Chapter 8

"Seducer more bitter than death. His passion entwines in hands like chains."

After the ceremony, Carmem left with other stock managers from the region. Being a stock manager was like being the leader of the village; resource management depended on them. During winter, they saw each other more often due to the constant exchange of supplies between villages.

By that time, I had already retreated to one of the benches nearby. I moved away from the pyre as much as I could to avoid crying while witnessing another funeral. Clarisse, Tales, and Henrique were conversing nearby, observing another caravan approaching the pyre. The others were consoling each other, trying to alleviate the situation.

"Are you feeling better?" I jumped at the question coming from behind me. When I turned around, the young man from the other village was there. "Sorry," he said, noticing my surprise. "Are you okay?"

"Ah..." I composed myself. "I'm as well as everyone else," I replied with a half-hearted attempt at a smile.

"You're from the village near the quarries, right?"

I nodded.

"I figured from the direction you came," he said, nodding again. "I know Carmem and Hugo; I was there last winter collecting supplies for our village."

"So..." he continued, "is our house very different from yours?"

"Perhaps the chimneys of our houses are on the opposite side compared to yours," I joked. "But other than that, everything is the same. Except for the river," I added discreetly.

"And the larger quantity of supplies," he countered. The young man would have continued, but he was interrupted.

"Bernardo! Long time no see!" The hand extended in front of my face belonged to Hugo. "You don't need to be attentive to Catarina's complaints; she has that habit even during the simplest activities." His arm around the boy was a friendship symbol if Bernardo did not turn to a rigid posture.

I smiled weakly and left, allowing him to eagerly engage in a conversation in which I had no part.

Walking among the pillars and observing the flowers that grew there, turning it into a garden, I could hear raised voices coming from one of the side arches. It was the warehouse managers:

"We should all accept this budget increase from Sozats. Continuously avoiding help from D'haime is costing some of us dearly."

"We've already accepted enough help," another voice replied.

I joined the others to avoid being caught up in any other mundane conversation.

"Is that **Bernardo** over there?" **Henrique** asked me.

"The very same," I replied as if I had carried that information for ages.

"D'haimehas a way of making us appear different, doesn't he? I met him there, at one of the parties. He was a completely different person inside. If it weren't for Hugo*

, I'd be in doubt," he added.

"I haven't forgotten," Tales said. "This Bernardo beat my score in the Titans' race..." Clarisse chuckled.

_"And he even won the girl you were 'cultivating.' Took him two months to say what he wanted,"_ she said ironically, making Henrique burst into laughter. It was the heartiest smile I had heard from anyone since yesterday. "_Hold back your laughter_," she added, pushing him. "_We're at a funeral._"

He composed himself, running his hand through his black curls and taking a deep breath to dispel his disconcertion. It was good to see that grief had granted him some respite from his usual seriousness. Tales scolded Clarisse for her chatter, and I leaned against one of the pillars, amused by the situation. I glanced over at where they were sitting and noticed the young man I had conversed with. Indeed, Tales wouldn't stand much of a chance in the competition. Although Bernardo appeared entirely ordinary, with dark skin and black eyes, his build and height set him apart from Tales. With his green eyes and red hair, Tales wasn't unattractive, but he lacked the manners and dental structure that would make him charming to admire.

Carmem signaled for us to gather, and we approached the group where she stood. The stock managers regarded us with the same indifferent and profound gaze as she did. There were both older and younger men and women among them, but they all seemed interchangeable to me.

"Well, Carmem, why didn't you inform us that D'haime's pupils would be among your group?" The elderly man with gray hair and small, round glasses—probably for reading—expressed delight upon seeing the standout young individuals. "Took me a moment to recognize them, but I believe I'm not mistaken. These are the young Sabrina** and Hugo, aren't they?"

_"Yes, Cássio, it's them,"_ Carmem graciously replied, although everyone who had known her for a while understood that she didn't care one bit about any of it.

"_Then I feel even more honored to provide one of my young ones for your village's hunting service_," the elderly man said enthusiastically. Indeed, in general, they no longer seemed the same. The reactions to the older man's words were mixed—some showed contentment, while others, despite agreeing, disapproved of his abrupt manner.

Carmem smiled discreetly after an announcement within her authority was taken from her hands so rudely.

"_Exactly... we'll be receiving young people from villages with surplus labor in a few days_," she explained. These were villages where people had nothing to do. We knew that those living farther from the river suffered less than we did. "_This way, we can provide more training to the younger ones until they adapt to hunting activities. You've returned from D'haime with your new companions._"

We signaled our understanding, each of us seeking the other's reaction with furtive glances. We were aware that tempers could flare due to differences in how things were done, especially if any conflicts arose from D'haime's activities.