The sound of hissing sounded from inside the shop.

It was a familiar sound. The sound of hot metal being cooled in ice water. Felicity was outside, sweeping the porch of the small, wooden shop. Some of the dust was kicked up to blue dress as her uncle worked inside. It was quite a nice day, birds sang outside as the woodland of Concordia spread out from all sides. The family was close to a small town, governed by the Coronian Rangers. Felicity's cousin, Jonathan, was one of the Rangers stationed there. After Felicity finished sweeping the porch, she huffed and slammed the wooden rod of the broom into the beams like it was a spear. A grin spread across the child's face as she started to fight an imaginary figure with the makeshift pole arm. She continued to hack and slash at the air, oblivious to her surroundings, before she turned around and bumped into her uncle!

"Eep!" She stepped back, immediately lowering the broom. The middle aged man sighed, trying to hide a smile as he placed a bucket of metal tools on the freshly swept deck. "Are you done sweeping?"

Felicity nodded, nervous.

The man finally let himself smile, wiping his calloused hand through his once jet black hair. "Felicity, you're supposed to be growing up. In a year, you'd be considered an adult in Eiskalt."

Felicity frowned. She was twelve now, and her uncle would not shut up about "growing up." Felicity didn't feel any older, especially when she barely went into town because he didn't want her to.

Crossing his muscular arms, the lithe man nodded towards the broom, "You need to stop doing childish things, Felicity."

Felicity felt a wave of anger overtake her, "I'll believe you want me to grow up when you let me do simple errands!"

His blue eyes dilated. Felicity felt her face grow red as the argument began.

"I'll let you run errands," He lifted his finger and started shaking it, "When you start acting more your age-"

"-I do act my age!" Felicity subconsciously stood on her tippy toes to appear taller. "I help you in the shop and at home all the time! You don't even let me learn to weld or use the forge!"

"The other day you dropped a bucket of water onto the floor!" Her uncle shouted, his thin face red, "Do you think I would let you touch my equipment?!"

"I want to be independent!" Felicity shouted, "I don't have to rely on you anymore!"

With a loud scoff, he picked up the bucket. "I'll believe that when you stop pretending with brooms like toys." His dismissive tone was asserted as he pushed by her, descending the steps. "Watch the forge. I'm dropping these off at the shop in town."

Felicity scowled as he stomped off. Why didn't her uncle trust her? Felicity liked to have fun, but she was dead serious when she needed to be and he knew it. Throwing her arms in the air, she stormed inside.

Inside the shop, there were all kinds of items in barrels, hung on the wall, or in a corner somewhere. Everything from tools, to furniture, even some weapons and armor for the Rangers, were all in the dimly lit work station. To put her negative energy to some use, Felicity tossed the broom into the small closet and pulled a bucket out. By the time she got to the well, filled it with water and soap, and came back, the ash and soot coated forge would be cool enough to clean.

~~~

"Uh!" Felicity dragged the heavy bucket up the porch and into the small building. Setting it down, she wiped her brow and looked inside. Strange... It was more drafty than usual. Then - she heard a loud *clang!* Felicity was confused, her uncle usually took longer to get back than this. Yet, something in her gut felt horribly off. Being the socially awkward kid she was, however, she did the idiot thing.

"Hello?" She called, slowly walking into the storage area, "Uncle? Is that you?"

The floorboards groaned louder than ever as Felicity slowly wiped the soapy water off her hands, onto her dress. Standing still, at the entrance leading to the forge itself, Felicity peered into the darkness. "Uncle? Are-is that-"

She stopped, everything inside her screaming to get out. She was feeling a sense of dread she had never experienced since she moved from her old, snowy home. That feeling of hostility, that feeling of wrath... She turned to face the door, thinking that tipping the bucket could deter anyone from following her.

She was a little too late in thinking wisely, however, as she felt a sturdy hand clasp her shoulder.

With a squeak, Felicity turned to see that a human man, shadowed in the darkness of the room, had broken in. He was sturdy, larger than her uncle. He pulled her closer, raising a hammer to bring it down on her head.

Instinct took over.

Remembering the self defense training from her cousin, Felicity ducked. She lifted her arm after the swing was swung, pulling his arm out before bringing her other elbow down to his extended, locked arm.

With a cry, the man let go of the hammer. As the heavy object fell to the ground, Felicity rapidly made distance between the two. As the dim light from the half closed shudders illuminated his hazel eyes, Felicity turned to the nearby wall and yanked a crude, steel arming sword from its hook. She knew she had never used one before, but she didn't care. Someone had dared to break into her uncle's shop, they would not get away with it!

Pointing the sword at him with a tight, thin posture, she barked, "Who are you! What do you want!"

The man reached to the shelf next to him and pulled out a massive, iron blade of a farming tool. "I need some junk to sell on the black market, kid. So scram!"

"No!" Felicity's arm vibrated, causing the blade to shake in her hand. She was quite frightened, but she stood her ground.

The man scoffed, walking closer, "Idiot child!"

"I've been called worse," Felicity retorted, stepping back towards the door. The bucket was right next to her. She waved the sword, "I know how to use this!"

"No, you don't!" the robber laughed, lifting his weapon of choice, "You obviously never used a sword in your life!"

Felicity forced herself to stay before he lunged forward, then she acted. Stepping back, she kicked the bucket down before dashing out the door. She dropped the sword, kind of scared to be holding a pointed object. She turned around at the edge of the premises, turning to see the robber picking himself up from the ground. Felicity's face turned white when he tossed the tool aside, picking up the sword she dropped instead.

"Brat!" He barked, "You're a potential witness, can't let you tattle on me!"

Felicity took a step back, terrified to stay or run. Then, she heard loud footsteps in the mud from behind. She froze, was there an accomplice coming to finish her off?

"Then again," The man smirked, looking below Felicity's face and pointing with the sword, "You're somewhat attractive enough for the market yourself. Your proportions are pathetic, but everyone love redhea-"

"-Over my dead body!" The sound of a gun cranked behind her. Felicity knew that voice! She turned to see her cousin standing ready with a rifle. "Stand down now, sir! Don't tempt me to kill you any more than I already am!"

With a gasp, the man dropped the sword. Looking into the barrel of a loaded gun, and reading the rage on the black haired Ranger's face, he dropped to his knees and lifted his hands with a face of devastated defeat.

As the criminal cussed at the Ranger, Felicity turned to see her uncle dashing towards them with a look of insane panic. "Jonathan! Felicity! Are you alright?"

Felicity was grasped and pulled into an embrace by her uncle. From beside them, Jonathan walked closer to the man with his rifle ready. His face was twisted in that familiar rage Felicity knew him by. "We are fine, father. Just, this waste of air decided to break into your shop with Felicity inside!"

Felicity turned to see her uncle looking Felicity over for any damage, pale. "Are you hurt, Felicity? Did he do anything to-*

"-Uncle," Felicity choked, trying not to cry from this ordeal, "I'm okay."

With wide panicked eyes, her uncle turned to what was going on behind them. As Jonathan was handcuffing the degenerate, her uncle cried, "I was only gone for a bit and this happens! Can't I ever protect her!?"

Felicity turned to her uncle, shocked. She hated seeing him distressed, and she tried to cut in, "But I'm okay-"

"-You could of been hurt!" He shouted, tears in his eyes, "We moved to Corone to protect you!"

"Father."

The two turned to see Jonathan, who was ready to walk the robber off. As the man scowled, the young Coronian Ranger spoke in a surprisingly calm, collected voice for the Jonathan Knopsnider she knew.

"Felicity's growing up, no matter how much you care to admit it. She needs to start learning to defend herself, gain some independence." Jonathan's eyes narrowed as her uncle fumed, "You easily let me find my own path. Why is it so different with Felicity?"

"You know why!" The uncle shot up, causing Felicity to flinch and step back. "And you may be an adult, but you are still my son! Shut up!"

As he turned to storm off, Felicity turned with tears in her eyes as the robber mocked how Jonathan had been lashed out at. Jonathan stood there, shaking his head in bitter disappointment.