GAME OF TRUST

THE CONVERSATION

As the ladies saw the men return for their adventure, they ran to welcome them with great joy in their heart.

"I told you they will be safe." Olivia said as she embraced her husband Nicolas.

"Thank heaven you are all safe." Kyle said while she embraced them also. Then specifically to Tory she said. "I knew you would be of great help to them."

"I appreciate your confidence in me but they were of more help than myself." Tory replied as he looked at Clifford, Alvat and Fili.

So they entered the house to discuss their adventure. Before they began the conversation, they all had their supper which the ladies had prepared while they waited for them.

While they were eating, Tory concentrated on Victoria as he thought of how to express and prove his love for her.

After they're done eating, Kyle asks Merry. "How was your adventure?"

"It was great but I do not want to talk about it." He replied.

"Please can you tell what happened because while you were gone the boys came but when we told them that you had gone looking for them, they all returned back to the woods so I have been wondering why you did not come across them." Kyle said as she still insisted that they talk about it.

"The boys know the woods too well so I think they must have returned through another route." answered Nicolas.

"Common… tell us about it. You can see they've all gone outside to tell Victoria about it. Why can't both of you tell us about it." Olivia said as she wore an odd face which was able to change one's decision.

"We don't want to talk about it." Nicolas answered.

"Please…!" Pleaded Kyle and Olivia in unison wearing a sad face.

"Okay since you want to hear about the adventure we shall tell it to you." Merry said as he looked at Nicolas to see if his decision was okay by him.

Well since he did not oppose, they both narrated how the journey went to their wives.

Outside the house, the four youths were having a conversation with Victoria.

"So tell us, why did you offer to help come after us with our fathers?" Fili asked, referring to Tory.

But it took a brief moment before he gave his reply. "I think it was because of the love which I fell for your sister here."

"Wow!!" Fili explained, "our sister had found love And did not reveal it to us."

"I don't know who he is." Victoria answered.

"Well she claims she does not know who you are. So can you be sincere with us concerning why you are here." Clifford said.

"I am telling the truth, I love your sister." Replied Tory.

"But she doesn't know who you are." Clifford asked again.

"I tried introducing myself to her but she was not willing to talk because you were missing so decided to help find you just to gain her audience."

"Well if what you said is true it therefore means that you both have a lot to discuss, so we shall be leaving the both to yourself." Alvat said as he gave his brothers a sign indicating that they should move aside.

As they left Clifford asked. "Do you think he is good for her?"

"We should give him a chance, who knows maybe she might like him." Alvat replied as they sat down close to the ranch.

"We are not to decide for Victoria who to stay with, she is not a child any more." Fili said in addition to what Alvat had said.

"Ever since I met him, I've been having this strange feeling." Alvat said.

"What kind of feeling?" Clifford asked.

"I feel we are connected to each other somehow." He answered.

"Well I kind of like him." Fili said and then paused. "Don't you think it's time we make a new friend?"

"Although I do not know him too well but I will like it if he joins us on our training and adventure." Clifford said as he stared at Tory and Victoria from where they were.

"It would be great and we will get to know him better." Alvat added.

Tory walked towards them immediately he was done talking with Victoria and she retired into the house.

"So what was the outcome of your discussion with Victoria? Hope it went well?" Asked Fili as Tory approached where they were.

"Everything went well, at least I got to know her kind of person. It's all thanks to all." Tory replied as he sat with them.

"We did what every other person would do." Alvat responds.

"Okay, I think it's time you tell us about yourself and that little secret on why you don't want to go home to your father." Clifford said.

"Concerning that, I still don't know what to believe, if it is true or not, so that is why I do not want many people to know about it."

"And what is it all about?" Clifford asked again.

"C'mon, Clifford! Don't you think that's something he has to keep within him." Fili suggested.

"It's okay, I think you have to know about it considering the fact that you are allowing me to stay here while I try getting it off my mind." Tory said and then paused for a second. "It came to my knowledge that my father was responsible for the death of his brother who gave me my name. I have heard of so many things my father did which were uncalled-for but he would always give me reasons why he had to do the things he did but hearing this I could no longer say under the same root with him."

"Does it mean you are not going back?" Alvat asked.

"I shall return when I'm ready because I already made a vow to him which I must keep but for the time being I don't want to see his face." Tory said as tears began to fill his eyes.

"Oh no! Please don't keep such a sad face, we know it must be hard on you so we have agreed that you stay with us for as long as you want till you are ready to go back." Fili said as they made attempts to console him.

"I tried to stop and only wish I had not made that vow to him. If I don't keep to my words then I feel I'm worse than he is. To be honest I wouldn't like to fulfil it." He said as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Cheer up, consider us as friends and we shall be helping you get over it." Alvat said.

"We would also like it if you join us in our training and adventures." Clifford said in addition.

"Thank you very much. What have I done to deserve this? How can I ever repay you?" Tory asked.

"Don't focus on repaying us, rather concentrate on forgiving your father. One way or the other he had done something good for you So look onto the bright side of everything." Fili advised.

"Okay I will." Tory said as he wiped his tears. "You have my words, I will not let anything happen to you nor your family."

With his boldness in saying those words they marvelled concerning who he was. Then Clifford asked, "Who are you?"

"We do not care whether you answer that or not for we have heard enough." Alvat said referring to Tory and then to Clifford he said. "That's enough, we can not know everything about him Just in a day. So please some till tomorrow."

"Okay if you say so then we shall continue this conversation." Clifford replied.

"Can we talk about some other thing?" Fili asked inorder to change the topic of their discussion.

"What would you like us to talk about?" Tory asked.

"Maybe we can talk about your master, the one who trained you on how to use the sword." Fili replied.

"Yes! Tell us about him, so when we meet, he will show us some moves." Alvat said.

"But you have nothing to learn again because I kind of like your moves and would love to learn from your teacher." Tory replied.

At that moment Victoria came out from the house and called. "Tory, father and sir Nicolas would like to have a word with you inside."

"We shall talk about this later." Said Tory to Alvat, Clifford and Fili as he got up and walked into the house.

"So do you like him?" Clifford asked, referring to Victoria but she gave no reply rather she only smiled as she nodded.

"Oh…! She's already in love with him." Fili exclaimed.

"It's her decision and not ours." Alvat said. "I still wonder who he truly is for him to say he would not let anything happen to us with such boldness."

"That, we still need to find out about him." Clifford said.