Bryne Village at the foothills of Mount Ladrian

A large, majestic mountain stood tall, reaching high up into the firmament piercing the clouds. As the forest that draped across it from the middle of the mountain to its foothills started to come alive with the singing of birds, and the far reaching calls of other wildlife. At the very edge of the forest a long, meandering river that flowed calmly during this summer morn could be seen snaking out from the forest. leading to a large village nestled among the foothills of Mount Ladrian.

Early in the morning as the sun starts to rise dying the horizon in hues of purple, gold, and red the village of Bryne could be seen waking from its slumber. As farmers could be seen getting up to tend to their fields, the lumberjacks gathering together to head to the nearby lumber mill by horse cart, the smoking chimneys of a forge and the voices of mothers calling out to their children to wake up.

———————-

Elsarius’ POV

———————-

“El! Alice! It’s time to get up! Come eat your breakfast. I need the both of you to go tend to your chores afterwards.” [Mother]

“I am awake Mum, it’s El who is still laying in bed with his pillow over his head.” [Alice]

Moving my pillow to the side so I could glare at her, I watched my twin sister role her light grey eyes at me as she tidied up her clothes to look as presentable as possible in her summer wear. With a pale blue ribbon tying her long, wavy, chestnut hair up into a ponytail. A white blouse and a matching pale blue skirt that reached halfway down her shins with light leather boots that went to just below her knees.

“I’m just taking a moment before I get up! (It’s not like my chores are going to run away. Although if they did. I’d probably be sent running after them anyways…) [Elsarius]

“Stop you’re grumbling and get to it then! Your father will be back from hunting around midday with the others with whatever they’ve caught. And all your chores need to be done as you’re both old enough now to learn how to hunt from him. [Mother]

“The both of us!? Does that mean I’m not going to have to learn how to sew and cook anymore!?” [Alice]

My sister, for all her looks paint her as a proper young lady to those who don’t know her from how she usually talks, is more of an adventurous and headstrong girl. If it wasn’t for Mum reigning her in she would probably be chasing after Pa every time he and the other hunters went out.

“No it does not mean that young missy, as on the days when you’re not learning from your father you’ll still be learning and helping me with those tasks.” [Mother]

As I slipped on my own clothes a dark, blue shirt with brown pants and dark, brown, leather boots that covered most of my shin I asked my mum a thought that had passed my mind.

“Then does that mean I’ll be learning hunting all the time then?” [Elsarius]

“On the days when your father can’t teach you, you’ll be going to see your uncle Belen at his smithy learning from him, his trade alongside your cousin Brennan. Your father and uncle decided this shortly after you both turned twelve that your bodies could handle the strain of learning more advanced work rather than just being helpers with their work. ” [Mother]

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

As we started eating our breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and freshly baked bread; I couldn’t help but think about what Brennan and I would be allowed to do from now on.

“Hmmm I wonder if Uncle Bel would let us try hammering something right away? Although it’s fun watching him forge the different tools needed by everyone and teaching us how to properly maintain the tools, Brennan and I were mostly just carrying around the processed ingots, leather and wood around the workshop and handing him the tools he need while he was crafting something.” [Elsarius]

“There’s no way Uncle Bel would let the both of you start forging right away. You’ve both have only held the hammer to give it to him to use I bet. You’ve probably haven’t even swung it once!” [Alice]

“You can smirk all you want but watch, in a week’s time once Uncle Bel has taught us the basics we’ll be able to start helping out with the repairs and forging some of the simpler stuff that he had to when he went through his apprenticeship at Amberion!” [Elsarius]

“Stop your bickering! If you have time to take jabs at each other then go handle your chores!” [Mother]

I know that look our mum is giving us… she’d talk our ears off if we stuck around any longer with the scolding she seems to always have ready if we slack off.

Our mum would be considered a pretty, and caring woman from what I’ve heard from others growing up. To me though she’s just a fierce woman you don’t want to anger. Alice takes after her the most between the both of us with the same hair, full lips, face, and shape of her eyes along with their light complexion. Our Pa’s traits only show in Alice’s eye color, ‘brows and her nose.

Meanwhile I almost look just like a tiny version of our pa with my dark brown nearly black hair, lightly tanned skin, sharp brows, straight nose, and lips with just the color of my eyes being the same as our mum being a dark, chocolate brown with small specks of gold around my pupils.

“I’m heading off to go wash the clothes by the river with the other women. You should go start cutting the firewood up if you want to finish storing it before Pa comes home.” [Alice]

“Hey! Remember we’re meeting up with the others later by the entrance to the forest this evening before the sky starts turning dark. Marius and Darian said they found something ‘interesting’ they wanted everyone to see.” [Elsarius]

“I know. Elena and Alex are coming too right?” [Alice]

“Yea everyone should be there if we all finish our dinners quick. Marius and Darian said the ‘interesting thing’ isn’t too far and that there’s a slightly overgrown path leading there. So it shouldn’t take long.” [Elsarius]

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

“I’M HOME!” [Father]

“Welcome back dear. How did the hunting go?”