Quoted By:
Your Focii should never leave your side. You grab it before stepping into the crisp autumn air. You step on a newly carved dirt path that directly leads into your family home, a cozy place of five spacious rooms built on a single floor with enough modern amenities to probably satisfy a noble; the only times you've seen similar appliances were the times blue blood invited your family to stay in their residences because of your father clerical duties.
Living apart from your family isn't a punishment—it's your choice. But with the coming snow and Fallerin’s unpredictable winters, you might have to abandon your cabin for the comfort of home… unless you can find a smaller heater in time. You're not sure how to prevent burning yourself down, too. That nearly happened to your new family home due to collective incompetence... no, ignorance.
''Hey!'' Your musing is interrupted by the female voice you've heard almost every day. ''Breakfast ready, we're finally done with the last of our travel provisions. You still like beans?''
Your mother, Canaan Vesperus, lands a shot into one of the faraway trees scheduled for a felling while looking at you with eyes sharing the color today sunny morning.
Being a full-blooded elf always meant she gathered stares and your lack of contact with this half of your bloodline made it difficult to judge how she looked beside her ''fey'' brethren but... Well, you'll avoid admitting to her face that she's a looker. Tall, lean, and healthy with long dark hair that she often styled in a ponytail, her face always gave you an eagle impression when she concentrated on something. Being a ranger must have drilled a sense of elegance into her bones because your mom always seemed to have the solidity of a statue.
''Trick shot?'' You reply, doing your best to shake off the last remnant of your sleep.
''I wish. All those trees in our field gotta come down so I don't wanna make the effort of putting targets. Also, no horses yet for fancy shots.'' She fully turns around to appraise you, loosening her grip on her bow. ''Slept well?''
''So-so.'' It took you long years to learn your mom has damnably sharp instincts and even more to accept that escaping its scrutiny is more about luck than skills. ''Today is finally Eichenwald day?''
Eichenwald, the first new city and actual expansion of the Allied Kingdoms in five years. The king of Fallerin himself helped the church fund this expansion, resulting in a messy scandal about who had true authority and a whole lot of migrants from all the Allied Kingdoms thinking they could nab easy lands... But reality shattered those drifters dreams, thankfully those were problems that didn't concern you; your father's position as a Cleric of the Path, your mother being an elf and your group being an actual family (the preferred type of settlers according to faceless officials of Eichenwald baron) meant escaping the migrant camp to land this noble summer home for nearly nothing.
