The Hunt

Chapter 27- Everything Laid Out

Zephyr stared at the duo while they kneeled into each other on the floor. His eyes were wide and he, like the others, were at a complete loss for words.

Instead of interrupting the surprisingly happy reunion, the future king let the two have their moment. Unsurprisingly, it was Cecily who stood first, pulling her father up with her.

When he seemed unsteady, Alma moved towards him, passing him the two crutches he'd quickly discarded.

Finally, the man's gaze shifted from his daughter to the soggy strangers behind her. His black eyes, unlike his daughter, were glassy an brimming with tears.

"Right," he said, sniffing, "where are my manners? Come in, come in." The small group followed the old man through the rickety house.

It was quint and humble, a few chairs, a single couch and a small T.V. made up the living room. To the side, carpeting changed into tile as the living room changed into a kitchen. It had a bar with three chairs, a small stove and microwave, and a fridge with a bit of duck tape holding wo knows what parts together.

"Please, sit," the man said, relaxing himself onto a one person chair. He discarded his crutches on the sides of him.

Another glance at his face had him wondering if he really was related to the steel hearted girl. He, unlike his daughter who was digging through his shelves in the kitchen, was biting his lip, trying to keep his smile to a minimum.

Zephyr chose to sit on the couch besides Rei. He sat down carefully, almost scared he'd break his hosts furniture.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have much food," he said, leaning over his shoulder to peek at Cecily. He was talking, but clearly too excited over the red haired girl who was apparently getting them all water from an old faucet. "There's a garden in the back, though if you want to grab some. Normally I go out in the mornings to harvest, but it's been so rainy today that I haven't gone out."

Cecily came back over, passing out cups of water to everyone, including her father, who was very very grateful.

"Is the poison ivy still alive?" Cecily finally said, breaking the silence. "Or did the cold kill it off?"

Unlike his daughter, the man's expression was always easy to read. His eyes immediately drooped at the thought of the poisonous plant. "Still growing. I had to abandon part of my garden it's gotten so nasty."

Cecily nodded before turning.

"Wait a second," the man called, stopping her immediately. "Wait. Wait. Where do you think you're going? You're coming back, right? Please say you're coming back."

The hunter rolled her eyes. "I'm coming back."

His panicked eyes suddenly changed to puppy dog eyes, big and round. "Soon?"

"Soon."

And, with that, she was out the back door.

The man leaned aback in his chair, letting out a sigh.

"Are you sure you're related?" Rei asked.

The man actually laughed. "Pretty sure. She has my eyes, see? I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Cyrus Earnheart, but most people call me Cy. I already know who all of you are, well for the most part. I tend to butcher names." His light gaze suddenly shifted over to Zephyr. "I know who you are, though. Former Prince Zephyr, right? It is Zephyr right, I didn't mess it up that bad?"

Orion stood first, moving his body between the man who preferred to go by Cy and his king. "You know who we are?"

"Oh," Mr. Earnheart said, suddenly excited, "and you must be the assassin. You're name is... It's a constellation, I know that. Uh, what was your name?"