The morning sun filled the Town Hall with warm light. Inside, Ethan was bent over a table, sketching something new, not a building, but a weapon. He had drawn blueprints for a folding bow, unlike anything this medieval world had seen. The limbs folded in, the body was reinforced, and the arrows were made for speed and precision.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ethan said.
Garren, the blacksmith, and Thomas, the carpenter, entered. Ethan showed them the drawing.
"This is what I want you two to build," he said.
Garren raised an eyebrow. "It folds?"
"Yes," Ethan said. "It should be compact and easy to carry. But strong enough to hold tension and shoot accurately."
Thomas looked over the details. "This will take time. The joints need to be precise. I'll need good ash wood, and Garren will need to make the reinforcements in metal."
Ethan nodded. "Take the time you need. Just make it perfect."
He looked at them both. "Also, start making regular spears and swords. We need more weapons for the recruits."
They agreed and left to begin the work.
After they left, Ethan called for Lorana, the metalsmith. She arrived with soot still on her hands.
"I need two blades," Ethan told her. "One for a man that can play the role of an assassin. It should be curved and fast, something quiet he can use quickly."
"And the second?" Lorana asked.
"For a girl," Ethan said. "Small and easy to hide. Light and sharp. These aren't just weapons. They're tools for a different kind of fighter."
Lorana gave a small nod. "I'll make them right."
Outside, the training field echoed with noise as Torren drilled the new recruits. Swords clashed. Men shouted. The ground was marked with sweat and effort.
Ethan stood watching from a distance.
"They're improving," a quiet voice said beside him.
He turned to see Daisy, hood pulled low, watching the recruits with sharp eyes.
"Slowly, but yes," Ethan replied.
"Some of them will make it," Daisy said. "Some won't."
"And you?" Ethan asked.
She glanced at him. "I don't plan to die."
"Good," Ethan smiled. "Come with me."
Inside the hall, Ethan led Daisy to a quiet room. On a rack was a plain longbow with a small quiver of arrows.
"This is for you," he said.
She looked at it. "It's... simple."
"It's temporary," Ethan said. "Your real bow, is still being made. But you'll need to start training now."
He pulled back a cloth on the table to reveal a part of the folding bow that was delivered to him after Gerran and Thomas gave it a try. One limb had been shaped, but the rest was still unfinished.
"I've never used a bow," Daisy admitted.
"You'll learn," Ethan said. "Weylin will teach you."
Her eyes lit up slightly. "Weylin?"
"He's the best archer we have. If anyone can show you how to shoot, hide, and strike without being seen, it's him."
Daisy reached for the longbow and picked it up. It was heavier than she expected.
"I'll do my best."
"I know you will," Ethan said.
That afternoon, Daisy waited near the edge of the eastern woods. She held the bow in one hand and the quiver over her shoulder. A moment later, Weylin appeared quietly from the trees.
He didn't speak. He just gave a small nod, turned, and walked into the forest.
Daisy followed without a word.
Back in Greyrest, the town was busy. Builders raised watchtowers. Workers carried timber and stone. Spears were stacked in rows, and swords were being checked and sharpened.
Lorana was at her forge, sketching out blade shapes on a metal sheet. Her eyes were focused. Every inch of the blade had to be perfect.
Ethan returned to his table, reviewing maps of the town and nearby lands. Defensive lines had been marked in red. Evacuation routes in blue. His mind stayed sharp, planning every move before the enemy could make theirs.
The beast tide was still out there.
The Sable Order was watching from the shadows.
But Greyrest was no longer weak. It was growing stronger, smarter, and more prepared each day.
When the enemy came, they would face more than walls and soldiers.
They would face people like Daisy and Weylin, quiet, skilled, and ready.
Greyrest was forging its future.
And hidden in the trees, in the alleys, and in the shadows, the hidden blades of the city were sharpening.