“Nessi! Stop spacing out and quickly finish those baskets! Mittler’s family ordered five baskets, so you still need two more!” her mother suddenly forced her to return back to her senses.

“Ah! Sorry mother, I wasn’t able to get a good night sleep.” She replied.

Although their life is getting harder by day, the people of Balanli are still trying to survive in these harsh times. Hoping to make the best of everything on each day of their lives. The Mordic raids were becoming frequent and increasingly hard to repel. They were thankful that their previous lord had built massive and thick wooden walls that surround the entire town. Thus the place was able to weather countless attacks that tried to assault the town for the past months.

But still, they were not able to avoid bloodshed and loss of life on their side. Many of the casualties were the three members of her family, which took a job as town militias. Nessi’s father and younger brother both died from sword wounds after an attack. And days later, her older brother died also from infection on his wounds. Then a month after that, both her younger sister and baby sister died from cold. Terrible grief had visited them that year.

But life must go on, all that is left with her is her mother.

They were formerly farmers on the southeast of Balanli. But when Nessi was still six years old, she saw her beloved farm burn after being attacked by Mordic raiders. Her family narrowly avoided death and capture because of the quick response from the patrolling Tervynberg soldiers who were then able repel the Mordic raiding party. And afterwards, the increasing attacks and raids on their farmlands forced their family to abandon their land and take refuge on the Balanli.

They were renting a house that costs 7 silver Rumptole every month. It is smaller than their previous house in the farm but it is good enough for the two of them. Nessi and her mother were one of the few crafters of baskets and sandals in the town, thus giving them enough money for their daily food and monthly expenses. But as a growing girl, it is not enough for her.

Each large basket is worth 30 copper Rumptole while the smaller baskets that can be carried by one hand is worth 10 copper Rumptole and every day, they can only sell 3 large baskets and 4 small baskets per day at most. Nessi was the one in charge of making large baskets as her mother isn’t capable anymore to craft such large product. This type of basket was usually bought by fishermen, traders and farmers nearby as it can carry large quantity of fish, goods, or wheat without any danger of breaking down.

This is one of the main strong points of their products, the durability of their baskets. But it is also very hard to craft that she can only make four to five large baskets in a day. And currently she is yet to finish her fourth large basket.

Her mother is currently cooking their breakfast. She knows how their family needed money but still, she wanted to take the risk of being scolded if it will help her get what she wanted. She stopped weaving and went towards her mother who was still busy cooking.

“Mother… c-can I buy new set of clothes? Most of my dresses is actually about to be outgrown by me.” she asked.

“…”her mother just silently stared at her then at her clothes then went back to her cooking.

Poor people which her family is now part of, could only afford small amount of fabric. Although she doesn’t really want the “new” set of clothes but was referring to what was sold in the stores and stalls in the harbor that sold used clothes. Usually they were cheap or were former clothes of noble children or from wealthy families.

Used clothes were usually better than self-made ones as they were mostly dependent on the creativity of the weaver. Better maker means better clothes for herself. Used clothes can also be repurposed and looked like new set of clothing.

“M-mother?” she asked again, afraid that she will be scolded.

Her mother used the ladle to get some soup to sample its taste. She made several sip then took a hanging fruit and vine herb on the window, chopped it to pieces and threw them all into the boiling pot. Then she turned towards Nessi.

“No. We can’t waste money for anything right now other than on our food and supplies for the winter. We have to save every coin that we earn. Can your new set of clothes be eaten in the cold nights and months during a snowstorm? ”her mother asked.

“No…”she timidly replied.

Her mother is actually right. Just last winter, they weren’t able to store enough firewood and candles that they had to buy from the market at a very high price while trekking through the knee-deep snow during the storm. They can’t rely on the mercy of their neighbors also as they also needed the candles and firewood for themselves. They also have to stock up more meat and spices.

They were only able to buy a small number, which made their previous winter a very cold one. But the real reason why she wanted new clothes is not insecurity though but for a certain reason.

“So don’t think of anything right now. You are still too young to think about your appearance young lady. What we need to buy is meat, fruits, candles, dried fish, herbs, spices, thick coats and firewood. Ignore those sneering girls in town; their parents have money to spare for their clothes while we don’t.”

“Yes…” with drooping shoulders, she went back to weaving baskets.

She missed their farm life. Back in those days, they would have the time and money to buy good food and clothes from the passing peddlers. Her family even has the luxury to celebrate their birthdays. But nowadays, all of those were gone. Her mother just bought her a set of thread and needles on her 17th birthday last month. Telling her that she can now finally use this to fix her clothes and make embroideries to sell.

She used to be very good in using her hands to weave good quality clothes and blankets that their neighbors would exclusively buy one for her. It was her most productive hobby. Peddlers would But after a certain event in the past, she lost her entire interest and even the weaving skills she was so proud of. Everytime she tries, her body would not even move or remember her how to use a needle and thread. Although she didn’t have any problem in weaving straws baskets and sandals, much to her mother’s confusion.

All of the peace and happiness she experienced when she was still a child is now replaced by chaos, fear and violence. The ongoing war in their kingdom have erased and burned the former paradise she enjoyed.

“Why do people liked war?” she muttered quietly as she weaves.

She always wondered about the reason, she sees war as something like fighting your rivals or your enemies. She knew about fighting, she had fought with several girls in the past inside the town due to some argument and being insulted. She would grab her opponent’s hair and make her scream in pain until she asked to stop. That is all for her, nothing more.

She fought because she wanted to defend herself and to make the other girls avoid getting on her bad side in the future. She may hate someone but she can’t imagine herself hating a person to the point of killing her.

That’s why she would always wonder the reason of this constant warfare in their country.

“War doesn’t give money or food. War doesn’t give anyone a good night sleep. War makes everyone poor. War makes people die a lot. So… why?” she asks herself, trying to figure out the reason of this current state of her world.

And while thinking about it, she suddenly remembered what she had heard from one of the passing traders in the market yesterday.

“Mother, yesterday I have heard that the village that we visited before have been raided and looted. Don’t we have… you know… relatives living in that village?” she asked.

“…your…your distant aunt and her family lives there. Let’s just hoped that they were able to get away in time before the raiders arrived.” Her mother replied as she prepared the plates and spoons for their breakfast.

“The current King, the previous one and even the ones before him were all downright inept.” She suddenly continues while scooping the soup into a bowl.

“M-mother… lower your voice. We don’t know who will hear it.” Nessi tried to persuade her mother.

“It’s the truth, most of the people in the tavern and the drunks in this town were talking about how bad our king is anyway. His entire family had the guts to start a war but they don’t have the head to win it. Now, the entire kingdom is paying the toll of what our kings did to its neighbors.” Her mother continued as she hands the bowl to Nessi.

Nessi actually heard the same complaint from various people who lived in this town. The wives she met at the market, the fishermen she traded baskets with, the sentries guarding the gates and the elderly sitting on the benches. Even the passing traders also hated how the past kings and the current one were poorly managing the kingdom while letting his people suffer.

“Thankfully our lord was never cut from the safe cloth with those greedy nobles of the central lands. He never mobilized or answered the call to join the war. Instead he stayed here to protect his lands and his people.” It seemed that all of the frustrations inside her mother had gushed out. So Nessi just silently listened to her as she helped preparing the food.

“If only that king of oafs would die and get replaced by someone better this time.”

“L-let’s just eat for now okay? The soup will get cold and bad if we keep talking about the king.” The talk is slowly getting dangerous as such she had to interrupt and stop her mother from saying anymore.

In their table were vegetable soup, bread, a pitch of water and a bowl of sausage. Their breakfast was not better than they previously had but at least it can help them live through the day. But knowing that her mother may continue her insults towards the king, Nessi tried to get another topic.

“By the way mother, does that strange foreign woman still live in those caves?”

Nessi is talking about the peculiar foreigner that lived in the caves at the end of the beach. She got to know about this woman 3 years ago after a massive storm that almost destroyed the town. Walls were battered by fallen trees, houses collapsed and huge ocean waves hammered and destroyed much of the wooden port of the town. Then days later, a young woman in a strange black armor suddenly visited the town, speaking in a strange unknown language.

The woman appears to be on her teenage years with long, straight black hair that looks like the night sky and with black eyes. This is quite strange as there are no people living here that have black hair or black eyes. The most common features were brown hair and brown eyes. And she has a pearly white skin with a good figure.

Their lord had to intervene in order to know if she is a spy, a deserter or a wandering criminal. At first the lord invited the woman to his castle but it later dissolved into chaos and arrest after she beat up the soldier who tried to confiscate her weapon. It was quickly getting more and more violent as she threatened to unsheathe her strange blade but thanks to the town elder’s efforts and actions, bloodshed were avoided. Instead she was guided to the main house on the town, where the elder lived.

There they were able to deduce that she was actually a shipwreck survivor and was washed out on the beach after the storm. Then story goes by. She later refused the offer to live in the town and instead took residence in the caves on the beach where she had taken refuge after the storm. In the past, some impertinent men tried to shadow her back to her cave with degenerate goals but on the next day, they returned to the town as bloodied heads instead. As such it then became an unwritten rule not to enter the caves, follow her or get on her bad side.

But she kept on trading stuff and supplies with the town, sometimes she would sell wolf, bear and fox pelts or sometimes even medicine. This is actually one of the reasons why most people on the town and even the lord respected her privacy and her existence. Medicines were quite rare and expensive, but one day she brought strange concoctions on bamboo-like tubes. The first one who tried her medicines was the soldiers and the elder but because of them, the effectiveness of her self-made medicines became known.

“Yeah, just yesterday she brought a shark which she just caught. It got sold at your Old Mart’s fishing store. It is much bigger than any other shark I have seen that it seems it could swallow a man whole. I get the shivers just seeing those hundreds of fangs.”

“Eh??! Why didn’t you tell me? I wanted to see it too! What does it look like?” she got curious after she was told that someone actually caught a much bigger shark. A creature that were told to eat and ravage any man swimming in the cold waters and is also one of her main reasons why she feared going out at sea.

“Just like other sharks you have seen but this one is much, much larger.” Her mother replied.

“I think she is one of the few that were brave enough to go out to the sea to get large catch. I am starting to miss the taste of seashells and shrimps. The fragrance of the soup on her spoon made her remember the taste of the sea.

“I am beginning to pity her. Just imagine, being alone in an unknown place where no one can understand you or even know which is the way back to your home.”

“She still can’t speak our language?”

“It seems she is starting to know as she can already speak a few words when she sold that shark. Maybe someone is actually teaching her or she just found a way to slowly speak and understand our language.” Her mother explained.

“Hmmm…”

“Finish up your breakfast quickly. You still haven’t made your fourth basket.” Her mother reminded her again.

“Y-yes!” she quickly ate up her share of food and went back to finish weaving her final two basket of the day.