13th day of the fir season 2440

Since meeting Fayne, Azena felt much more motivated to learn, explore and discover. She often snuck out of her home during the brief period of time when there was no guard at the entrance. Fortunately for the negligence of Kardun's replacement. The girl was gaining confidence quickly and was adopting habits characteristic to commoners. She spent a lot of time at the White Horn tavern. Despite complaints from customers who did not like to have her around, she was not evicted. Fayne's parents were very warm and did not judge which was very rare in the low-society community as well as the high-society one. Her parents were not pleased with her misadventures. She had been punished multiple times. Eventually, she swore for the first time in their presence and she got herself a firm sentence: to be locked in her room for a few long, painful days. At last she was free, and at that moment she was running along a corridor in the vast castle in which she lived.

"It's impossible!" Bayrne bellowed.

The powerful voice of her adoptive father came from a small conference room near where the little rebel who was preparing for a new escape was. Intrigued, she decided to stop just before the door to avoid being spotted. Oatmeal biscuit in her mouth, she swallowed and slowed her breathing so as not to be heard.

"I'm sorry my lord," said a second man.

He seemed anxious; his voice was trembling almost in fear.

"Are you sure?" the lord asked curtly.

"It's been four years and five losses occurred my lord... Your wife is lucky to be alive."

"S-so..."

"Tria is our last," finished Rivatha sadly for her husband.

Azena finally understood. Her parents were once again trying to expand their family, but her mother could not. So that was it... A few times in the last few years she had suddenly fallen ill. In reality, she was fighting for her life and that of her unborn child. It was not an illness at all.

"Do not worry about your dynasty my lord," reassured the second man that Azena guessed was a doctor. "You have plenty of children."

Dynasty? The young spy did not understand this word. Uncomfortable spying on such a discussion, she turned around and took a longer path to the library where Gendrel was waiting for her.

That room was so huge that there was a rolling staircase every few meters to allow readers to reach the books nestled in the highest rows. It could have literally comfortably accustomed an adult dragon. It was a labyrinth of texts and stories, fictional and realistic.

"We had agreed not to set foot here unless it was absolutely necessary, right?" Gendrel recalled in an inquisitive tone.

He was not stupid; he knew that his sister had an idea brewing in her mind. Both hated reading and during their lessons, they always tried to drive their mentor mad just to escape this torture. Obviously, it worked very rarely because the latter preferred to fight against the imps rather than facing the anger of the ruling lord.

"It is necessary," confirmed Azena with a determined expression.

"Are you preparing the boldest trick of the year?" the boy asked as he rushed into the library.

"Not even," replied the girl, following him closely. "In fact, it is to help a friend."

"So, the plan of action is that I help you find an interesting book which is already almost impossible and smuggle it out of here?"

"Smuggling is a big word, but yes."

"Then let us go!" exclaimed Gendrel energetically.

No questions were asked. It was wonderful. When Azena needed a partner in crime, she could always count on her near-twin. It was necessary to act quickly. It was forbidden to take books out of this room except with special permission, let alone take them outside. The knowledge contained in his books was reserved for the family and their guests. You could learn a lot from their pages, and it was here that Argent spent her time when she was not learning or secretly practicing her combat skills with Demien. Fortunately, she was not there at that moment. She was practicing sewing with Serfie. Another activity that Azena hated.

"Hey! What are you doing here? You do not have a lesson today."

It was the grumbling voice of Arlien, the scribe of the family. He was strict, knew the habits of the children and would not hesitate to report their actions to Bayrne.

"Take what you can!" yelled Azena to his brother. Anything!

For her part, she did the same; she grabbed a moderately thick book at random. She did not have time to be picky. What did it matter? As long as these pages had text, it was enough to teach Fayne how to read.

Arlien, a man of the most ordinary physique, wore his usual dress and walked barefoot. He was a strange character and he was in the way.

"Leave these books behind, scoundrels! he ordered, extending a right hand in front of him as if he thought that this gesture was going to miraculously stop the two amateur thieves."

Gendrel burst out laughing, momentarily closing his eyes and it created an opening for Arlien. The adult gripped the careless boy by the arm and tried to do the same for Azena, but she was too fast for him. She avoided him with ease by taking a leap to the right. She landed a few inches from the wall and continued her way to the exit of the library.

"Perfection!" Gendrel bellowed with encouragement. "That does not surprise me about you, sister. Good luck, not that you need it! Oh! Do not worry about me. I will sink with honor with our pirate ship!"

Azena gave her brother an amused glance. That was just who he was: a boy with a fertile imagination and a nonchalant attitude in permanence.

"Come back here! the scribe shouted," his face flushed with rage. "Your father will hear about it!"

The girl gave him a provocative grimace, sticking her tongue out and disappearing into the hallway leading to the main entrance.

Once outside of the walls of his home, Azena found herself in the heart of downtown, where the commoners spent their time. She knew where Fayne was: either at her house or at her parents' tavern. She chooses to check at the house first. Once there, the humble building was empty. She rushed towards the White Horn, which was a few leagues away.

A little further... Too focused on what was in front of her, she tackled a kid of about twelve years old who was even taller than Serus. He cracked his knuckles as he got up.

"Damn girl, what's wrong with you –"

He stopped, his facial features softening in an instant. He froze, his eyes completely hypnotized by Azena's hair which was dancing majestically in the cold breeze.

"I-I I..."

Azena knew what would end up spitting out of his mouth. That same fire awoke in her; this heat wave who was becoming more and more familiar. She clenched her fists instinctively, without even thinking about it. Then came the seductive vision of her hitting her bully.

The boy's eyes widened as if he had read Azena's thoughts.

"CURSED WITCH!" he yelled.

He had to expect that his insult would intimidate the girl, but the desired effect did not occur. On the contrary, she remained in the same state, engulfed by her rage. She had not moved yet, her teeth and her fists only tightening more and more. Finally, a small growl betrayed her feelings and she looked up at him.

"I will not let myself be attacked or abused by anyone... No one... not you, not my brother, not my father, nor any soul in Aerinda. No one! So, get out of my way if you do not want to provoke my anger."

The boy did not even reply; he turned, sprinted and disappeared into a sketchy alley. He was more afraid of a child than of criminals... Azena's muscles relaxed, but the beating of her heart remained frenetic. She felt both fulfilled and mad. What was this new feeling?

She watched her trembling hands for a long time, thinking only of emptiness, total darkness.

When she turned her attention to the calm sky, she questioned her sanity again while imagining a caged monster deep in her subconscious.

"I'm not a monster," she thought as she continued her way to the Litfow tavern. "After all, every human is afflicted by occasional desires to kill. This does not mean that they would submit to it."

Once she arrived, she held the book behind her in an attempt to keep it hidden. She entered the White Horn and found herself face to face with a multitude of customers, most of whom were drunk, but all seemed happy. One of the men at the table at the center had just got up and picked up one of the young women like a bag of potatoes and cheered. His cry was followed by several others who seemed to approve his gesture. Personally, Azena did not see the purpose or the interest in that kind of behavior. She even found it a bit stupid.

"Ah, but who do I see?" questioned Fayne's familiar voice.

The brunette approached her from her right side, a broom in hand and a small smile on her lips.

"You sneaked out again to come and see me," she growled in spite of her happiness, which she could not conceal. "Your parents will hang you with a rope soon!"

"Let them try!" challenged the youngest. "Nobody can catch me!"

The peasant uttered a shy laugh and waited. For a moment neither of them uttered a single word. This lasted until Azena finally decides to break the silence:

"It was your birthday... I'm very late, but..."

In a clumsy and nervous movement, she unveiled the book and offered it to her friend.

"No way!" Fayne exclaimed, uttering a cry of surprise. "You did not...?"

That was the question that Azena feared since the beginning. She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, uncomfortable at having to answer it.

"Yes, I had borrowed it from the family library," she murmured, avoiding the look of her companion.

"I told you not to do it," Fayne snorted. "Stubborn as a rock. Yep... You're going to be hanged, but thank you very much!"

She grabbed the book and stared at it with eyes full of hope and wonder. It was like a treasure to her.

"You know my birthday was the eighth day of the season of the scythe, right? It's three seasons past. We did not even know each other back then. You did not have to give me a present! It's too kind of you! Thanks again!"

She hugged Azena tenderly under the worried eyes of some customers. Despite their inappropriate behavior, the Kindirah was not bothered by them. This moment was much more important than them. She had a friend, a real one. It was not a convenient friendship formed by family ties. It was the first bond she had built outside of nobility, in complete freedom. She felt a little more solid on her feet and a little less isolated in this world.

Fayne let go of her and lifted the book up to level it to her eyes to look at the cover. On it, there was a white woodruff flower engraved on a dark leather background.

"Is it a book about the history of Daigorn? The emblem is a white woodruff, right?"

"A good guess, but no," replied Azena in a mischievous tone. "In fact, it's an encyclopedia about Daigorn's plants."

She suddenly realized how this book was the worst subject she could have ever picked; it was so boring. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she giggled nervously, her lips trembling. She scratched the back of her head as she could not help when she felt anxious.

"Sorry... Time was not on my side..."

✦×✦

A few days passed and already Azena had teached Fayne the basics of reading.

"It's amazing!" she exclaimed. "I was at your level after seasons of learning."

Fayne leafed through the handwritten encyclopedia, absorbing every word and every drawing with a gleam in her eyes. Her friend was not even sure if she had heard her and it did not matter. She was proud of herself and the peasant girl. It was a feat for her and a rare chance for the brunette. If they had not known each other, Fayne would never have learned to read and Azena would've never been a teacher.

"You know... I think I'd like to become an herbalist," Fayne said almost in a whisper.

"You are clever. You could do it effortlessly," encouraged Azena.

"You... being noble and everything... What are you planning to become? Do you have a plan?"

Azena let out a long sigh, thinking of her future. Nothing in it was what she wanted. She would surely be dragged to be a housewife as well as a lady of nobility, be married in exchange for a sum of money, give birth and... and... the most disgusting part was that she would have to obey and offer forced love to a man who was going to be a stranger to her. It was not what she wanted to answer to Fayne, but it was inevitably what would become of her. She chose to ignore it for the moment. She still had time to find a solution. She was still very young.

"I'd like... to be a warrior... of some sort... You know, defending the weak and teaching a lesson to those who piss me off," she finished on an aggressive note.

Fayne laughed amused.

"I did not expect that honestly, but when I think about it, it would suit you."

She remained silent for a moment, watching her friend who had blushed with embarrassment.

"Anyway, you're really bad at literature, she continued. You forget basic notions... I realized that... and you are not very noble."

The Kindirah blinked, slightly confused.

"I am not very noble?"

"Your attitude and your aspirations," explained the Litfow with a sincere smile. "They remind me of a boy's."

"Huh? You think so?"

"Once again, here is the proof."

"What do you mean?"

"You're already starting to express yourself in our dialect. It's not hard to convert you," laughed the brunette. "A noble would have never let such a thing happen."

"Pfft," Azena growled, crossing her arms and putting a grumpy expression on display. "I was just trying to adapt to you," she lied.

In reality, she had fallen in love with the Litfow family and their nonchalant vision of life despite their hardships, but of course she was not going to admit it.