“Hey, did you hear me?”
Jarin looked down wordlessly at the young woman speaking to him and noticed that she was rather plain in appearance. She was dressed in a cream blouse and brown skirt that just barely brushed the wooden floor. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back, accentuating her wide ears and narrow jaw. He hadn’t really been listening to the farmer sitting in front of him. He had been in fact trying his best to drone her out, but she went on regardless.

“You’re lucky you found me, you know. A nasty cut like this could have gotten infected.” She removed her hands from Jarin’s right forearm and revealed that the gash had almost completely closed. After wrapping the wound in cloth, she asked, “How did you know I was a healer anyways?”

“Lucky guess,” Jarin replied curtly as he pulled his robe’s sleeve back down and stood.

“Oh, so it speaks!” she said with a lopsided grin and crossed arms. 
He narrowed his eyes in response and then pulled a small bag of coins from his robe and placed it on the cupboard to his left. “That should cover your services.”

“Well, I was going to ask you to clean the horse’s stall out back, but you don’t exactly look like the...manual labor type.”

Jarin paused and glared at her for another moment. He didn’t know whether to thank the woman or smack her. No commoner had ever been brave enough to insult him, let alone gotten away with it. Jarin opened his mouth to respond when the door behind the healer was smashed open. She jumped in surprise as three disheveled and armed men stormed into the house. One of them wielding a sword grabbed the healer by the hair as she tried to run. She shrieked as he pulled her into his arms and held the edge of his blade against her throat. The second man stood by the door and the third pushed forward to Jarin.

“Where is it!?” The man pointed a dagger at Jarin forcefully. “That key belonged to us, thief!”
The key happened to be in his pocket, and that’s exactly where it was going to stay as far as Jarin was concerned.
The man looked back at his friend holding the healer and nodded. She cried as the blade began to draw blood just above her collarbone. “Please…” she whimpered.

“I’ll ask one more time. Where is it?! Tell me, or we slit her throat!”

Jarin remained mute for a moment and then replied without a trace of falter in his voice, “Do it.”

The room fell silent in shock and Jarin glanced coldly back at the healer. She looked at him with nothing but confusion and betrayal in her eyes as the man’s sword sliced across her throat. Jarin watched her slump to the ground in a pool of blood. He then watched the other three eventually fall to the ground, choking and gasping at the air around them.
As he left the farmhouse and stepped out under the high sun, Jarin heard the sound. It stopped him in his tracks, as he had never heard such a noise. He then climbed onto the farmer’s horse and rode away, his dark robe fluttering behind him.

After hearing the Sounding, Jarin arrived in Highmont where he sold his horse and bought new supplies. After standing in line to pass through the gate for what seemed like ages he finally made his way to the front. The guard held up a hand and scanned Jarin with suspicious eyes. Jarin had to force himself not to roll his eyes or simply push the imbecile out of his way. Eventually he was let through to the castle and into the dining room.
Jarin surveyed the other people already sitting at the table for a moment before making his way over. He took long and brisk, yet quiet strides, his robe just barely brushing the floor. Jarin took a seat far from the door he had entered through, giving himself a clear view of everyone else. He leaned back in his chair and adjusted his robe accordingly.