Preperations

Golden rays of morning sunlight crept through the bedroom window, painting long bars across the wooden floor. Dust drifted lazily through the beams as the town beyond his window slowly stirred awake. Somewhere outside, a rooster crowed. A merchant’s cart rattled over the cobblestone, followed by the muffled chatter of neighbors beginning another ordinary day.

For the first time in six years, Kieran woke beneath the roof he had grown up under.

He lay still for a moment before habit overtook comfort. The blankets slid away as he sat upright. His eyes instinctively searched the room. Armor, spear, pack. Everything exactly where he’d left it before falling asleep.

Only then did he relax.

He dressed without thinking. Every buckle tightened in the same order. Every strap checked twice.

Before he had even considered eating breakfast, he was sitting alone on the front step. His spear rested across his knees while a whetstone slid steadily across the blade.

Scrape. Turn. Scrape.

The rhythm had become second nature years ago. Even after returning home, his hands moved almost entirely on their own, searching for tiny imperfections that most people would never notice.

The edge caught the morning light. Still not quite right. It needed at least another pass.

His eyes wandered toward the road leading through town. Knowing Seraphina, she would arrive exactly when they had agreed to.

The thought drew the faintest smile across his face.

His thoughts drifted back to yesterday. For years he had imagined coming home countless times.

Sometimes his father shouted. Others his mother disowned him.

Instead, his mother nearly collapsed into tears the moment she had opened the door. His father had come rushing from out back and almost broke two of his ribs pulling him into a hug.

He had prepared himself for every possibility but that one.

They had not looked at him like the failure he saw in the mirror, instead they held him like the son they had already mourned.

He couldn’t understand it.

His thumb brushed absentmindedly over one of the countless nicks carved into the spear’s shaft.

Perhaps, he never would.

The scrape of stone against steel resumed. A few sparrows landed in the yard, hopping fearlessly through the grass. The breeze carried the scent of dew and wildflowers over the fence.

Then, the hurried sound of light footsteps approaching caught his attention. Kieran looked up to see Seraphina cheerfully rushing towards him with the same bright smile she’d worn yesterday. Her silver braid swaying gently with every step, the morning sun catching against loose strands until they shimmered like spun silk.

She raised a hand over her head, “Good morning, Kieran!”

He rose to his feet, resting the spear against the porch rail, “Good morning to you too, Sera.”

As she walked through the gate, Kieran noticed just how different she looked from yesterday. She had traded her skirt for a pair of sturdy brown trousers tucked into well-worn boots that looked to be a few sizes too big for her. A thick linen blouse disappeared beneath a quilted vest that looked suspiciously homemade. Around her waist sat an old leather belt carrying a small pouch and a kitchen knife awkwardly.

Over one shoulder hung a canvas satchel. Across her back, a rolled blanket had been tied in place with what looked like a stolen laundry line.

She smiled proudly, “All packed.”

Kieran only blinked in once, “...I can see.” His head turned to the side as he looked her over. Not her, but her equipment.

The satchel looked sturdy enough. The blanket would do. The boots had seen years of use, but still had plenty of life in them.

The knife though.

“May I?” he pointed to the blade.

She offered it to him with a soft nod. He turned it gently over in his hands while shaking his head. “You are going to stab yourself without a sheath.”

All of her bravado and excitement seemed to leave her instantly as her shoulders slump. “It was a late addition to my packing.”

“I can see,” Kieran only chuckled as he handed it back to her, “Let’s get back to your mother before she notices it's missing.” Seraphina didn’t seem to like that plan as she huffed in frustration. Kieran only gave a smile back, “Then we will go shopping for good supplies for you.”

Once again, the lights shone back into her lilac eyes.

***

The market was already bustling by the time they arrived. Merchants called to passing customers while footsteps rattled off the cobblestones. Kieran stopped before a stall lined with packs, water skins and neatly coiled rope.

“We’ll start here.”

Seraphina looked over the available options before picking up one with pink flower design stitched into the leather. “This one’s cute!” She showed it to him with a warm smile.

“It is,” Kieran agreed with a nod, “but try it on real quick.”

She slipped it over her shoulders like instructed. He circled behind her, gently tugging on the straps before giving his verdict.

“Sits too low,” he shook his head as he helped her take it off, “Straps too thin.”

“Is that bad?” she puffed out her cheeks as she watched him put it back on the table.

“If the weight hands away from your back, your shoulders carry all of it. And with how thin those straps are, it will dig into your shoulders like nothing else.”

He searched for a moment before pulling another one from the line-up. It was very simple in design but was made of different shaded leather. He offered it to her and helped adjust the straps until it sat rested between her shoulder blades. “The closer it is to your body, the easier it is to walk. Especially if you are doing it all day.”

She took a few steps, even spun once with it. “Wow, it actually feels much lighter even though it's so much bigger.”

“More room for more supplies.” He gave a thumbs up, “meaning we can be out much longer.

She looked up at him with admiration before giving it to the merchant to prepare their purchase.

More of the shopping continued much the same. Water skins, tested for structural integrity. Sera questioned why they were filling them already. And Kieran explained it's better to have it ready before they get thirsty, not after.

Even rope shopping was a lesson for her. Apparently, the wash line wouldn’t hold up well enough if they needed to hold their weight on it. Lightweight hemp rope would do the trick and still be easy to carry.

The one part that seemed to not go entirely as Kieran predicted was armor shopping.

The local armorer had everything neatly prepared and set on displays to see their quality even before Kieran gave it the closer inspection he was slowly becoming known for. They had found boots just her size and even better pants for her to wear.

But then the tanner set a simple leather cuirass on the counter.

“This should do well enough,” Kieran picked it up, turning it over in his hands before offering it to Seraphina, “Go try this on.”

She accepted it without hesitation, disappearing behind a changing screen tucked into the corner of the shop.

He continued to peruse the shop, looking for a weapon perfect for her, when–

“...Um…Kieran?”

“Something wrong?” he asked as Seraphina peeked out around the edge of the screen, cheeks tinged pink.

“It doesn’t quite… fit?”

“But I thought it was one size fits all?” Kieran mused rubbing his chin.

“It, uh, won’t close.” Her cheeks flushed even further. “...My… My chest…”

“Your chest?”

She coughed into her fist, somehow becoming even redder. She tried to cover her face with the screen.

“My chest is… a little larger than the armor expects.”

The words finally reached his brain. “Oh.” His face turned scarlet almost instantly. “I–” His eyes shot toward the floor. “Right.”

Silence settled between them. Neither dared move nor make another sound.

The tanner looked between the two of them before giving a knowing chuckle. “Happens more often than you’d think.”

Kieran cleared his throat, forcing himself to look anywhere except towards the changing screen, “Do you have any other patterns?”

“Aye,” he laughed lightly and ran a hand through his grizzled beard before disappearing into the back. When he returned, he carried another leather cuirass. “This one’s shaped for women,” he gave a wink before offering it to Seraphina.

She grabbed it quickly before disappearing into the changing screen once more.

“...Thank you,” Kieran sheepishly nodded to the old man, his eyes still not sitting still on anything long enough.

“Not used to traveling with women, I see?” The shop owner laughed once more before taking his place behind the counter.

Kieran only winced and turned further away.

That’s when something caught his sight.

Several moments later, Seraphina stepped back out. This time it fit perfectly. Kieran looked over the armor with complete seriousness this time.

“Can you raise your arms?”

She demonstrated by raising them both up and swinging them in small circles above her head.

“Any pinching?”

“A little,” she nodded, hands instinctively going to her shoulders and just below her arms.

Without another word, he stepped closer and adjusted the offending straps. “How about now?”

She rotated her shoulders, “Perfect.”

“Good,” he stepped back with a satisfied nod, “You’ll be able to move freely now.”

Only then did he notice Seraphina smiling at him, “...What?”

“You look like your old self again.”

“I-I do?” he couldn’t tell where any of this was coming from.

“Yes,” she laughed and patted him on his shoulder, “You looked like your soul was going to leave your body there for a moment.”

His ears reddened again. “I… wasn’t expecting that.”

She giggled into her hand, “I noticed.”

But now it was now Kieran’s turn to stun her. Silently and without looking towards her at all, he held out an object that caused her giggling to cease.

She took the dagger in his hand and inspected it. It was sheathed in a leather capped with shining iron. The hilt was adorned with small garnets on either end and a larger one was embedded into the leather work of the sheath.

With wide eyes she glanced up at Kieran, who was still refusing to meet her eyes as he scratched his cheek.

“We can’t have you going without a weapon of some sort.” he struggled to get the words out as his face reddened further, “Plus… I think it would look good on you.”

Seraphina wrapped her slender fingers around the dagger and drew it close to her chest in a hug. She nodded and gave her biggest smile yet. “Yes, I agree!”