A Fire in the Night

Chapter 1 - Oakwald Forrest

"She's 8 years old now, Buzzard! She has to learn how to eventually!" 

Aelin had been fighting with Rowan for only a few minutes but it was really starting to annoy her. Nehemia was not too young to be learning how to hunt and Aelin insisted that today would be perfect to venture out into Oakwald forest and teach her. 

Of course, her daughter Nehemia had been begging her mother for months now to teach her some sort of form of fighting after watching Aelin spar with Rowan day after day. She aspired to be just like her mother one day. 

"Exactly!" Rowan retorted, "8 years is too young for her yet. She needs to wait a couple more years before I'm ready for her to take life." 

"You know, I started learning when I was around her age." Aelin shot back. 

Nehemia knew of her mother's past. How she was Adarlan's greatest assassin to ever live, how she ended up in the salt mines of Endovier, and how she became the King's champion, eventually becoming Queen of Terassen. It was a story meant for a lifetime but all of it all somehow happened in the span of only 21 years. Of course, a lot more time has passed now and the queen was now at the old age of 30 years old. 

"That was under different circumstances, Aelin. Last time I checked, we're not in the middle of a war anymore." Rowan stayed cool and collected while Aelin tapped her foot impatiently, trying to persuade Rowan to change his mind on the subject.

"She wants to do it, Buzzard. She asked me if we could do it today since I didn't have any meeting planned." 

My father glanced over at me and I looked away as if ashamed that I had ever asked. Of course, it wasn't my fault for wanting to learn. I get to watch them spar every day. All I wanted was to be like them and if they were going to wait to teach me to fight, the least I could ask to learn was to hunt. 

"Do you really want to learn," Rowan asked Nehemia. She looked up from where she was staring at the ground. Nehemia felt like she was responsible for her parents fighting. But would it really matter? They fight all the time over the most minuscule things anyway. 

"I do, Dad. I really do. I want to learn to be just like Mom." 

Nehemia spoke confidently with no room for debate. A part of Aelin was proud of her daughter for becoming so confident in herself. It's something a ruler needs in order to be successful, something she knows Nehemia will have no problem with. 

Aelin looked at Rowan with the I told you so look that made him roll his eyes. He considered for a moment but I already knew what he was going to say. Like always before he says yes, he crosses his arms and sighs, as if in defeat. 

Nehemia was right in her predictions and her face lit up. 

"Fine." He said, more of a grumble. "But you don't go more than 10 feet away from us while we're out there. Understand?" 

Nehemia nodded her head before he even finished his sentence and Aelin was beaming, already half dragging her child to the armory room of the castle, located near the stables. 

Aelin pulled a couple of bows and many arrows off the walls and a few knives for good measure. Aelin always told Nehemia that she could never be too prepared for what is to come. If Nehemia knew how to wield a blade of her own, she would be taking her mother's advice and armoring herself, however, she was only taught the basics of swordplay. 

Her usage of a dagger though... was lethal. Her mother would always say that she was way better at it then she ever was at her age. Nehemia's ability to wield a sword was made up of her incredible ability with daggers.