Chương 3: Friends And Family

The seasons came and went, the summer and spring with their blessed splendour, followed by the blighted storms of Fall and Winter. Again, we were facing Fall. Though it was the shortest of seasons, it still stretched over a hundred days. I had spent half of that time trapped inside our home as heavy downpours and squalling wind raged endlessly, carrying burnt ashes from Mount Olympus. That passed a couple of weeks ago, returning my freedom to step outside and breathe fresh air.

"Come on," said my friend Eran, pushing me towards the savage animal.

"Touch it. It ain't going to bite you, you know. Kai is nice." I peered at my friend, and then back at the wolf resting beneath an armoured oak tree. Even with all his sincerity, I was not entirely convinced. Time had flown by once I learnt to run. I had awakened and improved in many Ways, but the most significant was that I made a friend. Eran Stonecutter was our neighbour. He was a couple of seasons older than I, and looked it too, being half a head taller.

The friendship was encouraged by the bond between my mum and Eran's parents. Neither family was quite native to the region. Though our fair skin could pass for locals, our striking red hair and tall stature set us apart, same as Stonecutters' dark complexion and equally towering build did. They had moved to Karmel a couple of years earlier than we did. In fact, Mum had bought the land from them to build our home.

However, none of that mattered when the said friend of mine was urging me towards a creature capable of splitting my neck with one bite—that was how humongous and ferocious the Ashhide Wolfen were.

"Go on," Eran Stonecutter pushed on.

"Didn't you want to see Kai?" I could already see clearly from here, thank you. The beast was easily a foot taller than a regular wolf, with the actual mass of a small ox. Its deep, mottled grey fur shimmered with a silvery glow in the sunlight. Even when it was resting peacefully, the wiry muscles in its bulk were widely evident. To encourage me, Eran jumped on top of the ashhide wolf, eliciting a low growl from the creature.

Its silvery eyes opened to scan the nuisances disturbing its rest before it returned to slumber once again.

"See? Kai doesn't bite." Kai was his father's longtime companion since his days as a legionary officer. Seeing my friend swimming over the fluffy coat of the beast, I needed no further encouragement. Reaching forward, I extended a tentative palm towards its neck. I froze, finding the wolf staring at me with its alien eyes. The pale eyes narrowed, but once my palm stroked it steadily, its eyelids closed once again.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Eran asked, literally riding atop the resting wolf.

"Mhm," I agreed.

"I wonder if I will ever get my own bonded companion," Eran said wistfully, rubbing his head against Wolfen's neck.

"You know, It doesn't matter. Even if I don't awaken the same Gift as my Da, we will still have Kai." Half an hour later, I found myself riding the beast into the fields with Eran. Most of the children ran away in fright, whereas a certain few, those foolish enough not to know how terrifying the Ashhide Wolfen could be, chased after us. Then finally, the elder beast pushed us off his back and shot towards the mountains. Eran and I whined, then burst into laughter.

For the rest of the afternoon, we played on the field. Serenade Circle was a rhythm game everyone liked to play, including me. Its rules were perhaps a little too advanced for children of my age, but I fared far better than most. There was only one girl of my age, Diana, and she had the worst time of it. Not only did she fail to grasp the rules, but she also lacked the breathing capacity to maintain the pace for even a single turn, always among the first to be eliminated.

The other reason I liked the game was because it helped improve Ways of Running, Balance, and Evasion. Moreover, I felt it set a tone for breathing exercise as well, though that seemed to be lost on all the kids. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Eran and I bolted home before the others began chanting their taunts at the loser. [Way of Running IV (1000/1000) is complete.] [Attribute Awakened: Agility (Elementary).] [+4 Agility.] [+2 Alacrity]"Finally," I cheered, stumbling mid-stride.

It had taken more than a year, spanning well over a thousand hours of running, but I was finally here. The sizzling force running through my veins proved all of it was worth it.

"What!" Eran called, running to catch up with Diana, tagging behind him.

"I just received Agility," I said, jumping to my feet.

"Really?" my friend beamed.

"Let's race. See if you can beat me now.

"Ready?"

"GO!" I cried, dashing into the narrow path, while Eran chased after me.

"Wait, we did not set a finish line!" I did not stop, feeling the breeze kissing my cheeks.

"Whoever reaches the old oak wins." Eran was not far behind. He might stand a chance if he were not exhausted from playing all afternoon, but now, with his stamina impeached, I beat him by a landslide. Though if someone really was the losing side, it would be Diana. I did not even know she was running after us, now staggering far behind, huffing and puffing with all her might.

"Why do you..." she panted, "run all the time?"

"Because," Eran and I replied in unison, "running is fun." Diana's expression said she could not disagree more. Well, why was she running after us, anyway? It was already getting dark, and so far as I was aware, her home was in the centre of town.

"I heard tomorrow's your birthday," Diana said.

"Who told you that?" I asked, suspicions creeping into my tone. Does she want me to invite her? But there's no celebration... Unlike many patricians, Mum detested pandering to every little thing that was worth celebrating. On the last occasion, she made various dishes and gifted me a puzzle piece, keeping everything indoors.

"Your mama came to get fresh eggs and milk this morning," Diana explained.

"She was also asking my mama how to make a cake. A birthday cake!" Now that arose my excitement.

"I'll wish you a happy birthday tomorrow," Eran chirped.

"Me too!" Diana chimed in.

"Me too!"

"Then I'll thank you both tomorrow," I chuckled, hopping towards home. Eran's house was further down the road, divided by sprawling wheat fields, all owned by his family. He bid goodbye and veered onto another path, but Diana continued to follow me. As I neared my home, I noticed she was still trailing. I turned to give her a curious gaze. The spring evenings were not as brief as those in winter, but it was already getting dark for a child of her age to wander around.

"Mum, I'm home!" I shouted upon arriving. Diana hovered before the porch. Unable to ignore her any longer, I asked, "Aren't you supposed to go home?" Diana nodded urgently.

"Mama asked me to invite your mama to fix the water at our inn."

"Fix the water?" I arched my eyebrows.

"I don't think Mum does that. Wait, you mean, repair the runes in the water system?" Diana seemed unsure but nodded anyway.

"Is the water not heating?" I asked, while heading to clean myself.

"Or purifying?"

"There is no water."

"That she can fix, probably," I assured her.

"Mum!" She appeared instantly, wearing her apron.

"Welcome back. Oh, did you bring a friend home?"

"No, she came for you."

"Good evening," Diana greeted quietly.

"Their inn's water system is broken."

"I see," Mum said, turning to the girl.

"Anything more I should know to fix?" The little girl looked out of her depth.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Mama asked me to bring you."

"She let you wander alone this late?" Mum frowned.

"Can you even navigate back in the dark?" Diana hesitated, finally realising how dim it had become.

"I... Mama asked me to call you in the afternoon, but I went to play and forgot." Mum rubbed her temple and crouched to Diana's height.

"I'd have come to fix the problem in the morning, but I can't let you wander back alone now, can I?" Diana was relieved.

"I'll go grab my gear," Mum said, standing up.

"Ari, do you want to come along?" I considered it briefly and shook my head. Repairs might not take long, but Mum tended to dive into small talk with other women afterwards. And let me tell you, they were hardly ever small. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She prepared quickly, slinging a leather satchel over her shoulder. Before leaving with Diana, she crouched before me.

"I'll be back soon, Pumpkin," she said.

"Do you remember the house rules?"

"Bah, I'm already grown-up. I can take care of myself."

"Arilyn," her eyes drew at me.

"Don't wander off on my own," I recited, "and don't let strangers in." She kissed my forehead and crept down the path with the blonde little girl. I watched their figures fade into the darkness before stepping inside. Now that I had the entire house to myself, I wondered what I should do. Then I remembered, tomorrow was my birthday! Mum probably had my gift hidden somewhere. My eyes lit up with excitement. Without wasting a single breath, I began my search. Mum was rather good at keeping things hidden.

Anything she felt like would a bad influence on me vanished without my notice. I had barely tidied up the study when someone knocked at the door.

"Who is it?" I called, scurrying to the entrance. Then I remembered the rules and decided against opening it immediately.

"Is this Ashlyn's house?" replied a melodic voice. I crept to the side window to get a look at the visitors. The voice was unfamiliar, as were their figures. In the dim light, I made out two people: a woman and a young girl, both swathed in thick coats and carrying bags. The younger girl noticed me peeking and moved closer to the glass window. She stared at me, opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

"Oh, my, are you Arilyn?" the older woman asked, her eyes lighting up as she spotted me.

"You have Ash's eyes." I frowned.

"Mum's not home. She's out, working. Will be back soon." The woman smiled warmly, but the younger girl stared at me with frosty eyes.

"Can you wait until she returns?" I asked the woman.

"We certainly can. After all, we came a long way to meet you. What's a little more waiting?"

"To meet me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you were here for Mum."

"That too," the woman said with a mysterious smile that felt so familiar.

"You may not recognise us, but we're actually family."

"We're your aunts!" announced the haughty girl. My frown deepened at the unabashed declaration. The older woman looked close to Mum's age, with a clear facial resemblance, softened only by a brighter shade of red hair. The younger girl, on the other hand, had muddy brown locks, braided boldly on one side, with an imperious outlook. If you ask me, she seemed nothing like the older woman or my mum.

"You're my aunts?" I asked, trying to mask my eagerness with scepticism.

"So I'm supposed to invite you in and serve tea now, is that it?"

"I don't drink tea," said the haughty girl. I ignored her.

"If you're my aunts," I pressed, "why have I never even heard your names?"

"I did not know you existed a couple of weeks ago, either," she sputtered. The older woman shot her a pointed look, silencing her before she could say more. How exciting, I thought. Two strangers showed up, claiming to be my aunts and expecting me to open the door for them. No, I had not ruled out the possibility that they could be my mother's sisters, but the rules of the house needed to be taken seriously. I did not know them as my aunts, but I did know them as strangers, and this house did not welcome strangers.

At least when Mum was out.

"Why are you smiling like a dolt?" asked the girl.

"Open the blighted door! Do you have any idea how far we travelled to reach this soggy village?"

"I wonder from how far you came," I said, tilting my head.

"Perhaps from the very spirit realm?" The supposed aunts— or perhaps fae —exchanged another look. The younger one bristled, and the older one bit back a laugh. My expression hardened.

"I can't believe this," fumed the brown-haired girl, wagging her finger at me.

"You think we're fae from the spirit realm, here to abduct children?" Karmel is a town, you snotty little brat! I suppressed the retort. One simply does not reprimand a faerie lightly. Even if they were inconsiderate brats.

"Mum told me not to let strangers into the house," I replied, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. After all, it was common knowledge to show caution and a level of reverie around the fae, even if you did not want them in your house. Mum had recounted three entire stories about the wrath of the fae, enough to ensure I never make such a mistake.

"For Solas's light, there hasn't been a faerie sighting for centuries," she swore, turning to her elder sister as though asking, Can you believe this?

"I don't know, Rose. It seems sound enough," the redhead woman said, flashing her teeth.

"Fine," huffed Rose, her cheeks flushing a faint red.

"I'll prove we're not fae." She marched to the door.

"If I am a faerie, will I be able to enter without an invitation?" A loud thump against the doorframe followed her declaration. And they continued, growing more forceful with each failed attempt.

"I'll break this stupid door open," Rose roared, "and make you eat your words!" The door held firm, but my breath hitched with every crash. No one had ever threatened to break into our home before.

"You're only going to hurt yourself, Rose," the older woman pointed out.

"Did you forget your elder sister's vocation?" Rose relented at her words, though her face burned with anger.

"The door is Reinforced," she observed begrudgingly.

"I fear the whole house is," the older woman observed.

"Every beam and nail here is warded."

"I'm going to tell Mum about this!" I cried, my voice higher than I meant it to be.

"Look what you've done," said the woman, glowering at Rose.

"You've frightened your little nephew on your first meeting."

"I did not!" Rose glared at me.

"If you'd just opened the door without making a fuss—""I'll never open the door for you," I said stubbornly.

"I'm sorry about Little Rose's behaviour," the older sister said.

"Let me apologise on her behalf. I'll make sure she never frightens a child again."

"I'm not frightened!"

"Of course, you're not," she said with a soft smile.

"Arilyn has the blood of Amadeus... Either way, you don't have to open the door until Ash arrives. We can wait outside till then." Unlike Rose, she was genuinely convincing at being my aunt.

"If you're really my aunts," I ventured cautiously, "why haven't I seen you before?"

"Because you live in a backwater village nobody knows existed," Rose said with a huff.

"It had taken two whole days to find the way here, can you believe it?"

"Don't mind her," the older sister interjected.

"But yes, we've come a long, loooong way!" Someone knows how to talk to kids.

"Where do you live?"

"Our family's from Vashar. Ash never mentioned it, has she?" It was not a question.

"I've read about Vashar in maps and picture books," I said.

"It's full of mountains and snow, where white Sabretooth Tigers and Winterheart Deer roam..." The older woman's smile mirrored Mum's.

"I have seen a Winterheart Deer when I was young," she said.

"Your mum did too... They're so rare now."

"You saw one?" My eyes sparkled.

"How was it? Was it three metres tall, like the books say? How big were its antlers?"

"It was huuuuge!" She stretched her arms wide for indication.

"Ash almost shot an arrow at it. Thank Solas, the elder beast did not take offence." I gasped.

"Mum would never do that!"

"Oh she did," she chuckled.

"It was all foggy and terribly cold. She mistook it for a common Frostbloom Elk..." I nodded slowly, finding that to be reasonable, though I could not picture Mum in that terrifying pose.

"So Mum's an artisan. What about you?"

"Is that what she told you?" Rose perked up, still standing on her high horse even after attempting to break in.

"I'm not talking to you," I said, ignoring her completely to face the older woman, who might actually be my aunt.

"Wait, you haven't introduced yourself yet, and you already know my name..."

"How rude of me," the provisional good aunt said.

"Let me rectify that." She pointed at the teenager.

"This is your little aunt, Rosalyn. She had gone through her Calling a couple of winters ago and had not gotten many chances outside the confines of the training halls since then. Usually, she's not so… skittish." The brat snorted at the introduction.

"I'm your Aunt Emelyn," she said, smiling brightly.

"As for my Calling... I'm a Shaper. I'm what you'd call a Magus." My eyes lit up.

"A real Magus?" I almost asked her to cast a spell right then and there, but stopped myself, noting something important. Mum said not to let strangers in, but... we all have rhyming names. That had to mean something, right?

"I'm sorry we haven't come sooner," Aunt Emelyn said apologetically.

"Praise Solas that we made it in time for your third birthday." Should I open the door? I wondered. It's bad manners to keep guests waiting outside, too...

"Who's out there?" Mum's voice echoed abruptly. I found her figure shifting through the dark to stand on their rear.

"Emi? Rose?" Mum dropped her bag as a couple of potatoes rolled out. Paying no attention to it, she rushed forward to embrace both of them.

"You actually came," she breathed into Emelyn's shoulder, voice brimming with joy.

"How could we not, when you tell us you're hiding such an adorable nephew?" said Aunt Emelyn. I'm sure of it now. They were my aunts. Only that, it made the whole thing doubly embarrassing.

"Does Mother…" Mum stiffened.

"If you sent her a letter," Emelyn sighed, "do you think she'd discuss it with me?" More family coming? Well, the more the merrier. Mum shook her head and focused on the ones present.

"Little goblin, you've grown so tall!" she exclaimed, moving to Rosalyn. She cupped her cheeks and kissed her on the head.

"You look old—er," the brat said, her cheeks flushed, though this time not in anger. The gall of this brat! I'll show her who's old! But for now, I opened the door wide to let them in.

"Why are you waiting outside? Come in! I have so much to catch up." Mum practically herded them inside.

"We were just chatting with our little nephew," Aunt Emelyn said with a chuckle.

"Did anyone tell you how smart he is?"

"He thought we were fae here to steal him," Rose snorted, flopping onto the couch. Mum laughed.

"Can't help with that; he loves those old tales a little too much..." As Mum went to bring water and beverages, I endured a very thorough session of cheek-coddling courtesy of Aunt Emelyn. Rose wisely kept her distance, as she should. There was no way I'd let her touch my cheeks, much less let her coddle them. Later, as Mum cooked and caught up with Aunt Emelyn, Rose hooked two fingers in my sleeves and dragged me towards the study. My protest only seemed to bolster her resolve.

"What do you want?" I asked, batting her hand away. She let out a heavy sigh, opened her bag, and pulled out a flute. A metal flute with fine carvings on its surface.

"This is for you," she said, thrusting it into my palms. I stared at it blankly.

"Take it," she insisted.

"It's yours."

"Why?" I asked, still not grasping it.

"I can't play the flute... I cannot even whistle." More importantly, I did not understand why she was giving it to me. Rose pinched her braid, exasperated.

"I thought as much," she muttered, as if it were my fault.

"But you can learn to play it..."

"Thank you, but I like violins more," I said as politely as I could.

"Or a harp. If I were to learn an instrument, those would be my first choices." She made a strange choking noise that sounded remarkably contagious.

"Gah, tell me about being demanding!" She shook her head before digging through her bag again. This time, she produced a metal device. I immediately recognised it. Mum had one, though hers was much larger.

"A Recorder," I murmured.

"Not just a recorder, it can illuminate scenes too," she said.

"It has twenty-three whole songs recorded on it. Do you fancy this?" I nodded dumbly.

"Its too good a gift for you." She gave the device one last look and sighed.

"This is yours..." I reached out to take it, but she did not let go, clutching it tightly.

"This is yours," she repeated in a slow, deliberate tone, "only if you promise not to tell Eldest Sister about my... earlier actions." So that was the price. I nodded knowingly. Rose did not want me to snitch on her. I do want to see her get scolded by Mum... but twenty-three songs! My eyes darted to the device. Mum's recorder only had a dozen songs, and I did not even like half of them. I guess I can be kinder. Finally, Rose let go.

"So, do we have a deal?" I nodded.

"Should we shake hands?"