Anton's eyes slowly opened to the weak morning rays, coming from a direction he was not accustomed to. Nor was the bed his own, larger and softer than his in Atros. A cold wind slowly washed over him and two bodies pulled closer. Verona and Kal almost lay on top of him, pushing themselves onto his chest and wrapping their legs around his. They cared not that his feet were now clawed, especially during a cold night. However, someone was missing. Anton gently and slowly pulled his arm away from Kal's waist, careful not to wake her as he watched her ears for the slightest movement, and searched the bed beyond. His hands found nothing. The bed was cold and Cetina wouldn't sleep on the same side as Verona.

He lifted his head slightly and found her, standing naked watching the morning sun poking through the early morning mist and fog. The dim light bounced off Cetina's exceptionally well trained body.

Cetina shuddered, her back and legs muscles twitched underneath her tanned skin, and gripped the edge of the small window. She did not attempt to close it nor move, just standing still and looking out. Her black hair, still only an inch long, was compressed in a line, where the thin strap of her eyepatch lay.

Anton slowly moved Verona and Kal off his body, neither woke but it was very close, and shuffled across the bed, keeping his feet high as to not catch the ends on the fabric. His feet, his claws, gently clicked onto the wooden floor. Still Cetina did not move. She continued to look at the sunrise, only her shallow breaths let Anton know she was still alive.

She didn't notice him approaching until he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She jumped, the muscles underneath his fingers twitched in anticipation for a fight, and her head snapped to his. Any hint of anger or annoyance faded when she realized who held her.

"Watching the sunrise?" Anton softly asked.

He wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled himself close to her body. Cetina's hands held his arms as she wiggled her body back and forth, trying to gain as much contact as possible.

"Your hands are freezing." Anton kissed her neck. "Have you been here for a while?"

"A little bit." Cetina turned and kissed his forehead. "Probably too long, actually. I didn't even notice how cold I was until you held me." Cetina softly sighed. "I'm just wondering if this was the right thing to do. To come back here, seeing everything I left behind."

Cetina shivered and pulled Anton closer. "I don't know if it was the right thing to do."

"I think it is." Anton let her go and stood by her.

The sun sent streams of light over the clouds, producing a beautiful halo in the sky. If he didn’t know better he could very well be convinced it was made by god.

“Really?”

Anton leant against the window. Thankfully it was a wooden railing, not cold like the surrounding stone. Cetina followed, close enough for their elbows to touch.

“You think this is the right thing?”

“I think that you would always wonder what happened to Thessos if you didn’t.” Anton looked at her, she remained blank faced and urged him to continue. “We would have only heard rumours, distorted by time and distance, people wanting to embellish the stories in an attempt to impress.”

Cetina smiled. “When we were heading to the Red Spines the stories about us were already spreading there. They really changed you.”

“Yeah…” Anton idly scratched the base of the stone window. “I remember some people back on my world, Earth, that let their doubt destroy them. Always wondering and waiting to find out the truth, even when asking a simple question would settle so many things…”

“Was that you?” Cetina leant her head against his.

“No...But it was one of my friends.” Anton sighed softly. “I think you would find this hard to imagine but I didn’t have many...This isn’t supposed to be about me. Today it’s about you.”

“Keep going.” Cetina kissed the side of his head. “It’s actually helping.”

“I…” Anton stretched out his tail. “I didn’t do much apart from work and use a computer at home. Think of a computer as a...Book with moving pictures, where you can ask it anything and it’ll give you the answer.”

“Really? Everything?”

“K-Kind of. But it’ll probably give you the wrong one. But I did have a few friends outside of work. You know my memory isn’t the best, but it is something that I do remember. It broke them, not knowing.” Anton held Cetina’s hand. “And I didn’t want to see that happen to you.”

Cetina returned the squeeze. “Everyone that sees me...Sees my armour, talks about Bebbezzar and how it’s doing terribly. I suppose I would only worry more and more if I didn’t know.”

“Not to mention we can help them now and they can help us. Mainly through trade but that’s a good start.” Anton smiled. “Not that it’s really a good thing to say right now.”

“It still feels weird.” Cetina looked to the door. “Feels like that door’s going to open and I’m going to be yelled at.”

Anton stood upright and kissed her. When they parted Cetina still looked a little bemused.

“That’s never going to happen to you again, you know that. Right?”

Cetina pinched his arm. “How old do you think I am? I’m younger than you but not by much.”

“I know.” Anton pried her fingers from his skin. “But I still wanted to say it.”

Cetina smiled and looked out the window. “Thank you.”

“Now,” Anton rubbed her stomach, his fingers trailing over the edges of her abdominal muscles, each twitching in turn. “If you’re going to be naked in front of me you’re asking for trouble.”

“Trouble?” Cetina laughed once.

She immediately covered her mouth and glanced at the bed. Verona and Kal were still asleep, Verona mumbled something as her hand searched for the missing source of warmth. Anton gently pushed Cetina by her lower back towards the bed. Verona continued to search for his warmth as Kal silently raised the covers and beckoned them under.

“Did we wake you?” Anton asked softly.

“No. But I’m not so clumsy to search for a warm body.” Kal yawned and pointed at Verona. “She woke me up when she put her fingers in my eyes.”

“I don’t think that we’re going to get much more sleep with you two like that.” Kal smiled and ushered them in. “But the air is still cold. So why don’t you, at the very least, get under here before you do anything.”

Anton was not about to argue with that.

---[]---

“More bacon please!” Calo said loudly, waving her hand to catch the attention of the nearest servant. Verona agreed and gave the rather bemused servant a deep nod.

“O-Of course. I will get seconds...For all of you.”

Verona smiled at the twins. “You two have very good tastes.”

“It is good.” Sheso frowned at Calo. “But I didn’t take you for a glutton, like Verona.”

Verona and Calo scoffed.

“I’m eating for two.” Verona announced proudly. “So I have to eat a lot of meat so my baby will be strong. Can’t do that if you don’t eat right. Right, Cetina?”

“Yes.” Cetina roughly cut her food. “But I don’t think that’s what I meant when I said it.”

Anton scanned the large room for anyone watching. They sat in a large mess hall, one of the people of the actual Thessos castle rather than those of the town. Many had already finished and left for their day’s work, albeit begrudgingly trudging into the cold snow, but many were still present, especially women and children whose tasks were more likely to be indoors.

Kal cut her food into tiny pieces, biding her time as she watched from beneath her mask. When she thought no one was watching she placed it onto a large spoon and shovelled it into her mouth. She made pleasant noises as she slowly nodded.

“It’s good. I think I’d like to have some for our travels. If they’re willing to give us any.”

The servant returned with two small plates of steaming cooked bacon, brown breads and hard cheeses. They already had many vegetables, whomever was cooking probably wanted them, as Ines’s guests, to have only the best.

“Thank you.” Verona clapped. “This smells fantastic.”

“I thought it might.” A voice said. Anton turned to see Ines approaching, four heavily armoured guards behind her. “It’s not really an export but it is well regarded in the nearby villages and towns.”

“We saw many that were deserted.” Anton said softly. “Are they worried about more Clansmen attacks?”

“They are.” Ines said softly. She chose a seat at the end of the table. Sheso and Cetina shuffled slightly to give her some room. “But they’re also not willing to contribute much to our defence.”

“A true shame.” Anton said. “But they have their own lives to live. A few logs and cut stone wouldn’t go amiss however.”

“Even if it would do little the gesture would be greatly appreciated.” Ines sighed softly. Her eyes looked over the steaming food. “I hope you like our selection.”

“It’s very good.” Verona smiled. “Could we take some on our journey? This is fantastic.”

“Of course...Will you be leaving today?” Ines picked at her fingers.

“There isn't much more for us to do.” Cetina softly replied. “Right now...Well, there’s not much else. Thessos is recovering but we need as many resources as we can back home, so we can’t give much in the way of materials. Regardless, we can come and go as we please but…”

“I understand.” Ines held Cetina’s hand. “I just didn’t think I would ever see you again.”

Cetina smiled. “I never thought I would see Thessos again. Never...What do you have there?”

Cetina nodded to a small piece of paper tucked neatly into Ines’s shirt. She drew the paper and passed it to Cetina. Cetina frowned, her lips quivered as she mouthed the words and eventually handed it to Anton.

The piece of paper was a letter, emblazoned with a fanciful crest, requesting any forces to come to the aid of the beleaguered royals.

“Everything that can be spared.” Anton said aloud. “Do they know what’s happened to Thessos? Or is this just a general letter they sent out to everyone?”

“Why did it take them this long?” Kal asked as she took the letter.

“They have been too busy fighting each other.” Ines said softly. “Even though there is only one young princess left. If she dies the Royal blood line is finished."

"Young princess?" Verona asked softly.

"But now they must truly understand the terrible situation they are in. Revolutionaries to the East, renegade Merchant Princes to the south and chaos in the center...It's a complete mess."

"We've passed through a few cities that have escaped the violence." Anton said. "But it's only a matter of time before they too get dragged into this."

"Indeed." Ines glumly nodded. "Indeed. But there is little that Thessos can do, other than protect ourselves and fend off any further Clansmen attacks. That is all we can do."

Feels a bit like us and Atros. I'd love to reclaim all of the Kar Kingdom and free the Beastkin, but it's simply beyond our reach. For the moment.

"I do not think there's going to be an easy answer." Anton caught another maid approaching. "I just hope that whoever wins doesn't try and take vengeance upon you by saying neutral."

"Do you think that could happen?" Ines thanked the maid. It was the same maid involved with the Clansmen attack. "They would attack us, after everything we've done to keep them safe from the Clansmen?"

"Depends. If the Royals regain control, maybe? Depending on the temperament of whomever is in charge. Same with the Merchant Princes to the south. Though...I think the more ruthless will succeed there. But as for those Revolutionaries, who's to say there. They're spreading out, like a cancer."

"Yes..." Ines bit her lip and looked out the window. "We've had a few agitators come through...I wish Gerin was here." Ines threatened to tear up. "He would know what to do. He was always good with numbers and economics."

Ines laughed. "All I ever did was eat and organize festivals."

"Speaking of the Clansmen," Verona stopped eating for a moment. "What did he do? Exactly?"

The maid's eyes narrowed, just for a moment before shooting open again. She did not apologise but the thought was obvious.

"As I said before, he and the other Clansmen attacked Thessos and the central keep. After killing the Bodyguard-"

"Never liked that thing." Ines grumbled. "Hated the way it breathed and looked at us. Gerin...I don't know what he was thinking when he bought it."

"It?" Kal asked. "Not him? I didn't think you owned slaves?"

"Not a slave...But in the same way that you own an animal. Or a house."

Anton raised a brow. "And someone just agreed to be bought like that?"

"I..." Ines looked to Mila. "I always had the feeling that it didn't have any thoughts. Those Stitch Soldiers didn't appear to have much in the way of thoughts."

"Stitch soldiers?" Cetina's head snapped to Anton.

"Did this Bodyguard look like he was actually held together by stitches?" Anton asked. He glanced around the room, fearful of another incident like the Qaiviel throne room, but the walls were solid stone. The roof and floor, on the other hand...

"I did see him without his helmet on." Mila said softly. "I think it was trying to clean the drool...It did look a bit like that. I didn't get a good look. Something felt...Wrong about it. But it never hurt anyone or did something it wasn't supposed to."

Anton leant back into his chair. "Do you know where he got such a thing? Cetina and I...Really all of us have had to fight these Stitch Soldiers before. And it was not a pleasant experience."

"Very unpleasant." Cetina murmured, Verona heartily agreed. "Especially what they became. Like Harold and that Caiden boy."

"I honestly don't know." Ines said. "Gerin found someone that was willing to sell one, at quite a high price I remember him saying, but we only had one and I never liked it. It didn't even perform well against the Clansmen."

A silence settled over them. Just like when they first met there was this feeling that there was little more to be done or said. Gerin was with the Clansmen, Thessos was safe but still badly damaged and there was little else they could do to help one another.

Maybe this is what Cetina meant.

"There is something." Ines raised her finger and bounced it back and forth. "Your old room."

Cetina visibly tensed.

"No one has entered it since you left. If...If there is anything you want to take from there please do so. We need as much room as we can get but I wouldn't allow anyone to touch your old room...I'm still surprised that you even went."

"I..." Cetina sighed. "I don't think I really do either...My father. Did he ever talk to you about hiding something? Keeping something hidden from everything?"

"Not that I can think of. Your father didn't talk too much to me about his private business. Gerin might know more, when he comes back."

Ines looked wistfully towards the snow covered mountains.

"It was worth a shot." Anton whispered to Cetina. "But it sounds like it was something only passed down through the immediately family. He did trust you with that key."

"Yeah." Cetina smiled faintly. "He did."

"If you don't want to see your old room again you don't have to. After breakfast we can just leave and return home."

"I might as well." Cetina shrugged. "I don't think there's much left... But I do want one last look."

---[]---

Cetina breathed heavily as she stood before a simple wooden door. Her name had been etched into a removable slat at eyeheight, otherwise it was impossible to distinguish it from any of the other hundreds of doors throughout the central Thessos castle.

"You don't have to go in." Kal said softly. "It doesn't look like it's doing you much good already."

"I'm fine." Cetina forced a smile. "I just...Remember leaving in the middle of the night. A great rush and panic. I didn't know at the time I wouldn't be returning."

"I believe your masked friend is correct." Ines said. "You can always return at a later date, or if you do not wish to, we can have everything put into storage or disposed of. If that’s what you want."

"I'll be fine." Cetina took another deep breath and pushed the door inwards. "It's...Not as good as I remember."

Anton expected Cetina's room to be spartan at best but he still was surprised by just how little she had. A simple bed lay nestled in the corner, a chair and table in the other. In the centre lay an armour stand, currently empty, with a sword holster at the far end of the room.

"Wow." Verona stuck her head in. "There's really nothing here."

"No." Cetina took a step inside. "But it was home for me for a long, long time."

She walked to the bed and quickly fixed the sheets. In her rush to leave they had remained bundled and tossed to one side, do long the dust had settled and now covered the whole room in a faint haze.

Cetina looked back and made for a small cabinet. She removed a set of clothes and a small box. She slowly approached Anton and opened the box. Inside lay a small earring.

“My mother gave this to me...Two days before she disappeared.” Cetina smiled at Anton. “She must have known...Maybe she could…” Cetina scrunched her eyes and shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. But I’m glad I’ve got this back.”

“Probably a good thing you didn’t take it with you.” Verona said softly. “Otherwise you might have been forced to sell it.”

“Yes.” Cetina clasped the box tight. “We still haven’t heard anything about Eluria, have we?”

“No. But we haven’t really been looking either.” Anton tapped his boots. “We’ll meet her soon enough I’m sure.”

“I didn’t like them the moment I saw them.” Ines said angrily. “But Duran was smitten, and he wasn’t my husband.”

Of course Strega Magic makes that a little bit difficult to deal with.

“But this is all I want.” Cetina tapped the box. “Everything else is just pain for me. And I have better beds now. And company.”

“We will make sure that someone appropriate receives this room.” Ines faintly smiled. “Someone deserving. But...How much longer will you be staying? Will you be heading to the capital?”

“The young princess?” Anton asked. He ignored the light jabbing he was receiving from Verona. “Do you think that would be a good idea? There aren’t that many of us.”

“If we have received the letter then so will have everyone else. I’m sure the message has been posted in all major cities and will soon be disseminated across the countryside.”

Verona rested her hands on her head. “I wonder if Eirco and his harem are going to head that way. That strange woman said he might be a king one day...How old is the Princess?”

“I’m not sure. But no more than eleven or twelve winters.”

“Oh...She’s going to be waiting a long time.”

“Here’s hoping.” Anton mused. “If she’s sold off for a political marriage...Sometimes they might try and consummate it before giving support.”

“Oh...Ew.” Verona stuck out her tongue. “Sick people.”

“So will you?” Ines asked.

“We’ll return to Alcanares and take a ship. There aren’t any Dark Elf pirates patrolling the waters and with this.” Anton summoned a small Fire Bomb. “They won’t dare try with this being thrown at them.”

“We cannot spare much but we’ll give you supplies for the journey...Wait. Will you be travelling through those stones back to Alcanares?”

“Exactly. We’ll take our horses as well.”

“I see…” Ines smiled at Cetina and offered her hand. “I am glad to know that you are alive and well and, although I cannot say I agree of your current choice in partners-”

She must have tried to see Cetina during the night. Well, I don’t think she would have wanted to see her in such a state.

“-I am glad that you are happy. Please come back whenever you wish. You are always welcome in Thessos.”

Cetina smiled. “I never thought I’d hear those words.”

Cetina passed the wooden box to Anton and brought Ines into a deep hug. Ines hesitated but returned the hold. No one spoke a word as Anton heard the faintest sniffles coming from them both.