Oh My, I Messed Up the Story

Abby didn't see Hugo often because their schedules didn't exactly match up. Over the following weeks she ran into him exactly once when his instructor sent him and another Warrior-in-training to pick up some books when she was manning the shop.

He was as snarky as usual but his companion didn't do anything other than stare. Was he one of those people who had never seen a foreigner before?

"Here are your books," she said coolly as she handed them to her ever-rude housemate.

Hugo hadn't even properly introduced his friend. Wasn't that a fairly standard thing to do when you run into an acquaintance? Why was he so against her, anyway? She wasn't a financial drain on his family; she earned her keep fair and square.

===

"Who was that?" Blaise asked his partner breathily once they exited the book shop.

He had been too stunned by her beauty to do anything but stare, not able to so much as get her name. Hugo hadn't seemed fazed by her appearance at all and had even gone so far as being borderline rude in his speech and mannerisms.

During the training period where they had interacted regularly, Blaise had come to realize that Hugo was simply like that but only around people he was somewhat comfortable with. Which meant that he knew the girl with eyes the color of the sky.

"Oh her? That's Abby. She's been leeching off of my family for a while after I found her half-dead in the river," Hugo said casually.

He found her in the river…that must be why he addressed her as River Rat. She hadn't seemed at all pleased by that moniker. Blaise had three sisters and he couldn't imagine any of them wanting to be addressed that way either.

"Where is she from?" he asked.

Hugo put his hands in his pockets, the picture of casualness as they strolled down the street. He had already handed the bag of books off to his compatriot as soon as they left the store.

"Don't know. She says it's too far away to be on any maps but she looks like she's from Annalaias. That's where she's headed anyway. Claims to have a sister in the Kanta region. Can you believe that? Of all the places to want to go. Those mountains are as barren as they come."

Blaise had heard about what happened in the Kanta region nearly a quarter of a century ago despite how hard the royal family of Annalaias tried to cover it up. They were a calm, quiet people who had kept largely to themselves over the years and had no formal military.

That played a large part in their downfall. The new leader of the Kanta clan, or the Independent Nation of Kanta as they had declared themselves, had supposedly been raised as one of the princes of Annalaias and only found out his identity a few years ago. He had reclaimed their lands and begun a new era of prosperity for his people.

He had talked to a family of Kanta refugees once in Shibatsu's major port town. They said that a delegation from Annalaias had been sent to round up any refugees who wanted to go home.

Apparently their new leader had a wife from Annalaias who was a political and innovative genius. Already the Kanta had advanced much farther than they ever had before while still honoring the traditions they had kept for generations.

Blaise thought it would be an interesting place to visit, especially with all that he had heard about the new leadership. Wanting to explore new places was the primary reason he had joined up with the Warriors.

His family was one of the better off ones in town since they owned the inn. His sisters had all married respectable men and had families of their own and his parents were thriving. But he didn't want to be an innkeeper.

The only part about it that he liked growing up when he had to help around the place was hearing stories from merchants who traveled all over the place. His dream was to be a Warrior that protected merchant caravans or ships so he could see the world for himself.

Blaise wondered if that beautiful woman in the book shop had any idea what she was getting into trying to travel so far away. He frowned at Hugo. "Does she intend to go alone?"

"It isn't like there is anyone else willing to go with her," he replied with a shrug. "I agreed to let her use my Warrior credentials after the exam as her reference as long as she pays her own way. What, did you think I would go with her? I have additional training to do!"

He had a point. If he truly was not associated with this girl it would not make sense to delay moving up in the ranks. Hugo wasn't like him; he had joined up solely to give his family a better life. He wouldn't become distracted by a pretty face.

But would Abby—that truly was such a strange name—be able to make it all the way to the Kanta Mountains on her own? Blaise had barely met her but he would worry for anyone in that situation.

She wasn't terribly tall and seemed pretty and delicate like a flower. It didn't seem likely to him that she would be able to handle all of the hardships that journey would require. She must be truly desperate to see her sister.

Blaise couldn't understand that kind of desperation since his own family had always been close by to the point of being smothering. He was the only son and they always expected him to take over the inn.

Things had become a bit strained after he decided to join the Warriors until one of his brothers-in-law said he would learn how to take over management instead. As long as it stayed in the family, his parents were indifferent who ended up in charge so that incident ended smoothly.

He really owed his brother-in-law. Staying cooped up in this tiny town would be the death of him.