← Chapter 6: A Choice to be Made | 📖 Series Index | Chapter 8: Meeting the Company →
Morning mist hangs low over the cobblestones as Father and I walk through Millhaven’s quiet streets. My pack, stuffed full of dried rations and spare clothes from Mildred’s tearful fussing in the kitchen, sits solid across my shoulders, though it’s nothing compared to the knot of nerves and excitement twisting in my stomach.
Eighteen years. Eighteen years of waking in the same too-small bed, of knowing every cobblestone and corner shop, of being simply Valorie Stoneson, the stonemason’s giant daughter. Now each familiar landmark feels like a goodbye I’m not ready to voice aloud.
I chose my clothes carefully in the quiet before dawn, and actually putting on the blue dress from my choosing ceremony was an experience all by itself. In my bedroom mirror, watching myself lace the deep sapphire bodice up over my ribs and chest made my cheeks warm.
Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
