In front of her, a young boy was hacking away at a tree many times larger than him with great focus. His hands on the axe were firm and his swings clean and powerful. Each blow caused the tree to shudder from the impact.

Through his robe, the outline of his back muscles as they bunched up could be seen.

Hidden behind a tree, Freya collected herself and put on a warm and congenial smile before stepping out. She coughed lightly to get his attention.

DAK

DAK

DAK

The axe made steady progress inward, eating into the wood. Freya frowned unhappily.

This brat, was he ignoring her? Annoyance flickered across her face.

She thought he was trying to act cool and mysterious in front of her.

The young man continued to hack into the wood at a fast pace. Sweat flew off his perspiration-slicked skin. Freya coughed again, angrily.

DAKK!

The axe went deep into the wood and suddenly, the boy spun around. Caught off guard, Freya had to immediately adjust her expression, but the speed of changeover was too fast, and her 'natural and friendly' smile became an awkward grin that didn't quite reach her eyes.

She introduced herself hastily to cover the mistake, "I'm Freya."

She extended a hand and saw Van smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I've been waiting to meet you," he said slowly. He did not reach forward to shake her hand. Awkwardly, it dropped down to her sides.

There was a long moment of silence. Freya struggled to keep her frown hidden.

[How rude. Also, what did that mean…he's been 'waiting to meet' me?]

Freya saw Van watching her carefully. His dark eyes seemed like bottomless pools of swirling water – they could suck you in whole and leave not a single bone remaining.

Under the dappled sunlight below the trees, a young girl's charming smile glowed.

"You've heard of me…?" She looked at the ground, as if suddenly bashful.

The boy was direct.

"I've seen you around. You're the girl in third place, on the division rankings."

Freya nodded, as if happy to hear that he knew of her.

There was a silence again, as both waited for the other to speak.

On the inside, Freya's irritation grew. This kid, why did he have no tact at all? Forget about the fact that she was a girl, he probably was this dumb and unresponsive to anyone and everyone. It was like working on a rock!

"I'll get out of your way," he suddenly said, pulling the blunt axe out of the wood and walking unconcernedly away.

Freya felt a tingle of panic run up her spine. She intercepted him.

"Actually…! Um, I'm here to speak to you."

The boy raised a brow. The intensity of his gaze did not lessen.

Freya had no idea what to say. Was she about to fail her mission? She would lose all face in front of Hans, and he would undoubtedly report back to the clan that she was useless and did not deserve the family's sponsors.h.i.+p. Her relations with the some other servants – all based on material exchange and flattery – would be lost overnight.

She regained resolve.

As Van watched, Freya's cheeks blossomed with a pretty red colour. She stepped closer, eyes flickering and shyly twisting her hands.

"Um, can we speak somewhere else…? Maybe further in?"

She looked around, ears red.

"There's so many people here."

Indeed, just about ten metres to their left were a few other loggers hard at work.

With the guts of a tiger, Freya stepped forwards and pulled Van's sleeve.

Reflexively, the young man tugged his sleeve out of her grasp. His gaze was apathetic.

Embarra.s.sed by his action, Freya blushed genuinely for the first time that day.

[Are my tactics not working?] She worried. She had never done this before, let alone on a brat a year younger than her!

[Unless…this brat has no clue about the matters between men and women?]

She looked into his clear eyes.

Just as she thought there was no hope, she saw Van nod his head and walk further into the forest. She followed him in.

Behind him, her charming smiling face warped.

What a cinch.

This village b.u.mpkin had no chance at all under her wiles!

The musty smell of the forest thickened as they went deeper in – it had recently rained.

Van lead the way, his gait relaxed and a.s.sured. Freya followed calmly behind him, her smile was back on her face.

Behind her back, Freya withdrew a talisman from her sleeve and pinched it.

The song of a small bird warbled through the air. It was almost indistinguishable from the sounds of the forest.

The two kept walking through the gaps between trees big and small. Leaf-litter crunched below their feet.

Van's pace slowed down. They had reached a secluded spot.

Freya listened carefully to the forest around her. Her ears perked, she heard a soft rustle to her right. Subtly, she reached for her sleeves again.

A large figure with a fierce, b.e.s.t.i.a.l air burst into the clearing, just as Van turned around to look at Freya.

An expression of alarm crossed his young face.

Now that the time had come, Freya no longer hid her vicious glee. Eyes gleaming, she turned her head.

Hans stood in the small clearing; an intimidating ma.s.s of muscle and intensity. Held in his thick fingers was a metal staff that was decorated with a simple carving. Despite its mundane appearance, it gave off the atmosphere of unrestrained ferocity.

"h.e.l.lo, village brat," Hans greeted Van, with teeth exposed. Like rumbling thunder, his deep voice boomed in the s.p.a.ce between the trees.

"How lovely of you to obligingly come so deep into the forest to meet with us."

Grinning, he twisted the staff around and domineeringly pointed one end at Van's throat. A sharp intent pierced through the air. The staff seemed to gain blood-thirsty intent.

"We have only a simple question for you, Van," Freya interjected. She withdrew a cat-o'-nine tails whip from her sleeve, enjoying the moment. Her pretty smile from earlier was replaced by an eerie grin.

"Which bones would you like us to break first?"

In front of them, the young man paled. His knees shook. Abruptly, he turned and sped off, running deeper into the shadows of the forest.

Hans and Freya gave chase.

______________________

Unseen, Van's lips curled up mockingly.

His eyes flashed brightly as he ran, luring them deeper into the forest.