1 It Begins

The sun crept between the spruce trees and shown through the windows of the orphanage. It was the time Elara always awoke. She didn't need the headmistress to wake her up like the rest of them, but that was a good thing today. She'd been counting down the days until she'd be considered an adult. Only four more to go.

The headmistress cracked the door quietly, so as to not wake the other two children that shared the room with Elara. Surprised, she turned to the door as the headmistress called her, "come, child, before the others hear us and wake up. I have something to give you." Elara raised one eye in confusion, but obliged nonetheless. Near-silently, she stood from her bed and left the room. "Come with me outside," she whispered to Elara. "I have a gift for you, and I don't want the children to see. It's very valuable."

Elara didn't like the sound of being given an expensive gift. Growing and living in the orphanage of a small village in the northern countryside had given her a strong minimalist way of doing things. She'd already began attempting a way to formulate a courteous way to turn down the gift, but she didn't have nearly enough time before they'd already began to squeeze through the slightly-opened front door. The headmistress turned quickly toward the adult-to-be and began rustling under the chest piece of her outfit, pulling out 2 gold coins.

Elara had been nearly frozen by this. It was more money than she'd imagined ever receiving at once. She regained her mental footing and spoke, "headmistress, I can't accept this. You know better than I do where this money should go. You could feed everyone in this orphanage twice over for a full month with this." The headmistress tilted her head slightly, and happily replied, "that's why I've already ordered the item to be made, and this is the payment for it. Surely you won't make this old, frail frame travel through the cold to the next village over, would you?" Elara felt very happy about being offered such a nice gift, though she hated how it felt like such a waste of good money. What made it worse is that, seeing as it was money owed, she couldn't refuse the gift; it was already half-given.

Elara, on the cusp of sneering, agreed to go and retrieve the gift. "Where am I heading to in Elpha? I know it's a surprise, but I at least need to know where I'm heading." The headmistress grinned a little wider and almost chuckled. "Your favorite place. The blade smith, of course. As if you'd want something from somewhere else." The irritation Elara felt faded away in an instant and was replaced with excitement. Her fists rose in front of her and she smiled with a reddened face, almost jumping in the air. "It's a sword, isn't it?! It's a sword, right?!" She half-yelled, causing the headmistress to promptly cover Elara's mouth with her hand. "Be quieter, child. You'll wake everyone up. I'm still gripping two gold coins out in the open." She immediately muttered an "oops," though muffled because of the hand over her mouth. "Now take these and hide them somewhere on you. Start getting ready now. I'm going wake the children up and set them about their tasks for the day. I want you to head off before everyone gathers outside." Elara wanted to say goodbye, but if she wanted to get back to the orphanage before dusk, she'd need to leave as quickly as possible. Elara remover the hand from in front of her mouth and nodded. She took the coins and slid them into the length of her boots and went inside to get her things and a pack for food. 'I can't believe I'm going to have a sword. I can finally stop practicing with the old throwaways from Elpha's barracks.' She smiled and exited as soon as she was ready. Practically dancing with excitement as she walked, her long story began, whether she had been prepared or not.