When Alice opened the door to the Guild a tidal wave of loud voices crashed over her.
The inside of the main hall was packed, filled with Adventurers all talking amongst and over themselves. At the far end of the hall Eve and Lineah stood behind Eve’s desk, locked in argument with a party.
Patty took Alice’s hand and led her along the outskirts of the commotion until they found Daryl with his back pressed against the wall, watching the commotion unfold.
“What’s going on?” Patty asked as they approached.
Daryl nodded towards Eve’s desk. There was a sign on the edge. Alice squinted her eyes in an attempt to read it, but the mark’s powers of translation didn’t seem to apply to her eyes.
“Oh boy,” Patty sighed.
“What’s it say?” Alice whispered.
Patty and Daryl both raised their eyebrows at Alice, but they didn’t pry.
“It’s an announcement for Rank Assessments,” Patty said. “Every adventuring party has a rank. Rank Assessment is a time period where registered parties are allowed to restructure and go through a series of tests to determine if their rank improved. Higher ranks get first pick of hunts and more dangerous commissions. But-” Patty glanced back at the desk.
“Why are you making us sit out again?” Felix demanded, catching Alice’s attention. Orbahn and Dahlia stood with Felix across the desk from Eve and Lineah. Eve’s face remained stoic as ever, but Lineah looked uncomfortable.
“This is the THIRD time! Rank Assessment only happens once a year!”
“Right now, your party is currently incomplete. You need a minimum of four people to participate,” Eve said. “Daryl is joining Hazm’s party so unless someone is willing to leave their current party-”
“What about Alice though?” Dahlia asked. “We get along pretty well and she doesn’t have a party.”
“That’s-” Eve’s face remained controlled but Alice heard conflict in her voice. Eve took a moment to collect herself.
“Alice’s paperwork is incomplete so she’s not completely registered yet. Even if I can process her in time I don’t feel comfortable sending a complete greenhorn into Rank Assessment. It would be better to have her join you at your current rank. You can take the Rank Assessment next year.”
“Are you serious?” Felix’s hand slammed on Eve’s desk and the Secretary glared at him. Lineah looked between Felix and Eve and sighed.
“I understand you’re frustration,” the Branch Captain began, “but are you even considering Alice’s inexperience could LOWER your rank? She needs time to adjust to working with the Guild. It would be irresponsible to thrust her into your level of danger.”
The arguing parties at Reception hadn’t noticed her yet, but Alice could feel more and more eyes falling on her. She approached the desk.
“What if I’m okay with it?” She asked.
Five heads all turned to Alice at once. The three adventurers smiled at her approach. Lineah rubbed the back of her neck. Eve’s face remained unreadable.
“Are you sure about that?” The Branch Captain asked. “You just ordered your uniforms today. It would be like diving into a lake when you don’t know how to swim.”
Alice shrugged and slid her hands into her pockets.
“That’s how I learned to swim back home,” she said. “I’m not scared of a little challenge. If these guys need my help, I’m more than happy to try.”
Lineah nodded her head and joined the Adventurers in their smiles, though hers -knowing some of Alice’s real situation- held a bit of trepidation.
“If that’s what you want, then I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to try. You have a week to prepare for it after all.”
“But-” Eve’s head whipped around to Lineah, but her boss shook her head and Eve lowered hers in defeat.
“Finish her paperwork, including the forms for joining Orbahn’s party, tonight,” Lineah said to Eve.
To Alice she added, “Tomorrow morning, join everyone in the yard for training. Since your uniforms won’t be ready, wear something you can move around in.”
Alice nodded. Felix and Dahlia high fived.
“Excuse me,” Eve muttered as she rose from her chair and pushed past Lineah to leave the room.
“What’s her problem?” someone whispered.
“Making them miss three assessments though…and trying to make them miss a fourth? Ain’t that unfair?”
Mumblings stirred through the Reception hall, and unease stirred in Alice’s stomach. However, before it could escalate, the door that connected to the Dove Tail opened and one of the waitresses pushed in the carts containing food and drink for everyone. The gossip about Eve was quickly forgotten as everyone rushed in to grab food.
While they were distracted Alice slipped down the hall and knocked on Eve’s door.
“Hey. It’s me.”
Silence answered.
“C’mon, Eve. Let’s talk,” Alice said as she knocked again.
More silence. Alice sighed and was about to walk away when the handle turned and the door swung open just ajar.
Alice entered and found Eve sitting at her desk. A single lamp on the desk struggled to illuminate the bare room. Its dim glow lacked enough warmth for the whole room, and gave off the feeling of a prison cell rather than a bedroom. Alice dropped her bags next to the wardrobe and approached the desk.
Eve had the stack of books from the other day spread out on her desk. Alice couldn’t read their contents but she could tell from looking at the pages that Eve had made many notes in the margins as well as written in a notebook.
However, what she was currently working on reminded Alice of the layout of registration forms so she guessed they were her forms to admit Alice as a guild member.
“Can you read these?” Eve asked without looking up as Alice approached.
“No,” Alice said truthfully. Eve shook her head.
“Do you have combat experience?”
“No,” Alice said. “Back home though I used to attend a local boxing gym.”
“Have you ever been in a real fight?”
“Once…as a child,” Alice said. “It was mostly shoving and hair pulling though, to be fair.”
“Have you ever hunted animals?”
“I’ve tagged along with my dad, but,” Alice lowered her gaze. “I know that’s not what you mean.”
Eve’s grip tightened on her pen.
“Then why?”
She turned to Alice and her stoic expression had finally crumbled.
“Why did you do that?”
Confusion. Hurt. Disbelief. Deep misunderstanding. Alice could read it all, and her hand twitched with the desire to cup that pained face.
“You’ve been in this world for two days! You don’t know anything about it! And you’re willing to risk your life just like that? For them? You don’t even know them! They’re strangers to you!”
“So are you,” Alice said. Eve sat up straight as realization slapped her in the face.
That’s right. We are strangers…
“You shouldn’t have asked for my help either,” Eve turned away to try and hide her face. “And I… shouldn’t have helped you.”
“Please don’t say that,” Alice replied. She knelt down next to Eve but the Secretary turned her face further away. “You saved me, and it was kind of you to do so. Please don’t regret helping me.” Get faster updates on g.com.
“....”
“This is the same as that. They need help and I can help them. If I’m stuck in this world I need to learn about it somehow. They can help with that.”
“...”
Alice tilted her head, but Eve refused to meet her gaze.
“Is there another reason you keep putting off their assessment?” Alice asked. Eve’s gripped her pen with white knuckles.
“There’s a reason…” Her words barely reached Alice’s ears.
“But you can’t tell me?”
Eve nodded. Alice’s large hand engulfed Eve’s.
“Is it because you don’t know me?” She asked.
Silence.
Eve turned to Alice with great effort. Their eyes met; golden fields of wheat against a starry twilight sky.
“It’s because you don’t know me,” Eve replied.
And yet, you feel so familiar… Alice thought. Her grip tightened on Eve’s hand.
“A long time ago I ran away from home,” Alice said. Eve’s eyes widened a little. “I was born in a tiny little town and I ran away to one of the biggest cities in my world. I was suddenly surrounded by strangers, but they helped me. They taught me. They supported me. And I learned to do the same from them. It was… so hard.” Alice smiled. “But I can do it again. I’ve already done it once.”
Eve scoffed.
“So that’s where your confidence comes from?”
“Something like that,” Alice chuckled. “I’m still overwhelmed and scared by everything around me…” She rubbed Eve’s white knuckles and Eve relaxed her grip on her pen. “But the coffee is the same. And teen girls still like trying on pretty clothes. And sitting around chatting and drinking still fills my chest with warmth… If I just keep finding those things that are familiar, then I’ll be able to adapt eventually."
Their gazes met again and a mischievous gleam sparkled in Alice’s eyes.
“Besides, for someone who doesn’t wanna help a stranger… you sure spent a lot of money on me today by the way,” she grinned as she leaned closer. Eve pushed her face away with blushing fingers and Alice fell backwards onto her rear and laughed.
“If you feel that strongly about the assessment, I won’t push it,” Eve said. Her face returned to its stoic default though her fingers remained flushed. “But I can’t say I agree with your perspective.”
“That’s fine,” Alice replied and smiled from the floor.
Eve paused in her writing and looked down at Alice.
“And you’re going to learn to read. Every night after dinner we’ll study here in my room.”
“Of course. It sucks not being able to read anymore,” Alice said.
Eve nodded then dismissively waved her hand.
“Go have dinner. I need to work now.”
Alice hopped to her feet and dusted off the back of her pants.
“Want me to bring you something to eat?”
“If you don’t mind,” Eve replied quietly.
“I don’t mind at all,” Alice said as she opened the door. “Don’t work too hard.”
The door closed between them, and the mark on Alice’s wrist grew warm. As she stared down at the mark, the sensation of a thumb caressed her skin. Her smile softened.