Chapter 188: Day Out with the Brothers
As dawn’s faint light began to creep over the horizon, the chill of early morning still lingered in the air. The Norse brothers, their breath visible in the crisp atmosphere, gathered with Abel and Barett at the entrance of an imposing house at the end of Narra Alley.
The atmosphere buzzed with a sense of anticipation, each figure standing resolute against the backdrop of a waking world. They were all carrying almost identical backpacks.
Lara was wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeved dark green shirt. Her usually casual topknot was replaced with intricate braids, woven close to her scalp and crowned with a simple black hat that cast a subtle shadow over her eyes. She looked like a figure from another time—modern and ancient all at once.
When Jethru learned about her plan, he tagged along for another purpose. He needed to unearth another of his hidden treasures to start constructing his martial arts school. His motivation was primarily to teach his grandchildren self-defense.
Prince Alaric, on the other hand, learned of the plan but was preoccupied with numerous matters, and he simply did not have the time. But once again, he sent Aramis to be Lara’s guard along with another gift: a beautiful bow and a quiver full of arrows with sharp metal tips.
From among the arrows, there were six bound together by a twine with wooden tips and a note that said,
"To replace the ones lost to the flames."
Lara’s eyes softened as she traced the fletching of one of the wooden-tipped arrows. A wistful smile curved her lips, recalling the night she first met the prince. He was seriously injured, and she used her arrows as makeshift torches to distract the wolves that were about to devour them.
Aramis caught the flicker of her smile and smirked with pride. "Looks like my boss finally got the gift right," he said smugly, vaulting into his saddle with practiced ease..