The family sat in the tavern, and the keeper, Mira, provided them each with a bowl of stew, and a mug of ale for all but Athem, who got a mug of milk, instead. Neicia was still in relative shock, though she did her best not to show it. Her mother had told her that bandits had set their home on fire, warning them against revolt, before riding off into the mountains near by. She felt so much sorrow for the loss of the home she grew up in, that her family had worked so hard to build before she was born, that had witnessed so many years of hard work on their part to keep the town fed. Underneath that sorrow, though, something was building, burning in its own way, a rage that sought the destruction of those that had done this, but also a desire for justice to be done.
Her family talking around her was just fuzzy background noise to her, as her mind delved into the idea of seeking out the bandits that had done this, and putting them down. She was, however, pulled away from these thoughts as Mira brought her her own bowl of stew, and ale. She smiled her thanks, even if the smile felt it belonged in a grave. Athem was asleep on her lap, exhausted from the excitement of the day, and presumably needing time to restock on tears as he had shed more than his fare share in the preceding hours. She had done her best to comfort him, though most of it felt more like self-comforting, and did little to put her baby brother at ease.
She had a bit of trouble eating while trying not to disturb her brother, though she managed to succeed. She continued to ignore her family's conversation, though, more interested in continuing her previous thoughts. She was unsure where she would find a weapon, though if she chose to pursue this course of action, that was likely to be the least of her problems. Still, the idea was firmly planted in her mind, and it seemed little would deter the thoughts, of the building need to act upon them. She would have questioned their very existence were she of sounder mind, but recent events had taken that from her, as the seeds of something beyond her were being sown.
---
That night Neicia's family slept in rooms provided by Mira, this was the first time in as long since Valden was born that she only shared a room with one of her brothers, that of course being Athem. Earlier he had woken up just long enough to washroom, and then promptly fell asleep in her arms again soon after. Now, even with her company, he was having nightmares, while he had been fine for a while, it seemed the events from that day were catching up with him in his sleep. Her brothers discord prevent her from sleeping, as she was rife with worry, and seeping with with anger now.
She had made up her mind. She was going after the monsters that had done this to her family, as anyone capable doing such atrocities was not worthy of being called a person. Carefully, she removed her arm from her siblings grip, and quietly slipped out of the room after grabbing a jacket that the local tailor had provided her with. Downstairs, Mira was just closing up shop, cleaning up a bit before she went to bed, herself.
"Where are you off to?" she inquired, though it seemed to be mostly curiosity with a bit of worry, than anything.
"I'm just going to take a walk... I can't sleep. Today has just been... Too much." Neicia explained, and it was true, she just conveniently left out the part where she was going to try to eliminate the bandits.
Mira nodded, "Well, just be careful, alright? And try not to do anything stupid." she requested, to which Neicia merely nodded in response.
Donning her jacket, she left, walking back in the direction at home, taking a brisk pace which shaved off at least twenty minutes of travel time. The fire had long since been subdued, and the majority of the crops had survives, which she had no doubt her family would go straight back to harvesting as soon as possible. She did not linger long, setting her eyes in the direction the bandits had supposedly gone, and marching forward. She found the trail of hoof prints the bandits had left behind easily enough, as they likely expected no one to follow them.
She got a fair ways into the forest, before she felt all strength abandon her legs, and a searing pain in her chest. She was on the ground in an instead, doing her best to stifle the pain that threatened to make her cry out. The pain did not last long, and her strength returned to her and quickly as it had left, but when she stood she found that she was not entirely alone in her own skin, there were black spots that appeared to bubble, and boil, as well as speak to her. She was revolted for but a few moments, before she recalled tales that her mother had told her when she was younger. In that moment she realized they were not just tales, and that she was in fact one of the chosen her mother had spoken of. A Warden.
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