Harsh Realities

                  The day after Frilofest, Ella agreed to help with her father’s business. Various daggers, knives, swords, specialty arrows, and other unique items needed to be delivered to clients. After a day of fun with friends, she felt she needed to build some bridges with her father to avoid extra punishment chores. She didn't mind helping her father today because it didn’t interfere with her own schedule. After making a series of deliveries throughout town, she planned one special delivery around lunchtime.

                  Knock knock knock! The door opens to a lean middle-aged woman with intricate braids and thick greying brown hair.

                  “Ella! So nice to see you!”

                  “The one and only! I believe you have an order from my father's shop which deserves such care as to be hand delivered by yours truly!”

                  “Come on in, come on in, stay for some tea and cookies.”

                  “I don't mind if I do!”

                  The middle-aged woman ushered Ella into her home.

                  “Hello Mr. Holmeseth!” Ella addresses an approaching middle-aged man.

                  “Ella, good to see you! What brings you our way?”

                  “Just making deliveries for my father, and I wanted to bring yours to you in person.”

                  “Well, your father puts a lot of care into his work. That must be why he sent you.” Mr. Holmeseth said, picking up the package from Ella.

                  “Come join us for tea and some sandwiches. As long as you have the time, you’re invited.”

                  Ella's eyes widened with excitement as she nodded and followed Mrs. Holmeseth into the kitchen eating area.

                  Gunnar and Hilde Holmeseth were some of Ella’s favorite people. They raised several children of their own who had grown up and moved from home, so they loved having Ella over. The Holmeseth’s came from various careers in the world of a hired fighter, eventually settling down in Eknor to raise a family. They hoped to retire from the demanding career and shift focus to teaching and training instead of participating. Although not nearly as prestigious as the famous Yerik Goldsword Academy, they were still known throughout town as skilled warriors. Even Hilde made her way onto several expeditions throughout her career, which is one reason Ella enjoys being around them. Ella felt accepted by them. They encourage her energy and excitement. Hilde especially, as she saw a lot of her own personality in Ella. She knew the struggles Ella would face pursuing a fighter’s career and spent a lot of time with Ella practicing and training. Other than her family and friends, the Holmeseth’s were some of Ella’s favorite people to spend time with.

                  “I'll put this away and join you.” Gunnar took the package of weapons back to his storage area.

                   Hilde led Ella into the kitchen. “Come, come! Tell me all about what's going on with you. It's been a few weeks since we've talked. I’m sure Frilofest kept you and your family quite busy.” Hilde set a pot of water on the stove, retrieving some crunchy cookies, honey, and cream.

                  “I'll say it has!” Ella rolled her eyes as she sat down, plucking a delightful, crispy cookie from a tray.

                  Ella immediately dove into a long venting session, sharing everything she struggled with, everything that frustrated her, everything she wished and hoped to become. Ella truly enjoyed her conversations with Hilde because she would listen without lecturing Ella. Hilde still offered guidance and support and suggestions. She could be very vocal about improving and problem solving, but she listened to Ella more than most did. Ella loved feeling listening to. Even Gunnar was fun to be around. He would often join in their conversations and share his own points of views often with his own sense of humor. The Holmeseth’s became a safe place for Ella. Not only did she learn how to become a better, stronger, more skilled fighter, but she also felt like she had a friend in this couple. Some of the few adults she didn't feel judged her.

                  “Ella?” Gunnar came into the room carrying the package of weapons. “We ordered several short daggers, not throwing knives. What you gave us here are throwing knives.”

                  Ella looked up with wide eyes. “Oops! Sorry about that, I'll get that fixed. I can take those back and get the right ones. Maybe in time for dinner?” Ella looked at Hilde with a smile and raise eyebrows.

                  Hilde smiled back.

                  Gunnar held silent a moment, unsure how he should respond. “Does that mean the daggers are back at your father's shop?”

                  Ella thought for a moment. “That's a good question. I delivered some throwing knives earlier; I wonder if I got those two mixed up?” Ella turned back to her sandwich that Hilde prepared for her.

                  Gunnar took a deep breath. “I don't want to speak about how your father wants to run his business, but if you delivered my daggers to somebody else, and delivered their throwing knives to me, that’s two people that got the wrong order. Unless someone by their own good graces doesn't run off with those daggers, your father will have to make me new ones to fulfill his order. Don't misunderstand me, I'll be patient. I'll do anything for your family. But your actions jeopardize your father's business.”

                  Ella slowed her chewing as she felt the shift in tone from Gunnar. Ella nodded.

                  “Do you understand what I'm saying, Ella?”

                  Ella nodded.

                  “You could have lost your father a lot of money by not paying attention. I mean, if I made that mistake, I would try to fix it as quickly as possible. Actually, I would do anything I could not to make that mistake in the first place.”

                  “Okay, okay, yeah, I get it.” Ella took two more bites of her sandwich, then tried to clean her plate quickly. “I will take care of it.”

                  Hilde held silent in the awkward moment.

                  Gunnar took a deep breath. “Look, we love you. We think you're great, you're a very talented fighter. Yet we keep talking about these things repeatedly. You have this tendency to approach any problem with a spontaneous burst of energy without completely thinking it through.”

                  “Okay, I will fix it! Don't worry, I'll go back and get this figured out!”

                  “No, you don't understand. These are principles we are talking about that affect everything you do in life. This is one of the biggest problems with your fighting ability.”

                  Ella’s emotion seized up. She felt her one comfort in life was about to be attacked.

                  Gunnar shook his head, then addressed Ella again. “This isn't about messing up a single order. This is about how you approach life, how you approach your defense in combat. I keep trying to get you to understand this one thing. Sorry if my voice sounds harsh, because that's not it. I'm not mad or upset. I'm just concerned as someone who wants to see somebody I care about, with so much talent, achieve their dreams. You're so close. But sometimes the choices you make holds you back. You rush into things way too fast without considering the consequences. We may have to step back from our combat training and focus on some of the mental training that we keep talking about. Without training your brain to assess every single situation, you're going to get yourself…. killed if you're not careful. Combat isn’t a game for fun or adventure. It’s a serious business. Life is on the line. If it's not yours, it's somebody else's. If you ever find yourself in a life-threatening situation and need to defend yourself, your mind must be trained to be alert and aware of the consequences of your actions.”

                  The pit in Ella’s stomach continued to drop. She did not expect this kind of reception. She nodded in silence. Then glanced over at Hilde, hoping to have some female back up.

                  Hilde smiled. “We love you, Ella, but Gunnar is right. In fighting and combat, it's more than physical ability and sword skills. It is the mind skills that come first. The ability to see your opponent’s moves five, six, seven steps ahead in the future. I think we should take some time to focus on that, and it will help everything else about you improve.”

                  Ella felt crushed inside, but did her best to put on a strong front for her friends and mentors. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Yeah, we can work on that.” They were about the only ones happy to train her in combat and fighting skills. She couldn't lose that opportunity. Ella, trying to control a slight quiver in her voice, quickly cleaned up her plate to show respect. “Tell you what, I'll go right now to take care of those daggers and I’ll make sure you get them today. I'll get it fixed.”

                  Gunnar lowered his head. “You can stay and have tea and cookies with us. I'm not concerned about the daggers. I… I just want you to be the best you can be.”

                  “I know, I know I get that, and I think the best thing for me is to show you I'm responsible. I will find those daggers.”

                  Gunnar took a deep breath. “Ella, don't take this personal this is just part of the training on how to be great at what you do. I didn’t…. I didn’t mean to bring it up so harshly. But it’s important. Not just to be great, but to keep you safe. That’s what I worry about.”

                  “No, I understand. I just want to do what is right. I get it. How can I ever be a great fighter if I can’t even get a stupid delivery, right?” Ella forcefully slung her bag over her shoulders, her anger and frustration coming to the surface.

                  “Ella!” Hilde called Ella’s name, using a more forceful tone to distract Ella from her own insecurities. “Look at me.”

                  Ella took a deep breath and looked at Hilde.

                  “Take a deep breath. This is no reflection on your character. You know who you are and what you are capable of. But you must remember, nobody is born great. That is an ability that is earned. Don’t define yourself by your mistakes. Define yourself in how you choose to move forward.”

                  Ella took a deep breath as she thought of Hilde’s words and gave a slight nod.

                  Hilde smiled at Ella, “I’ll tell you what, let me pack up some of your favorite snacks, I think you will feel better if you can go for a walk, you can sort out the mix up now, but I want you to come back her as soon as you do. Or if you don’t find those daggers. Just come back here and let us know.”

                  Ella nodded. “Yeah, okay, I can do that.”

                  Hilde reached out, touching Ella on the shoulder. “Sometimes our minds play tricks on us. Sometimes fear darkens our minds, whether it’s fear of failure, a mistake, feeling like we will never improve. During these times, we need to pause and decide what we can do at that moment. We don’t let the darkness in our minds control us. We make a choice, and we move forward.”

                  Ella nodded her head in a moment of rare Ella silence. She looked up at Hilde. “Thanks, yeah. I think I know what you mean.”

                  Hilde smiled. Gunnar nodded towards Ella with a smile.

                  Ella pointed towards Gunnar. “I’ll get your order fixed, I promise.”

                  “No worries.”

                  “No, I know. It’s what I want.” In an oddly stoic fashion, Ella gathered her items and said goodbye to Gunnar and Hilde, then headed out the door.