Several candles lit the room and two burly men lay sleeping. Kina sat in the middle of the room with only the calm sound of her breathing audible. Standing, she stretched her arms up in the air and groaned. The tone in her voice was harsh as she spoke, “Wake up! It is time to leave.” The men jumped from their sleep at her command. Gathering their bed rolls and rushing to a chest to gather some food, they followed Kina up the stairs. Kina pointed to the doors and the men rushed forward to open them. One of the men spoke, “Kina, what do we do now?” Kina’s emotionless voice rang out thru the night, “We will go to my shop. I have cleaning to do.”

Waiting had left Kina tired and restless. Denying the truth had drained her… leaving nothing but anger. How could this happen? Why was I left behind? Will they come back? The heat from forge scorched the palms of her hands, sending her stumbling back. She hadn’t known how long she had been standing in the shop, gripping the top of the forge. With the smell of burnt flesh, Alek rushed over to Kina wrapping her hands in rags he ripped from his own apron. Not once did she cry out from the pain rising up her forearm. Tears streaming down her face were the only sign of the pain that gripped her body. Alek tilted his head staring at Kina, “Kina! You are Mhordul! Clean your face. Get back to work.”

After his words, her tears stop abruptly, and using the rags wrapped around her hands she wiped away the remaining tears. Kina had forgotten the Mhordul way, being without a clan was the way she was raised. Turning from Alek’s prying eyes, Kina grabbed hold of iron bracers laying on her anvil, carefully gliding her finger over the smooth metal. Her voice boomed with newly found strength as she spoke, “Alek, who runs this shop?” He turned looking at her with sudden surprise but spoke calmly back, “You do.” Kina turned throwing the bracers at Alek hitting him in the chest. “And I will keep doing that.”