He could feel his blood down the side of his cheek. Aleah has been a better fighter than him since they were playing with sticks in Millberry.

“I’ve pulled that move on you seven times today. You should know how to block it by now, or at least dodge it. Pull yourself together or you’ll be cut up, understand me Rain?” She said. He seemed more dazed this time the others, she thought she might have killed him.

“I know, you’ve told me. I’m getting better, you’re just fast.” He said, in his usual snarky way.

“Let’s get you something, training is done for the day,”

“Alright, fine. Lets go to the pub,” he stated while getting up. He stumbled his first few steps, but gained his balance.

“You need an elixir or something,” she said with worry in her eyes.

“No, just rest and a bandage,” Rain replied, “That’s a nice looking flower,”

It took a moment for Aleah to find what he was talking about, but when she did she picked it up and put it in her pocket, “It is pretty.” She got up, and followed Rain out of the forest.

The town had multiple houses. Most had stone frames with wooden walls. The only buildings with smoke in the chimneys were the pub, and the baker. The baker had problems with his oven, so he filtered the smoke out through the chimney. The pub was making some form of meat, for that was the only thing that the barkeep, who Rain and Aleah came to know as Richard, could cook.

“Excuse me,” said a little girl, pulling on Rain’s jacket, “Do you have any spare change?” She couldn’t have been older than 8. Her face was dirty, and was wearing the most worn in shoes they’ve ever seen.

“Oh sweetie,” said Rain, sorrowful, “I don’t have any.”

“Are you okay? You’re bleeding a lot,” she replied, innocently.

“Yes I’m alright, I just need a bandage and a drink.”

“I have something that might help,” she cut in. She looked in her bag. She was rummaging around for a small bottle, with a blue liquid in it, “Here it is.”

“What is it?” Aleah asked. She had never been fond of beggars, the last one she met tried to steal from her.

“A healing elixir, put it in your next drink, otherwise you’ll throw it back up,” she said happily, “What will you pay me for it?”

“I’ll give you 20 bronze stach,” Rain said, he was usually good at bargaining. He was nervous though, most healing elixirs had a red color to them, this looked more like a lightning elixir, that protected you from electricity during storms.

“That’s less than the store price, plus I came to you. Nothing less than one silver,” she said angrily.

“39 bronze?” Asked Rain. One silver wouldn’t be worth it. She was asking for almost 100 bronze, for an elixir that probably wasn’t using the right ingredients.

“Nope.”

“45 bronze and a pretty flower?” Aleah said, pulling the flower from her bag. She won the bag, which was enchanted, from a knight. The bag looked small, in fact it was small enough to fit in her pocket; however she could fit what she could only call a full room into it.

“Deal,” said the girl, taking it from them, “I’ll make it 40 bronze if you tell me where you picked it.”

“In the forest, ten steps from the path, there’s tons of them.” Said Rain.

“Alright,” said the girl, running off.

As Lucinda ran into the pub, she saw Duane drinking from an old wooden mug. She knew it was at least his seventh. He was tired, nearly asleep.

“Hey small one, how was your adventure?” He asked.

“Pretty fun, I sold five elixirs!” She said, excitedly, “and I found something that might be interesting to you,”

“And what would that be?” Duane asked, taking another drink.

“This,” she said, taking out the flower. It was blue and red, alternating between the two over the course of a few minutes.

“It’s pretty,” He said, lifting her onto his leg, “let’s see how this looks,” he put the flower in Lucinda’s hair.