Witcher's Huntress

Scents and Decisions

Lydia and Connor followed Scott into the mansion; their eyes widened in awe when they saw how huge the inside was. The paintings and portraits adorned the walls in the foyer were stunning. Lydia had felt like she was dreaming; the architecture of this place was breathtaking, and she had only seen the foyer so far. It had made her wonder what the rest of the mansion looked like. Was the rest of the rooms just as beautiful as the foyer? She couldn't wait to find out.

While Scott was giving Lydia and Connor a tour of the mansion, he told them about the subjects taught at the school, the teachers, and the X-Men, and he vaguely informed them about what the team does. Knowing why he gave them vague information, Lydia decided not to question him. Throughout most of the tour, Conner took in the scents of the students that lingered through the hallways of the school until a new scent caught his attention. The smell of smoke, pine, and metal wafted into his nose as he inhaled deeply; the last scent smelled familiar. Trying to remember where he knew the scent, the young boy unconsciously pushed out his sharp metal claws.

Hearing the familiar sound of metal claws being unsheathed, Lydia quietly says, "Sweetie, put them away."

"Sorry, Mommy," Connor retracted his claws and quietly hissed when they disappeared into his forearms.

Connor suddenly remembered where he had known the smell. The faint metallic scent the young boy had smelled was the same as his and his mother's claws. Letting go of his mother's hand, he innocently asked her if he could go outside to play with the other children. Seeing how badly her son wanted to go outside, Lydia agreed; the single mother was too focused on the tour to notice the scent of metal. After hearing her answer, Connor darted down the hallway. What his mother didn't know was that he had planned to look for who the scent belonged to. Connor was determined to find them.

After her son left, Lydia shrugged and said, "Kids. They're so energetic and never stay still for long."

"Agreed," Scott said jokingly, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "And to think the school is full of them."

Continuing the tour, Scott showed Lydia the living room, kitchen, dorms, library, classrooms, medical wing, and courtyard before telling her a little about some students there. Throughout the tour, Lydia thought about how wonderful the school was. They would both be safe at the mansion and wouldn't have to run anymore. Her son could get a good education while being around children his age. They could make this place their home. Not only would Lydia and Connor have a home, but they'd have a chance to start a new life.

Doubts soon begin to form in Lydia's mind. What if the Professor didn't allow her to stay with her son? Lydia couldn't bear the thought of being separated from Connor, but as long as her little boy was safe, that was all that mattered. Connor's safety would always be her priority, and knowing he'd be in good hands had given Lydia some peace. Connor was her world. If leaving him at the school meant he wouldn't have to live on the run, she would do what was best for him, even if it meant never seeing her son again.

While Lydia was making the most challenging decision of her and her little boy's lives, Connor followed the scent into the kitchen, only to find it empty. He started to get frustrated when he didn't see who he was looking for; the smell was a few hours old. Walking out of the kitchen, Connor breathed in the scents again until he detected the right one. He tracked the smell to the garage, but when he got there, it was empty. An annoyed growl escaped his lips as he stomped out of the garage.

"Why can't I find them," Connor said sadly, sitting on the ground with his toy wolf. "Mommy's good at tracking. But I'm not. I'll never be as good as her, Shiro."

"Who are you talking to, kid," A low, gruff voice asked.

Turning his neck, Connor looked behind him and noticed a man wearing jeans, boots, and a white T-shirt. His hands were oily, and his short black hair was spiked up, and he had mutton chops. Connor thought that the man had looked scary. "My mommy told me not to talk to strangers," Connor hugged his wolf.

"Who's your mom," Logan raised his eyebrow.

After not receiving an answer, Logan kneeled and said, "My name's Logan, kid."

"I'm Connor," Connor said in a shy voice. "And my mommy's inside with Mr. Scott."

"Let's go find your mom," Logan didn't like the idea of the small boy being outside by himself.