I've uploaded again! Please make sure to like and comment if you enjoyed it!

I will be updating weekly now so make sure to add to your library to get the notifications!

S. A. A

                               °°°°°°°♧°°°°°°

"Had enough?" Emut's voice rang out in a teasing tone and I pushed up from the floor, a scowl on my face. Turning slowly back to the male, I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"Not quite," I remarked before drawing my sword up again and letting it clash against his.

We maneuvered around the combat floor and I paid diligent attention to each movement, my eyes straining with the sheer focus I was putting into each move. Meanwhile, Emut stood shouting orders and one hand lazily at the side.

"Remember, no edge blows!"

"Find the weak points, Hanna!"

"Not the outer, but the inner elbow. There's no armour protection there!"

I changed my position and tactics to each command that was thrust my way.

He moved his sword up and I kept a keen gaze on it. That was when he used his shoe to swipe my legs out from under me, pointing the knife at my throat. I fell with an ungraceful thud, looking up and sighing dramatically.

"Your attention needs to be on everything at all times." He scolded and I smiled at the position of his sword at my throat.

"This feels a bit familiar." I mused to which Emut shook his head with a smile before helping me up.

"I remember us meeting in a similar manner." He answered playfully, taking the words from my mouth and I nodded, dusting my hands off.

"That seems like lifetimes ago." I murmured out truthfully thinking back to the first day.

It had been 2 months of exactly this same routine- training with Emut, helping with the festival preparation, eating lunch and then going back home where we were then allowed our own time. Time seemed to be going so slow yet so fast at the same time and I couldn't believe that the Wag festival was to be held tomorrow. Negus was to have a meeting on it when we returned from the village.

"What does Negus want to see us about exactly?" I questioned as we got into our combating stance, my arms drawn in close.

Emut circled me and I mirrored him as he did so.

"He wants to make sure the festival goes without any hitches. He's prepared a contingency battle plan if there is to be any interruptions and we need to make sure we're alert." He explained before bringing his sword to me. I lifted mine in response, the clashing sound making my teeth clench.

"Good, Hanna, your reflexes are much faster." He praised before changing his arm position and attacking from the side. I moved in response, turning my body to the side and bringing the sword down on top of his with force. He pushed upwards, making me stagger back before putting the sword forward straight on, I tilted the sword slightly, using the edge of it to push him away.

"Never lock your wrists like that. You'll restrict your movement too much."

I nodded rigidly, moving back suddenly and giving myself time to change arm positions. But, Emut was faster than I had expected and he brought his sword down before I had time to react, cutting me cleanly on my arm.

"Aargh!" I let out, staggering back with one hand going to clutch my arm. The sound of metal clattering against the floor rang through the hall and I looked up to see Emut by my side, his gaze on my arm in concern.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you." He rushed out and I tutted at his words, grimacing slightly at the pain.

"I know you didn't mean it, Emut, so there's no need to apologise." I said, moving my palm from the wound to see blood seeping out and trickling down my arm. I had always hated the sight of blood and I turned my head away from the sight. Emut seemingly noticed this and I felt his hand take hold of my arm.

"Oh wow that sword was sharp." I muttered with a small laugh to which Emut looked down at me, his eyebrows furrowed before his gaze flitted back to the wound.

"I should have been more careful" He muttered to himself and I shook my head with a smile.

"There's no point in training me if you hold back." I reassured him and he sighed at my words before holding my arm up higher.

"Tell me to stop if it hurts too much." He said simply, before lifting the bottom of his black tank top and holding it against my arm tightly, revealing a small bit of his tanned stomach. I hissed in pain at the action before moving back slightly.

"Stop, Emut, you'll ruin your clothes." I reasoned but Emut held me in place, his gaze on my arm.

"Clothes can be cleaned." He replied noncommittally and I rolled my eyes at his words. He looked to the door before turning back to me.

"I think, finding Arun will probably be best."

****************

"Wind it tight, so the air don't bite!" Arun sang in a soft hum and I laughed at his words as he wrapped a bandage around my arm.

"You have a knack for singing. I think you're in the wrong profession." I teased and Arun perked up at my words, tying a knot to keep the bandage in place.

"You like my singing?!" He asked excitedly and I nodded with a smile to which Arun blushed a faint pink.

We had recently just arrived at the village when Emut practically hauled Arun out of whatever chores he was doing to give me first aid. The bleeding had stopped, so I had refused any help, but Emut pushed me to, in fear that it would get infected.

"Done!" Arun said happily and I withdrew my hand from his to inspect my arm.

"Impressive." I observed as I looked at the bandage. Arun let out a small 'thanks' in response as he picked up the sullied cotton pads and I looked to him in question.

"How did you learn to be so good at this and weapon making?" I asked, recalling how Ayla had told me that Arun had made most of the weapons as well as being the group doctor.

Arun shrugged at my words, his feline eyes looking off into the distance.

"It was just something I picked up." He said nonchalantly to which I gave him a pointed glare, folding my arms.

"You don't just 'pick up' these skills." I remarked and Arun smiled before relenting with a deep sigh.

"Before Negus found me, I didn't have any place to call home, so I lived in a temple, working for the priests to clean up. Many a time, I just read the books and scrolls in the guise of cleaning and I picked up a lot of knowledge through that way."

I looked to him in sympathy, knowing that I couldn't judge a book by its cover no longer. Arun, the boy who was always smiling, had also faced hardships just like the others. His eyes were looking off at a distant memory now and a vacant smile etched onto his face.

"Negus was an avid worshipper at the temple and, when he saw me, he would bring me books to read. Little did I know that the books he was giving me were carefully chosen to increase my medicinal and weaponry knowledge. He took me in shortly after that, stating that I was the last missing piece of the puzzle." He explained wilfully and I placed a hand on his arm in comfort. He smiled at this before smacking his hands together, sounding much more like himself.

"Back to work, I suppose!" He let out, dramatically wiping sweat off his brow. I stood up before offering my unwounded arm to Arun. He smiled before taking it and I hauled him up, surprised at how much of a lightweight he was.

I looked around at the village as he packed up his things. The preparations were nearly done and the village now looked beautifully adorned, the sun streaking in to accentuate its' beauty.

When all was packed up, we made our way off the small reed mat we were sat on, outside a food stall. I turned to Arun before taking hold of some of the many things he was carrying.

"What preparations were you doing? Would you need my help?" I offered, as I looked around, there was not much else to do anymore. Almost all chores had been finished.

Arun smiled widely at my words, his eyes glimmering like green rubies as he nodded.

"You're going to love it!" He said before wrapping his willowy fingers around my elbow and hurrying me along.

I let out a startled yelp at the sudden movement, making sure to keep my feet moving as we weaved to the outer area of the village and near the vegetation patch that Negus and I were at 2 weeks ago.

We raced past that too and I looked in awe at the greenery he led me to, revelling in the shade from the small area of trees.

"I didn't know this was here." I commented more to myself, looking around at the beauty.

Suddenly, something skimmed past my face and then something else. I focused on it and only then did I realise what it was.

Falling blossom petals?

I stuck my hand out and caught one, feeling the silky softness of it. Arun laughed musically at this as he walked. The blossom petals had stuck themselves inside his golden hair and he shook his head, letting them fall to the floor. He turned to me then, pointing ahead.

"This is where the villagers will walk through to get to the river. There, they'll make boats out of parchment paper and set them on the river as homage to the dead and their journey to the afterlife." He explained wistfully and I nodded at his words, looking in the direction he was pointing.

He then reached into the basket he was holding, pulling out a lantern.

"The last thing to do now is put lanterns in the trees to light their way in the night." He added and I reached out to grab the lantern from his hand, inspecting it as I did so.

The lantern was made of rice paper and had a small fitting inside with a candle. I looked to the trees and the ladders that Arun had brought along before nodding firmly.

"Okay, let's do this. I'll start here and you start over there." I said, delegating a location to us both on each side of the clearing. Arun nodded at this before turning to walk off.

"Oh and Arun?" I said softly, watching as he turned with a curious look on his face. I smiled warmly at him.

"I'm glad Negus found you." He smiled sweetly at this.

"No, I'm glad he found you. For, without you, I wouldn't be here."

**************

Humming softly, I reached forward, feeling the effect on my arm as I placed a lantern on a protruding branch.

I got off the ladder, making sure to be careful this time to not fall and placed it against the next tree before grabbing a lantern. Standing up slowly, I placed my hand against the bark and the sheer feel of it brought back memories hidden away.

10 years ago

"Sierra! Fiona! Please, let me up!" I cried, wiping at the tears, my hands resting against the bark of the tree.

I looked up as they opened the wooden hatch of the treehouse, both looking at me sniggering.

"Go away, go play somewhere else!" Sierra shouted, throwing an empty plastic bottle at me. Her friend, Fiona, laughed at this before picking up a bottle and doing the same. I dodged both before looking at the girls, my face wet with tears.

Fiona sneered, her nose scrunched up.

"I can't believe she's your sister." She commented, her scrutinizing gaze on me as I stood on one of the ladder ledges.

Sierra slapped her friend's arm at this.

"I told you! We're not related! Mum just let her live with us, I don't know why! How can we be sisters if we're the same age?!" She shouted loudly and I reddened at her words, the tears falling at a faster pace.

Fiona laughed at her words before opening a toffee sweet. She threw the wrapper at me casually before stuffing the sweet in her mouth.

"You're definitely not twins. She's way too ugly." She mumbled, her mouth full and Sierra laughed at this.

"I'm telling Debra!" I cried, retreating down the ladder steps. Both girls laughed loudly at this, shutting the hatch with a resounding click.

I made my way inside to Debra who was sat on the armchair, eating leftover cake from Sierra's birthday yesterday. I leaned against the arm of the chair, waiting for Debra to look at me, but when her eyes stayed rested against the TV, I spoke up.

"D-debra?" I squeaked out, playing with the hem of my top. Debra sighed deeply before looking to me.

"Yes, dear, what is it?" She said, shoving a spoonful of icing in her mouth. I bit my lip to stop from telling her she had some on her upper lip. Instead, I pointed to the back garden door, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Sierra and Fiona won't ever let me in the tree house. They say I'm too ugly to enter." I mumbled out and Debra sighed at my words yet again before resting the plate on the table beside her and turning to me.

"I'll go outside and tell them to let you in, if that's what you want." She said simply, her hands now resting against her rounded stomach.

I smiled at this, clumsily wiping at my tears.

"Yes, please!" I exclaimed and Debra sat up slightly but then pressed a chubby hand against her face in thought. She glanced at me from the side of her eye.

"I could or, if you want me to, I could start treating you like the grown up that you are. You're 10 and half now. Are you really going to be crying over a tree house?" She questioned softly and I fidgeted on the spot. I wanted to play in the tree house, but I wanted to make Debra happy. So, I shook my head, slowly.

"I guess, I don't want to play in the treehouse." I let out and Debra smiled before leaning back in the arm chair.

"That's like a big girl. Now, what else do big girls do?" She questioned, grabbing hold of her cake, her eyes flitting back to the TV every now and then.

I bit my lip in thought before jumping on the spot excitedly.

"Ooh! They help clean up!" I let out ecstatically and Debra gave me a slow and deliberate once over.

"They don't jump and make noises like that either." She said in a monotonous tone. I immediately quieted down, watching as she finally wiped at the whip cream on her lip before handing me the plate.

"Be a good big girl and wash the dishes; the dishwasher's on the fry again." She said, not sparing me a glance and I nodded, taking the plate and making my way into the kitchen.

"And, Hanna?" She called. I turned swiftly, nearly toppling over. She looked me in the eye again, a serious look on her face. One I couldn't quite read at the time.

"As a big girl, I expect no complaints on Sierra anymore. Ever."

I shook the memory out of my head. For now, that's all Debra and Sierra were- long forgotten memories. I wasn't going to see them again and I couldn't figure out if I was upset or relieved about the fact.

I reached out to place the lantern on a protruding branch, in my sight, struggling as I did so. I sighed in frustration before tiptoeing and reaching again, but to no avail- the branch was an inch out of my grasp still. Suddenly, a hand from above reached and grabbed the lantern from me, placing it on the protruding branch.

I looked up higher to see Demir, leaning against the trunk of the tree and sitting on a thick branch, his arms folded as he looked to the horizon.

"Do you have a thing for sitting in trees?" I remarked, carefully stepping off the ladder and placing it against the neighbouring tree.

He didn't even spare me a glance and we continued on in silence. I rolled my eyes at this before grabbing a lantern and stepping back up on the ladder.

"Don't fall. I'm not Emut; I won't catch you." He snipped out in a tired tone, his eyes closed.

I let out a laugh of indignation as I put the lantern onto a protruding branch.

"I'd rather fall into an oncoming stampede than be caught by you, but thanks for your concern." I retorted snarkily before getting down in a huff. That was the last of the lanterns and I made my way to leave.

"It wasn't concern." He said bluntly and I looked to see him jumping effortlessly off the high branch. He gazed at me with dead silver eyes.

"It's time to see Negus."

                          °°°°°°°♧°°°°°°

Hope you guys liked it! Let me know how it was!

I will be updating weekly now so make sure to add to your library to get the notifications!

S. A. A