Since I didn’t have anything to do, and I didn’t want to get in his way, I watched Ethan while he broke down the camp. It was strangely engaging to see his casual and precise movements while he packed everything up; there was no doubt that for him it was a daily occurrence, but it was something that I saw in reality for the first time. Strangely, the causality of the scene somehow forced me to accept the reality of my own situation like nothing else since the awakening in the basement.

-’ I guess I am not in Kansas anymore… ‘ I thought to myself and began to wonder on how I should proceed with living my life. -’ … ‘ I  took a deep breath to stifle another rush of anxiety, similar to the one from before, and focused on my current circumstances while keeping any doubts regarding my choices at bay.

I knew that my situation was uncertain at best. Having only two silver shillings made me anxious, as it would feed me for a week at most. -’ I need to figure out a stable source of income, and fast, I doubt that Ethan will be helping me for long… but what can I do? ‘ I asked myself desperately. -’ This is supposedly a medieval world and I know no crafts, also it’s doubtful that anyone would have a need for a weak and unskilled labourer. Cities have beggars for a reason. ‘ I pursed my lips as I added the final argument. -’ Not to mention that they are likely not very welcoming of elves, hell, even modern people could ostracise others on a basis of skin colour alone... ‘

Meanwhile Ethan finished his task and ended with a sizeable knapsack on his back, my attention was instantly glued to a sword at his hip and bow slung over his shoulder; it was the first time that I could get a glimpse of real, medieval weapons and I wasn’t going to pass on the occasion.

I only managed to notice that his longsword must have seen much use because leather wrapping around the hilt was well worn out, before Ethan let out a small grunt to get my attention. -” Let us go. “ His voice was surprisingly soft and considerate. -” Try to find out your own pace and I will adjust mine. “ He waved in the direction of the hills, motioning me to go first.

I was a bit puzzled, by his unusual statement, but decided that it was probably some show of curtesy. -” Thank you. “ I settled for simple thanks before rising up and marching in the direction that he had pointed at.

I couldn’t see any signs of a road, but I didn’t mind that, remains of an abandoned and overgrown field weren’t too big and after the initial trouble, caused by passing through sprouting wheat and thick weeds, I was soon welcomed by a calf high, soft grass that expanded onto the hills ahead. With no cloud in sight, and with sun slowly rising above the tree line behind my back, I couldn't complain about the weather at all; I only hoped that it was indeed a springtime and crispy coolness of the late morning wouldn't turn into an unbearable heat later during the day.

To my surprise I soon fell into a rhythm and began to enjoy the walk. In my old world, I disliked going outside and found physical activity tedious and boring, despite those facts marching felt like something that I could thoroughly enjoy at the moment. -’ Maybe I did lose something by not participating in any of the trekking trips that my mother tried to force me into. ‘ I mused briefly, while basking in a refreshing scent of a nearby clover field.

There was something magical and enthralling in each step that I took, I was so full of energy that it felt like I could go on for hours. Also, the walking itself was strangely different, each time I took a step it felt… lean and smooth, I tried but failed to come up with a better analogy. It took me some time to get used to a certain absence between my legs, which felt rather novel, though what gave me real problems were twin swellings on my chest, while my breasts were by no means big the rough shirt forced me to awkwardly hunch a bit forward to avoid uncomfortable friction; the fact that the shirt was so loose turned out to be a small blessing.

Soon, I got a better grip of my faculties and, with my surprisingly big stamina, I unconsciously began to quicken my pace; before long I was jogging with abandon, enjoying every springy step and taking in the greenery that covered steeper and steeper hills. The exertion was thoroughly liberating, heady mix of herbal scents that kept assaulting my nostrils just added to the intoxicating sensation of power...

Out of a sudden, I was alerted by Ethan’s heavy steps and I looked over my shoulder at my companion, who shortened the distance between us. I noticed a strange expression and signs of exertion on his face. Thrown out of my unrelenting pace I exhaled lightly, my breath as calm and untired as ever. I briefly considered slowing down to accommodate him, but before I could finish the thought, my musings were abruptly cut short.

Suddenly the feeling of invincibility, which I enjoyed thus far, vanished without a trace and I fell down like a doll that had its strings cut. Seeing the rushing ground, I mentally prepared myself for an impact… that never came. I found myself grabbed by Ethan and laid on a soft, albeit a bit wet with dew, grass. As if he was expecting it all along.

-” Wha…? “ I groaned, even my lips and tongue didn’t have any strength left and weren’t working properly. I was confused and a bit terrified, if not for Ethan I would have been in a full blown panic.

-” Shh. Rest, you should be good in no time. “ Ethan said in a cooing voice to calm me down, then he let out an annoyed sigh before continuing in a stricter tone. -” Don’t you have any common sense? Where were you raised, girl? “ He asked accusingly and suddenly clasped his tongue in annoyance. -’ Ah, never mind, forget I asked. Let me explain. “

I blinked in response, as it was the only thing that I could do at the moment, save for groaning. -’ What have I gotten myself into? ‘ Suspecting that my collapse had something to do with what I was, I began to seriously question my sanity during the meeting with the god.

Despite telling me that he would offer an explanation Ethan was collecting his thoughts for a while, which piqued both my curiosity and anxiety.

-” Elves are much different from humans, child. “ Ethan finally began in a solemn voice, which evoked a mental sigh from me. I found it disheartening that since our meeting his addresses moved from my name to a girl and finally to a child. Not that I could say much in my defense. -” I thought that since you are a half you would be more akin to a human, but it seems that you really take after your elven heritage. “ He made a small pause, I could guess that he still had his doubts about my claim of being a pure blooded half and not just an elf.  -” Elves don’t tire easily, I have seen some march for days on end without rest, but they are different from humans. If you overexert yourself you will end up winded for good, so you need to learn your limits or you will collapse from hunger. “ He finished with a stern look on his face.

I nodded weakly in response, meanwhile trying to fight down my surprise at the revelation. I concentrated on my body, but I didn’t feel hunger, rather it was like a tingling warmth was slowly spreading all over my body… I took a sharp breath due to a sudden realization. -’ I didn’t exactly collapse from hunger, but rather from using up all of my body’s readily available resources! ‘ Upon solving the mystery I relaxed marginally and began brooding over the implications.

The state I was in made me certain that I didn’t want to risk exhaustion under any sort of circumstance. The feeling of sheer helplessness, at being unable to defend myself in any meaningful way, could not be compared to anything that I have ever faced. I could easily visualise, with a shiver, a bad scenario where I would unknowingly exhaust myself at the worst possible moment and fell prey to… someone. I quickly tried to banish the dreadful thought, but it was a surprisingly hard thing to do, it's not an everyday event to have rape alerts blare in your head while you are unable to move. It made me sick in the pit of my stomach. Abruptly, a stray thought passed through my mind that this situation probably just saved me from a cringe worthy danger later on. I was still too weak to shake my head in exasperation, so I just let the thought go. I was glad for Ethan’s presence though, it felt like a lifeline that was both calming and embarrassing at the same time.

Time passed by slowly while I laid on the ground and gazed at a calming vastness of a blue sky. Meanwhile the warm and tingling sensation began to rapidly settle through my body and I could tell that the moment of crippling weakness has passed.

-” How did you know that I will collapse? “ I suddenly voiced my doubt, Ethan’s timing in catching me felt awfully well timed.

-” A hunch. “ Ethan smiled awkwardly.

-” You set me up. “ I said accusingly and scowled in displeasure.

-” Don’t make such a scary face. “ He raised his hands defensively, in a half serious half joking manner. -” I have spent a lot of time around your kind, and frankly we need to have a talk. “ His voice grew stern as he let his hands down. -” I don’t need to pry into your past to see that you know nothing about how the things work around here, child. “ I wanted to interject but, to my chagrin, he gave me a small reassuring smile and patted me on the head. -” Don’t try to refute me. It’s clear as a day that a six year old has more sense than you, so just stay there and let me ground some into you. “ I rolled my eyes in response, as I was in no shape to go anywhere, but when Ethan’s expression grew hard  I quickly nodded my agreement. -” First off, do you know why the grass on those hills is so lush, tall and neat? “

-” Um, because nothing is grazing on it? “ I responded automatically.

-” And why would that be? “ Ethan lips curved into a small smirk. Cued by the pointed question my eyes abruptly grew wide with fright. -” I see you understand, they might be less active during the day but those grasslands and thickets are not natural, they are actually rather infamous due to monsters that live here. So don’t try to run off from me again. Am I understood? “ I nodded solemnly in response to his stern look. -” Good girl. “ To my chagrin he erupted in a big smile and patted my head again.

-” Next, this might not be a common sense for humans, but the fact is that elves are different from them. In many ways. “ Ethan’s took on a lecturing tone. -” The most important thing for now is that you learn your limits. As you saw for yourself, if you overreach you will collapse, but the opposite is also true. As long as you keep within your limits most humans can’t hope to outlast you. Frankly speaking chasing after you gave me quite a workout and I am not as young as I used to be. “ Seeing my solemn expression to his half joking remark, he let out a hearty laugh and stood up.

-” That should be enough of a break as you seem well enough now. We can talk later. “ He finished intently, evoking a sigh of defeat from me. I accepted his extended hand and rose up with his help. -’ Now go and try to figure this out, just don’t stray too far from me. ‘

-” Those monsters that you talked about, if they are so dangerous what's stopping them from going after you? “ I finally found resolve to voice my doubts, to which Ethan offered a dismissive wave of his hand.

-” I told you that I am a priest. As long as we stay away from thickets, where they usually hide during the day, none should dare to approach me. “ I nodded my head meekly and started walking in the direction we were heading earlier.

There were many questions that I still wanted to ask, but I decided that it was indeed prudent to focus on the most pressing issue. I had half an hour of rest and it was almost as if I had never collapsed in the first place. I felt full of energy and, apart from chafing caused by my shirt-tunic, I didn’t have a slightest ache…Though that doesn’t mean that there were no side effects. I really hated an oily and clammy feeling that was left as an after effect of my collapse. It was something that was distinctly different from sweat, though scentless and colourless, and I really disliked the way it clung to my skin… I tried to distance myself from the unpleasant feeling by concentrating on the issue at hand, though the success could be considered mediocre at best.

-’ Ok, how am I going to tell that I am overexerting myself? Earlier, I just collapsed without a warning...‘ I cringed inwardly at the recent memory. I began to recall details of the earlier bout of activity while carefully walking forward at a moderate pace. There really wasn’t much to go on - just feeling of invincibility that was suddenly cut short…

Time slowly passed by as we walked across the lush greenery of irregular hills, sometimes passing by an occasional thicket. I pondered the problem over and over, but I was no closer to a solution than at the beginning. -’ There’s just damn nothing to go on! ‘ I cursed silently, aggravated by the lack of progress. All I could tell was that the current pace that I kept thus far was *safe*. -’ Without collapsing outright, how am I going to tell if something’s not ok?! ‘

My inner monologue continued for a while, until I finally caught myself mumbling half curses, which forced me to stop and take a deep breath. -’ Calm down. Nothing will be achieved like that… I need a point of reference... ‘ I exhaled and arrived at only possible conclusion.

-’ It appears that all I need to do is to figure out  how much strain I can put on myself. ‘ I swallowed hard, due to sudden tightness in my throat. I was really disliking the thought of fumbling around in search of my limits. -’ Still, there’s nothing else that I can try… ‘ I let out a resigned sigh and resolved myself to a repeat of the dreadful experience from earlier.

I pursed my lips in determination and stifled my doubts. I decided to put all of my faith in Ethan and his assurance that he could keep me safe while I trained.

I began to jog, then run, and the results seemed promising, by alternating between running in wide circles around walking Ethan and taking my time marching next to him I was able to go for a long time... before I was suddenly struck down by the exhaustion.

I wanted to curse when I went down, I had almost completed another circle and was about to slow down to marching when my strength vaned. I was helpless to stop the fall and despite soft grass I could feel metallic aftertaste of blood spreading through my mouth. I froze in surprise, but not due to the pain, as I found out something unexpected - my blood tasted sweet... Still, my knowledge of biology was not enough to even make a guess on why could that be…

 -’ … ‘ I sighed weakly as my ideas came out blank, again, I decided to give up on second guessing the meaning behind such things and just accepted the fact that I was not a human anymore.

-” Are you alright? “ Ethan gave me a worried look as he crouched next to me.

-” Ugh.” I managed to groan my affirmation.

Ethan moved me to my back and wiped a smudge of blood from the corner of my mouth. I was grateful for the consideration, but the cloth that he used was the same one that he kept using earlier and it took a lot of effort out of me not to show any outward reaction to it. -’ It’s not cleaning if you use the same rag over and over! ‘ I resolutely abstained from voicing my complaints.

When I recovered some time later Ethan extended his waterskin in my direction. -” You are probably thirsty. “ He said noncommittally.

-” N-no, I am good. “ I responded awkwardly and sprang to my feet. I didn’t have to check to know that he already drank from that waterskin, I shivered at a gross idea of drinking from it directly, especially after taking my sharpened senses into account. -’ At least I am not thirsty… Wait! Don’t tell me that I need to watch out for dehydration too?! “ I cursed silently and hastily rushed off, I was praying that my random conjecture was off the mark.

As I began to run around again I cut down the running distance considerably. I really hoped that such a moderate pace would hold. I stifled any doubts over the validity of the term moderate, I was quite sure that it could be hardly considered viable… for a human. I wanted to berate myself for getting swept by the mood and giving in to the urge to increase the pacing.

Thinking about my nature reminded me about the sweet, metallic taste which still could be felt in my mouth. It brought my attention back to the thin film of scentless, oily substance that appeared on my skin first time I fell. Curious, I gave my hand an experimental lick…as expected, it was sweet too. -’ I don’t even want to know what it does… I just want a bath, this feels gross… ‘ I let out a long wistful sigh and continued with my running routine...

Sun was descending from the sky and its colour slowly turned to orange, which meant that several hours has passed since the start of our journey.

-’ Good, no collapses thus far… ‘ I thought to myself while climbing an unusually big hill, my idle thoughts were abruptly interrupted and I grounded to a stop due to a surprising view that spread in front of me.

The other side of the hill was unexpectedly broken by a sharp decline of a cliff, few hundred feets tall, which ended at a sizeable woodland area. From my vantage point I could see that trees extended far in the distance before eventually giving way to farmlands covered with greenish-gold crops. Fields were criss crossed with multitude of sneaking roads and small villages, extending all the way through to a great city visible in the distance. I held my breath in wonder as I took in the view of the city prominent on a shimmering, azure background of an extraordinarily big river. Magnificent walls of grey stone, along with numerous tall buildings, made a striking impression as they coupled with small triangles of white sails spread over the river, it was like a pristine collection of miniature toy sized ships and houses. The view was crowned by a majestic and sleek form of a picturesque castle sprouting from the middle of the city and towering over everything else. It was truly a breathtaking sight and I sat down to appreciate it fully.

-’ This really is a medieval world ‘ I thought to myself as I took in the details of the view. Villages, consisting of wooden cottages covered with thatched roofs, peasants, tending to their work, dirt roads, on which oxen driven carts passed next  to merchant wagons accompanied by hardy, armed men… everything painted a picture much different to the one I was used to. After straining my eyes a bit I could even see a cavalcade of riders leaving the city, with their colourful banners, decorative bardings and shining armors, awe-inspiring knights were a sight to behold.

-” Urgh. “ Ethan grunted as he sat heavily next to me, I was so focused on the splendid sight that I failed to notice his strained approach. I felt a bit guilty upon noticing his red, sweat covered face and exhausted breathing. -” We will rest here for a bit. “ He said in a winded voice as he retrieved his waterskin.

-” I  am sorry. “ I looked away and apologized, feeling responsible for the state he was in.

-” Don’t be… “ He waved his hand dismissively and took a long gulp. -” ...if I needed to slow down, I would. “

-”  I see. “ I said noncommittally, I was slightly thirsty but after seeing him drink I decided to persevere until we stumble upon a stream or something. I had a lot of questions, but I still felt guilty and wanted to let him rest, so I brought my attention back to the view. As I tried to find the knights again I realized that, considering the altitude of my vantage point, the city was at least twenty miles away from my position. -’ Quite an eyesight I’ve got there. ‘ I mumbled to myself, while my gaze began to accompany the knights again.

Amiable silence continued for a while and I felt myself relaxing, a slight breeze tickled my hair gently, meanwhile basking me in a multitude of refreshing scents. Once knights disappeared from my sight I fell back on a soft grass, stretching lazily and languishing in a restful moment. I extended a hand to the open skies above me, feeling serene calmness descending on me as I slowly waved my hand around, playing with tingly feeling of wind dancing across my skin and watching lithe arm twist and turn in graceful motions.

-’ This really might not be so bad… ‘ An idle thought passed through my mind. Relaxed by the change of pace, I closed my eyes and rested my head on top of my crossed arms, enjoying the soft bed of grass…

...

-” Hey, wake up. “ Ethan’s hand on my arm shook me from my nap.

-” Umm… “ I stretched slowly, enjoying shiver wrenching feeling of satisfaction. Engulfed by a mellow sensation I pulled myself up and opened my eyes, noticing that sun went noticeably closer to the horizon.

-” Khm. “ Ethan grunted oddly and looked away from me. -” We still have a bit of ground to cover before nightfall. “ I blinked upon hearing his strangely sudden shift to a matter of factly tone.

-” Where are we going? “ I asked in a curious voice. -” I don’t see any steps down this cliff. “

-” Birchford. “ He answered simply and pointed to my left. I bent forward and followed his pointer, there, on a distance of about a dozen miles cliffs slowly become lower and lower before disappearing in the woods altogether. A bit further away I saw a sizeable clearing in the middle of the woods where trees gave way to a multitude of houses. They were mostly wooden, though there were a few brick and stone ones, and uniformly covered with shingled roofs, considering the location using wooden tiles seemed like a good idea. -” We will get a room at an inn and spend a night there. Also, try to stay close to me from now on, in the woods it’s easy to stumble onto a monster, so my protection won’t be as effective there. “

-” Why we didn’t go to that Birchford place directly? “ I asked thoughtfully. -” I don’t see much reason to make a detour through a monster infested grasslands. “

-” Most of the time you would be right. “ Ethan nodded solemnly. -” For regular travellers, Hills of Ulgen, as they are called, are to be avoided at all costs. Though with me around they could be considered safe, at least during the day. “ He smirked weakly before scowling a bit. -” As to why we didn’t go to Birchford directly, the answer is simple. South of the farm there’s a road and roads attract bandits, which are much too dangerous for lone travellers to risk. “ I nodded my understanding, evoking a slight smile from Ethan. -” Well, we should go now. “ He rose to his feet and again extended a hand to help me up.

I was a bit embarrassed, but gingerly accepted his hand. As we began to walk shoulder to shoulder, Ethan started to explain the situation in Birchford to me. -” It was originally a garrison, to protect a main trading route to the east. Since its in the middle of the woods and close to the Hills of Ulgen peacekeeping the area is quite hard. It started as a sizable garrison but it expand over the years, now it is nothing short of a small city, though its nature is quite unusual. As a garrison city and a big stop on the journey east it has become a staging ground for caravans and mercenaries, with most of the population set on supplying sellswords, merchants, soldiers and other visitors. There's a lot of inns, taverns and outfitters, but little else. “ He paused and gave me a stern look. -” When we get there try to keep a low profile and don’t get lost. While streets are heavily patrolled by the local garrison almost everyone in there is a fighter of some description and it often gets quite rowdy. Also backstreets, as scarce as they are, can be considered nothing short of deadly. Especially for someone that can be sold as easily as you. “

Ethan’s remark made me stop dead in my tracks. -” Wait! “ I exclaimed in terror. -” Do you mean to say that there’s slavery?! “ I asked in a panicked voice, not noticing how high pitched it actually grew.

-” Now, now. No need to panic. “ Ethan said soothingly. -” There’s no slavery per se. “ He extended a hand in my direction, as if to pet my head, and I gave him an angry scowl. Though he must have misunderstand the source of my displeasure as he didn't hesitate to put his hand on my shoulder instead. -” Still, you need to be mindful. It wouldn’t be strange for certain... “ Ethan paused uncertainly, though there was an evident concern on his face. -” ...bad individuals to hurt you or even kidnap you. “

I let out a loud breath, which I didn’t realize that I was holding. -” I know, I know. I will be careful. “ It took a lot of self control out of me not to refute him for treating me like a child. Still, I could see that he was doing it out of genuine concern, so I let it slide. That didn’t change the fact that I forcefully grabbed his heavy hand and removed it from my shoulder, invasion of my private space really set my nerves on edge as it made me vividly aware of how helpless I would be in face of his overwhelming strength. -” No touching. “ I said insistently with all of the self restraint that I could muster. He had a strange look on his face, almost as if he was going to laugh, but under my hard gaze he solemnly nodded his agreement and raised his hands in an amicable gesture.

-” So how does that monster trick of yours actually work? “ I didn’t see much use in pressing the issue so I changed the subject and briskly started to continue on our path, being near a sweaty old guy had considerable influence on my decision.

-” It’s nothing fancy really. “ Oblivious to the real reason behind my swift departure Ethan followed in my footsteps and took to explaining. -” Thanks to the Fatebreaker’s blessing monsters tend to find my presence… unappealing. Luckily, there shouldn’t be any real troublemakers in the vicinity. “

-” And what would those troublemakers be? “ I asked curiously.

-” Hmph… I guess you wouldn’t know. “ He let out a deep sigh. -” Most of the things out there tend to have only a scrap of power in them, like Rippers or Wargs. They are practically common animals. “ Ethan’s steps grew a bit heavier. -” On the other hand demonic beasts are teeming with vile magics and are led by much more sinister urges than just feeding or hunting… “ His voice grew solemn and he hesitated before abruptly cutting off the explanation. -” Let’s just stop it at that. “

-” I-i see. “ I stammered a bit and decided not to press the subject further. -” So what do you do for the living? “ I casually changed the subject, to my surprise he almost stumbled upon hearing my abrupt question. -’ Er, why? ‘

-” I told you earlier, I am selling my services as a mercenary. “ If I didn’t grasp his initial reaction I wouldn’t be able to tell that something was off with that answer. Contrary to my expectations he didn’t try to shower me with misleading explanations and just left the statement as is. Normally, I would just ignore a thing like that, but my circumstances made me a little bit paranoid.

-’ Wait, how much can I actually trust him? When I think about it the god only said that there will be someone to brief me at the start… ‘ It took a lot of self control to suppress a cold shiver that suddenly ran through my body and to stop myself from turning to stare at Ethan, which would probably be a dead giveaway that I suspect… something. -’ He really seems like a decent person, but what if it's just a ruse? I have read enough stories to know better than to trust helpful strangers. When I think about it, Fatebreaker also doesn’t seem like an appealing title… ‘

Aware of a bit too long of a pause that my inner turmoil have caused, I dropped another question that shouldn’t be too out of place. -” Er, could you tell me a bit about how the people make a living around here? “

While Ethan explained about medieval occupations and living circumstances, I paid only cursory attention and dropped pointed questions from time to time. I found revelations about living standards important and enlightening, but I kept getting distracted by the need to find out more about plans of my companion without alerting him to my suspicions.

Our conversation continued for a while and in the meantime we have entered into a forest that spread onto much lower part of the cliffs. I was happy with some of the living arrangements that I heard about, like sewage system, though hearing about chamber pots and latrines at the inns put a damper on it. Still, with how the conversation was panning out I found myself smiling at the perfect occasion to drop some of my other questions into the mix.

-” ...it’s true that you could pay two or three coppers for spending a night in an inn’s main room, but I would still watch out for who the other guests are, also be especially mindful when you get out to do... private business. “ Ethan’s steady voice hesitated at the end and I found myself dismayed by the combination of his openness and awkwardness regarding certain things.

-” So, in the end, what’s going to happen to me? “ Using a moment of silence I dropped the main question as casually as I could, trying my best not to show how much attention I paid to his reaction. From our earlier interactions I knew better than to try to get a read on him by looking at his expressions or tone of his voice, so I kept him at my back and strained my ears instead. I was not disappointed, as I noticed a slight stiffness creeping into Ethan’s steps.

-” Hmm… I don’t really know. I just thought about dropping you at the Velisaris, which is the big city that you saw earlier, you should be able to find a way to get by from there. “ His hesitation and gradually passing stiffness of his steps made me blink in surprise. He really seemed to tell the truth, as he seemed to truly consider my question, if he was deceiving me he would have responded with a reassuring lie right off the bat. I smiled in satisfaction, as worry lifted from my shoulders.

-” Sooo… “ I turned to face him with a mischievous smile, bending forward and crossing my arms behind my back. -” ...you really don’t want to tell me what you do for the living? “ His startled reaction as he took a rapid step back was funny, but I kept my expression steady.

-” … “ He took a deep breath and looked at me with a wary and surprised look on his face. Suddenly he let out a resigned sigh and relaxed. -” You really did a number on me, Almisha. “ I abruptly felt my forced smile cramping up a bit, the man before me was suddenly deadly serious, somehow his features grew hard replacing his good natured outlook with something much more stern. -” You may know nothing, but I guess I really should have expected something more from the one brought in by the god. Worry not, I bear you no ill will, as to what I do… let’s just say that I solve problems for the Churches and leave it at that. “ After the revelation he unexpectedly smiled, somehow turning back into a friendly man that I knew.

-” Wait, doesn’t that mean that you are an assassin or inquisitor of some sort? “ I asked in surprise, totally dropping my playful act. He solemnly shook his head and let out a sigh before moving forward.

-” It’s more complicated than that, it would be closer to a bounty hunter if you really need to know. “ He passed by and before I could react he put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. I could see him smirking as he moved his hand away when I tried to grab it. -” Now, let’s forget about that and pick up the pace. Also, you should focus on what you want to do from now on. “

I watched his wide back as he walked away, I was a bit dismayed while trying to get my hair in order, but at the same time I felt smug and reassured - he called me by my name and I was quite sure that he would try to help me before leaving me on my own. -’ I can’t really ask for more. ‘ I thought to myself as I hurried after him…

* * *

Ethan insisted on being quiet, as we might attract something we would rather avoid, so rest of our journey went rather uneventful. I shivered at sudden realization when we have entered the forest, chirpings of birds, movement of the shrubbery and myriad of other sounds made a striking contrast to the grasslands that we had just left, as they felt empty, unnatural and devoid of life in comparison. I was scared by the thought that I haven’t realized anything for so long.

Oaks and maples dominated the woodland, though there were also a lot of birch trees. Luckily, only the outermost parts of the forest were full of shrubbery so we didn’t have to push our way through clinging bushes, instead I had to watch out for tree roots hidden by the forest litter. I would rather forget the moment we entered the forest as I walked into a tree while my mind went blank under onslaught of new smells.

I shook my head to dispel the annoying recollection and gave a respectful breath of distance to a certain type of thorny bush, I have learned the hard way how vicious its thorns were. I shivered at a thought that I almost walked into one earlier and gave a mournful look to a shredded part of my cloak.

-” That’s a razorleaf. “ As if invited by my wary gaze Ethan commented in a relaxed but slightly mocking manner. -” You need to be wary only of its thorns, also a mulch made from its leaves is actually good for staunching the bleeding. “ He turned away ignoring my wry expression. -” We are almost there, if you look closely you should see the clearing. “

I snorted at his *revelation* and sautered past him. For a past while I was being assaulted with a multitude of smells that had to come from the city, surprisingly enough it wasn’t as bad as I would expect, it was mainly the smell of smoke and cooking. Sure, I could also grasp the stench of manure and human waste, but it was not as prevalent as I would have expected from a medieval city.* External Link: what-did-the-middle-ages-smell-like

Soon we went past the bushes, which weren’t as thick as the ones earlier, and I finally saw the bulk of the circular city. I was not an expert, but I estimated that the city was big enough to house two to four thousand people. If not for the sheer size of it, and for the tall buildings that I could see behind its walls, I would have thought that it was some sort of fortress. The fortifications were made out of wood reinforced with stone and consisted of ten meters tall walls topped with battlements. A road near our position led straight to the gate that was housed inside a wide tower, twice as tall as the wall, it gave off a looming impression with its blocky shape.

-” Keep quiet and stay at my back, I will handle the entry. “ Ethan’s voice was surprisingly serious as he went in front of me. To my surprise he grabbed the hood of my cloak and put it over my head. -” Try to keep your face covered. “

-” Umm, is it that bad if people see that I am an elf? “ I asked anxiously, in response Ethan gave me a small reassuring smile.

-” No, rather it will be better that you keep a low profile and keep your face hidden. “ Before I could react he grinned widely and suddenly raised a hand to flick me in the forehead.

-” Hey! “ I protested angrily but he was already walking away, seemingly ignorant of anything. -” Grr… “ I stomped my feet in annoyance and followed after him.

It was apparent that we weren’t the only ones using the gate. While we were walking I saw a small caravan that arrived some time before us and was slowly going inside the city. Several guards were searching the wagons, before admitting them entry. To the side a guardsman,  who had markings on his shoulder guards that probably denounced him as someone of a higher rank, was talking with a merchant and a scribe, who gave of a feeling of import thanks to his black robe.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

-” Why are they searching everyone so thoroughly? “ I asked uncertainly while few of the guards browsed through backpacks belonging to merchant’s armed escort, they were even inspecting their coin purses.

-” Taxes. “ Ethan laughed mirthlessly. -” Anyone travelling from the East has to show a proof of passing through the Birchford, for which there’s a toll. Naturally there are smugglers, but most prefer braving Birchford’s customs office to the monster infested forest. Not to mention that there are regular patrols in close proximity, so they would need to go deeper into the woods. “

-” We seemed to be fine though. “ I decided to voice my opinion.

-” Yes. “ Ethan responded in a satisfied voice. -” We passed in close proximity to only one nest of harpies. “ As if to prove the point he continued in a smug tone. -” Just so you know, three can easily bring down an armed man and I counted at least twenty. “ I really wanted to berate him for playing games with me, but I was quite sure that he was only trying to show me how dangerous this world was. I was a bit curious about local version of a harpy, but I had to keep my questioning at bay as we have reached the checkpoint.

I hurried a bit and fell a step behind Ethan’s side. There was still one wagon left from previous caravan and we had to wait our turn. I took my time to get a good look at the guardsmen, who seemed to be a bit shorter than Ethan, at a little bit above five and a half feet. Despite their arms and armor, which mainly consisted of halberds, swords and knee long chain mails with plate bracers and greaves, they gave off reliable and trustworthy feeling. Their manner was swift and professional, and they occasionally cracked a joke at each other.

Finally, the inspection was over and the merchant followed after his wagon, he had a sizable writ, with a big waxen seal, in his hand. I tried to hide my anxiety as I stepped forward after Ethan, practically glued to his side. There must have been some reason for me to hide myself and friendly demeanor between my companion and the guards did little to alleviate my fears.

-” Greetings, armsmen. “ Ethan’s said merrily. -” I am afraid that his highness won’t earn much on our passing as I bear only my arms. “ He pointed to his weapons. -” And an assortment of camping supplies, which I welcome you to sift through. “ Without waiting for response he started to remove the knapsack.

-” And greetings to you too, traveller. “ Guard with marked spaulders approached Ethan in a professional manner, I could see that he was a bit suspicious. -” Care to tell us what made you brave the highway in such a scarce company? “

-” There’s not much to tell, Captain. “ Ethan waved his hand dismissively and stepped away, while a young guard approached and started looking through his stuff. -” Way back, I was living at my farm near the hills and I know my way around. I am sure that you must have seen the ruins north of the highway on one of your patrols. “ Ethan let out a solemn sigh. -” Thing is that, with my niece there, we went to visit my wife's grave to pay our respects. “ With a small wave in my direction Ethan’s voice grew quiet, his acting skills were so good I began to wonder how much truth was in his statement.

-” I see. “ Captain let out a small grunt to cover his embarrassment and looked at Ethan with a hint of pity. -” I assume you have a writ from when you passed through here earlier then? “

-” Of course, Captain. Here it is. “ As if to shake his solemn mood, Ethan rapidly moved and presented a small bit of parchment with a red seal.

Motioned by his Captain the young guard, who searched the knapsack, took a look at the parchment as well as Ethan’s coin purse. -” Everything’s in order, Sir. “ He reported after a moment and gave Ethan’s boots and me a doubtful look. -” Um, should I pat them out, Sir? “

I blinked flabbergasted, it was almost at airport level of scrutiny. -’ Wow, why are they so anal about this? ‘

Before Captain could respond Ethan bent down and started to undo his laces. -” If I didn’t know better, armsman, I would think that you haven’t visited the red light for a while. “ Ethan’s seemingly joking voice had a slightly dangerous undertone. -” Or do you like them young? “ He remarked as he quickly looked at me and then threateningly at the guard. -” I certainly can understand the lack of coin then. “

-” Um… “ Guard hesitated, as other guards laughed at his misfortune.

-” Certainly the lad can’t afford a lady at *his* age. “ One of the older guards chimed in, evoking another bout of laughter.

-” That won’t be necessary. Stand down. “ Captain interrupted good naturedly and waved the young guard off, another exchange of small jabs followed as the guard returned to his peers. -” Ansvelt, do the seal please. “ Captain called for someone, it turned out that Ansvelt was the scribe, who until then stood impassively to the side.

I was about to let out a breath of relief when the Captain suddenly gave me sharp look. -’ Oh, crap. ‘ I panicked at his abrupt attention and looked around while stepping from foot to foot. I cringed when, contrary to my expectations, Captain let out a laugh and affirmed his stamp to the wax prepared by the scribe. I was unsure on what happened, but after a few goodbye’s we were let through, I practically stomped on Ethan’s heels while following him closely. I was uneasy with the guards sneering and laughing between themselves as we were leaving, they were all looking at me for some reason.

-” Ey! “ Abruptly, Captain’s loud voice rose from behind us and I froze in fear. -” Guard this little flower fiercely. “

-” I sure will. “ Ethan responded good naturedly and waved his hand. I could feel my cheeks growing hot and I clasped them in embarrassment. Meanwhile, everyone around, not only the guards, erupted in a bout of laughter as if to mock me. I looked around, hoping for a way to escape, but there were a lot of unfamiliar people around. -” Now, now let us go. “ Ethan said openly and grasped my shoulders, forcing me to walk in front of him. Amused chuckles of the onlookers, as they let us through, only added to my humiliation.

Before long we left the gates behind and I focused on where we were. Contrary to the road outside the city, streets were pawed with cobblestones and rather crowded. I could barely see anything of interest as everyone was at least a head taller than me, though almost no one was close to Ethan’s heigh. As I warily looked at the crowd that parted before us I noticed that most of them wore armors, be it leather or metal ones, and they all had weapons of some description. Even some fat guy, who wore a plain linen garb, had a heavy wooden club on him. -’ This really looks like some merc extravaganza. ‘ I told to myself as I recalled Ethan’s description of the city.

Suddenly, Ethan steered me to the side and I found out that we have arrived in front of a building. It was around eight yards wide and two stories tall, apart from the ground floor, which had walls covered with white plaster, it was made out of wooden planks. The building was likely an inn due to a big sign hanging over the entrance. The sign depicted a guy wearing a crown and sitting inside a barrel of steaming water while eating away from a table covered with food, it was really intricate. Abruptly, I remembered the unsettling weight on my shoulders and tried to shake myself free, to no avail.

-” Let me go. “ I complained.

-” As you wish… “ He complied and went around me to the door. -” …little flower. “ He let out a low chuckle.

-” Arghh! “ I let out a quiet yell, trying my best to stop myself from doing something stupid… like strangling him. -” Don’t call me that! “ I demanded, but was seemingly ignored as he walked inside. I rushed after him, but when I saw interior of the building I froze.

As we entered we were met with curious gazes of several threatening looking people, I shivered uncontrollably as I took in scars, swords, clubs, armors and sheer bulk of the people sitting at the tables. I swallowed hard, intimidated by a gigantic man sitting next to me, he had to be at least seven feet tall! Not to mention that he had muscles like a bodybuilder, no less. Smells prevalent in the room only agitated me further, there were typical impressions of sweat, ale, smoke, urine and grilled meat, but what really got me was a thick scent of oil, leather and metal intermingled with thin but prevalent tang of blood. Of all my life experiences none had prepared me for a visit to a slasher bar and my mind simply went blank.

-” Wacha lookin’ at, girly? “ The beast of a man asked in a deep and resounding voice. His face was hard and square jawed, covered with a dark, few days old, stubble.

With terror I realized that I was still somehow looking at him, the cliched movie threat felt totally different when I was on the receiving end of it. -” N-n… “ I tried to answer and deny any involvement, but the words caught in my throat and my knees went all wobbly. Somehow I was shaking all over.

-” Stop scaring the girl, Birk. “ A smooth and charismatic voice resounded from behind the beast.

-” Hmph. “ The beast snorted and turned his attention back to his tankard, as it couldn’t possibly be called a mug.

I sighed in relief, regaining a semblance of calmness for a moment. My shaking subsided a bit, but my relief was short lived, because when I turned to Ethan I realized in horror that practically everyone was looking at me!  -’ Damn propriety, I want to live! ‘ Putting my pride in a deep and safe corner of my mind I rushed to Ethan, using him to shield myself from attention. A great bout of laughter resounded around the room, doing wonders at crushing my self esteem. -’ I can’t help it that I can’t face twenty something thugs with courage! ‘ I tried to console myself weakly. -’ And I am a girl now… ‘ A venomous, silent whisper resounded in a deep recesses of my mind, making me really depressed for some reason.

I barely registered the talk between Ethan and a surprisingly lean looking innkeeper, he was called Hark I think, though I didn’t pay much attention. I was so shaken up that I even ignored a hand than Ethan put on my shoulder, I didn’t want to admit to myself that it was… a tiny… tiniest bit reassuring. Soon the talk concluded and Ethan steered me to an empty table near the wall. I really did try to ignore patrons and their random, surely meant as a joke, comments about me.

Realizing that Ethan’s hand was still on my shoulder I shook myself free and climbed on a chair, I made sure to have the seat with my back to a wall and vision on the whole room. Thankfully most of the patrons stopped paying attention to me and I could somehow live with an occasional amused or mockful glance sent in my direction.

-” Couldn’t we go to a normal inn, instead of the one filled with bloodthirsty thugs? “ The moment Ethan sat down I sent him a venomous whisper, making sure that none of the thugs in question heard me. Unfazed by my complaints he leaned on the backrest and let out an amused chuckle. I could feel my blood boiling upon seeing the smug expression on his face. -” What if a brawl breaks out! “ I pressed on in a hushed whisper, giving thugs at surrounding tables a nervous glance.

-” Now, now little flower… “ Ethan said mockingly and suddenly extended a hand in my direction, but this time I intercepted it before he could ruffle my head.

-” Stop that! I am serious! “ I exclaimed angrily, trying my best to keep my voice down.

Ethan’s expression softened and he waved his hand dismissively. -” You worry too much, li… “ I sent him a deathly glare and he sighed before continuing in a bit more morose manner. -” ...Almisha. The Indulgent Mercenary Prince is one of the safest establishments in the city... “

-” How can you call that safe?! “ I interrupted and looked at the veritable assortment of killers with flabbergasted expression on my face.

-” You misunderstand. “ He let out a sigh, taking on a serious tone. -” Those aren’t your regular mercenaries, most of them are either sergeants or captains. Also, since they are regulars here, they wouldn’t be stirring up any trouble. While there certainly are more… hm… casual places, for merchants and such, they are frankly too pricy for my tastes... “ Suddenly he smiled and gave me a predatory gaze that made me shiver. -” ...unless you want to split the bill? “

I shook my head sullenly and my shoulders slumped, it was depressing that I was leeching his hard earned money and complaining all the while. Also, being reminded that I have no way to fend for myself didn’t make me feel any better.

Ethan’s hand appeared out of nowhere and started patting my head, it was so abrupt that I had no chance of stopping it. -” Could you, please, stop that? We are both adults here… “ I said with every shred of dignity that I could muster and sent him a hateful glare.

Unfazed, he continued stroking my head with a willful glint in his eyes. Seeing his disposition, I forced myself to ignore his mocking act and after a while I was finally rewarded with his disappointed scowl as he retracted his hand awkwardly. I wanted to grit my teeth in annoyance upon seeing a sad expression that appeared on the face of that bumbling old fool.  

Awkward moment that followed the exchange was thankfully short lived as the innkeep appeared with our food. I finally paid some attention to the man and realized that, apart from his height, he was anything but average. He was middle aged and tanned, with a weathered face that radiated confidence and mirth, honestly speaking, with his chiseled features his looks were quite striking. After taking into account his movements, which brimmed with a casual grace, and his wiry but well developed musculature, which could be compared to a Bruce Lee, I was sure that he was some sort of a local celebrity; Ethan’s assurances about this place and its strange name, seemed to fall in line with that line of thought.

-” Here’s your order, Ethan. “ Innkeep smiled openly and placed two bowls, filled with a mix of neatly cut vegetables, lettuce and grilled meat, before myself and Ethan and then casually took a free seat at our table.

Unfazed by my questioning gaze, Innkeep wordlessly nodded at my bowl, urging me to eat. Since Ethan already started on his meal I followed suit, keeping an eye on the innocently smiling Innkeeper. The dish was better than I expected. I couldn’t identify half of the vegetables, though that wasn’t surprising considering that there were some clearly not found in my world. What mattered though was the fact that I had to fight down an urge to ask for seconds despite being full.

-” So what’s the story? Hills of Ulgen hardly seem like a place to get such an interesting company. “ Innkeeper asked openly when we were done. He gave me a curious glance, while his smile somehow started to give off a predatory feeling.

-” You know better than to ask, Harke. “ Ethan responded in a surprisingly formal tone. -” If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you that I stumbled upon her around the hills and decided to bring her along since the city is slightly less dangerous. “ Harke let out a disappointed sigh upon hearing Ethan’s deadbeat answer. -” So what’s going on? You wouldn’t be dilly-dallying in my company without a reason. “

-” Can’t I be dilly-dallying in the company of your cute companion? “ Harke gave me a playful wink.

-” I am certain that Hannah would have a thing to say about that. “ Ethan rebuked in the non-nonsense tone, wiping frisky grin off innkeeper's face. -” So, tell me what’s going on? “

-” Fine, be like that. “ Harke let out a dispirited sigh. -” Some of your usual friends came along few days ago, they said that certain someone got a thing to ask of  you. They were rather angst about the time too. “

-” I see, thanks. “ Ethan nodded formally and slid a pair of shillings across the table. -” I will be departing tomorrow at the first light. “ I was stunned by sudden turn of events, but before I could ask him anything, Ethan suddenly stood up and looked at me. -” Let’s talk upstairs. “ Without waiting he took a pitcher from the bar and left.

-” He gets like that sometimes. “ Innkeeper observed dryly, but when I looked at him in confusion, he just shrugged and gave me an apologetic smile while pocketing down the money.

-” I-i see. Thank you for the meal. “ I responded weakly and nodded hurriedly. I didn’t want to be left behind inside a room full of brutes, so I quickly grabbed a pair of cups and rushed after Ethan. I had a bad feeling that I will be on my own really soon.

I caught up with my companion upstairs and we have entered our room together. It was a simple room with plaster covered walls and plain floor made of wooden planks. Ethan placed the pitcher on a small table, but when I was about to follow his suit my gaze travelled over a pair of chairs and, most importantly, over two roughly assembled beds located in the opposite corners of the room.

-” Wait! We are sharing the room? “ I asked in a panicked voice, suddenly very aware of my current status as a freeloader and a girl. Even after squelching doubts about the intentions of my companion, I still found implications of sharing the room far outside of my comfort zone. As if to strike the point, at the very moment I just had to get a glimpse of a chamberpot located in the secluded corner of the room.

-” Don’t worry, I promise that you are safe and that I won’t do anything to you. “ He said reassuringly, but the declaration only deepened my scowl. -” I assure you that I will keep my back turned. “ He added stupidly, as if his earlier declaration was not enough.

-’ That’s not the point! How can I even think of doing… ‘ My gaze passed over the unsettling chamberpot. -’ ...stuff, with you there? ‘ I almost exclaimed my trepidation out loud, before regaining some of my wits. -’ Ok, ok, he’s a guy, but… Argh! That’s just pushing it! How can he be so dense! ‘ I gritted my teeth in exasperation and had a small, but enlightening thought. -’ Being a girl sometimes actually sucks! ‘ My inner struggle lasted but a moment, though I managed to get through the whole spectrum of emotions from alarm, to embarrassment, astonishment, anger and, finally, resignation.

-” Umm, can we talk about this? “ I asked fearfully.

-” What do you mean? “ He asked back, evidently not getting my meaning, and I had to squelch a sudden urge to bang my head on the nearest wall.

-” Ne-ver-mind… “ I responded heavily, my heart bleeding with every syllable of the word. -” What happens to me now? As it seems that someone called you for a job? “ I changed the subject, I could at least pretend that everything's good for the moment. -’ ...but what about later… ‘ I sighed inwardly.

Ethan gave me a thoughtful look and suddenly surprised me by reaching out and liberating one of the cups from my hand, I totally forgot that I was still holding them! I was still collecting my jumbled thoughts, caused by his unexpected action, when he poured himself a drink and took a slow sip.

-” As much as I hate it… “ He began slowly, in a solemn manner. -” I will need to leave you. “ He made a momentary pause, but as if expecting my interruption he forced himself to continue in a brisk way. -” You need to think about your future, I can either get you a lodging for several nights here or take you with me to the city, but you won’t be able to accompany me any further than that… My line of work is rather peculiar in that regard. “ I could feel dread descending on me as the meaning behind his words soaked in. -” Still, if you figure something out I should be able to put in a good word for you… unfortunately I can’t do much more than that… “ He finished apologetically and gave me a sad look.

Before I could make my mind to respond, he grabbed his pouch and handed it to me. -” Take that. “

-” I… I-i…c-can’t... “ I kept stuttering in indecision. I wanted to refuse his gift, but at the same time a bone chilling fear was gripping my chest with worry. Knowledge that I really have no leeway to refuse sank in.

-” Don’t worry. I am actually quite well off. “ He smiled reassuringly and patted my head with his other hand, I reluctantly took the pouch while enduring his petting. I somehow felt dirty, with how I practically sold myself for a bit of money. I knew that it wasn’t like that, but that’s not how the guilt works. Embarrassed by sudden bout of wetness stinging my eyes, I rushed from under his hand to the table and poured myself a drink.

Abrupt silence in the room become unsettling really fast and watered down apple juice couldn’t serve as a distraction for long. I was aware of his movements, as he went and heavily sat on one of the beds, but my treacherous hands didn’t want to calm down. They shook while grasping both the cup and the pouch with desperate might. I could feel the offending weight of coins inside the pouch and with every passing moment they seemed to bear on my conscience more and more. -’ How long does one have to work to earn them? As a warrior how much did he risk his life? ‘ I asked myself in mute silence, my cheeks growing wetter and wetter by the second. -’ How will he pay for anything? ‘ I stifled a small sob and clenched my hand that was holding the pouch. -’ I can’t take it. ‘ I knew it was risky, but I just couldn’t keep the money.

I quickly wiped my tears with my arm and turned to Ethan, ready to give him his pouch back.

*Cling*

A clear, vibrant sound resounded around the room and I froze in place, spellbound. Ethan was sitting on a bed with a heavy leather belt in his hand. My incredulous gaze followed a big silver coin, plucked from its hiding place inside the belt, slowly falling into Ethan’s outstretched hand and joining with two of its peers.

*Cling*

Seeing that I was facing him, Ethan smiled meekly. -” Um, after you take the coins, could you give me the pouch back? I don’t have a spare. “

My addled mind abruptly cleared up and I was instantly flooded with anger. -” Give me my compassion back! “ I shrieked, barely stopping myself from throwing the offending pouch at him, and rushed out of the room. Overwhelmed by influx of emotions I slammed the door behind my back and stopped dead in my tracks, abruptly remembering where I was. Luckily, there were no patrons slash thugs nearby. Also, I realized how over the top my reaction was.

I leaned against a rough wood of the door and took in deep, calming breaths.

After a while I calmed down and shook my head in trepidation at what has happened. -’ At least he didn’t say *Was it a no?*. ‘ I chuckled at the ridiculous thought, then took another deep breath. I felt both stupid and better, as contradicting as that would sound, on the plus side some of the wound up tension has lifted from me.

Meekly, I opened the door and entered the room with the intention of apologizing for my strange behaviour. At first, I was barely able to contain my embarrassment, but then my gaze met Ethan’s, who had a worried expression on his face. Upon seeing him like that I just couldn’t contain myself anymore and erupted in laughter. -” Hahaha… “ I tried to apologize, but my giggles made it impossible for me to utter a word, Ethan’s incredulous expression was a sight to behold.

It took me some effort, but I eventually managed to get a grip. -” Sorry. “ I uttered in a giggly voice. -” Let’s just say that I misunderstood something. “ I added under his questioning gaze and barely stopped myself from laughing anew when he let out a resigned sigh and shook his head, letting the matter go. I could almost hear him muttering about women under his breath. I let out an amused sigh and retrieved the coins, which amounted to around fifteen shillings, then gave Ethan his empty pouch back. It was really hard to keep an even expression under his wary gaze.

Afterwards, I took a seat on the opposite bed, instantly realizing the awkward silence that suddenly befell the room. I sneaked a glance at Ethan, only to find him impassively laying on his bed. After whole day of travel I would gladly welcome the reprieve, but there were two issues that prevented me from following Ethan’s suit. Firstly, the cloth of my shirt was scratchy as hell and I could tell that there were places where I have developed welts due to it, I wasn’t looking forward to spending the night with the shirt on, though at the same time I couldn’t sleep naked with Ethan in the room. Secondly, even more pressing issue was that I badly needed a bath. To be honest we both needed a bath, though I could bear the smell and settle for getting rid of the gross, oily substance that incessantly clung to my skin.

-” Um… “ I began hesitantly. -” I… We could really use a bath. “ I finished fidgetingly, unsettled by the blank look that he gave me from his half closed eyes. -’ Don’t tell me that bathing is a rarity here, with my sense of smell I will die. ‘ I cringed inwardly at the idea.

-” Don’t worry, they should bring in the water soon. “ Ethan responded reassuringly, evoking a sigh of relief from me.

As if on cue, somebody knocked on a door and Ethan took the call. It was indeed a serving boy who brought us the water for our bath. The problem was that my grandeur hopes for a wooden tub were quickly dashed by a sight of a single bucket of water. The exchange concluded quickly, though I didn’t pay it any heed and the serving boy was soon gone.

-” Um… “ I started awkwardly, my gaze glued to the bucket, I was at a loss on how to proceed.

-” I have soap and some strips of cloth. “ Ever helpful Ethan responded to my hesitant question and started rummaging through his knapsack. Before I could say anything he placed the items one the table. -” I will wait outside, call me when you are done. “ With those parting words he left the room, leaving me alone in a very awkward situation.

-’ I really shouldn’t have expected a true bath, should I? ‘ I asked myself weakly. -’ At least he had enough tact not to insist on staying. ‘ I chuckled to myself and began to strip.

-” Shhh… “ I hissed while removing the shirt, rough linen rubbed areas around my shoulders and sides raw, leaving behind open wounds. -’ That’s not how the first day of adventuring in a new world should look like. ‘ I complained silently while removing the rest of my gear, other areas luckily fared much better.

From the table I took the soap and a swatch of frothy cloth, that was surprisingly towel like, and used them to wash myself. Due to pain from my wounds and tiredness from the whole day of travel I really wasn’t in the mood for exploring, so I tried to stay as impartial and business like as possible when I have gone over certain... unfamiliarities of my body. Afterwards I wrapped the cloak about myself and side sat on the bed. I felt much better after getting cleaned, though that left me with a difficult quandary to resolve.

-” Ethan. “ I called softly and waited for him to enter the room. -” We need to talk. “ I stated sternly, evoking a confused expression on his face. -” I need a spare clothing, or at least a different shirt. “

-” What do you mean? “ He asked with a blank look. Wordlessly I slipped the cloak down, exposing my hurt shoulders. -” Where did you get those injuries? “ He hissed in a worried tone and rushed to my side. Luckily, he stopped himself from grabbing me.

-” That shirt is too rough. “ I complained openly, feeling really bad for guilting him into buying me a new and likely expensive shirt. -’ But I have no other choice, I need it and I can’t afford it myself. ‘ I argued with myself, but efforts to placate my feelings felt really shallow.

My expectations were to the point as he quickly told me to stay put and that he will take care of *everything*. I sighed after he left in a hurry, guilt weighing heavily on my conscience.

I felt even worse when he returned, with a suspiciously big bundle in tow. Ethan not only bought me some new clothes, he also brought some cotton bandages and herbal poultices to treat my injuries. I had to admit that those poultices were really effective, both at treating my injuries and stoking the burnt of my guilt. Even Ethan’s awkward expressions, when he was wrapping bandages around my chest and shoulders, did not make me feel any better.

What came next only added oil to fire, as the bundle contained more than just a shirt. There was a big sheet of cloth, thick and made of soft cotton, perfect for wrapping myself to sleep, but it was the last item that froze me in place, with embarrassment and terror both. It was a thigh length nightgown made of smooth silk, white but adorned with laces and embroidery. I really couldn’t imagine it being anything short of expensive, even extravagant! Also, merest thought about actually wearing it made me feel like a first class pervert.

-” I can’t accept that! “ I refused instantly and looked over my shoulder at Ethan, I have been sitting with my back to him so he could treat my injuries while maintaining borderline modesty. -” That t-thing alone must be worth a lot! I can’t… “ I stuttered and stammered as my eyes suddenly grew wide with fright, unconsciously I reached for my cloak and wrapped my body to shield myself from sight. -” I won’t pay you back! N-not like that, I might get you money... somehow… but not in… n-nature… “ My voice grew quieter and quieter as my fright took over, turning into nothing more than a whisper at the end.

-” Pff… ahahaha. “ Contrary to any of my expectations Ethan bursted out into loud laughter and started ruffling my head. Flabbergasted by his strange reaction, I didn’t even try to shake off his offending hand. -” You worry too much, Almisha. I told you that I am well off, more to the point, where did you get, into that sheltered head of yours, an idea about… effeminate compensation? “ The chastising tone of his question made me vividly aware of the fact that he somehow heard my quiet complaints, I could feel my cheeks growing hot and quickly turned away.

-” It’s not my fault that a filthy rich, old man is masquerading as a wanton mercenary! “ I channelled all of my embarrassment into anger, trying to salvage some of my pride. -” And I am not sheltered! I know… “ Suddenly, I realized that I just dug my own grave with the childish response, Ethan’s mirthful expression coupled with quiet chuckle only drove the point further. -” I will wait outside. You clean yourself up. You stink, old man. “ It was low and childish, but at least it wiped the smirk off his face. Without waiting for his comeback I adjusted the cloak, to cover myself fully, and left the room. I was only slightly guilty of his hurt expression. -’ He deserved that! ‘ I argued.

I looked around the empty corridor, thankfully none of the patrons decided to come upstairs yet, though I could hear their lively banter, accompanied by clinking of mugs, picking up the pace downstairs. Happy that I was safely alone, I let out a long sigh and once again leaned against the rough wood of the door.

It was a given that my companion was an extraordinary person, though it seemed to reach much further than just being a priest of the Fatebreaker, especially considering how easily he spent a sizeable amount of money. It made me feel miserable. While I could see that Ethan didn’t put much stock in his gifts, and was rather enjoying my troubled reaction to them, I was still dead set on paying him back somehow. -’ Which ultimately leads to the question - what do I do from now on? ‘ I began to ask myself and soon decided to focus my attention on opportunities that are open to me. -’ What are my strengths and what can I do that others might not? ‘

My thoughts soon coalesced around a single idea. -’ It is a given that most medieval worlds has subpar levels of education, making scribes, accountants and such desirable. Though I do wonder whether I can actually read the language… ‘ A bit disheartened by the possibility I soon found a bright side to the problem. -’ Well, even if I can’t read I still can work as a translator… with all of those caravans from faraway lands my gift of languages would be indispensable... ‘ I paused disheartened, finding a kink in my plan. -’ ...unless they have translation magic. ‘ I let out a wistful sigh. -’ I would really like to learn magic, who wouldn’t, but knowing how such things work getting educated in it is probably expensive and available only to the elite. ‘

I continued brooding over the possibilities, until the door suddenly gave way and I fell on my butt. -” Hey! “ I protested angrily at chuckling Ethan, who was the one that unexpectedly opened the door and made me fall into the room. Luckily my cloak didn’t slip. I sent Ethan a deadly glare.

-” No need to get angry… “ Ethan said amicably and extended a hand to help me up.

-” Hmph. “ I held back a venomous riposte, he couldn’t have known that I was leaning against the door after all, though his merry expression still rubbed me the wrong way, so I rose on my own and sauntered to my bed. His quiet laugh didn’t make me feel any better.

Afterwards we settled down for the night. I got under my new sleeping sheet and changed into the nightgown, as embarrassing as it was I couldn’t deny that its silky caress felt heavenly on my skin. Ethan went about his business as well, but I wrapped myself tightly and kept my back to him, ignoring his actions. Soon the candles were blown out and darkness settled into the room…

* * *

Despite the soft sheet I couldn’t fall asleep. Agitated by worries and doubts I kept shifting in my bed and, after trying a bunch of useless ways to lull myself to sleep, I finally decided to voice a question that kept bothering me for the past few hours.

-” Ethan... “ I could hear him shift on the bed so I knew he was awake. -” Is there a commonly used magic to translate different languages? “

-” I haven't heard of any. Why do you ask? “ He asked back, curiosity evident in his voice.

-” Just wondering. Goodnight. “ I quickly cut the conversation short and adjusted the sheet with air of finality.

-” ...Goodnight. “ He said after a pause, I could imagine him shaking his head in trepidation, which somehow made my lips curve into a mischievous smile as it was my small payback for his earlier transgressions.

Still, hearing that my language ability was unique made me feel much better and I began to wave plans for the next day. -’ Due to his line of work he should have a lot of contacts, I will ask him if he can recommend me to someone. I bet that becoming an accountant or scribe shouldn’t be too hard with his help and it would allow me to live peacefully from now on… ‘ With worries lifted off my shoulders I quickly fell into embrace of sleep...

* * *        

Hey, Mea's here~

I hope you liked the chapter, as it took literal ages to finish(at least its big). Hopefully I will be able to write satisfactory(to my liking) follow up at much more reasonable pace.

Cheers,

Mea, the Overlord

Ps Reports of my passing were not exactly correct... rather... leading dull life is like dying inside.