After a long time of time spent together Reden thought that it would be good idea to find some way of at least a weekly income so they can buy supplies, resources and materials from traveling merchants who are passing through on main path few minutes away from their house. Just like the old times.
"So um. Since we are back home it would be good to go back to our good old way to get some cash." Reden says with his hands on his waist.
"Yes, but why in such a hurry? We just came back home and I still have some silver coins." Mary replies.
"Yeah, but we don't know if things are the same. I dont wan't to leave things for the last moment. I wanted to at least see if the main path is still available for use and if any merchant still uses it. You know... To plan ahead." Reden explains.
Mary looks at Reden.
"Okay fine. Just come back quickly and if you have to stay until late then at least come back before I go to sleep. I want to feel you next to me once again in our bed." Mary asks kindly.
"I will. No worries." Reden answers with smile.
After he says that he heads to the door and exits the house. He takes a few steps, looks at the house again and smiles widely. After few seconds he continues following the path turning right.
Reden walks along the familiar path, his steps light and his spirits high. The scent of the earth, the rustling of leaves, and the sounds of birds create a symphony of nature around him. The path has always held a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Around 10 minutes later he sees the main path behind the trees. It's a well-traveled route, connecting different villages and towns and providing opportunities for trade and interaction. Reden scans the surroundings, looking for any signs of recent activity.
As he reaches the main path and looks further around him to see if there is anyone incoming he sees nothing. Road is empty for now. No travelers, merchants and even animals on the sight. But Reden decided that since he came he will wait and see if there is even anyone still using this road especially the kind man who was supplying the couple with weekly food in exchange for meat, fur and other resources gained from hunter animals or just forest.
He leaned on the tree and decided to wait for around an hour so he can analyze the amount of merchants passing through by certain amount of time. This information will help him with planning.
As he waits leaned on a tree with his arms crossed he is suddenly pulled out of the sight behind a tree with his mouth covered by some stranger. Reden is now out of sight with his mouth covered and stranger's arm wrapped around Reden's throat.
"Stand still and don't try anything." Unknown man says to him.
Reden tried to reach his dagger but realized he doesn't have it on him. It was instead taken by this stranger before. The grip around Reden's throat tightened.
"Bad move mate. Keep your hands on my sight." Stranger says.
Reden terrified does as man says and has his hands a little in the air.
"Good. Now listen carefully. I want to keep you safe." Unknown man looses his grip a little.
The man's grip loosening allows Reden to take in a slightly deeper breath, but he remains cautious and tense, his muscles ready to react if needed.
"You have seen something you weren't supposed to see." Stranger says.
Reden's heart races trying to understand what he means.
"Diplomat. In Castledale to be precise. You saw what she did and who she pulled out." Stranger speaks letting Reden speak a little.
"I'm... Sorry! I really didn't want to see anything like that! I just... wanted to go back to my room... to rest after my work... I really-" Reden says.
"Okay, okay. Don't tell me because it doesn't matter. You saw it, end of story." Stranger says once again covering Reden's mouth.
"I'm not here to kill you or threaten you. The force Im using right now is necessary. For safety of us both. I didn't want to risk you both attacking me after hearing that I saw you seeing something you weren't supposed to witness. So just stay calm and listen to what I have to say." Stranger says.
"This diplomat is Pateria Grul. From the title she's diplomat, but she is also a spymaster of Dragavamian Kingdom. Person she went for was Marthus Tori. He is an former noble whose wealth was sabotaged and then stolen by the same diplomat. He had a proof of this so he ran away to town of Castledale in Singard to stay safe for at least a while. Offence against nobility is very serious crime and this would definetely cause global troubles for Dragavamian Kingdom if it got leaked. I don't know more about that, but as you probably figured out now, she wanted to get rid of evidence and saving his nation's reputation by getting rid of Marthus of course." Stranger says.
Reden still scared looks puzzled with these information.
"So why am I telling you this? I just want to warn you to know what you saw and not tell anyone about this. For your and your family's safety. Do I have to tell what they would do if they found out you are a witness?" Stranger says it the intimidating way.
Reden takes a while and shakes his hand clearly taking stranger's words to his mind.
"Very good. Now I will keep investigating their case and you can do what you were doing right now." Stranger says.
Unknown man then stops holding Reden pushing him away from him a little. As Reden takes a deep breath he quickly looks behind him trying to see who that man was, but he disappeared. Reden breathes afraid, looks around him cautiously.
With the thought that he is probably safe he starts slowly heading back to his home. While looking around he sees his daggers lying next to the tree he was leaning on. He quickly picked them up and kept them in his hands. After that he continued walking back home still cautious.
Reden's heart pounds in his chest as he walks back towards home, his mind racing with the information he's just received. The encounter with the stranger has left him shaken and wary. The revelation about the diplomat's actions and the potential danger of being a witness to it weighs heavily on his thoughts. He's afraid of how some people, especially the powerful ranked ones are able to do and their ways of getting information.
As he walks, he grips his daggers tightly in his hands, his senses on high alert. The forest that once felt like a safe haven now seems to hold hidden dangers and secrets. Reden's footsteps are cautious, his ears straining to catch any unusual sounds.
When he finally reaches the clearing near his home, he takes a moment to catch his breath. He looks at his house, a mixture of relief and apprehension filling him. Mary and Gah-Hal are inside, and he must ensure their safety.
Before he enters his house he once again makes sure that there is no danger near him or at least the one he can hear, see or sense. He listens, looks and tries to sense any danger nearby for 5 straight minutes. After he realizes there is nobody nearby he calms down a little, sheathing his daggers back to him and entering the house with normal face. He tries to hide the truth from his own wife too. He clearly took the warning seriously.
He enters the house quietly, his eyes scanning the interior as he steps inside. Mary looks up from where she's sitting and breastfeeding Gah-Hal.
"Oh wow. Thank you for listening. You came back much earlier than I actually thought." Mary says with a little smile.
Reden manages a smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. He walks over to Mary and Gah-Hal, taking a seat beside them.
"Yeah, I realized I didn't need to spend that much time outside." He says, his voice a touch strained.
Mary gives him a curious look, sensing that something might be bothering him.
"Is everything okay?" She asks, concern evident in her voice.
Reden looks at Mary, his expression softening.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just had a lot on my mind, you know, considering the plans for getting back into trading." He replies, trying to sound as normal as possible.
Mary nods understandingly, but she can still sense that something might be bothering him. She continues to breastfeed Gah-Hal, her gaze shifting between her husband and their son.
"Well, take your time to sort things out. We have all the time we need now that we're back home. Remember to not worry about budget." Mary says, her voice reassuring.
Reden reaches out and gently places his hand on Mary's, offering her a small smile.
"You're right. We're back home and that's what matters the most." He says, his fingers brushing against hers in a reassuring gesture.
Mary gives him a warm smile, appreciating his attempt to put her at ease.
Reden is actually screaming inside thinking that even in their own home they wont be safe especially after finding out about the stranger's information and stranger himself.
"I need to get stronger. I can't stay idle and enjoy happy life with my family anymore. I need to actually be the one who keeps it safe. It was always Elsa... back, Mary who always protected me. From tommorow, I will start training like crazy. I will train everything and as much as I can." Reden thinks to himelf with a big determination to keep his happiness of life safe.
30 Minutes Later
Reden left the house after calming himself down a little. He took few steps to go behind his house to build himself a little training area with things he has around him. Wood, grass, leaves that is. He went to the shack next to his house and picked the axe from it.
As he picked up the axe he right away went to cut some trees a bit away from his home so he could use it to contruct for himself things necessary for his training like dummies, training swords and daggers and some small knives that he could train ranged attacks with.
Using his axe, Reden begins to chop down the first tree. The sound of steel biting into wood echoes through the forest as he works with focused determination. It's a slow process, each swing taking its toll on the tree's trunk. Sweat beads on his forehead, and his muscles strain with the effort, but he doesn't stop.
Once the first tree is finally brought down, Reden moves on to the next one, repeating the process. Hours pass by, the sun moving across the sky, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow through the trees. Reden's determination doesn't waver, his movements becoming more efficient as he gets accustomed to the process.
After what seems like an eternity, ten trees are finally cut down. Reden takes a moment to catch his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. He then starts the laborious task of trimming the branches and shaping the wood to create the training equipment he envisions.
When Reden is busy making his equipment first, Mary leaves the house and goes behind the house to see Reden working very hard.
"Come back home. It's late now. Finish it tommorow. It's getting cold." Mary says standing behind Reden.
Reden sits on his feet for a while taking few breaths. Then he puts everything down, wipes his forehead and stands up.
"Fine. There isn't much left to do anyway." Reden shakes off the dirt from his knees and walks with Mary back to home.
The sun has already set, casting a soft twilight glow over the surroundings as Reden and Mary make their way back to their home. The air is cooler now, and the forest seems to come alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures.
As they enter the house, Mary can see that Reden's face is flushed and his hands bear the marks of hard labor. She gives him a concerned look, placing a hand on his arm.
"Honey. You don't need to worry about our safety. We have choosen the best location that could ever keep us away from something like that. No wolves, no bears, boars, goblins... Also it's a total wilderness as you said. There are no villages or anything interesting within the range of 6 miles. It's also hidden deep inside the forest. This is both good and bad but mostly good because we don't have to worry about some thug accidentally get near here." Mary says.
"It's not about safety-" Reden says but Mary quickly stops him from talking.
"Come on. I figured out what it's all for. You left the house with purpose to see if there is any good merchant going the main road and you came back much, much quicker than I thought with forced expression to show me that nothing bad happend." Mary says with caring voice and confidence on her face with thought she figured it out right.
Reden looks down for a while and then at Mary.
"I don't feel safe even here. I also don't want my life to be dependant on you too. You were always the one who protected me whilst I could only look. It just doesn't feel right. I love you, but I want to save you too sometime." Reden confesses.
Mary hugs Reden's head to her chest.
"Sweetheart. You already saved the moment we met. You are the savior I needed in my life. Ever." Mary says with calm voice while also patting Reden's head.
Reden closes his eyes as Mary hugs him, her words sinking in. He takes a deep breath, feeling a mixture of emotions swirling within him. Her reassurance and understanding are like a balm to his anxieties.
"I just want us to be strong and prepared for anything. I don't want us to be helpless if something happens." He says, his voice a mix of determination and vulnerability.
"If you are feeling weak because of that and think that I see you different because of that then you are very mistaken. To be honest, I like being the one protecting the ones I love. It gives me more... power?" Mary says.
Mary holds him a little tighter, her voice soothing.
"But anyways. I understand your feelings. And I appreciate your concern for our safety. But remember, strength isn't just about physical prowess. We're strong in our unity, in the love and support we give each other. You're already a pillar of strength in our family and I know you'll always do your best to protect us not only against any kind of evil." She says, her fingers gently running through his hair.
Reden takes a deep breath, feeling a sense of comfort and acceptance in Mary's embrace. He leans into her touch, his eyes closed as he lets her words wash over him.
"I will train anyways. Don't forget we have a baby that we need to raise for him to be even better than both of us. You conviced me with safety one, but you wont convice me with this argument." Reden says.
"So I guess we are back to starting point. Well. I won't stop you from what you want to do. Just please don't go too far for us. We are in everything together." Mary replies.
Reden gives a small chuckle, his tension easing as he leans into Mary's embrace.
"Fine then. I promise I won't go too far." Reden says.
"Good answer. Now go take a relaxing bath, I already prepared the water for you. I will wait for you in bed." Mary says while leading Reden to bathroom.
Reden leaves Mary's embrace and goes to the bathroom. He looks relieved from this conversation. He gets into the bathroom and closes the door while Mary goes to their bedroom and prepares for rest. She takes off her shirt, pants and wears white pyjamas and lies on bed on quilt waiting until Reden finishes his bath.
Reden takes a relaxing bath, the warm water soothing his tired muscles. He reflects on the events of the day, on the encounter with the stranger and on the conversation he had with Mary. Her words of reassurance and understanding resonate within him, providing a sense of comfort.
As he finishes his bath and dries himself off, he can't help but feel grateful for the love and support that surrounds him. He puts on fresh clothes and walks out of the bathroom, a smile on his face. He enters their bedroom and sees Mary lying on the bed, looking serene and inviting. She lies there with her head leaning on her hand which makes her look super cute.
Climbing into bed beside her, he pulls the quilt over them and wraps his arm around her, pulling her close. Then he blows out the candle.
"Finally some good sleep without annyoing rocking from the carriage, without annoying sounds of creaking wheels and without uncomfortable sleep positions. Feels like being reborn." Reden whispers to Mary.
Mary chuckles and snuggles closer to Reden.
They lie there in each other's arms, with almost total darkness if not the moonlight shining through the window. The events of the day may have brought challenges and uncertainties, but in this moment, they find solace and strength in each other. With their hearts and minds intertwined, they drift into a peaceful sleep.
Next Day, Morning
Reden opens and rubs his eyes. He looks at Mary's side of bed and sees that she isn't in bed. He lies in bed for a few more minutes before leaving the bed too. He left the bedroom and went to the hall.
"Mary?" Reden yells.
"In kitchen!" Mary yells back.
Reden goes to kitchen and sees Mary preparing something tasty on hearth.
"Im trying to cook the dried meat that we got from leftovers. I also dried the fruits as a snack." Mary says leaning next to hearth.
"Dried fruits. Excellent." Reden replied happily.
"I know you like them. To be precise dried carrots and apples are your favourite. That's exactly what I prepared." Mary says and points where the snack is.
Dried carrots and apples are lying on the table in the corner of kitchen. There is a lot of these.
"Thank you. I won't leave a single one here left." Reden says jokingly while approaching the dried vegetable and fruit.
"Hah. If you say so." Mary also says jokingly.
Mary continues cooking the meat and Reden feasts on the dried food on the table. He eats for a while and there is still some of these left on the plate.
"Meat is ready." Mary says bringing the food to the table.
Once Mary brings the meat they both sit down by the table and this time they both continue feasting together. Reden takes two pieces of meat, Mary takes 2 pieces of meat and rest of the vegetables and fruits that Reden left.
They both have a good breakfast and after 6 minutes they finish everything.
"Thank you for the meal. Next time Im cooking." Reden says.
"Okay. Just remember to buy something or at least hunt. We are almost out of supplies." Mary says.
"Yea, I know. I will hunt and gather something but just in case it would be good to buy something from merchants... Actually no. I will hunt something." Reden says quickly changing his mind.
"Well then I will stay and take care of Gah-Hal." Mary says.
After around 15 minutes Reden leaves the house with his hunting clothes that he found in wardrobe. A bit old but still usable and most importantly, is green which is harder for anyone or anything to see.
With his hunting clothes on, Reden blends into his surroundings, his steps light and cautious. He knows the forest like the back of his hand, and he's aware of the best spots for finding game. His eyes scan the undergrowth and the trees, searching for any signs of movement.
As he walks deeper into the forest, his senses are heightened, attuned to every rustle and chirp. His hand rests on the hilt of one of his daggers, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. He moves with a hunter's precision, each step deliberate and calculated.
As he moves deeper into the forest, he catches sight of a baby and adult deer grazing in a clearing. He crouches down and holds his two daggers in his hands ready to attack.
After a while of looking at the adult and baby deer, he looks like he is hestiant to do anything. He looks at them for a little more and sheathes his daggers back. He feels like he shouldn't do anything and leave these deers. When he looks at them, they remind him of something. That memory of himself and Gah-Hal being alone trying very hard to survive.
Reden with a bit of sadness on his face goes past these deers and looks for something else to bring home that won't give him unpleasant memories.
Reden moves quietly past the deer, his heart heavy with the memories that they've brought to the surface.
His senses remain sharp as he continues his search for game. His movements are deliberate, his footsteps light, and his eyes scan the surroundings for any signs of movement. The forest seems to hold its breath, the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds creating a backdrop of natural sounds.
After a while, Reden spots a group of rabbits nibbling on some greens near the edge of a clearing. He crouches down and slowly approaches, his movements calculated to avoid startling them. He knows that rabbits can be fast and skittish, so he needs to be careful.
As he gets closer, he readies his daggers, holding them in a throwing position. He takes a deep breath, aiming to strike accurately and swiftly. With a quick flick of his wrists, he sends the daggers flying through the air. The blade strikes true and two of the rabbits fall to the ground.
The other rabbits scatter in a burst of motion, disappearing into the underbrush. Reden approaches the downed rabbits and retrieves his daggers. He looks at the lifeless bodies of these rabbits for a while before he grabs hindlegs of two rabbits and ties them with a small rope that Reden brought with himself from home.
Once rabbit's hindlegs are tied up together, Reden carries these both rabbits over his shoulder and just like that continues searching for possible berries, fruits or vegetables that could be in this forest.
After walking around forest for around 15 minutes he managed to find only bush of blueberries and tree of cherries. He took every blueberry from the bush into the sack and half of the cherries on the tree because he can't fit anymore on him.
With sack full of berries and cherries and also two rabbits ready to be skinned, gutted and cooked Reden heads back to home. His mind filled with some unpleasant memories start to come back to him for some reason even though he ended up happily reuniting with his wife and still living back in their home. Something just doesn't seem to give him a break.
Few minutes have passed and Reden arrived back home. He entered the home, went to kitchen and placed the full sack on counter along with rabbits tied up. After that he left the house again. Reden went to the back of the house to finish what he was doing yesterday.
While Reden continues constructing his training yard, Mary is in home taking care of Gah-Hal who is again quiet and doesn't show the signs of feeling hungry, bored or anything. He looks just fine. As Mary sees that Gah-Hal is fine, she leaves him on his little bed and goes to kitchen to prepare the dinner from rabbits and probably a dessert from cherries and berries.
Mary's movements in the kitchen are efficient and practiced. She begins by starting a fire in the hearth, letting the flames dance and spread warmth through the room. As the fire crackles, she takes the rabbits Reden brought and begins the process of skinning and gutting them. She's done this countless times before, her hands steady and skilled.
Once the rabbits are prepared, Mary sets them aside and moves on to the berries and cherries. She washes them carefully and sets aside a portion of the cherries for dessert. The rest will be used to add flavor to the rabbit stew she's planning to cook.
Meanwhile Reden. He creates the dummies from the wood the cut last night. He slowly but professionally carves the wood so it actually looks like a dummy. It takes some time to do it but Reden does it anyways and he looks like he's having fun carving few dummies.
Meanwhile Mary. The aroma of cooking begins to fill the house as Mary heats up a pot over the fire. She adds some water and the prepared rabbit pieces, along with a handful of herbs and spices that she's gathered over time. The stew simmers and bubbles, the savory scent mingling with the warmth of the fire.
As the stew cooks, Mary takes the portion of cherries she set aside and starts preparing a simple dessert. She pits the cherries, arranging them in a small dish. With a drizzle of honey, the dessert is ready to be enjoyed later.
Meanwhile, Reden continues to work on his training area behind the house. He finished making two of the wooden dummies and that seems like enough for now. He digs two holes in the ground using the shovel he also took from the shack next to their house. Then he shoves the bottom part of the dummies right below legs into the ground and buries them back.
Now these training dolls look fair enough. Standing by themselves ready to be trained on, but before that, Reden then continues making another things from the wood. After 10 minutes the first thing looks like a wooden dagger. After another 10 minutes the second thing looks like shuriken. Another 10 minutes and third thing looks like wooden sword.
Same Day, High Noon
Reden finished carving the basic equipment he wanted. He made 2 wooden daggers, 3 wooden shurikens, 2 wooden swords and 2 wooden canes. He decided that this will do for now. He decided to take a quick break so he went back home.
Reden went into the home and he smells the amazing smell of the stew. He sees Mary in kitchen stirring the stew. She turned around and smiled to him.
"Stew is almost ready. Just a little bit more." Mary says.
Reden smiled back with a nod and went to bathroom to clean his hands, but the bucket with the water was empty. So he went back to kitchen.
"I need some water. Can you create some ice for me to thaw so I can clean my dirty hands?" Reden asks.
Mary stops stirring for a while and goes with Reden to bathroom where she then shoots some ice into the bucket until it's filled.
"We already talked about it, but it would be really useful to build a well. This way we wouldn't need to wait for my ice to melt." Mary says.
"Yeah. Im still figuring out how to do it." Reden says kneeling over the bucket.
Mary walks back to kitchen to continue finishing the stew while Reden waits for ice to melt so he can just clean his hands. It would be quicker to find some pond in forest, but whatever.
As the ice melts and Reden cleans his hands, he can't help but agree with Mary's suggestion about building a well. It would indeed make things much more convenient, not having to rely on ice magic to provide water. He makes a mental note to look into how they could construct a well in their current location.
After cleaning his hands, Reden heads back to the kitchen where the stew is now ready. The savory aroma fills the air, making his stomach growl in anticipation. He can see that Mary has prepared the meal with care and he appreciates her efforts as always.
"Smells amazing." Reden comments with a smile as he approaches the stove.
"Obviously. Come take a portion. I think I made a bit too much for just a dinner so if we don't finish it all right now then I will reheat it for later." Mary suggests while taking a sip from the bowl of stew.
Reden takes a bowl and pours a stew into it. He then sits next to Mary by the table in the corner of kitchen and smells the stew. He then spots the dessert on counter on the other side of the kitchen.
"Dessert? Something new. I didn't knew that you would manage to make it just from the blueberries and cherries." Reden comments.
"It's good to sometimes have such luxury." Mary says proudly.
They both then enjoy their dinner together. After they are full there is still a lot of stew left in the pot, so Mary decided to leave it for later. Reden and Mary both with their bellies full then share a kiss before Mary goes back to Gah-Hal and Reden goes back outside to his new training yard.
The afternoon sun hangs high in the sky as Reden returns to his newly constructed training yard. He surveys his handiwork. The dummies, the wooden weapons, and the general setup and a sense of satisfaction fills him. It's a small space, but it's his space, a place where he can focus on honing his skills and preparing for whatever challenges may come.
With a determined expression, Reden picks up one of the wooden swords he crafted earlier. He begins to move through a series of drills and exercises, the weight of the wooden sword in his hands familiar and comforting. He then places the sword down.
Reden then takes a wooden daggers and shurikens. He weights them for a bit in his hands and does a trial throw at dummies. He is used to throwing daggers but not shurikens.
Reden then faces the dummies standing straight and makes a grin. His determinated look makes him look like actual hunter.
"Well then. Let's get to work. The actual work. For Gah-Hal." Reden says.