As usual, the first gentle tendril of sunlight came creeping through the walls of the barn, tickling my nose first, and then grew to my eyes to gently lift them open. The bocen were all waking too, gently breathing their morning calls; it always strikes as such a sad sound, they call to each other in sounds like lost little children, not knowing where the others are until the morning sun has lit the barn up enough for them to fully see that the whole herd is still out there, waiting and safe.

I went over to the wall on the northeast side where I keep my clothes hung on hooks I put there. I changed into a green tunic and put on some working sturdy working leathers. The broken needed to be let out to feed, slowly meandering out as a group, carefully making sure everything is the same way they had left it and eventually going out to the grassy knolls to eat their fill of grass. Sometimes I almost think that they are children that I’m always looking after for a friend that just went out for a while.

It’s always a good idea to muck out their stalls first thing in the morning because their nightly waste will really pile up and get worse when it has a chance to sit and harden. Thinking of things hardening, some special syrups that the Kairu people make will harden into a candy shell when left alone, while nice to snack on while working the fields, it’s better to eat it fresh for breakfast, especially with the food Fessy always has ready by now.

The small trek to the kitchen door in the morning always helped me wake up and keep my spirits high. I love the way the birds always chirp in the morning sun filtering through the branches, especially on a warm morning with a cool breeze, like now.

The door of the kitchen was slightly cracked, always signaling to me that Fessy has gone in to start cooking and leaving it slightly open so that I can just brush right in before getting to work. She had made her usual Kairu morning cakes with Sylus syrup, with exchanged morning pleasantries, I headed out to start working in the wheat rows, with an extra cake stuffed into my pocket to snack on later.

About halfway down the hill I heard Maiylin’s voice calling me. She was almost running to catch up with me, “Jerin, wait for me.”

So I stopped turned towards her. “Don’t hurt yourself running like that,” I smiled, “take your time, I’ll wait right here.” And I stopped to let her catch up with me.

“Fessy said she didn’t need me to help out today, so I thought I’d spend it with you.”

“I’d like your company, but I still got to run around doing a lot of stuff, weeding mostly.” And I made a face, but she knew I didn’t like weeding.

“That’s ok, we can talk to make the time pass fast, and maybe you’ll let me help you out a little,” and she giggled. I know that when she giggles, she usually has some plan that will involve us not doing work for the day; a sign that meant, when we were younger, that we were going to end up in at least a little trouble.

“So what did you have planned, Maiylin?” I asked, recognizing the smile spreading across her face. This was the Maiylin I was so familiar with. That mischievous smile that said work can wait and that life should be enjoyed now.

“You don’t have anything that really has to be done today, I asked father just now while he was eating breakfast.”

“So we have his permission then,” I say.

“Of course we do, he wouldn’t tell me no,” she said while making that innocent face with her eyes open wide, blinking slowly, and having a big toothy smile, which always means she had to coerce her dad into saying yes, she can almost be mean to her father sometimes, but he takes it all in good humor, he cares about his daughter more than any small incident.

“Well, what’re you for, from the look on your face, I can tell we have a busy day ahead of us.”

“You can bet a whole gold stamp on that,” she did like that saying. We had seen a gold stamp once, and that was because Mr. Stellein had some money changed up because Maiylin had always wanted to see one, almost like it was a unicorn out of a child’s bed time story. She could be very practical; it comes from her father and having to be on such a large farm estate with very few people to run it is what I think, a person just has to be practical.

“We’ll take Goldwyn to town,” her favorite horse, whom she named herself. “And I’ll give you some clues while you saddle him up for us.” Goldwyn was a stout gelding that was a light tan, Maiylin him picked out for her 15th birthday when the farm had a generous amount of horse births that year, plenty to sell, keep, and even gift with. I had picked out a big gray one that will barely let me near it, Maiylin says that it’s because I let him grow into a stallion and I should be grateful that he grew so big and strong.

After saddling her horse, I put some fresh hay in the feeding toughs for the horses because Maiylin can take a little while to get up sometimes, and she doesn’t appreciate being laughed at. The first time I noticed how she would clime the wall of Goldwyn’s stall, carefully reach her foot over to the stirrup, and then leap over to the horse, I laughed so hard I fell over into one of the feeding troughs. Maiylin rode Goldwyn over by where I fell and kicked a bucket of water on me.

After the preparations for our little trip taken care of, I hopped up too because she loves it when I ride with her on the back of the saddle, holding on to me for support. Since I’m thinking about it, this is the only time she ever really touches me, her warmth sinking into my back, I enjoy our rides too. But – Maiylin seems so naïve sometimes, the world isn’t always such a great and happy place that she always tells me it is during dinners we share or when she is keeping me company while I’m working in the fields or with the animals. It sounds like I work a lot, but the size of the farm is divided up into smaller sections, so there really isn’t a lot of big tasks that have to be done.

“Jerin, did you just hear what I told you?”

“Umm, kind of, something about a new tailor,” I said.

“Well, you are kind of right. I said that there is a tailor passing through town, she is a specialist for fashionable clothes, especially for young ladies like me.” I turned and smiled at her. “That better not mean anything Jerin.”

“I’m just smiling for you, you sound happy, so I hope things go well and we can get you something nice.”

“Oh Jerin, sometimes I have no idea what you are thinking although I have known you for so many years.”

“And I’ve known you for as long as I can remember.”

“Well, you can’t remember that long ago,” she said.

“I know, but it’s been a good time for me, with no big difficulties for me to remember, nothing I know I lossed.”

“Then you’re a lucky one Jerin.” And she leaned her face closer to my back.

“I’m sorry Maiylin.”

“Dummy, let’s just enjoy the ride.” So I just shut my mouth. Sometimes I forget about when I found out about Maiylin’s mom. Mr. Stellein had been drinking earlier than usual one day and told me about her while I was gathering some Juku berries. He told me that they were her favorites, so I asked whose favorites are they? And he said his wife’s. Then I asked if she’d be back soon, I would put some away for her in a basket. And he said that she got sick a long time ago. She was a Lefflyn woman, from a far away town, and that’s how Maiylin got her blue hair and more delicate build because the Lefflyn people have slight builds, blue hair, and are known for their natural beauty. Although, they aren’t known for being hard workers as a Menchin man like myself. More natural strength in my arms he explained. It was just the way the Menchin people were made.

“Where in town did you say this tailor was, Maiylin?” I asked as we were getting close to the town.

“Oh, I heard he was traveling through and would stay a while, so I guess he would be staying at the inn.” I just knew, sitting behind me, she was making her most innocent face while putting her hand, which was off my shoulder, behind her. Laughing, “I’m sure it’s true that there is a famous tailor there, why would Fessy lie to me?”

“Fessy would not lie to you, Maiylin, but sometimes, the gossip Fessy hears isn’t always the truth about what is really going on.”

“Sometimes doesn’t mean always, Jerin.”

“I know, Maiylin, I know. And I’m not trying to make any judgments, so I hope you aren’t making that face that I think you are.”

“As a matter of fact, I was making that face.”

“You don’t need to be upset, I was just warning you in case this great tailor might not be so great as you might have thought.”

“I am old enough to know how these kinds of things work Jerin, I don’t think I need to protect me from any of my hopes that are trying to get higher.”

“Good then, I just didn’t want to see you sad and disappointed.”

She patted my shoulder like I had needed comforting, and I heard a small giggle. Sometimes I just don’t understand what she is thinking; I just get confused about how things get turned around on me like that. Then I hear her giggle again and I realize I was scratching the top of my head while I was thinking.

The rest of the ride went smoothly though. We just enjoyed the quiet time together, and watched as the scattered Boola trees and some bushes passed by. The old dirt road got just enough use to keep from being overgrown with grass, it eventually finds its way to town through patches of trees; it goes around the forest rather than through it, probably because of all the rumors and stories about there being weird things that happen in there. Supposedly, people have disappeared but show up again twenty years later the same age, or there is even one story about a person that came out as twins, a brother and sister. And maybe there might be some truth to the forest being dangerous, because that’s where Maiylin and her father found me with my memory completely lost. I only knew how to talk and some basic information. I had no memory about geography or the racial spectrum of all the different kinds of people living even in this small area.

One of my favorite things about riding into town is how the soft birdsong smoothly becomes the sound of people working; horses pulling wagons, hawkers calling out to people for a quick sale, and the music coming form the open tavern doors. It’s fun to see the life of the town just pop up into view, and thanks to some new trade routes being used, the town is starting to grow a little more. It’s not along one of the new central routes, but it is close enough to get some trader traffic, and money is coming into the town, people are becoming more prosperous.

“This is exciting, I really hope what Fessy told me is true. I heard that the tailor has some sort of magic technique that can create new garments instantly and she doesn’t even charge more than a regular price.”

“Maiylin, that does sound like magic, and since I have never seen genuine magic before, I think you might want to not get too excited.”

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry so much.”

“Well, I can’t help but be worried about you, Maiylin.” She leaned in close to me, putting her hands and her forehead on my back.

“Be worried for me, just not too worried. I’m just asking for a little room to just jump around and be happy.”

“Sorry Maiylin. I wasn’t trying to ruin your fun.”

“It’s ok,” she giggled and patted my shoulder, “you’re the one that gets sad so easily. You definitely need me around to have any fun.” She was right about that, but other than going on trips with her to town or some other little adventure, the only fun around here was the occasional festival. It’s so strange how a town could have such a generational gap where there are only two people living near it of a certain age range.

We rode past several shops Maiylin usually always stopped in, so I turned around to look at her to see why she hadn’t said anything, and she had this stubborn and determined look on her face; she was really concentrating hard on just going straight to the tailor. “Why did you just laugh?” she asked.

“I just laughed?” I asked her while stopping my hand from scratching the top of my head.

“Yes, I just heard it escape your throat.” She was staring straight at my eyes, she wasn’t really happy, but she seemed more curious than angry.

“Oh, I guess I just thought that the face you made was funny-”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“-You thought my face was funny?” Her eyes got big, and she grabbed onto my shoulders.

“No, not in a bad way, never.”

“I got you, you shouldn’t be so trusting Jerin of everything. Sometimes you need to just know when people are trying to trick you or just pull a joke at your expense.”

“You mean like with your jokes all the time?”

“No, my jokes are always in good taste.” And then she smiled at me like she had just won some sort of significant point in a debate with me. Sometimes it’s just better to agree and let the matter come to rest.

“Alright, Maiylin, I think I understand now.” I tell her.

“You better not just be agreeing with me because I am serious about the whole matter, you know.” And she did make a very serious face when she looked at me, but I just nodded.

“Hey, are you paying attention Jerin, we just passed the inn. Wake up!” And then I look around and see the inn doors behind us. So I turn the horse around gently, and take us to the front of the inn. Maiylin jumps right off to tie the horse, “You are too slow Jerin, aren’t you curious to see if clothes can really be made that fast? We can have you something made too, something that compliments mine of course,” and she gave me a big smile.

“Well, let me open the door for you my lady,” I say.

“Well, thank you good sir,” she says back, and we walk in. Gage was standing behind the bar in the back of the common room. Gage is a stout and portly man, he recently developed a large smile that seemed to never go away, it was actually steadily growing along with the commerce the town was getting. And he had a huge mustache to match, growing out of the sides of his face like bushy tree branches.

“Hello Jerin, Hello Ms. Stellein, I assume you’re here to see the tailor that’s staying at my fine establishment.” He waved his hand for us to come over and talk to him. “You know, I hear she does a lot of this stuff for free, it’s been great for bringing people in, but I’ll be sad when she leaves.”

“You have been doing plenty of good businesss lately, I don’t think it’s all thanks to her Gage,” I tell him. “Things will continue to pick up until someone decides to set up competition for you,” and he grimaced at that.

“I won’t be letting that happen any time soon, out town hasn’t gotten that big and important that it needs several inns to entertain everybody.”

“Maybe it will be getting big that soon though, Mr. Trumphlik,” Maiylin said while looking around, probably trying to see if the tailor was just standing around waiting for us, but she stopped when she saw me smiling at her.

“Well, it is really helping the businesses around here. Everyone’s family has some stake in things, so we are all feeling the generous windfall of the new trade routes,” he started to twist at the ends of his moustache. “Well, she does welcome visitors, and she is up on the top floor,” which I knew was the third floor,” last room down the hall,” and he waved us off, his smiling looking a little more relaxed for maybe having seen some familiar faces. The common room seemed to be filled with all sorts of traveling merchants, it was a little difficult to find my way through all their chairs and baggage just lying around the floor with Maiylin calmly following in my wake; I blazed the trail and she followed on the easy path I left behind me. Although, I feel like a nobleman helping my lady escort find her way though a maze, so I don’t mind the little bit of amusement.

“Hold on there, keep your eyes focused Jerin, you almost tripped over that guy’s crate of crystal chalices, not a good choice for tripping over I should think,” Maiylin said as she grabbed my arm, bringing me to a sharp halt, with my feet right in front of a small crate of a passed out merchant. Although I am sure he would have woken up if I had taken another step. “Try to keep your attention focused please. We don’t need any accidents like last time, Jerin.” The man started smiling. He must be sleeping, the way he is slouched over, staring straight into his little crate, but his face wrinkled into a giant smile. He must have found his dream to be exactly what he wanted.

“Alright, I’m going you don’t need to keep pushing me,” I say to Maiylin.

“Well, don’t take so long just to take another step then,” Maiylin said, while still lightly pushing my back to keep me going towards the stairs. I thought I noticed a glow come from the man’s crate, but Maiylin kept pushing me forward. “We’re almost there, and I’m so excited, so why are you dragging your feet?”

“I’m sorry Maiylin.” But she did not stop pushing me forward until we got all the way to the stairs.

“I had to make sure you got here Jerin, I don’t know what you would do without me,” Maiylin said while patting me on the back.

“Well, I think my life would be a lot more boring,” that’s a weird thought. I would be lost without her to help me along and to take me on these little adventures, “so let’s not change a thing.”

“I definitely agree with that,” she said smiling, and then started up the stairs. I followed her up, noticing the pictures Gage had on the wall; mostly just various landscapes, all of them painted in oil and showing a scenes of flowers, trees, and maybe having a couple holding hands or lone figure relaxing in a bed of flowers. Sometimes I think he tries to hard to promote a relaxing atmosphere here, he should put some paintings in that would have a wider appeal, ones that show happy gatherings, such as one I saw in which a happy merchant with full coin bags on his sides was waving to some happy people with some good quality furniture in their wagon. Basically, I think he should appeal more towards the merchants that are now the most frequent visitors to his inn.

Maiylin was halfway down the hall when I reached the top of the stairs. She turned to see where I was. “Hey, hurry up, I’m going to be old before you catch up, come on,” she said while waiving her arms at me. I begin to smile and run to catch up to her.

“At your pace, you’ll be to tired to ever become old.”

“You know just what to say to a lady, Jerin,” she stuck her tongue out at me and walked to the door.

“Don’t be mad at me,” I say, then she turned and winked at me, and she knocked on the door.

“Yes, more customers I think, come on in,” a voice from through the door said. So Maiylin opened the door and I followed her in. It was just one of Gage’s average rooms, with a small dresser in the corner, a big bed occupying the central wall, and a little table with chairs in by the window. An older woman was sitting in a chair and looking through a window. She was in the process of shifting the chair around towards us. “Oh my, two nice young people have come to visit me, I am so pleased by this,” she said. She was a very fair skinned woman, with hair like obsidian. She looked almost young, but at the same time there was a streak of silver in her hair, and a deepness to her eyes that made her seem to be very knowledgeable from many life experiences. It was strange, she looked at us hopeful, maybe she was lonely up here.

“My name is Maiylin, I heard you were an extraordinary tailor, and I came here thinking that I might be able to see your skill,” Maiylin said.

“Well, young lady. I would be happy to make a splendid dress for you, and maybe a nice set for the gentleman as well.” She had a very silky voice, it was deep, it had a very relaxing feeling to it too. I felt like I should really trust this lady, but I can’t explain why.

“I’m sorry, my name is Jerin, pleased to meet you,” I said, embarrassed that I forgot to introduce myself. I really do need to pay more attention to what is happening right in front of me.

“It is nice to meet both of you too, Jerin and Maiylin,” she said, “but I want to ask you a favor first.”

“Of course, I would be happy to help you,” Maiylin said while stepping forward.

“It’s nothing big, just I have a nice ribbon I would like to see in that beautiful blue hair of yours, child. You are such a dazzling one, you little friend here is a lucky man.” Maiylin blushed, but what did she mean by that. Of course I am lucky to have Maiylin as my friend. She is so kind, she protects me from things because I don’t know a lot about the world because of my memory, always looking out for me, and we share all of our secrets and hopes together. The way things could have gone, I was really lucky she found me in that forest; a wild animal could have found me, so yes, I am lucky in that way too.

Maiylin, smiling and giggling, steps closer to the tailor, so the woman can tie the ribbon in Maiylin’s hair. I noticed that the hands reaching up to tie the ribbon are very smooth, almost ageless looking. I almost expected to see her hands disperse like mist, dispelling the illusion when they reached Maiylin’s hair, but they didn’t. She tied on the ribbon and I saw her lips move after she finished. She tapped the knot of the ribbon and it began to glow.

“Maiylin, it’s glowing,” I said. It was a white ribbon, and it had soft glow, like a candle would in the dark, but it was bright enough in here that a regular candle wouldn’t have a clearly glowing aura.

“Oh! Really?” And Maiylin ran over to the mirror to see it, “wow, it’s so beautiful.” Maiylin was holding her hands up to her face and staring right at the ribbon. But when I looked at the tailor, her eyes were open wider, she seemed surprised, but it was probably my imagination. Her face is the image of calm and confidance.

“Will the dress you make me be this amazing too?” Maiylin asked while still looking into the mirror at the ribbon, “this alone is just such a wonderful gift.”

“Child, you still have more coming your way. The dress will pop up right on you, and you will be the very picture of beauty,” the tailor said with a smile on her face, “but first, I will need the gentleman to step outside. Making new clothes involves being clothed in a certain way, thank you.” Maiylin spared me a small smile before I left out the door, but I could see in her eyes that she was very excited about getting some more clothes. So I just stepped outside of the door without complaining.

Fumbling at the next-door down the hall was that sleeping merchant from the common room whose crate I almost stepped in. “Kid, hey, could you give me a hand over here, this door seems to be a little tricky for me,” he asked me.

“Ok,” I said because it never hurts to help out someone that needs just a little help. So I walk over to him, he hands me the key, and I unlock the door for him. He was fairly tall, just a little shorter than the doorway, he face didn’t quite have a beard, and he was dressed in simple traveling clothes.

“Thanks for the help kid,” he had a crooked smile on his face, and do me another favor, won’t you?” My eyebrows rose up, he sure is asking for a lot of little favors for a stranger. What did I get myself into? “Oh, it’s really just one more thing, here take this,” and he reached into his crate which he had at his feet. He pulled out a sheathed dagger; it had a plain handle, wrapped in a gray leather and with a simple handle guard. The sheathe had some detailed needlework done on it, depicting stars or little bursts of light I think, it was also a dark gray.

“You just want me to hold it?” I asked.

“Ya, just hold it for a second, it was jumping around in there and I need to clean it up a bit, I think someone almost stepped on my crate or kicked it or something.” He couldn’t have seen me almost step on it, he was sound asleep, at least I thought so. When he put it in my hand, I small fire swept through my arm, starting from my hand holding the dagger. And I gasped. “Oh my, what happened, kid? I didn’t notice any glow, just a quick flash of light across its surface.”

“What are you talking about? It felt like a fire just went through my arm,” I said. Staring right at his face. He seemed calm, not like he didn’t believe me, but rather, he was interested that something happened, “What do you mean there wasn’t a glow?”

“I thought it would glow since you were with your blue-haired girlfriend.”

“She is not my girlfriend, she is my friend.”

“Anyways, that proves I am right about her, so I need your help for something else now,” he said while stepping in closer to me, “this is very important and I need you to listen to me carefully. Your life, hers, and any one else around here, all these lives are counting on what happens now.”

“What are you talking about? You must be crazy-”

“Look at the way you grip the dagger, you look like a natural, kid. A fighter like you should have such a pretty girlfriend,” the merchant said. This guy must be insane, calling me a natural fighter when I haven’t been in a fight once in my known life, and he just starts telling me that lives are in danger because of Maiylin. “Hey, I can see the way you’re looking at me, and I am not just some crazy passing through town. You keep that dagger, it’ll help you out soon enough, and when the time comes, I’ll be there to help you out.” He smiled at me, the corners of his mouth lifting up through his unshaven cheeks, and he closed the door. That was weird. So I turn around to look at the tailor’s door. For being such an amazing and magical tailor, it sure does take a long time to magically create a dress. Maybe Maiylin is going to come out with a huge suitcase containing her new wardrobe.

The door opened slowly and Maiylin stepped out quickly, closing the door right behind her and ran to me. “Let’s get out of here, Jerin,” she said while pulling my hand.

“Where is your new dress, Maiylin?” I asked her, but she just kept pulling me forward by my right left hand.

“She told me you were dangerous, and that I should avoid you. And that the whole town is in danger just because I am here.” Her voice was sounding forced, she was trying not to scream and cry.

“That’s almost the same thing I heard.”

“What are you talking about?” Maiylin asked, slowing down enough so she could look back at me while still rushing us forward towards the stairs.

“That sleeping merchant whose box I almost stepped on, well, he was up here and talked to me. He said that you were in danger and the town too. I just looked at him funny and he told me it was true and he’d be back when we needed it.”

“You gave him your ‘I’m not friendly’ look, didn’t you,” she asked.

“What are you talking about, I don’t have a specific unfriendly look,” I said.

“Of course you do, you use it around people you don’t know well when they intimidate you,” she said, looking back at me again and giving me a wink and smile.

“It’s not like strangers frighten me or anything,” I said.

“I didn’t say they frighten you, I’m just saying sometimes you give new people funny looks when you’re not entirely comfortable with them.”

“Anyways, he gave me this weird dagger,” and I held it up so she could see it. We are halfway down the stairs, so she waits to get to a broad corner step before stopping.

“For free? I just have this stupid ribbon.”

“Then you should keep it, so at least you have something from today’s adventure,” and I gave her hand a little squeeze. “You know, that merchant kept referring to you as my girlfriend,” Maiylin almost missed a step, but we are at the bottom anyways, so she just ended up making a loud stomp on the floor with her boot.

“Well, the tailor called you something not even half as flattering,” she said.

“What did she call me?” I asked.

“Oh, it was definitely a mean thing to say, let’s just leave it at that.”

“Don’t be teasing me, I just told you what the merchant said.”

“I know,” she turned to give me another smile and gave me a firm tug on my arm to keep me moving towards the door out. She didn’t need to be in such a hurry, no one followed us down the stairs. Maiylin had let go of my hand and was out the door when I stopped to give Gage a wave goodbye. So I rushed out the door towards her to find her with the horse untied already and starting to lead it away from the inn, avoiding a view of the topmost windows.

“Was that all the tailor said, Maiylin?” I asked her when I caught up to her, having to almost run to catch up because she was going so fast. I haven’t seen her this mad since one of the local drunks had called out to catch her attention one night when we were running some late errands together.

When we finally got far enough from the tavern Maiylin jumped onto Goldwyn, “come on Jerin, I want to get out of here.” She gave me a hand to help me jump onto the horse. “Just gallop away from here, Jerin. I want to be out of town,” she said into my ear while leaning her head against my back.