"And... start."
Bess started the stopwatch, as the training room's light dimmed, and white holograms of human starting to appear and running.
Henryk lift his crossbow quickly, just half a second after the first target appear, and he shoots, destroying it, and quickly moving to the other target and shoot.
Bess' watching his every moves, his posture is sturdy, his arm strong and doesn't shake when he pulls the trigger.
This is a different Henryk.
When the lights in the room are fully back on, Bess stop the stopwatch, and read the time, she smirked.
"How was it?" Henryk panted, and he looked at Bess with both eyes full of hope.
"Seven point thirty two."
Henryk cursed, and look away. He pretends to do it all over again, trying to make his body moves faster.
"That's quite good enough, but let's do it again." Bess took several steps back into the corner again. She heard a little whine going off of Henryk's mouth but nothing more. That makes her realizes how he had stopped complaining. He still whines, but to himself. He'd do anything, regardless how sore his body is.
Henryk does the aiming practice all over again, but Bess has something behind her sleeves.
When she realizes Henryk's hitting the last target, and the light was about to turn on, she turns the stopwatch off, throwing it to the side, and charge towards Henryk's blind spot.
He heard her, and turns around in surprise, trying to aim his crossbow towards Bess but she's quicker, kicking the bow off of Henryk's arm. He lost it, but he took no time to be surprised, and charges back at Bess.
He's smaller, so Bess is at a disadvantage. She doesn't really fight with someone or something smaller, so she's not used to it, but three weeks training wouldn't make Henryk raises so much to her level.
Kick there, and punch here. Despite Henryk's slow punches, he's good at dodging. Bess tried to hook her legs to Henryk's but he cartwheeled to the side in time, and then charge again. Bess dodged him to the side, but when she's about to go back at him, he managed to pick up his weapon and aim it to Bess.
Bess quickly hits break, and stopped before the pointy end of the crossbow could jab through her chest. Henryk doesn't really mind now that he knows she couldn't be harmed.
"Seriously, Bess, don't you think that's cheap?" Henryk panted, and losing his pose, letting both of his arms lay rest besides his body.
"No, it's training, good job." She smiled, and walks back, picking up the stopwatch on the floor.
"Six point forty one. Let's just sleep, alright 'lil boy? You've spent six days training midnight, you have to stop living like a bat. I'll fit your training schedule for the day next week." Bess glanced to her wrist watch, it's almost morning even, twenty-ish past four. Henryk scoffs.
"No, that's alright, you go to sleep. I like it, training at this hour. I feel more alive, and I don't have to meet a lot of people at the day, it's still easy to find food because some of the kitchen staffs are always on stand by, I love it." Henryk puts the Crossbow to the rack, back to where it belongs, and he takes his bandages, starting to wrap those around his knuckles.
"Up to you, son, but I'm not risking my beauty sleep for you anymore, nah-uh. You'll be with Brook for most of next week, alright?" She yawned and turned around for the door.
"Okay. Night Bess, thank you for tonight."
Bess smiled, and lift her arm to wave Henryk goodbye, back facing him.
"Don't forget to have your early breakfast, the chefs would be preparing it on time by now." Bess stepped out the room and heard Henryk's small laugh before she closes the door. She looked back to her little boy once more time, watching him drags a wooden dummy to the middle of the room and starts fighting it mad.
She couldn't help but feeling a little proud for that boy.
As she strolls down the hall, passing the stairs to the first floor, one guard came running to her.
"Good morning, Miss Arabess, I know it's a little bit inappropriate, but there's a guest waiting for you in the front door, would like to meet him?"
Bess frowned. She glanced to her wrist watch once more time, thirty nine past four.
"Who is it?"
"A Boiga miss, a young man."
Bess can only think of one person and her curiosity makes her nod her head.
"I'll be waiting on the front garden, near the pond."
The guard bows before running back to the front door. Someone who's not a Redhound, or their staffs, couldn't get in past the garden. They even have a meeting room on the garden especially built for the reason, but Bess would make sure that this person isn't staying more than fifteen minutes. She's so sleepy right now.
She makes her way to the garden and this is probably her first time being in the garden at this hour and God it's cold.
Just as soon as her butt touches the bench by the pond, she heard a footsteps but doesn't have it in her to turn around and check so she made herself comfortable instead. Soon, someone came sitting beside her and she knows she'll recognize that perfume anywhere. It's Dustey's after all.
"I take it you haven't sleep?" He said. Bess nods, that's the more reason she doesn't want to look that person in the eye, she might be looking like a sad little red-panda right now.
"Training my little boy for his trial. What are you doing here at this hour?" Bess keeps her eyes on the pond, and her sharp hearing can hear that small sounds of bubbles from the portable air pump inside the water.
"Uh... I was actually not really hoping to see you, know that, that's why I'm coming at this hour. Don't be offended too 'cause that's not what I meant. It's just I know you won't like it so--"
"Yeah, the point is?" Bess focused more on that sound. It's so comforting.
"Oh yeah, your great-uncle Gray wouldn't be able to attend the meeting this year, and he left his report to aunt Lorely, which couldn't come here because she'll be overseas for quite sometime, and being the only one can come here, they sent me to leave the report to you." He gives a note to her, and she can't help but take her mind off of that air pump to look at the man beside her.
God bless the man who made wake up hair a thing, Matt Boiga looks really good with messy wake up hair. He must be forcing himself to wake up early to avoid Bess.
And that made Bess feels guilty.
Just a little.
"Yeah, t-thanks. I mean, God your hair looks like a nest." Bess blurted, the lack of sleep messes her head. Matt clearly is getting flustered and tried to fix his hair. Bess chuckled.
"Let it be, you know you wouldn't be able to fix it." She said, facing the pond once more. She caresses the sides of her arms, and the warmth of her palms soothes her.
"I know, I just can't find out how you always managed to do it." He seems to still trying to fix it. Bess knows, she doesn't have to look.
"You cold? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you out at this hour."
Bess heard rustling of his jacket beside her, and she scoffs.
"Oh, don't mind me. It's just it's my first time out here at this hour, and probably the lack of food and sleep for the past six days."
He wraps Bess in his black and yellow Boiga jacket and Bess couldn't refuse, it feels so good under that jacket and she honestly misses that scent.
"You're working yourself too hard. I mean I know it's probably because you're feeling too responsible for the kid, but please don't do that."
"Yeah, I know." Bess heard the sound of the air pump again, and it's not that cold anymore, it's warm and comfortable now.
"I wouldn't like to be trained under you I guess I'd be scared." Matt chuckled a little. "You're a great hunter, and I know what it's like to be trained in this family, you know that. I kinda misses this place, and you too. Please don't be mad to me for saying that, and these things I'm about to say, but would you like to go out with me sometimes? Just as friends I promise, I just... really miss talking to you."
Matt looked to Bess, but he couldn't see her face, it's covered by her hair.
"Bess?" Matt called, but somehow she leaned further away from Matt, and about to fall to the side. He caught her in time, and trying to do it softly.
She's asleep. Matt hold his laughs, and he glances to the guards that are standing by the gate inside. He carried her carefully, not to wake her up, and approached the guards.
"She's asleep I think, I don't want to wake her up, can I just take her to her room? You guys can follow me if you want to, I know I'm not allowed inside, but... for her sake, I'll let you see my come and leave, you can even check me for weapon." Matt whispers. The guard nods, and let Matt inside, and one of them followed him behind, holding a taser gun.
Matthew still remembers where to go, even he himself is surprised, but not so at the same time.
He knows, he still thinks about her every now and then. It's hard to forget her.
She's Arabess Redhound after all.