The Light In the Darkness- A Torchbearer Fanfic

Chapter 1

2007

Matthias hoisted the water jug over his shoulder as his younger sister Amara walked over to him, carrying the carcasses of some rabbits their traps had caught. "I see your traps worked," he dipped his head towards her.

"Just like I said," Amara replied, giving her brother a nudge as the two began walking towards their village. 

Matthias smiled, continuing to walk towards their home village Emberfall. Their village was in the foothills of Mount Vessah, the active volcano in the Barrens. Matthias never understood why Emberfall was built so close to this volcano, but usually the erruptions weren't too bad. Everyone knew what to do when eruptions occured.

"How are things with Alina?" Amara asked, giving him a playful wiggle of her eyebrows, causing Matthias to blush and roll his eyes.

"She's going to the Artisan Guild today, and she wants me to accompany her. She's going to be a weaver." He turned down the block towards their house, humming softly as he did so. 

"Oooooh the Artisan's Guild." Amara giggled, nudging her brother again, who nudged her back with a look of annoyance. "You barely go into the walls unless it's to trade. This'll be good for you."

Matthias grunted a bit, putting the water jug down as they walked into the house. "I do it for our family." He said.

"Celeste told me you're going to the Artisan's Guild today." Amara, Matthias' mother, said as she walked over to him, fixing his collar with a kind smile.

Matthias sent Amara a side-eye before looking back at his mother. "Alina wants me to go with her." He said, letting his mother fuss over him.

"You know there was an attack in the Bishop's Guild earlier this month, Matthias. I want you to stay away from those Banditos." Amara told him, finishing smoothing down his collar and shirt. "We'll need you to start your blacksmithing training soon." His father wanted him to be a soldier, but his mother was secretly working it out for Matthias to be a blacksmith, and he was grateful for his mother for that.

"Yes, Ma." Matthias nodded, giving her a soft smile. He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before he went to his room, grabbing his backpack and putting some supplies into the bag. It would be a day's ride on horseback. He hoisted his backpack over his shoulders before stepping out of the room.

He walked back into the main living room when his father came through the door. Matthias stopped, staring at his father with a blank expression. The father just grunted at him before silently moving through the house and slamming the bedroom door shut. Matthias flinched at the slamming of the door before he turned to his mother. "Maybe I should stay." He said.

"Go, Matthias." Amara told him, gently cupping his face. "We will be fine without you." Beneath her kind smile, Matthias could see a flash of fear behind it. He knew that his mother was terrified of his father, but she'd never show it, not in front of his sisters.

Matthias nodded before turning and leaving the house. He walked towards the stables, where four horses were grazing on hay. He clicked his tongue a few times, walking over to Smokefall, a dappled silver and blue-gray horse. He rubbed the horse's neck a few times before he gently began to lead the horse out of the stable. He got the horse ready, and he looked over as he heard a familiar voice.

"Matty!" Alina. She was riding on a beautiful white horse. Matthias watched as she got off her horse and walked over to him. Matthias grinned, gently grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. He felt his heart beating in his throat, and he prayed she couldn't hear it.

"Alina," Matthias greeted with a happy smile. "How are you today?" He asked, looking at her and subtly examining her face. He was acutely aware of his sisters staring at them through the window.

"I'm well, how are you?" Alina asked, resting a hand on Matthias' chest, looking up at him with a kind smile. 

"I'm doing well." Matthias replied, feeling warmth creeping up his face. "Are you excited to be a weaver?" He asked, helping her onto Snowfire, her horse, before he got onto his own horse.

"I'm very excited!" Alina replied as the two began to ride towards the towering stone walls in the distance. "This'll be good for my family. I can give them the life they want to live. Are you going to train to become a blacksmith? You have a knack for it."

Matthias shrugged. "I want to, but you know how my father is about me leaving." He said, looking over at Alina as the two of them continued on. "He wants me to be a soldier, not a blacksmith, and you know what he'll do to me if I leave."

Alina frowned deeply. "Matthias, we need to get you, your sisters, and your mother out of there." She said gently.

"Alina, I can't leave." Matthias sighed, staring ahead. "I need to get into the blacksmith forge, and then I can consider leaving, but my father insists on training me every day." He blinked a couple of times. "And if I don't, there are consequences."

The two continued to travel in silence until the towering Outer Wall came into view. The two made their way into the Outer Wall, tying their horses at the stable and paying the attendant to watch them, before they began to walk towards the Weavers' Web, where the upcoming weavers went to see about applying to be apprentices.

Matthias walked next to Alina, and when they got close, Alina grabbed his hand out of nervousness. Matthias gently gave her a gentle squeeze, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be the best weaver."

"How do you know?" Alina looked over at him with an anxious expression on her face. "I mean, maybe I should just stay home and--"

"--Hey," Matthias smiled, "it's going to be okay. I'll be a blacksmith, and you'll be a weaver, and we'll be able to take our lunch breaks together." He said.

Alina giggled, giving him a playful nudge. "Go see the blacksmith, see if you can work your magic." She said with a smile.

Matthias found himself blushing again. "I'll meet you in the Marketplace later on? My treat." He suggested, watching as she began to walk towards the stone building.

"You bet, Matthias." Alina called over her shoulder, and she went into the building, leaving Matthias standing alone.

Matthias turned and began making his way towards the blacksmithing district, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. As he walked, he looked up at the nine looming towers in the Inner Wall. He had heard stories of these towers, of fear mongering rulers who preyed on innocent people. He never wanted to meet them.

He could see a giant eagle-like creature perched on one of the towers, as if surveying everything. The thought sent a shudder through Matthias' body, and he lowered his head, picking up his pace towards the blacksmith. Whatever those creatures in the towers were, he hoped he never had to step foot into the Inner Wall.