Page 11 of Daughter of Shadows and Ash

When I returned home, Grandmother already had a stew simmering over the hearth. "You're finally back!" she called. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to send Maël to fetch ya."

I joined her by the hearth, adding the fresh meat she'd been waiting for. "He found me anyway, Grandmother. I swear, you terrify that man."

Her laugh tinkled like silver bells in the wind. "As it should be." I smiled, setting my gear aside.

Our cottage was modest but warm—a main room for living and cooking, two snug bedrooms, and a washroom. But the true magic lay in Grandmother's gardens just beyond our door, the most expansive and beautiful in the village, her pride and joy.

I sighed as I sat down, "Speaking of Maël, he needs a partner for tonight, so I'll be out with him until sunrise. I hope that's okay."

Grandmother paused as she considered my words. "Whatever ya need to do, Love, just try not to beat him uptoo badly. I'd rather spend the day with ya than mending his bruises."

I laughed at her mischievous expression. For all her strict rules—stay near the village, don't venture too deep into the woods—when it came to my passion for hunting and combat, she was fiercely supportive.

She passed me a bowl of stew and settled in with her own. We ate in comfortable silence, though I caught her lost in thought more than once. After finishing, I gathered our bowls and began tidying up, debating whether I could steal a quick nap before Maël's arrival.

"Alora," my grandmother caught my attention. I peered over at her to see her fidgeting near the window, "Before you go, I'd like to give ya your gift a little early."

"Grandmother, you don't have to do that, I'll be back once the sun is risen and we will have all day for that."

She slowly nodded her head, "That may be, but as ya know, your powers will be manifesting soon, and I'd rather give you this now just in case." She held out a small bundle wrapped in a dark cloth.

I didn't process what she said as I unwrapped the cloth to find a dagger dark as night yet sparkling in the light, almost as if it had starlight embedded within it. "Where did this come from?" I gasped. I've never seen anything like it. It was so different, yet felt so familiar.

"It's been passed down from generation to generation," she began, "Keep it on ya in case you ever need it. Ya may find yourself vulnerable, and this could save your life one day." She flashed me a proud smile, "Or you'll use it on your hunts, just don't lose it."

I looked down at the blade again and back at the woman before me, "Thank you, I may get lost, but I will never let this outof my sight." I placed the blade in its sheath and strapped it to my thigh, "There, safe and sound."

She chuckled, shaking her head, a loving gesture that shows their close bond, knowing I would get lost a thousand times in our very own village and still manage to keep the knife safe.

Grandmother's eyes softened as she gazed at me, her weathered hands tenderly clasped mine. "Alora, my dear, the world beyond our village... it can be a cruel place. People aren't always kind, and life isn't always fair."

A frown creased my brow as memories of Maël at the jewelry shop surfaced. "I'm not some sheltered child."

"I know you're not, but knowing and experiencing it are two very different things." She paused, her violet eyes, mirrors of my own, searching my face. "You're strong, Alora. Stronger than you know. But even the strongest trees bend in the fiercest storms."

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her words. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm saying no matter what happens, you must keep your head up. Keep moving forward. The world may try to break you, but you, my dear, are unbreakable." Her voice grew fierce with conviction.

The intensity in her gaze made me straighten my spine. "I hear you, Grandmother."

I felt my throat tighten at the tender gesture. She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. Remember, your strength isn't just in your blade or your fists. It's here," she tapped my chest, right above my heart, "and here," she touched my forehead gently. My breath caught at the gentle touch, and I fought the urge to wrap her in a fierce hug.

"I promise, Grandmother. I won't forget."

She smiled then, the lines around her eyes crinkling. "Now go wash up before that boy gets here. You're looking—and smelling—like you've been wrestling Ole Jenny's pigs."

I made my way to the little bathroom, truth be told, she probably wasn't wrong. The day's hunt had left its mark. The bath water was cool but bearable—no time to heat it properly. I slipped in and scrubbed away the day's grime. The water darkened as I worked the soap through my hair. Once clean, I dried myself and looked in the weathered mirror, my own deep violet eyes staring back. My ivory skin no longer bore the signs of my labor from the day. No matter how many hours I spent in the sun, my stubborn ivory skin refused to tan like the other villagers—a fact I secretly envied.

I combed my long, dark hair, knowing that when it dried, it would be a frizzy mess. There was no avoiding it.

I donned leather pants and a form-fitting top, carefully returning my new blade to its sheath. I grabbed my old bag and checked my meager coin purse. If we were meeting a traveler with books tonight, I was going to need them.

A knock came from the front door, and I could hear my grandmother answer. Through the walls, I heard Grandmother's sweet voice—no doubt delivering her usual threats to Maël. The sweet old lady had quite the bite—a blessing or curse, depending on who you asked.

"We're going to be late!" Maël called out as I emerged from the back of the cottage.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I embraced my grandmother goodbye. "I told you I could've met you at the gate."

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