Brina was enjoying every moment of her training, although she was tired and had bruises. She also gained a lot of things in the process that she could think about.
A deeper understanding of purpose beyond her current own dreams and goals. Well, if she could think of it, then she could say this in itself is her first step toward that journey of understanding the broader world she is living in. It's just for now she was doing it in a small area where it was manageable.
After the end of the fourth week of the first phase, she was able to have some breathing room and went home to find Ren sitting at auntie Marta's stall.
She was on her way home but was going to the market to see what she should buy for their dinner later as she got her first pay.
"Ren, what are you doing here?"
She asked.
"Ahhh, sister. We have a problem."
Brina got confused. She didn't understand what he meant. I mean, they have been here for just a few months. What could they have possibly done wrong?
"Eh? What... What is it, Ren? Tell me???"
"Auntie Marta told me something important that she forgot. We're illegals here, currently living within the walls of Helwind. People are allowed inside the walls for a month if they are passersby or merchants. We may need to register our names here as soon as possible."
Brina was shocked, and well, then she remembered it from their lessons. She had that ah look on her face.
"But doesn't that require one gold mowny?"
A/N: (One gold mowny was equivalent to fifty silver mownies.)
"Yeah, that is where the problem starts. The unspoken general rule people would always tell others was if you wanted to be a citizen of this place, then you would have used that month to work for that one gold mowny."
Another ah, facepalm moment for the both of them.
Currently Brina as a recruit is being paid sixty copper mownies, that is one silver and ten copper mownies a day. And her first payment arrived just now. So when she looked at her purse, she found only thirty-six silver mownies.
It could barely settle her own payment.
"Ren, I only got thirty-six silvers in my name."
She almost got teary eyed because she knows Ren was supporting their expenses for now. As an apprentice, he was being paid two silver mownies a day. If you cut the cost of living as they need to eat and drink, all that is left with that is forty copper mownies. They have been very frugal, and they have just paid their remaining balance for the house last time.
They both have sorry faces. Auntie Marta feels kind of bad for them, but even she isn't doing much better right now because she is supporting her family. Her husband has been ill for the past few months now that is why she is selling here alone and she was glad of their help every time.
"I'm really sorry about not being able to tell you sooner, kids," she said apologetically.
The both of them, who were very thankful for what she had done for them, automatically went and said that no apologies were needed.
The two of them had to return home for now. You could see thrir slumped shoulders and downcast faces, feeling the anxiety rising in their stomachs. For now they could only pay for one of them. The other might be kicked out of the town.
A massive sigh could be heard. The vendors had to look twice and ask their neighboring stalls what happened. They found the kids very helpful for them, especially when they did their jobs splendidly.
When the news traveled fast, the vendors here wanted to help, especially the one selling kebabs, Mr. Tonyo.
"Damn, we didn't tell them that??? How could we? They have been very helpful to us." His attitude had turned for the better for their two younglings.
Everyone thought about pooling some money towards them. But they also knew that the two wouldn't accept it unless they had earned it. That is what separates them from the rest. They have been raised right. They could only clasp their hands in their thoughts, thanking their deceased parents. They have heard about it from the two of them. Though they never wanted to pry, if it meant letting them express their hurt and have some peace, then they let them do it.
"Ahhh, what should we do?" one of the vendors asked. "Maybe we should just help them and not expect anything in return."
Another replied, "But you know they won't accept that, right? At best they would try and help us more, which as you know, the two of them are trying to build something for themselves here. Which is good, right? We don't want them distracted." Another vendor echoed.
Then one of the vendors replied in a whisper tone, "Keep it down. I heard the new person in the immigration bureau is quite strict."
Meanwhile, Brina and Ren had reached home. This carried out all through the night.
And even when they woke up in the morning, they still were feeling slumped.
The vendors would only see Ren pass by the market everyday as he trekked to Tradeswind district to go to his master's shop. A merchant named Brolyn.
"The kid is not doing well. How much more about Brina?"
They all sighed and felt a sharp sting in their hearts.
Brina, on the other hand, arrived at Outerwinds District where the training grounds were located.
All of her fellow recruits in her team, Bretta 2, saw the change. She was unenthusiastic in her movement, quite the unusually spirited Brina. They worried something tragic had happened to her.
Even Elena had to go and ask her personally, "Brina, are you alright? You don't look very well."
"Ah, hey sister. It's just that I might get kicked out of town for a while."
Brina looked up and then down again.
Elena wondered why. It was quite a shocking thing. "But... but why??"
"Ah well, me and my brother haven't registered yet."
Elena gasped. She too had forgotten people who overstayed are expected to have migrated here already and would have undergone such procedures. And she too was guilty of forgetting that Brina wasn't originally from here.
Later that day, even their instructor, Sergeant Vorik, called on Brina to ask what happened.
She retold everything she told Elena. Sergeant Vorik understood and told her the good news. There was actually a way around it, at least for the recruits.
"Well, recruit Feldwyn. You don't need to worry that your pay would be reduced to forty copper mownies a day for the next two to three months because the Town's Guard would take care of your papers for you. It is a discount, yes. You will be paying only thirty-three point six silver mownies. The commander has already made this deal and it was written into law by Lord Jouse already. It is a privilege given to those who served the town. It's the best we could do for you. So don't worry much about it and focus on your training."
This brought back the cheerful smile to Brina. She almost hugged the sergeant in disbelief and glee.
"Ahhh, thank you, thank you, sir! And thanks to Lord Jouse for his wisdom. Hooray for the Lord's wisdom!"
"Ahem, mind your space, recruit. We are professionals here."
Brina made a snappy salute, and there was a bounce in her steps as she exited the office.
And as true as it could be, those who saw her exit the office, also saw her dramatic change back to her original self. They were relieved, except for Bernadeth, who had also heard the whispers.
Now Brina could give her earnings to her brother so he wouldn't be kicked out of the town.
When she got back inside the town, and went to Marketsbreth, she also saw Ren already smiling and interacting with the vendors as she went to the market area first. This was their go-to every time before they went home from their respective training sessions.
"Sister! Good news!" as Ren spotted her.
"Eh? Yeah, me too! But tell me what happened to you first?"
"Well, my master said he would take care of it! It seems apprentices have this privilege that their masters would do this for them, especially if they are outsiders."
A/N: (People that are born here and have parents that are citizens already are already registered since birth.)
Ren had a big smile.
It seems they had worried for nothing. And Brina also told him of her circumstances. The two of them hugged and jumped in joy. The rest of the vendors who had heard spread the news. It seems the two were too worried about it. Some even got teary eyed.
That night they had a bounce in their steps as they went home, and further they had big smiles on their faces even in their sleep.
It must be the reason why they haven't been kicked out of the town yet.
Now they only need to wait to have their papers ready by the end of the week.
The relief they felt was enormous. Brina hadn't realized just how much the worry had been weighing on her until it was lifted. That night, as they ate their simple dinner of bread, cheese, and some vegetables they'd gotten from auntie Marta, they couldn't stop smiling.
"Can you believe we worried so much, eh brother?" Brina said between bites. "And all this time there were solutions we didn't even know about."
"I know," Ren replied, shaking his head. "I should have asked Master Brolyn sooner. But I didn't want to seem like I was asking for favors, you know, eh sister?"
"Yeah, I get that. I felt the same way about asking Sergeant Vorik for help. But I guess sometimes you just have to ask."
"Or wait until they notice you're about to fall apart," Ren said with a small laugh.
Brina giggled. "True. I must have looked pretty pathetic during training today."
"Elena said you were like a sad puppy."
"She did not!"
"She did. She came by the market earlier looking for you. She wanted to make sure you were okay."
Brina felt warmth in her chest. She'd made good friends here in Helwind. People who cared about her, who worried when she was down. It was different from Wynstead, where everyone knew everyone because they'd grown up together. Here, these friendships were new but felt just as real.
"I'm lucky to have her as a friend," Brina said quietly.
"You're lucky to have all of them," Ren agreed. "The vendors, Elena, even that grumpy sergeant of yours. They all care about you, sister."
"What about you? Do you have friends at the merchant's shop?"
Ren thought about it. "I suppose so. Master Brolyn is tough but fair. There are two other apprentices, Kael and Mina. We get along well enough. We're all learning together, competing a bit but also helping each other."
"That sounds nice."
"It is. I'm learning so much, sister. About trade routes, about negotiating prices, about quality control. Master Brolyn knows everything about being a merchant. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be as good as him."
"You will," Brina said confidently. "You're smart, brother. Smarter than me, anyway."
"That's not true. You're smart in your own way."
"I'm an airhead," Brina said cheerfully. "Everyone says so."
"You're enthusiastic and optimistic," Ren corrected. "That's different. And honestly, I think that's going to serve you better than being book smart. You don't get discouraged easily. You keep going even when things are hard. That's a kind of intelligence too."
Brina looked at her brother, surprised. She'd never thought of it that way before.
"Ehhh really? Anyways thanks, brother."
"Just speaking the truth."
They finished their meal in comfortable silence. Outside, they could hear the sounds of the town settling in for the night. Vendors packing up their stalls, people returning to their homes, the distant call of the night watch announcing that all was well.
This was home now. Really home. Once their papers came through, it would be official. They would be citizens of Helwind Valley, not just refugees passing through. They would belong here.
The thought made Brina happy. She'd lost so much when Wynstead was destroyed, when her parents died. But she was building something new here. A new life, new friends, new purpose. It wouldn't replace what she'd lost, but it was something good all the same.
"I'm glad we came here," she said suddenly.
Ren looked at her. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I mean, I wish... I wish Mom and Dad were here too. I wish Wynstead hadn't been destroyed. But since it happened, I'm glad we ended up here. In Helwind. With auntie Marta and the vendors and my training and your apprenticeship. It's good, you know?"
"I know," Ren said softly. "I feel the same way. It's okay to be happy again, sister. Mom and Dad would want that for us."
Brina nodded, feeling tears prick at her eyes. But they were good tears this time, not sad ones.
"Yeah. They would."
The next few days passed quickly. Brina threw herself back into training with renewed energy. Now that the worry about registration was gone, she could focus completely on becoming the best guardswoman she could be. The exercises were still brutal, the instructors still demanding, but she faced it all with that same bright smile that had become her trademark.
Bernadeth continued her attempts to get under Brina's skin, but they fell flat as usual. During one training session, she made a snide comment about how country people probably couldn't even read their own citizenship papers.
Brina just tilted her head. "Probably not. That's why they read it to us, right? That's nice of them."
Bernadeth looked frustrated, as always, and stomped away.
Elena laughed. "You're amazing, Brina. She tries so hard and you just... don't even notice."
"Notice what?"
"Exactly."
On the last day of the week, both Brina and Ren received their citizenship papers. They were simple documents, really, just their names written in official script with the seal of Earl Herman Jouse stamped at the bottom. But they meant everything.
That evening, they showed the papers to auntie Marta, who congratulated them warmly. The other vendors clapped and cheered. Mr. Tonyo even gave them free kebabs to celebrate.
"Welcome to Helwind, officially!" he said with a big grin.
"Thank you everyone," Brina and Ren said together.
As they walked home that night, papers tucked safely in their pockets, Brina felt a sense of completeness she hadn't felt in months. She was a citizen of Helwind Valley now. This was her town to protect, her home to defend.
And she would do it with everything she had.