In the year 508 after the death of Niatala the Great.
Village of Rasten, in the center of Galghant.
—Nari—
Slowly, the storm over Galghant breathed out its final gust of wind.
Nari opened the door of her hut and took a deep breath.
Everything sounded so peaceful. And if the news was true, then peace would truly settle in now.
Over the past few days, a storm had swept across Galghant. Nari and her mother had no choice but to stay inside their small hut on the edge of the village of Rasten.
After a few days, Nari had found it almost unbearable. She loved going outside.
At least they had been able to use the time to make progress with their work. Her mother and she worked as embroiderers. It was usually not quite enough to make a living. So they also took on additional work from farmers and craftsmen.
They did not have much, but it was enough. Even enough for Nari to secretly set aside a little money. Not a large amount, but something at least. Her great dream was to explore more of the world. And for that, she would need money.
Rasten was the fourth place they had lived, the third she could remember. As long as she could think, they had only ever stayed a few years in one place. In Rasten, they had stayed the longest.
At first, Nari had not liked moving. But then again, she realized that she had seen more of Galghant than many others. Most people stayed in one place almost their entire lives—unless one was perhaps a traveling merchant.
"How does it look?" her mother, Marnia, asked.
Nari turned around and beamed. "The sky is blue again. Just a few clouds, and it looks like it's going to be a sunny day."
"Very good. Then we can bring the things into the village."
Nari nodded happily. They had embroidered a few dresses and cloths, which they would give to Hulf, the traveling merchant.
Nari closed the door and immediately grabbed a basket in which she placed the items.
"But we're in no hurry, Nari."
"Oh, I just want to go outside already and see what news there is."
Marnia rolled her eyes and sighed. Nari grinned. She knew her mother was often annoyed by her impatience and inner restlessness.
Finally, they set off toward Hulf. Rasten was not a small village, and it took some time to reach the other end.
Before that, they had lived in a small town to the north, and Nari missed the town. But Marnia had found it too dangerous to stay there. Nari often could not understand her mother. She felt she thought too much and had too many fears. Nari knew how Marnia had found her—or rather, how she had come to her. But that had all been so long ago, and Nari had no fear. She would rather be glad if she could one day find out who her real mother was and why she had not wanted her. Marnia always told her she should not think that way and that her mother had been so desperate. But for Nari, there could be no reason to simply give a child away. That was why she saw only Marnia as her mother.
As they walked along the small cobblestone streets, they saw that the storm had left its marks. Some huts and houses had lost a few tiles, branches lay scattered around, and there were still puddles on the ground. But now Nari could feel the gentle spring sun on her back.
Again and again, they met a few villagers who nodded to them in friendly greeting.
The people of Galghant placed great importance on propriety. For Marnia and Nari, it had not been easy everywhere. Since Marnia was not married but had a child, she was often avoided by others. Even in Rasten, it had taken months before they were accepted. Accepted—what did that even mean? There were many things Marnia and Nari could not do. They were rarely invited to social gatherings. But one got used to it. More or less.
They arrived at Hulf's house and knocked on the door. He opened it, surprised to see them, but invited them in.
His wife, Hilda, sat in the cooking corner, peeling some Galghant roots.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any new orders for you," said Hulf. "Everything has been thrown into disarray by the storm. But now that the war seems to be coming to an end, I'm sure business will flourish. For the finished pieces, I'll give you the usual price."
He looked through the fabrics and nodded in approval. "Good work." Then he handed Marnia a small pouch containing the 30 tela. That was about a week's wage.
"I can prepare a few cloths with floral patterns," Nari said. "Now that everyone is in good spirits and spring has arrived, I'm sure people will like that."
Hulf nodded. "Your embroidery is always well received, Nari. It has something unusual about it."
Nari smiled from ear to ear. She had a gift for weaving special emotions into natural things. People often told her that an embroidered flower did not simply look like a flower, but also expressed longing, love, or gratitude. That was because Nari always perceived the world around her in many layers. She always connected it with feelings.
They agreed with Hulf that they would deliver new embroidered fabric the following week and then set off to the cloth merchant Enna to buy suitable fabrics.
When they had finished their errands, they heard the sound of hooves.
"Oh, that must be Marus with news!" Nari exclaimed. She immediately made her way toward the center. A few people had already gathered.
And indeed, it was Marus. He was the eldest son of the village head and often traveled to nearby villages or the city. That was how Rasten always received news.
Marus dismounted and made a gesture for everyone to be quiet.
He began to smile. "Great news!" he said. "The war is over. King Galan has surrendered, and the Lightkeepers are taking the throne!" The small crowd applauded. Nari held her breath for a moment, then felt a great joy within her. She looked at Marnia, but Marnia was still skeptical when it came to news about the Lightkeepers.
"King Galan and his family have left the castle and the capital. The Lightkeepers intend to visit individual towns and villages," Marus continued.
"Oh," said Nari, "how wonderful—then maybe we'll get to see some of them." She had heard so many stories about them. Brave men and women who wanted to bring peace and a better life to all of Ground. First they had brought it to Stevar, and now to Galghant. More and more villagers had gathered by now. It looked as if almost half the village had assembled. The village head had also arrived.
"We must celebrate the peace! Let us prepare a festival through all the streets! For the next few days, we should do nothing but rejoice and celebrate!" he said.
Everyone applauded.
A festival—how wonderful!, Nari thought. Then everyone in the village would wear their best clothes, prepare good food, and celebrate together. And they would be able to join as well. It was an open celebration, and people tended to overlook their background during such occasions. Only for celebrations in the village head's house or for balls were they never invited.
"Let's get to work right away!" someone in the crowd said.
Nari spotted Talisa, the village head's daughter, and went over to her.
They greeted each other, and Talisa said, "How good that the storm and this dreadful war are finally over!"
Nari nodded. "Oh, I would be so happy if the Lightkeepers came to our village too. Even if it were just one. I would love to see them!"
Talisa laughed. "Yes, who wouldn't? They are said to look radiant and have a special presence. If they come, I hope they are young men." She laughed and covered her mouth with one hand.
Nari giggled. Then she tapped Talisa playfully on the shoulder. "Talisa, how improper of you!"
They looked at each other and both laughed again. They were not very close friends, but they got along quite well. They were about the same age and always complained that there were no interesting men in the village their age. They were, after all, of marriageable age, and time did not stand still. Nari also knew that, because of her family situation, she had little chance. She would be lucky if any farmer's son could overlook her uncertain origins. A Lightkeeper? She should not even dream of that. For Talisa, it might be possible. Though it would almost be like dreaming of marrying a prince.
"Your mother absolutely has to make her delicious strawberry cake for the festival!" Talisa pulled her out of her thoughts. "Don't worry about the strawberries. You can take them with you right away. We have enough."
Nari nodded and smiled. That was good. Finally, they would have more to do again and more contact with people. Later, there would surely be music, and they would be able to dance through the streets. The war was over! And for a few days, she could forget her other worries.