The Divine Hunter

The light of dawn broke through the night’s veil, and purple light lit the firmament. The autumn breeze blew through the alder woods and fence before tiptoeing across the bedroom.

A girl with golden hair sat up and stretched her arms. She purred like a cat, and a lively smile curved her lips. She then looked around at her friends, who were still sleeping. Some slept with their hands on their bellies, not unlike ladies. Some turned to their sides and put one leg on the girl beside them just like how boys would sleep. Some lay on their backs and were as stiff as a stick.

The one beside her was lying spread-eagle. Freckles dotted her face, and a bubble of snot hung from her nose.

A smile curled Vicki’s lips. One year ago, she was still roaming a squalid village, sleeping on nothing but haystacks in a pig pen. But now she was living a dream, and it was all thanks to the witchers. “I need to work hard. Can’t let the teachers down.” Vicki tensed up and swung her little fists. “Rise and shine, girls!”

Her freckled friend shot up, apparently shocked by the shout. Her mouth was open, and some of her teeth were missing. She didn’t look amused. “Vicki, are you mad? It’s only five. It’s not even time for exercise!”

“Vicki, please just let me have five more minutes.” The other girls were shocked as well. They covered their heads with their blankets in an attempt to drown out Vicki’s voice.

“The new kids are gonna come today, and we need to clean the place up.”

The girls shivered like they were drenched in cold water. Everyone opened their eyes wide, and no longer did they feel sleepy.

“Yeah, they did say we’re gonna have thirty new kids.”

“Yep, so get up and get dressed. We want to look perfect in front of the new kids. And clean the rooms. Not a speck of dust.”

The girls chatted away as they changed into colorful clothes. Their tops were all blue, as were their skirts. They were made of cotton and silk, and all of them extended to their knees. Every set of clothes had a unique emblem on it that showed the girl’s name and their student number.

It didn’t take long for the girls to emerge into the courtyard. The morning breeze brushed across them, and they shivered, though it also woke them up.

The boys’ room finally lit up, and the kids broke out into a little tussle.

“Hey, don’t step on my feet!”

“Which of you took my shoes?”

“Ow, my back! Did someone sleep on me again?”

“Where are my pants? Give me back my pants!”

Five minutes of chaos later, the boys came out wearing grey jackets and sturdy boots, and they met the girls.

“Hi, Vicki. Hi, everyone.” Carl happily waved at the girls. He noticed the obsidian pendant Vicki was wearing, and it delighted him. He made that necklace from the obsidian given by the trolls, and it was given to Vicki as proof of their love. Well, his love, mostly.

Vicki nodded, and the kids stood in a formation of four rows by five columns. Silence swooped down on the children, then Vicki started lecturing, “We will be receiving thirty homeless children this afternoon. Our teachers have given us food, shelter, and an education. They have saved us from an otherwise dark life, and now it is our turn to return the favor. Aside from the fat lady, no teacher will be taking part in this orientation. It is up to us now. As ‘masters’ of the house, we need to put on a smile as we welcome the new students into their new homes. Now it’s time to know your job.”

Vicki called all the children’s names. The girls picked up the mops and brooms to clean the rooms, workshop, and courtyard. Some of them helped the fat lady with cooking. The boys darted into the house and moved the tables, chairs, and blackboard into the courtyard. Then they set them up neatly.

The plaque on the door had a red banner hanging over it. The words ‘Welcome to the House of Gawain’ were emblazoned on it. The girls made it, and Vicki was the one who wrote it. She had beautiful handwriting.

In case the new kids couldn’t read, everyone even sewed a little, smiling guy on the banner. They wanted the new kids to feel welcomed.

The kids hummed and sang as they worked away.

Wooden signposts stood by the sides of the path in the woods. One every ten yards. The stakes had wooden planks installed on them, and the pendulum had ropes tied to it. For that day, they were modified into slides and swings. The orphanage now looked like a little amusement park.

The kids wiped the sweat from their foreheads and started rehearsing in the clearing. The kids taking literature classes recited poetry, Carl and the apprentices performed swordplay, while Vicki and Renee practiced their duet.

***

Slowly but surely, the sun found its place over the heads of the children. Monti was standing on the path, waiting for the new kids to arrive. All of a sudden, his eyes were filled with delight, and he shouted, “They’re here!”

Everyone stopped their work and huddled around the fence, waiting for the arrival of the new kids.

And then a nervous child popped out of the woods. She had brown hair, grey eyes, and a yellow face. Her features were small, and her face was freckled. The girl looked about seven or eight, and her grey clothes were covered in patches. She looked gaunt, like she’d never had a decent meal in her life.

The warm welcome shocked her. She stared down at the ground and fidgeted for a moment like a newborn fawn. A while later, she carefully entered the yard.

“Welcome to the House of Gawain, friend. I’m Renee, and I’m eight years old. What’s your name?” Renee happily approached the new girl, while everyone gave the girl looks of encouragement. Some of the bolder boys were even waving at her.

“I-I’m Corynne.” Corynne felt better seeing Renee’s smile. She nervously shook Renee’s hand and followed her to the table, listening to her as she happily talked about the orphanage.

And then the second child came. Then the third. Soon, all thirty of them entered the yard. All of them were in shabby clothes, and all looked gaunt.

Carl made a rough estimate, and surprisingly, there were more girls than boys. Sixteen girls, huh?

The children were reacting differently to their new home. Some were shivering in trepidation, while some looked around in excitement. The kids’ hard work didn’t go to waste. Everyone felt welcome seeing how inviting the orphanage was.

Vicki obviously was popular with the new kids. She was the study partner of three new girls. On the other hand, the quiet Lloyd was almost left with no new kid. Fortunately, Carl pushed a boy named Takuma to him. The new bow had a bowl cut.

***

The new kids got their beds, and they changed into comfortable uniforms. After that, it was their first afternoon nap. The old kids, on the other hand, cleaned the tables up. They did the dishes, buried the refuse in the fields, and cleaned the yard.

Naptime was almost over after that, though most of the kids were too excited to even sleep. Everyone returned to the yard for an exciting performance from the old kids.

Golden rays of sunshine shone upon the yard, and the literature class kids went up to the stage. They performed Dandelion’s new work that went by the title of Friend. Dandelion and Priscilla played the lute, and a tune meshed together with the children’s recital.

“A bottle of wine you are, my friend.

The longer our friendship, the better it is.

O’er open fire we drink, a toast to our kin…”

***

Corynne listened intently to the recital, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement. Like most new kids, she never had the chance to watch a recital. She was illiterate, but still she could feel the warm welcome given by the old kids.

Once the recital was over, everyone gave them a standing ovation.

And then it was time for the swordplay. All the boys were using practice swords, and they performed all five basic stances, from ox to plow. It wasn’t exciting at all. The girls almost fell asleep.

And then it was time for Carl and Monti’s sparring. Even though they were using wooden swords, the boys had enough practice to make it look like a real battle. They clashed at a blinding speed, their blades banging against each other. Most of the new boys were whipped into a frenzy just from watching the show.

Carl held himself back most of the fight. Eventually, he smacked Monti’s blade away, and the wooden sword buried itself in a tree. “I dedicate this triumph to Vicki!”

The boys from the old kids’ batch jeered, while the girls were teasing Vicki. She blushed quickly and shot Carl a look.

“You can always challenge me, new kids.” A proud smile curled his lips, his face gleaming like a piece of opal.

Some of the new girls’ eyes shone.

“I shall be waiting at the stakes.”

“Ah, to be young,” Lambert commented. “Kids this era are precocious, aren’t they?”

Felix tried his best to put on a terrifying smile. And that’s your and Auckes’ fault!

***

And then came the most anticipated show of the orientation: Vicki and Renee’s duet. Dandelion was their teacher, and he wrote them the song. It was named Autumn.

The children sang their hearts out, their voices silvery and filled with innocence. Dandelion even said they had the potential to be singers. He once proposed that the girls perform at the ballroom, but they declined.

“Glories of morn, violet curtains they call. Into its arms, autumn will fall…”

The kids hummed along, and some of the new kids even sang along.

Things were getting hyped, and then Auckes suddenly shouted. He stepped onto the stage, much to the children’s shock. The witcher opened his mouth, and then a funny scene followed. He puffed his chest out and bent his knees as he circled around the singers with his arms tucked to his side, not unlike a duck.

“Follow me, kids!” Auckes beckoned at the audience, and the rowdiest five stepped on the stage. They followed Auckes around, looking like ducklings waddling along with their mother.

Some of the cheekier girls went onto the stage as well, and then things got out of hand.

Vesemir wore his prized hat and waddled along as well. He grinned and made a lot of impossible faces. Eskel followed him and shot another group of kids a glare, beckoning them to follow him. Letho dragged his finger across his throat.

Some of the new kids were dragged onto the ‘dance floor’ by their friends. They followed the witchers as they waddled around and honked like ducks. The sounds of honks, ragged breathing, shouts, and screams of delight filled the yard.

The orphanage, in this moment, was filled with nothing but happiness. Roy crossed his arms and watched them play, a small smile tugging on his lips. I wish everyone could be this happy forever. But an inexplicable sense of unease made him frown. That sensation slithered down his back like a viper ready to strike.

“You seem uneasy, Roy. Why?” Lytta turned his head to the side and pressed her lips against his. The scent of roses was all Roy could smell for a moment. Her eyes gleamed, and dimples appeared on her cheeks.

She held his hand and took him to the dance floor. And the other ladies followed. For some reason, Roy was surrounded. Lytta was holding his hand, standing in front of him. Kantilla was behind him, and Priscilla and Dandelion stood by his flanks for some reason. Moore and Susie held the gurgling Mino up and rubbed him against Roy’s face.

And the day passed by, filled with nothing but laughter and happiness.

***

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