[Four Years Later]
After Edin gained the approval of the Elders, she became a Village Hero in Training, trained by Jihan and her father, Nicholas. Now, they've been assigned to Edin's first mission. There's been a disturbance near their village. After her fight with the Dire Wolf, Edin familiarized herself with wolf anatomy to find better strategies to kill them. This time, however, it is a pack of Mist Boars, an enemy that Edin had never fought before, and until today, never knew existed.
"Silence. We're approaching them now. I can smell them." Nicholas says in a whisper, shuffling into a thick bush.
Edin follows and readies her bow, aiming it at the biggest boar. Jihan puts his hand in front of the bow, a signal he taught her a few weeks ago. She knows that as soon as he lowers his hand, she'll fire a killer blow that will send the beasts into a panic. Jihan starts to lower his hand, but quickly raises it back up, grabbing a hold of the bow.
"Put your bow up. Grab your sword." Jihan says quickly before drawing his axe and jumping up and battling something Edin cannot see at the moment.
She puts up her bow and quickly draws her sword, nearly cutting herself by drawing it too close. She jumps up to see a Blazing Dire Wolf snarling at Jihan, the Boars having run away already. Edin trembles at the might of the wolf, sensing it to be at least a thousand year, double the might of the wolf she struggled to fight. But she was weaker then. Now, she's confident she can hold her own. Unfortunately, Nicholas doesn't think so, as he pushes her back into the bushes.
"Run back to the village, quick! This is a hi-" Nicholas is cut off before he can finish by a howl of the beast once more.
A heavy thud sounds behind them. They both jump out of the bush and see the wolf dead, with Jihan standing on top of it triumphantly, and his axe stuck in its skull. Nicholas walks over to the wolf, smelling its breath.
"Is that- wait." Nicholas takes a piece of cloth and swabs the tongue of the beast, putting it in a potion bottle with some other liquids. "Ah, yes. This poor beast took a bite of a Mist Boar. Those things are terrible for consumption without the proper treatment."
Edin chuckles at Jihan. "Guess you aren't the hero we all thought."
"Oh, yeah? Just for that, you get to walk yourself home." Jihan says before running off, Nicholas laughing in close pursuit.
Edin starts to run with them, but quickly loses them in the forest. She hears talking and laughing, and walks toward the sounds, thinking it might be Jihan and her father, who thought they could lose her quickly. She approaches to see a very tall man in a long black leather trench coat and a simple shirt, and a short woman accompanying him, who's picking flowers and frolicing about like a child, even for Edin. She walks out into the open, catching the eye of the woman.
"Aww, who are you sweetie? Are you lost?" She says, walking over to her and kneeling down, even though Edin is close to her in height.
"My name is Edin, and not quite." She says, trying to sound mature.
The man walks over and stares at Edin. They both connect eyes for a moment. Edin can feel a calming wave when looking into his eyes, almost as if she's been around him her whole life, like her parents. The woman laughs and taps the man on his elbow.
"C'mon honey, can you stop staring for a moment? We need to help this poor girl." She says, gesturing toward Edin.
"I'm fine, I just lost track of my trainers. They ran off without me." Edin sighs.
"WHAT?" The woman shouts. "They left a sweet thing like you? Why?"
Edin shrugs. "I made fun of one of them and they left. They didn't abandon me, and shouldn't be far off, if I can just catch them-" She's cut off by the woman picking her up.
"No child should be left to wander these forests alone. You're coming with us. We just so happen to be going to a party." The woman says, starting to walk but being stopped by the man grabbing her shoulder gently.
"This is kidnapping, Rias." The man says in a deep and warm voice.
The woman stops and looks at Edin. "I'm sorry, do you wish for us to take you to a party and then walk you back to your village?"
Edin, deciding she has nothing better to do, and that she could take these people on if they decide to cross her, she nods in agreement.
"See? She gives consent." Rias says happily, walking off toward their destination.
Less than a minute passes by before Rias starts to actually ask questions.
"By the way, how old are you?" She asks, still holding her hand.
"I'm twelve." Edin says, slinking along.
"Wait, you're twelve? I thought you were like, I don't know, 9!" Rias looks at her, barely stopping. "She's only five years younger than us honey."
"So I heard." He replies, still walking the same pace.
Rias laughs. "Y'know, I know I'm short for my age, so you'd think I'd know better about judging you based on yours."
Edin nods, slipping her hand out of Rias'.