“The Godwin family is probably the second most powerful family in Rothnia, only behind the Royal family. They rose to the top immediately after their founding twenty years ago, when the head of the family was only twelve. He immediately got the Royal family in his pocket and some people say he’s a shadow king.
Perhaps he is.
They’re influence is immense… and everyone in that family is terrible and terrifying.
They’ve hurt so many people. Patty. Daryl. Dahlia… They’re just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Have they hurt you too?” Alice asked.
Evalyn’s head drooped and her hair hid her face. Alice’s eyes swept over the top of Evalyn’s head, past her ears and down her neck, now exposed.
A jagged white edge of scar tissue stood out along the collar of Eve’s shirt.
“Of course they have,” Evalyn replied. “It’s because they have that I don’t want anyone else to get hurt by them but-“
She shook her head.
“I realize it’s a pointless desire. The others don’t even want it.” The twist of her lips were too bitter to be called a smile. “They’re brave because they’re ignorant.”
It’s almost like you’re saying you’re a coward… Alice thought.
Evalyn suddenly jumped to her feet, scattering her chair and startling Alice. She had practically thrown her back entirely against the wall and she stared at Alice with wide startled eyes. Her hand covered the back of her neck and Evalyn’s face flushed bright red for the first time. Her chest heaved.
Alice realized she had touched Evalyn’s neck without thinking.
“I’m so sorry,” Alice said in a rush when she could breathe again. “I did that without thinking.”
“Please go for tonight,” Evalyn said, still watching Alice with flushed cheeks and wary eyes. “We’ll…resume tomorrow.”
Alice got up without an argument but as she reached the door Evalyn called to her in English.
“Don’t tell anyone about it,” she said, her voice filled with worry. “Please.”
“I won’t,” Alice said. “Goodnight. Sorry again.”
The door to Evalyn’s room closed and once she could no longer hear Alice’s footsteps Evalyn let out a long sigh and sank to the floor.
My heart… She clutched at the cloth over her chest. This can’t be happening…
She covered her burning hot face with equally flushed fingers.
Deep in her stomach she felt the aching pangs of longing. She had been startled, sure, but now that she’d been touched her body screamed for more.
All from the tiniest brush of Alice’s fingertips.
_____
Patty avoided the main hall, and thus Evalyn, for the remainder of the week. Daryl insisted Patty wasn’t mad anymore, but that she felt embarrassed and wanted some time to herself.
It didn’t stop the gossip mongers among the members, but Evalyn ignored them.
It was the eve of the Rank Assessments, and Evalyn was neck deep in paperwork when Lineah walked up.
“How’s preparations?” She asked.
“I contacted the Mage’s Consortium and secured their assistance for tomorrow. The blacksmith’s apprentices have come out to repair the broken course equipment. The Herbalist down the way agreed to our price for supplies… I’m just going through and pre-filling out what paperwork I can ahead of tomorrow,” Evalyn replied, counting off her assignments on her fingers.
“Excellent,” Lineah smiled.
“How is Patty?”
“Oh?” Lineah’s smile turned mischievous. “What’s this? You’re not asking about Alice first?”
“Quit teasing me in public,” Evalyn said as she hid her reddening fingers under her desk. The Branch Captain laughed.
“She leaves right after the morning practice dismisses,” Lineah replied. “I don’t know what she’s been up to after that.”
“I see,” Evalyn replied. She turned her face away from Lineah. “…And Alice?”
The Branch Captain laughed again.
“I think she’ll do fine tomorrow. She has some basic knowledge of hand to hand combat which I didn’t expect,” she said and chuckled.
“But once you put a weapon in her hands she loses a lot of confidence.”
“Makes sense,” Evalyn nodded. “She did say she didn’t have any experience with weapons.” This story is hosted at g.com.
“I think we found a work around for that though,” Lineah said.
“How so?” Evalyn asked.
“You’ll see tomorrow,” the branch captain replied then tapped her chin. “Hey.”
Evalyn looked at her friend.
“Does the word ‘baseball’ mean anything to you?”
Evalyn raised an eyebrow. Something in her mind told her-
“It’s a game I think,” she said. “Why?”
“You’ll see tomorrow,” Lineah replied as she shook her head.
_____
The evening crowd began to file in for dinner when the front door to the Guild Hall swung open and demanded silence.
Patty stood in the doorway, dressed in armor emblazoned with the symbol of the Arborfell Town Guard. Her father’s guard.
Her gloved finger pointed to Lineah and Evalyn through the crowd.
“Branch Captain Lineah, as a ward of the Root Hollow Adventurer’s Guild I humbly request my right to a Trial of Independence!”
Confused mutterings rose around the hall. Alice craned her neck to see Evalyn’s face. The secretary’s brows furrowed.
“Where in the world did you hear about that archaic law?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Patty said.
“The law was never repealed nor replaced. Which means I can still request it!”
Someone in the crowd whistled and Evalyn scowled.
“She’s right that it’s still technically a law,” Lineah said.
“Going by the rule of law alone I can’t say no.”
“What about -“ Eve started.
“If you deny me my right,” Patty stood up straight and held her head high, “I really will quit.”
Murmuring rose all around them.
Evalyn stood up from her desk.
“Fine. The Trial of Independence is acknowledged.”
Something in the room shifted, and the excited chatter that rose suddenly died.
The hairs on Alice’s arms stood up. Felix shuddered.
“I will be your administrator. There’s a lot of work I still have to do so let’s begin at once.”
_____
They lit the training yard with the braziers meant for the Assessment the following day.
As the pyres roared to life, and the full extent of the Guild body flooded the outskirts of the yard to spectate, Evalyn and Patty faced each other.
“I don’t know what you’ve been up to these past few days, but I imagine it’s been to prepare for this moment.”
“It was,” Patty replied.
She swung her sword around, loosening up her wrists.
“But that’s not all I was doing.” She rolled her neck and stretched limbered up her legs.
“I confirmed the monster rumors while I was at it. There IS a Godwin involved.”
Evalyn examined the blunt sword in her hands, turning it over.
“You must have been all over the city on your own. People must have wondered why the under-age ward of the Adventurers Guild was asking questions.” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“I’m not stupid,” Patty rolled her eyes. “I didn’t go out in my uniform.”
Eve paused, then lowered the sword.
“Of course. I know you’re not stupid,” she said.
Patty scoffed with doubt.
“What else did you learn?” Eve asked.
Patty smirked, clearly pleased with herself.
“The Trial of Independence has been invoked and accepted,” Lineah said as she stepped onto a raised platform that had been set up for the Assessment. Her booming commander’s voice carried clearly through the dark night.
In the crowd Alice heard guild members whispering and making bets.
“This is nuts,” someone behind her muttered. “Patty’s gonna destroy Eve. She trains with us all the time. The secretary looks like she’d snap in half in a dull breeze.”
Felix heard and shook his head.
Lineah gestured to her ward. “Patty, state your terms.”
“If I win, I will be accepted as a full-fledged Adventurer in the guild and I can join an Adventuring party immediately.” She gripped her sword tight. “If I lose, I’ll accept my position as a ward with grace. I will wait patiently until I become of age. I won’t look for other work either.”
She locked eyes with Evalyn.
“I’ll work hard to support the others, like you said I should. I’ll even tell you the name I learned.”
Evalyn froze.
“Eve?” Lineah’s voice reached her. “As the administrator, you must state the win condition.”
“Right…”
Evalyn looked at the sword in her hand, then to Patty. Her eyes then swept the crowd watching them.
So many expectant faces, excited to see what their little ward could do. In many ways she was already one of them. She came to them at twelve already skilled with a sword, and had only improved as the years passed. At seventeen she stood taller and leaner than Evalyn.
Her father’s armor suited her well.
Evalyn made eye contact with Alice in the crowd.
“I want to do what I can to help them because I like them…”
She could practically hear the giantess’ words all over again. Around Alice stood the party she would take the Asssessment with the next day. They already looked like they belonged together.
I’m the one who doesn’t belong, Evalyn realized. I'm not one of them. I don’t have the right to hold them back.
But that didn’t mean she could just give up and hand Patty her victory. The young ward wanted independence because she wanted to go after the Godwins.
So she had to prove she could face a Godwin and make it out alive.
“Your win condition is not to defeat me,” Evalyn said, loud enough for the entire crowd watching to hear.
She dropped the blunt sword. It rattled as it hit the compacted dirt arena.
Evalyn reached into her cloak, and the rattle of chain sent a hush over the crowd.
Patty raised her eyebrows.
“Is that… a meteor hammer?” Alice asked with disbelief.
“Oh, good eye,” Dahlia said. She nodded. “That’s Eve’s personal weapon.”
The heavy hammer end whistled as Evalyn whipped it through the air.
“In deference to the work and thought you’ve put into this decision… I will not be holding back. So… in order to win this Trial, you must simply remain conscious…”
The silvery flecks in her eyes sparkled, and Patty swore they grew larger.
“For three minutes.”