Chapter 46

When Arran arrived at Jiang Fei’s cottage, he found the door closed, but some noises came from inside . He knocked on the door, then waited .

“One moment!” Jiang Fei’s muffled voice sounded through the door .

When she finally opened the door, Arran was startled at her appearance . Her hair was disheveled and there were dark rings around her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept in days .

“Sorry for making you wait,” she said with a faint smile . “Come in . “

As he entered, Arran saw that the main room of the cottage was in a state of chaos . The floor was littered with scrolls and piles of books, and he wondered just what Jiang Fei had been doing these past two weeks .

“Are you okay?” he asked . By now, he was beginning to feel worried about her .

“I’m fine,” she said, although she didn’t look it . “I’ve just been slightly busy . “

“Was that why you couldn’t see me earlier?” Arran asked, thinking of how little he had seen of her in the previous two weeks .

She nodded wearily . “There were some things I had to finish before we leave . “

“What could be so important?” Arran asked .

“I’ll show you,” Jiang Fei replied . “Now, where did I put…”

Without waiting for a reply, she started rummaging through the scrolls and books on the floor . Although Arran wondered how anyone could possibly find anything amid the chaos, she emerged after just a few moments, holding two scrolls in her hands .

“These are for you,” she said, handing the scrolls to Arran .

“What are these?” Arran asked . As he looked at the scrolls he could see that there was fresh handwriting on them, and he realized it belonged to Jiang Fei .

“The first contains my notes on Adept Kadir’s Windblade spell,” Jiang Fei said . “I know he gave you the spell when we left the monastery, but I also know you haven’t spent any time studying it yet . With these notes, you should have an easier time learning it . “

Arran blanched as he realized he had all but forgotten about Adept Kadir’s gift . The past half year he had spent on Body Refinement, and he hadn’t given a single thought to learning the spell the man had given him .

“The second,” Jiang Fei continued, “explains how to use Master Fireheart’s Shadow seals . Your Shadow seals were broken before you had a chance to learn them, so I have spent the past two weeks writing down everything I know about them for you . It should be enough for you to learn how to make your own seals . “

“Thank you,” Arran said, although he knew mere thanks were nowhere near enough for what Jiang Fei had done for him . He now understood why she had vanished for two weeks, and why she looked so exhausted — writing these scrolls was months worth of work, and she had done it in just two weeks .

“You don’t need to thank me,” she replied . “Just promise me that you’ll study both of them every day . “

“I will try,” Arran said .

Jiang Fei firmly shook her head . “Every . Day . “

“Alright,” Arran said . “You have my word . ” After Jiang Fei’s efforts, that was the least he could do .

Jiang Fei smiled, a satisfied look on her face . “There’s another thing I have for you,” she said .

“You’ve already given me too much,” Arran replied . “I can’t accept more . “

She ignored his words and walked over to one of the wooden closets on the side of the room, where she took out a black bundle of cloth which she gave to Arran .

“It’s a robe,” she said . “Try it on . You can change in the bedroom . “

Arran did as she said, careful not to step on any of the scrolls that were littering the floor as he walked to the bedroom .

The robe was simple and black, made from a silk-like fabric that was thick but supple, and lacking any unnecessary adornments . As soon as Arran put it on he could tell it was well-made, and it fit his body as if it had been made for him .

When he stepped out of the bedroom, a smile appeared on Jiang Fei’s face .

“Good,” she said . “Much better than those awful coats you like so much . “

“I wear those for a reason,” Arran objected . Although he liked the armored coats, his main reason for wearing them was the protection they offered .

“They make you look like a thug,” Jiang Fei said flatly . “But you won’t need them anymore . The robe is enchanted, and it should be strong enough to stop an arrow or a sword . “

“Enchanted?” Arran frowned as he spoke .

He knew little about enchantment, although he was reminded of the Memory Amulet he had taken from a group of bandits many months ago . Master Zhao had told him there were enchanting techniques inside, but to this day, Arran had been unable to sense the contents .

Putting aside his thoughts about the amulet, he asked, “How did you get your hands on an enchanted robe?”

Jiang Fei blushed . “I begged Uncle Bear for something I could give to you,” she said . “It took some pleading, but he finally gave me this robe . It’s one he wore himself when he was younger . “

Arran marveled at the thought of Lord Jiang being thin enough to fit in the robe, and he wondered just how many centuries ago that had been .

Suddenly, Jiang Fei stepped forward, and before Arran could react she hugged him . For several moments they stood silently, bodies pressed together . Finally, Jiang Fei broke the embrace, and when she stepped back, Arran could see there were tears in her eyes .

“I will miss you,” she said . Her voice trembled as she spoke .

“I will miss you too,” he replied, realizing that it was true .

He did not know exactly when it had happened, but during the time they had spent together, they had grown increasingly close . Now, Arran found himself wishing they did not have to part ways .

They spent the hours that followed together, talking to each other while walking through the estate’s gardens . As they walked, Arran felt the urge to take Jiang Fei’s hand, but each time he was about to do so, he felt a sudden wave of anxiousness .

He had fought to the death against bandits, a Jiang Clan swordsman, and even Academy mages . Yet now, he found himself anxious at the thought of holding Jiang Fei’s hand .

He shook his head at the absurdity of his sudden nervousness, and ignoring his hesitation, he reached out, taking Jiang Fei’s hand in his own .

To his relief, she accepted his hand quietly, moving closer to him as they kept walking . They talked about trivial things, both of them unwilling to discuss their imminent separation .

Finally, the light of the day began to fade .

“Will we see each other again?” Arran asked .

“We will,” Jiang Fei said . “I’ll make sure of it . Just… promise me you won’t die . “

Arran frowned . “I’ll definitely try to—”

“That’s not good enough,” she interrupted him . “Promise me . “

“I promise,” Arran said .

Even without the promise, he would, of course, do whatever he could to stay alive, no matter how many dead Academy mages and bandits it took . If that still wasn’t enough… well, it wasn’t like Jiang Fei could get angry at him if he was unable to keep the promise .

“You should go pack your things now,” Jiang Fei said . “After that, we’ll go see Uncle Bear . “

Arran frowned . “Pack my things? I thought I still had a few days left . “

Jiang Fei shook her head . “You have to leave tonight, before we do . The fewer people who know where you are, the better . After the fight with the Redstone branch, there will be people looking for revenge . Uncle Bear can protect me, but you… you will be by yourself . “

Less than an hour later, Arran was walking with Jiang Fei and Lord Jiang along the outer wall of the estate . They had already said their goodbyes, and now, Arran was about to leave — to travel to the Shadowflame Society, by himself .

“It should be right around here,” Lord Jiang said . “Ah! There it is!”

He pointed toward a seemingly unremarkable part of the wall . Only when Arran looked very closely could he make out a small door that had been painted to blend in with the rest of the wall .

“This leads to a small path outside the estate,” Lord Jiang said as he opened the door . “If you follow it for an hour or two, you should be able to bypass the city unnoticed . “

Arran nodded . The idea of leaving still filled him with worry, but there was nothing he could do about that now . At this point, all he could do was move ahead .

“One last thing,” Lord Jiang said . “That starmetal sword of yours… Take good care of it . As you use it, it will grow more powerful . “

“Thank you,” Arran said with a nod . “For everything . “

“Don’t mention it,” Lord Jiang replied . “I… ah, I will leave the two of you alone now . Good travels, and stay safe . “

With a last wave, Lord Jiang walked off, disappearing into the shadows moments later .

When Arran looked at Jiang Fei, he could see that her eyes were wet with tears . He tried to think of something to say, but no words would come . They stood there for a while, neither of them saying anything .

Finally, he leaned forward, putting his arm around her and pulling her close as he kissed her . The kiss lasted for some moments, and when they parted, Arran could feel his heart racing in his chest .

“We’ll meet again,” he said .

As he set stepped outside, he briefly felt some sorrow, both for leaving Jiang Fei and for the end of his time at the estate .

He knew that the road ahead was a dangerous one, and that it would be a long time before he would be safe again .