The singing of birds could be heard outside. A halo of light comes through the window and hits me in the face, just like every morning.
I have only 14 days before winter ends, so I get out of bed as quickly as I can. I am 15 years old now. I need to travel to the capital when winter ends and get there as soon as I can. Also, once I arrive in the capital, I'll need to find a place to live and a job before my classes start.
My journey will begin the day after the spring festival.
First things first, I need money, lots of money. There is an acquaintance of mine interested in buying that axe, who's waiting in the tavern. He can help me with that. I asked him if he was interested in the badge as well, but the badge is made of tin, and he said it wasn't worth it to buy it.
I leave my room and head downstairs. Just as I got down, my brother Ilex also left his room.
"Yo, brother. Leaving us already?" He said, with an annoying smirk.
"Not today, no."
"I see, good, because I would miss your ugly face."
"What are you talking about? Yours is uglier."
"If it makes you sleep better at night." He shrugs.
"It usually doesn't. Do you need anything?"
"I see that you are already a true warden. Asking people if they have trouble with all businesses like." A laugh beats him.
After some time, he continues. "Where were you last night?" I guess they got a bit suspicious.
"I was just going for a walk. I'm nervous about the festival and about my journey. You know how it is."
He started walking down the stairs slowly. And as he was walking down, I put my hand on my left thigh, where my sword scabbard usually is located. A bad habit of mine.
"You've always been reckless and childish. I can only hope that your journey will bring doom only to yourself and not to our family."
"I'll try to be careful."
"Trying is not enough." He says bluntly. "Being a warden means being ready to die. Even wardens who are careful die. Do you think that you'll do better than them? Why? Because you are talented? Don't make me laugh." He shakes his head.
That makes me frown. "I'm not planning to die anytime soon."
"Then prepare yourself to run away." He said as he patted my shoulder slowly.
I didn't know what to say to that. My older brother can be surprisingly wise sometimes. Thinking about it, that warden ran away. Should he have accepted his demise?
"While you were outside doing whatever it is that you were doing, we were discussing who's going to receive your room and your stuff.
"And?"
"Everyone agreed that I should have them, since our sister is not very fond of swords and books."
"And you are?"
"No, but I wouldn't mind them much." He then points towards his room. "Our sister had something to say to you, by the way. Something about a friend of hers."
"Roger that," I said, while making a military salute.
"Take care, brother. I worry about you sometimes."
"I will."
Ilex then leaves, leaving me to listen to my younger sibling. During winter, there is not much to do, so he must have gone to see his girlfriend.
I go to the room of my two siblings and knock three times at the door. Waiting for an answer. After some time, the voice of my sister Astrid could be heard.
"Ailanthus, is that you? What the heck do you want?!"
Having only 13 years old, two years younger than me, you would guess that she is quiet and educated, but she manages to surprise anyone with her "strong" behaviour time and time again.
"Nothing, Ilex just told me that you had something to say to me."
"And does he think that if I have something to say, I can't say it myself?!"
"You didn't tell him that you had something to say to me?"
"No." Her angry footsteps could be heard.
"Well, calm down, I..."
The door suddenly opened, and a young beast could be seen behind it. She is wearing both her black pajamas and her characteristic scowl. In addition to her black bed hair, she is fully equipped to deal with me.
"Ilex." She said with disgust, almost as if that word wasn't meant to be said. "Should mind his own business."
I think I understand it now, Ilex probably played a prank on me...
"I see, well. If you don't have anything to say to me, I'll stop annoying you." I bowed my head slightly and turned back, I need to get to the tavern to sell that axe.
As I was heading back, however. Her voice could be heard again. I'm amazed at how little that surprised me.
"Wait, dumbass." She approached quickly and punched me in the arm. After doing that, she crossed her arms and looked at me petulantly.
"Hey, what the fuck do you think you are doing? That hurt, you need to..."
"Be more ladylike?"
"Be more educated."
"Whatever. Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"
"So you do have something to say after all."
She looked downstairs before continuing, gathering her thoughts.
"I was just mumbling to myself, he wasn't supposed to say anything about that."
"I see. Well, I have to go to the tavern. Do you want to talk there?"
"Ok, I guess."
"Let's go then."
Finally. After that violent conversation, she changed her clothes, and we arrived at the barn.
I started saddling my horse while my sister fed him carrots.
"You still haven't given him a name?"
"No, I'm still not ready."
"How would you feel if you didn't have a name?"
"I don't know. How would you feel if I punched you?"
"Oh, come on. Don't be such a crybaby." She pouted.
However, I wasn't impressed. I continued to saddle my horse in silence.
After a while, she thought about something and approached me with a timid look.
"You know that I care about you. We all do. It's just the way I know how to behave... or something like that." She caressed my arm while saying that.
"I understand. Ilex was also being kind of a pain in the ass this morning."
"That smartass? When does he not?" She laughed politely.
Finally, my horse was saddled. I helped my sister get in the back, and we started our ride to town.
As we were riding. I took a look at the scenery. The forest, the snowy mountains on the horizon, the blue sky. My village was very pretty. I wonder if the capital will be pretty as well.
Few people claim to have been in the capital. Some say that it's an incredible place, a place that proclaims the superiority of civilization, while others say that it's impossible to breathe or have any kind of personal space.
Our mayor does all he can to make sure that Nutaarvik doesn't lack anything. He sometimes says that even though our town isn't as great as the capital. We have a spirit greater than those who live in the comfort of cities.
In my case, I believe that all places have their ups and downs, including the capital. But I suppose that is a frivolous point of view.
"Would you like to go to the capital, someday?" I ask Astrid, who is behind me.
"Why would I? I haven't even been in the other villages. Traveling is dangerous."
"Yeah, it is," I say, while remembering a couple of my encounters with monsters while I was traveling to the nearby settlements.
"Do you think you will be able to get to the capital?" After saying this, she slowly hugged me from behind.
"It's too late to turn back now."
"No, it isn't. You could keep being a hunter. Why do you insist on becoming a warden?" She started sobbing. My sister, ever the emotional.
But she is right, I don't have to be a warden. And not only that, A part of me doesn't even want to become one. It's too dangerous, staying in Nutaarvik would be much more comfortable. I could spend my entire life here, just like my ancestors.
As a child, I wanted to forge my path. But I don't need to become a warden to do that. If I quit now, however. Everyone in the village will be angry at me. How could they not? After all, they helped me to become a warden. They even taught me how to read and write.
No, it's not just that. I just don't want to disappoint them. I don't want to disappoint myself. I have to become a warden, but I know that I shouldn't tell anyone about my dubious reasons.
"Who do you think I am? I'll come back here sooner than you'd like. And then you'll beg me to go back to the capital."
She dried her watery eyes. "What's so great about wardens?"
"I already told you this, but wardens spend their first two years in an academy. Studying alongside people of their same age and ideology. I might even be able to get myself a girlfriend there." I said the last part half jokingly.
"You could get a girlfriend here, like Ilex."
"My point is that there are people as crazy as me out there, who travel to the capital to become wardens."
"Again, what's so great about being a warden?!" Her tranquil facet didn't last that long. She punched me in the back, although this time it didn't hurt.
"Supposedly, they travel throughout the empire. Helping those in need and enforcing the law. They also get paid quite well. I think almost anyone would find them to be cool."
She didn't say anything else. And after a while, we arrived at the tavern. As soon as we got there, Astrid jumped down.
I left my horse at the horse trough.
We were about to enter the tavern when my acquaintance approached me. He is a teenager like me, the son of a merchant from a nearby village. He was waiting for me outside the tavern.
"Do you have it?" He said, trying to act cool.
"Yes, I do. Find me by the abandoned church at dusk. Bring the money."
"Are you telling me that I have to wait again? Don't expect me to give you the full amount." He stomped his way out.
It's not like I can bring the axe to town and show it around. Is that why he was waiting outside? He thought that I was going to bring the axe here? But we agreed that... Whatever, I'll worry about that later. The worries of my sister are more important.
"Who was that?"
"An annoying brat, it reminds me of a certain someone," I said playfully, looking at her.
She looked at me timidly. "Do you think that I'm annoying?"
"Of course not, you are my beloved sister and all that." I approached her quickly, unsure if I should hug her.
Seeing me hesitate, she hugged me, and I hugged her back.
"I don't want you to go."
"I know."
"You are an idiot."
"I know."
I started patting her head slowly.
"Don't call me an annoying brat again."
"Ok, brat will have to do."
She looked at me angrily and punched me hard in the stomach.
That made me gasp. "Ok, I deserved that one," I said apologetically.
She then entered the tavern. And after a while, I accompanied my wild sister inside.