"Do you really have to go?" Nya mumbled softly to her brother.

The sun was beginning to rise over the distant hills. The little town began to wake, merchants opening their shops and chatting amongst themselves. Families were rising out of their less-than-comfortable beds, sending their sleepy children out to do their morning chores, their parents dressing warmly to work for their daily bread. The children that were old enough followed the adults, their small hands already calloused from the hard labor.

Many of them were sickly, malnourished and in need of money. Nya and her brother were among those that were lucky enough to own a shop, but with the demand for weapons decreasing, they were beginning to go hungry for a few nights. The shop was all they had left of their parents' legacy; lose it and they lost their heritage.

That was why Kai was riding into the next town over to advertise their wares and see if they could relocate. Jamanakai Village was a town notorious for its crime rate and demand for weapons; it was the perfect spot for a blacksmith's shop.

"It just doesn't seem morally right." Nya sighed, loading Kai's bags onto their stallion, Flame. "I mean, selling weapons to criminals? Are we really going to be the cause of rising crime in that poor village?"

"Nya..." Her brother began, tired of her asking the same questions.

"I know, I know. We need to eat and we need to keep them alive, somehow." She closed her eyes, sighing. "But is it really keeping their legacy alive if we build an entirely new shop? And what if it gets defaced?"

"It's better than it closing entirely." Kai huffed, closing the bags and attaching the cart of wares to Flame. "I don't want to make a mockery of our family name, Nya. Ever since they died, the whole village has been watching our every move, waiting for us to fail."

Nya faced him, pursing her lips. "We would be making a mockery of our family's name if we supplied thieves and murderers!"

"Hey, what's so bad about thieves?" A casual voice popped up from behind her.

Nya sighed heavily and turned around. "Good morning, Ronin."

"Morning." He mumbled, his mouth full of food. Most likely stolen pastries. Nya thought. It is a Monday, after all.

Sure enough, he held out a small bag full of sweet breads, offering its contents to the siblings. "Want some?"

"No thanks, Ronin." Kai sighed, tightening the buckles on the cart. "That should do it." He glanced at the sunrise and groaned. "I should've left an hour ago."

Ronin wiped the sugar off of his face with one sleeve, eyeing Flame. "So you're really doing it. You've got guts, kid. I'd never travel through those woods. They're haunted, you know."

"Shut up!" Nya groaned, elbowing the thief, causing him to laugh. "Kai, please... I just don't think going out there is a good idea. I mean, it's a two-day's journey through the woods, at least, it's beginning to snow, and Jamanakai is dangerous by itself. Please."

"Nya, you know as well as I do, we can't wait another season." He held her hands. "We're going to lose the shop and starve. Please, just trust me on this."

"Wolves." Ronin spoke suddenly. "And bears. Terrible beasts out there in those woods. Plus I think there's witches and ghosts. Those are just bad woods, Kai. You're better off here."

"Not helping, Ronin." Kai hissed before turning to Nya. "Don't listen to him."

"Do I ever?" Nya's soft smile returned to a frown. "I'm listening to myself. We've been doing just fine in Ignacia. I mean, besides, with winter coming, people are going to need bows and arrows for hunting animals. We'll be fine..."

"Nya..." Kai held her close to his chest, warm as a cozy fire, something they hadn't felt in a long time. "You know why I had to do this."

She looked to the ground, feeling guilty but confident. "And you know why I made that decision in the first place. I don't want to marry someone because of their wealth. I-I hardly know him."

Ronin perked up at the sound of gossip. "What? And who is this?"

Kai pulled away from the hug and mounted Flame. "Don't worry about it, Ronin." He squeezed Nya's hand tightly. "I promise, if anything happens along the way, I'll let you know somehow. I'll always be with you, sis."

Nya closed her eyes, unable to look at her brother without crying. It was only going to be for a week and a half; why did it feel like it he was leaving forever?

"I gotta go, Nya." He let go of her hand. "I love you so much. Take care of her, Ronin."

Ronin saluted at him, cramming another pastry in his mouth.

Nya watched her brother turn away from the village and towards the woods. "I love you too, Kai." She spoke, softer than she had intended. Please be careful...
-
"So who's this lucky suitor of yours?" Ronin asked, tossing the pasty bag behind him and licking his sugary fingers. "Those were delicious, by the way. You're going to regret not having one of those."

Nya felt the pang of hunger hit her once again, but she ignored it as always. "You're such a pig." She huffed, crossing her arms. "And I don't want to risk getting caught stealing food, like you do." They were making their way into the center of Ignacia, a fairly public place where a petty thief like Ronin could be easily caught. Ronin, however, just didn't give a damn.

"It's better than starving, like you and your brother are." Ronin frowned, tilting his hat to hide his face from passing authorities. "You wouldn't even eat dirt off of the ground because you'd consider it stealing from nature." He smirked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"He's nobody." Nya sighed. "At least, to me he's nobody. I don't know him at all, aside meeting him a couple of times when I was little. He and Kai were childhood friends, until he moved away. After that, he became this new-money kind of guy when his father remarried, super wealthy, and he's back here in Ignacia for some reason. Kai wants me to marry him so that the shop can thrive but..."

"But you're obviously better than that and you deserve more." Ronin said sarcastically.

"Ye- What?!" She elbowed him again. "No! I mean, I barely know him! What if he's a terrible person?"

"And what if he isn't?" Ronin sighed, stopping and grabbing her shoulders to get her attention. "Look, kid, if it means you won't starve yourself anymore, then please, marry this guy and get the money you need!"

"Ronin, I'm not going to-" Nya grunted as she pulled out of his grip, only to bump into someone tall and sturdy. "Ah- I'm sorry, I wasn't-" She looked up and gasped, her heart dropping. "Lord Cole, I'm so sorry, I-"

The young lord looked down at her, turning around slightly. He cocked his head, scrunching his bushy brows so close together they became one thick brow. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Nya, K-Kai's little sister." Nya shifted awkwardly. "He said he... mentioned me to you..."

Cole squinted his hazel eyes at her before widening them. "Oh, Nya! I remember you now, you were the little baby!" He bent down slightly to reach her and kissed her hand. "How's Kai doing? I haven't heard from him in years, aside from his letters."

Nya glanced to the side. "He's fine, I guess." She rubbed the back of her neck. "So... Did Kai mention anything to you? About, um... me and you?"

Cole stared at her again, studying her. "You look sick. Are you guys getting enough food at home?"

Nya was getting frustrated. "No, but you should know- I mentioned the proposal-"

"You know, if you need money for food or anything, just tell Kai I'm always open to merging our families; I mean, you're not a little baby anymore, right?" He laughed awkwardly at his own joke before turning away. "Anyways, I gotta go. This cake in the display is calling my name." He slipped inside the bakery without another word.

Nya groaned, covering her face. "All I'm saying is it would be nice to marry someone that listened to me."

"I'm sure the man was just hungry. I mean... he was a pretty big guy." Ronin shrugged. "Besides, I listen to you."

"Ronin, be serious." Nya huffed, continuing to walk with him. "Love shouldn't be limited to wealth and free meals. I mean, you have to earn it, don't you?"

"Nya, Nya, Nya..." Ronin sighed, stretching his arms. "You have a lot of growing up to do. You gotta learn that life is no fairy tale, and Prince Charming won't come rescue you. Sometimes, you just gotta settle for super-rich, moderately-attractive lords that feed you cakes."

"That's not what I meant." Nya grumbled, deciding that she was frustrated at everyone for the day. I just want to meet someone that understands... is that really too much to ask?