: Final Decision

Micheal walked her back to the courtyard below her window.

They both stood under the tree, neither one saying a word.

After a while of silence, Micheal looked at her and smiled. "If you ever need to find me, you know the way to the knight's quarters. Just ask for me and someone will come get me."

He wanted her to know that she could find him as long as she was here.

After the fight, all those years of resentment and pent up feelings vanished. He wanted to get to know his childhood friend again.

But Kayda didn't have the same thoughts.

She looked at him for a second. Looking like she had something to ask. But upon thinking further, she decided to keep mum.

She nodded as a response and scaled up the tree. Closing the windows behind her, she didn't dare to look out to see if Micheal was still there.

But if she had looked back, she would have seen Micheal still standing there like a solitary knight. Only after he felt the wind tussle his hair did he leave.

Kayda leaned against the wall under the window. Her expression serious.

Her mind was turning at a quick pace as questions and thoughts passed through her head.

This estate was large with multiple side buildings, small and large courtyards, and a whole knight corpse at its demand. The amount of servants she saw was equivalent to a medium crowd, but she had not seen or heard any servants around the quarters she was staying in.

Everyone could speak the western language, while she barely heard someone speak the estern language besides Gerrin, Clouse, Ceneth, Stevens, and Dimitri. Those key figures were incomprehensible. She couldn't rap her head around any one person from that group.

She had not seen or even heard a single thing about Gerrin or Clouse since she had entered the estate. It's as if they had completely vanished.

And what she knew about them was limited. Gerrin was a weapons welder. His main weapon was a customized warhammer made by dwarfs. He was probably someone with a high standing as his knowledge didn't fall into the common knowledge category. For such a big buff guy who was also from the bear tribe to have such an in depth understanding of mana users and professions, it was obvious he had more of an education or had accumulated enough knowledge from very fortunate events or high places.

Then there was Clouse. He looked like your everyday playboy but she couldn't get a grasp on his personality. He was always smiling, showing a more amiable front. But she instinctively knew that that was all it was. A front.

He seemed to be proficient in a few different areas making him more dangerous. He was good at both professions of rune users. As an enchanter and an enscriber. Which is an uncommon combination but not rare.

But then, she had also noticed the daggers he kept at his side. If he was only a user of mana and not a weapon wielder, then he wouldn't be that big of a threat. But he used those daggers with ease and was also adept at his mana practices. If anything, he was a trump card.

And then, there was Dimitri.

Kayda's eyebrows furrowed together at the thought of that cold and inhospitable man.

Similar to Clouse, he wielded both a sword and mana.

She could feel it reverberating off him, the strong stench of mana. But he also used that black bladed sword. Its blood thirsty glint was still fresh in her mind.

With a sigh, she ran her hand through her short hair and tilted her head back against the wall to look up at the creme colored ceiling.

Too many unknown variables. There were just too many.

It made her edgy, like she was treading through the murky waters of a lake, unaware of the dangers that would seize her to drag her down into their depths.

Just what was she going to do?

There was a small and light knock on the door.

Moving her eyes, she looked at the closed doors as if she was willing herself to see through the intricate oak to see who was on the other side.

Looking away, she said entered and the door slowly creaked open.

"Hello." A meek and demure voice flitted through the room.

Surprised, Kayda sat up and looked at the small girl who had entered the room.

Aylin smiled when she saw Kayda.

Her face was now less swollen and red, but there was still an obvious print painting itself across her cheek.

Kayda looked at her without any expression surfacing upon her face, but Aylin didn't seem to mind.

"Do you need something?" Kayda asked.

She was honestly surprised by her appearance but she didn't really think anything of it.

Aylin smiled shyly before she reached into her apron and brought out a pair of intricately sewn gloves.

She held out her hands in an offering gesture showing off the gloves.

They were made with a light and thin material that made them delicate. With no other designs besides the well woven stitching, there were three silver buttons that served as a wrist adjustment for the wearer.

"My mother made these for me a while back." She blushed. "They didn't fit and I couldn't bear to throw them out. So they have been sitting in my draw gathering dust. I would be honored if you were to wear them." She said with a small smile while not daring to look up at Kayda with a shy blush kissing her cheeks.

Kayda looked at the gloves. Slowly, she stood up and walked towards Aylin. Picking up the gloves in her hands, she looked at them and felt their soft and smooth texture.

Sliding them on, she fitted them onto her hand and wiggled her fingers.

They perfectly fitted.

Looking up, she planned to say thank you but the words got stuck in her throat.

Aylin was looking at her with wide and shining eyes with a growing smile on her face. Sparkles seemed to radiate around her with little yellow flowers blooming in the air. She was tempted to swat away at the non existent particles.

"I'm so glad they fit!" Aylin squeaked. She was expecting Kayda to out right refuse to even accept the gloves from all the rumors she heard from all the maids that had come to her room before. She couldn't believe that she was going to go on without even talking to her if Kayda hadn't stepped in when that noble lady was beating her up.

In her eyes, Kayda looked like a little heroic knight with her shiny silver hair and bright emerald eyes.

Kayda was stuck for words while looking at the glittery person standing before. It was like she was a foreign being.

Kayda recollected herself and looked down at her hands to avoid Aylin's big eyes.

"Thank you." She muttered.

Aylin beamed.

Aylin talked for a bit and thanked her once again for saving her in that tough situation then ran off to finish her chores.

Left alone in the room again, Kayda looked down at the thin and delicate gloves. They seemed to make her hands look smaller than they already were.

Silently, she decided something in her mind.

She needed to leave.

Looking at the door, she hesitated for a second before she went forward, opened the door and left the isolated room.