"LIORE!"
I sink deeper into the mattress as my name is called, invoking me like a spirit from a grave that wishes nothing more than to be left alone.
"WAKE UP!"
My body feels as though it shrivels up when the cold air hits it, curling like a drying worm. The bed covers violently ripped away from me, exposing my vulnerable body to the elements. The frigid air pierces through my skin and weakens me. My blood turning to ice and threatening to shatter at any sudden moment.
"Oh, quit being such a baby!"
How can she be so cruel to me? Can she not see that I am suffering? A groan of agony escapes from my lips as I weakly reach a hand up towards the heavens. Begging to be set free from this cursed affliction!
"Get out of bed, or you can forget getting that last slice of that pie Teovar gave us at your party."
Before she can even finish that sentence, I am already rolling out of bed and onto my feet. My cheeks inflate in a pout before a yawn quickly overpowers it. "Okay, okay, I'm up." I manage to mumble while moving across my room to find my underclothes, tossing my nightgown to the side.
I can feel Mama's stare boring into the back of my head while I'm searching through my dresser.
"For someone who practically begged to be part of the patrol last year, you certainly don't seem that energetic about it now." She remarks from behind me. And when her tone changes, I know for certain that she's smirking. "You've only been doing it for three days, and you're already sick of it, aren't you?"
My face scrunches up at that, and I whirl around with my brows pinched inward to glare at her and that smug smile on her face. "I am not! I'm enjoying it!" I bark back, sliding a tunic over myself a bit haphazardly in frustration. "I'm just tired from all the hard work," I state as confidently as I can muster with my brain still half asleep.
Mama, who is already in her work clothes, steps in to help with my tunic after it gets stuck in my hair. She unsticks and tugs it down over me as she chuckles. "Ain't as exciting as you thought, though, is it?"
I open my mouth to respond, but it quickly shuts. Because unfortunately, she isn't exactly wrong. "I—I like it. I like doing patrols and stuff." I grumble as I retrieve a pair of work trousers and start tugging them on. "It's just the parts where I stand in one spot for hours and hours…"
My shoulders slump as a heavy sigh deflates me. My trousers only half buttoned. Staring at a spot on the floor with a bit of dejection.
It's been a week since my birthday party and for the last three days, just as Thorpe promised, I've been officially made a member of the village guard. I started doing shifts with them off and on from dawn to late at night. It's pretty great to finally feel like I'm contributing to the village and not just training more. Of course, I still have way more training to do but that'll be alongside a more stable position.
Leone did this for a while as well during his training with Thorpe. It makes me feel closer to him a bit, despite him being so far away from us.
Patrolling is great, but that doesn't happen as much as I'd like. A lot of the time, I'm just standing in one spot and watching people go about their business for hours on end. And it gets really boring really quickly, which has made me dread my shift ever so slightly. And I hate feeling like that.
But I also hate standing still for so long even more. It bugs me to no end. I want to be moving around, jumping, running, and climbing! Hunting for dangers and keeping people safe. Because all I feel like I do is stare creepily at everyone.
Mama is right, though, that kind of is the job. So I need to stop being a baby about it. I wanted a serious job in the village and that's what I got. So I need to take it seriously. No one said it was going to be fun, persay.
Mama watches me from the corner near the door while I finish dressing. She herself is dressed up for work as usual. Her hair is still in box braids, which she'll keep for a few weeks before taking them out. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she is staring at me rather intensely. A look that makes me a bit uncomfortable. Once I've got my gambeson on and I'm closing it up, I raise a brow at her. "Something wrong, Mama?"
The tall [Farmer] woman stares for a moment longer before approaching me, suddenly grabbing me by the shoulders and standing me up straight. She places a hand on the top of my head and then moves that hand to her upper chest at the same level. "Oh! You've hit a growth spurt, dove." She smiles, placing that hand back on my head to rub it through my hair.
My brows furrow at that. But now that she mentions it, my room does feel slightly smaller than usual. And I can see the tops of Mama's shoulders without her bending over. "Oh. Wow. When did that happen?"
She giggles at my question. "Likely throughout the last few weeks. Just didn't notice it until now. I swear you were up to my abdomen at your birthday party but I may have been mistaken. You were slouching a lot, to be honest." She teases at the end before she frowns and her lip quivers. "My baby girl is growing up."
Mama grabs me into her strong arms and squeezes me tightly against her. And at this moment I had forgotten just how strong she is as she nearly squeezes the air out of my lungs. My arms are pinned to my sides as she lifts me with ease and rocks me back and forth. "Um, Mama. You're hurting me." I manage to squeak out while she squeezes the life out of me.
She sighs and reluctantly lets me go, wiping some stray tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her work tunic. "Sorry, dove. I've just been getting so emotional seeing you growing up so much. It does good for a mother's soul, but it makes my heart break as well." She admits, one of her hands coming down to pet my cheek. Which I join with my own, clutching onto her hand tightly.
But her expression turns a bit awkward as she pulls back to stand up straight. Her eyes searching me over again. "Although. I truly have to apologize. It really does seem Leone made off with all of my height genes."
And just like that, my shoulders slump, and the corners of my mouth tug down. "Yeah. I know. I've pretty much come to terms with that already." I state, despite the dejection I am obviously feeling.
Mama pats me on the back and gives me a sympathetic smile. "You'll fill out in other ways. You're already packing on muscle like your Mama." She says as she gives my bicep a good grip. "Now enough dawdling. I've got a quick breakfast in the kitchen for you and then off you go."
I nod and smile a little at the mention of the muscles I've been building up. "Yes, Mama." I finish up securing my gambeson before swiping by the kitchen. And after scarfing down the bowl of porridge and bacon, I slide into my boots and break out onto the village road. Giving a few waves to my neighbors as I pass by.
Once I'm over the east bridge, Mrs. Bennett's smithy comes into view. I can already hear the early morning clang of her hammer against the anvil.
Jogging up to the open-air section of the smithy to see the burly red head already hard at work on shaping out a scythe blade. "Morning, Mrs. Bennett. Sorry to bother, are my swords done?"
She looks up from her hammering and smiles as sweat drips down her brow. "No apologies needed, dear. Your hunk of steel and your sidearm are over there by the spears. All nice and sharpened up." She replies with a cock of her head towards it. "Can't do much else for the big one. The old thing is reaching the end of its life."
And immediately my heart sinks. "What?" I mutter, moving over quickly to where my broadsword and the new shortsword are. A rack of spears that the [Guards] use is up on the wall next to the door leading into the smiths home. My weapons leaned against the wall beneath it. I grasp onto my broadsword and unsheath it. The wide blade has been polished nicely, and the edges are sharpened to a fine point. I can see a few old scratches and the like, but nothing detrimental at first glance. "It—it looks fine to me?"
The [Blacksmith] frowns sympathetically as she continues to hammer at the tool head she is shaping out. "It's not real obvious. But we smiths can see damage and imperfections that others can't. And that oversized lug has some pretty severe ones." She explains, lifting the scythe head with the tongs to look it over. Once she seems satisfied with the shape, she walks it over to the forge and slides it in. "That weapon has definitely been through the wringer far before you got it, dear."
I grip the hilt more lightly, suddenly afraid that it might shatter in my hands. Turning my head to give the burly woman a pleading look. "Can you fix it?"
The [Blacksmith] tosses off her heavy work gloves and makes her way over to me. Almost looking like she's about to kneel down, but stops herself and places her hands on her hips instead. A brilliant smile on her face. "Oh my. Someone's gotten taller."
I blink at that comment, scanning her over from head to toe before realizing that I'm almost the same height as her. Still a couple of inches shorter, but certainly close enough to notice. "Oh…" I mutter, clearing my throat a little. "Yeah, Mama noticed too. But still not as tall as her, so it was hard to notice."
The smith chuckles. "Aye. She is quite the towering figure. But you got too much of your papas' genes in you." She shakes her head and offers some faux sympathy with a playful smirk. "You poor thing. Truly, a titan kept restrained."
A smile creeps a bit onto my lips at the teasing. But I hug my sword tighter against my chest as if it might float away.
Mrs. Bennett sighs gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Nothing lasts forever, dear. And this beast of yours has certainly run its tenure. I'm not expecting it to snap in half anytime soon, but I wouldn't be surprised if it cracks." She gives my shoulder a squeeze and turns back to her work. "So no stressing. It'll hold its own for a good while still."
I nod a bit reluctantly. The worry is still there, but I don't let it slow me down. After securing the broadsword to my back with its accompanying belt, I snatch up my sidearm and affix it to my left hip. I'm just about to leave when Mrs. Bennetts calls out. "Oh! Remember to stop by during your off-hours so we can do your armor fitting!" She states as she's cleaning off another tool head with a wire brush. "Should be much easier now that you've grown a bit."
The mention of my armor brightens up my mood at least a little bit. "Yes, ma'am!" I call back to her, offering her a wave before I set back out onto the road.
Carrying two swords is certainly much more of a workout, but thankfully, the shortsword is pretty light. I am definitely going to need to get my strength stat up again if I'm going to be wearing armor, though. Which I'm definitely feeling more than a little impatient about. I want to wear it so badly!
But I need to curb my expectations on it. Thorpe says fighting in armor has some quirks to it that I need to get used to, so he'll be drilling me on those for a while once it's fitted properly. But even that is getting me buzzed.
Finally, I end up at the South Gate. Several of the morning shift [Guards] are already there, stretching and yawning. "Morning…" I greet them before releasing a big yawn of my own.
"Morning, Liore!"
"Morning."
"G'mornin, young lady."
"Good morning, rabbit."
My mouth forms a thin line at that last one. Monica has started calling me that ever since the jackelope invasion, and I am not exactly pleased with it. It's kind of embarrassing. But I don't want to make a huge fuss about a silly nickname, even if it's not super flattering.
Lieutenant Walt clears his throat to get our attention. The late twenties man scratches at the straw blonde stubble on his chin. "Alright, listen up, you lot. We need to keep an extra eye on the fields today. Saber Badgers are starting to sniff around here for food. Probably picking up the scent of all those Jackalope carcasses we cleaned up. So keep a sharp eye out, they're getting really aggressive and their marking territory in the meld northeast of here. If you spot one in the trees, don't engage with it. Just call it out and make a note of it."
"Aye, sir!" We all answer in unison.
He gives a satisfied nod and pulls a folded piece of parchment from his gambeson. "Thomas, Ingrid, Edd, and Victor are out in the fields. Monica, Liore, Dustin, and I will be in the village. Keep your eyes peeled for anything strange. Remember, we still have some low-lifes breathing down our necks somewhere out there, and one has already snuck in before. If you see something strange, report it. Do not engage alone if you can help it."
Everyone nods, and the corners of my mouth tug down some. With how much relaxing I've been doing, I almost forgot about the [Bandits]. And even though I hate standing around and watching people all day, it's just as important as patrolling the fields.
Walt then pulls out a bundle of thin leather cords that have a small copper tube at the end. Almost looks like a miniature flute. My brows furrow at them as he passes them around to everyone. And I get a better look once mine is dropped into my hands. Just a simple little copper rod with a mouthpiece on it.
Thomas, an older [Guard] with a graying beard, lifts a brow as well. "Whistles? When were these made?"
Walt smirks "Captain's idea. He had Mrs. Bennett make a few of them in her off time for some extra dosh. Easier to get each other's attention, and they're loud as shit. So be careful. And only use them if you run into trouble." He explains, before his eyes settle on me directly, and his smirk gets wider. "Liore, from now on, you will be our quick response. Since you're fast as fuck, you can respond at a moment's notice. So when you hear a whistle, you drop everything and beat feet over to them. Aye?"
The bit of melancholy I was feeling before sheds like a winter coat. My cheeks getting a bit warm as excitement wells up in me. But I try my best to stay composed and answer with a swift nod. "You can count on me!"
Walt chuckles and offers a thumbs-up before his eyes shift off to his right. His face tightens up before he bows politely, "Your lordship. What can I help you with this morning?"
The rest of us turn to see Lord Felix and Ethel approaching, so we follow suit with the bow. Brief, but respectful.
The [Knight] beside him is back in her full armor save for the helmet hooked to her belt. And she smiles warmly and waves in my direction, which I return in kind.
Today, Lord Felix is wearing a purple doublet with gold bits and bobs, accompanied by a red furred cape. His squat legs are tightly encased in some fine navy blue trousers with his usual knee-length riding boots. The nobleman clears his throat and turns his attention to Walt. "I apologize for the interruption, Lieutenant. But I am needing to take young Miss Perro off your hands for this morning. If that is a bother, you can feel free to take a couple of my mercenaries in her place."
Welp. There goes my excitement.
A nervous weight forms in my stomach. My brows furrowing at the Nobleman and then shifting up to Walt to see his reaction. I guess Lord Felix is finally ready to talk? But the timing is a bit inconvenient. Both for my work and my sanity.
Walt's lips press a bit tight, but he nods. Because how can her really refuse? "No problem at all. Just bring her back in one piece or else Captain will leave me out for the crows." He jests despite looking all too serious. "As for replacement, I would prefer someone quick on their feet. Liore's kind of hard to replace in that department."
Ser Ethel smiles at the Lieutenant. "Arric isn't doing much, so I'll send him your way for orders. He's rather speedy himself."
Walt at least seems a bit more pleased with the offered [Ranger]. "Much appreciated, ma'am." He states with a bow of his head before he looks down at me. "Guess you get the day off, Liore. Unless, if you want, you can take the evening shift with the Captain. I'm sure he'd like that."
My mood brightens slightly at that. I'm not exactly looking forward to this talk with the nobleman. I foresee a lot of difficult conversations. But still getting to help with the [Guard] stuff after helps. Especially if it's with Thorpe. I've barely seen him at all, other than at my birthday. "I can take the evening shift then. Thank you."
The lieutenant gives me a pat on the shoulder before he calls out to the others, "Alright, you louts. Get going!"
The other [Guards] turn to spread out amongst the village and out of the gate. Monica gives me a wave and a shout as she makes her way down the road. "Good luck, rabbit!"
A chill rolls down my spine at that nickname. Making me sigh as Lord Felix and Ethel approach. The nobleman looking genuinely apologetic. "I do apologize for the interruption again. And I wish we could have had our discussion earlier than this. But between investigating the crops and the meetings with Mr. Thorpe and Mr. Teovar, everything has been quite the chore."
Oh! So they've actually been talking to Teovar too. I hadn't noticed since he is usually just working with Mr. Gordon. I take a deep breath and shake my head dismissively. "It's alright, my lord. No need to apologize. I had been wondering when you would call for me. So now is as good as any."
Lord Felix adjusts the high collar of his shirt and gestures down the road. "Then let us not dally. We shall have a nice brunch while we discuss things."
I can feel my stomach growl a bit at the mention of that. My breakfast this morning really wasn't big enough. And I've definitely noticed that I've been needing to eat a lot more lately.
But with slight apprehension in my steps, I follow alongside the nobleman down the dirt road towards the west side of the village. Leading me to the guest house where he has been staying, it seems.
Ethel flanking me on the other side with a hand resting on the pommel of her shortsword. Glancing down at me with that handsome smile of hers. But it's just making me all the more paranoid…