My face burned with embarrassment as I looked at my mother. “I was hardly gone for five minutes,” I complained, “and you had to go and tell them that story?”
“Seven years old,” Nira laughed, “and holding the hands of random women in town. Shame on you.”
“What did you say to her?” Ava prompted, cheeks bulging with a smile. “The first one.”
“You mean she didn’t tell you?” I asked with a scowl, motioning to my mother.
“I was just about to,” my mother answered. “Go on, tell them what you said.”
“Mum,” I whined, but all three of them simply blinked at me with expectation. So I sighed and mumbled in hopes they wouldn’t hear, “I’d like my cottage better with someone as beautiful as you around.”
Ava snickered while Nira asked, “And what did she say?”
My shoulders slumped. “She laughed and said to come and find her when I was old enough.”
They passed curious looks to my mother, who guffawed, “She was a working girl at the local tavern!” Ava and Nira burst into laughter, and because of my grumbling about them being relentless, my mother cupped my face, giving it a playful pat. “You had good taste even if you couldn’t afford her company,” she chuckled. “She was pretty.”
Having finished their game with the rebels, Nilson and Akamar ran over. “Nilson,” I prompted, still blushing while I knelt down and motioned for him to climb onto my back. “Tell the women what happens when they tease me.”
Nilson looked from me to them as I stood, and pointed in rebuke, “She’ll feed you to the wolf!”
“Aw,” Nira drawled in feigned remorse.
“We’re sorry,” Ava agreed.
I narrowed my eyes, humming in disbelief while I considered their apology, even though I couldn’t keep from smirking. “Fine,” I conceded, looking at Ava while I tapped my finger to my cheek, “right here, and all’s forgiven.”
She planted a kiss to my cheek, and Nilson immediately leaned over my shoulder and tapped the same spot on his own face, saying with a smile in his voice, “Right here.”
“Haunt!” I yelled before he could get his own peck, pulling him around into my arms. “Where’s the wolf?”
“No!” he shrieked through a giggle. “Mum!”
“Sorry, lamb,” my mother laughed, “you’ve earned that one.”
Before Nilson could squirm his way out of my grip, another lighter weight grabbed around one of my legs. “I’ll rescue you, Nilson!” Akamar hollered, whipping side to side to try and throw me off balance.
He was too small to make much of a difference, so I took a large step, struggling to hold Nilson in my arms while I dragged Akamar along with my leg. I made grunting noises with every step just to play along and make Akamar feel that he was helping, but it truly was taking the breath out of me to fight Nilson’s squirming and drag Akamar along while I was laughing like I was.
I managed to take a handful of steps before Nilson shouted, “You’ll never take me alive!” and knifed his fingers into my ribs.
I don’t know whether it hurt or tickled more, but I jerked sideways in reaction at the same time as one of Akamar’s feet stuck between both of my own. It tripped me, and I let out a yelp as I stumbled sideways and toppled to the ground. I hit the dirt on my back and with all of Nilson’s extra weight on top of me, but neither he nor Akamar relented. Akamar shot to his feet and grabbed my arm, pulling it out sideways while Nilson sat atop my torso, continuing to poke at my ribs.
“Alright!” I gasped, rolling as much as I could to try and knock Nilson off of me. “Alright! You got me!”
“Who’s getting fed to the wolf?” Nilson asked, posing his fingers in threat over my side.
“Not Nilson,” I surrendered.
“Or?” he asked expectantly.
I glanced sideways at Akamar. “Or Akamar.”
Akamar let go of my arm to put his fists to his hips and ask, “Or?”
I chuckled, answering, “Or Mother, or Nira, or Ava.”
“Well…” Nilson considered.
Akamar finished for him, “She could have Nira.”
They both set to giggling when they caught the scowl on Nira’s face. That is, until she said, “No more stolen sweet rolls for you two.” Then they threw themselves to her feet to beg dramatically.
I laughed as I pushed myself up and brushed the dirt off. “Shall we go and see the competitions?”
“Who’s competing?” Nilson asked, turning me around to pat my back and indicate that he wanted a ride.
I squatted down enough for him to jump up, and answered as all of us started for the caves, “Ava and Nira.”
Nilson glanced over at Ava, who’d fallen into step at my side. “Are you an archer too?”
Ava shook her head. “I’ll be participating in the sword tournaments.”
Nilson took in a breath, his eyes going wide. “You are? Are you skilled? How long have you been practicing? Can you teach me?”
Ava’s lips curled, and she answered in as swift a manner as Nilson had asked, “I’m not bad, I’ve been practicing for years, and I’d love to teach you when leisure permits.”
He’d always wanted Silas to teach him how to use a sword, but Silas had never had the time because of his duty as a knight. I’d have taught him myself if I was any good, but I wasn’t, and he was too young to join the soldiers’ training just yet. Now he was so overjoyed about the fact that Ava would finally teach him that he bounced and wiggled on my back all the way to the training grounds. There were already people warming up when we got there, practicing with swords and bows and other weapons. After a while, everyone was cleared from the heart of the massive cavern so that the sword tournaments could start.
There were several circles created on the ground with rope, in which the competitors would fight with practice weapons. Ava was one of the first, and winning that round meant that she moved on to the next. We spent the better part of the day watching Ava move through the competition, and then watching Nira do the same in archery when the tournaments would alternate. Though our brothers, my mother, and I were only spectating, we were still having a great time watching and cheering along, making competition of our own out of predicting victors when it wasn’t Ava or Nira’s turn. In the end, while Ava had won third place amongst the swordsmen, Nira went on to win top archer, and got that bow she was after.
It was well into the evening by the time all of that was finished, and supper was being served in spite of the fact that all the tables in the dining cavern had been shoved to one side. It cleared the other side, and lively music already filled the cave, echoing off the walls in such a way that you could feel it in your soul. Plenty who’d finished eating were already dancing, and others were drinking and laughing, celebrating and enjoying their time with loved ones before going off to war. It was the first time in six months that I felt truly at ease, at least when I didn’t think about the days ahead of us. I jested with my family while we ate, and drank enough ale to feel the warmth in my veins. I even ate so much food that, when we finished and Nilson wanted to dance, I needed a few minutes to get over the sluggishness of a full belly.
I sat there while he and Akamar dragged Nira and my mother into the crowd of dancers, with Ava leaned comfortably against my side. We watched them for a few minutes before a familiar face blocked our view.
“Kiena,” Rhien greeted with a brief smile, immediately turning her gaze on Ava. “You’re Ava,” she said, grabbing the skirt of her dress to bend in a curtsy—an awkward sort of movement for her, it appeared, probably because of Ronan’s lack of physical signs of respect. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Ava stood, and though she wasn’t wearing a dress, she went through the movement to mirror the formal gesture. “And you…” she agreed, her voice trailing off to leave room for introduction.