New Beginning

An autumn breeze sent a shiver down Elena’s spine; she was panting, her face covered in sweat. She stood motionless, legs apart, gripping an old sword tightly with both hands.

A split second later, she charged at Hildebrand and tried to impale him by thrusting the tip of her blade toward him.

He confidently dodged the blow before deflecting the weapon downward with his own. This caused Elena to lose her balance and tumble to the ground.

“That was a fine attempt, but your intent was too obvious, Your Highness,” Hildebrand said.

The man paused for a heartbeat and then reached out his hand to Elena. She accepted his help getting up without a word and dusted off her clothes.

Today, the princess was wearing a pale, long-sleeved shirt, fitted pants, and a pair of leather boots that reached her knees. The scabbard of her sword hung at her left hip, held in place by a belt made of the same leather as her boots.

“How many times do I have to remind you to be less formal with me, Hilde?”

“I know, I know… But let’s just say it’s rather difficult to change old habits in such a short time,” he replied with a sigh.

The woman did a poor job of hiding her annoyance and glared at Hildebrand. After a moment, she sheathed her sword with a sigh, and then ran a hand through her short, now dark brown hair.

“Lena… I’m Lena now. Besides, didn’t we agree it would be best to keep our true identities hidden until the right moment?”

“Yes… I’d really like to avoid a repeat of the last time,” the man replied vaguely.

The young woman suppressed a shudder as she thought back.

More than a month had passed since their escape from Kustdin, and yet certain memories refused to fade—the flames, the devastation, and the human suffering.

Hildebrand had been reassuring. The road eastward, he claimed, had to be safe. That region of the kingdom was sparsely populated and, above all, quiet. The ideal hiding place. She had believed him, at least until their first stop.

That village bore the same scars as the capital. The buildings were in ruins, the walls blackened, and the onlookers’ gazes were filled with distrust and hostility.

The pair had entered the town without incident. Too easily, in hindsight. Getting out had been a whole different story.

Elena’s clothes had been more than enough to fool the local guards, but not her platinum-white hair. She stood out in the crowd like a sparkling diamond among dull grains of sand. Soldiers of the Church had recognized her almost immediately.

The young woman still remembered the frantic run through narrow alleys, her heart pounding non-stop. Along with the certainty, at a certain moment, that they might not make it out alive.

They had fled nonetheless. Again. Just like in the mines and just like in the capital.

After that, they had to acknowledge that changing clothes or altering their names was no longer enough. So, Lena had given up a part of her identity that she cherished more than anything: her sparkling mane of hair.

She had cut it to her shoulders and dyed it dark brown, almost black, using a pungent mixture of leaves and hazelnut shells, a process that had to be constantly repeated, lest she risk exposing herself again.

Then, Lena had demanded she be trained in sword fighting. Hilde had naturally been against it, but she had been persistent because she now knew what it was like to run without being able to defend herself. She also realized that if her protector were to fall, no one would be there to keep her safe except herself.

❖

Lena’s arms shook with exhaustion when she finally lowered her blade. The tip of the sword sank into the soft earth of the glade. She was panting heavily, and the cool air almost burned her lungs.

Hildebrand did not strike. Instead, he simply watched her closely, motionless. His weapon was raised but relaxed, as if he were waiting for the princess to collapse on her own.

“That’s enough for today, Lena,” he said sternly.

Lena nodded, still out of breath and unable to respond. Her numb fingers finally let go of the handle, trembling. Every part of her body ached and needed rest. And yet, she refused to give up, knowing that all this hard work was far from enough.

After a short break, the two put on their cloaks and left the glade in silence. They took the same path they had used to get there. It wound its way through trees with autumn foliage toward Tunaust.

And as they drew closer to the town, the sounds of the forest gradually changed. The birdsong and the rustling of leaves gave way to the squeaking of carts and distant shouts.

Lena pulled her cloak over her head. She never really felt safe, as if even the slightest sustained glance could pierce through the false image she was presenting.

Merchants, peasants, mercenaries, and many others swarmed the place, further heightening her unease.

Tunaust, with its prime location at the junction of three major roads, was a place where one could disappear into the crowd. Provided, of course, that one never drew attention to oneself.

This was what had convinced Hilde to seek refuge there.

❖

The Wandering Cat Inn greeted them with its usual smell of smoke and overly salty stew. A few heads turned as they stepped through the doorway but looked away immediately. No one seemed to be expecting them or to recognize them.

“I truly hope it stays that way,” Elena thought, breathing in slowly, enjoying this fragile respite.

The young woman made her way up the staircase and entered the cramped room she had been renting for the past two weeks. She placed her old sword against the wall. The floorboards creaked with every step until she fell heavily onto the bed. Her arms ached, and her shoulders were heavy with fatigue.

Hilde stood for a moment in the doorway, his arms crossed in front of him.

“If it’s any comfort, you’re approaching the level of a fresh recruit,” he finally stated.

Lena gave a weary smile. She knew she was making progress. It was a start, but it was still far too slow for her.

“How about we get something to eat, Lena? There’s nothing better than a full stomach after a workout like that.”

Lena remained quiet. Her fingers slid toward the small pouch tied around her waist, hidden under her shirt. She dumped its contents onto the bed, then promptly tallied the scant amount of cash.

“That’s all we have left from selling the last of our jewelry… barely enough to make it through a handful of days,” she announced in a low voice, sighing.

Hilde nodded, having little else to add. A heavy silence settled over the room.

From down below, they heard muffled bursts of laughter. Men and women who, like them, survived as best they could.

“Ele… Lena, we can’t go on like this. At some point, we won’t be able to keep running.”

Lena clenched the coins in her palm until she could feel their outlines pressing into her skin.

“I know that all too well…”

Hilde’s eyes darted briefly between the princess’s closed hand and the purse lying at her side. Then they drifted toward the floorboard where his mistress had hidden the king’s signet ring… and his royal guard insignia.

Lena followed his gaze, and her expression hardened instantly.

“No. Absolutely not!” she snapped decisively.

The guard looked away, realizing it was pointless to press the matter further.

Lena took a deep breath, then spoke again in a softer tone: “If we have to stay here, then… We’ll find work, just like everyone else!”

Hildebrand studied her face closely. At first, he saw a certain unease, perhaps fear. But he also saw her absolute resolve.

“All right… Though I’m already dreading the answer, what exactly do you have in mind?”

Lena didn’t respond verbally. Instead, she simply gathered the coins, slipped the purse under her shirt, and stood up. Her eyes swept the small room, the drab walls, and the narrow bed. All of this was merely temporary shelter. Nothing more.

She grabbed her cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

“Come,” she said simply.

Hildebrand watched her for a few more seconds before following her, and they left the inn without exchanging another word.

Outside, Tunaust was true to form: noisy, lively, and smelly. It was teeming with people, and a dizzying array of stalls and merchant caravans stretched as far as the eye could see. Passersby brushed past one another without looking, too busy to take notice of two more figures in the crowd.

Lena pulled her cloak over her head and started walking toward the heart of the city.

When they crossed the central square, the princess slowed her pace, then stopped in front of a grim, gray stone building.

“Here we are,” she murmured, hesitantly approaching the heavy oak door.

“Everything will be all right,” said Hildebrand, placing a reassuring hand on the princess’s shoulder.

She took a deep breath, then pushed open one of the door panels before stepping inside, the royal guard right behind her.

They found themselves in a large hall with a cathedral-like ceiling. Much like their inn, tables marked by years of service filled the space, along with a large, ornate counter at the back of the room.

Four wooden billboards, covered with scraps of paper of various sizes pinned to them, hung on the left and right walls of the great hall.

Small groups of people were looking at the boards with interest, while others were seated at the tables or busy at the counter with an employee.

All in all, there were more than twenty people there.

“It’s packed in here… And I don’t trust a single one of these people,” Lena grumbled.

“From what I can see, everyone in this room is a mercenary. That’s why I suggest we watch what we say and do here,” Hilde whispered in the young woman’s ear.

Lena had, of course, noticed the wary glances being cast their way. However, there was nothing she could do for the moment except proceed with caution.

“I suppose we definitely shouldn’t upset the wrong person,” she replied in a low voice.

“Indeed. I also see that at least five or six people have concealed weapons in addition to the ones on display. This place is a real viper’s den.”

Lena frowned. “Great… just what I needed to put my mind at ease.”

Ignoring the curiosity directed their way, the pair made their way toward the counter at the back of the hall.

Luckily for them, one of the employees appeared to be ready to assist them.

Slender and frail, the man was wearing a pristine uniform. He greeted them readily when they arrived at his workstation.

“Hello, both of you. How can the guild help you? Would you like to post a new job or simply enroll as mercenaries?”

“Um, hello. We’d be grateful if you’d let us enroll in your guild,” Lena replied.

Surprised, the clerk looked up with a furrowed brow. He took the time to size up the young woman from head to toe.

Hildebrand gave his mistress a discreet nudge to get her attention.

“Too formal!” the man hissed under his breath.

Lena cursed inwardly for making such a blunder. She cleared her throat, then quickly corrected herself by rephrasing what she’d just said.

“Yes… My partner and I are here to enroll and find work.”

“Splendid! Please fill out these forms,” said the clerk, pulling out two sheets of paper, adding:

“Can you read, or do you need help with that?”

The question offended the princess, but she swallowed her pride when her eyes met the guard’s.

“It’s true that not everyone is fortunate enough to be taught to read,” Lena thought as she grabbed one of the forms. She turned back to the man and gave him a charming smile before replying curtly:

“That won’t be necessary.”

The little man frowned behind his counter and looked down at his papers.

As she filled out the document, Lena had a strange feeling that made her pause for a second. It was as if this piece of paper were somehow locking in the lie of her new identity.

Once the paperwork was completed, the clerk checked it carefully before raising his head.

“Perfect, everything looks in order. Welcome aboard… Lena and Hilde,” he said, a fake smile plastered on his face.

With their papers now official, the pair headed straight for the task boards.

Most requests were for courier missions or for exterminating creatures deemed harmful to the region’s development. The pay offered for eliminating monsters was substantially higher than for those tasks involving transporting objects from one place to another.

One notice in particular caught Hilde’s eye. He hurried to pick it up and immediately handed it to his mistress.

“Why did you choose that one?” she asked, puzzled.

“Even if it’s not without risk, just look at the pay.”

Lena scanned the sheet. “That much money for such a simple task?! It doesn’t make any sense,” she said in disbelief before turning to the guard, a question forming on her lips.

“You must be wondering, ‘But where’s the catch?’” Hildebrand added.

The princess nodded silently, eagerly awaiting her companion’s answer.

“You see… Sometimes desperate individuals turn to questionable methods, such as banditry, to survive.”

“Oh… I get it,” Elena murmured, thinking back to the two kids who had robbed the merchant on the night they fled. She didn’t judge them. She understood, given her own situation.

Lena realized she had been holding her breath. She also noticed that Hildebrand was no longer by her side but was instead registering their mission at the counter.

“This job… It’s just one more step,” Lena thought to herself before joining him.

The next day, the new mercenaries hurriedly bought some provisions. Then they headed for the meeting place agreed upon with the person who had commissioned the quest.

A small, plump man dressed in elegant clothes was busy working around a cart. He was stowing away the last of his goods when he spotted Lena and Hilde.

“Hello, you two.”

Without giving them time to reply, the merchant stepped forward, flashing a broad smile and extending his hand to them:

“Call me Walter. I assume you’ll be my guards for the next few days?”

“Nice to meet you, Walter. The pleasure is ours. I’m Lena, and this is my partner, Hilde.”

Hilde gave their employer a slight nod. He was already surveying the area, waiting for them to depart.

Lena took advantage of the moment to gather a few tidbits of information from the merchant.

“The poster said you wanted to go to Ne… Nerauskei, is that right? Is it far from here?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right! It’s right next door, and to top it off, the road is always clear. We should be there in three days,” the man replied cheerfully.

Hildebrand, who had initially kept his distance, joined the pair.

“No threats to report. Have you finished all your preparations, Mr. Walter?”

“We’re ready to go,” he said.

Hilde took a seat at the back of the cart, while Lena climbed into the front seat next to Walter, who was holding the horse’s reins.

As they left Tunaust and headed north, the princess’s mind wandered. Without knowing why exactly, she felt anxious.

❖

The first day of the journey went off without a hitch. They covered a long distance and encountered a few merchants heading toward Tunaust. Lena saw this as a good omen for the rest of the trip, which helped ease the nervousness she felt about the task at hand.

As soon as the sun began to set, Walter pulled the cart over to the side of the road to camp for the night. They built a fire, ate their rations, and settled in for a well-deserved night’s rest.

The next day’s journey was much like the previous one, with one exception: There was no sign of life. Not the slightest sign of merchants, travelers, or even monsters. It was as if the road had been completely abandoned.

When they finally stopped for the night, Hilde approached Lena, looking worried.

“I find the situation strange, Lena. We should be more cautious,” Hilde whispered.

“If there was a problem on the road, don’t you think the people we met would have told us?”

“What if something happened only after they passed by? We’d have no way of knowing,” he replied.

After securing his horse to a nearby tree, Walter joined the two mercenaries, curious as to what they were talking about.

“Are you discussing tonight’s meal, or who’s going to take the first watch?”

“Oh, right… I’ll go first tonight, and Hilde will take over during the night,” Lena replied a little more sharply than she should have. She immediately regretted it but didn’t take it back.

“I see… That’s a relief, my dear.”

The rest of the evening around the campfire went by in silence, the tension still lingering in the air.

Walter was conducting yet another inspection of his merchandise when Hilde closed his eyes. He was leaning against a large tree, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Lena was sitting by the fire, still pondering the guard’s words.

“Could he be right?” she wondered.

The merchant and his guards prepared to set out again at first light.

All things considered, Lena slept well and stretched before gathering her belongings. Hilde took a moment to draw closer to her, his gaze both somber and serious.

“Please stay alert, all right?” he whispered.

She simply nodded, but the doubt from the previous day resurfaced at the edge of her mind.

She shook her head as if to dismiss these thoughts before moving on.

The first half of the day went smoothly. However, things took a sudden turn early in the afternoon.

Just as the sun was shining at its brightest, Hilde’s head popped up between Lena and Walter.

“Stop the cart right now!”

“Why on earth do we have to stop? Explain yourself, for heaven’s sake,” demanded the merchant, irritated.

“We’re in danger,” Hilde retorted.

“And what makes you think that, huh? I don’t see anything out of place around us, only a thick forest,” protested the merchant.

Ignoring his employer’s anger, the guard turned his attention to Lena.

“Close your eyes and focus on your surroundings for a second. Then tell me what you hear.”

“Mr. Walter’s horse breathing… And the rustling of the leaves.”

“Nothing else?”

“No, why?”

“From my experience, when everything is silent and you can’t even hear the sounds of birds or other animals, it usually means something terrible is about to happen,” Hilde explained.

He had barely finished speaking when an arrow whistled by and lodged itself in one of the wooden arches of the cart, a few centimeters from Lena’s head.

“We’re under attack! Everyone take cover!” shouted Walter, who moved his body at a surprising speed to throw himself inside the cart.

Lena remained frozen in place until she saw Hilde leap out of the vehicle and dash toward the forest.

Coming to her senses, she jumped off the wooden bench and drew her sword. She was about to follow the guard when he barked out instructions.

“Stay near the cart and cover our rear!”

The young woman did as she was told and positioned herself at the back. She held her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Lena then heard the sound of swords clashing nearby, and a burly man burst out of the bushes in front of her.

He wore ragged clothes and a worn-out cloak. His unkempt beard and filthy hair almost made him look like a wild beast.

As he stepped out of the shadows, the princess noticed the short, gleaming blade in his hand, as well as his piercing gaze, which swept the surroundings like a predator on the hunt.

He smiled smugly when he noticed the young woman.

“What do we have here? Could this be a little lost flower?” the thug sneered.

“Come on, if you dare, you creep,” Lena hissed.

“Oh! What a temper, my lovely! You’ll bring me a pretty penny. I might as well enjoy myself a little and teach you some manners,” the man retorted.

The bandit nonchalantly stepped closer to the princess and spewed out words intended to provoke her. It worked.

Angered, she launched herself at him, aiming to slice his head off.

“Careful, beautiful. It’s dangerous to play with knives,” said the brigand, blocking the attack single-handedly.

Lena and the bandit began exchanging blows and parries.

Although the training she’d received from Hilde had proved invaluable, her opponent’s experience and physical prowess gave him an overwhelming advantage.

As the fight dragged on, Lena felt her strength draining away as he gained the upper hand.

“There’s no way I’m dying out here at the hands of such scum. I need a way out, and fast!” she thought desperately.

As she felt victory slipping through her fingers, Lena realized that her enemy was, after all, just a man like any other. She cracked a small smile and faked an opening to lure the thug closer. He noticed Lena’s renewed confidence.

“Still got energy to spare? Let’s put that to the test, my little flower,” he said, approaching her.

When he was close enough, the princess put all her remaining strength into a powerful diagonal strike aimed at slicing him from shoulder to hip.

As with her previous attacks, the bandit blocked the blow but had to use both hands to do so.

Lena seized this opportunity and delivered a vicious kick to the man’s groin. He felt the full brunt of the impact, and his knees buckled under the intense pain.

With great pleasure, Lena looked at the man lying on the ground. He glared at her, unable to move.

A trembling voice emerged from the cart. Walter had decided to risk coming out of his hiding place.

“Are we out of danger?”

She turned to answer him when her ankle was grabbed.

“You bitch! I swear I’m going to kill you,” the thug growled, pulling her with all his might.

Caught off guard, the young woman fell heavily face down on the ground, accidentally letting go of her sword, which fell out of reach.

She rolled onto her back in a split second, which was just enough time for her to spot the dagger that the enraged bandit had just drawn as he crawled toward her.

Panicked at the prospect of a certain death, Lena closed her eyes and instinctively held out her hands in front of her to fend off the attacker, letting out a desperate scream.

A strange sound was heard for a moment, followed by the roar of a thunderclap.

When she opened her eyes again, Lena noticed that the brigand lay lifeless at her feet, his skin and clothes charred. The smell of burned flesh and ozone hung in the air.

As the princess painfully got to her feet, Hilde rushed over. A few splatters of blood were visible on his clothes.

“Is everything all right here? What the hell?!” the guard exclaimed as his eyes caught sight of the bandit’s corpse.

“She killed that scoundrel, but I don’t know how,” Walter said hesitantly.

Hilde shifted his gaze to focus on Elena, who stood motionless and rigid as a statue. The sole thing on her mind was that she had just committed the unthinkable.

He moved closer to her, and as soon as he placed his hand on her shoulder, he felt an electric jolt that numbed his fingertips.

The guard instinctively pulled back, noticing his mistress’s sparkling, violet eyes.

Although he had his own suspicions on the matter, Hilde decided it would be better to save them for a more appropriate time.

He knelt beside Lena, who was in a state of shock, gently taking her hand and whispering:

“That scoundrel can’t hurt you anymore.”