With Hardship Comes Ease

“Lora! Breakfast!” Lora’s mother called out.

Lora rolled over sleepily and put a pillow over her head, drowning out the birds’ cheerful chirping. The light faded to a dim glow, and Lora enjoyed the sleepy peace for a few seconds. But soon her haven of quiet faded away as the pillow was yanked off her head and the covers were thrown off. The chilly Stonebridge air washed over her ankles. Lora met her mother’s hard gaze and, reluctantly, sighed.

“Okay, Ma. I’ll get up.” Lora said finally.

Unspoken words passed between the two, and with a small smile, Lora’s mother walked out of the room, leaving Lora alone with nobody except for the birds’ incessant cawing. She pulled a comb through her tangled mane of hair, pulling it into a ponytail. Lora slipped a tunic and leggings on, tied a belt around her waist, and grabbed her bow and arrow. She began to walk out of the door, but then doubled back and slipped a knife onto her belt.

Lora hunted to keep her mother alive. A rabbit for them, and a couple squirrels or two to sell to the local butcher. Maybe a deer, if she was really lucky. She had to hunt because of her family’s poverty. A few days of bad hunting could leave the two of them starving. Lora walked to the kitchen, grabbed a stale hunk of bread, and walked out of the door, determination filling her mind. Today, she was going to do something extraordinary. Lora could feel it in her bones.

A breeze washed over Lora’s cheeks, tickling her neck and tossing her hair around. The chilly air shrouded Lora like a blanket of ice, and Lora wrapped a cloak around her body. That helped a little- a bit of warmth seeped into her, and Lora’s shoulders stood a little straighter. She walked into the marketplace, looking at the other hunter’s bounties. So far the line was easy to meet- everyone had a few bony squirrels, and the older hunters grasped rabbits. The cold winter must be scaring the animals away- but one thing Lora’s father had taught her was that the colder the winter, the more hibernating animals there were. Lora shouldered her bag and turned around, headed for the damp forest at the edge of Shadowkeep Village. Leaves crackled under her boots as Lora walked and the faint cawing of crows filled her ears. The quiet grew, and soon the only thing she could hear was the occasional raven’s cry. Lora scanned the forest for prey, her eyes roaming over bushes and trees and her heart jumping at the rustles in the trees. But as Lora crouched and listened for animals, a loud twig’s crack rang out.

Faster than in a blink of an eye, Lora whipped around, her bow cocked. An arrow flew across the clearing and embedded itself in… a cloak?! She looked around and found a girl, struggling to get away. Her cloak was stuck though- Lora’s arrow had shot through the fabric and had embedded itself deep in the ground. Lora marched over and yanked the arrow back.

“Who are you? You obviously can’t hunt, because you just woke up the entire forest with one twig. Explain.” Lora said, her hard voice cutting through the air like a knife. The two girls stared hard at each other. Lora had tangled black hair that was yanked into a ponytail with a stray rag, while the other girl had curly hair that flowed over her shoulders in a brown waterfall. It was fastened with a jeweled pin, something which the likes of were unknown to Lora and her peasant status. She was dressed in a silk tunic, long and flowing, and loose pants. This girl was not dressed for hunting and had probably never done it before, judging by her rosy cheeks and clear skin. The other girl stopped in her struggle and bit her lip hesitantly, lost for words.

“I… Er….” The stranger stared at her feet. Lora tapped her foot impatiently and stared hard at the other girl.

“I’m Sophia. I’m…. a royal princess.… and I had to give this to you. You dropped it when you were hunting.” Sophia held out a small object, and Lora’s frown slowly melted off her face, replaced by horror and disbelief.

It was an arrowhead. The arrowhead. Her father’s last gift to Lora before he set off to the royal kingdom of Blackstone. Thoughts whirled around in Lora’s head, and she drifted off to a world of thoughts.

“Lora…” Her father’s rough hands enveloped hers. A warm breeze tickled her hair and Lora’s father smiled tenderly.

“Here.” Her father whispered to her gently. “Take this.” He dropped the arrowhead into Lora’s small, delicate fingers. It was made purely of obsidian, and twinkled in the light cheerfully. Lora’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at it in wonder. Twinkling patterns were etched into its small surface, and it shone like a piece of stardust.

“I got this arrowhead from my father, who got it from his father. This cycle has been going on for generations, and you are the first girl to get it. Be proud, my daughter. Be proud of who you are.” Her father finished with a final smile. With a swish of his cloak, he rode off into the distant light, headed for the kingdom of Blackstone.

Lora shook herself out of the blurry haze of memories. With a glare, she snatched the arrowhead from the girl’s hand and stomped into the forest without a backward glance. Lora could faintly hear Sophia sigh and walk away, presumably headed back to the city, where she belonged.

******************

A good hunt today. Smiling triumphantly, Lora shouldered a few rabbits and squirrels, and carried for all to see, a full-grown stag. It was big and bulky, and had been nibbling at a few berries before Lora’s arrow nabbed it. This deer meant a week of good eating in Lora’s eyes.

As she walked into the marketplace, all talk quieted and heads turned to stare at Lora. She hefted her deer proudly and with a grunt, shoved all the animals onto the butcher’s table.

“Name your price,” Lora said. The butcher stared, flabbergasted. Nobody under the age of eighteen had ever caught something like this. But Lora just crossed her arms and stared back, unafraid.

“Five hundred silver pieces,” the butcher said. “Take it or leave it.” Lora sighed, but deep inside she knew she didn’t have the heart to haggle with the butcher. So Lora grabbed the money, slipped it into her pocket, and started to walk away. But she didn’t get far before a familiar face caught her eye. It was Sophia. Their eyes locked and Lora’s lips parted in surprise. But she shrugged away from Sophia’s penetrating stare and began to walk home, already daydreaming about what she could do with the newly-earned money.

Bam. A bulky fist slammed Lora to the ground, sending her sprawling. The predator was a big man who loomed over her, cackling evilly at his new catch. He grabbed Lora with his meaty arms, tied a rope around her, and tossed her into the back of a wagon, where she collided with another human body.

Sophia’s. The two girls stared at each other desperately, each hoping the other had something that could help them. But no. Lora knew that all hope was gone.

The wagon slammed shut and they began to move, trapped in the back. Lora could just barely hear the man plotting to himself about what he could do with the kidnapped girls.

“I’m takin’ ‘em to the pits to sell ‘em! It’s dangerous near the King’s big ol’ house… but I don’t care! I’ll get a pile o’ gold for ‘em… Har-har-har!” The man crowed. The two girls looked around frantically, and Sophia started squirming wildly in her bonds. But Lora just sat, knowing it would be pointless. She sat calmly, her brain whirling with solutions, each of them good- but not good enough. The only thing really keeping Lora calm was knowing two things were safe; her mother, and the arrowhead grasped in her hand.

BAM! The whole truck shook as a fist struck the door.

“State your name and business,” a rough voice growled, likely the voice of one of the palace guards. Lora could tell from the hardened edge in the man’s voice and the shudder in their kidnapper’s voice as he spoke.

“Just a trader here with barley and corn. A quarter-coin a pound! Just let me through to the market and I’ll be on me way!” ” Lora’s kidnapper said.

“If you’re so sure, you won’t be afraid to let me check your wagon,” the guard said.

Sophia looked at Lora with round eyes. Her stare conveyed only one message- This could be their chance to escape. Lora stared back, her expression conveying nothing. But slowly and surely, the frown melted off her face and was replaced by a tiny smile as the guard walked to the back of the wagon.

The guard lifted the tailgate of the wagon. His stern eyes were clouded with shock as he saw the girls. He stomped over to the kidnapper and grabbed him.

“You lied…” The guard snarled hostilely to the kidnapper. “You’ll be coming with me to the castle prison.” The guard was walking away when Lora met his eyes. “Oh… you two.” He said with rare tenderness. “Come to the king’s court. He’ll deal with you.”

Lora faintly heard Sophia whisper under her breath, “My grandfather’s the king and he told me to explore the city. This is what happens when I actually listen for once.”

Lora bristled and glared at Sophia. She didn’t care one bit who Sophia’s grandfather was. Lora had just wanted to hunt for a few hours. She had never asked for this. The guard motioned for them to head down a long hallway. It was adorned with oil paintings of the king and previous rulers, each king frowning and looking like they had swallowed a lemon. It was the biggest hallway Lora had ever been in, for sure… but also definitely the most boring.

After a few minutes, Lora and Sophia were standing in the court room. The ceiling was high and domed, and floor to ceiling windows let warm sunlight trickle into the room. This gave the courtroom a cozy feel to it- at least, aside from the stern, white haired man seated on the golden throne. The king.

Lora stared for a moment, then glanced at Sophia. She was kneeling on the floor, her head bowed and her dress spilling over the floor. Lora followed Sophia’s example and crouched down, feeling silly and awkward bowing to a man she had never conversed with before.

“You may get up,” The king said in a deep voice. Lora looked up and found that his cheeks were crinkled in a smile, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth as if he knew something she didn’t. Lora began to get up, but found her foot twisted in Sophia’s dress. Lora tugged and tugged, but her foot stuck fast. With a final, hard, jerk of her foot, she fell head first on the floor, her foot finally free from its bonds.

Skitter! Skitter! The arrowhead tumbled free from Lora’s pocket and rolled across the floor, its shiny surface glimmering in the light. Lora gasped and practically dived across the floor attempting to grab it. She looked up at the king with fear of what might happen, and what would happen next would change Lora’s life forever.

“That arrowhead…” The king started.

“It’s mine! My father gave it to me! And his father gave it to him! And…” A single tear trickled down Lora’s cheeks, the memories of her father obscuring all else.

“I gave it to my son. It’s a family heirloom. And I have absolutely no idea what you’re doing with it, young lady! It belongs to my son!” The king boomed. His voice was no longer friendly and kind, but now stern.

Lora’s mouth dropped. She knew she couldn’t give the only memory of her father to this stranger. So she pocketed the arrowhead and began to run away. Her only plan was to run as far as she possibly could, away from the castle, away from the frowning portraits, and away from this furious king. But before she got far, a hand grabbed her cloak.

“My daughter…” A deep, familiar voice said behind her. “You are my daughter. And the King is your grandfather. My daughter Avery, is your twin. You are a royal princess, and everything is my fault. I brought you away from the castle because..” Her father’s voice cracked with despair. “I had to show you the world outside this castle. The palace is magnificent, but there is more to life than just high walls and power. I had to show you the tumbling green hills, the birds in the sky, the wildflowers of the forest, how to hunt… But eventually, it all became too much for me. I had to return to my father, and much to my sadness, I had to leave you to take care of your mother. I always believed in you, so I made the biggest mistake of my life- I left you and your mother to prosper in Stonebridge. And here you are, my daughter. Fate has brought us together once again.” Her father’s voice faded.

Tears ran down Lora’s cheeks, and she turned around and embraced her father. She breathed in, the familiar scent of fresh wood and pine trees filling her nose. Lora let herself sob into her father’s shirt, then she turned away to face her sister. Sophia.

Sophia was smiling, and tears touched the corners of her eyes. The two sisters hugged, and in that moment, all was forgotten. Nothing was there except the four of them. Family. Together again.