Amidst the massive stone walls of the manor, there was a strange peace, enough to make one forget how terrifying and cruel the world outside was. Auren was leaning against the windowsill, which he was just tall enough to reach, resting his chin on his arms and looking out at the vast courtyard below. The sun filtered through the manor's high towers, casting a golden light over the children running in the courtyard.
*I still haven't managed to go and meet them,* Auren thought to himself.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the children, who were joyfully chasing one another and playing at being warriors with wooden swords in their hands.
*I think I saw four children in the courtyard when I first arrived. I thought there were at most four or five children my age, including me. But with each passing day, more children keep appearing from the hallways and rooms. There are so many of them... I don't understand if this is truly a manor or a massive orphanage. But I must admit, I've gotten quite used to it here.*
The coldness of the mud and blood he had felt in that dark forest had slowly begun to fade. The big people here... they were treating him well.
*Aldric,* Auren thought, with a huge smile on his lips.
The manor's head steward... Someone who was always walking around with thick notebooks in his hands, a know-it-all, but also just as kind.
*And Sister Zirel... Her face is always as cold as an ice block. She speaks very rarely, and when she does, it's as if she is counting and choosing her words. But strangely enough, behind that cold face, there is a compassionate, kind heart; I can feel it.*
Auren's smile grew a little wider.
*And then there is Brother Nythar, of course. He is a total troublemaker. He is always shouting when he talks, a giant of a man, but sometimes he makes jokes like a child, and he storms around like a tempest. But because of him, I remember that human beings live in this huge, silent manor.*
His gaze drifted to those quiet shadows at the edge of the courtyard.
*I have run into Lavinia a few times in the hallways. Her blue eyes... they are so deep. It's as if she is hiding an ocean inside them. But I have been too shy to go up and talk to her. She seems so noble, so unreachable.*
*Especially Aelrindel... For the first time in my life, I have seen an elf this closely. His pointed ears, his long hair... When I make eye contact with him, for some reason, I always feel the need to look at the ground. He seems so ancient and so knowledgeable that one cannot help but feel intimidated by him.*
*Though he and Lavinia went on a long journey with Lady Yuria a few days ago.*
Auren sighed. The wind slipped quietly through the window and made his red hair ripple.
*Lady Yuria...*
Even just thinking of this name in his mind made the hair on the back of his neck stand up slightly.
*Sister Zirel, Brother Nythar, Head Steward Aldric, and everyone else... They all respect her so much that they constantly call her "Our Lady." Why is that, I wonder? Is she a queen or something?*
*I have only seen her up close once so far, and a few times from a distance. She always wears that black-green blindfold over her eyes. I have no idea if she has eyes behind that blindfold, or how she sees...*
*But it feels as if, even if she turned toward me for just a second, she would read all the secrets inside me, everything I am thinking, in a heartbeat. I get shivers. But actually, on the other hand, her voice is reassuring, and her appearance is like the goddesses we see in stories. I wonder if she has eyes.*
He moved away from the window and took a few steps toward the middle of the room. His eyes were lost on the wooden flooring.
That childlike curiosity and temporary peace inside him suddenly faded with the shadow of old nightmares. It was as if he could smell that soot and blood again.
*I wonder where my older sister is right now?* he thought, his throat tightening.
His shoulders slumped.
*Lysera... Who took her away that night, and where did they take her? Are they hurting her?*
*And my older brother?*
*Kaelrin was far away, having joined the Luxaris knights he wanted so much. Has he heard what happened to our village, that our home burned down... that I went missing? Is he looking for us now? If he heard the news, did he cry a lot?*
Auren clenched his tiny fists, and his eyes filled with tears.
*Will I be able to see them again? Lady Yuria said she would help me, and I trust her, but... It is so hard to wait here without knowing anything, without being able to do anything...*
Just at that moment, the heavy, dark clouds in Auren's mind were scattered as the door opened with a loud crash, almost as if it were being torn from its hinges.
"Heyyyyy!" roared Nythar, filling the doorway with his massive body. He had that usual rogue-like and enormous grin on his face. "Are you going to stay cooped up in your room again, little one? What's the matter, do you love your room so much that you won't come out?!"
Auren jumped in place as the door opened with a great noise. Even though his heart raced for a moment, the tension in his shoulders eased slightly when he saw the giant man standing before him.
Nythar's loud and cheerful voice had instantly swept away all the gloom in the room.
Auren rubbed his eyes and moved away from the glass.
"I'm here..." he murmured with a timid voice. "Outside, in the courtyard... There are so many children, Brother Nythar. Their numbers seem to increase every day."
Nythar walked into the room with noisy steps and crossed his arms over his chest. The rogue-like grin on his face softened a little.
"You'll get used to it in time, little one," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Of course, if you get out of this room first. If you wait between these four walls all the time, how are you going to meet them?"
Auren bowed his head. As he tugged at the hem of his t-shirt with his hands, he whispered, "I'm sorry..."
In his voice, there was the weight of the fears he had experienced that night and the worry of upsetting someone.
The mocking expression on Nythar's face vanished instantly. He shortened his massive strides, came to the child's side, placed his large, calloused hand on top of Auren's red hair, and stroked it gently.
"Don't apologize," he said, his voice sounding surprisingly kind. "You aren't doing anything wrong. You can stay here as long as you want."
Auren slowly raised his head and looked at the giant man.
Nythar raised his eyebrows as if to dissipate the heaviness of the subject.
"You know that old elf," Nythar said, referring to Aelrindel. "He said he would give you training when he returns. That's what he told me before he set out. Do you know what kind of training he's going to give you?"
Auren blinked in confusion and shook his head.
"No... I don't know."
Nythar smiled slightly.
"Well, what was your dream, Auren? I mean, before all of this happened... What did you want to be when you grew up?"
Auren's ocean-blue eyes drifted away for a moment. In his mind, those proud moments when his brother Kaelrin swung his training sword came to life.
"Like my brother..." he said, swallowing. "I wanted to be a brave warrior like him."
"Is that so?" said Nythar, curling his lips and raising one eyebrow. "So your brother is a pretty strong guy, huh?"
Auren nodded his head proudly.
"Yes. He is very strong."
Nythar puffed out his chest and grinned.
"Well, I'm strong too, little one! And I'm very strong at that."
However, Auren did not smile at this joke. His face fell again, and that innocent light in his eyes was replaced by a deep sadness.
"I don't want to be a warrior anymore," he said with a trembling voice. "I... I just want to see my sister and brother again."
The rogue-like expression on Nythar's face disappeared completely. He knelt before the child with his massive frame, coming to eye level.
"And how do you plan to do that, little one?" he asked in a serious, calm tone.
Auren pursed his lips. As he held himself back so that his tears wouldn't flow, his shoulders slumped.
"I don't know..." he whispered helplessly. "I don't know anything at all."
Nythar took a deep breath. He brought his hand to Auren's head again and gently ruffled his red hair.
"I don't want to force you, Auren," he said softly.
As he stood up, he pointed with his hand to the sunlight filtering through the window and the courtyard below.
"But if you go outside... you will see how beautiful the outside actually is."