Deli rushed in, Brar falling behind her, as the Strongarm reached back, ripping out a tree. She knew she would be too late to stop it, but that wasn’t her job.

“If you’re fighting something bigger and stronger than you, and you’re on punish, you hit right after it attacks. Your job is to hurt it every time it hits one of your party. Keep away, keep behind it. You’re not trying to edge dance, that’s for faster folk. Let the Shield Guards keep its attention. Our job is being there, in the right place, at the right time, never giving the beasty a moment’s peace. Making sure it pays for every attack.”

It was advice given by an older, wiser hand. Gathered in one of her many talks with other warriors after taking up the axestaff, and one she would live by today.

She ran forward, ready to dodge to the side if the tree came down on her. Instead it threw, and she reacted as its arm came around with the throw. Deli was just in range to swing from below, and meet the descending fingers after they’d released, as they snapped back across the Strongarm’s front.

Axe met hand and Deli nearly lost it. The jolt of the impact was immense, her weapon thrown back like a twig. She had to spin it around to bleed the force of the impact. But she was rewarded with the sight of two of its fingers hanging limp and a pained growl.

“A truestrike!” A blow that could do temporary harm through Health. With daggers, she’d done it before, targeting eyes, neck, groin, but never on so large a monster. “My first as an Axe Breaker.”

Deli didn’t have time to consider or celebrate more, as the same hand swung out, almost backhanding her. She ducked under that, breathing harshly, and saw the other fist go up, before it tried to hammer her into the ground like a nail. Already in a low stance, Deli jumped forward and rolled, not an easy thing to do in snow, with an axeblade and armour. But she managed it, while snow splashed everywhere behind her from the impact of the large fist.

In the roll, she’d seen the tree branch send up a flurry of disturbed snow, where Frank had been. “Frank!” she called, not expecting an answer, not right away. But if he stayed quiet, she’d need to go dig him up, if Lilijah didn’t.

She landed on her feet, laying a weak blow into its back and side with the butt of her axestaff as she went past, running. The Strongarm reached for her, but couldn’t catch her, even with the snow slowing her down.

“Over here, you overgrown monkey!” Brar shouted, bashing his axe against his shield.

It blew out a breath while Deli was still running. Rather than chase, it came after him. Deli immediately slid to the side, turning back, keeping her feet in the shifting snows with the same Skill that helped her Dance on ice. A convenient tree to bounce off of also let her do it quicker.

A Strongarm Burrower was immensely strong, tough, and had a good Threat Sense. But it was neither the smartest, nor most Agile of monsters. She could glimpse Brar falling back, steadily, buying distance and time. It fell on its forward hands and advanced on all fours, picking up speed. Deli heard the twangs of a bow, so Lilijah was doing her part, somewhere beyond its bulk.

As it got close the Strongarm raised its hands high above its head, its almost human legs barely holding it up as it reared up to crush Brar. Deli buried her axe into the back of its knee. That hardly stopped it, causing only another pained growl deep in its throat.

The fists came down like an avalanche.

Brar turned his retreat around in an instant, unable to get out of range. Instead, he stepped in and to the side, raising his shield not to block fully, but angling to deflect.

Only one of the large fists coming down struck him, and it was a glancing blow. It still sent him sprawling. The Strongarm didn’t waste any time. While Deli took her firm stance, panting for air, it settled back on its ass, half-heartedly swatting at her. She ducked that careless swat, flipped her axe, and buried her spike into its thick fur on the back.

The monster meanwhile grabbed Brar by his feet and lifted him up like a doll, bashing him into the snow and earth, once, twice. There was another twang, this one closer, as Deli noticed Lilijah had halfed the distance between them. The same glance caught Frank getting back into the fight.

The screech from the Strongarm as the arrow struck its face was actual agony. It hurled Brar at Lilijah, and she barely jumped his body as it flew under her and plowed into the snows, rolling like a tossed stone.

Deli got in another blow, before it was time to run. But just as the monster turned to her, another line of fire struck it, in the face this time. It hardly slowed it down, the Strongarm using its hands to almost throw itself forward, its feet flying behind it in the air like a flag. Not that she had time to watch as Deli ran for her life. She slipped between trees, fighting for every breath, and used branches and trunks to speed herself up. Trees that didn’t slow it down any, but instead burst before its charge, spraying her with splinters that struck her back and feet like spears.

Deli stumbled under the blows, and feared the monster would catch her. Despite the pain, she kept her feet and ran on for her life. If anything, she got distance. She heard it stop and risked a glance back, without stopping. She saw it raise a large lump of frozen earth from the ground.

Deli ducked behind a wide trunk just in time for it to throw. The tree shuddering and shaking, as the boulder bounced off it, cracking the trunk. But the tree did not fall.

She risked another glance Deli saw the Strongarm slapping itself, blinking repeatedly. Multiple arrow shafts were sticking out of its chest, and it kept one eye closed.

The Strongarm was suddenly a dark shadow inside a blinding burst of light, as fire washed over it again. This time it came from its back, and Deli could feel the mix of cold and warm winds go past her face. As the fire cleared, she saw madness in its eyes. The thing was beyond hunting for food, consumed by a murderous, vengeful fury. It would not be satisfied with simply grabbing one of them, and carrying them away.

It grabbed the tree to its side and used it to spring back around, hurling itself back at her party.

Deli ran after it, but it had some distance now, and she was slowing down. Brar was back up, his armour a bit crumpled, but no worse off for the smashing. He stepped right into the Strongarm without fear, shield raised, axe swinging. Both shield and axe landed, but that barely slowed it down. It smashed into him with a massive elbow as it ran him over. He rolled with the blow, spinning, stumbling away, winded, but still not out of the fight.

More, he managed to keep his feet and ran right after it.

There was another bow twang, Lilijah landing another shot to its chest, but it was only a needle prick to the monster. One that was slowing it down, if she’d heard right, but Deli couldn’t see the difference.

The monster crossed the distance at a charge, and while Deli raced past Brar, she wasn’t fast enough to reach it first. Not before it threw a massive slap at Frank.

Just before it landed, brilliant yellow flames erupted from Frank, going right through the Strongarm. The line of the flames extending beyond its back a little, where the previous blast has stripped more fur from it.

Frank did try to back away from it, but the massive hand slapped him away like he was as light as a Bones. A second burst of fire went flying to the side as he fell. Deli didn’t hesitate, ending her charge by swinging her axe into its back with all her strength. Still striking fur, as she was unable to reach up, where the fur was burned away, not with an effective blow.

The spike went in, causing another wound, but the damn thing still had Health!

It spun around suddenly, ripping the axe from her hands and both its arms came around, like a living wall, ploughing the earth and snow. There was nowhere to go. Feeling her Stamina nearly bottom out, Deli gathered whatever she still had left, and leapt, spinning in the air to let the arms pass under her feet. She crashed to the ground in a heap, her legs failing her.

Moments after she did, Brar and Lilijah attacked the Strongarm, axes first, burying them it its stomach.

Deli wasn’t sure which one did it, but both blows bleed in rivulets, sinking deep. Sinking into it, as if they were striking dead flesh, not a living monster.

***

Frank got up to his feet, running on empty. That last one had hurt. Probably not as much as it could have, as he still had Health. This thing was much tougher then he gave it credit for, and it was supposed be vulnerable to fire.

Well, they’d hurt it, but he wasn’t sure they could kill it.

Just then, both Lilijah and Brar shouted: “Health Break!”

The monster took another swing at them, undaunted, maddened by the pain. Its fist slammed right into Brar, who threw his shield before the other two party members. It slammed into him, and threw him to the ground again, both him and Deli tangled together. Lilijah struck the gorilla with another axe and hammer blow each, but while it was starting to break bones and truly bleed, it wasn’t dying fast enough.

Frank decided it was time to dip into his contingency plans. He was out of mana, but not out of power. One of the things he’d started doing with his experiments was trying to figure out how to make runes hold mana.

And he had. Long ago. He just hadn’t known it.

His permanent heat stones did it. The work just had to be perfect, every step of the way. If there was even the slightest imperfection, in the material, carving, the channelling to empower it?

It failed, leaked more than it could take in.

But with a full stone? Frank was pretty sure he didn’t need extra mana to blow it up.

Palming the only permanent heat stone he still had on him, he slammed his will down on it, to break, to burst, and felt it respond. He threw it at the monster. In the moment of release, Frank saw himself. Saw the endless hours spent carving, each line clear in his head.

Unlike when he threw every other stone, with this one, a choice was before him, as he released. Choices like, yet different to the ones he got when he channelled the flames directly.

Not his to make now, but one he’d already made without realising it, when he carved it. He’d wanted a hearth, a fireplace. A stone to warm body, fingers and hands. Steady, constant, and all around.

The stone struck the Strongarm in the back, and detonated into a fireball. But it was unlike any other he’d thrown. Runes, the very runes he’d carved into it in Red Sun, spread out along the flames. The ensuing sphere was smooth, sharp, controlled in a way the fires never were. Always, they looked wild, like a river of turbulent fire spilling out of him, even if they stuck to clearly defined limits.

Here, the sphere was filled with rotating flaming pillars, spreading from the core, breaking up into smaller licks of fire that were turned back by a boundary, like a mechanical blueprint of some complex mechanism.

And then they were gone, winking out, the stone spent.

The Strongarm Burrower crumpled to the ground like a felled tree, leaving the clearing suddenly silent but for the heavy breathing and pants of the party.

“Health Check!” Frank ordered, worried about scavengers, or opportunistic Demons. He wasn’t doing too well himself.

Health = 10/42

Mana = 0

His entire front was one big bruise, and his back was criss-crossed with lines of pain where the tree branch and its branches had hit, raked and rolled over him.

“29. Out of Stamina.” Deli gasped, standing up with some assistance. Her hands were shaking.

“Barely nicked. 51.” Lilijah said, voice thick with satisfaction.

“12.” Brar shrugged. “It’s bad if it grabs you. That’s when its Strength can be truly bought to bear.”

Well, that was better than expected.

Lilijah drew a horn out and Frank had to snap: “Hold!”

Her hand froze. “What?!” She asked in a sharp tone, but not loudly. “We cannot drag this all the way back to town on our own.”

“I do not intend to.”

While the loss of Health was regrettable, the blood of a Body six monster could be brewed by a Master Cook into Health Brew. It was the main ingredient, as the Cook had freely shared. And the Reclaimers had one that would love to do so, for a portion of the product.

“The priest doesn’t have a monopoly on Health Recovery and healing.”

That was what would make this all worth it. The flesh, blood, bones, hide, it would all sell well, true. But for him, the real gain would be the brews.

Their whole party was perfect bait for one of these. Stronger parties, much like stronger dead, would scare them away with their Threats. So would large ones.

But a party like this? It would seem like easy prey, because Threat Sense didn’t work on mages properly. Or if it did, it didn’t do so at lower Skill tiers. Frank didn’t have it, himself, and only the basics were covered in Command and Tactic classes.

The point was, they’d done it. But now that they had…

In his many lessons, after he got the staff, Deli had told him of a ritual sacrifice. One that could be used with a staff made from the Eternal Tree, to empower and enchant it, by sacrificing the body of a Body six monster to the weapon. It was a unique opportunity to see Achievement enchanting magic in practice.

If he could get them to agree...

***

Lilijah was not having it. Deli might agree with Frank, but she could see Brar was doubtful. Her biggest fear was that Frank would simply order her silent, as she dared argue with him.

“Well maybe an enchanted staff and a few choice cuts are worth more to the party whole, then all we could butcher from it. But even if it was, most of it would be going to you personally!”

“And I would give up the rest in your favour, to compensate.” He said, as if it was reasonable.

She didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust him, not in this. He wasn’t about to get her killed, that was now apparent, with how little harm she’d taken in the fight.

But he might be trying to cheat her, and she couldn’t take that chance.

“And if this was our third, or fourth hunt, you’d have a point. But I’ve yet to see fur, hide or meat from this joining, and I’ve been left out in the cold before. I’ll not make it easier for you, meaning no offense.”

Brar was looking at her thoughtfully, while Frank held his hand to his nose, frustrated. Brar spoke up first.

“Girl’s got a point. You both do. It’s not everyday, we’ll get a catch like this. They’ll be wise to it now. And there little enough time to argue, before scavengers show up. You’ve heard the objection. While I’ll not throw my support behind it, it is not without merit to me. But you’re party leader Frank, so make your choice, and do so quickly. We cannot linger here on our own. It will draw others.”

Gods damn it, of course he would choose himself!

Deli laid her hands on Frank’s shoulder and looked tenderly into his eyes, making Lilijah want to spit. The two of them had to be lovers. “I trust you to act honourably Frank.” She said simply, offering support. Support for them to rob her.

“You can’t-“ she started only to be cut off by a single word so sharp her teeth clicked shut.

“Quiet.” He ordered.

Frank screwed his eyes shut, and while the fool was putting on a show of a “difficult decision” Lilijah still did her job, watching for threats, keeping her mouth firmly shut. She was not going to break an Oath to the Gods over this. That would be foolish beyond reason.

Brar and Deli dealt with the slowly gathering Snow Shades. Well, Brar mostly did.

It was quite a performance, worthy of the damned Bards. His face frowned, his fists clenched, and he muttered nothings to himself, in some foreign tongue. Or it was just nonsense put on for their benefit, but Lilijah wasn’t fooled. For all the pretence, the choice was already made.

Slowly, he relaxed, expelling a deep breath. His eyes opened and they lacked the glee she expected.

“Fine. You’re right. Call it in. It’s just such a shame…”

Lilijah didn’t hesitate or give him a chance to change his mind. She didn’t blow the horn, she wasn’t a fool. She’d only taken it out because she was well trained. To warn the leader she was about to send out a call.

But she didn’t want to draw the attention of every living thing nearby, not if they hadn’t been called or scared away by the noise already. Instead she sang the call of a Redbeak. Scavenger birds that fed on scraps, but repeated so the other Scouts would hear and know it.

She heard the responding calls, and knew they’d be labourers and guards along soon to fetch the catch. They would take their cut, but it would still leave a lot for the party. More, if they could carry some themselves.

For that, she unhitched her cloak, and placed it on two stubby snow skies from her pack, hitching a few supports to make her sled. The more meat and hide she could pull up herself, the less they’d have to pay.

Brar was doing the same with a large waterskin, filling it with fresh blood, while resting it on his shield. He could then pull it behind him as well. Frank wasn’t taking any for himself, and soon she spotted why. Deli wasn’t dealing with the Snow Shades. Frank was. Deli was slumped next to the Strongarm, on the other side from her, trying to catch her breath.

Lilijah had overestimated her Stamina. She might even need help walking back up. It would lose them some meat, due to her weakness.

“And my mistake.” she admitted to herself. She had not understood just how bad her Stamina troubles were.

***

It took two bells to have the catch carried back to town, weighed and butchered. The fur was mostly worthless, not good for anything but scraps, ruined by all the fire. Especially at the end, when it lacked Health to protect it.

The meat was in parts charred, but usable, and they managed to catch most of the blood. All on all, it was a good catch, if not a great one. The fur was the most coveted part and its loss stung. It made for superior Heavy Armour and sold well.

Lilijah still got a significant share, and was ready to split. Brar was the same, already one foot turned away when Frank asked: “And what are you two doing?”

Brar frowned at him, and Lilijah was no longer under any Oath to obey. Still, it had been a successful hunt, and he hadn’t fucked her over yet. She stuck around to hear what he had to say. It was only polite.

“We’re off to sell our winnings.”

“Seems wasteful.” he told them.

“And why is that?” She asked, not quite suspicious, yet. He’d earned some rope.

“Merchants will offer better prices for a full party deal, rather than playing us all off each other, to lower the price.”

“What you on about?” She asked him. “Guards and labourers will already be selling their shares, while we waste time on words.”

“Listen, I don’t know how good your Bargaining is”, and if that wasn’t a way to put her in her place, she was a bird. “but I’ve some Skill with it. I think we would all get more out of it, if we went together, as a party.”

Brar squinted at him: “How am I to work on my own Bargaining Skill, if you do it for me?”

Frank held up his hands in surrender, changing his game: “If that is your wish, that’s fine. So long as we all Bargain at the same place, at the same time, and decide as a group, to accept or decline.”

“That’s queer way of going about it.” Brar commented.

Lilijah had harsher words for it.

“I like it! Let’s try it, at least once. It might be interesting!” Brar went on before she could speak up.

And now she felt trapped by politeness. She should have spoken up, not hesitated.

It was easier when she suspected them, somewhat. Now she had to be presentable, polite. Professional, or risk scaring them away. Looking over her share of the catch, she had something to lose now.

“Fine.” She huffed. “If you’re all so set on it.”

She wasn’t. She didn’t want them to see. To have to watch as she got robbed by another merchant. Hells, for them to agree with him, that he was doing her a favour, as so many did.

Lilijah didn’t want to actually hate the only party in town that would take her.

***

Brar was not the sharpest hand. No, he was steady. That was his nature. He had two sons and a daughter, as was right. At thirty eight, he felt he was doing well in life. He wasn’t sure what plot the Empire man was spinning, but he seemed one of the good ones. The ones that plot for the good of their party. Or so heads wiser than him had advised Brar, when asked.

Brar knew himself. His own talents and limitations. His whole body aching from being thrown around like some toy hammer? Happened every month or so. Monsters did that. Last time he’d been stuck in the jaws of one. That was life as a Shield Guard.

He was no great talent. But had worked diligently on his Skills and Abilities. Getting to where he was. A respectable warrior, and a family man was Brar. Give him food, drinks, and good company. He hardly needed other things. They were for others to ponder.

But there was something wrong, watching Lilijah try to Bargain. He only had the Skill at two, but she was terrible indeed. Easily riled, and once so, led by the nose. It was a shame. But losing was how people learned.

She’d learn as well. As he had.

That was their way, to rise from struggles. Recover from pains and losses. Or die. As the other two had.

This was only the third merchant today. Brar was getting fed up with it. Not with going to each one. That was only common sense. Visiting each until one gave a good deal. But with how long it took, each time.

***

They’d retired to Frank and Deli’s house, for the voting.

Lilijah didn’t understand. It wasn’t pity, she knew that. It was some kind of merchant trick, being played here. Not on her, but with her. Frank and the merchant were the players. She’d been given the best deal of her life. But the same merchant had given the rest of them just slightly worse deals in turn.

Frank was merrily laughing at it all, like it was a big joke. “That oily snake, read me and the rest of them like a damn book!” He said between guffaws, slapping his knees.

They were never going to agree to that. “Why would they?”

Her only mercy was that they were in private for this. That she didn’t have to face this in the open, where every rumour hungry fool would overhear her shame.

Lilijah couldn’t get it past her lips, to suggest taking that deal. It would be robbing them of their fair prices to pay her.

“So, is anyone still unclear on the point of this exercise?” Frank asked, still fighting back chuckles.

“We Bargained. A long while too. Time to take one and move on.” Brar said simply, but there was a knowing glint in his eye. Like he was in on it.

“Yup. So, which deal would everyone like to take?”

“Bilkir’s.” Deli and Brar said together. “He gave the best deal to the most of us.” Deli argued.

“True, true. For me, I think I’d prefer Ruter’s. What about you Lilijah?”

That was the one. It was pity. It had to be. And she didn’t want any of it.

“Bilkir’s” She said firmly.

“I will not take charity. I am no firekeeper, to beg others to protect me.”

“Truly? I thought you might say that.” He told them. “Would anyone like to see the tally?”

He pulled out a notebook he’d been scribbling in all along, and they all crowded around it. Lilijah joined in, not to stand out.

Taking on a tone more befitting an elder laying down some profound wisdom, Frank preached:

“While it’s true that Bilkir’s offer is the best for the three of us, when added up, Ruter’s is the best for the whole party. And as leader, it’s my job to judge what’s best for everyone.”

He said it like it was normal, ordinary. “Of course, it would have been better if that damn skinner hadn’t figured out what I was going for and cut it so closely, but that’s Bargaining for you.” Frank shrugged.

Brar looked at him doubtfully while Lilijah held her breath, hardly able to swallow. “What was he doing?” Because it didn’t sound like pity. It sounded like he actually believed it was the right choice.

“You telling me you’re looking after my needs and wishes Frank? By asking me to take less coin?” Brar asked, sceptical.

“Yes.” Frank told him firmly.

“I don’t see it.” Brar rebuffed, immediately.

Frank’s shoulders slumped. He took a breath, and firmed up again, while Lilijah felt discomfort crawl up her guts and settle there. He wasn’t giving up.

“Brar, we joke you’re short, yes?” Frank began.

“Everyone does.” He replied, at peace with it.

“Now think what it would be like, if some merchants decided that because you were short, you needed to eat less. So obviously they could pay you less for the same goods.”

“That would be silly.” Brar denied. “If one did, I’d just go to another.”

“Sure.” Frank replied. “And when you did, he’d offer you a better price. But much like this one knew what I was up to, so too would that merchant know about how the other Merchant felt. You’d get a better price… but never a fair one.”

“That’s stupid.” Brar replied to that. “If they kept doing that, I’d have no reason to stick around. No short warrior would. There’s always more need for fighters elsewhere.”

“True. But what if it was winter, and you couldn’t leave? Or the caravans didn’t come, say, due to demon attacks.” Frank kept going, casually.

Wheels were starting to spin behind Brar’s eyes. He looked at Lilijah, and it was like he was looking through her. She wanted to disappear, to hide her shame, her failure. It was hers. Frank had no right to meddle.

“Girl.” Brar snapped out when she looked away. “When’s the last time you got a good deal on your catch?” he hammered at her.

She hissed, her heart hurting from it all. “Quarter before my Da died.” she managed to spit out, and it felt like she was swallowing ice. Hot and cold all over her skin, but she wasn’t going to back down.

Brar looked at her, considering, while Deli? Deli finally got to pity. Lilijah didn’t want it. Frank, that fucker, was looking pleased. Like he’d done something grand.

Brar looked to Deli next: “He really go after you, all on his own?”

“Yes.” She answered without hesitation. “He really did. I did not ask for it, or wish it. You know what he told me when he found me?” She asked, her voice humorous. “He said: ‘My life. My choice.’ Soft hearted as it is, I do not think him a fool.“

Brar snorted. “You made it. Enough said.” His head bobbed in consideration. “So did we, come to think of it.”

He considered Frank for another moment. Lilijah did too. It was missing. The patting on his back. He didn’t look down on her. Didn’t pity her either. Didn’t do any of it. He just looked… at peace. Like it was normal to do this. Like the act itself was worthy, righteous, not a favour to poor Lilijah that he was so kind to offer.

It didn’t fit.

“You’d do that for any in your party, or only the pretty ones?” Brar joked.

“Yes.” Frank said, and it was strange how he said it. Not firm or soft, insistent or defensive. He said it like ordering milk. “The sky is grey. Snow is white. I’ll take off alone into the snows after you, if you fall behind. Whether you want me to, or not.”

“Within reason.” Frank clarified casually, and that was the worst part. Because a fool would only get themselves killed. He hadn’t. To her it was already unreasonable, but he clearly disagreed.

“But why?” Lilijah found herself asking, the words escaping from the bottom of her heart. Unable to understand this odd Empire man that would risk his life for a stranger. One who might resent him for doing so. Like she currently was for his meddling. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

He’d been lucky with Deli.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” He said, in the same calm, steady tone. Lilijah didn’t understand. It obviously wasn’t. He seemed to get that, because he kept talking:

“Do not trouble yourselves over it. There is no debt. It’s my choice, my life, to do with as I please. If I am trusted to walk into the snows, and to my death, then this too is mine to choose.”

Deli chimed in: “I think his Cult considers it a Sin. To refuse aid, when it can be freely given.”

Frank mulled that over, but nodded at the end.

She went on: “Within reason, though what he considers reasonable is a matter of some disagreement.” Deli insisted, starting to rub her knuckles into the side of his head.

“Ah, ow, oww.” Frank protested, trying to fend her off. “I already apologised about the bloody roots woman, what more do you want?”

“Almost setting fire to our house?”

“That was one time!”

Brar started chuckling at their antics, and it brought pause to the whole party.

“You know, so long as you listen to what’s reasonable and not? I suppose I’ve no problem with that.”

He nodded firmly. “Ruter’s then.”

Lilijah felt wrong all over. Like the world had gone mad. “I don’t want your pity!”

Brar turned in place in a flash, his hands slamming down on her shoulders, though he had to reach up a little to do so. It nearly dropped her to her knees.

“Now listen here Hunter. You’re spitting on my faith, and you don’t want to do that. If the leader and I are willing to bet on you? You say thank you.” He shook her like a hound with a bone. “You make sure you use that coin to solve whatever troubles that ail you, to grow. As is, there’ll be times to pay it forward, with this lot.”

He snorted, his face severe. Frank tried to speak but Deli pulled him back.

“If you don’t waste this chance, or disappoint me. Don’t place your burdens on my shoulders. I want a capable Hunter in my party, not a little girl. That’s how we catch bigger, better things.”

He paused for a moment, and his eyes were clear, cruel even.

“Are you going to step out into the cold with us? Or let your troubles hold you back? Will you huddle around the false fires of your pride? Because if so, I’ve no use for you! Which will it be, Lilijah?”

He shook her again, but she managed to break it off, ripping his hands off her.

As she backed away, the look Brar pinned her with was serious, final. “Which are you?” He challenged. “Girl or Woman?”

Lilijah only really knew one way to respond to a challenge like that, for all it made her guts twist and writhe, inside. Was she doing the right thing? Was she letting them talk her into a mistake, a debt she did not want? Bonds and binds with a party that would only reel her in, deeper into debt, until she had to take up Oaths to mend the balance?

She wasn’t sure, and she felt cornered, trapped. But Lilijah could only give one answer and live with herself.

“Woman, damn you all!”

***

That was not… exactly how Frank had thought that would go. Or hoped it would. Brar was pleased, Deli wasn’t, Lilijah was pissed, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it all.

“But at least she’s in. We’ll work on it. That’s what matters in the end. Not meaning anything malicious, a willingness to admit to mistakes, and working at it until the bumps and bruises are past us. That’s just how real relationships and bonds are built. It’s easy to fake, pretend closeness with an acquaintance, or a co-worker. A fellow soldier, or warrior.”

He sighed, while Lilijah and Brar wrestled in the snow. She had not been happy with him shaking her.

“A party needs to be more than that.”

“At least, I won’t have one, one that isn’t. Not if I don’t have to. This may draw drama like moths to a flame, but at least it won’t have one of the members plotting the downfall of another, or quitting suddenly from some hidden ill or dissatisfaction.”

…

“Or it shouldn’t, if I do my job well.”

After all, everyone had a moment when they wanted to kill that annoying brother, sister, or cousin, at one time or another.

That was different. It didn’t count.