Farewell

Things returned to normalcy the day after the competition for Richard, except for one thing. This was the day he had to bid farewell to Mountainsea.

Several months of daily interaction had already deeply imprinted this girl into his heart. The day she was to leave, he accompanied her to the foot of the Everwinter Mountains as was tradition in mountain villages like Rooseland.

It was only when she was at the crossroads heading east that Mountainsea finally stopped in her tracks. Steelrock and the rest of the barbarians continued to drive the carriages ahead, only stopping a few hundred metres away to give the two some space alone.

“I’m leaving now; don’t miss me too much,” she finally spoke up for the first time in the journey.

“Don’t worry, I’ve always been able to control myself.” The conversation was awkward between the boy and girl,...