It felt like this situation had happened before.  

“It’s not a joke.” I felt the wind in my sails disappear a little.

Karrie took a deep breath. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Esther, but I did really say those things about you…” she scrunched her nose.

“The truth is, I’ve always wanted to be friends with you, but it was hard to talk to you…” She bowed her head. “I want to apologize!”

The wind disappeared completely. I stood frozen as I stared at the top of her head. Being on the receiving end of an apology was weird. I had always been me on the other side. Her hair rustled in the cool summer wind.

“Ugh, this is so embarrassing! Just say whether you accept it or not!” Karrie lifted her head, her cheeks red like beets.

“Oh. Sorry, I accept your apology.” Was that how you did it?

“No! Now it sounds like I forced you!” Karrie seemed to struggle with something as she hid her face behind her hands.

“It’s fine Karrie. I want to be friends with you too”

“Really?” She peeked between her fingers. “Even when I said those things about you?”

“Don’t worry about it, you didn’t talk about me”

“Yeah right…”

“More importantly, where does Finn live?”

Karrie opened her eyes wide. “Why? Are you going to demand an apology? No chance in getting that.”

“What are you talking about, I just don’t want his stupidity spreading to me. I need to know where he lives to do that.”

Karrie let out a chuckle, joining me in throwing insults at him before telling me what his address was.

“I see”, I gave her the biggest smile I could muster. “Thanks”.

***

The sound of metal being hit by hammers could be heard piercing through the background noise containing the clinking of the armored people, and the chatter of shopkeepers promoting their wares. Black smoke bloomed atop the chimneys of the blacksmiths making the air feel a little stifling.

“This ain’t no place for a younging like you to go play around”. A sooty old man said to me. “Where are you parents, kid”.

The shop was filled to the brim with weapons and armors, all laid messily in crates or barrels, except for a few hanging on the wall or in display cases. 

“Did you make all the knives yourself?” They looked well made lying there on display.

The man crossed his arms. “Knives? Never have I ever– these are daggers.”

I tilted my head. “What’s the difference?” 

Looking exasperated, he staggered around the counter to face me. I had to crane my neck to look at him. 

“The difference, young lady, is that daggers are used for killing things”. Picking up one of the daggers, he took a few stabs at the air.

“I see.”

“Understood? Now go along, before you hurt yourself–”

“How much for this one?” I pointed to a simple looking dagger.

He frowned. “Didn’t you hear me? These are for killing things.” He looked me up and down. I stared back.

“Two gold coins.” No golden circle, it was the correct price. So catching that wanted person would fetch me fifteen of these. I opened the bag where my coin pouch was.

“Do you have anything for one silver?”

He clicked his tongue. “Check that pile over there, rejects, the lot of them.” The box was piled in the dozens with either bent products or half-finished projects. “Made ‘em in my apprentice days”

“Must be really old then.” 

He snorted. “I see you got humour in you, kid.”

He picked the most decent thing out for me. It was a dagger made of a single piece of metal, it looked like a big toothpick. Holding it in my hand I gave it a few swings and stabs. The old man let out an impressed whistle seeing my movements. It felt good in my hand, this would do.

“You seem to really like it.” He appeared to be enjoying himself.

I tried giving him my silver coin but he stopped me, shooing me with his hand. 

“Take it, it’s just scrap metal to me. I don’t know what a young girl like you needs with a dagger, but make sure to not get hurt.” 

He wasn’t as grumpy as I thought. Putting the dagger in my bag, I gave him a curtsy I learnt from Victoria and went on my merry way. Karrie was waiting for me at the end of the street. 

Our family had met up with hers at the church and suggested having a bite together in town. While the adults talked about adult things, Karrie and I scurried off together to look at cool things. 

“I don’t get why you wanted to look around here, Esther. It’s so noisy and it stinks.” She turned to her left. “And why are you here?”

“You guys looked to do something fun!” Eric had spotted us walking around. 

“All’s fun with you isn't it?” She let out a sigh. “Are you done with this place, Esther?”

I nodded.

“Nice! Let’s go check out that huge crowd over there! I heard even the Baron has come!” Eric said excitedly. 

Dragging us along, he told us about the killer that had been terrorising the townspeople for the past few weeks. Whenever there was a gathering of guards, it would mean a body had popped up. The people were starting to get used to it. A green haired man, in better armor than the other guards, could be seen directing the others. He must be the captain, Finn’s father.

The guards had linked together like a chain to make a semi-circle around the point of interest, barring all entry to the onlookers. There was a man kneeling on the ground surrounded by flowers, he seemed to be a farmer judging by his clothes. His hands appeared to have been crushed by something circular. From his pinky to his index finger, the flesh had been mushed like a crushed worm.

His back sat straight as he cradled the object in his arms; it stared at me. A pair of open lifeless eyes stared at me. Where his head should have been, stood only a neck stump. A flower had been pressed down his throat. A red lily, once white, was now stained with blood. The man had been decapitated and displayed like a piece of art. It was pretty.

“How horrible…” A woman from the crowd gasped.

“Tsk, of course it's another one of us.” Another shabbily dressed man spat.

“Goddess, please protect us from this demon!” An old woman broke out into prayer, mirroring the decapitated man. 

The blood had pooled on the rough cobblestones underneath, making me wonder if the roses were originally white or red. It painted a picturesque scene. It looked almost religious. Covering my face in my hands, I could feel the corners of my face twitch. 

“Eric, I’m about to puke… Why did you bring us here?” Her face was white like a sweet piece of marshmallow. I imagined squeezing her soft face. 

“I thought it would be cool…” Why are you biting your lips Eric? This is cool! You don’t need to frown okay? 

“You okay Esther?” She patted my back as I stood there hiding my face. 

Ha ha, sorry Ann, I don’t want to see your face right now. And I don’t want you to see mine either. I crouched down to hide myself. 

“Uncle! We have to hire more guards!” The mossy man talked to the chubby man.

“Uhm, aren’t there enough of you? The finances are a little tight right now…” Oh, Mr. Baron, why are you lying? 

“Enough of us?! This has been the fourth time the Executioner has struck you know! How much longer are you going to let that beast roam around terrorizing us?”

“How is that my problem? You are the captain of the guards, just go arrest the damned man.” 

“And how are we supposed to do that with only thirty of us!”

“That sounds like a whole lot to me.”

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd but I couldn’t focus anymore. It was just too funny. 

“Eric, I don’t think Esther should be here any longer, we should go back.”

“Yeah, sorry…”

***

“Hello kids, you look like you’ve seen a ghost or something!” Karrie’s father guffawed. 

“Uh, yeah, ha ha.” Eric replied. Sitting around the table were our parents chatting away. 

“What happened?” Victoria asked us. 

Seeing that Karrie and Eric didn’t have anything to say, I spoke up. “Do ghosts really exist?”

“‘Course they do! Why, I saw one myself this one time!” He was loud, but surprisingly truthful.

His wife let out a sigh. “There he goes again…” 

“Come sit with me, Esther.” Victoria picked me up and put me on her lap. Heh, are you jealous Karrie?

“Oh, yeah?” Gale asked. “And then what did you do?”

“What did I do? Well I ran of course.”

His wife let out another sigh. “I don’t understand why you are telling other people about your cowardice…”

“Nonsense! It’s not cowardice, it's called being smart. Think”, he tapped his head with a finger, “how am I supposed to beat up a ghost? I don't even know how to use magic!” He looked proud as he pointed his nose in the air. “Speaking of, what happened to that job of yours?”

Gale leant back into his chair crossing his arms. “Don’t even mention it. They suddenly cancelled it, saying some nonsense about it being too dangerous and we weren’t the right fit.”

“Hah, if you’re not the right fit then I wonder who is?”

“Right? Although it’s getting worrisome how this isn’t the first time the jobs have  been cancelled.” Gale threw his hand in the air. “What must one do to get a decent paying job around here?”

Victoria fed me one of the bits of food on the table, it was tasty. “I’m just glad nothing dangerous happened”. Eric and Karrie looked stupid sitting there not eating this..

“It did sound suspicious." Karrie’s mother remarked. “I tell you, all men must think they are invincible.”  

“It adds to their charm don’t you think?” She covered her pretty mouth as she gave out a small laugh. 

“It’s a wonder how you two are still in your honeymoon phase…” She glanced at her husband. 

He shrugged. “Maybe they got scared off by the Executioner?” Oh, they both flinched at the same time like two moles upon hearing the moniker.

“What a horrid name, they still haven’t caught them?” Gale replied.

“Well, you know how our lord likes to do things” He pointed his chin towards where the Barons manor stood.

Gale chugged down the rest of his cup. “They always prioritise the wrong things, those nobles. What happened to noblesse oblige?”

“That nobles have the duty to protect us commoners? Ha, you really believe in that nonsense?”

The four adults continued to chat with each other until it was time to head home. Eric promised to do something more fun next time and apologized to Karrie and I. She gave him a smack on his back, telling him it was fine. And me? I didn’t mind, I had better things to think about. 

I couldn't wait for night to come.