She did not respond. She only nodded with a curt gesture. Lobraw pointed to a side door of the tavern, dark wood marked with claw scratches.
The armory. Not top quality, but it will do. Swords, daggers, bows... choose. But be careful, everything here has a history.
Ruby was the first to enter, confident. Ji Ao followed with short, cautious steps.
The room was narrow, torches lit along the walls, and weapons hung in organized rows, though old. There were long spears with double points, wide-guarded swords, bone-handled daggers, and rusted shields. Everything was second-hand, but not useless.
Ruby grabbed a short sword, spinning it in the air with a fluid, precise movement. Her sharp gaze followed the blade as if recognizing an old companion.
Choose one, she ordered Ji Ao without even looking at him.
Ji Ao hesitated. He picked up a spear. It was heavy. He tried to lift it, but it slipped from his hands and fell with a crash. He took a step back, nervously glancing at Ruby.
She let out a muffled laugh, covering her mouth with her hand, as if it were forbidden to smile.
You are really bad at this.
Blushing, he tried again with a medium sword. He held it with both hands, but the tip almost hit his foot. Ruby laughed a little louder, her eyes squinting with amusement behind the mask.
This is hilarious.
He persisted. He picked up a bow, placed an arrow, and aimed at a round target on the wall, but the arrow veered and hit a shield leaning in a corner. The metallic sound echoed through the room.
Ruby tried to contain herself, but she could not. She doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach, tears in her eyes.
You are a disaster.
Finally, Ji Ao grabbed a small dagger. He held it, tried to spin it, and tripped, falling to the ground as the dagger slid across the floor.
Ruby had to lean against the wall, laughing loudly, the sound echoing among the weapons, as unexpected as it was sincere.
Enough, enough. Are you planning to defeat your enemies by disarming them with laughter? You need practice, Ji Ao.
He laughed too, slightly embarrassed.
Alright. I am really bad. But will you protect me then.
She composed herself. She took a dagger and spun it with precision as if it were part of her body. Her face returned to seriousness in the blink of an eye.
For a moment, silence filled the space between them. The torchlight flickered, casting shadows on Ruby's face, and Ji Ao realized how young she was, despite the coldness she tried to maintain. Her gaze wavered for only a second before returning to the steel of the blade.
He lowered his eyes, hiding his own embarrassment. His heart raced as if he had just finished running. He moved closer, and when he felt he was too near, he blushed and stepped back. Ruby coughed lightly, unsettled.
Unfortunately, I will have to do this if you keep being so weak.
Then the light in her eyes went out. Like a candle suffocated by its own flame. The laughter ended, her body returned to its arrogant, impassive posture. The moment of lightness disappeared as if it had never existed.
She reached out to help him up. When their fingers touched, for an instant, the world seemed to stop. Ji Ao felt a shiver run up his arm, and Ruby pulled her hand back too quickly, as if it had touched fire.
Ruby adjusted her sword belt and turned to the window. Outside, the sky was already changing color, from the cold gray of morning to pale golden afternoon. A beam of light passed through the cracked windowpane and fell on the hanging blades, making them shine for a moment. She watched in silence, feeling the weight of something she could not name.
Let's go, scrawny, she murmured, pretending irritation but unable to hide the slight tremor in her voice.
Again, said Ruby, handing Ji Ao the sword. Feet firm, and look forward.
Ji Ao tried to obey, missing the strike again. Ruby moved aside with a simple step.
Don't think, act. The sword feels fear. She moved her body with precision, one step, two, a quick spin. The sound of metal slicing through the air echoed.
Ji Ao tried to imitate her, tripping once more. But this time, Ruby did not laugh. She only adjusted his shoulder with a light touch.
Again. Until your body understands.
Lobraw, still at the door, watched attentively. Without saying a word, he only took an old pocket watch — probably a gift from Ruby to him — looked at the time, and murmured something about continuing the training until sunset. Ruby understood the message.
As Ruby turned to put one of the swords back on the wall, Ji Ao watched her silently. She was not just a warrior — she was a mystery. For the first time, he realized he wanted to decipher her. She, on the other hand, felt his gaze on her back and hated that it made her feel... alive.
When Ruby and Ji Ao went outside, armed, Lobraw said nothing. He only watched them with that serene, almost paternal gaze, as if he were seeing a living memory pass before him.
In a few minutes, they were outside, in a dirt courtyard behind the tavern. The smell of old beer and wet wood still lingered in the air.
The sun, already low, shone through the gaps in the trees of the White Forest. The mist began to rise from the ground, covering the path like a veil.
Ji Ao adjusted his fist on the nearly new sword, still insecure, while Ruby considered what kind of combat she could teach someone so weak.
Neither of them spoke about what had happened — how many times their eyes had met, and the palpitations of a total incoherence that struck their young hearts. This was unknown to them... for now.
When their eyes met, they both looked away quickly, blushing, as if that brief instant had said everything they needed to hide.
And so, they moved forward.
They trained for hours. The forest wind grew stronger, and the sound of insects began to mix with the strikes. Sweat ran down Ji Ao's face, and Ruby, in silence, seemed to measure each of his progress with the cold gaze of someone who had seen too many battles.
The training ended. The laughter was left behind, and the weight of the journey imposed itself again.
The afternoon fell slowly, and by the time they realized it, the mist had already become shadow. Suddenly, night fell.
Inside the tavern, Lobraw only watched them with that serene, almost paternal gaze, as if he were seeing a living memory pass before him.
The sun fell slowly until the gold turned into deep blue. The mist rose again from the forest, and the tavern torches began to be lit one by one. The sound of laughter and the smell of roasted meat came from the kitchen.
Ruby paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from her face, and looked toward the horizon.
Night fell.
The night had a strange silence in the White Forest. The Wolf's Fang Tavern seemed to be the only point of light and warmth amidst the biting cold beginning to fall over the pale treetops.
Ruby, after testing the weapons, let out a sigh.
"I want a bath," she said simply.
Lobraw raised an eyebrow but soon nodded.
"Of course. We have hot water. You can use the reservoir behind the hall. Take this key... it opens the back bathroom. It is simple, but clean."
"And a room. I need to rest."
"We have that too. The tavern is not just about drinks, you know?" He smiled in his usual friendly way. "It is upstairs. Room 2. Firm bed. Thick ceiling. No one will bother you there. You can sleep in peace."
Ruby nodded, without even thanking him. She walked to the back with determined, cold steps, without looking back. The forest mist seemed to part for her as if it feared being torn in two.
Lobraw then turned to Ji Ao, who was still trying to get used to the sword hanging at his waist.
"Come. Let's have something to drink. I need to take care of you while she takes care of herself."
The two sat near the tavern brazier. The heat helped ease the tension, but Ji Ao could not stop thinking about her. He stared at the door where Ruby had disappeared as if expecting a storm to return.
Lobraw watched him with sharp eyes.
"You like her, don't you?"
Ji Ao blushed.
"What? No! I mean… I just… I just think she is different."
"Yes. Different she certainly is."
The tavern keeper stayed silent for a while, watching the fire crackle in the dry wood. Then, as if deciding something at once, he said:
"Since you seem to want to know… I will tell you. But don't say I didn't warn you later."