11) A Week Later

                                    

                                          
I had to split up from Latina and Dale in the middle of the trip. I didn't want to but had no other choice. I was needed in one of the villages we passed through. 
                          
When I was allowed to meet back up with the others I found them running away from multiple men on horses. I was on the other side of the trail through a cave, watching them from behind a tree as they hurried through.
                          
An older woman stopped in line with the trail with a hand on her hip and smirk on her face. A man and woman stood the side.
                          
"Old bag! Seriously!?" Dale exclaimed angrily. 
                          
"Now, Dale, don't call your grandmother an old bag," she said. 
                          
"Why'd you go along with this? You realize you helped her nearly kill your own son!?" Dale then asked a man and woman, most likely his mom and dad.
                          
"Nearly killed you? All I did was seal off the tunnel entrance," his mom said.
                          
"And if your timing had been off what do you think would've happened?"
                          
"Come now, you're overreacting"
                          
"She's right, son. This is the same welcome you always get. Why so sensitive?" His dad asked, but then they noticed Latina in front of him.
                          
"Uh, Dale? Does your family hate you?" Latina asked. 
                          
"No, they don't," Dale told her quickly. 
                          
"You brought home a little girl!?" His mom and dad asked in unison. 
                          
"Oh my, granny told us you were bringing company but granny didn't say who. We figured it would be another adventurer," his mom said. 
                          
"Um, hello, my name's Latina. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me," Latina said. 
                          
"Oh, goodness me, she's just adorable. So sorry for scaring you like that sweetie"
                          
"You should be. What if you had gotten her hurt, then how would you feel?" Dale asks.
                          
"Well, keeping her safe is your responsibility," his dad said.
                          
"I'm begging you, stop trying to kill me!"
                          
They continued to talk but I snuck away, not exactly wanting to introduce myself at the moment. I'd meet them in the village. I decided to wander around the village, until I thought I'd find the others. I located them at a big house.
                          
I knocked on the door and the woman answered. "Hi, I'm Alice, a friend of Dale's," I told her with a shy smile. 
                          
Her eyes widened and so did her smile. "Of course! Come right in!"
                          
"Alice?" Dale asked as his mom pulled me into the room he was in.
                          
Him, his dad, his brother and Latina were all sitting around a table, talking. After a quick introduction I learned his dad was Randolph, his mom was Magda, and his brother was Yorck, who was getting married to someone named Freida. 
                          
"Is there going to be two weddings?" 
                          
"T-two weddings?" I repeated.
                          
"I'm getting married," Yorck said. 
                          
"Oh, congratulations. But what would be the second?"
                          
"Oh, never mind," Magda shook it off.
                          
I sat by as they all talked, mostly Dale's family teasing him. His grandma came in as well, introducing herself as Wendelgard. After a couple hours Latina excused herself, starting to get tired, and she went to bed. 
                          
"Seriously, how's a girl that sweet and polite being raised by Dale?" Yorck asked his parents. 
                          
"You said it," Randolph agreed.
                          
"It's very hard to believe," Magda said.
                          
"That's nice to hear," Dale muttered in annoyance. 
                          
I giggled at their teasing, but then they all started talking to me as if I wasn't in the room.
                          
"I also can't believe that Dale met someone like Alice," Magda said.
                          
"She is quite a beauty," Wendelgard said.
                          
"And he says she's amazing at magic," Randolph added. "I can't wait to welcome her to our family"
                          
"You said it"
                          
I blushed and excused myself, Dale excusing himself as well. "Your family sure is something," I mumbled.
                          
"Sorry about them"
                          
"It's fine"
                          
We went to check on Latina, expecting her to be in his room, but she was in the room next to it, in her own bed. 
                          
"She's really growing up, really quickly too. She's almost 10," I said after he closed the door. "So, where am I staying?"
                          
"I wasn't expecting you to be here so I don't think any of the other rooms are ready, but you could stay with me"
                          
Right after he said it he blushed, immediately realizing what he had said. I didn't say anything, I only went into the room we were going to share. 
                          
"Come on, it's late"
                          
I chanted a short spell and my clothes were changed into a nightgown. I climbed into the bed and after Dale changed he followed suit. We faced each other.
                          
"Sorry again, about them"
                          
I moved closer to him and took his hand in mine. 
                          
"My parents can be a handful too. I get it"
                          
When I woke up Dale wasn't in the bed. I had briefly woken up in the middle of the night and felt Dale get out of the bed, but I wasn't sure why, plus I was half asleep. I got up and went to Latina's room, finding them fast asleep.
                          
I walked out to the dinning room an hour later, after getting ready and going for a walk. Dale was being scolded once again by his parents.
                          
"I didn't know you were into younger women, does Alice know?" Randolph asked. 
                          
"Do I know what? That Dale is a caring guardian?" I ask.
                          
"She doesn't like waking up in strange places, she gets scared," Dale explained.
                          
"You're afraid if you wake up in a strange place? How could you let her be frightened like that?" Magda asks.
                          
Dale was about to shout at them but he sighed instead, too tired to snap back. I sat down in an empty seat and chuckled.
                          
"She just had a rough childhood," I tell them.