And although the sun was making its usual route, the three nameless strangers on the top of the mountain, superseding the valley where the hold of the bandits once stood, had long departed from the place, just as the three that had run of the hold, and arrived at the Down River village while leaving the wounded one and the one less prepared, for the last one to make the whole and urgent ride to their encampment, for the aid they required.
Nevertheless, the sun could not be stopped, as it was its own never-ending fate, to constantly rise from the east and fall to the west, as night was ever more closely, and the dark was starting to cover the village where Levis, Adrian, Hubert, and the scout, were currently staying.
Although, if one were to look at the village from above, one could have observed the scout, scouring the dead horses, as he took everything that had been attached to them, after which he had a short talk with Hubert before he began to butcher them while making use of anything he could find in the village to hang the meat and to drain the blood out of it.
Or Hubert, that had produced the fire, that he was using it to boil a large pot of water, before entering the building where Adrian stood while taking just a jug of hot water and other strange small pouches, as he did not go out of it, for several hours of being inside, only to be called by the scout and discuss, about something, after which a small search for Levis, that appeared to be missing from the village, only to appear from the lower side of the hill, after several times of calling him out loud, although the pale face of the boy gave the impression of being unwell, startling Hubert, as he checked on him before forcing him to rest inside the hall, only to began to making soup out of the provisions they had, and of other two fishes that he had caught, prior of everything that had happened on this day, before the loud explosions on the hill, and to the arrival of Adrian and the others.
However, the one to be stranger than all of them, was non-other than Levis, as after he had entered the hall, and exited no more than several minutes, he walked out of the village, moving up the hill, towards where the destroyed tree was, encircling it and checking every part of it, before sitting on a more spacious side of its trunk, as though announcing his victory over it, where he stood for almost an hour, before moving again, as he began to jump up and down, and run in all directions, punching and making all kind of strange movements on the nearby trees, as after a while he began to climb them one by one, as with every jump he could reach for the tall and sturdy branches to grasp on, while he moved inside the trees, as though he was a squirrel.
Albeit, after a few hours of constant playing, he descended down the hill towards the river, not before secretly spying on Hubert and the scout, while also taking a peek at Adrian without being discovered. As he continued his descent towards the river, he stopped at the graveyard and stood for a few moments with his face facing the ground, before decisiveness emanated from his figure, as he continue to walk towards the river.
And yet, once at the side of the river, he began to take rocks of various sizes, and started to throw them in and over the river, while contemplating each and every time, he was throwing a rock.
Still, after a short while, he seated himself next to the trunk of a tree, and he leaned on the trunk of it while closing his eyes as though sleeping, nevertheless, as time moved, his face twitched, as it was evolving into a more uncomfortable and twisted kind, as though, he was put in the face of a difficult situation.
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Nevertheless, a moment later he rose to his feet, and he began to pace up and down while having an indecisive and unwilling look on his face.
However, after a few times of mindless pacing, he stopped himself as he closed his eyes while remaining on his feet, for quite some time, though once he opened them, with a heavy and decisive motion, he stuffed his hand into his pocket before bringing it to its mouth as he seemed to eat something while gulping it down. Yet not a moment later his expressions altered entirely as though he had eaten something sour, while his complexion paled and began to clench his stomach while squirming on the ground, as he gave the real impression of being in pain.
Only after some dozen times of contortion while clenching his stomach, did he finally make up to his feet, as he walked as though he was an old man, to rest next to the tree. In the end, he closed his eyes and began to sleep for a long time, while the sun was moving west, and the light was starting to dim.
Nonetheless, as he was sleeping, he was suddenly awakened by the voice of Hubert, that was calling to him from the middle of the hill, where the little village was.
While with a pale face, he began to wobble from left to right, as he began to run towards the village, where he met Hubert, that was shaken the moment he was looked upon, as he received an inspection and some questions on what he had done, or if he had drunken directly from the river, or eaten something strange, while shaking his head in negative response every time, though at the end he was forced to go to the village hall and rest, while in the meantime Hubert was making a soup for all of them to eat, for this night dinner.
Granted, as Levis seated himself on the camping rug inside the hall, he looked at Adrian's figure, whose complexion was far better than when he had left, showing signs of steady and fast recovery, while not giving any sign of pain, as he gave the impression of just sleeping, were it not for the bandaged covering his whole left upper side of his chest, giving anyone that might look upon him another interpretation to be assumed.
Still, he could not lose his time looking at Adrian, as he once more began his routine of sleeping, while resting with his back on the rug, as he was breathing in a steady and almost clock lie manner, though not much later he opened his eyes, and looked at the doors of the hall that opened to reveal the scout coming in, and calling him to eat outside if he could. At the same time, he proceeded to walk next to Adrian, as he made him drink slowly some of the soup.
As Levis moved outside, he saw Hubert pouring some of the soup he had made into a bowl and giving him some, while he sat on a log next to the fire, that was being slowly preserved to last for the night.
Although the night was slowly covering everything, while the sun was slowly losing the last piece of the sky, the slow fire started to be the only source of illumination as he, Hubert, and the scout that had returned from feeding Adrian, stood, and ate the soup, that Levis was finding it to be not very tasty, the same way as the one that had made it, as Hubert's eyebrow was twitching with every mouth he was taking.
Yet, just as he was about to end his food, Levis turned his head back and down the hill, to the road leading south, as his eyebrow rose in query.
Moreover, at the sudden and slightly strange action of the boy, Hubert, and the scout looked as well, while founding nothing strange, as, after a few seconds of time, they were about to ask him why was he looking, when the sound of something moving fast, and approaching their location was coming.
In hurried scare and fright, they rose to stand on their feet, with drawn swords, as they did not know who or what might possibly come. Moreover, Hubert made the surrounding area brighten using a glowing stone that he immediately threw to the ground, as any fight fought in darkness could only mean a great disadvantage to them.
And yet what they saw, left them speechless, as the figure of an old man running at a fast speed that no horse could move, was coming their way, while also carrying a young man on his back, closing on them in a moment's time.
Though at the clear sight of the two individuals, they all eased up, as they lowered their weapons, while relief and some joy arose from their expressions, at the familiar faces of old Wan and their Captain.
Yet, none of them lose any second, as Hubert made way for the both of them, to enter the village hall where Adrian was laying down unconscious from his severe wound.