After a while Sanora has calmed down again and quickly finishes getting clean.

“Thanks again.” She says to Amni while fixing her hair as they walk back to the village.

“Like I said, we’re with you. If you ever feel down, you can always come talk with me.” Amni smiles at her gently.

“I will.” Sanora smiles back at her. Soon later they reach the gate, a still half-asleep guard standing atop. He just gives the girls a weak wave as they walk through.

“What now, gonna go back to sleep?” Amni turns to Sanora as they stand in front of the weary traveler.

“No, I think I’ll head over home and see if there’s work I can do alone and if not, training I guess. Doubt I can sleep anymore.”

“Mind if I tag along then?”

“ 'Course not.” Sanora shakes her head with a smile, and they make their way over to the building site. The village is still mostly asleep, the sun halfway above the horizon. Only the smith’s chimney is already spewing out heavy white smoke.

The morning soon passes, Sanora having only found some lumber that needed to be moved, eventually starts to workout with nothing better to do. Slowly the others show up over the course of the day, one looking more wasted than the other. The last one to arrive is Bawarag who looks oddly fine.

“ ‘Mornin lass, you’re up pretty early.” Bawarag says.

“Well, the early bird catches the worm as they say.” Sanora shrugs.

“Which means the early worm gets caught by the bird.” Bawarag raises his finger, his expression looking like a lecturing teacher’s.

“Uh, what?” Sanora furrows her brows.

“You should sleep in more.” He explains but Sanora just shakes her head at this typical Bawarag antic. Something in her mind stirs and she bends her head out of way of the pinecone flying at her. Bawarag whistles impressed.

“Seems like we can start combat training right away.” He grins at her.

At first Sanora frowns. The normal training, while it did a great job for her overall condition, was nothing but exhausting. She can’t even imagine how combat training with Bawarag, the ancient way too powerful god-envoy is going to be. But then again, the fight the other day brought back some unpleasant memories of almost dying and created some new ones. With a sigh she nods.

“Guess we can. So, how do we start?” She looks at the bearded man who just grins at her.

The day passes by in a fly. The villagefolk working on the house slowly start to wake up properly over the hours, and after a good, if late lunch at the weary traveler, come back even more energized than before. But Sanora hardly notices, Bawarag brooks her no quarter, and even with wooden training swords she sometimes feels as though she is seriously going to die. Blocking one of his swings she stumbles back, panting hard. As the wooden blades meet she feels the force travel up her arms, painfully coursing through them.

“Please stahp, break.” Sanora wheezes and leans on the wooden sword.

“Already? We have barely been at it for an hour.” Bawarag raises an eyebrow.

“Come on big man, it’s almost been an hour. Cut our girl some slack.” Amni says. She has been sitting on one of the tree stumps on the clearing all day, watching them spar. Bawarag looks at the panting Sanora again. Her hair messy and dirty, sweat beads roll down her forehead, the tunic below her armor practically drenched and sticking to her.

“I guess we can do a little breaking.” Bawarag nods. With a groan Sanora let’s herself fall down on her back.

“Thanks.” She says and closes her eyes.

“Look at you lass, you could barely kill a hundred lurchers like this.” Bawarag snickers

“A hundred what now?” Sanora asks without even looking up.

“Oh right. Lurchers are small monsters. Something like fish-lizard-human hybrids. But don’t let that description fool you, they kill more people than you’d think.” Bawarag sits down next to Sanora

“Sure, I’ll keep it in mind.” She waves him off weakly not really paying attention, still catching her breath. The birds around chirp happily, the wind carrying their sound through the forest along with the constant chopping of the woodworking and the distant sound of the river. A precious moment for Sanora to enjoy the tranquility she moved here for at last.

“You know you can tell him if things are too much?” Amni’s sweet voice mixes in, soothing her soul further.

“Stop pampering her Amni, no good will come from that.” Bawarag counters.

“Come big guy, the war’s over. No need to drill her this hard.”

“You know as much as I how dangerous the world can be. Especially for a lass like her. Just imagine what price her face would snatch with the wrong people. And only that.”

A cold shiver creeps through Sanora’s spine. She looks up at Bawarag again.

“What do you mean?” She asks a bit uneasy.

“What I said. Human trafficking, sometimes when flesh mages are involved even only parts of humans.”

“Flesh mages? I thought you serve the gods?”

“That’s just envoys. Magic is not exclusive to envoys. A lot of people can learn and study it. Although reaching the level on an envoy is considered impossible in a lifetime, there are a handful of quite strong rogue mages still. Some residing in darker parts of society. The ban on slavery hit hard and is very strict. But that does not go for overseas. From what I’ve heard slavery is still commonplace further up north.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“But here it’s banned?”

“Yes. But of course that doesn’t stop the greed and dark desires of some people. They will hunt down people here and sell them off overseas. And, as you can guess, it’s mainly young women like you.”

Her stomach churns at the thought. Sanora can hardly imagine how awful such a life would be. And when she realizes that if this would ever happen to her she will probably have to lay with a man too she has to hold her breakfast in.

“Let’s continue sparring, please.” She says with a shiver.

“Done with your break already?” Bawarag raises an eyebrow.

“No, but you just gave me an awful and awfully good motivation.” She gets on her feet again, ignoring Amni’s chuckle.

“That’s the spirit… I guess.” Bawarag just shrugs and they both get into stance again.

“Ready when you are.” He says before Sanora charges at him with refound vigor.

“Sanora?” Karan looks down at Sanora who is lying on the ground, panting.

“Huh?” she gives him a weak response and looks at him with unfocused eyes.

“We’re done for today. We are making good progress; I give us another ten days until we finish.” The bald man says.

“We see you at the inn later?” He asks a bit skeptical with a hint of worry in voice.

“Not today sorry. Thanks as always, see you tomorrow.” She raises her hand weakly. Karan nods and heads back towards the village. The past fifteen days have gone by fast, but this day of sparring alone felt longer than the entirety of that.

“You survived the day. With Bawarag as your partner I’d call that a win.” Amni says extending a hand.

“You would?” Sanora takes the hand but yelps and almost let’s go when she feels a horrible sting on her palm. She looks at her quivering swordhand littered with blisters.

“Ouch.” Amni says with a scrunched-up face herself.

“Oh, that’s not the only thing that hurts. My arms, my back, my legs my everything.” Sanora rolls her shoulders with a discomforted expression.

“Just wait until tomorrow, its going to be even worse!” Bawarag grins and for once refrains from hitting Sarona on her back. She just shoots him a glare.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that, be proud of yourself, that pain means you put in a lot of effort.” He gives her thumbs up.

“That’s Bawarag logic right there.” Sanora sighs, Amni and Bawarag just laugh.

“Alright then, dinner and a drink?” Bawarag looks at Sanora expectantly, but she shakes her head.

“Already told Karan that I’m taking a break today.”

“Yeah, I heard that, just wanted to see if you changed your mind.” Bawarag Shrugs.

“Well, see you tomorrow for training, usual spot, usual time.” Bawarag waves as he walks back to the village as well. Sanora looks after him with a sigh, but a content smile still.

“He sure didn’t hold back huh?” Amni walks up next to her with her arms crossed.

“He didn’t.” Sanora chuckles.

“But I have to say I haven’t seen him this engaged since forever. You have really woken up this old wardog.” Amni laughs.

“So it seems, and I’m already paying the price.” Sanora stems her arms into her back and leans into it, her spine cracking several times, while cussing under her breath.

“If you want, I can offer some pain relief.”

Sanora looks at Amni with wide eyes.

“You have something like that? Gimme!” She exclaims excitedly.

“I do have something, but you’ll have to come over, its in my house.” She winks at her.

“Absolutely. You still have some of that tea too?”

“I do.” Amni nods and walks ahead. Sanora glimpses at her almost standing house as they walk.

“My very own house...” She mumbles, a warm feeling in her stomach, but also one of nervousness.

“And its almost done too. Excited?”

“Of course. I never had a home. I mean I might have, but now I have my own one all over again...” her smile fades a bit.

“But?” Amni inquires.

“But… I guess I’m still nervous if this house will feel like… a home.”

“Ah yes, I get what you mean. But don’t worry about it too much now, that’s normal when you just move in. Doesn’t change when you get old either. You’ll feel like home here in no time.” Amni says with her usual, gentle smile, her hand on Sanora’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Amni.” She smiles back.

“So, what’s that pain relief? Tell me already!” She demands, but Amni just gives her a smug grin.

“Oh fu- OHH right there!” Sanora’s face tenses, her breathing quick and hot as Amni works her way forward.

“Oh my- you’re hitting it so good.” She moans.

“Glad you like it.” Amni purrs, causing goosebumps to rise all over Sanora’s skin.

“I have to admit this is not what I had in mind, but it feels so goooOOH-“ Sanora moans again as Amni pushed her fingers down onto her back.

“You should have told me sooner you can massage like this.”

“And have you knock on my door every evening? Yeah sure.” Amni laughs, kneading Sanora’s back.

“That might just happen now.” She says and lets out a content sigh.

“I have to say, I have never felt a back this stiff, and I felt mine. And that one’s made of stone!” Amni laughs.

“I think mine is too at this point… Wait a second, you mean this don’t you?” Sanora turns her head around to look at Amni kneeling behind her on the bed.

“Oh right, you don’t know about those things. Yes, aside from a thin layer of skin, I’m mostly stone.”

“So that’s why your hands feel so hard.” Sanora nods. “Not a day goes by when i don't learn werid, new stuff about you all.” She chuckles.

“That’s how this world is.” Amni says and leans back.

“What? We’re done already?” Sanora turns around to look her with her best puppy eyes.

“Too much and it will just hurt more tomorrow, trust me.” Amni tosses her a fresh tunic which Sanora puts on with a pout. She stretches and a yawn escapes her.

“Damn, I’m tired now.” Sanora rubs her eyes.

“It was a long day, let’s get you into a bed.” Amni gets up.

“Hey before we go, you have some spare tea for me? I really like that stuff and the store in the village hardly has any good tea, it hardly has any tea at all for that matter.” Sanora grumbles

“I think I have a box extra, let me look real quick.” Amni says and Sanora just nods at her with tired eyes. Amni rummages through the shelves in her kitchen, picking out small wooden boxes, smelling them, looking inside some and putting them back over and over until she finally finds the right one.

“Ah, knew I still had one.” She turns around with a smile but stops dead when she sees Sanora, lying in her bed rolled in like a kitten and looking just as cute.

"Out like a light huh?" She chuckles as she walks over and takes a seat on the bed.

“Look at you, making this old woman’s heart flutter.” Amni whispers to herself, wiping a stray strand of hair out of Sanora’s face. But the sleeping girl suddenly grabs her hand.

But a Amni feels a sting in her chest as Sanora mutters something.

“Mama…” A tear rolls out of her closed eye as her lips start to quiver.

Amni looks at the girl with a crestfallen expression.

“Gods what am I doing. It’s so easy to forget you’re barely more than a child you know? Sleep well, Sanora.” Amni looks over the girl in her bed with her gentle eyes one last time before getting up and leaving her to a restful night of sleep.

A tight feeling spreads in Sanora’s chest, like threads snaking around it, pulling tighter with every passing second. She faintly remembers dreaming something which wasn’t sad but made her chest ache with sorrow despite. She slowly opens her eyes, looking up at the unfamiliar stone ceiling. After a moment of initial confusion, she remembers falling asleep in Amni’s bed, surrounded by her sweet, earthy smell while Amni was looking for that tea. She pulls up the blanket, rolls into it and, in her half sleep, does not have the presence of mind to stop herself from holding the blanket to her nose and taking a deep whiff.

“You uh… awake yet?”

Sanora rips open her eyes and shoots up on the bed.

“Goodness I’m sorry I thought I was still dreaming.” She rattles with a beet-red face and a squeaky voice.

“Sorry about what?” Amni raises an eyebrow at her.

“…Nothing.” Sanora says, quietly gets up and takes her stuff. “See you later.” With these words she quickly walks past Amni who just stands there, scratching her head.

“Want me to fly you down? It’s quite the climb...”

“I’m good today, it’s uh, part of my training today, yes.” Sanora nods as she walks out.

“Well see you later I guess?” Amni says but Sanora has already rushed out the door. Amni just stands there and looks at it as it shuts again. Her gaze slowly wanders over to her bed as her cheeks turn red and a smile spreads on her lips.

“I smell that good huh?” She chuckles to herself, shaking her head.