BOOM!

The heavy wooden door of the village forge was slammed open, a cloaked young woman tumbling in, her heavy breaths echoing off the stone walls as she frantically waved a stiff piece of parchment around.

The occupants of the forge looked at the girl with varying degrees of surprise and shock evident on their faces, the widest eyes belonging to the forges apprentice, Sayuri. She was in her mid-twenties and had straight, black cropped hair and misty blue eyes, which constantly had bags under them from lack of sleep. Having been at the forge for only two years, Sayuri wasn't as used to the young woman's antics as the other two occupants of the forge were.

"Mum!" *puff* "Dad!" *puff* "Look-Look at this!" *puff*.

The stifling heat of the forge was only making the young woman's cheeks redder, having already been a vibrant shade from the exertion of sprinting all the way from the market square, and she rested her arms on her knees, back bent and trying to regain her breath.

The two occupants in question put down their tools and made sure nothing would melt or catch fire as they made their way over to their flustered daughter; it was very rare that she behaved in this manner, and it concerned them a little bit to see her like this.

"What is it, Ren?" the woman asked.

However, the only reply she got was more frantic waving of the parchment clutched in her daughter's hand, and the occasional huff of "Poster…Noticeboard…Market… Square…"

The two adults exchanged questioning glances with each other and tried to pry further into what their only daughter was talking about, but to no avail. All they got was more huffing and panting as she tried to catch her breath, and broken sentences which made very little sense; the news had not yet reached them that a Royal Messenger had been in town and they had been busy in the forge since before dawn.

Sayuri returned to her work, seeing no reason to watch the family's conversation whilst it was just as entertaining (yet also a little frustrating) to listen too.

Ren's mother was a fairly short woman, Sayuri keeping her company in the height department and enduring the teasing of the taller people of the forge; namely Ren and her father, Reizo. But what Ren's mother lacked in size she made up for in strength. Kaiya was a power house and often won the arm wrestling competitions that were occasionally held at the local pub, her small stature and unassuming appearance aiding her when she came up against strangers; for they did not know the strength in the arms of the small woman with a warm, friendly smile, mahogany eyes and brown hair that verged on black it was so dark, styled into a short bob cut.

Kaiya had earned her strength from endless years of working in the forge, but her strength surpassed even her husbands, for she also cooked, cleaned and carried all of the things the forge and the family needed when she went to the market each week; groceries, sacks of coal, and the like. Her muscles were so pronounced when she flexed that it scared Ren a little (not that she would ever admit that), the woman's small stature only emphasising their size more.

Ren's father was almost on the other end of the spectrum entirely. Reizo was so tall that he would often hit his head on the top of doorframes, and so by his late teens he had developed a very slumped, bowed posture to try and avoid such occurrences; it didn't help a lot and you could hear him grumble under his breath every time it happened. He was tall and lanky but he had strong, lean muscles from working in the forge his entire life and from the archery he had practiced since he was 10.

Reizo had a much more stoic face, his mop of shaggy, dark brown hair often falling into his deep, ultramarine eyes; despite his serious appearance, his family, and now Sayuri, knew for a fact that he was a drama queen and could often overreact without even realising it (though this only ever happened around close friends and family).

The pair looked at their daughter in exasperation, their annoyance at her inability to communicate steadily rising as she continued to pant out random words. Their frustration only grew when the poster (they had managed to work that much out at least) came dangerously close to Kaiya's face on its frantic journey through the air.

"Ren," Reizo said, his gruff voice rising slightly in his frustration, which was evident in his tone, "stop waving that damn thing around and tell us what it is already."

At her father's tone Ren glanced up, pausing the frantic movement of her arm as she took in their annoyed and confused expressions. Her arm flopped to her side and she straightened up and took some deep, calming breaths.

It took her a good minute to calm down enough to be able to speak in complete sentences, though there was still an excited glimmer in her eyes and a wide smile on a face.

Suddenly remembering that she was still holding her bow in her left hand, she gently leant it against the wall beside her, and upon turning back towards her parents presented them with the poster.

"A Royal Messenger from Wistal Palace came into the village just now as I was walking back, and was hammering this to the noticeboard in the market square." She explained as they read the details of the poster (which Ren had yet to read herself), an element of breathlessness still in her voice.

Her mother's eyes widened the more she read, and when they had both finished reading her parents looked at her with expectant gazes.

Ren turned the poster round, finally reading the beautifully neat cursive on the now crumpled and slightly torn parchment as she said, "I… I was hoping to go try my luck."

The poster contained details of an exam taking place at Wistal Palace in just over a weeks' time, the purpose of which was to find a suitable applicant who would become the Court Blacksmiths apprentice. The snag was that only one person could be chosen, and with these posters being sent to every village, town and city in the country, all of which having at least one resident blacksmith, the odds of gaining the honoured position were slim.

"I think it's a wonderful idea."

Ren looked up to see a wide smile on her mother's face, her child like eyes gleaming with barley contained excitement as she clasped her hands in front of her. Ren's father had a much more reserved expression, but there was pleased gleam in his eye and the corners of his mouth were tilted upwards in a small smile.

Sayuri had halted her work in favour of turning around and listening more intently to the conversation, having heard Ren mention the Royal Messenger but not having seen the poster.

"You do?" asked Ren, surprised by their enthusiasm, "But what about you? Don't you want me to stay here and help out? Don't you want me to take over the family business?"

Ren's excitement and enthusiasm had quickly diminished when she'd realized just how slim a chance she had, and when she'd realized that her parents probably expected her to take on the forge and family business when they passed on or became too old to work. These doubtful thoughts were quickly extinguished from her mind however when her father quietly said:

"We never expected that from you, Ren. You are free to live your life as you choose, and we're just happy that you've decided to become a blacksmith on your own."

"We never expected you to stay in this small village all your life anyway," her mother added with a small chuckle, "And besides," she added slyly, glancing backwards, "we've got Sayuri to help us out when we get old and fragile."

Having being caught in the act of listening in on the family's conversation, Sayuri stuttered out a "Y-yeah, sure thing, Mrs Otsuka. What are apprentices for?" she finished with a slight wince.

"But," Ren said, gaining everyone's attention again, "the chance of me being chosen to be the Court Blacksmiths Apprentice, is so unlikely-"

"It's worth that chance." Kaiya reasoned, coming forward to grasp her daughter's hands, which were still clutching the poster, in hers, "You'll only regret it if you don't try."

"I know I would've," said Sayuri, "one of the best decisions I ever made was moving to this village and hoping that the blacksmiths here would take me on."

Ren looked at all the encouraging faces of the people in the room, and with one last look at the poster in her hands she said with a smirk:

"It's worth a shot."

After all, she thought, a chance like this only comes around once in a lifetime.

With her confidence renewed and any doubts about her parent's approval thrown out the window, she said excitedly,

"If I do get selected to become his apprentice, I'll write you a letter straight away, I promise. And if I don't… well… I'll send you a letter about my plans."

Her mother gripped her hands tighter, both women humming with energy as they grinned at each other. Then Reizo moved forwards, his large hand encasing his daughters shoulder as he stood by her side, her head now just about reaching his shoulders, and said:

"Don't you think you should go pack? You've got a long journey ahead of you."

"Right!" Ren exclaimed as she jumped a little, snapping out of her excited daze, "I better start packing so I can leave in the morning, otherwise I might not make it to the capital on time!"

As soon as her mother released her grip on her hands, Ren started to frantically move towards to door that lead to the family's home next to the forge, muttering to herself as she made a mental list of what she needed to pack. However, she only made it about halfway when she suddenly spun round, heading back towards her mother, who she paused before, handing her the two rabbits that she had caught that morning. Then, reaching around her so she could retrieve her bow, Ren kissed her mother and father on the cheek quickly before racing back towards the door.

Having disappeared from their sight, Sayuri turned back around to carry on with her work, Reizo and Kaiya chuckling at their daughter's antics; whilst a little saddened by the prospect of her leaving, they were proud that she was taking this chance to try and accomplish her dreams.


It was later that day, as the sun was beginning to vanish behind the pines and the oaks and the birches of the forest which surrounded the Eastern settlement, that Ren could be found wondering the village streets.

She had finished packing that afternoon, and despite the fact that she might not get the apprenticeship at the Palace, Ren knew that she would be away from her home for a long time.

Never before had she left the village or the forest that surrounded it. She'd never seen an expanse of water larger than the shallow, glistening streams which ran between the trees. She'd never been in a bustling city, never seen a castle.

As she walked through the empty streets in the dimming light, Ren remembered everyone she knew in the village, remembered everything that had happened here in her 18 years of life. She knew every nook and cranny of the place like the back of her hand, and whilst the village would always be dear to her heart for the experiences and memories it contained, Ren had always wanted more.

Because every time she looked up at the stars, which were now just beginning to appear in the sky, she was reminded that there was so much more out there. Yet, her loyalty to her family had prevented her from taking any action on those thoughts, and so she had stayed.

But this was her chance, and she would make sure it would not go to waste. She would absorb every new view, every new experience and every new interaction she had on this journey, because this was her chance for a new beginning, to go somewhere no one knew her and to start fresh.

As the last of the days light disappeared, Ren decided she would go for one last starlight run through the forest that was so dear to her.

As the stars shone above her, the crescent moons rays filtering through the boughs of the summer trees and illuminating her path, Ren ran through the forest, hopping over the silver streams and headed towards her favourite destination. It was during the night, when the moon and the stars shone, that Ren felt the most alive; everything just seemed so serene and peaceful, like there wasn't a care in the world. Everything on the Earth seemed good and right, most of the creatures upon its surface in a deep slumber, forgetting their worries for the time being as well.

And so Ren relished the night, and as she climbed the boughs of the ancient yew tree, the oldest one in the forest, with its rough bark biting her hands, she felt balanced and content.

Upon reaching its highest boughs she settled down, her back against an adjacent branch, legs swinging in the air on either side of the one she was sitting on, and she looked up at the stars. For this yew tree was the largest and tallest tree in the whole forest, and it was only from here that she could get an unobstructed view of the stars; she felt as though she could reach out and touch them.

The night was still, only the occasional owl hooting or bat flitting past, and everything was calm. As Ren looked up at the stars, and no matter how cheesy it sounded, she was reminded that wherever she went, they would always be there, unchanging. And that provided her with a sense of comfort, knowing that no matter where she went, there would always be this reminder, this part of home, with her.

Yeah, she thought, I think I'm ready for my new beginning.


The next morning marked the start of her four day walk to Wistal; it would have been five, but a few miles down the road from her village, Ren bumped into a small party of travellers who were headed westwards. The man driving the wagon slowed the horse down to a trot beside her, politely asking where she was headed and if she needed a ride.

As they were willing to give her a ride for free and they all seemed like fairly friendly and decent people, she decided to join them for the day's journey after a moment of deliberation. However, they needed to part ways at a crossroads that evening, the wagon of people going off northwards towards the next town.

Ren made polite conversation with them as she sat in the bumpy wagon, sharing the journey with two women, a little girl and a young man, as well as the driver up front. She explained that she was heading to Wistal in the hopes of becoming the Court Blacksmiths apprentice, and in turn learnt that the group were performing travellers, going from town to town and performing feats of acrobatics, juggling, fire eating and a few magic tricks.

It was a pleasant day, and although the ride through the forest wasn't too comfortable, Ren enjoyed the travellers company and the humorous tales they told. But she eventually had to depart from them, and as she waved back at the little girl, she walked off to find somewhere to camp for the night.

As the sun was beginning to disappear she settled at the base of a large oak tree that was a little way off from the road, finding enough wood and tinder for a campfire and rolling out her bedding. She settled down for the night after a supper of some of the rabbit her mother had given her, one of the ones she had caught yesterday, freshly cooked, and some of the various nuts she always carried in a pouch on her belt.

And so her journey went. She walked through forests, some abundant with undergrowth that overflowed onto the path, others with nothing but a layer of dead pine needles beneath her feet. She walked by fields of wheat and corn, through colourful meadows and across grand, stone bridges; the first of which she stopped in the middle of, leaning on the edge and taking in the sight of the wide, slow waters beneath.

She walked through a few towns and villages, but did not stop as she was too excited to stay in one place for long; that and the fact she had little money with her, and would most likely need all of it for the duration of her stay in Wistal. And so she camped under the stars, eating the rabbit and the other small provisions she had.

By the third day however, she found she had eaten all of the rabbit and so had to hunt whilst on her journey. She had of course brought her bow and the rest of her archery equipment with her, including a small dagger; they were an extension of herself really, and she had also brought her bedroll, a few spare clothes and all the types of things people usually took with them whilst travelling.

However, Ren also had with her a sword, the best one she had ever made, hanging in a simple scabbard at her waist, as she was required to bring it with her to the exam, for what exact purpose she wasn't yet sure; to inspect her skill and craftsmanship, she supposed.

She crept through the undergrowth, being careful to tread lightly and make no sound. She was heading towards the sound of flapping wings and the loud calls of a partridge; it sounded as though there were two of the small, ground dwelling birds, mostly likely two males fighting for the right to mate with a female.

Good, Ren thought, they'll be distracted.

She went as stealthily as a cat towards her prey, the thick undergrowth providing her with plenty of cover, and the green tones of her clothes aiding in her stealthy approach as she crawled forward in a low crouch.

Everything she knew about forests, hunting and archery had come from her father. At the age of 14 Reizo had given Ren her bow, and deciding that she needed to improve both her practical skills and her social skills, he took her with him to hunt in the forests with some of the other villagers. She soon began to come out of her shell, learning everything she could about the forest and how to hunt, becoming a young talent in the archery department. Reizo had shown her how to identify all of the plants that could be found in the forest, and what their properties where; if they were poisonous or edible, if they could be used as dye or to make a room smell sweet.

It was these skills which enabled her to travel lightly and make the most of her environment. She peered through a small gap between the leaves of the bush she was currently hiding in, and through it, in a very small clearing, she could see two partridges, their grey plumage ruffled as they battled. They were moving fast, but every now and then they would press their chests against each other, barely moving as they pushed against one another with all their might, fighting for dominance.

Ren quickly but quietly drew an arrow from her quiver, moving it down and nocking it to the taught bowstring. She had her three fingered archers glove on her right hand, and with her index finger above the arrow, her middle and ring fingers below it, she pulled the arrow back.

It silently slid back along the arrow rest as Ren's index finger came to rest at the corner of her mouth. Still in her crouched position, she looked through the gap in the leaves and selected her target, the bird on the right.

She waited for just the right moment, the bows limbs curving backwards as she held her position, the strong muscles in her shoulders allowing her to hold the bow steady until…

Now!

The arrow flew towards its target, straight through the gap in the leaves, Ren's fingers hardly having moved an inch as she stayed completely still, waiting to hear that all important thud.

It came a moment later, accompanied by the startled calls of the other partridge as it fled the scene into the surrounding undergrowth.

Ren stood up, thankful that she could now stretch her legs, and walked over to claim her supper. Her arrow had flown true, piercing the partridge in the heart, the plumage around the arrow now dabbled with crimson blood. It had been a quick and painless death, just as she had intended.

That evening she tucked into a rather blackened portion of the birds meat. Rens skills in the cooking department where rather lacking, and she tended to cremate everything she made; though that did mean she was used to the taste of it, having been made to eat everything she burnt, courtesy of her mother. It was also a good way of preserving the food, not that you could really call it food after she was done with it…

It was in the late morning of the fourth day of travel that Ren emerged from the trees. She stopped in awe as she took in the sight before her.

Just a few miles away was the largest city she had ever seen (not that she had seen many), with what seemed to be hundreds of white walled structures with red, terracotta roofs, all clustered around a beautiful blue, glistening harbour. And there, on the hill above the town, were the magnificent, white stone walls of Wistal Palace.

Ren's heart felt like it could burst out of her chest at any moment, so full of excitement and awe and curiosity as it was.

She broke into a sprint, racing down the road and into the capital, still running through those first few streets as she turned her head in every direction, taking in all the sights and the smells and the-

Sounds… There wasn't a sound to be heard, apart from the odd breeze from the harbour causing a shops sign to swing and squeak on its hinges.

Ren had slowed to an amble, looking around, searching for any signs of life. She walked through alleys, market squares, shopping districts and residential areas, but still she could find no living person, and so quickened her pace. This certainly wasn't the image of a bustling city that Ren had so often imagined.

She eventually came to an inn on the northern side of the city, closer to the castle, and the sign hanging from the wall read 'The Anchor Inn and Alehouse'. She decided to try her luck there, both needing somewhere to stay and a sign that there were living beings in the city; she was becoming a little bit disconcerted by the eerie silence.

Thankfully, when she opened the door to the alehouse she saw a man with greying hair and a salt and pepper beard, probably in his early fifties, standing behind the bar, cleaning out a pint glass with a white cloth.

She breathed a small sigh of relief, and walking over to the bar she asked, "Excuse me, but do you have any rooms I could stay in for the next four nights?"

The barman looked up from his work, smiling at his new patron as he said "Of course! Though, excuse my asking, but do you have the right amount of money?" he added a little hesitantly.

Ren had reached the bar, and providing him with the fee required he apologetically provided her with the key to her room on the first floor, saying:

"You've arrived just in time for Open Castle Day in fact. Almost everyone in the city has gone up to join in the festivities and get a good look at the castle."

"So that's why there wasn't anybody around…" Ren muttered to herself, thankful for the explanation behind the emptiness of the city.

"It is indeed!" the barman said, answering her anyway, "I made the decision to stay here and look after the bar so that my wife and daughter could go up." But at Ren's slightly quizzical look, he nonchalantly added, "I've been up there plenty a times before, I don't mind missing out."

"I think I'll head up there then." Ren said, excited by the prospect of seeing the castle up close before her exam.

"Enjoy!" the barman called as he went back to cleaning his glass and as Ren went over to the staircase that was on the other side of the room.

Ren entered the room that she would be staying in for the next few days; it was quite small and plain, nothing extraordinary, but it was all she needed. There was a single bed at the far end of the room with simple, off white sheets, and parallel to it was a small window overlooking the bright, sunny street below. A door led to a small bathroom with a toilet and a sink on one side, and there was also a small dresser against the opposite wall with a vase of vibrant, sweet smelling flowers sitting on top, a small, rectangular mirror hanging above it.

Ren dumped her luggage on the floor by her bed, shoving the room key into one of the many pouches adorning her belt and placed her bow and arrows on the floor gently, her sword and dagger joining them soon after.

She took in her appearance in the mirror above the dresser, letting her hair down from its ponytail and undoing one of the three small plaits that had run into it. Now with two small plaits instead of three, one on either side, she tied them together at the back of her head with her emerald ribbon, in order to keep her loose, frizzy locks out of her face.

She'd had the fortune of coming across a spring on her third day of travel, so her hair wasn't too dirty or greasy and looked presentable. She also wore her pair of silver earrings, the only pair she owned, which were from her father. They took the appearance of two small, silver arrows.

She looked down at her clothes, dusting them off and making sure there wasn't any dirt on them. She wore her usual attire of a knee length, olive green cloak with a large hood, which at this time was down, a long, cream undershirt with wide, open sleeves that came down to just above her elbows, over which she wore a rich green waistcoat with delicate, gold embroidery details of leaves and vines, which were stitched along the edges, small brass buttons running down the centre; it was a gift from her grandmother for her sixteenth birthday and she had since passed away. A wide leather belt hung diagonally across her hips, a multitude of pouches and bags adorning it, which contained everything from nuts and berries, to basic medical supplies, to money, to simple archery equipment. On her legs she wore simple black trousers tucked into her worn, leather boots which reached mid-calf, the tops of them folded over to create a wide band, the bottom of the supple leather caked in mud. On her forearms she wore two dark brown, leather arm guards, laced together in a tight criss-cross pattern on her inner arm.

Finally, she looked at her nails as she took out the key to the room, frowning slightly at the fact that they were always short and brittle, full of dirt and grime from working in the forge and hunting. It was these activities which had also left her hands with a multitude of small scars and scratches dotted about, the remnants of old burns and cuts. But there was nothing she could really do about that, and so wasn't too bothered by it.

Checking that she had enough money with her for food and whatever else might be up there, as the cost for the room had not been all that expensive, Ren set off for the castle at the top of the hill.


A/N: Future chapters will likely be this length or longer, and the next chapter will be based around episode 12 of the first season of the anime. I have started reading the manga, but for this part the plot of the anime just worked better. Thank you very much to the person who reviewed! It makes me very happy to hear you liked it, sorry that this chapter is longer but it is what i had originally planned. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and there will be appearances from canon characters in the next one! So whether you've enjoyed this or not...

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Limegreenarcher