Regrouping, all four boys looked at each other before Charlie started to laugh. The rest soon followed, their laughter gradually dispelling the lingering tension in the air. It was a rare moment of lightness amidst the chaos that had been their day.
Nero smiled faintly as he watched his friends, but the moment was short-lived. A sharp pang of pain shot through his ribs, making him flinch. The adrenaline that had numbed him earlier was now wearing off, and his injuries were catching up with him. His breaths came in shallow gasps, each one sharper than the last.
Finn noticed first, his expression shifting from amusement to concern as he saw Nero gasping for air. He hurried over, grabbing Nero by the shoulder. "Hey, you good?"
"Ye… yeah, all good," Nero managed to rasp, his voice strained before another wave of pain forced a groan from his lips. He leaned heavily on Finn, unable to hide his discomfort any longer.
"Yo, guys," Finn called out to Charlie and Will, his voice laced with urgency. "Nero's not looking too good. We aren't in great shape either. Let's head back."
Charlie approached quickly, his eyes scanning Nero with a grimace. "Yeah, he's in bad shape. Let's go. Father Elias can patch him up."
Will nodded in agreement. By this point, Nero was struggling to stay on his feet, the sharp, icy pain in his chest worsening with every breath. Leaning heavily on Finn, the group began their slow, trudging journey back to the orphanage. Each step seemed to stretch on forever, and the weight of their ordeal lingered in the silence between them.
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*Earlier that morning*Sister Annie stood by the basement door, watching the boys as they left. Her sharp eyes caught the slight flinch in Nero's step, but she chose not to say anything. She knew from experience that forcing him to talk would only push him further away. Instead, she decided to wait until he felt comfortable enough to come to her on his own.With a sigh, she turned back to the makeshift classroom, tidying up the scattered books and notes. Once the room was in order, she grabbed her straw basket and climbed the narrow staircase to Father Elias' office. The orphanage needed supplies, and she had a long day ahead.
As she walked down the corridor, she muttered under her breath, "Grain… flour… milk…" ticking off her mental list of items to buy from the village. Her lips curled into a smile as she thought about adding a small cup of honey to the list. The children would love the sweetness, and it was a rare treat in Riverbend. Honey had a way of brightening even the gloomiest of days.
Reaching Father Elias' door, she knocked three times and waited. A muffled "Come in" greeted her, and she entered to find the elderly priest hunched over a stack of parchments. He looked up and smiled warmly. "Sister Annie, what can I do for you?"Bowing slightly, she replied, "Father Elias, I've come to ask for a little extra Bron. I was thinking of getting a cup of honey for the boys and girls."
Father Elias leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Ah, honey. That would be lovely for the children. But to be honest, Sister, the finances aren't looking great this year. Deacon Jacob has yet to allocate this season's funds."
"Oh?" Sister Annie asked, her brow furrowing. "Is something wrong?"
Waving his hand he said," Eh, shouldn't be nothing serious. I think he mentioned something about bandits or something but fret not. Bandits don't come up here this far north. There's nothing to steal." He chuckled at his joke. Born and raised in Riverbend, he couldn't remember the last time bandits had been a problem here.
"Still," Father Elias continued, rising slowly from his chair, "we should have enough for some honey." He hobbled over to a wooden closet, rummaging through its contents. After a moment, he exclaimed, "There it is," and pulled out a small leather pouch. Returning to Sister Annie, he handed her several Brons.Closing the closet, he hobbled over to Sister Annie gesturing her to open her hand. He slowly raised his hand and gave her several Brons.
"Here Sister Annie. Go and get some honey." He smiled gently.
Seeing the Brons, Sister Annie smiled at him, gave him her thanks before quickly leaving to make it in time for the market. Exiting the orphanage, straw basket in her left hand, she counted how much Bron she had. Counting the ones Father Elias had given her, she had a total of 30 Brons.
In the kingdom of Eldoria there were three types of coin. Solara, Argent and Bron. A single Solara a golden coin featuring Eldoria's royal crest: a lion's head beneath a crown was exclusively handled by nobles. A single Argent silver coin engraved with the Great Oak tree that inhabited Eldoria's capital Caelondor, representing endurance was handled by most in cities and by merchants. The last coin, Bron, is a copper coin stamped with a hammer and anvil, representing laborers and craft guilds. The inscription reads "Bron."
A single Solara is around 1000 Argent, a single Argent coin is around 100 Bron coins. A average peasant family of 4-6 would earn around 10 Argent or 1,000 Bron on a good year. However in Riverbend, the average family on a good year could earn 5 Argent or 500 Bron. Divided among the 12 months in a year, a family at most would have around 40 Brons per month.
The 30 Bron Sister Annie had thus meant a lot more in such a remote village. With this much, Sister Annie was confident in getting that cup of honey.
The morning sun bathed the village in a soft glow, though the chill in the air hinted at the approaching winter. Riverbend was modest at best, with most homes made of clay and hay. Only a few, like the village head's wooden house, stood out as a mark of relative wealth. The streets were quiet, save for the occasional bark of a dog or the clatter of a cart.After walking for several minutes, she came across a small hut made of wood, a impressive house compared to other in this village. Most often had some type of clay or hay structure.
Reaching the village head's home, Sister Annie knocked and waited. When no one answered, she turned to leave, only for the door to creak open behind her. A tall, rugged man stepped out, his voice gruff. "What do you want?"Sister Annie bowed politely. "Good morning, Village Chief. I was hoping to buy some honey."
Recognition dawned on his face, and he straightened his posture. "Ah, Sister Annie. My apologies. Please, come in."
"Please, no worries. I'm still new here." Sister Annie said as she walked into Shawn's house. Looking around the small room, she saw one door which she assumed would be his bedroom a bit to her right. The interior of the house was modest but sturdy, with a small fireplace and a cluttered table. The village chief, Shawn, gestured for her to sit. "You said honey? I'll be honest, Sister, it's not cheap."
"So you said you wanted some honey correct?"
Sitting down, Sister Annie nodded.
Nodding back Shaw responded with," I see.... I know you're new here so I'll be frank with you Sister. Honey isn't a common thing so...."
"I understand," Sister Annie replied, pulling out 15 Brons—more than the usual price. Seeing the coins, Shawn's demeanor softened, and he quickly fetched a small cup of honey from another room. "Here you go," he said, handing it over with a smile. "A treat for the children."Sister Annie gently placed it into her basket before giving her thanks to the Village Chief.
"Thanks Village Chief. I'll see you again."
"Of course Sister. Stay safe."
Heading out, Sister Annie quickly headed over to her next destination. To buy around 10kg of oats for the orphanage.
That alone would cost 10 Bron, plus 1 or 2 Brons for it to be delievered to the orphange meant that the 30 Brons she orgianlly head quickly disapred.
Walking over to the the small village center she quickly found the single stall in the entire village. Manning the stall was a 16 year old boy who was the son of the stall owner the only merchant who would come to Riverbend.
"Hello Kurd. How's the family?"
Smiling Kurd quickly responded. "Sister Annie. Family's doing well. How have you been?"
"Good too." Sister Annie smiled back as they did some idle talk.
"So how can I help you?" Kurd a bit impatient then went to the main topic.
"I was looking to buy some oats from your father."
"Alright how much were you thinking of?"
"10kg"
"Okay. It'll be 20 Brons."
"Huh?" Sister Annie was shocked at the price increase. "How come its more expensive now?"
Kurd then showed a pained smile. "Please Sister, I'm just saying what my father told me to say."
"But I dont get it. What's with the price increase all of a sudden?"
Looking around Kurd moved a bit closer and whispered," I've heard my father talking about something about bandits near Ironwick affecting the trade routes. Extra security and so on."
"Really?" Sister Annie asked shocked.
Kurd nodded seriously. "Please don't spread the word though. I'm only telling you because of the kids under your care."
Sister Annie stood there for several seconds thinking about the bandit issue. First it was Father Elias and now Kurd. Was trouble brewing? Uneasiness set in her heart.
Seeing her stand still, Kurd then relented, "alright alright i can go down to 15. Just for you."
"Huh? Oh that would be perfect Kurd." Sister Annie responded quickly after she realized what Kurd had said before handing over what she had left to Kurd.
"Alright, I'll have someone drop it off at the orphange later tonight."
"Good. Then see you later Kurd. Send your father my wish's." Sister Annie said before leaving back to the orphanage. Worries brewing in her heart.
The walk home was quiet but not peaceful. Thoughts of the bandit rumors and the rising costs weighed heavily on Sister Annie. As she approached the orphanage, the familiar sight of its worn wooden doors brought her a fleeting sense of comfort. The building wasn't much—a weathered structure with peeling paint and creaky floors—but it was home for the children and for herself.
Inside, the sound of footsteps caught her attention. She turned to see Father Elias descending the staircase, his expression as weary as hers felt. "Ah, Sister Annie. You're back. How did it go?"
"Not as well as I'd hoped," she admitted, setting the basket down on a nearby table. "The price of oats has gone up because of rumors about bandits near Ironwick."
Father Elias sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I've been hearing whispers too. If those bandits disrupt trade for too long, we'll struggle to keep the children fed through winter."
"I managed to get 10 kilograms of oats for 15 Brons," she said, trying to sound optimistic. "It's not much, but it'll help."
He nodded appreciatively. "You've done well, Sister. We'll make it stretch as best we can."
Just then, the front door creaked open, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. The four boys—Nero, Finn, Charlie, and Will—stumbled in, their clothes dirtied and their faces pale. Nero leaned heavily on Finn, his expression contorted in pain.
"What happened?" Father Elias demanded, hurrying toward them. His tone was sharp, but concern lined his face.
"Nero's hurt," Finn said quickly, helping him onto a nearby bench. "We got into a bit of trouble."
"Trouble?" Sister Annie's voice was stern as she inspected Nero. "What kind of trouble?"
The boys exchanged nervous glances, none of them eager to explain. Nero winced as he tried to sit up straighter. "It's not… it's not a big deal," he muttered, though the pain in his voice betrayed him.
Sister Annie placed a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "You're in no condition to brush this off. Let me take a look."
Father Elias stepped forward. "Bring him to the infirmary. Sister Annie, fetch some water and clean cloths."
As the boys helped Nero to his feet, Sister Annie hurried to the small infirmary room. Her worries about bandits and rising costs took a backseat as she focused on the immediate task of tending to the wounded boy. Whatever trouble they'd gotten into, it was clear Nero had borne the brunt of it.
As she prepared the supplies, she couldn't help but think of the growing challenges facing the orphanage. Between the boys' reckless adventures, the rising costs of goods, and the ominous rumors of bandits, the days ahead promised to be anything but easy. But Sister Annie was determined. She had faced adversity before, and she would do so again—for the sake of the children who depended on her.
Meanwhile, outside the orphanage, a lone figure stood at the edge of the village, watching the building with a calculating gaze. Clad in a tattered cloak, the figure blended into the shadows.
The figure's lips curled into a smirk. "So, this is the place," they murmured before disappearing into the forest beyond.