Chapter 2: The Town of Rein

We ran faster and faster, fighting against the mountain's incline. Each breath I drew grew heavier as the air grew thinner, but the girl in front of me showed no signs of tiring. Although I lagged behind and could not see her face, her voice told me of the smile crossing her beautiful face, "Hurry, hurry! We're almost to the top!" she exclaimed.

"Wait up!" I struggled for breath and used the last of my energy to sprint to her side as we reached the top of the peak, "Remember I'm not as fast as you!" I leaned over and put my hands on my knees.

She placed a hand on my back, her touch warm, comforting. She looked down with eyes that made my heart skip, face flush, and mind race in way no other woman has before, "Don't worry about that, do you see that?" She pointed beyond the edges of the peak.

I looked up and paused, mouth hanging ajar, "Oh wow…" The sunrise covered the forested valley at the foot of the mountain, bathing everything in an orange glow. My love wrapped an arm around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder. I held her close.

With a soft whisper she spoke, "It may be hard now, but know when you reach this point, this peak, you'll find some happiness and peace." She began, speaking of more than just our journey to the top, "And when you continue forward to the new valley ahead, you'll leave this old one behind."

I thought about her words, looked down, and smiled, "Can we go through the new valley together? Like we did before…?"

"Now, now, you two behave." The knight spoke to Diana and George that gave a low series of chirps and whinnies. She dismounted the large shire at the tavern stables and made sure to secure him, as well as ensure they were comfortable. The two animals seemed to get along famously, making the last four-day's ride to the forest easy. Diana was rather low maintenance. She never flew too far and seemed to care well for herself. Usually the only time the bird left was to hunt for food, returning promptly upon a successful hunt. Shizuru was actually astounded by the intelligence of the large bird, knowing nothing about its type other than the fact mages trained them exceptionally well. She could not help feeling Diana truly understood Shizuru's every spoken word to her and George on the road.

Shizuru had just reached her fifth day of travel. She arrived in the quaint town called Rein the other night. The settlement sat right outside the edges of the Kagean Forest, making it the ideal place for Shizuru to stop, rest, and resupply. The tavern was a fair trade to camping out under the stars for the last few days. And the last town she saw was actually on her first day of setting out, just a few hours ride from the castle. Artai typically had towns spread far and wide, with clusters of settlements closest to the capital. Beyond the towns surrounding the capital, any neighbors would be miles away. Luckily, George had plenty of stamina to travel constantly. He was strong compared to the other stable horses. Although young in age, the stablemaster liked to jest and call him old because of his white stockings and long white mane and tail he possessed that contrasted with his black coat. Personally, Shizuru loved her horse companion and rather enjoyed him acting like a teasing older sibling to younger foals.

The small Artain town sat at the edge of the forest entrance. Younger trees lined the outside. A glance further, one would see the trees grow taller and taller, greater in age, until only the slightest hint of a mountaintop appeared in the horizon. Shizuru had visited the entrance when she first arrived the other night. The main road abruptly ended there. The foliage just beyond showed absolutely no remnants of a road ever existing decades ago.

The town of Rein seemed peaceful and normal despite its location, the lives of the people there seemingly unbothered. They did not even seem to have any interactions with those that lived inside the Kagean. Shizuru approached the tavern doors, returning to the tavern to fill her stomach and later regain possession of her naginata. The woman who owned the humble establishment made it a custom to stow away weapons from armed travelers; quite a common practice in many places. After all, one conversation with the charismatic woman set everyone at ease, making them willing to surrender their arms and avoid stirring up trouble.

Shizuru opened the door and the sound of chimes rang through the tavern. A few patrons glanced her way, but returned to their drinks and conversation just as quickly. The owner approached her, long curly black hair pulled in a ponytail. She wore knee high boots and donned a common dark blue dress covered in a dirty white apron. The woman did not seem much older than Shizuru and looked at her with tired gray eyes, but a kind and welcoming smile, "Ah, welcome back, soldier!" She greeted, almost practically prancing up, "Did you find what you needed out in the market?"

"Good morning, Claire-san, I found everything I needed." Shizuru returned the kindness with her own smile and sat down at a corner table. There she could see out the window and where the entrances were located, a habit of hers that would not soon fade.

"Wonderful. Is there anything I can get for you today?"

"Ara, I'd love to have what you served last night if you can." Shizuru smiled, actually rather hungry since she had not eaten all morning.

"Just one moment then, madam knight, we'll get that belly filled up." Claire placed a hand on her shoulder and walked off, presumably into the kitchen, leaving two younger girls to tend to the others.

While waiting, Shizuru looked out the window and then around the cozy two-floor tavern. A lot of love and care was obviously put into the establishment and Shizuru would not mind staying longer. She figured it would have been a wonderful place to visit had she had the chance to get a vacation. Flowers strung together decorated the outside and inside. Banners of Artai embellished the walls. The furniture was beautifully crafted, reflecting the town's main trade asset in carpentry and woodcarving. With only a few windows, a pit fire in the middle and candles provided most of the light and a pleasant scent wafted through the air. Probably a flower since they're everywhere in here, Shizuru thought.

Shizuru instantly fell asleep when she arrived the other night. A mixture of her traveling fatigue and the tavern's atmosphere were responsible for perhaps one of the best nights of sleep she had in quite some time. Claire returned rather quickly with a bowl and plate and Shizuru straightened herself. "Here we go! Some homemade soup to cure that chill still in the air, fresh bread, and a selection of vegetables for you to use." She set down the items, the bowl filled with a hot, thick, delicious looking broth filled slightly with rice and slices of beef. The selection of vegetables were just leaves of mint, chopped onions, and cabbage with a small amount of ground up sauces waiting to be added to the soup. It hardly resembled the food in the palace, but Shizuru loved it even more. The places in the south always had food dramatically different from Artai's northern regions, which were predominated by venison, beef, and bread. Just before helping herself, Claire spoke, "Say, I don't often ask, but if you don't mind, what's the reason for your visit? It's not often a knight is traveling alone. Are you visiting the post here?"

Shizuru, intending to ask questions about the forest anyways, answered honestly, but vaguely, "Ara, no, the commanders actually just finished inspecting the posts for the opening of this year. I was just sent regarding the forest."

"The Kagean forest I assume?" The tavern owner tilted her head.

Shizuru nodded, "Is there anything you're able to tell me?"

Claire hummed, "I'm sorry, but I'm actually not from Artai. I grew up in Windbloom, came here ten years ago to care for my grandmother, and inherited this after her passing. I can't say I know much, but… the forest is almost foreboding when I look at it. Then again I'm easily frightened by most things," Claire waved it off with a laugh and blinked upon remembering a fact, "Ah, I don't know if it's significant, but none of Rein's lumber comes from the Kagean at all. We always import it and cut from a smaller, separate forest nearby."

Shizuru did realize from her visit that the forest seemed completely untouched, despite the amount of lumber that could be used from such a large forest, "Ara, sounds costly. I noticed a lot of carpenters here that could use the wood nearby." She rested her chin in her palm, "What about wolves?"

"Wolves? We hear wolves in the distance, but the ten years I lived here, they were never a problem." She answered. Claire turned over her shoulder and called out, "But maybe Erstin can tell you more. Erstin!"

"Yes, Claire!" Almost instantly, one of the tavern workers came running. This girl was rather tiny with shoulder-length blonde hair and light green eyes. Her garments were similar to Claire's, but the sleeves were longer and around her neck was a necklace holding a precious gold gem with a cloudy black center.

Claire grasped the young girl by both shoulders and presented her to Shizuru with a broad smile. Erstin seemed flustered and embarrassed by the sudden introduction to the stranger, but bowed nonetheless. "Erstin, this is Shizuru Fujino, a knight from the capital. She wants to know more about the Kagean forest. Think you can help her?"

"Ah, sure… I'll try my best." Erstin answered quietly as Claire went back to merrily tending to guests. The blonde seemed shy, but her eyes were fixated on Shizuru and after some time she awkwardly bowed. Shizuru stood and returned it, sitting back down afterwards, "It's nice to meet you, Fujino-san."

"Likewise, Erstin-chan." Shizuru smiled graciously. The young girl visibly blushed. Erstin thought Shizuru was very beautiful and found a certain air of elegance about her. Perhaps it was because she never met anyone from the capital? A knight no less. "Why don't you have a seat?" Shizuru smiled, patiently trying to make things as comfortable for the timid girl as possible.

"Ah, yes." Erstin quickly took a seat in front of Shizuru, looking at the food that remained untouched. The soup was still hot from the steam that rose, but she wondered if their guest was hungry at all. She was about to inquire about it until Shizuru spoke.

"How old are you, Erstin-chan? You look really young." Shizuru took a sip of tea present at the table and set it down with the best etiquette she could present.

"I'm nineteen,"

Shizuru smiled at her once again, invoking another light blush from the fascinated girl, "You seem to have grown into a wonderful young lady, Erstin-chan. And you've been living here all your life? Can you tell me about anything involving the Kagean forest? It can be anything at all be it stories, history, or personal experience."

"Uh, t—thank you. And yes, I was born here." Erstin, though taken aback by the compliment, smiled and began to speak. Despite her earlier shyness, Erstin found the brunette's voice rather calming and used it to relax. "My grandfather loved telling me stories about this town and the forest. Though it was his grandparents that told him the originals, so I don't know how true they are. I remember hearing about different tribes of people living inside and depending on their family; they could change into a certain animal. They're very protective of their home, but at one point, he told me over two hundred years ago, they shared it with us and only us."

"With a story so old and many retold versions, anything is possible, but I believe it." Shizuru commented briefly, then allowing the girl to continue.

"Yes, they would help and protect us and we would also return the favor. He said Rein wasn't a part of Artai initial, but as Artai expanded it wanted Rein's resources and took it as its own. With this town, they were able to cross through the Kagean with the tribes' permission and trade with other countries. It was someone of a golden age for the country. However, they were disrespectful compared to the people of Rein who had been their friends for many years…"

Shizuru listened carefully, seeing how it could compare with the background Yuuichi provided. She figured Artai's annexation of Rein caused more issues than solved them. They were essentially guests overstepping their bounds to the natives, guests they had no real reason to trust. "What happened to make us lose the route?"

Erstin folded her hands over each other on the tabletop and looked down, "He told me no good comes from talking about what happened from that point, but would always make up an ending to satisfy my need to know as a child." The blonde showed a small smile and peered up, "His made up ending only resulted in the natives isolating themselves once age, warding off anyone that entered, and returning to their ways before coming into contact with Rein."

Taking sips of tea as Erstin talked, Shizuru took it in and found she was not getting as many answers as she hoped, "Rein looks unbothered living so close. Surely someone has spotted them a few times?"

"Mm, no matter what happens or how much time pass, Rein does seems to be left alone. But no, no one has seen them since they disappeared." Erstin peered out the window towards the forest entrance, "It is quite a large forest after all. They can be anywhere."

"That it is." Shizuru hummed, wondering herself about the chances she would even come across someone once she entered. She then asked, perhaps too vaguely, "What about wolves?"

Erstin's eyebrows lifted, "Wolves?"

Shizuru nodded, "Claire told me she hears them all the time, but they have never been a problem." The knight started, leaning forward slightly now, "So there has never been sightings, attacks, or problem with livestock? Nothing at all?"

Erstin broke eye contact, "No, nothing at all…"

A feeling tugged at Shizuru's intuitive mind. Erstin was keeping something tucked under cover. She knew from countless experiences to never ignore the feeling, whether the situation was harmless or fatal. The girl had no problem speaking about her grandfather's stories and the town, but became visibly uncomfortable at the talk of wolves. Shizuru knew the girl had no reason to be guilty, so she pressed their conversation forward gently, "Erstin-chan." She called out. The girl looked up and was locked into the crimson eyes, "Do you want to say something? You can tell me."

The brunette's voice was calm and reassuring, easing Erstin just a bit more. "It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you. Everyone knows what happened here so it's not a secret Fujino-san." Erstin told her, "A few years ago I did see the wolves up close, but a few details are pretty blurry. I suppose I was bored one day. I was walking and looked past the trees, then got curious what it would look like inside. I never meant to go too far, but next thing I knew I was lost." As Erstin explained, she sounded as if she believed she did wrong from entering the forest and getting lost. Shizuru felt it an irrational thing for the girl to blame herself to something she could not help, "My family said I was lost for just three days, but I don't remember much. I remember getting hurt, but I don't recall how. Then I remember seeing several wolves circling me, but that's all… Next I woke up, I was home. Someone then found me at the entrance with a deerskin blanket draped over me and my arm was treated."

Erstin cautiously looked about the tavern. Seeing no eyes fixed on them, she pulled back her right dress sleeve, revealing claw marked scars stretching from her wrist to her elbow, and a bite mark further up her arm. The young girl more than likely worried what others may think when they see the scars. From the shape and coloration of the scars, Shizuru found that it made sense for Erstin to hide them insecurely underneath the sleeves. "It looks as though it were painful." Shizuru observed its entire length, "I am sorry this happened." The scars made the original wounds seem deep, almost as if she nearly lost her arm.

Anxious that her arm was visible for so long Erstin pulled down her sleeve. She spoke again, "Whatever gave it to me, and I'm sure it was an Orphan, everyone was convince wolves were responsible. They felt this one incident made them too dangerous so they went inside to track the wolves." Erstin played with the gem at the end of her necklace, "Every single one of them went missing for two days, but always returned to the entrance unconscious, but unharmed. They were all covered with those deerskin blankets as well."

"And what does Erstin-chan think of this personally?" Shizuru found it all perplexing. She felt something beyond the wolves and tribes harmed Erstin—perhaps Orphans as the girl assumed. Anyone that wandered an area alone were already at increased risk of being attacked by the monsters compared to a wild animal. And the blankets over the townsmen, A symbol of peace? Shizuru thought, resting a finger on her chin.

Erstin's light green eyes seemed to gaze out into the forest and search for something, "I thought about it over the years. I feel Rein still shares a bond with the Kagean and that we're still protected. I'm sure the people living inside are not bad and just prefer to be left alone. That is what I believe." She looked back at Shizuru, her eyes filled with the strength she possessed in her faith of her words.

Shizuru smiled at this display of confidence and rose to her feet, "Thank you, Erstin-chan." She walked over and helped the young girl up. "I cannot say I have all the answers I hoped for, but at least I know much more now. So I thank you." Shizuru kissed her hand.

Erstin reddened at the gesture, although polite, was just as foreign to her. When Shizuru let go, she bowed her head slightly to the knight, "You're welcome, Fujino-san. I'm sorry I could not help more." Shizuru just waved it off as if to say it was fine and Erstin slowly walked off, needing to get back to work. She turned around again, "Um, don't let Claire-san's soup get cold, Fujino-san. And good luck."