Brina has returned home to enjoy this brief reprieve and heal her bruises and wounds. Her body ached and was sore from the constant fighting they had done for the past few months. But in that, she also learned much of herself, her strengths and many weaknesses. But most of all, she learned of friendship and camaraderie and how to overcome insurmountable odds by having a powerful will. How to stand up when you have been beaten and have fallen, when to retreat and regroup, to think more than just of herself, but also the consequences of her actions and, what it would entail in the immediate and the effects to the future it could create.
She gained not only friends but people she would have to someday trust her back to. That in itself was, in her own words, the first steps of her grand adventure.
Currently Brina was left home alone and was doing exercises. Her body had craved for it. If asked a month ago if she would do such a thing, the answer would be no. The exercise was physical at first, from strength-based exercises, stretches, to combat drills, although she would have to find a suitable space for it in the future. Currently they don't have the appropriate area in their rented room. Then finally she moved on to one of her instructors' suggested exercises: meditation. She didn't understand what it meant, nor had she done such activities before.
She was only told of its benefits.
It clears the mind and improves your body and soul coordination. This is a method to improve something within a person. Their mental capacity, their peace, or some other things that would fit their purpose. And for Brina, this meditation served many purposes, and she did indeed have a clear mind after doing so. She felt like she had achieved oneness with herself, a deeper understanding of not just her thoughts but her body as well.
A visualization so profound she could most probably use it to train when she couldn't physically. But it would be mentally, a space so vast and only she alone owned, with no one there to bother her.
The first time she tried meditation, Brina didn't quite get it. She sat cross-legged on the floor of their room, closed her eyes like Sergeant Vorik had instructed, and tried to clear her mind. But her mind didn't want to be cleared. It kept wandering to all sorts of things. What should they have for dinner? Did she remember to help auntie Marta restock yesterday? What would phase two be like? Was that spot on the ceiling always there?
After about five minutes, she opened her eyes and sighed. "This is harder than fighting," she muttered to herself.
But she tried again the next day. And the next. Slowly, gradually, she started to understand. It wasn't about forcing your mind to be empty. It was about letting the thoughts come and go without holding onto them. Like watching clouds pass by in the sky.
By the third day, something clicked. She sat there for what felt like a few minutes but turned out to be almost an hour. When she opened her eyes, she felt different. Calmer. More centered. Like all the noise in her head had settled into a quiet hum.
She started to look forward to it. That quiet time with herself, where she didn't have to be anything or do anything. Just exist.
Well, she didn't grow idle at home. She also went outside during the midday, and as usual she headed towards the market. But this time she was more thoughtful. She walked around slowly. Before, she would just go around and appreciate the many things that make this place great. But now, as she slowed down and thought carefully and observed, the minor details that her instructors said would make a fine guard truly great became apparent to her.
To have an attention for detail could do many great things, not just in their profession but in the overall aspects of life.
She noticed things she'd never noticed before. The way Mr. Tonyo the kebab vendor always positioned his stall to catch the afternoon sun, making his food look more appetizing. How the flower seller arranged her blooms by color to draw the eye. The pattern of foot traffic through the market, how people naturally flowed from one area to another.
She noticed the little old man who came every day at the same time to buy bread, always counting his mownies carefully. The group of children who played near the fountain, and how one of them always seemed to be watching the fruit stalls a bit too closely. The merchant from Tradeswind who came twice a week with his cart full of tools, and how he always haggled the loudest but ended up paying fair prices anyway.
Her feet moved with purpose until she reached auntie Marta's stall. Then she would help her and the next stalls too. She may have been somehow absent minded before, but now she had somehow gained a superpower of her own. The power to focus on the present, not just on her daydreams which are quite comfortable, as if it was her escape.
Now she was more grounded, and people could see it. But still, Brina was Brina, outright optimistic with a bright smile on her face. There was a change, yes, but it was for the better. She was more focused even with her jolly smile as she greeted the customers. She was now able to point out their wants and needs, recall past memories of their interactions.
"Mrs. Haldren! The carrots you liked last week are back in stock!" she'd call out to a regular customer.
"Young master Finnhart, your mother asked for the good potatoes, not the cheap ones, remember?" she'd remind a boy sent on errands.
"Mr. Caldwell, you're looking for something special for your wife's birthday, right? Auntie Marta just got some beautiful roses this morning."
The customers seemed surprised at first by her attentiveness, then pleased. They started seeking her out specifically, trusting her recommendations.
Auntie Marta noticed too. "You've changed, dear," she said one afternoon as they were packing up. "You're still the same bright girl, but there's something different. You're more... present."
Brina thought about that. "I think I used to live too much in my head," she said. "Always dreaming about adventures and grand things. But my instructors taught me that the present moment is important too. That paying attention to what's happening right now is just as valuable as planning for the future."
Marta smiled. "Wise instructors you have."
In itself, she was training another aspect taught to them: good rapport with the citizenry. This was most needed as that is the scope of their profession. To serve and protect the people. And how would you do so if you couldn't even form a decent conversation with the people you were meant to protect?
This wouldn't be much for now, but later on it will become a powerful tool she could rely on.
The other vendors noticed the change too. They started asking her opinion on things, trusting her judgment in ways they hadn't before.
"Brina, do you think I should stock more apples or pears this week?" one would ask.
"Brina, that customer looked suspicious. Did you notice anything?" another would say.
She was becoming part of the market community in a deeper way than just being the helpful girl who ran errands.
The weeks had been like this, even as she rested and chatted with Ren when she came home. She also met with her close-knit friends as they sometimes go out and discuss such things. Well, among other things which women would talk about.
Elena, Mira, Sophia, and Jen had all agreed to meet at a small tea house in Marketsbreth on the third day of their break. It was a modest place, not fancy like the establishments in Windspire Heights, but comfortable, affordable and accommodating to their wallets. They sat around a small table, cups of hot tea that was freshly brewed was poured in front of them, and they just talked.
At first, it was about training. Comparing bruises, laughing about embarrassing moments, complaining about the instructors.
"Did you see Sergeant Dan's face when Garrett accidentally hit himself with his own practice sword?" Jen said, giggling.
"I thought Vorik was going to have a heart attack," Mira added. "He just stood there with his mouth open for like ten seconds."
They all laughed, the shared experiences bonding them together.
But then the conversation shifted, as it often does among young women.
"So," Sophia said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Has anyone caught your attention during training? Are any of the boys looking particularly good, all sweaty and fighting?"
Elena blushed immediately. "Sophia!"
"What? It's a valid question! We've been training with them for two months. You can't tell me you haven't noticed anyone."
Mira shrugged. "That Himdal guy is impressive. Winning eighty fights? That takes impressive skill."
"He's also incredibly arrogant," Jen pointed out. "Every time he wins, he struts around like a peacock."
"Confidence, not arrogance," Mira corrected with a grin.
They all turned to Brina, who had been quietly sipping her tea.
"What about you, Brina?" Elena asked. "Any suitors? Any romances?"
Brina looked genuinely confused. "Eh? Do I really need one? It seems such a hassle."
The other girls stared at her.
"A hassle?" Sophia repeated. "Love is a hassle?"
"Well, yeah," Brina said, as if it was obvious. "I mean, I'm trying to become a guardswoman. I need to focus on training and getting better. Adding a romance on top of that seems complicated. And besides, I haven't found anyone who met my standards yet."
"And what are your standards?" Jen asked, curious.
Brina thought about it seriously. "Someone strong. Not just physically, but mentally. Someone who understands what I'm trying to do and supports it. Someone who doesn't try to change me or make me into something I'm not. Someone who can make me laugh." She paused. "And someone who's not an idiot."
Mira snorted. "That last one eliminates most of the men we know."
They all dissolved into laughter again.
"But seriously, Brina," Elena said gently. "You're not even a little bit interested in finding someone?"
"Maybe someday," Brina admitted. "But right now, I have other priorities. I want to become the best guardswoman I can be. I want to protect people, make a difference. Romance can wait."
The other girls looked at each other, a mix of admiration and amusement on their faces.
"You know what?" Sophia said. "I respect that. You know what you want and you're going after it. That's more than most people can say."
They raised their tea cups in a small toast.
"To Brina," Elena said. "Who will probably end up saving all our romantic interests from bandits or beasts while we're busy swooning."
"To Brina!" they chorused.
Brina laughed, feeling warm inside. These were her friends. Her sisters in arms. They might tease her about not being interested in romance, but they accepted her for who she was.
The week continued in this pleasant rhythm. Mornings for exercise and meditation. Afternoons helping at the market. Evenings with Ren, sharing meals and talking about their days. Occasionally meeting with her friends for tea or walks around the town.
Ren noticed the change in his sister too. One evening, as they sat eating dinner, he said, "You seem different, sister."
"Eh? Different how?" Brina asked.
"More... settled. Like you've found your footing. When we first came to Helwind, you were happy but also kind of lost. Now you seem like you know where you're going."
Brina smiled. "I think I do. For the first time in my life, I have a clear purpose. I know what I want to do, and I'm working toward it every day. It feels good."
"I'm proud of you," Ren said quietly.
"Thanks, brother. I'm proud of you too. How's the apprenticeship going?"
"Really well. Master Brolyn is teaching me so much about the merchant business. I'm learning about trade routes, about evaluating goods, about negotiating. It's fascinating."
"Think you'll open that shop someday? Ren's Merchandise?"
Ren laughed. "Maybe. But I realized that first I need to learn everything I can. Master Brolyn says I have potential, but potential means nothing without hard work."
"Sounds like something my instructors would say."
They smiled at each other, two siblings who had lost everything and were building new lives from nothing.
This was how her days in the one week off were filled. With exercise and meditation. With work at the market and attention to detail. With friendship and laughter and quiet moments of reflection. With healing, both physical and mental.
By the time the week was over, Brina felt ready. Ready for phase two. Ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. Ready to continue her journey toward becoming a guardswoman.
She'd rested. She'd healed. She'd grown.
Now it was time to get back to work.