunter almost took them down in a hug. They tumbled on their feet but managed not to fall over. This wasn't what they expected but a heavy weight lifted off of their shoulders. Only one more person they were nervous to meet now.
Hound didn't know this hunter personally. But from his positive reaction, they guessed that they haven't caused their village any anger. It helped them walk with more confidence, still holding onto Fuse's hand.
"Walter Fitzroy, this is Tiu", they intodruced him. "He is part of my village and a very valued hunter. One of our strongest men", they said, not without admiration in their voice.
"Tiu, þetta er Walter Fitzroy. hann er minn... elskan", they did the intodruction the other way around. They couldn't help but blush a little as they confessed their love for Fuse. Fuse noticed too, but he still didn't know what elskan meant.
They fully stepped through the gates now and they closed behind them. Hound could hear Fuse gasp and they couldn't blame them. For a village hiding from the exploitation happening on their planet, this definitely wasn't what most people expected.
The main street led right through the market, filled with happy children chasing each other around a big well in the middle. There were a few adults standing on the right side, escaping the heat of the day in the shadows of a big building above them, included into a tree. Behind them were a lot of trading stands, filled with busy sellers. The street, or more path, divided behind the sellers and led along what seemed to be the main houses of Hound's folk. The houses and market stands weren't out of wood or mud, like Fuse originally expected. They looked like they were straight stolen from Hammond. He couldn't help but nod respectfully.
But that wasn't what caught Fuse's attention most. He was simply surprised by the state the village seemed to be in. He expected a run-down, rather hopeless bunch of old people. Maybe he was thinking too stereotypical. Yeah, definitely, he thought to himself.
But these weren't weak people that escaped the big bad men. Hound's people were proud. You could see it in the way they walked, engaged with each other. And simply just lived. They wouldn't let Hammond win, this Fuse knew. They would take back their planet. And they would do it so much more honorable than it had been taken from them.
Fuse whispered out a tiny 'wow' and Bloodhound took him deeper into the village, smiling.
Before they could reach the well with the playing children, Hound stopped again.
"Katrin", they said carefully, not loud enough for the elderly woman to hear them though. Next to her was Astrid, her granddaughter. They seemed to be talking lightheartedly and haven't noticed Hound's arrival yet. Katrin was the one who had written the letter to them. The one that wanted them back here. And the one Hound was most nervous to meet again.
She was a tiny, round lady. Her gray hair was bound together behind her head but loose strands fell over her shoulder. Astrid looked just like her Grandmother, just a few decades younger. Katrin helped Bloodhound's parents raise them after their parents passing. And Astrid was their childhood best friend. They'd grown up together, did everything together, and shared every secret.
Fuse didn't know who Katrin was but he noticed that Hound's gaze was fixed on her. So he let go of their hand and gently pushed them into Katrin's direction. Before Hound could get closer to her Tiu had already reached her and excitedly told her about their guest's arrival. Katrin immediately turned around and searched for Hound in the crowd. When she finally found them, the expression on her face almost made them cry on the spot. It was filled with love and warmth, just like Hound remembered from their childhood. She didn't shout for them or walked a step, she just opened her arms. And it didn't need more. The hunter quickly walked over to her and hugged her. She pulled them in close, wrapped her arms around them tightly, and stroked her hand over their back.
"I've missed you so much", they said in their language and tears filled their eyes.
"I am so happy to see you back home, my love", she whispered back and smiled from one ear to another.
Astrid quickly got in between them and got her share of hugs from Hound. Fuse meanwhile stood back, not wanting to disrupt the family reunion. But of course, Katrin had immediately noticed him on Hound's side and questioned them about him.
"He.. came with me. I was nervous so he offered to accompany me" they shyly explained but they knew Katrin had already seen right through them.
When Hound turned back around to search for Fuse to introduce the two, it took them a moment to find him. He was playing with the kids around the well. They were giggling and laughing, running away from Fuse as he playfully splashed water at them. The squeaky laughs of the little girl Hound helped birth was music to their ears and their love for Fuse was written all over their face, for the whole village to see. But they didn't mind. Bloodhound loved Fuse. And in this moment, at last, it was crystal clear to them.
Bloodhound looked back at Katrin as if looking for approval, and she nodded and gently pushed them into Fuse's direction. They walked over on shaky legs, heart big and swollen with love for Walter Fitzroy. He stood back up and looked at Hound with pure joy on his face. When Bloodhound reached him, they took his face between their hands and kissed him, in front of the whole village. But nothing felt more right than this. His mustache tickled on their face and they smiled against his lips. Fuse was caught by surprise, but quickly caught himself and wrapped his arms around their waist, pulling them closer gently. He kissed back and forgot about the world around them.