Chapter 159: Life in Hawkshead
"Felipe!" The village elder called a young man carrying an axe over his shoulders. "This is Dante. Show him where the south side borders the trees we cut for timber. The land there needs to be levelled and ploughed for cultivation, so that’s a lot of work," he said the last line to Dante. "Are you sure he doesn’t need any help?"
Mr. Flores gave a firm nod. "Dante says he’s a farmer and believes he will be able to manage it just fine by himself."
When the young villager approached them, the elder said, "If you need anything, don’t be shy or hesitate to ask the village folks for assistance. They will be more than willing to help. You will like your stay here."
"Dante will only be here for a few weeks as he needs to return home," Mr. Flores mentioned.
"Is that so? I was hoping you would become a permanent part of our village," the village elder stated before he continued. "As beautiful as Hawkshead is with the wonderful people who call it home, it is a little unsafe now as most of our sons left in search of family members who were taken away from us. Like my Gabriel."
"Anna told me that he should be here in about a week," Mr. Flores responded, causing the village elder’s eyebrows to lift in surprise.
"They have met? What a coincidence," the village elder murmured, then inquired, "What about Stella? Did he find her?"
Mr. Flores responded with a shake of his head, "I am sorry, Carlos."
"Those wretched pirates and the ones who stole our daughters from us," Carlos expressed with evident disdain towards the culprits. He said, "I curse those who harmed our daughters, and I am glad that at least Anna survived and made it back, unlike others, who have been lost for years. Do you know about this, Dante?"
"The people who hurt your daughters have been killed and disgraced," Dante informed them, receiving a nod from the village elder. "King William was murdered, and the woman named Noor was sent to her grave."
A heavy silence fell between them before Carlos spoke. "You don’t truly know what pain is until you have lost your child and felt powerless to protect them. I hope those responsible suffered at the end and will never rest in peace." Sighing, he switched the subject by saying, "Hugh, do you remember when Marianne and Gabriel were just kids? We thought they would end up together someday. Even though they were little, she always trailed behind and looked up to him."