Ostos

Mellisent poked her head out of the carriage window as the gentle breeze swayed her hair with a few sun rays irradiating her amber eyes, in front of which even molten gold would wane in its lustre.

As their vehicle crept towards the village, all she could see were endless meadows. Veiled by numerous rudbeckia, oxeye daisies and daydreams, imparting a yellowish-white hue to the vicinity of the place.

Ostos was a distant, small and scarcely populated village, only catering to the basic needs of its citizens.

It was surrounded by meadows on all sides, with its eastern side further stretching into dense woodlands lined by a high mountain range.

Their carriage rode along the only sole route to the village's entrance. Mellisent descended the vehicle with her father as it stopped in front of the small, cemented, arched gate. They went along the main street, with a few people stealing glances at them.

Mellisent surveyed her surroundings, mentally noting that the current place was smaller than the last village they had resided in for five years of her life and was even colonised by fewer people.

They went to the only inn available to them, which was almost empty.

Seeing the pair of father and daughter entering the inn, the owner rushed towards them with a genuine smile gracing his wrinkled face.

"Good afternoon, Sire; how may I help you?" asked the owner with a slight bow and eyes teeming with eagerness.

"I would like to reserve a room for a few days in your place; for now, please arrange water for bathing and a light meal for two," replied Demitri to the middle-aged man.

"Sure, Sire," said the man and turned around while he beckoned for a young worker. He instructed the same to the worker, who left with a circle of keys to arrange for the same.

The owner again turned around and genteelly said to Demitri, "Pardon, Sire, but it will take a while for the arrangements to be made, as not frequent to this village. Meanwhile, you can state the exact duration of your stay, and we can discuss the payment. It might be a tiresome journey for you and your daughter; you can take your luggage and make yourself at ease in the waiting area."

"That will do for the meantime," said Demitri as he, along with Mellisent and their luggage, inched towards the side room.

Demitri led Mellisent to the place and made her sit on a rugged wooden bench while he kept their baggage items by her side.

"Rest here, my child; I shall briskly return after discussing our stay in this place with the owner," said Demitri while stroking her ear.

"That's okay, father; I will wait for you patiently," assured Mellisent as her orbs began to study her surroundings.

It took them about half an hour to eventually approve the expenses for their room and services.

Soon, the worker returned after commencing all the preparations and requested Demitri to follow him in the direction of their assigned chamber.

"I shall meet you ever and anon as I have some queries regarding this place. I hope you will provide me with the necessary information and cater to our needs till our stay in your place," said Demitri with a slight bow and moved to pick up his daughter and their luggage.

"Rest assured, Sire, I will be available at your services at any time of the day!!" exclaimed the owner from the back, with his head bowed at an angle of ninety degrees.

After making themselves comfortable in their room and having a refreshing bath, Mellisent and Demitri arrived at the dining area situated on the ground floor of the inn.

They had a hefty buffet of - lamb soup with cream-filled puff pastries along with fresh fruits and a variety of side dishes.

Demitri went straight for the inn's keeper with Mellisent, who was munching on some fruity candies after a fulfilling meal.

"Do you need something, Sire?" asked the innkeeper as Demitri came to stand before him.

"Yes, I wanted to ask for the way to the village magistrate's office as I have to discuss owning a small residence in this place," requested Demitri politely.

"Are you new to this place, Sire? Well, I've never encountered you before, so that must be the case. Surely well, I can lead you the way," replied the owner.

"Yes, we are new to this place; it will be a great help on your part if you can show us the path," said Demitri, though he lied about being a novice to this village as he had visited this place once in his youth.

He keenly listened to the owner's directions. After bidding farewell to the innkeeper, the pair of father and daughter went for the magistrate's office, with Demitri securing some legal documents inside his robe.

Though the village was an isolated one; however, its streets were well constructed with sturdy stones and mud.

The villagers' houses were made up of quality wood as the place was known for its timbre due to the presence of nearby forestlands.

They made their way across the small marketplace, bustling with the villagers. Mellisent asked several questions about the place with her eyes twinkling while Demitri answered her questions patiently.

After passing through several streets, they eventually arrived at their destination.

Demitri conversed with the two guards guarding the office's door, stating his explanation to an urgent audience.

After a thorough inspection and having been granted permission from the magistrate, the guards allowed him to enter the place with Mellisent by his side.

"Good afternoon, may I ask the pretext for a dire meeting?" asked the magistrate as he looked over the documents displayed on his mahogany desk while securing the string of his monocle.

"Well, good afternoon, Sire; I would like to have a conversation regarding..........

.....," explained Demitri, his entire situation, of how he was an ordinary merchant who bid farewell to his profession and now wanted to settle in this village with his daughter while securing a new occupation.

It took a maximum of an hour for the entire meeting to come to an end.

The magistrate validated the authenticity of their tokens, Demitri's previous line of work and the identification documents, which he secured over the course of the last five years.

Ultimately, the magistrate registered their names as Herbert and Mellisent Aquis in the village registry and agreed to comply with Demitri's request. He promised to assign them a far lonesome abode, situated a bit on the outskirts of the village, near the lush meadows.

During the entire conversation, Mellisent carefully observed the magistrate's demeanour and how the subtle changes prevailed on his face, associated with differences in pitch and tone.

She mentally noted down to make use of this discussion in mastering the art of dialogue as her father was himself not much of a conversationalist.

After exchanging pleasantries, Demitri exited the office with Mellisent.

They traversed through the village premises engaging in small exchanges with the commoners as they went along the way in the direction of the caravan.

They resided in the inn for about three days, after which they finally moved to their designated abode.

In the meantime, Demitri secured his new employment as a carpenter in someone's wood shop, while Mellisent essayed to become familiar with their neighbourhood and the villagers.

************

It was the dawn of the tenth day since Demitri and Mellisent began to dwell in their new home.

Two silhouettes, one larger and another a smaller one, could be vividly seen, swinging their limbs in varied directions.

"Keep your posture straight!!!... No, not like this!! Yes, this is far better!! Have some strength in your forearms!! ... Keep your sword unbent!" instructed Demitri while correcting Mellisent's stance with a wooden stick.

"This is how you will take a step to becoming a warrior!! Yes, just like this, move your arms back and forth!! Swing your sword long circular motion!!! That's like my brave and strong daughter!" he encouraged Mellisent while aiding her in their daily routine.

"I understand, father!!! Yes, I will become a warrior!" said Mellisent with a sword in her hands while huffing and sweating profusely.

"Am I now doing it right, father?" asked Millisent as she tried to fasten her pace.

"No, not this fast!! Take it easy! Slowly! Did you forget what your father told you once? Slow and steady wins the race," said Demitri as he lightly struck her leg with the stick.

"Ouch!! Father! What are you doing? I understand! I understand!" exclaimed Mellisent while grumbling as she managed her gait.

After an hour, as the sun graced the grounds with its pristine morning rays, Demitri asked for Mellisent to cease her training and beckoned her to move back to their house.

In the last few days, they started a new phase in their lives.

Demitri began to train Mellisent arduously in the wee hours of the morning, away from the prying eyes of the villagers in the areas extending from the backyard of their dwelling.

He worked as a typical carpenter throughout the day while Mellisent either stayed by his side or kept herself busy with the villagers.

They created a picturesque image in the mindset of the villagers as a perfect pair of father and daughter. They were bent on abiding by the laws set by the administration, while their peers were oblivious to the secret activities being performed in the veil of early morning.

Demitri took a concluding glance at their surroundings, ensuring the security of their activities before he began to trace her daughter's footsteps.

********

The leaves changed their colours from vivid green to brown, passing through varied hues as the seasons came and passed by—the flora of the woods altered along with the perpetual atrocities of nature.

The wheels of time rotated, and just like that, twelve years passed.