Her footsteps echoed softly along the stone road, the sound steady and deliberate until it came to a halt right in front of the stablemaster, who remained hunched and motionless on his stool.
The brim of his wide hat still cast a shadow over his face, and it was clear from the rise and fall of his chest that he had not yet stirred from his nap.
"Hey, wake up," Elyn said firmly, her voice cutting through the quiet with sharp clarity.
The stablemaster jolted upright with a start, his body twitching as he quickly adjusted his hat back into place, blinking rapidly as he came to his senses.
His shoulders straightened as he looked up to see who had disturbed him, his eyes immediately narrowing to study the figure before him.
"Yes…?" he mumbled, still groggy, but his voice quickly faltered when his gaze locked onto Elyn's face beneath her hood.
His breath hitched as he took in her appearance—skin pale like old marble, veins dark as dried ink tracing faintly down her neck, her eyes an unnatural shade, drained of warmth, and her hair black as midnight, falling in long strands from beneath the edge of her cloak.
His expression shifted instantly, and fear took hold.
"W-Wraith…!" he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper, filled with disbelief and horror.
"Calm yourself," Elyn replied without hesitation, her voice firm and controlled, yet not unkind.
She didn't flinch, nor did her tone carry the weight of offense.
Her eyes shifted from the frightened man to the fenced enclosure behind him, where several horses stood idle, some gently pacing, others flicking their tails in boredom.
"I'm no wraith," she continued, her gaze still on the animals.
"I would like to buy a horse."
With the practiced motion of someone who had done it countless times, she reached for the pouch tied securely at her belt.
The sack gave a small metallic jingle as she untied it and let it fall into her palm, its weight still heavy with coins.
The sound alone was enough to pull the stablemaster back into the moment.
The man's fear softened at the sight of the money.
He swallowed hard and gave a slow nod, his hands trembling slightly as he stood from his stool.
His eyes stayed on the coin pouch for a moment longer before glancing back at Elyn's face, still cautious but no longer on the verge of panic.
*clack!
"O-Of course!" the stablemaster stammered, standing up with such suddenness that his stool nearly tipped over behind him.
His nervousness still clung to him, evident in the stiff way he moved and the hesitant glances he threw at Elyn.
With a shaky breath, he quickly stepped aside and unlatched the wooden gate that led to the small enclosure where the horses were kept.
*creak…!
The hinges gave a low creak as he pushed it open, revealing several steeds of varying size and color, some calm, others shifting impatiently on their hooves.
Without wasting another second, the stablemaster walked over to a strong-looking brown stallion, its coat shimmering slightly under the sunlight, muscle defined and posture alert.
*snort!
The horse let out a deep snort, its breath clouding the air as it stomped once.
"This here is Albert," the stablemaster said proudly, giving the horse a firm pat on the side, "a stallion bred for battles. He once belonged to a heavy soldier that fought in the great war of Zerafhon!"
The horse turned its gaze to Elyn as she approached, its large eyes focusing on her presence beneath the shadow of her cloak.
For a second, it froze, and then, as if struck by some unseen force, its ears pinned back and it snorted again—louder, more frantic than before.
*NEIGH!!
Its gaze locked on her, not with anger, but with something closer to fear.
The faint aura of her dark eidra had begun to drift into the space, unseen by the naked eye but felt—palpable to anything living and attuned.
The stallion reared slightly, whinnying in distress as it began to stomp and jerk its head back, kicking up a flurry of hay and dust in its panic.
The sudden movement made the stablemaster lose his footing, and he crashed backward into the hay-filled ground with a groan.
"Urgh!" he grunted, wincing as he rolled onto his side, pushing himself back up with straw clinging to his sleeves.
He let out a weak, nervous laugh as he stood, brushing off his coat with both hands.
"Haha! He—he isn't like that usually," he said quickly, one hand moving to awkwardly scratch the back of his head.
Trying to keep his smile steady, he raised both hands and held up ten fingers.
"Ten silver moons for that beast. What do you say?" he added, his voice a touch higher than before, though still attempting to sound confident despite the clear shake in it.
Elyn hummed softly under her breath, her arms crossed as she weighed the decision of whether to buy the strong, well-groomed horse standing near the front of the stable or not.
Its muscles looked firm, its coat clean and its posture proud, yet something about it made her hesitate.
Her eyes slowly drifted away from the front to a quieter, darker corner of the stable, where a lone black mare stood.
It looked smaller, seemingly feeble at first glance, but its eyes were different—sharp, alert, unwavering.
It wasn't scared of her like most animals usually were, no, it simply watched her, like it recognized her presence.
As Elyn stared into the mare's eyes, something in her chest settled.
There was no more need to think further, no reason to weigh options anymore.
The choice was made.
"So, will you be buyin' the stall—"
"I will buy this one," Elyn cut in calmly, already stepping toward the black mare with slow, deliberate steps.
The stablemaster paused, caught off-guard by the sudden interruption, and quickly turned to see which one she had chosen.
His brow furrowed slightly in confusion as he saw her approaching the dark mare in the corner.
*snort…!
The mare snorted quietly when she noticed Elyn coming close, but it didn't back away or show signs of fear.
It just stood there, steady, gaze fixed.
Elyn slowly extended her hand, letting the mare sniff it first before placing her palm gently atop the animal's head, running it slowly over the coarse fur in a soft, steady motion.
"Ahh… that one would be Meryn," the stablemaster finally said as he walked up behind her, scratching his beard with an awkward smile.
"She ain't really one for battles, miss. Just a barn horse, sold for cheap. Prone to sickness, folk say."
Elyn's pale eyes drifted along the horse's frame, observing carefully.
The mare was thinner than the rest, no doubt, and her ribs slightly showed beneath her dark coat, but her legs were steady, her stance was not weak.
She wasn't frail, just… lacking.
"She's merely malnourished," Elyn stated flatly, her voice holding no hesitation.
Her gaze shifted to the other horses again, then back to the stablemaster.
"It seems you clearly haven't been feeding this one regularly."
The stablemaster blinked at her accusation, his mouth opening halfway before his hands shot up defensively.
"H-How could that be? I'm feeding her every day! Honest!" His voice cracked with nervousness, eyes darting from her face to the mare, and back again.
"Enough of this," Elyn said, brushing him off with a shake of her head, her expression unchanging.
She exhaled through her nose before raising a brow slightly.
"So. How much for her?"
The stablemaster hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly before he finally raised both his hands and extended all ten fingers.
"Ten silver moons," he replied with a slight grimace, clearly unsure if that was too much or too little for the one horse in his stable that nobody had shown interest in.
"What?" Elyn asked with a slight tilt of her head, her pale eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of her hood.
"The other one was ten as well but it was strong. This one is clearly weak, and it's the same price?"
Her tone wasn't angered, but it was sharp, slicing through the stablemaster's nerves like a blade.
The stablemaster let out a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ahh… that's because that horse is, well, special to me, you see—"
Before he could finish his excuse, Elyn's hand moved like lightning.
In one swift motion, she unsheathed her sword,
*SHING!
the metal singing briefly before she pressed its tip just beneath the man's throat.
"You dare underhand me?" she said coldly, her brows lowering as her gaze bore into his.
Her voice wasn't raised, but it cut through the air like broken ice.
Gasps echoed through the surrounding area as a small crowd began to gather.
Murmurs broke out as civilians caught sight of the blade glinting beneath the morning sun.
"What is she doing…?"
"She's pointing a sword at the poor stablemaster…"
The stablemaster quickly raised both his hands in surrender, sweat beading down his forehead as his eyes darted between Elyn and the onlookers.
Then, seeing the growing number of civilians watching, he smirked, clearly noticing how the crowd was already leaning in his favor.
"Either you pay or you don't!" he said louder than needed, smugness returning to his tone now that he had the crowd to back him.
"I ain't forcing ya!"
Elyn's gaze flicked around.
More people had gathered now, whispering among themselves, and a pair of guards were already beginning to push through the crowd toward her.
Her jaw tightened.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance and sheathed her sword with a frustrated motion.
*Shack!
Without another word, she reached into her cloak, pulled out the full pouch of coins, and stepped forward, her boots thudding against the dirt.
She extended the pouch towards the stablemaster.
"Fine. Here," she said, voice dry and calm. "That should be at least ten silver moons."
The stablemaster grinned wide and swiped the pouch from her hand without hesitation, his eyes gleaming greedily as he weighed it in his palm.
"I'll go prepare the saddle for you then!" he said cheerily, spinning around to disappear inside the stable.
Moments later, he returned, holding a worn, clearly-used saddle.
Dust and age clung to the leather, but he held it out with a grin like it was brand new.
"Good business!" he said with a forced cheer in his voice.
Elyn took the saddle without a word but didn't turn away just yet.
Instead, she reached out slowly and placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
Her fingers rested there for a moment, firm and deliberate.
"Good business," she said.
Her face was unreadable—cold and serious.
Then she turned, carrying the saddle under her arm as she walked back to the black mare—Meryn—waiting quietly in the corner.
*rustle… *clack…! *click…!
Elyn moved with silent grace, fastening the saddle on the mare with practiced hands.
Meryn didn't resist, only let out a slow breath through her nose, as if understanding.
Once everything was secured, Elyn took the reins, led the mare gently out of the stable, and made her way through the dispersing crowd.
The onlookers parted with wary glances, and the guards, now late, simply watched as she walked past.
No one dared stop her.
Behind her, the stablemaster leaned against the wooden frame of his stable, grinning to himself like he had just pulled off the deal of the day.
His smirk stretched a bit too wide as he juggled the pouch of coins in his hand.
He had no idea what was coming.
By the time Elyn was a good distance from the town gate, well beyond the watching eyes, her hand slowly lifted from the reins.
Her palm glowed faintly, dark eidra flickering to life, coiling around her fingers like smoke or shadow, thick and alive.
The same hand she had laid on the stablemaster.
She didn't look back.
"Should've chosen your enemies wisely, scum," she muttered under her breath, eyes forward as her hand closed into a tight, deliberate fist.
A second later, screams echoed from far behind her—sharp, panicked, and real.
Elyn didn't flinch.
She just kept walking, step after steady step, her cloak swaying behind her, her hand returning calmly to the reins.
The mare followed without resistance.