Call from the past

"Ha... you definitely had this planned little lady" said Daryn looking at the girl beside him.

"Mhmm. so don't avert the topic" the girl said. Her sister at the other side looking a bit tense but she didn't say anything.

Daryn grimanced then drank from his mug of almost finished ale.

"Was the question so hard, that you would need ale for it" Chaaya asked

"A little. I need a refill too" He said and dropped the mug on the table signalling the bartender for a top up. The bartender nodded and brought the bottle of ale to him. Pouring him another full mug, the bartender left the trio on the table to their discussions. Then small Anya's pressures increased.

"You know there is no shame in it. If you love her that is...or do you not"

Daryn choked on the ale he was gulping trying to drown himself in the alchol but for some reason, the ale wasn't doing its job.

"Ofcourse i love her..." then he paused as he heard himself. "I mean i do care deeply for Darla...wait a minute why are you asking me this?" He looked at the two girl simultaneously. When he got no reply, he gulped his ale and started getting up from his seat as he got stares from the three females at the bar.

"You should not drink that much you know" the older sister Chaaya said staring a him.

"Yes dad says don't drink too much or you become a fool" Anya chipped in. Daryn gave her a dry look.

"I'm fine thank you" Daryn said as he dropped the mug and gave the bartender a gold coin. The bartender took the gold coin and went to the back of the bar to get his change. The sisters used the time he was waiting for his change to taunt him further.

"C'mon if you love Darla you can just say so" Chaaya said. Daryn snorted and shook his head.

"You girls won't let me go easily would you" he said. Daryn feared if he told them he loved Darla, they would tell her and she would have second thoughts about letting him return with her to the jungles and he didn't want that. If she was to know, it had to be from him no one else but him.

"What's so hard in admitting you love her or not?" Anya said. Daryn was about to answer her question when he smelled someone familiar. He sighed as he turned to the person.

The mother of the girls Maria has just entered the inn and was coming to them at the bar.

"Anya, are you disturbing the guest again" Maria said as she entered the entrance of the restaurant. Her voice echoing in the distance. All the remaining people in the room turned to her. Staffs scrambled to their duties as they saw the madam of the inn.

"Mummy!" Anya jumped from her seat and rushed to hug her mother. "You are back. How are you?"

"I'm fine dear one. Did you give Baira his lunch?" Maria asked as Chaaya too who had left her seat beside Daryn went to her mother for a hug.

"Yes we did mum" Chaaya replied.

"Ok....and so you came to pester Daryn our guest i see," Both sisters shook their heads at their mothers analysis of the situation.

"We were not pestering him mummy. We only asked him how he and sister Darla survive in the jungles" Anya tried to make her mother understand what was happening.

"Hmm, is that so?" Maria played along. "But it isn't your business though" the girls fell silent after seeing the stern mother's look "Now go to your rooms. You both need a bath" she said firmly.

They said no word and left the restaurant heading for the stairs. Maria turned to Daryn;

"I apologise if they were disturbing you." She said walking to him.

"It ok. They weren't any disturbance at all just information seekers" Daryn said. They both laughed. Maria looked around.

"Where is Darla?" She asked.

"She's in her room. We are supposed to go back to the market to get a few extra things. We came back to eat something and rest. Earlier this morning, we left without eating anything."

"Hmm. I will go see her in her room later then." Maria said then looked at the staffs. "Has your boss returned yet?"

"No he hasn't ma'am" the bartender replied to her madam's question.

"Ok" Maria was turning to leave the restaurant when Darla walked in hurriedly. "Hey your up" Maria said smiling at her friend.

"Maria," Darla hugged her friend. "Yes i need to go the market and get a few things. I over slept. I hope the market is still open now."

"Oh don't worry i just came from the market. Trade is still at the peak"

"Oh great. We should be going then" Darla said looking at Daryn who was walking to them.

"I was about to go to my room. It felt like you were no longer entering the market today" Daryn said smiling.

"I just got tired from the market stress. Its been a while i experienced this. The stress is fresh on me" Darla said. "Well, we better be on our way before it closes"

"I told you the market is not closing anytime soon don't worry" Maria said. "And i need to speak with you"

Darla turned to her friend who looked serious all of a sudden. "What is it?"

Seeing the woman's hesitation, Daryn excused himself. "I'll wait for you outside" he walked to the inn main entrance. His heightened senses could pick their conversation easily, but he did not feel like eavedroping on them. So he opened the door and closed it behind him blocking as much sound from the conversation as the door could.

Daryn watched as the villagers lived their normal lives. The interactions between the people almost made him miss living among people. Then he saw two women quarrelling as a few people gathered to seperate them.

"Living with no neighbours is still the best for me" he said to himself. He watched the small gathering as they tried to seperate both women and solve their disagreements. Then the door to the main entrance opened and Darla walked through.

"Let's go. We have little time to purchase what we want...if we are going to be returning home today." She said as she turned to see what got his attention. She shook her head and motion for them to start going.

_______________________________

Once they got to the village market plateau, they didn't waste precious time as they listed the things they needed to buy so they could leave that evening. After making sure the other person could remember what they had to buy from their list, they seperated. So each person could scout different parts of the market for the items and meet at their current spot. The shop they had sold furs earlier in.

Daryn watched as Darla disappeared in the market. He could still trace her scent but he could not see her.

Atleast he could find her easily when he was done getting his part of the list.

He had not yet figured this new ability yet or how he got it. But, he knew it comes and goes. Like a bulb switch.

'Why did mother give me this talent and that to recently'

Pushing his thoughts aside, he scoured the market for the items they needed.

Surprisingly, the items he searched for were not hard to find as he traced the shops that had them and traded a few gold coins for them.

'That was easy. I didn't spend much either. Guess there is a possibility of going home today'

He bundled the goods and tied them to one bundle and carried them on his shoulder and headed for he and Darla's meeting point.

'I wonder if she has bought the items on her part of the list'

Daryn slipped through the still bustling market crowd as he bee lined to their meeting point. Suddenly someone called his name from the crowd.

"Daryn" at first thought, he believed it to be Darla who had found him here instead of the meeting point but...the voice was masculine.

He almost brushed it off believing it was someone else that had his name that the person was calling. He searched the crowd an did not see any familiar face. No Darla.

"I'm here man". The voice sounded a bit frustrated now.

When Daryn searched the direction of the voice and still didn't notice any familiar face. He began to walk again.

Daryn had almost made it to he and Darla's meeting point. He did not see Darla around.

'I see i finished first'

Just a few steps away; then someone held his shoulder to stop him from moving further. Daryn almost growled. On impulse, he grabbed the hand on his shoulder and twist it. Gaining him a scream from the person.

"Ow. Cut it off man" the same masculine voice from before screamed as the person gripped the hand Daryn was using to twist his other hand as he walked in front of Daryn. "Dude why so aggressive? is this how you greet a friend?

When the male had come in Daryn line of focus. Daryn immediately recognised the face.

"Eric,"

Eric frowned as he massaged the hand Daryn had almost condemned. "Ay. Now you remember me eh. You almost dislocated my hand. Tell me, how will i play if i loose this eh!"

Daryn looked apologetic. Then he remembered were he was and who was coming to meet him here. "Darn. How do i explain this"

"Explain what apart from the fact you ghosted after the last tournament. That was ah..." Eric began to talk before Darla's voice intercepted.

"Daryn. Good you are here. I'm done. I got everything lets leave....who is this?"