Free Web NovelChapter 174: Elder Olive’s Truck Ride
"Hopefully only half a day’s trip away," Darach said, with a quick look at the houses.
"So soon?"
"The people living here should have some form of transport we can borrow to make our journey easier," Darach said, which was a good point. We decided to make our way into the tiny settlement. At this late hour, there was hardly anyone roaming the streets, but we caught more than a few curious looks from the windows as we approached. They must not get visitors often, but thankfully they didn’t seem hostile.
"Hi, is there someone in charge in this town?" Darach approached one of the roamers and politely asked. "We’re travelers that found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. Our car broke down and we need a ride."
"Oh... I can tell." The man blinked as his eyes roved over the three of them, his nostrils flaring as he took in our scents.
I felt slightly bad for his acute sense of smell― Darach and Blaise didn’t smell the freshest after such a long journey, and if my human nose could detect it, it would be hell for a more sensitive nose.
"I’ll bring you to the village head," he said, and he led us down a few streets to stop by the biggest home in the village. Beside the house was a truck. I smiled― hopefully, we’d get to use it. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Elder Olive! We have visitors!" The man yelled as he simply opened the door. The three of us exchanged vaguely horrified glances as we realized that the door was unlocked― did this old man not care about his safety?
Said old man appeared and blinked at us in confusion. "Huh, I thought I smelt strangers. I guessed I was right."
"Hi, Elder Olive." Darach quickly bowed politely once again, and this time, Blaise and I followed suit. "We’re traveling through to Hornstead but our car has met with a mishap. Would it be possible for you to lend us a vehicle to make it there?"
Elder Olive squinted his eyes as he stared at Darach, examining him from head to toe. Then he turned to us and turned back to him.
"Aren’t you Thorton’s boy? What are you doing so far from home? Are these your friends?" He peered at Blaise and me more carefully. "Good on you to finally make friends. You were always so lonely and sad."
Darach choked, and so did the man who guided us to the house.
"Alpha Thorton’s son? Wait, did he even have a son?"
Ouch. Darach’s face shuttered at that statement.
"Of course he does, he’s right here," Elder Olive said, beaming delightedly as he patted Darach’s shoulder. "Come in, come in, why are you going to Hornstead?"
"How do you even know who he was?" Blaise asked suspiciously and with good reason. Every other townsperson treated Darach like a stranger in a weird outfit. I was also wary― was this old man secretly a friend of Alpha Thorton? Was he going to report our sighting to him?
"Of course I would know him, I saw you before when you were a wee little kid," Elider Olive said. "Your father invited our entire village for gatherings before he decided it wasn’t worth the expense anymore. And now look! You have grown so big!"
Darach had an awkward smile on his face. Meanwhile, I could add ’miser’ to a list of descriptions for Alpha Thorton. "I see. Elder Olive, about the truck outside―"
"I’ll lend it to you," Elider Olive said easily, "on one condition."
"What is it?"
"I’m coming along as well. It would be nice to see my family members from Hornstead― my old bones aren’t as good to me as before, so traveling alone is a hassle." Elder Olive patted his knees. "This must be fate!"
Darach and Blaise didn’t seem too pleased to have an extra guest on the journey, but I saw no harm.
"Who are these family members of yours?" I asked curiously.
Elder Olive smiled mysteriously. "You’ll know when I introduce them! Especially my grandson. I’m sure he has grown into such a handsome boy!"
"Fair enough." I shrugged with a smile. "Elder Olive, let us go then."
This old man had a sense of humor, but Darach and Blaise were less amused. Still, we piled into his truck and let him drive us after he gave us food and water. Since Darach and Blaise had no experience driving huge vehicles, they had to watch with eagle eyes to learn, and by the time morning dawned they could adequately take over driving duties while Elder Olive snored in the back. frёeωebɳovel.com
Slowly but surely we arrived at our destination. I could spot Hornstead’s borders, along with signs warning intruders to stay out.
"Excellent work, kids," Elder Olive exclaimed. "Now make a right turn here, there should be a shortcut if I remember correctly."
Darach turned his head to the right. There was nothing but shrubbery down the slope, yet Elder Olive gave him an insistent look.
"Sir, there’s no path here. Your truck will be ruined and we’ll all die," Darach said, still trying to be polite. Blaise and I exchanged glances; we were privately thinking Elder Olive had a few screws loose. Either that, or he had simply remembered the path wrongly― not impossible, since by his own admission, he hadn’t been here in years!
"Turn it, sonny, don’t argue with me," Elder Olive tutted. "Kids these days... no manners whatsoever. Come on, you’ll be wandering forever if you don’t."
"How―"
"Turn in," Elder Olive ordered, and it made all of us sit taller in our seats. Somehow, there was an order in this old man’s voice that made it impossible to ignore.
"It’s your funeral," Darach gritted his teeth and proceeded to do as he asked. Blaise grabbed me protectively, tucking me into his hold just in case we needed to make a quick getaway.
To our utter surprise, the shrubbery seemed to clear as the truck moved downhill. A path seemingly appeared out of thin air, and as though there was some unseen force guiding us down, the truck eventually made its way down the valley safely, depositing us in front of a huddle of houses.
"What the fuck was that?" Blaise muttered in my ear.
