The horse drawn carriage has arrived. Soren and Cyrus have climbed on to the carriage.
"It's gonna be a long carriage ride." Soren huffed, fixing his cloak, tying the strings of the cloak into a bow.
"You can't go a single day without tying everything into a bow, do you?" Cyrus huffed, annoyed for some reason.
"What can I say?" He dramatically huffed, "ribbons make me look innocent." He winked. Even through his theatrical display Cyrus could see that Soren is worried. His eyes look too worried, too puffy.
Cyrus huffed, "Whatever," he sighed and stared out the window.
"Come on, don't brood like that, talk to me." Soren sighed, "It's a long carriage ride." He also looked out the window. These horses run fast. They were now quite far away from the orphanage. None of the two had ventured too far away from the orphanage.
They have sometimes gone out with the previous older orphans but never too far away just in the villages that were actually near-by other than that they have never ventured too far. When master Elric had said nearby. He didn't mention that it's gonna be a two day trip from the orphanage to the village.
"There's nothing to talk about." Cyrus sighed, still glancing at the far distances. For a few moments none of them spoke.
Soren's eyes look distant as he didn't look at Cyrus. "I'm sorry to assume things," that got Cyrus's attention, "but didn't you notice that the matron was acting a little weird?"
"Weird?" Cyrus questioned, confusedly, "How?" He questioned Soren back.
"Well," Soren began as he thought about where to tell this from, "The matron had loved all the kids in the orphanage as if they were her own and there was never a day when someone got sick and she didn't visit."
Cyrus hummed. The matron had treated them all like her own kids. Soren is right about that aspect.
"But," Soren began to speak again, "yet she never had visited when these much kids got sick one after the other."
Cyrus thought for a bit. Soren's probably anxious. He knows how much Soren loves these kids as if they are his own siblings. That's why he is probably paranoid.
"You are probably paranoid."
"I guess you are right. But- ahh!"
Suddenly, the carriage shook a little as it hit a bump on the road. Both Cyrus and Soren jumped along with the carriage as they gasped. Their bodies shook on impact. Their heart dropped as they heard a- no three pained whines.
"Ahh!!!"
"Jeeze!!!"
"Keep quiet!!!"
Three voices echoed in pain in unison. Soren and Cyrus's eyes widened as they both checked under the seats. They lifted up the loose clothes. And there they were.
"Marryanne!!!!" Soren called out. Marryanne just looked at him with innocent green eyes.
"Holy fuck!!!" Cyrus's tone matched Soren's, "Ray and Jay are also here!!!!" Cyrus groaned internally.
"Oh uhhh, hey Big bro, Cyrus." Ray said, guiltily looking over at Jay.
"Hey Big bro Soren…" Marryanne looked at Soren wide eyed.
Soren and Cyrus were speechless for some time. Soren blinked several times and punched himself to see if he was dreaming or not. He was definitely not dreaming.
"What the hell are you three doing here?!?!" Cyrus almost yelled.
Few hours earlier
Marryanne looked at Levi and Maelis's peaceful unconscious face one last time before letting out a deep sigh. She shouldn't have made Levi and Maelis work so hard. She should have given them rest.
"Big sis, Mary?" A voice called from behind her. She turned to see Jay standing behind her.
"Yeah?" She answered, "Do you need anything?"
Jay shook his head, "no, I was here to visit everyone here."
"Oh," Marryanne nodded, "I see."
Ray entered the infirmary as well, holding a glass of water, "thought you might get a dry throat." Ray approached Marryanne, gently handing her the bottle of water.
Marryanne raised an eyebrow and took the glass up to her nose and sniffed it.
Ray put his hands up in a defense position, "It's not a prank, we swear" Jay nodded
"I know…" Marryanne chuckled. Even though Raynold and Jayson are pranksters. They had learned the pranks from Marryanne herself. Ever since they got into the orphanage. They had begun to follow Marryanne like young ducklings. And she knows every trick Ray and Jay would pull.
"Then why did you sniff it?" Jay asked as Marryanne's face darkened.
"Just an old habit." She said dismissing the thought. But she doesn't wanna talk about her so-called habit.
She drank the water, "thanks, my throat really was dry." She handed the glass back to Ray.
She sighed again, "Let's go spy on the older brothers." She smiled mischievously. Ray and Jay grinned.
The three of them went out of the infirmary and snuck into the common room. They heard a voice. A deep voice. And there are only two people with deep voices in this orphanage, Soren and Cyrus. They slightly peaked their heads out.
"Look, you can't come." Soren said to Aaron.
"You are the next older one after Cyrus," Soren said again, "so you should look after the affected kids."
Cyrus fixed his cloak, "and keep the other brats in check." He said, "especially the twins."
Aaron nodded, agreeing, "I guess so." He sighed, "I will stay behind then," he looked at Cyrus and Soren, "you two, take care." Aaron then left.
Marryanne got an idea, "Hey," she whispered, "How about we sneak into the carriage?"
Ray looked at Marryanne and a smile stretched on his face as well, "let's go." He said, trying not to chuckle.
"I wanna go too." Jay had joined. Almost practically jumping.
The three of them snuck outside, waiting for the carriage to arrive. After the carriage had arrived they climbed on the carriage and snuck under the seats and the three of them didn't know when they had fallen asleep.
Now
Cyrus rubbed his temples in annoyance, "so that's how you little brats got into the carriage?"
Marryanne, Ray and Jay just looked at each other innocently and guiltily
Soren glanced out the window, "we are quite far away from the orphanage," he looked at Cyrus, "If we return now then it would take us a while to reach the village."
Cyrus sighed, realising that he can't get rid of these kids and leave them back at the orphanage, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Fine." He just gave up.
"I guess we have more company on the trip now." Soren tried to soothe the atmosphere around here.
The three of them grinned at each other, happy that Soren and Cyrus couldn't get rid of them now and they will be joining them on the trip.