While I’m looking around with shiny eyes, Ela shies behind me, eyeing everything and everyone with naked anxiety. This small town bustles with a low hum of activity amidst a dusty road that winds its way through, giving you a clear view of the far southern gate. To our left, the sun hangs near its midday position. The temperature is a bit warmer in cities. They seem to be just a bit less cold than the countryside from my experience, not that I’ve left Tokyo too often. Whenever I have, it was mostly for the sake of going on school trips to other prefectures.

A couple of men work to load up a wagon near us with barrels they’re unloading from a building off to the side. Looks like the reverse of what I do for a living in Tokyo. They’re probably unloading some things from a warehouse to sell elsewhere. Noting the direction the wagon faces with its horse stamping impatiently on the dusty road, it seems apparent that they’re preparing to head up the road away from where we came in and out the southern gate. But that’s just my best guess.

Other interesting things were happening elsewhere too. Passing this row of buildings, upon reaching a cross street, vendors stood under canopies behind stacked crates, shouting out to prospective customers. Some of the people are dressed as roughly as me here, although my ragtag clothes probably label me as a vagabond, even though I’m a young woman. If I had a different body here, I could volunteer to help those men with loading their wagon and make a bit of money that way… 

Even now, maybe… Lifting an arm to shield my eyes from the sun, I look at my feeble-looking and too-graceful-looking arm. It’s a good thing I at least have these clothes to my name. Who knows what kind of people live in towns in a world like this.

From the style of construction here, I decide that their level is somewhat medieval but that it leans a bit towards an 1800s Earth-era vibe too, not that anyone wears cowboy hats or spurs on their boots, but the building and people’s clothes are old western-style, but feeling somewhat less like a European-style city, the kind of a city that I’d have expected to see in such a world. However, some of these could fit in those kinds of stories with their white painted picket fenced yards and balconies, while the rest have stone walls.

I don’t remember all that much from my first vision in Vayne’s body, but I’m sure this is the same town. The one where he visited the Adventurer’s Guild and picked up the job to kill some goblins in these mountains to take their heads back for gold.

Thinking about Vayne, he’s  probably already turned in those heads and collected his reward and sold my armor and sword for what he could get and most likely already got out of Dodge.

Turning towards Bret following behind us, I ask him, “Um… do you remember seeing Vayne today? How come the gate was being guarded?” 

Still holding his sword up towards the two of us, Bret asks his own question with a raised eyebrow, looking like he’s regretting going out on a limb for us, “You know that antisocial asshole, Vayne Windblade?”

Nodding, I sigh. Apparently he isn’t well-liked here. “Sadly, we did have the ‘pleasure’ of having met. Did he come here this morning or last night?”

With a nod, Bret shrugs. “Yeah. I heard something about that, but I didn’t see him personally last night. As for your other question, he’s probably the reason why we’ve tightened our security today. The most us guards heard is that he said something about goblins banding together in larger groups lately. Most likely scared the elder enough to set a guard on both gates.”

That asshole! Did Vayne say that to make it harder for me to get into the village right after he told me to head for this place? Did he play some kind of a joke on me? Or was he genuinely worried about the security of this town?

While thinking about why Vayne might stir up trouble here for me ahead of my own visit, visions of fires springing up among the houses fill my head with tall shadowy figures holding torches above their heads stalking through the town’s central roadway, slaughtering every human in sight. Blood flies everywhere to soak into firmly packed dirt, turning it a red mud while more and more of the houses take fire and people flee with the goblins hunting them down one by one until the last of the screams filling the air dies.

My heart racing, I clutch my head. Ela places her gentle hands on my shoulders and with a soft shake, she butts her head against mine. “Are you okay, Hana?” she asks me, looking into my eyes.

Nodding and gently touching Ela’s head and right ear, I respond, “I’m fine. When my village was slaughtered…” It wasn’t really mine, but I guess I’m Halima right now too. “I-I was terrified. Goblins filled the streets, burning every house in sight.”

Ela nods and leans down brushing her lips against mine in almost a kiss. “It’ll be alright. I’m with you, okay?” Turning bright red, she looks into my eyes with a warm smile. Why is she so supportive when we first met? Is she trying to trick me like Vayne?

Looking into her sincere eyes, I shake my head, dismissing my suspicions. There’s no way. She’s too gentle and sweet to want to hurt anyone, not even me. “I know how it’s like to have your home burned down too.” She says with a slightly trembling lip. “We’re both survivors. If we work together, we can make things better. I’m sure of it, Hana.”

Her too? Oh…

“I didn’t know beasties like you had your own villages.” Bret says, looking at the two of us with uncertainly. “Thought you all lived out in the wild, attacking good people and their villages. Maybe you’re remembering things wrongly.”

Ela, looking down, steps back, with her lips writhing. “I don’t do things like that… but some beastkin do attack humans. I’m sorry,” she says as though she has to apologize for things she hasn’t done.

“It’s okay, Ela. I trust you aren’t one of those.” Stepping forward, I take Ela’s hand and gently squeeze it. “Like you said, if we stay together, we can make things better.”

A tear leaks from one of Ela’s eyes and she smiles brightly at me, nodding. “Yes!”

“Turning my world upside down a mite aren’t you?” Bret laughs. “I guess it’ll be fine to give you two a place to stay until you get your feet under yourselves instead of an inn room that I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to afford. Just end up in the streets anyway. I expect you to get yourself jobs and become productive members of this town. I can understand why you’d come here for refuge. Pilgrim communities are totally undefended. Pilgrims sometimes show up like yourselves, but Haldor’s Stand hasn’t seen many stragglers since Mulga fell, or so Sir Mordet tells me. Those pilgrims don’t see the ax hanging over their fool necks until it falls. Sorry.” He looks at us, scratching his head. “No offense intended. We should get you settled in at my place and soon see if we can get you those jobs.”

“Thank you, Bret.” I beam at the young man with dark brown, almost sandy hair.

Ela continues to hide behind me, licking her lips. I look at her with a laugh. “Thank him.”

Fidgeting, Ela makes little whickering noises and finally mumbles, “Th-thanks.”

With a nod, Bret smiles and flushes. “Think nothin’ of it. No decent man would turn his back to a couple of nice girls in need.”

I hesitate and say, “... I already have something in mind for a job, Bret.” I smile more confidently. “I’ll become an adventurer.”

Bret’s eyes widen as he gesticulates with his sword. “No. Come off it! A weak-lookin’ girl like you couldn’t handle the stress and work implicit. Hell, even I couldn’t meet the requirements to get a license. What chance do you think you have?”

“...” My lips purse thoughtfully. He says he tried and couldn’t become an adventurer? But why? He looks plenty strong. His body is muscular, looking like he exercises every day to stay in good shape. My eyebrow raises questioningly as I ask, “What kind of requirements are you talking about?”

I vaguely remember something Vayne said about it, but nothing specific.

Bret shrugs and chuckles. “Might as well tell you. Anyone who wants to be an adventurer, a card-carrying member of the Adventurer’s Guild, you need to pass a physical fitness test, gain competencies in the use of weapons, at least one. Then you have to learn the basic utility magic. I struggled with that part.” Bret laughs lamely. “I have no latent magic skill, so even though I’m pretty good with my sword and fit, I’m still nowhere near as good with it as Sir Mordet, you see. He teached me all I know. But that ain’t all. You gotta have fifty silvers to your name to buy the damned thing. I saved all that a ways back, but spent it on other things once I found I was wastin’ my time.”

We stare at each other for a long moment and Ela breaks the silence, tugging on my baggy shirt, “Why do you want to be an adventurer, Hana?” Ela asks softly, fidgeting anxiously. “We should run south out of the mountains, but… but the villages get bigger and bigger down there and all of them are full of…” Ela bites her lip.

Bret blinks at Ela’s imploring words. “You seem as anxious about humans as we are about your kind.”

Ela makes more soft eeeee noises under her breath. “Um… I once… thought that we could coexist, but things just keep getting worse!”

“Coexist with the beastkin? You’re kidding, girl. You’re all…” Bret shakes his head.

“No! Don’t say such cruel things to Ela.” I interrupt Bret, seeing Ela draw away from Bret with her eyes filled with tears. “Whatever her kind is supposed to be like, she seems just like any normal human to me. Cuter and gentler, maybe. Don’t you think so?”

Bret looks at Ela thoughtfully and scratches his head with a lame laugh. “You got me there. I don’t know why everyone’s so riled up about the beastkin if they’re all like Ela here. …Ah, back to the original subject, I don’t think you should train to be an adventurer.”

Turning my eyes to Ela I smile warmly. “I didn’t answer your question. Like you said, things keep getting worse, right? I could run and hide from things, but that’s not what I’m meant to do. No one gets anywhere without hard work.” I pat Ela’s head and look at Bret with determined eyes. “If my body’s weak, I’ll train until I’m strong enough to match you, Bret, and then I’ll come after Sir Mordet after that. It will hurt, but I’ll surpass you both and I’ll even learn how to use magic and by then I’ll have more than the entrance fee they want.” I clench my hand into a fist.

Bret stares at me, stunned by my declaration and laughs before raising his own fist and bumping his arm against mine. “For a girl, you’ve got some serious guts. I’ll do what I can to see to it that you pass their tests. I think Minne, the clerk here most days will take a liking to you too. Let’s get you introduced.”

Bret leads us up the central road shooting directly through the center of the town toward the adventurer’s guild, located past the vendors standing under their respective canopies. A few of these sharp-eyed marchants eye our group for a moment, but seeing our poor clothes, namely mine, their eyes slide past, clearly dismissing us as prospective customers. Their loud cries to other passing villagers fill the air, mixing with spontaneous birdsong as they tweet from their nests in rafters and other hidden spots the eye can’t readily discern. Their wares vary from weapons to armor, pouches, rope, various bottles of things neatly lined up in rows on wooden displays to saddles, foodstuffs and crafting supplies. 

The market, sprawling along a larger cross street, is small but lively and as we walk through the main junction here, some round number of an hour strikes and more people wander into the streets to buy from the market stalls. The wind whips around us, stirring up road dust to bite into the unwary eye and the air grows warmer with so many people around.

Bret shows us the way to a large sprawling building with a horse’s hitch in front, looking peculiarly familiar. The building is washed white, the facade cracked here and there, showing its age and casual maintenance. Our brown-tousled guard pushes open its large front doors and gestures for us to enter. Ela looks anxiously at the hitch for a moment as we pass it and scurries to hide on my other side, holding an arm. 

A rough-eyed man with a sword buckled at his hip walking through the door past us gives Ela a strange look as her ears twitch. He rubs at his chin thoughtfully and Bret’s eyes narrow as he quickly says, “That girl’s in my care. If you harass her, I’ll be forced to…”

“...to do what, Bret?” the man asks with a dry expression. “Arrest me for looking at a young thing?”

Bret frowns uncertainly and after a pause, he says, “...Even though looking isn’t a crime…” Ela quickly hides behind me, eliciting a laugh from the man who recently left the Adventurer’s Guild.

“I suggest you step carefully with this one in these parts. Others might not take kindly to her presence here in Haldor’s.” he says to Bret and moves on.

Others passing along the road whose attention were drawn to the confrontation eye Ela as well, but as gentle and docile she looks, even those who express outrage upon seeing her beastkin ears cool down with thoughtful expressions or simply dismiss the matter out of hand. Some shake their heads and only control themselves after recognizing Bret in his semi-uniform of fur-trimmed armor. 

We push inside the building quickly, finding the interior warmer than the street with its dust-stirring breezes. I wipe beads of sweat from my forehead and take a breath to calm myself. Ela swallows saliva, looking around anxiously and clinging as Bret gestures towards the main desk inside a somewhat large foyer serving the building and at a disinterested-looking receptionist woman sitting on a stool behind the large desk, reading something. The sight of her face and the place itself triggers memories of my visions of Vayne coming here. She looks up, adjusting her glasses with a blank expression, saying nothing.

Walking across to Minne, Bret finally sheaths his sword, breaking the ice by putting a gloved hand down onto the desk. “Hey, Minne. How have you been?”

Minne smiles faintly. “... Did you somehow learn how to use magic, Bret? You here to pay the fee and try for the license again?”

Bret stumbles at her mocking question. “No… I haven’t just magically learned something that’s been tripping me up for so many years… You know damn well I’m totally inept when it comes to magickal abilities.” He laughs deprecatingly aloud at his own joke.

With a polite laugh, Minne’s lips twist as she turns her eyes from Bret to me, and the seemingly ever-nervous-looking Ela clings to me. “Ah, a beastkin… But, I don’t have any tickets asking for live beastkin, not that you could take any commissions. Hah… we’ve a few requests for ears and tails, actually. If I was you, I’d look after this girl. The guys downstairs might decide to eat her alive.”

Ela’s eyes widen and she lets out a soft whickering eeeee noise and her ears droop. She reaches up to grab them and her eyes widen and she appears to focus hard, her eyes narrowing and her body becoming tense as they merge with her hair.

“That’s the wisest thing to do.” Minne smiles approvingly and turns back to Bret. “I hope that you’re not here to kill her in front of me, right?”

“Ugh… old Haldor forbid,” Bret says, palling as he clutches at his head. “...we’re not here for little Ela here’s sake. It’s for this other young woman here.” He reaches back, clapping his arm down onto my shoulder in a firm grip. “Her name is Hana, she says. She wants to…”

“I’ll introduce myself, Bret.” I say firmly, interrupting with a bow, almost hitting my head on Minne’s desk. “My name is Hana and I want to become an adventurer. I’m not much right now. If I still had my… um… anyhow… no matter, I’ll work my ass off to become an adventurer. No matter what I have to do, I will work and fight and earn the right to be called an adventurer.” I raise my head and look Minne in the eye.

She gazes at me for a long moment with the same blank expression and finally laughs softly. “You’re quite the dreamer, aren’t you? But everyone has the right to train to become an adventurer. I’ll judge whether you’re worthy of the license and I’ll be watching you with interest, particularly after giving such a bold self-introduction.”

Bret laughs lamely and Ela whickers softly, looking at me as though she’s certain that I’m crazy.

Bret finally finds his words again, “... erm, I’ll train her and show her everything I know. Maybe Sir Mordet will take her further along and I hope that you’ll find it in your heart to help her out here and there.”

Rubbing her brow above her glasses, Minne thoughtfully tilts her head. “Bret, it would be unfair to give her such an edge over other prospective adventurers. I’m not an adventurer myself, as you know. I just judge whether a license should be awarded, nothing more.”

“But… after you tried to teach me the basics of using magick, you…” Bret mutters.

“They’d all riot, Bret, and a few that were lined up for the license at the same time as when you were taking the exam filed complaints about ‘showing favor’ when I wasn’t willing to part with my personal time on their sorry arses.”

“I’m honored that you did that for my sake, Minne. I just regret that I wasn’t able to.” Bret’s lips twist regretfully.

“It’s water under the bridge.” Minne shrugs. “You had every other qualification. Ahem…” She coughs. “Back to the subject, I think I can only offer her a token gesture of support.” Reaching under her desk, she pulls free a sword with a scabbard that was cleared of most of its rust in a bit of an effort of restoration. “This is what I think of an entry-level sword. I call it that, because it was so damaged when it was brought in by an adventurer that it can’t be called anything else without paying for a full restoration. Not knowing this sword’s history, in the end all that matters is that it will kind of cut things.” She laughs softly.

“Poorly.” Bret reaches out and lifts the sword with a frown. He tests the edge with his thumb and laughs. “It’d take a firm arm to do much with this.”

“Take it or not. I don’t care which.” Minne says dismissively.

I put my hand on the hilt of the sword and nod resolutely at Minne. “Thank you. Only a fool turns down a gift.” I bow my head again, humbly.

Minne’s lips spread in a warmer smile and she responds professionally saying, “Use it to train with Bret here. You can make some money for the admission fee around the town and buy better gear from the vendors. I’ll give you a last thing, given how good natured you are: but a piece of advice. Don’t fall prey to the hawk-eyed vendors when they take notice of you. They’ll bargain meanly and you’d best learn how to haggle well enough by then. You can’t rely too much on this good boy here’s goodwill and charity. I’m not sure what all he intends towards you, but I wish you good luck.” She sets the sword down onto the desk and lifts the papers she was reading, clearly dismissing us.

Holding my new rusty sword, I offer Minne another bow that she doesn’t seem to notice. In my head I almost hear a corny jingle like when you acquire a new item in a video game. Given that I hadn’t heard such a sound in my head when I opened the chest holding the more valuable sword and armor with rose crests on them, I decide that my mind is playing silly tricks on me. That truly would have been the perfect moment for the fanfare of a treasure acquired. I laugh softly as we leave the Adventurer’s guild.

While showing us out from the guild, Bret leads the way along a nearby street to another and up that one beneath shady boughs of trees growing in the flanking yards. Cradling my sword in my arms, I grumble a little about its condition. At least it seems to be in better condition than Halima’s grandfather’s sword was, though it decidedly has less style. This one will be better to learn with.

At this moment, I face reality and mentally say goodbye to my shiny, but simple armor and that sword that would have made me look far better, being a set. 

If this dream was a game, maybe it would have had some kind of a set bonus used in tandem. Oh well. I shrug.

After much walking, Bret shows us the way to a small house with a simple garden that reminds me a little of Halima’s mother’s. Unlike that homey pilgrim’s abode, this house doesn’t have a small functional garden with fruit-bearing trees and bushes with various vegetables growing for a supplementary food supply. This particular garden does have a great deal of charm. It’s clear that it exists purely for the sake of decoration. 

Turning my attention to the house, I consider its construction. There are some similarities to how this house was built compared with Halima’s mother’s. The roof feels like it has a similar design and the trimming strongly resonates. Most of the other pilgrim’s homes had a different kind of a feel from this, making her house stand out a bit among them.

Bret opens his front door and gestures for us to enter with a flourishing bow that’s clearly western. Looking around, I take in the sight of a simple unlit home, but notice that unlike Halima’s cottage, it’s partitioned. Dark doorways lead into a hallway and a few separated rooms. The living space has a strange sofa-looking piece of furniture in the center with simply carved and polished tables decorated with assorted knick-knacks. The whole place is constructed of bricks or stone with wood trimming to make the space feel warmer. Above, there are hardwood rafters, steepled high above, creating a vaulted ceiling. To the left is a kitchen with a huge hearth. Sooty-looking half-consumed logs rest in it with the remnant of ashes spread across the front and inside and several dirty pots stand around it, left over from some kind of a recent meal.

Taking note of my interest in his kitchen, Bret says, “I’ll expect you to help with cooking duties,” his tone more hopeful, less a command. “Dare I hope that you’re a better cook than I?” He laughs lamely. 

In the center of the kitchen space is a large wooden table or a trestle with chairs around it and a small counter space along the wall.

“I’ll help you get things cleaned up and it’ll stay that way,” I say firmly. “I can cook… but my recipes… I don’t think much of what I know will translate well here.”

Bret sighs and grins. “Why do you think so?”

“I think the ingredients wouldn’t be easy to get… they might not even exist… um… around here.” I frown.

“Ah, I see. I thought perhaps my kitchen was too humble. Too much to hope for, thinking a couple of lovely ladies would offer more than my very meager efforts at repasts. My ma always told me it’d help me in the future if I paid more attention, but in retrospect, I regret my refusal.”

“I’m sorry.” I murmur. “I will do what I can to help, but there are things that I’ll need to learn.” I eye the medieval hearth with a wry chuckle.

“No, it’s alright, if you’re not comfortable toilin’ in my kitchen.” Bret nods understandingly. “I very much appreciate your offered help with cleaning. There’s another thing you can help with. We’ll need to fetch water now and again from the wells. That can be either a solo or communal thing. Between the three of us, we’ll need to draw extra. It’s something that we do pretty much every morning, ‘cept for the lucky sods that have cisterns.”

“Sounds like hungry work.” I grin at Bret, looking forward to the physical release. “But that’s right up my alley.”

Ela gives a little eeeee noise and licks her lips. “I… I can help with the water too and prepare food for us. I know how to cook at a hearth, but it’s been a few years since I used one. I don’t cook meat, so you’ll have to teach me how. Eeee… It’s been a long time since I’ve cleaned a house too, but I think…”

I smile brightly at Ela and taking her hands, I squeeze them.

I had a feeling that she would have hidden talents. I wonder if she can fight? But looking at her docile face, I shake my head, dismissing the idea. It would be hard to imagine her in battle.

“Great!” Bret exclaims, clapping his hands together, grinning eagerly. “I’m saved after all! Go ahead and get settled in, you two. Oh… before getting ahead of myself, let’s decide on where you’ll be sleeping…”

Bret rubs his chin and I eye the strange sofa, wondering if the both of us would fit on it. Nah, I’ll sleep on the floor. No real man would…

“Ahhhh!” Bret nods. “I hesitated a moment since the room has some sentimentality value, but I think it would be best if you used my parents’ old room. It’s the only true obvious choice, really.”

Looking at Bret, I think about what he said, instantly feeling relieved, but I feel as though I’m missing something and I shouldn’t just accept without asking a question or two, “Thank you, Bret. That sounds better than what I had in mind, but… I’m sorry if I’m intruding on your privacy, but… can I ask a question?”

Bret looks at me questioningly and shrugs. “Go ahead. My parents aren’t dead or anything, if that’s what you were wondering about.”

“Oh…” I blush and laugh. “In that case, you’ve answered my question. Thank you. If they’re not dead, though…”

“Nothing bad, trust me.” Bret laughs, shaking his head and the corner of his lips twists, his eyes slightly sparkling with his amusement. “Truth is, as far as I know, my parents headed on down south to retire in safer villages down that way. I’ve always intended to take the time to go check up on them, and since I haven’t left these mountains my whole life, I don’t know much about the towns down there except for rumors, things I hear on the job. They mentioned one name, giving me a clue about their destination: Jenlyn’s Junction. Sounds kind of like the name of this time, a place where I grew up and now defend, Haldor’s Stand. Maybe that’s why they chose Jenlyn’s.”

“Oh…” I murmur politely, looking politely into Bret’s eyes. Ela mouths the name of this city or town and shivers.

Bret continues, barely abated, “At least for now, Alver’s heartland is relatively peaceful. Frontier cities like this one protects the south, that and the labor of the Adventurer’s Guild and local guards.”

“The heartland…” I look at Bret blankly, thinking about a big castle in the center of this country I know next to nothing of. “They don’t send help?”

“Nah. The guard’s enough to keep peace in these areas, ‘course the northern territories close to the border in the north are unprotected. Sidetracking aside, once my father retired and I took his place in the guards…”

Ela looks at Bret blankly and her feet shuffles and I smile wryly at her before fixing my eyes back on Bret as he says, “He thought about making a new life with mother and I sent them away with my blessings. Things just keep getting more dangerous, despite how well we’re handlin’ things. But… as the days pass, there’s more news of burned down villages all around while we live in near total security hereabouts, aside from the gobbie’s half-hearted attempts to break in once in a while. I ‘spose sooner or later we’ll have to abandon Haldor’s Stand, but since the King asks us to maintain stability in our part of the mountains, we’ll stay as long as its reasonable and fiercely defend her. The ‘good’ king doesn’t send us much help, though. Just inquires about how we’re doin’ now and again, sending a courier. It’d be shocking to see any soldiers at our gate.”

“You sounded certain at first that the guards would defend Haldor’s Stand no matter what, but then you talk like…” Ela whinnies uncertainly as I start to ask.

Bret shakes his head bitterly and holds up a hand to interrupt me. “Well, he expects us to give our lives up here for the sake of people we never saw down in the southern parts of the country, but we do it since it’s our national duty. I did say that things would work out, but there’s something worming around in my heart, making me anxious.”

“Well…” I cross my arms and tilt my head. “Why doesn’t the King send aid?”

Bret chuckles. “That information’s above my paygrade. I couldn’t say…” Bret begins to pace, thinking. “Probably the army’s occupied over in Hogsworth to the east of here, out from the mountains. The fightin’ is ‘sposed to be about as hot as things were during the Lapvian invasion of Mulga. There’s a detachment of proper soldiers and knights over in Hogsworth and they’re regularly reinforced, but they’re just the same as us, if a proper city without proper walls. They fight off attacks from the north, goblin attacks and at the same time guard against the denizens of the wild Feylands to the east, mischiefsome demonkin older than the ones in the north. Makes sense since all we have to worry about here is goblins that don’t try all that hard to get in, but they’re more than enough to worry about paired with the raidin’ of the beast…” He looks at Ela and swallows the rest of what he was going to say.

Turning away from us abruptly, he gestures for us to follow and we follow through a dark doorway and just inside, he lifts a candle, blows dust off it and uses a nearby set of flint and steel to light it with scraping and clicking noises. By candlelight, I see that there’s a window on the far side, facing the west with a sill choked with dust. Some light comes through, but with the sun not yet shining through it on this side of the house, the room is currently shrouded in shadows and that thin layer of dust. There’s a large bed with heavy posts, a stand beside it and another stand with a basin carved into it with an old pitcher set neatly next to it. There isn’t much to the place, but it’s something. Cobwebs cling in the corners of the ceiling, making the room feel a bit creepy. This room is in dire need of cleaning.

“Remember when I suggested that you should go to an inn first?”

“Mhm?” I ask, eyeing the cobwebs with distaste. How can I get at those things? I hope there aren’t any particularly nasty spiders around.

“I changed my mind when I saw how Ela here is.”

Ela blushes and scurries behind me, her cowlick quivering.

Bret barks an amused laugh and adds, “I have a bathtub too, although I don’t use it, myself. My mother loved it most, but it’s too big and heavy to take in the back of a wagon. She could have disassembled it with some expense, but she left it here even though she knows that I prefer to sponge bathe. Never much cared for the feeling of being fully immersed in water.”

“Are you a cat or something?” I roll my eyes. Do many other western men hate taking baths? Sniffing the air experimentally, I find that there’s no particularly offensive odor surrounding Bret. Nothing but a bit of a sweat smell.

“...Since I always had to fetch the water my mother needed for her bath every day, I guess as frequently as she liked to bathe, she probably made me the strong man I am today.” He flexes an arm, pushing up the muscle with a loud laugh.

I nod, thoughtfully and make a decision. “I’ll take a bath every day and I’ll draw the water myself, if you think it makes you strong. And you’ll bathe too, Ela.” I grin at Ela who looks a little more nervous at the suggestion of taking baths. 

“Eeeeeeeee…” She makes nervous little noises. Is she a cat too? “I always roll in the… I mean… um… swim in rivers and ponds. That’s good enough for me. You don’t need to take so much trouble for me, Hana.” She approximates one of my own bows at me. I laugh softly and pet her head and her ears spring free as she looks up at me with her shy eyes.

I find myself taken with Ela. I always dreamed of meeting a girl as cute as Ela… daydreaming, that is. As cute as Kairi, with her big lovely blue eyes that might be a match for Kairi’s come to think of it. The biggest difference is that Kairi’s eyes reflect a self-assuredness and confidence that sets her far out of my reach. Ela needs my protection or company at least, unlike the strong Kairi. I wonder when I’ll wake up. Will she be hovering over my bed, or am I just hoping that she would… I mean, it’s not like we’ve gotten to go on a date yet… but soon, I swear that I will make it the best date she’s ever experienced. 

Looking at Ela, I forget Kairi for a moment. What’s a healthy and probably too horny boy in a woman’s body to do when faced with such a cute face peering up at you through her thick lashes? This is just a dream….

*Bathump*

With a soft sigh and clearing my throat, I turn to Bret. He’s laughing and when my eyes meet his, he softly says to me, “I guess I can pitch in now and again in between water hauling and everything else I’d ask you to do. No good man would leave a girl, let alone two to do all the hard work for his lazy arse. I’ve probably been gettin’ a mite flabby ever since Mom left.”

“Idiot! You won’t deprive me of my training regimen!” I exclaim loudly. My plan to build muscle and get stronger will go out the window if Bret decides to be chivalrous with me! “No.” 

Bret winces at my final tone, but then something sparks in his eyes as he looks at me differently.

“We’ll be water-fetching rivals, then.” Bret insists with a fierce grin. I didn’t imagine that my first rival would be a guy who insists on getting water for my baths. Rivals can make you stronger too. Hmmm…  My own eyes start sparkling and I meet his fierce grin with my own.

It’s a place to start.