Over the next year the two traveled together moving north through Corrvis and into Mercy before heading south and heading into to Chumane. Along the way trying their best to track down Hilda’s father but never making any real progress, but instead getting into trouble from place to place. Hilda began to see Tyr as her own personal knight as each situation required his help to resolve them, either through diplomacy, or force. She also saw him as a good friend and someone she could trust, but the time they reached the city of Paramour, Hilda felt that she had to do something, so as not to be, as she would say, useless.

The pair were walking down the bustling streets to get a room in an inn for the next few nights and while walking along, Hilda decided to speak about her misgivings.

“Hey Tyr? I’ve been wondering, are you ok with all of this?”

He stopped walking and gave her a small look of worry “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that for the past year all you’ve done is protect and help me, but I haven’t been able to do anything at all for you. Hell, even when we first met, we met because you helped me. I just don’t want to be a bur-”

          Tyr abruptly put up one of his hands “Woah now. First off, I wanted to help you, still do. Secondly being around you has been great for me, so your definitely not any kind of burden, don’t need to go saying that.”

Hilda stopped having coherent thoughts as she struggled to process what she just heard, before putting all of those thoughts into a box and setting it aside. “Well, I could be more useful in a fight, I feel like I can’t do anything at all when I’m next to you.”

“Well not to be too harsh, but that’s because you’re not very good at using a sword.” Tyr put up both hands defensively before Hilda could say anything “Not that you’re not good in a fight. It’s just that … proper swordplay requires a technique and subtlety that you … lack.”

Hilda forgot all of the feelings that she was dwelling on only moments ago before snapping back at him “What do you mean! I’ve been trained to use swords you know! I was even able to challenge my sister … once.”

“Ok, ok. It’s just there are other weapons that could suit you better. Especially with your strength. I mean most of the time you seem to brute force your way through people with your sword anyway, there just not made for that.”

Hilda crossed her arms “What do you mean, with my strength?”

“Hilda, you threw an entire tree log through a wall last month. Yeah, you have a lot of strength and you should try to lean into that. How about an axe? It has a blade like swords but will work well with your strength.”

She took a moment to contemplate the suggestion before uncrossing her arms “I mean, if you think that would be better.”

“It will, trust me. Let’s go to the smith and get one for you”

Tyr continued “Armor on the other hand needs to be something you can depend on for a long time. It’s the thing that decides the difference between, being hit with a sword, and being cut with one. So, let’s commission something while we are here.”

Hilda nodded along again before putting up a single finger and interjecting “Ok, can we stick with something lighter though? Don’t want to hafta wear something heavy if I don’t gotta”

“Yeah, that will probably work out better for you anyway, that way you don’t need to change out of it to do normal day to day task.”

They then got the armor commissioned and spent had to spend the next two days in the city while the commission was worked on. They spent that time enjoying what the city had to offer, from unique foods to gambling, until the day that the armor was finished, and they got it from the Smithy.

After they got the armor they returned to their room at the Inn, and Hilda tried on the new set.

Hilda finished tightening the center ring that kept the front section of the armor in place “Yeah, this does feel much better,” She gave an experimental knock to the font of the armor “, and definitely seems like I’ll be getting stabbed less.”

Tyr chuckled “Yeah, but that does remind me, if you’re going to be fighting beside me, I want you to have this.” He walked over and removed one of the rings he was wearing and handed it to Hilda.

“A ring? Does it do something special … or …?”

Tyr chuckled just a bit “It’s magic.”

Hilda looked down at the ring seemingly disappointed. “Yeah, duh, magic … Well, what does it do then?”

“I was told that it contained a powerful resurrection magic.” He stated matter-of-factly.

Hilda began to have a coughing fit from the surprise caused by that statement. “It does what! No, forget that! Why are you giving it to me?!”

Tyr gave her a soft smile and a look that she hadn’t seen before from him “Hilda, if you’re going to be right beside me, in the chaos that can be a fight, I want to make very sure you are safe. You are important to me.”

She blushed heavily and averted her gaze before mumbling “you’re important too.”

He laughed before saying “Glad to hear it, now let’s get some rest, we’re leaving tomorrow, and you might get to use that new axe of yours.”

Hilda nodded and laid down on her bed. She let her mind wander for a few minutes before closing her eyes to sleep. Her last thought that night being the realization that, Tyr is very important to her.