The musty smell of damp and unwashed clothes joined forces and attacked Jorel's nose, his bare feet touched the ground and evaded the clothes as he followed Dorl.
"Tina… I thought I told you to clean up after yourself." Dorl said in such a soft voice.
"You did…? When…? hehehe." She chuckled and ran around the living room.
Dorl sighed his back hunched.
"What I'm I even going to do with you?" He put his hand on his face and moved it around his whitish hair. Jorel watched them from up close but yet he felt afar as his mind was piqued by questions.
The kid…Wonder where her mother is…
Not that I do care—I'm just curious.
"Hey you are tallll stranger." She came close to Jorel, this caused him to move further back as he dragged his feet against the cold floor.
CRACK!
"Ouchh!" His leg stept on some dried candle wax and he immediately jumped up as he held his feet---The under of his foot, slightly red.
"Hahahahaha." The little girl laughed at him
Hmm!
…Why you…
Jorel scorned at the girl with his eyes.
Dorl looked in Tina's direction and his face dawned a soft smile.
"So…Kumigara…" Jorel's mouth moved as he kept is foot back on the ground.
"What did you want to discuss about?" He rested is hand on top of his sword.
Maybe he doesn't want to talk about anything… Maybe its all just a ruse.
The girl is probably here for me to let my guard down…
So he can strike when needed.
Jorel's eyes scanned both Dorl and Tina.
"Ahh yes… I'm sorry again…" Dorl still smiled albeit more weaker now as he gripped the paper tightly.
"Can we discuss it here?"
"I'm sure that the other rooms are like this place… if not worse."
"You know how kids are." He chuckled.
You're the one that doesn't know how to control you're own kid.
Jorel mumbled, he just stared at him.
"Ohh daddy what's that in your hand?" Tina ran up to him.
The energy kids have.
Was I like this when I was younger…?
Jorel's mind raced around as images of a young version of him flashed around.
I was holding a wooden sword and practising in those green pastures as the wind slightly makes them wave.
He slightly smiled as it soon quickly dipped down.
"Its paper honey…Something more like a letter." Dorl's word brought reality back as he turned towards Tina and pat her on the head.
"Awwnn paper? Can I draw on it?" She asked while she jumped around.
"No you can't…It's important." Dorl moved the paper back away from her as he pointed his finger.
Tina's face squeezed as if her tongue had just tasted lemon for the first time, her eyes becams watery, her lips whimpering.
"Okay okay…You can go to my room…" Dorl waved his hands in the air around her.
"Check my drawer you'll see lots of paper there." He smiled as he lifted her up and turned around, Tina gleefully laughed with her mucus is swirling all over the place.
He then dropped her and within a blink of an eye----she ran off but she stopped by Jorel and looked. Her eyes, frowned then sticked out her tiny tongue then she continued running off.
What the…
Jorel's face perplexed.
"Now… " Darl's head bent, the paper rustled more and more in his slow clenched fist.
"We can discuss about it right here." He raised his head up and stared right at Jorel, the once sunny smile had been blocked by stormy clouds.
"So what exactly didn't you understand?" Jorel walked around the living room and evaded the clothes on the ground.
"It's just that…"
"...I mean why?" Dorl's breath shuttered.
"If you want to know why, I suggest take it up to my father." Jorel's teeth gleened as he pointed upwards.
"Especially since you said you know him personally."
Probably a lie just go gain favour…typical.
...But he did recognise my insignia…
Jorel mocked.
"But we're just a mining town…What of the people within it----" Dorl's hand shaked.
" ----That's even more reason why you should accept." Jorel's voice turned stone cold.
"Let's be frank here…"
"This town is a complete dump, you're house is a pig's sty." He waved his hand all over the place.
Don't care if he gets offended, it's just the plain truth.
Jorel's eyes rolled.
Dorl's head down, his face as pale as chalk, his hands moved frantically as he recoiled back onto a chair. He breathed out roughly on the chair riddled with holes and cloth opened up the paper and looked at it again.
Jorel moved in closer to him, placing himself exactly right above him.
"Just sign the paper here and that's it." His finger pointed towards the bottom of the paper.
---The end of chapter 14---