The Tale of the Ice Princess

The Halcyon Days - Chapter 12

~several months later~ ( Late Spring, Year 957 of the Altradore Calendar ) 

It had been two seasons and a half since i had known Cal.

It felt as if i had known her forever .

When i was with her , my worries ceased to matter , she had a calming effect on people. 

It felt as if we are in our own little world , like the rest of the world did not matter . 

It was Late spring , come summer in a few weeks . 

I was seven years old, about to turn 8 . In the few months , i had grown significantly .

My previous lack of stamina was no where to be seen , now i could hold my own in long drawn out battles, instead of relying on the fast attack strategy i had always been using . 

I also mastered Master-level spells , creating a few of my own in the process . Magic truly was interesting , i would have buried myself in experiments for days on end if not for my days with Cal . 

We had both honed our skills in the sword . She was a prodigy , in no time at all , with my advice , she toppled me in terms of skill . 

And it terrified me . Sometimes unwelcome thought entered my mind .

What if she turns her blade on me ?

 I tried my best to push them back , but to no avail . They just kept coming back . 

Think positive. Positive . Positive . My mind kept repeating . 

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Today , like most days , we were practicing sword stances and swings. 

After a while , i slumped my back against a tree . 

" Hey Cal , can we stop for today ? I'm tired ." 

" This early? Oh well , fine fine . " She said , sitting next to me , leaning against the tree . 

" Hey , where do you want to go once you turn 10? " 

For commoners , when they turned 10 , they would start their 5 year apprenticeship in their profession of choice , if they get accepted that is.  

 For me , i had to go to a school , to study even more than i had already .

Study , may i repeat . Study! The worst enemy of man . 

" I was thinking of finding a school to hone my skills even further. But sadly , the only school in this country is for the damn nobility . " She spat . 

I knew about her distaste for the nobility , each time she mentioned it , she would turn bitter . 

" So i was thinking of enlisting in a mercenary guild " She continued . 

" M-mercenary ?" 

Not bothered by my apprehension , she continued .

" I mean , isn't it perfect !? i get to hone my skills while getting paid . I can even be paid to kill nobles ! Won't that be fun !?" She exclaimed in a voice bordering on hysterical  . 

"Cal----" I began but was cut off . 

" Ahwooo " With several more howls following suit . 

 ( A/N : I'm not sure this is the correct sound , but it's supposed to be a wolf)

We turned to each other , understanding in out eyes . 

" Wolves " We said in unison . 

We hurriedly stood up , drawing our swords .