Chapter 29 - Sister

“Begin!” The judge’s voice rang out. He was a greying man whose posture and numerous scars on his exposed arms suggested a past spent in warfare.
Will and Tylus began circling each other cautiously, shields raised. Tylus was taller and had the longer reach, but neither boy seemed eager to commit first.
Finally, Tylus struck, aiming at Will’s thigh. Will tried to parry with his sword, but at the last moment, the other boy shifted his weight onto his back leg and changed the line of attack, aiming for Will’s exposed stomach. Before the blade could touch the leather armor, a wooden shield intercepted it. The boys jumped apart.
“Excellent! Will will gain a lot from this fight, no matter the outcome,” Sir Samwell commented enthusiastically.
“The most important thing is that he doesn’t get hurt,” Helia said under her breath.
“Helia, how many times do I have to tell you? Nothing will happen to him. You’ll spoil him like Riztor.”
By then, both participants had already exchanged a few probing strikes, all of which were either parried, blocked by shields, or simply dodged. Half the bouts had already ended, and most of the spectators were watching and commenting on the youngsters’ matches with interest.
Eventually, Tylus launched a relentless assault on Will, forcing the younger boy onto the defensive. Will retreated, carefully placing his feet, until they were nearly at the edge of the field. Then, not wanting to be pushed out, Will made a wider step to the side. Tylus, clearly waiting for exactly that, lunged forward and struck his exposed calf. The judge raised his hand, awarding a point. Will limped back toward the center of the circle.
“It’s fine, he’s okay,” the knight shouted over the cheering crowd, trying to calm his wife, whose hands had clenched tightly into the folds of her dress.
Tylus attacked again, hammering Will’s shield even harder. Will was clearly favoring his right leg, trying to take weight off the injured one. Once again, near the edge of the ring, he was forced to step aside.
Tylus swung a powerful diagonal strike toward Will’s thigh, expecting him to dodge the same way again. Will pulled his leg back at the last moment, shifted his weight, and drove forward with his shield.
His opponent was caught in a wide stance and failed to brace in time. The impact knocked him backward, and before he could recover, Will was standing over him with the tip of his sword at his throat.
Will let his sword fall and offered the older boy a hand. Tylus hesitated, then accepted the hand and pulled himself to his feet.
Sir Samwell glanced at his wife as he applauded. “See? He’s taken much harder hits in training. He was only pretending it hurt that much.” Then he turned back toward the arena. “Excellent!”
Arien smiled. Will had baited Tylus. The limp, the retreat, even the desperate defense had all been part of the plan.
“I did it!” the boy called as he ran up to them. “I wasn’t sure if I was overdoing it with the limping, but in the end I won!”
Will was grinning so broadly that Arien found himself doing the same. He knew how hard his friend had trained, which made seeing it pay off almost as satisfying as winning himself.
“We’re proud of you, son! Keep improving like this, and in two years you’ll beat everyone,” Sir Samwell said.
“You were great, Will. Shame you drew Tylus’s older brother next. Otherwise, you might have made the semifinals,” Kreft said.
“I’m tempted to try anyway, but Kreft is right. I don’t stand much of a chance. There’s no shame in surrendering.”
“Of course, son, there’s more than a three-year age difference between you. At this age, that’s a huge gap. But as a reward, you’ll be able to watch all the fights today and tomorrow,” Helia said, visibly relieved. “You’ll stay with Kreft. Your father and I have some matters to take care of in the city. Tomorrow morning, we’re heading back to the village. And Arien asked for a few hours to himself. He wants to visit his sister.”
“Oh, but you’ll come back, right? You absolutely have to see the adult fights. They use abilities and everything!”
“I will, I will. I won’t miss that kind of treat. Save me a seat.”

 
He found Sari waiting outside the arena gates, still in her apron, shielding her eyes against the sun.

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They wandered through the city together, occasionally stopping at stalls or stepping into shops to look around. Most people were already at the arena, leaving the streets much quieter than before. Women bargained with merchants over their daily shopping, while children ran errands or chased one another between the stalls.
“Did the musicians bring you all the way to Ribenne?” Arien asked.
“Yes. I offered to help around their camp if they took me with them.”
“You never planned to stay with them?”
Sari shook her head. “I only needed a way out of Three Meadows. They left Ribenne the next morning.”
“And then Lady Vylda took you in?”
“Not immediately. I spent a few days looking for work first.”
A group of children rushed past them, laughing as they chased one another between the stalls. Sari watched them disappear down a side street.
A short while later, they stopped to buy grilled vegetables on sticks. Sari nodded toward another group of children farther down the street.
“Don’t you ever want to run around and play like them?”
“I know I’m weird, but no,” he replied. “I like peace. I like learning. And I like imagining all the places in Erador I might see someday.”
“I wish I were a boy. At least you’re allowed to dream,” Sari said in a quiet, somber voice.
Arien almost argued, but stopped himself.
He wanted to tell her she could dream too, but he knew what she meant. Back in Three Meadows, everyone had already decided what her life should look like long before she was old enough to choose for herself. Marriage, children, a household. In their village, there were few ways for a girl to choose anything else.
“I’m sorry, Arien, I didn’t mean to ruin the mood,” Sari said quickly, forcing a smile. “It’s just that we were talking so well, like you were my age, not a little kid. And don’t think I’m jealous of you. You have no idea how happy I am that you learned to read and write.”
“I’m just glad nothing happened to you and that you found a safe place. I was worried, and I know the rest of the family was too, even if they showed it strangely. Besides, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”
“I’m fifteen. Most girls my age are already married or promised. I have no land, no money, and I can hardly go home and pretend none of this happened. Most of my Skills are household work.”
“So what? You know more than you did a year ago, and you can do more. That has to count for something. Isn’t that what Levels and Skills are supposed to show? Maybe you don’t know where you’re going yet, but you’re not standing still.”
“That’s… very wise. By the gods, are you sure you’re five?”
“Well, you had your time on the pasture to think while watching over cows. Probably spent whole days poking their dung with a stick,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “First one to reach that lantern buys the next skewer!”
He shouted and ran before his furious sister could land a blow on him.
“Thank you, Arien,” she said some time later, finishing her skewer. Unfortunately, his short legs had betrayed him, and even the head start hadn’t been enough. His savings had been cut in half.
“You could at least share. Remember, I’m still growing.”
“You deserved it,” his sister laughed. “But I meant something else. I don’t regret running away, but life among strangers isn’t easy. Thank you for not condemning me.”
“I know why you left. I don’t blame you for that.” She relaxed slightly, but her expression changed when he continued. “You never sent a word. For a year, I didn’t know if you were alive.”
“I was afraid they would make me return,” she whispered. “And later… I didn’t know how to explain why I had waited so long.”
Arien was still angry, but her shoulders had started trembling.
“I’m not angry that you left,” he said quietly. “I’m angry that you let me think I’d lost you.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice broke. She sank against the fence, wrapping her arms around herself, and Arien crouched beside her. A moment later, she leaned into him and began to cry.
They sat like that for a long time, drawing occasional glances from passersby, but Arien didn’t care.
“I feel like all I do is apologize to you. This probably wasn’t how you imagined your first visit to Ribenne,” she said once she had calmed down, rubbing at her reddened eyes.
“It’s better than I expected. And don’t worry about the village. Maybe you’re the black sheep of the family, but the golden boy spending his days at Sir Samwell’s estate has brought us back into favor.”
“Yes, that sounds like our lovely Three Meadows,” she said. “Anyway, time’s running out and I have to get back to work. Lady Vylda is wonderful, but she doesn’t tolerate laziness. Make sure you come by tomorrow morning before the tournament.”
“I still can’t believe that an old woman who was peeling potatoes owns the entire tavern.”
“At least you had the sense to be nice to her. When I was on probation, I didn’t even know she was the owner. One day, she suggested I buy lower-quality ingredients at the market for the kitchen, and we’d split the savings fifty-fifty.”
“Let me guess. You negotiated your share up to three quarters, and she was so impressed that she hired you?”
He tried to dodge at the same time, but Sari’s hand found its mark. A light smack landed on the back of his head.
Arien rubbed the back of his head. How many points does she have in Agility?
Sari laughed, sounding more like herself than she had all afternoon. Arien felt better hearing it. Whatever had happened since she left, she had work, a room of her own, and people here who knew her.
As Arien approached the arena, the noise of the crowd grew louder. The next fights would allow Skills, which meant he was finally going to see what the stronger competitors had been holding back.
He could hardly wait.