— Silundr Mnymrn, “Trolls Above and Below the Mountain,” page 97
The tip of Mina’s cigarette gleamed orange as she drew the smoke deep into her lungs. She closed her eyes and blew out slowly. The moon had risen, and its pale glow filled her with a sense of vigor and energy.
She didn’t go out drinking much. She wasn’t a big drinker, to begin with, but Karaline had been pestering her for weeks. Mina had turned her down every time. There was too much on her plate. She was too tangled up with Emily and too distracted, keeping the stagecoach constantly on the move. But after everything that had gone down that morning, the thought of a drink didn’t seem so bad.
Cresthill Tavern was just ahead, its warm glow spilling from the windows onto the darkened street. She took one last drag, letting the smoke curl from her lips before snuffing the cigarette out beneath her boot.
Inside, the tavern was bustling. Karaline was seated at the bar, looking exactly as she always did; disheveled, half-drunk, and wholly unbothered. She wore a scruffy brown jacket, and let her chestnut hair spill down her shoulders. Though Mina’s footsteps were silent, Karaline turned to face her, almost like she had a sixth sense and knew she was approaching. “Ah, there ye are!” Karaline’s voice carried over the noise as she lifted her tankard of cider.
Mina slid onto the stool beside her, rolling her shoulders before hunching over the bar. “Got held up.”
“Aye, let me guess. Emily?”
Mina shot her a glance but didn’t deny it.
Karaline chuckled. “Figured. Whadda ya want? First rounds on me.”
“Something strong,” said Mina. Strong was necessary. It took a lot to get a vampire drunk.
The bartender approached and set down a dark glass bottle in front of her. “I know what she drinks,” he said simply, before turning away to refill Karaline’s tankard.
Karaline grinned. “See? Yer predictable.”
Mina ignored her and took a sip. The Silverleaf Ale was sweet and warm and tasted strangely like pineapples.
Karaline leaned in. “So, what’s the lass done now? Ye look like ye could kill a man.”
Mina took another sip before answering. “It’s not what she did. It’s what happened to her.”
Karaline raised an eyebrow, then tilted her head, considering. “Well, ye didn’t actually break her arms, did ye?”
She shook her head. “Not me.”
Karaline’s grin faded slightly. “Aye?” The bartender slid Karaline’s refilled tankard toward her. She took a sip, watching Mina run her thumb along the rim of her bottle, debating where to start.
By the time Mina had finished recounting the morning’s events, Karaline’s tankard was half-empty.
“Fuck,” she muttered. “I saw the smoke this mornin’. Heard ye were helpin’ around down by the pasture, but I didn’t think it’d end with a barn burnin’ to the ground.”
“Dainford wasn’t too happy,” she said dryly.
Karaline snorted. “No shit, ye burned his barn down.”
“Emily burned it down,” Mina corrected sharply. “It was an accident.”
Karaline raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “And how’s she holdin’ up?”
“Physically, she’ll be fine. But…” She trailed off.
“She ain’t takin’ it well.”
Mina shook her head and paused for a long while. “You should’ve heard her. The sounds she made…”
Karaline stared for a moment. “Honestly,” she said after a long pause, “glad I didn’t.”
Mina looked away. “When I heard her scream… she sounded just like—” She cut herself off, the words choking in her throat.
Karaline sighed and took another long pull from her tankard.
“If she’d just listened to me, she would’ve been fine.”
Karaline chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Can’t expect teenagers to listen. That’s half the problem with ‘em. Think they know better ‘til the roof caves in.”
“She’s my apprentice.”
“Aye, an apprentice who’s also a teenage girl. She’s still growin’. She’s bound to make mistakes. That’s how learnin’ works, isn’t it?” She knocked back the last of her drink, then motioned for another. “Maybe you should’ve taken her to Stanfield. Let the old bastard deal with her.”
“No,” she said sharply. “She wouldn’t survive a day with him.”
Karaline grunted as her fresh drink was slid across the bar. “So, ye’re not even thinkin’ about takin’ her to him? Not even for a wee visit?”
Mina shook her head. “He’s retired. He’s been out of the game for decades. I can’t just show up on his doorstep and ask him to take Emily under his wing like it’s still the old days.”
Karaline shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt to try. Ye think yer the first sorry sod to show up beggin’ for help?”
“I’ll manage.”
Karaline snorted. “Aye. You’re doin’ a great job so far. Burnin’ down barns and all that.”
“She needed to know what to do when the time came. I thought it was a good idea.”
“Ye show her when she’s ready. Not before.”
“I didn’t think she’d get involved.” Mina’s hands tightened around her bottle. “I told her to stay back. To stay safe. But she wanted to help. She said—” Mina paused. “She said she just wanted to help.”
Karaline tilted her head. “And is that such a bad thing? She’s willin’ to learn. Hell, that’s more than I can say for most apprentices. She could’ve been one of those brats who drag their feet, do the bare minimum, and moan the whole way through it.”
Mina shot her a dry look. “You mean like you?”
Karaline barked out a laugh. “Exactly! The lass could’ve turned out like me. Stubborn and belligerent.” She lifted her tankard in a mock toast. “Thank the gods she isn’t.”
For the first time that night, Mina managed a small smile. “Thank the gods.”
Karaline set her tankard down and leaned in slightly. “But what’s she like, really? Ye’ve been so tied up with her these last few weeks, that I hardly know her. All I’ve heard is that she’s special and destined for greatness, but that’s just the surface. Tell me somethin’ real. What makes her tick?”
Mina blinked, caught off guard. “What do you want to know?”
Karaline shrugged. “Anythin’. What’s she like when she’s not burnin’ down barns? Is she a morning person or an evenin’ one? What does she care about? What scares her?”
Mina hesitated, thinking for a moment. “She’s… unique.”
Karaline rolled her eyes. “That tells me nothin’, Mina.”
A reluctant smirk tugged at Mina’s lips. “She’s energetic.”
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Karaline snorted. “Aren’t all kids?”
“Emily’s… well, Emily. At first, I had to drag her out of bed for morning exercises, but now she’s getting up on her own. The only thing she still grumbles about is the mountain trail.”
Karaline laughed. “Don’t blame her for that. Even I felt like my other leg was fallin’ off when I tried keepin’ pace with you.” She rapped her knuckles against her prosthetic leg, the metallic thud echoing softly.
“She didn’t ask for this, but she’s giving it her all. She knows her life depends on it.”
“And her studies?”
“Well, she’s reading them. She hasn’t memorized everything yet, but she’s sharp. She’ll get there.”
Karaline smirked. “Better than I ever did. Memorization ain’t everyone’s strong suit. Look at me. May be good with a hammer, but I got the brain of someone who’s been hit in the head by one.” She laughed, then raised her hand for another round.
“Between magic and her skill with firearms, she hasn’t shown much improvement,” Mina muttered.
Karaline arched a brow. “Didn’t ye say she killed one of those… What were they?”
“Sangrivoro,” Mina corrected.
“Aye, aye, whatever the hell they’re called.” Karaline waved her hand dismissively. “Point is, the lass put one down, didn’t she?”
“She got lucky.”
“Can’t expect the wee thing to be perfect right out the gate. Hell, in her first month? Be serious, Mina. How long did it take you to get where you are?”
Mina hesitated before taking another drink. “Years.”
Karaline smirked. “Then expect it to take longer.”
“She won’t live that long.”
That made Karaline pause. She studied Mina for a moment, then spun in her seat to face her fully, resting one elbow on the table. “What about her interests? You even thought about tailorin’ her lessons to what she enjoys? Might help her learn faster.”
Mina blinked.
Karaline tilted her head. “Don’t even know, do ya? What she likes, what she hates? Hell, when’s her birthday?”
Mina looked away.
Karaline let out a low chuckle. “Gods above, do ya know anything about the lass aside from what she is?”
“I haven’t… talked with her about any of it,” Mina admitted.
Karaline snorted. “Aye, let me guess, all business the second she arrived?”
Mina nodded.
“For fuck’s sake.” Karaline took a drink before shaking her head. “Tell me you’re at least feedin’ the girl proper food now.”
Mina remained quiet.
Karaline groaned. “You mean to tell me you’re still servin’ her charcoal?”
“It’s not that bad,” Mina said defensively.
“Lass, I’ve seen you burn a bloody potato to the point it looked like a lump o’ coal. You need me to give ya another cookin’ lesson?”
“No.”
“Sounds like I do. At this rate, you’ll be the first person in history to serve a glass of burnt water.”
Mina shot her a glare.
Karaline grinned. “I’m makin’ a joke. You could stand to laugh once in a while. Might make you seem less dull.”
Mina rolled her eyes.
“How ‘bout this… why don’t you and the lass come over for dinner one of these nights? Give her a proper meal.”
“We’re fine.”
Karaline scoffed. “Fine? Mina, you’re turnin’ down a meal that doesn’t taste like tree bark?”
Mina didn’t argue.
“What’s the harm? Violet would love the company.”
Mina glanced up. “She’s been spending time around the house.”
“Aye, the lass has been sittin’ outside, hopin’ to get Emily’s attention.” Karaline chuckled. “Be easier if she just walked up and talked to her, but we both know that ain’t happenin’.”
Mina exhaled. “Maybe.”
“Emily make any friends here yet?”
“Aside from Lux and her lot? No.”
In an instant, Karaline’s mood switched. “Ah, fuck ‘em. She’s better off stayin’ away from those little cunts.”
“Lux was her friend back in Pillio’s Watch. I try to keep them apart, but she still sees her between training sessions.”
Karaline grunted. “Worried she’ll fall in with the rest of ‘em?”
Mina gave a slight nod.
Karaline shook her head. “Violet’d be a better friend than any o’ those lil’ bastards. I’m tellin’ you, dinner’s the best way for them to get to know each other.”
Mina remained silent, mulling over the idea.
“Yer lass needs a break every now and then,” Karaline continued. “Constant trainin’ will just wear her down.”
“It’ll make her stronger.”
“Aye, and exhausted. You never had a day where you collapsed into bed after work? Felt like yer body was just done? You need to rest to grow stronger, lass. Let her come over. Hell, let Violet stay at yers for the night. They could have a sleepover.”
Mina arched a brow. “Isn’t Violet a bit old for sleepovers?”
Karaline snorted. “Never too old in my opinion. Sleepovers just get more… interestin’ as you get older.” She smirked.
Mina narrowed her eyes. “Emily’s seventeen.”
“Ah, so you do know somethin’ about the lass,” Karaline teased.
Mina sighed.
Karaline chuckled, finishing off her drink before ordering another. “Violet’s eighteen. She’s responsible enough. Don’t think she’d even see Emily that way, not that she takes after her mum in that department.” She smirked at her own joke before adding, “Besides, their beds are too damn small to fit two people in ‘em anyhow.”
Mina took another slow sip of her drink. She kept her eyes fixed on the flickering lanternlight above the bar, avoiding Karaline’s gaze.
Karaline, slouched in her chair, one boot propped lazily on the wooden beam beneath the table. She studied Mina with a frown. “You did give Emily Luna’s room, didn’t ya?”
Mina didn’t answer.
Karaline’s frown deepened. “Mina…”
Silence.
Karaline lowered her tankard onto the table with a dull thunk. “Alright then, where the hell is she sleepin’?”
Mina hesitated, then muttered, “The couch.”
Karaline blinked. “The fuckin’ couch?”
“It’s enough,” Mina said evenly.
Karaline let out a short, incredulous laugh. “The hell you mean ‘it’s enough’? A couch and a blanket ain’t a bed! The poor lass has been livin’ like a stray dog in yer own damn house?”
Mina exhaled sharply. “She’s fine.”
Karaline’s stare hardened. “Fine? Mina, you went out and bought her a whole new wardrobe, didn’t ya? Where the hell is she keepin’ her clothes?”
“They’re folded on the floor…” Mina admitted quietly.
Karaline gawked at her. “Yer takin’ the piss.”
Mina didn’t answer.
Karaline leaned back, crossing her arms. “You mean to tell me, two, three weeks now? A month? You’ve had the poor lass sleepin’ on a gods-damned couch while there’s a perfectly good room sittin’ empty?”
Mina’s grip on her bottle tightened. “Where else can I put her?”
Karaline shot her a pointed look. “Luna’s room!”
“I can’t—”
“You can’t just leave her on the couch when—”
“I can’t,” Mina snapped.
Karaline fell silent.
A few people in the bar turned and glanced over at the two of them.
Mina took a long, deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I told her not to go in there… but she did anyway. Went into my room too. Her scent was everywhere. Picked the lock to the trunk under my bed.”
Karaline didn’t respond, and the two sat in silence for a period. Then, Karaline rubbed a hand over her face. “Mina… look, I get it. Yer still goin’ through it. I know that.” She hesitated. “But lettin’ that room sit like a damn shrine ain’t helpin’ anyone. Maybe it’s time to give it a purpose again.”
“And what of the dolls?” Mina muttered.
Karaline took a sip of her ale, thinking. “Set ‘em up in yer room. If they mean that much to ya, keep ‘em close. But that room?” She gestured with her mug. “It ain’t doin’ anyone any good bein’ empty.”
Mina didn’t respond. Instead, she tilted back her bottle and drained the rest of her drink in one go, slamming it onto the table with more force than necessary.
Karaline watched her carefully. “I know it’s been hard on you,” she said after a moment.
Mina scoffed under her breath. “You don’t know…”
Karaline shrugged. “Maybe not. But I can sympathize. I know what it’s like to lose people you love. I know what it’s like to wake up and feel that emptiness in the house. The kind that clings to the walls, that makes everything feel too damn quiet. But you gotta take steps forward, Mina. You can’t cling to the past like this. Not forever.”
Mina stared at the tabletop.
“If not for yerself, at least think about it from the lass’s perspective. She’s Seventeen, aye? Still figurin’ out who she is, what she wants. She needs a place of her own, somewhere she can shut the world out when she needs to.”
“Her normal life burned to the ground with her home.”
“Aye, maybe, but that doesn’t mean she can’t have a semblance of one.” She pointed at Mina. “Look, I know ya never got to that point yerself, but I did. Raisin’ a teenager? Ain’t no walk in the park. They need space. Need a place to just be.” She exhaled. “She may be yer apprentice, but you took her in. Like it or not, she’s yer responsibility.”
Mina didn’t answer.
“Just think about it, aye?”
Still nothing.
“You’re right.” She sighed. “She’s my responsibility and I’m not driving her enough. It’s my fault she got hurt. If I was harder, if I pushed her more, if I didn’t wait for her to recover…”
Karaline stared back. After a pause she asked; “Why?”
“You know why…”
“You don’t want the lass to end up like you?”
“I don’t want her to end up like the Raven.”
“Ah, but ye need ‘er to be that strong.”
“She has powers, Karaline. Powers stronger than mine. I can’t make another monster like Stanfield did me.”
“Then don’t. Ye know how far ye need to push her. So push her. She ain’t gonna survive out there if ya keep coddling her. Give the lass a proper bed, treat her right, and encourage her to push past her limits. Don’t go as far as Stanfield did.”
Mina stared at her drink.
“Look, yer doin’ fine. But yeah, yer gonna need to make a couple o’ changes for her. I know you, you’ll find a way.”
She sighed again.
Karaline shook her head. “Alright, just mull it over and let’s get back to drinkin’. Conversation got way too bloody depressin’ for a night out.” She waved over the bartender, ordering another bottle of Silverleaf Ale.
Mina simply nodded. Changing the subject sounded like a good idea.
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