The sky is overcast but this does not deter the energy Trinsi feels from her comrades. Every person she has seen this morning is in a good mood. Their circumstances have not improved, but most are relieved that they are no longer diving head first into the arms of the Storms.

Sure, there is a chance that they’ll encounter their troops on their way home, but the longshot that they won’t is enough.

They plan to cut through a thick forest that lies between Cloakwood and the Syardom. Their journey should be shorter, as their travel time on the way to Cloakwood here was only so long because they were heading to Elkwood when they decided to detour in the other direction.

The forest presents no danger aside from bears. Their chances of getting lost are high, but that is about their biggest threat. A couple of hunters from Cloakwook volunteered to help their group navigate through the forest. They lead their party.

About three quarters of the way through it, they decide to stop at a campground for the night. They don’t have to set up tents because of the cabins available to them. This gives everyone an evening to relax as they desire.

Trinsi is making her way to Lunetta’s caravan when she hears her name called out behind her. At first, she mistakes it for her sovereign’s. Her stomach sinks when she spots Seis walking over.

The knight had avoided her successfully thus far, but she was aware that she would at some point have to face the Ester. That would include acknowledging the incident back at the tavern, and Trinsi was very content not having to confront her own feelings on the matter.

“I don’t know if you’ve accepted the position yet. I hope this does not make you feel obligated to, but I made you this back in Cloakwood.” From behind her, she pulls a long parcel wrapped in a thick material. “I meant to give it to you before… Anyway, I hope it’s to your liking.”

Trinsi blinks in bewilderment, she was expecting more of a confrontation, not a gift from Seis.

As if reading her thoughts, the woman adds, “I made one for Cheron too. I just thought you guys could use an update.”

Still dumbfounded, Trinsi asks, “Can I open it?” She slaps herself mentally after the words leave her lips.

“Oh, yes by all means.”

As she suspected, it's a sword. No ordinary sword however. It’s slimmer than the sword she carries now, but not as slim as Seis’s, a comfortable weight. The grip is natural, she didn’t believe these things mattered in combat, but she can already feel the difference. She could be biased in thinking that she finds it better than Seis’s own sword.

“Thank you, this is… incredible.” She can’t draw her eyes from it. She would stare at it all night if it were up to her.

“I made the guard like this because I believe it will help you use your arm instead of your wrist when you…”

Trinsi gets lost in her words without understanding a word of the technical terms Seis was using. The woman is so excited that she doesn’t even notice that Trinsi isn’t following a word of it. The Syar doesn’t stop her however, because this, Seis talking nonsense, is what she would stare at all night if she could.

“...I can show you how to do that later since I told Cheron that I would walk him through it later,” she finishes. “Anyway I also told Usel, Cheron and Lunetta that I would teach them how to play Funnels right now. It’s a card game that apparently has been lost to the times, thankfully I was here to preserve such a historically significant tradition. You can join us if you’d like, we probably won’t have the chance to do it again for a while.”

With all the tension in the air lately, Trinsi can’t seem to recall the last time Seis said something in a joking matter. She finds this refreshing, and less intimidating than moments before.

“I’d like that,” she says with a half smile.

---

When they hit the road again, the weather is more forgiving. This eases Lunetta’s fear of an early winter. They not only had to make it back home before the snow came, but they also had to evacuate 45,000 people before the start of winter. The more she frets over it, the more her heart breaks. A part of her knows that even if they pull this off, they will lose many Syars.

What are they going to do?

A rustle in her immediate area catches her attention, instinctively she draws her bow and aims in arrow in the direction it came from. Or that she believes came from.

“You were not properly trained were you?”

Lunetta double takes in the direction of the voice, and for a moment she thinks she recognizes it, but no. The voice is not familiar.

“I do not come armed.”

A woman steps out from behind a tree on the side Lunetta isn’t facing. She whirls around with the arrow pointed at the stranger. The blond woman wears a dark green tunic with lightweight, black, leather armor. Not the colors the heiress recognizes as belonging to any kingdom.

“I only want to talk.”

Lunetta says nothing, her arrow remains aimed at her.

“Put it down before you hurt yourself, I know you are not trained in combat-” The woman is cut off by the appearance of Seis. Lunetta can only assume that the black blur is Seis.

The woman dodges the Ester’s sword, ducking under her attacker and sprinting around Lunetta. Seis is fast to meet her on the other side.

“Come on! I don’t... even... have… a weapon!” The strangers yells in exasperation, between her blocking and dodging. Even without armor or a weapon, she keeps up with the Ester’s speed fluently. The woman continues talking to herself, “Fine, I didn’t want to do this.”

With a loud crack of lightning she zaps from where she stands, to where Lunetta stands. She slaps her hand onto the Syar’s forehead.

“I will zap her face off if you don’t calm down Ms. Ester.”

Seis opens her mouth but Lunetta speaks up before she can make her own threat.

“Seis, I’ll hear her out.”

“She’s one of them Lune, a Storm,” Seis says with displeasure.

“I gathered as much after your reaction,” Lunetta remains calm when she speaks. She addresses the stranger, “As you can see my colleague is not a patient person, and to be completely honest with you, I am not either. Speak.”

“I want to help you,” the Storm starts. “You are coming upon my troop’s encampment, let me escort you around it.”

“And why would you do that?”

“I want to come with you guys.”

Seis’s eyebrows come together, “Why?”

“I don’t want to do it anymore. I can’t do it anymore.”

“I’m sorry, I find it difficult to take your word for it.” Lunetta frowns, “Your unhappiness with your comrades doesn’t persuade me. There would have to be a more severe reason to abandon your people, it’s not something you do on a whim.”

She shoots Seis a look that tells her to get rid of the intruder.

“I’ve had 6 children!” the stranger adds in a rush. Looking for the first time, desperate and hurt. “I’m only 21. I can’t watch them take anymore of my children. All they care about is multiplying their numbers, making more and more killing machines. All I ask for is freedom, leave me out of your politics if you desire or distrust me, although it would be in my best interest to help you.”

“Why us though? You could surely walk away and into any small town. They wouldn’t find you.”

“Any small town will see me as a threat. And if they’re in alliance with us already, then they have no choice but to report me to my superiors for not being at the front line.”

“Even if we believed your story, which I don’t, I can’t speak for Lunetta, but do you think the rest of the Syars wouldn’t see you as a threat? These people barely trust me, and I’ve been on their side from the get go.”

“That’s not completely true Dux Bellorum, there was a time when we fought for the same side. Why did the Esters stop serving the Stormdom? Because they no longer believed in what the Stormdom represented. Tell me, after you left, did you ever consider going back?”

“No.”

She looks at Lunetta, “Your ancestors over two hundred years ago took a risk by taking the Esters in, now I ask you to do the same for me. Please.”

Lunetta’s gaze drops on the floor, then moves to meet Seis’s, “I want to have faith in this person. I don’t trust her yet, but if what she says is true about the encampment… then I want to help her.”

The Ester hardly looks convinced, but she’s understanding. “We can’t tell anyone what she is. We can tell Usel, and we can tell Trinsi, but no one else can know. For now anyway.”

“I would be forever in your debt,” the Storm drops to her knee.

“What is your name?”

“My name is Yaril. You are the survivor, Lunetta Marfil. I cannot apologize for the actions of my comrades as I’ve had no say in matters of war, but I can help you stop it from happening to the rest of your people. I am a mere scout, but I can tell you all that I know.”

“Let us introduce you to General Usel, Seis please?” She means for the Ester to fetch him.

Seis shuts down that idea without a doubt, “I am not leaving you alone with her.”

“Right, let us go together.”

“We should stop at my caravan,” Seis says eyeing Yaril’s attire, “you can’t walk around in that.” Even without the armor, the colors would give her away as a Storm

---

Trinsi was mid-dinner when Ester barged into her tent. She’s embarrassed because she had been dodging the dining tent the last couple of nights. Not because of Seis… well actually, yes because of Seis.

She doesn’t know what to say, but Seis doesn’t appear to pay much mind to the fact that she’s avoiding the dining tent. She glances back to make sure the tent’s door flap closed behind her.

“I need to tell you something and you’re not going to like it,” she starts. “I don’t even like it all that much.”

Before Trinsi can stand up, Seis sits across her in front of the half table. Placing her hands on the table she continues, “I- I- I tried to convince her otherwise but, you know how she is.”

The woman across from her doesn’t even need to ask who, she knows Lunetta very well. “What did she do this time?”