Pacem {Peace}

*Consider pressing the little star?*

Arya was half-asleep when she heard a light knock on her bedroom door. She bolted up quickly wondering who was at her door at such an ungodly hour. Groggily she got up to see a pair silver blue eyes staring at. Aaron was wearing a tunic and held a sword in his right hand.

He smiled when he saw Arya. "I was wondering if you would like to join me and some of the other knights for a morning practice lesson."

Immediately the sleep evaporated from Arya's mind. "Give me five minutes to get ready and I will join you shortly."

She closed the door behind her before washing her face and tying her hair into a tight bun. Then she slipped into a pair of tunic and trousers before strapping Anaz to her side. True to her word she was ready five minutes later.

Aaron cocked his eyebrows as she came outside. "That was fairly quick."

"I told you five minutes, didn't I?"

The pair of them walked together side by side as Aaron led them to where they needed to go. They did not go outside as Arya had expected but instead took a flight of stairs to a bottom level of the palace somewhere Arya had not been before.

"Where does this lead to?" Arya asked.

Aaron however did not reply and instead shot her a mysterious grin. Arya rolled her eyes but continued to follow him. They arrived at a rustic door and Aaron knocked three times. Sir Samuel opened the door with a pleasant smile on his face.

Arya entered the room and glanced around. The space was wide but it had been divided into different sections. One the right side of the room there were targets for archery as well as an array of bows and arrows to choose from. Beside that area were punching bags and mats placed for jousting.

There were a couple of knights practicing their hand to hand combat. On the left side, there was an area for swords with dummies that had been set up. Right beside that area was a knives station as well. The room was very well lit for being so underground with the sun seeping through the corners of the room. Arya was astounded at what she was seeing. It was like a secret underground training facility.

"This place is incredible," she breathed.

Sir Samuel smiled. "When we are not training outside, here are our indoor grounds."

Arya turned towards Aaron, "how did you find this place?"

The boy shrugged. "I couldn't sleep one of the days during the Heres Gladii so I explored the palace. I could hear sounds coming from somewhere so I followed them and low behold I came here."

Arya wanted to punch his shoulders that he had not shown this to her earlier.

Sir Samuel looked to the two of them, "Are you both ready to practice?"

They nodded and Sir Samuel led them to an open area. "You can put your swords down you won't need them."

Arya and Aaron both did what he said curious to see what they would be doing instead. Sir Samuel came forward and pressed two foreign sticks in their hands.

"These are called Kali sticks. Mostly used in the East but nevertheless, they can be very dangerous. The next step of your training would be learning how to use different objects. This way, in case you don't have your swords or knives you can simply turn a tree branch into a weapon." Sir Samuel explained. "The two of you will be dueling and the winner will be determined when the other gets tapped by the stick."

Aaron and Arya both grinned as they stepped back putting a considerable amount of space between the two of them. Arya test out the sticks in her hands before finding the correct place to grip them. She looked at Aaron and saw the same determination reflected in his gaze. This was not going to be an easy battle; the two of them were going to make sure of that.

When Sir Samuel allowed them to begin, Arya and Aaron came running at each other full force. The sticks met one another and clashed loudly. Arya found it different from holding a sword since it was lighter and she was able to use both her hands. She raised her left stick once more but Aaron blocked it with his right stick. They went back and forth exchanging blows.

It was exhilarating. 

Arya had not felt this way in a battle for quite some time and so when while they finished, she was close to grinning. Although Sir Samuel had ended their battle mid-way, Arya felt the adrenaline rush. She was wide awake now. Waking up early had been worth every moment. Glancing around the room, Arya knew for sure she wanted to be here. She was going to make sure she would be here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Have you purchased a parka yet?" Arya asked.

Aaron looked at her in a confused manner, "no, why would I need to?"

Sighing Arya didn't reply but simply motioned for him to follow her into the market place. It was considerable less crowded and had fewer stalls as well then the last time. Arya knew it was because of the attack on the palace. People were terrified and only those who needed the money would have stayed.

It took them quite some time to travel around the market palace but Arya finally found a stall that was selling the thick coats. She purchased one for herself and Aaron before handing it over to him.

"I believe we have everything now, are you ready to leave?"

He nodded but his fingers were still brushing over the parka. Arya let him before she walked backed to the palace stables. Eclipse was waiting for her already saddled. She thanked the stable master before mounting on the beast. She watched Aaron do the same. They led their horses outside the stables.

"Do you know how to get to Evenna?" Aaron asked her.

Arya nodded. The previous night she had mapped out a route that would allow them to safely arrive at the city. Evenna was not the far away from Kathoria. Arya would guess at best it was only a day's journey away which would be good and it would allow them to rest in the city itself.

Aaron followed Arya's lead and the two of them started on the journey. They travelled in silence before Aaron spoke, "Why did Lady Zelie tell you to go to Evenna when someone could have easily gone from the knights? Isn't it closer anyways?"

Arya answered his question honestly, "I was born there. I know more about the city than anyone else. Besides, Lady Zelie believed that I needed to get revisit my roots."

Aaron nodded. "For me, my roots are much closer to the academy since I was born and raised in Xuthviy. I get to visit the city whenever I leave the academy but it no longer feels like home. My true home is the academy with all my friends."

Arya understood this. After all she considered the Narvian Academy her home as well. She didn't know how she would feel about returning to Evenna but she knew where her heart lay.

"So is Evenna always isolated?"

"Yes," Arya replied. "Where in other cities there are Lords that take care of the lands, Evenna is not like that. The leaders of the cities are a group of elders that have been chosen by the people. The people of Evenna believe that the elders have the most wisdom so they make most of the decisions." Arya replied.

Aaron seemed to be absorbed in the conversation. "It's fascinating how the culture differs from every city."

Arya almost smiled. He didn't know the half of it. Although culture did vary from every city, Evenna was the most different of all of them. Arya knew Aaron would be shocked when he saw the city.

"You should do that most often," Aaron said.

Arya looked at him in puzzlement.

"Smile," Aaron explained. "It lights up your face, makes you look kinder." He gave her a smile of his own as if to demonstrate his point.

This only made Arya scowl further. Aaron laughed lightly in response. Arya noticed he had a nice laugh, one that made other people want to join in as well. It sent a sense of warmth through her body that she didn't expect. For the next few hours Aaron tried to make Arya smile using different methods. Some were downright ridiculous and most of them made Arya want to laugh but she held her ground which frustrated Aaron even more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wind picked up as they rode further away from Kathoria. Arya knew that they were much closer to Evenna than Kathoria now. In a couple of more hours, the air would become almost frigid and the landscape would begin to change.

She glanced over at Aaron who seemed enthralled by the nature surrounding him. "You might want to put on your coat now." she said snapping him out of his thoughts.

He did as she told him but questioned her when she did not put her coat on. "I'm used to the cold. I can handle a lot more before I have to wear my coat."

"Show off," he mumbled under his breath.

Arya pretended not to notice the comment. They had been riding for the latter part of the day and her limbs were becoming sore now. "Would you like to take a break?" she asked Aaron.

He nodded eagerly and they dismounted their horses. Arya opened her bag to take out some bread and cheese she had packed while Aaron opened the water canteen. They shared the meal in silence and it almost felt like a picnic.

"It's so peaceful out here." Aaron said as he closed his eyes in order to feel what was around him.

Arya nodded. "There are very few people who visit Evenna. Unless it's something urgent, the people are left to do what they please."

While Aaron closed his eyes, Arya found herself analyzing his features. His ash blond hair was tightly pulled back and it reached the nape of his neck. If it went any longer, Aaron would probably have to tie it. He has a sharp jawline, it was smooth for the most part expect for the slight cut below his chin. He had a crocked nose and while it might look bad on others, it suited him.

Aaron's eyes flew wide open to stare into Arya's Aztec ones. Arya found her face warming up. He had caught her looking.

There was a slight smirk playing on his lips something that made him seem more devilish then before. "Are you done staring?" He asked casually but his eyes were nothing but casual.

"I wasn't staring," Arya mumbled under her breath.

He snorted loudly. "I could feel your gaze on me Arya."

It was one of the few times he had called her by her name. Arya liked it when he did. He didn't sound scared when he said it as opposed to many of the students from the academy. Instead, he said it with respect.

Ignoring his comment she made her way to Eclipse. "It's time for us to get back on our journey."

Sighing he packed up all the remaining belongings before joining her. They rode in silence until a few hours later when the sky was beginning to darken; they arrived at the border of Evenna. Their horses stood in a mountain of snow and Aaron was hugging the parka close to his body. From their vintage point, they could see the entire city. It was lit in the dark with the mountains providing the perfect background.

"This is breathtakingly beautiful," Aaron muttered beside him.

Arya finally smiled. It felt bizarre visiting the city but up until now she had not really noticed how much she had missed it. There was a low musical sound and Arya's ears perked up. She had a feeling of what it was but she turned to Aaron to ask the date.

When he replied, it only confirmed her assumption. They had arrived in time for the Ocarina festival. Suddenly the wind instrument felt heavy beside her. She moved Eclipse forward and beckoned Aaron to follow in suit.

He did so and they rode through the snowy city. She did not know where the closest inn was so she asked a young man on the street. He looked quite confused to see the two of them and Arya knew this was because they usually didn't have any visitors. He pointed her in the direction and Arya thanked him.

Arya and Aaron arrived at the inn and to nobody's surprise the place was empty. The inn keeper looked surprise to see them. He smiled widely.

"We'd like two rooms Sir." she said addressing him politely.

"Coming right you way, Madame." 

Arya gave him the correct amount of gold before handing one of the keys to Aaron.

"You're free to do as you please for the rest of the evening, I'll see you in the morning."

If he was confused about her brushing him off, he didn't show it. He simply removed the snow from his coat and trudged up the stairs. Arya followed him and stepped into the room beside him. It was a narrow room that was dimly lit with only a single bed pushed towards the side.

Arya placed her bag on the ground and collapsed on the bed. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. She knew that wasn't a possibility since her stomach kept making noises every few seconds.

Sighing she got up from the bed and quickly washed her face in the bathroom. Her eyes looked brighter than they had in days but her hair, it was a mess. Loose strands had come out from her bun and they were sticking up in different directions. Arya released her hair from the tie and ran her fingers through it. Then she collected it all and secured it into a loose pony tail.

Keeping her sword by her side, she knocked on Aaron's door. He opened the door surprised to see her. Aaron had changed as well. His hair was now extremely messy much like hers had been minutes ago and he was wearing a simple white tunic and trousers.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" Arya asked him.

"Yes, but just give me a minute."

Arya waited outside as he shut the door behind him to freshen up. He came out minutes later with his sword also strapped to his side. When the two of them made their way downstairs, the atmosphere was completely different from an hour ago.

There were people everywhere drinking, laughing, or simply chatting. Aaron and Arya squeezed their way into a table in the corner as to not attract attention. Aaron flagged down one of the workers and she walked towards them.

"What can I get you today?" she asked with a smile but it wavered slightly when she noticed their swords.

"What do you have?" Arya replied with a question.

The girl looked nervous. "We have a special soup with bread if that is okay with you."

"I'll have that. What about you Aaron?"

"I'll have the same." He echoed.

The girl nodded before running off the kitchen. Aaron looked amused as he saw her scamper away.

"You frighten people." He said casually.

Arya rolled her eyes. "She was frightened of you as well. We both have swords strapped to our sides."

The last bit came out much louder than Arya had intended and many people craned their necks to get a glimpse at the two of them. Arya ducked her head. She didn't like being in the center of attention. Aaron looked more amused if possible.

"Don't worry; I'm not scared of you. It's going to take a lot more to have me running away." He said it in a causal manner but Arya took his meaning to heart. It was nice to be able to converse with someone normally. At the academy, the only people that actually talked to her were Yasmin and Silvia and on occasions Jennica when she wanted to make a rude comment.

So they spent the rest of the night chatting and drinking and Arya found herself at ease. It was easy talking to Aaron and she enjoyed it. Although many heads turned to stare at the two of them, Arya found that she did not care. After all, it was her life and she was going to live to the fullest.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They have arrived at Evenna! This chapter had some Aryon moments but next chapter is going to be really important. ;) Thank you to all those who wished me luck on my exams I do believe they were half decent. About next weeks update I'm not sure because I am moving that day and I probably won't have internet for like a couple of more days after that. Sorry :( Anyways, what did you guys think of Arya sneaking glances at Aaron or the two of them hitting it off? Please vote and comment and share because I also entered this book for #watty2016.