Winter Nights

As pristine snow fills the banks of the city streets, lined sparsely by bright candlelight posts, I take a deep breath of the cold winter air, allowing my lungs to reach their maximum capacity. The falling snowflakes caress my cloak like a mother lays her hand on a newborn. The hood of my cloak shields my face from the light, giving me anonymity within the setting sun's darkness.

I had finally returned to the kingdom's capital city, Mapelpoint. I soon approached my haven from the freezing air. A breath escaped into my dirt-stained hands as I rubbed them together to warm them. As I push the door ajar, I meet the smell of warm food and chilled ale. I then take my seat at the bar as patron's voices at a far table in the corner come to a full crescendo. The barkeep slides his way to where I sit with a rag, wiping away the water beads from the clean, damp mug. 

"So, what do we have today, Farrin? The Usual?" the man says with a smile.

"Yup, the usual," I say as I slide two bronze coins his way.

The barkeep takes his payment, making his way farther behind the bar. As I wait, my attention turns to the gallery of fools in the far-off corner. 'It seems your luck has finally ended!' A man exclaims with a tint of reddish-pink running from one cheek to the other. The dirty man raised his mug in what seemed to be a toast.

The table they were sitting at was littered with empty cups, loose gambling chips, and many playing cards strewn across in a disorderly fashion. One man, in particular, stood out among the rest. The man had long raven black hair pulled back into a half ponytail resting from his face. Due to the density of the well-populated inn, it was challenging to get too good of a description of the group without making myself stand out. 

The barkeep soon returned with a small bowl of rabbit stew and a fresh mug of honey-drop ale. As he placed tonight's supper on the bar, he gave me a subtle look of concern.

"Y'know, there's more to the menu than stew, right?" The barkeep slung the previous rag over his shoulder as he leaned against the bar with his elbow on the table.

"I can't seem to find a better rabbit stew anywhere in the capital besides this hole in the wall you call Hog's Rest.

"Well, ya ain't lying there; it IS ma' great grandmother's recipe. Y'know sh…"

Before the barkeep could finish his sentence, Farrin cut him off with a sigh. "Yes, yes, I know. She had to smuggle the recipe over the border in a shoe box. However, on a much more important note. What's with that group in the corner?"

I gestured to the barkeep with a quick flick of my eyes at that corner side table. The barkeep leaned in, keeping his words between him and myself.

"I think most of um' with tha' Black Hand gang. Tha' ladies' eyes in this joint been eye fucking all over the ponytail dude over in tha' corner." The barkeep responded with a light chuckle.

As the barkeep and I continued our chat, I heard a sudden smack from that table. One could feel the energy of the room change as all the inn's eyes were on that table. Then, a woman stood and furiously grabbed her bag from the chair's side. She spat in the shorter thug's cup and stormed out of the inn. I watched her put on her cloak in a rage next to the lamppost outside. The barkeep had walked off serving other customers, leaving me to write my nightly brief in my favourite inn. This particular inn had piqued my interest since I arrived in the capital. I came to this inn for much more than just a good rabbit stew and my choice of ale. The inn always gave me a rush of nostalgia. It reminded me of the inns in my village. As I write my mission brief, I reminisce about my time before joining the Jadefall Faceless Shadows.

I dream as if it were my 16th birthday approaching; my nerves were a wreck then. I was more than aware my parents would likely enroll me at Providence Military Academy because it's the most prestigious academy in the kingdom. Being the capital's most prestigious academy, I knew the entrance exams would be difficult. Many of our neighbours said my fraternal twin Corpus was the brawn, and I, Farrin Vaelinwood, was always more of the brain.

I was never sure if they meant it to be a compliment, but even still, I can't wholly disagree with them. Corpus was always more physically domineering than I. Not to say I wasn't physical, but while I wasn't always in the first place, I still won my fair share. However, when it came to weapons training, I always reigned supreme. Both Corpus and I were blessed in our upbringing. Both of our parents were masters in their fields with extensive combat experience.

My mother, Kozra Vaelinwood, is a retired Paladin in the Order of Tower and Sword in our country of Conderith. She had finished her career as a Grand Collar King's Paladin, second in command of the King's entire 3rd Cavalry Brigade, before sustaining a career-ending injury to her knee. My father, Fennelis Vaelinwood, derives from a long line of members of the most recognised, world-class elite archers, The Elven Ranger Corps. He was a ranger who had fought in the Hundred Years ' War. Approximately five years before I was born, the war had ended. King Afonso V had conquered most of the continent before reaching a peace treaty with the elves. Most humans deemed elves the scum of society and looked down upon the ones remaining in human territory. 

Corpus' decision to follow our mother's path of becoming a knight was no shock to the rest of the family. He and our mother would always spend countless hours studying the sword. As the days passed, testing day crept closer and closer; my days of continuous ranger training ground to a halt as I threw myself into my studies. After a while, all the days blended into one, and exams were upon me. That… is when I met the faceless. After my walk down memory lane, I finished writing my report on my mission's success.