Chapter 21: Chapter 21

They pulled the trigger and the sound of the gun echoed in the silence. Birds flew around, scared away by the sound.

"Ah!!! I didn't miss our target!" Henriette exclaimed and Oliver lowered the gun.

"Did you see that, Callum! It was right in the middle!" The lord didn't say anything, while Henriette was still exhilarated.

"Oliver, thank you. Oh, I'm sorry. Can I call you Oliver? "

"Please, do."

"Shooting together seems to bring people closer. " She joked.

"It's how the army works, sometimes," Oliver replied.

"You said you were in Germany, correct?"

"Yes, My Lady. "

"Henriette. If I call you Oliver, I'd like my teacher to call me by name. "

"Henriette, then." They exchanged a smile and she continued

"Was it recently?"

"I left for Hanover years ago."

"And then?"

"I.." Oliver glanced back at Callum who was listening intently "I quit and did something else. "

"Oh, I see. Do you sometimes miss it? The army? My father and brothers never stop talking about military adventures."

"I think what I do now fits me better."

"We can't always know if something is for us, unless we try, maybe."

"Maybe."

Something passed her beautiful face and Henriette tilted her head slightly.

"I only have brothers and my father never let me shoot. He always said that's not an occupation for women."

"I can say you prove him wrong next time."

"I will. So shall we try again?"

"Of course. "

Oliver began recharging the rifle when Henriette gasped.

"Ah! Did you see it?"

He looked up and saw a red tail disappearing in the trees

"Is this a fox?"

"Yes. Maybe the sound scared her away."

"Should we chase it? It's what a hunt is for, right?"

Oliver looked at Callum, who seemed to have paled. "I ...I wouldn't recommend it."

"But why not?"

"Just for the sport, right, Oliver?" Callum spoke for the first time in a while.

"It's not the same."

"How so?" Callum crossed his hands.

"Of course it's not like in sports- both parties there have an equal start, correct?" Offered Henriette.

"And in hunting, the prey doesn't have the same means to defend themselves. " Oliver finished for her and they exchanged a conspirational smile. "Sometimes the prize is sparing a life, not taking it."

"Yes, yes indeed." Henriette looked up at Oliver, then her eyes moved to Callum. " We're not really conspiring against you, but you have a very interesting valet, Callum. Very few people would refuse a trophy. "

Calum pushed away from the tree and said sourly "He never ceases to amaze me."

Even if Henriette had noticed the remark she didn't show it and turned to Oliver.

"Your master and I had a talk right before you joined us earlier. It was  about violence."

"About violence? What about?..."

He couldn't finish, because they heard shouts, and someone's quick steps. Oliver saw one of the stable boys running, trying to keep his hat from falling.

"Lady Henriette! Lady Henriette!"

She turned to the boy and he said

"Madam."

"What is it?"

"It's the Lady Anna, Ma'am."

"Yes? What about her?"

She frowned and the boy tried to say between breaths "The lady says she needs you, something about the mud and torn scarf, and... I can't say what the trouble is, but she says she needs you."

Henriette tried to suppress the smile on her face, which was threatening to turn into laughter. She faced her companions and said "Well, I guess there are still some ladies who are more dramatic and sensitive than others. "

She raised her hand and placed it on Oliver's elbow lightly. "Thank you- for showing me yet again brute force is not always the answer, even if it seems to be at first glance. Goodbye Oliver, I'm sure we'll meet again. And Callum- I will see you later."

They exchanged goodbyes and she got on her horse, the boy showing her the way.

Now that it was just the two of them, Oliver turned to his master who was looking at the trees ahead, their leaves falling like golden-red particles on the colorful ground.

"What was my father afraid of when he sent you to follow me today? That I'd do something to Henriette?"

"I think he was more worried you'd fall from your horse again."

"Not today, I might have ruined that plan too. " He said and added, "But I should thank you."

"For?"

"For entertaining my companion."

"I wasn't aiming for it."

"Well, you did. "

"I hope it would be for the better if she's better disposed to you. "

"It will be. Then what were you aiming for when you came?"

"Making sure you wouldn't fall."

Callum fell silent and made a face at whatever he was seeing ahead.

"I hate this." A deep frown formed on his face. It was like he was chewing on something sour and was forced to swallow it.

Oliver stood by his side.

"Which part? "

"Everything. " Callum put his hands on his hips and turned to Oliver "All of it. Our ideas of entertainments."

"Some are just a tradition."

"But do you really think so? That violence is not always the answer or a solution?"

"I believe there are other ways."

"What do you do when those ways don't exist."

"They do, we always have a choice, Cal. The other ways just take longer. "

Callum eyed him.

"You must've been terrible on the battlefield."

"That's why I quit."

Oliver glanced back at Callum. A leaf had fallen on the Lord's hair and Oliver outstretched his hand without thinking.

Callum froze.

He ran his hand lightly through the red hair before taking away the small piece.

"There," he whispered and lifted the leaf, "It was vulgarly destroying the shape of your physiognomy."

"How bad?"

"Very bad."

Oliver moved closer "It's getting worse, it seems. "

"Is it?"

"Yes, they keep falling all over."

He leaned forward and cupped Callum's head. For a second he had the wildest idea Callum relaxed into the touch and the lord's eyes slowly fluttered closed.

Oliver felt like his own heartbeat had slowed down. Not just his heart-beat- the whole world had been taken to a momentary halt.

He felt absurdly brave and he pulled Callum close to him and leaned over.

"It's the most beautiful color I've seen, Cal. I've been thinking about it the moment I saw it, it's exactly like..."

Callum opened his eyes at once and Oliver knew something had shifted into the lord's mind in seconds.

The lord took a step back, leaving Oliver's empty hand hanging mid-air.

"...Like autumn leaves." Oliver finished and dropped back his hand.

"Leaves?"

Callum seemed taken aback.

"Yes. Are you all right, Cal? I..."

"Leaves, right. How very poetic, Oliver. "

"Cal, what is it?" Oliver tried to stop Callum, but the lord flinched and took another step back.

"Nothing. I just..." He ran a hand through his hair and said "Shall we go back? It's getting late, let's not make the others worry. Or make them think I have done something, I'm terrible at managing myself, after all."

He strode off to his horse without waiting for an answer.

He whistled to Cian who was nowhere to be seen. Seconds later the hound appeared and followed its master.