Being the only daughter of a renowned High Priestess and one of the most, if not the most formidable warrior the Clans have ever seen was exhausting, to say the least. People were expecting a lot of her, and they made a habit of reminding her of it, it was one of the reasons she was raised in seclusion in the first place, her family wanted to relieve her from at least some of the pressure on her shoulders, and allow her to have a relatively peaceful childhood. Her mother died after her birth, and her father went to fight in faraway lands, so Nina was raised by her mother's numerous extended family, among her several cousins, aunts, and grandmothers.

  Her bloodline descended from a long line of oracles, clerics, seers, fortunetellers, and priests, who had served the highlanders for many generations. They enjoyed a high status and were respected by the Lords from the different Clans, and their people. Although many of them still practiced the old pagan religion, the current matriarch was open-minded enough to allow the family to join the new Church.

  She knew that the responsibility of becoming the leading priestess in the Highlands would befall on her one day, as Verkan had already reached the age of retirement many years ago. But the old man still had strengths in him, and stubbornly refused to retire, preferring to serve his people while he still could, and would probably do so until his final days. Yet she still had to give a good impression early on, especially to the Clan Lords who were most reluctant to take the Church seriously.

  They walked to the town center where a huge banquet has been prepared. There were several tables where hundreds of guests would soon gather, every single one of them eager to taste the most delicious cuisine, and delicacies on the continent. Clan Irfis spared no expenses and contracted the services of the most famous cooks in the highlands for the occasion. They were preparing foods worthy of a King’s court, and Nina was delighted to be able to try them. Meanwhile, Verkan walked to the town’s outskirts to have some small talk with the cook’s chief, an old woman named Nana whom he seemed to know.

  Curiosity got the better of her, and she mischievously sneaked closer to get a better look. Nina sat in a spot near them to be able to listen to their conversation, the old woman seemed to know Verkan from a time prior he became a priest, and judging by their behavior and choice of words, she apparently was an old flame of his.

  Nina let her imagination run wild, her mentor and friend Verkan have always been extremely reserved on what his personal life was concerned, hearing him open up like that with someone was pure gold. She could only imagine it but apparently, he was quite popular with the ladies. How could he not? Even at old age, his icy blue eyes, white hair, tall frame, and rugged looks were hardly unpleasant to the eyes. The fact that he was always smiling didn’t help much either, the years were extremely kind with Verkan. The old man aged really well.

  The old woman next to him, however, has seen better days. Nina assumed that she was at least a decade older than him until she heard they were actually the same age. Nana was a hard-working woman, and had several children in her youth; in fact, she founded a very successful, and respected cooking enterprise that grew into the most requested one in the Highlands. She contracted the services of several girls; many of them her own great-granddaughters and other relatives that worked for her to help her in this endeavor. Nana came from the Lowlands and renounced her original Clan, so they had to be resourceful just to survive, the fact that she came so far was astonishing.

  Nina leaned a little closer, not wanting to miss their conversation. To avoid any suspicion, she sat facing the opposite side in which they were standing, pretending to be looking at the night sky, but keeping an eye on them, peeking at their reflexes in a nearby glass window.

-“Well, well, what a nice surprise!” Verkan spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

-“I wish I could say the same about you” the old woman replied angrily.

-“It's nice to see you too, Nana” he replied with a smirk.

-“What do you want now?” was Nana’s cold response.

-“To talk with an old friend... if you are willing to of course” the old man replied, leaning closer to her.

-“I guess I can't say no this time, I've always had a soft spot for you” Nana replied with a much calmer tone, letting out a loud sigh. They knew each other so well they could talk with absolute comfort despite the sheer hostility that Nana’s choice of words could initially tell.

-“Don't take it personally, I have to be stern with everyone, you know how it is” the old woman explained.

-“I know, I know, if you get too soft with them... It wouldn't kill you to be a little nicer though” Verkan replied, knowing well what she meant.

-“I’m nice with whom I want, Verkan, those girls need someone to look up to” she replied, signaling with her head toward the tables her employees were getting ready for the upcoming feast.

-“They’re all grown up now” Verkan commented, looking at the girls his old friend signaled.

-“It's amazing how fast they have grown” she agreed with him.

-“That’ Lily, isn’t she?” he motioned toward one of the girls which he seemed to recognize, Nana nodded in return, smiling in silence.

-“It was not long ago that I helped her mother give birth, you wouldn't believe it Nana, but she fit in this hand right here, and look at her now!” he added, pointing with one finger to his open palm, recalling the time when there was no medic around, and he had help the mother deliver the baby, the same baby that was now a beautiful young woman.

-“By the way, how is her mother?” he asked, changing the subject.

-“She is fine; she had a baby boy not long ago” Nana replied, smiling fondly at the memory of her most recent great-grandson.

-“Another boy? That’s some good news” Verkan asked.

-“He’ll probably follow his father's footsteps and help in the trading company” the old woman commented, referring to her granddaughter’s husband, a fairly successful merchant.

-“I don’t see any of the boys around, the girls, however, they do stay to help you” he replied, talking about several of Nana’s granddaughters and great-granddaughters that were working right in front of them.

-“I hate to play favorites, Verkan, but Lily… she’s the one I care about the most”

-“She has grown a lot” the old woman added.

-“Indeed, she looks almost exactly like you, sixty years ago,” the old man said with the intention to tease his friend a little bit and try to take the conversation in another direction.

-“If a bit taller maybe, I was quite the looker back in the day, you were not so bad yourself either, even to this day, just look at you, what’s your secret?” the old woman teased back.

-“Thank you, I think if there is a secret it would be never to have got married” he replied, playing along with the flattery.

-“Do not think this easy to admit, but I’ve always wondered why you never even looked at me, all the girls in town had a thing for you” she asked without even a bit of shame, they were getting too old for formalities.

-“I was stupid enough to fall for the only one who didn't” Verkan replied, regretfully reminiscing old times.

-“I still remember what happened, it's a shame really” Nana commented, not wanting to go further into the distressing subject.

-“It’s a shame indeed” the old man replied.

  Who would have thought it? Old Verkan grieving a lost love, he really must have loved that woman so much to mourn her loss for the rest of his life. Nina would have never dared to ask such a personal question, nor would he have just told her such a thing out of the blue. It was the kind of thing that people only talk about with the closest of friends, Nina felt really guilty for eavesdropping on such a private conversation, and couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Verkan. Was this the reason why he became a priest? It must have hurt him so much.

  It’s been probably decades since the last time the two friends saw each other, and yet, they still trusted each other to have such an intimate conversation. Although she thought it wasn’t good to dwell in the past, it’s ok to let out the things that hurt you once in a while.

  Isn’t it?

-“I can understand why you are so hard to approach, Nana, you have to keep all the vultures at bay from your girls” Verkan spoke, trying to change the subject again.

-“It would kill me if they go through the same I went through” the woman replied, changing her previously smiling face into a frown.

-“Nobody wants that for their children” the priest replied.

-“I want them to be happy, fall in love, and marry the man they choose,” Nana said, with her eyes locked on her girls.

-“I understand” Verkan replied nodding, recalling the way Nana’s parents had arranged her marriage to a high-ranking warrior from another Clan, a lifetime ago.

-“I hated my husband, you know, the truth is that I don't miss him” the old woman confessed, it was now her turn to let it all out. He heard her out in silence, and let her continue.

-“I never forgave him for what he did to Argon” she continued, remembering a past love that also couldn’t be.

-“I know how you feel Nana, but you can't blame him, that's their way of life” Verkan replied, reminding her of the way of the Clans.

-“I know, but poor Argon lost that fight already, he didn't have to kill him” Nana replied, reminiscing her own lost love.

-“A warrior's honor can be difficult to understand, Nana. I knew him, he was my friend, I’m sure he choose death than living a life without you” the old man replied, the priest knew about the quarrel between both suitors, the man who would become Nana’s husband, and the pretender who had won over her heart but lost the fight.

  Such was the way of the Clans. Warriors would duel to solve almost any problem they couldn’t solve by talking; they would often fight until one of the parties was satisfied, though sometimes they would fight to the death, especially over matters such as love, and honor. Verkan knew the late warrior, they were best friends in life, and he knew he would have preferred death than to watch the love of his life be taken by his rival. The highlanders would consider it an honorable death, and so did he, but he could also understand his poor friend Nana, who was forced to marry her fiancé’s murderer.

-“Don't get me wrong, I never refused my duties as a wife, I learned to tolerate him through the years, but I never loved him” the old woman continued.

-“But I do love my children, I never blamed them for what that bastard did” Nana admitted agitated, she didn’t feel like sharing this much with anyone, but at the same time, rare were the instances that she could open up like this with an old friend.

-“At least he was a good father, he provided well, and we never lacked anything. He gave me five beautiful children, and they gave me at least a dozen grandchildren themselves” she finished, looking at said grandchildren, and great-grandchildren working by the tables.

-“Quite the numerous family” Verkan commented.

-“Not to mention great-grandchildren, dying young was the best thing Imran did for us, I took my children, and left that damned clan. I started cooking for others ever since” Nana continued.

-“There is always a bright side” he replied, making Nana smile in response.

-“Soon I got requests from so many people that I couldn't handle them alone anymore, some of my children helped me through the years, and later their children too” she commented about the time when she started her business.

-“They all learned from the best, your food has always been fantastic” the priest interrupted, looking forward to trying her food again.

-“My children went on different ways, and live their own lives now”

-“Some of them are coming back, though” Verkan replied.

-“Their help is always welcome, Ari and Mina are good, but Lily… Lily is still a bit clumsy in the kitchen but has a knack for cooking” Nana remarked while motioning towards her favorite great-granddaughter preparing the tables. The girl took notice of the old pair looking at her and smiled fondly waving in return.

-“She might not have realized it yet, but she surpassed me long ago” she admitted while waving back at her.

-“I'll make sure she inherits the business when my time comes”

-“Come on, Nana, you still have a decade or two ahead until you freed us from your stubbornness” Verkan playfully teased her.

-“If you say so” she replied.

-“But enough about me, Verkan, what about you?” it was now her turn to ask.

-“There isn’t much to tell, just traveling, doing the same things, helping people, you know the rest” Verkan replied without thinking much of it, for him, all the commitment, and dedication weren’t anything special. For him, it was just his job.

-“You have always been good with people, I've always admired that” she commented.

-“What can I say? I'm just as stubborn as you are” he replied.

-“And what about that little aide of yours?” she asked, referring to Nina, who she saw helping Verkan during the ceremony. Nina’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing it. Are they going to talk about me?!

-“Aide? You won't believe this but she’s a Field Priestess already, her name is Nina” he replied, his words held a deep respect for the young priestess that although inexperienced, had a promising career ahead.

-“Nina? I recall that name” the woman replied, trying to recollect her thoughts.

-“You should” Verkan stated.

-“Don't tell me that's Elia's child!” Nana replied astonished, Verkan could only smile in return, nodding in silence.

-“Speaking about growing fast...” she commented.

-“She might not look like it, but that girl is smart and incredibly talented, she will take my place one day, I'm getting too old for these travels…” Verkan replied, glancing knowingly at his friend, and making a gesture with his head towards the place where the Priestess was sitting.

-“Come on Verkan, you still have a decade or two ahead until you freed us from your stubbornness” she replied, echoing Verkan’s previous statement.

-“If you say so...” the old priest replied smiling at the callback.

  The pair kept chatting for a while but the increasing noise of the crowd that began arriving made overhearing their conversation difficult for Nina. She looked over the tables to see if she could distract herself with something else when Verkan appeared out of nowhere, touching her shoulder. She froze. She was having a blast hearing behind their backs, but Verkan being the old learned man has probably figured it out, but instead of calling her out on her misbehavior, he introduced her to his old friend.