Bryn was certain her journey was pointless by now. 

Not only had she spent three days now in the capital of Irilea, but she had come up completely empty handed. All she needed was to meet a Irilean Knight and have them show her how to fight. She knew a Knight would have no reason to say no, especially if she showed them what she already knew. She wa no novice to the sword. Her father had trained her well, yet her father was no Knight. She idolized him, but she also knew his teachings were limited. What she needed was, well… Something more. The attack from her childhood was proof enough of that. She refused to blame her age on her past failures. No, it was her weakness that got her father killed. Her failure had reduced her mother to a shadow of her former self. Her failure cost people their lives. She would not fail again. 

And that is why she hadn’t given up yet. While many would have given up their search within the sprawling metropolis, Bryndolin was not so easily broken. Failure was not an option for her. And yet, she still felt the temptation to just return home. Her legs ached from the constant walking. She was beyond frustrated at getting lost in the Capital. Her shoulders felt heavy, as if her failure over the past few days were quite literally weighing down on her. She hadn’t eaten in at least a day. 

But Bryn was not easily broken. While she was doubting herself on the inside, she still held her head high. She WOULD find a Knight, and they WILL teach her how to protect her mother. 

So once Bryn stood in the middle of market square and started yelling, no one was surprised. Many were frustrated, but none were surprised. 

“I’m looking for an Irilean Knight! If any know of how I can find one, tell me now!” 

She’d been at this routine since her entire time here. Find a group of people, and make sure they heard her. It was very common in smaller villages like Hearthshire, yet the reaction she got in the Capital was far different. 

“You’re wasting your time kid!” 

“Why would a Knight bother with some village girl?” 

“They don’t just do handouts you know!” 

Maybe they were right. Maybe she was wasting her time. But she knew she couldn’t falter. Someone would listen, and someone would direct her to a Knight. Somebody HAD to listen. 

Many more people grew more and more upset as the girl continued her crying out, until eventually one man decided to challenge her directly. 

“Would you just shut up already!” 

Bryn could handle rude comments. She’d heard more than a fair share. What she couldn’t tolerate was the man grabbing her wrist. What he hoped to accomplish by it, she had no clue. He probably wasn’t a threat, but she was already in motion before she could think about what she was truly doing. 

In the blink of an eye, Bryn smashed the palm of her free hand into the man’s stomach. He instantly let go, though the girl wasn’t quite finished. She used her momentum from the first hit to shove shoulder first into the man, sending him to the ground. 

“Do NOT touch me,” Bryn growls, unaware of the the shocked stares she was receiving. Nor did she notice the two city guards pushing their way through the crowd to see what was going on.