Sancha: A Spirit Animals Story

Chapter 19: Stories

A/N: Credit to @Nightcat222 for the artwork above. Hope you don't mind me showing it here. It's amazing and I love the way both characters look here. 

The next morning, Sancha rose earlier than usual and sought out Olvan. He could often be found in the courtyard, awaiting messages from Greencloaks on missions abroad. She spoke a greeting to him, not wanting to startle him with her approach. Thankfully, Olvan didn't seem surprised.

"Tarik tells me you're doing very well in your training," Olvan complimented once she'd headed to stand a few paces from him.

"He's a good teacher," she said. "He's been...patient with me."

"You know, he asked to be the one to take charge of you."

Sancha couldn't contain her disbelief. She'd always thought he'd been ordered to monitor her care and developments. After all, she hadn't exactly been very warm towards him during their initial voyage to Greenhaven, and while she'd toned down her outward hostility towards him as she grew more comfortable at Greenhaven, it had been some time before she'd truly allowed herself to enjoy being around him, and longer for her to be able to outwardly admit it. Greencloak he may have been, but he'd never scolded her when she felt the need to vent her frustrations about his forebears cruelty towards Stetriol (something she didn't do openly very much even in the beginning), and had done his best to encourage her when she didn't succeed in  the ways she'd hoped to. She trusted him more, though she didn't feel comfortable about talking in depth about her thoughts or her past. 

"He wanted to manage my training?" she asked, her pitch rising in bewilderment.

"I probably would have tasked him with the role anyway. He's a natural mentor, Tarik."

"But why?" she asked, her mouth parted slightly in confusion and surprise.

"That's something I think he can tell you," Olvan replied. 

...

Later, when Sancha met Tarik for training, she pondered more on what Olvan said. She remained silent as he coached her gently on stance and arm movement with a curved sword but when they paused for a breather, sitting down on the hard wood floor of the training room, Sancha's curiosity could not be contained any longer.

"Olvan told me you requested that you be put in charge of me at Greenhaven," Sancha told him. She wasn't sure what she had expected Tarik's reaction to be, but when he didn't seem surprised at her being informed of this, she felt a tad surprised herself.

"I did," Tarik replied simply. "And thus far, I've yet to regret it. You've done very well."

"Thanks to you," Sancha said. 

"I can't take all the credit. A lot of your growth has come from within yourself. Plus, Lenori, Olvan, and your friends the Cooleys have had a hand in helping you."

Sancha could nod in agreement. It was only at this moment that Sancha truly reflected on those she had met at Greenhaven and wondered what might have become of her if she hadn't had that pleasure. Beyond just the specific individuals, there were the wider Greencloak ranks. Without forgiving their history, Sancha had forged an unexpected form of respect for the group as it was now. They were trying to do good for Erdas, even if there were limits. And if not for them, she might never have summoned Spesamari, the gift of which she would forever cherish and never forget. She missed home, and Greenhaven didn't feel like a new one, but it wasn't a prison or cage. Though she did feel lonely at times, Spes was a powerful cure for this when her mentors and friends weren't enough. Those few who knew who she was and what her family might do to them, but nonetheless took her in as if she were one of their own...Sancha knew she must be very very lucky.