CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 147: THE FIRST STEP OF A KNIGHT

Campfire - Forest Clearing, Nightfall

The crackle of flames danced in the stillness of the forest. Elves rested under the moonlit canopy, their figures silent in reverence or sleep, while Lumberling’s subordinates nursed light wounds or quietly tended their weapons. It had been a long day, but a victorious one.

Lumberling stepped away from the heart of the camp, his gaze sweeping the nearby shadows until he found her.

Jen was curled up at Vaenyra’s side, her head nestled gently on the elf’s lap. Her breathing was soft and steady, peaceful in sleep, yet there was something fragile in the way she clung to rest. The firelight flickered across her face, illuminating the faint traces of dried tears.

Vaenyra looked up as he approached, her blue eyes narrowing, not in accusation, but in quiet question.

"What happened to her?" she asked, voice low.

Lumberling didn’t answer immediately. He knelt beside them, watching Jen’s chest rise and fall with each breath. The girl who always smiled so brightly... today, that smile had been missing.

"She took her first human life," he said at last, calm on the surface, but heavy beneath.

Vaenyra nodded, her expression solemn. No more questions passed between them. Only silence and the understanding that came with it.

He had known this moment would come. If Jen was to walk the path of the sword, of the Knight, then one day she would cross steel with her own kind. He had simply chosen the time and place, somewhere controlled, where she could be shielded, guided, and protected from the chaos of true war. She had faced it, and survived it. But something inside her had shifted.

"She’ll carry that weight for a while," Vaenyra murmured, fingers brushing gently through Jen’s hair. She shouldn’t care this much. But she did. "But it’s a burden she must learn to bear if she’s to grow."

Lumberling nodded. "Thank you... for staying with her."

Vaenyra’s gaze remained on the sleeping girl. "Stay by her side," she whispered. "Guide her. Teach her. Don’t let her stray. I owe her, too, for caring for Sylra in my absence."

"I will," he promised.

They said no more after that. The fire crackled, throwing sparks into the cool night air. Together, they kept vigil under the stars, while Jen slept, peaceful for now, wrapped in warmth, guarded by those around her.

.....

Dawn – Forest Clearing

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long golden shadows over the quiet camp. A few embers still glowed in the fire pit, and most of the group remained asleep, bundled in cloaks and nestled near their packs.

Lumberling stirred from his bedroll, rising quietly to his feet. He stretched, joints stiff but responsive, his mind already sharpening with the rhythm of routine.

But then he paused because someone was already awake.

A rhythmic sound cut through the early silence: the swish of a blade, the thud of a shield meeting imaginary blows. He followed the noise until he saw her, Jen.

She stood alone in the clearing, face set in focused determination, her sword arcing cleanly through the air.

Each strike she made cast a piece of doubt from her heart. Her blade no longer wavered, it remembered, even if her body still ached with hesitation.

Her small shield was strapped tight to her arm, balanced with surprising poise. Beads of sweat clung to her brow, but her breath was steady.

Lumberling didn’t interrupt. He leaned quietly against a tree, watching her.

It was subtle, but unmistakable.

There, in the air around her, faint and flickering, was the beginning of an Aura. Not quite formed, still raw, but undeniably real. The early gleam of a Knight’s presence.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her form, noting the structure of her strikes, the discipline in her stance. She wasn’t flailing or mimicking anymore, she was executing technique.

’She’s developed two skills,’ he thought, his gaze sharpening. ’Swordsmanship and Shield Technique... both newly awakened.’

He judged her level instinctively, low, unrefined, but promising. If ranked, she was at Level 0, just shy of Level 1. But that didn’t matter. This wasn’t about numbers.

This was about a girl who had taken a life yesterday, and chose to rise before dawn to train, not to wallow. Her smile had vanished in grief, but in its place, she had forged resolve.

Lumberling smiled faintly to himself.

’Congratulations on your first step to Knighthood.’

He didn’t say it aloud. She didn’t need to hear it yet. Instead, he turned and left her to her training, letting the steady beat of blade and shield echo through the trees.

....

Later – By the Edge of Camp

Lumberling approached the makeshift lean-to where Uncle Drake was stretching his back, shirtless and sunlit, flexing his arms like a man half his age. The old soldier smiled the moment he saw him.

"Well, would you look at that, I woke up with no back pain," Drake said, rolling his shoulders with exaggerated flair. "Don’t know what you fed me yesterday, but I feel like I could take on a bear."

Lumberling chuckled. "I’ll make sure to bottle it next time."

Drake’s smile softened, his gaze more sincere now. "Really, though. Thank you. I thought these bones were done fighting... but maybe there’s still some fire left after all."

He let out a short, warm laugh, patting Lumberling’s shoulder with a heavy hand. The camp behind them was slowly waking, but for that brief moment, it was just the two of them, an old warrior reborn, and a young one rising.

...

Dusk – Goblin Village Outskirts

The sun dipped low behind the treetops as the group finally emerged from the dense forest path. After days on the road, the sight of the goblin village.

As they approached the gates, five elves stood to greet them, calm, poised, and alert. These were the sentries Vaenyra had left behind, their expressions softening at the sight of the returning party. Behind them came the low growls and curious sniffs of wolves padding forward, drawn by the familiar scent.

They had multiplied again. What once had been a modest pack had grown, fifty-nine wolves now, sleek and vigilant.

But one stood apart.

In the center of the clearing, flanked by wolves, a majestic beast stood tall, nearly the size of a horse. Her coat shimmered a brilliant silver-white in the fading light, her amber eyes glowing with intelligence and power.

Jen gasped. "Lunira!"

She didn’t wait. She broke into a sprint, tossing her pack aside as she rushed to the great wolf.

Lunira gave a low whine of recognition, tail wagging slowly before lowering her massive head toward Jen. The other wolves surged around her, tails wagging, ears perked.

Jen threw her arms around Lunira’s thick neck, laughter bubbling from her lips. "You’ve evolved!" she cried, voice tinged with joy and disbelief.

Lunira nuzzled into her chest, her warm fur brushing against Jen’s armor. Other wolves licked her face, pawed at her boots, wagging tails thudding against the ground in greeting.

From a distance, Lumberling and Vaenyra watched in silence, soft smiles tugging at their lips as Jen’s laughter filled the clearing once more.