After the easy sleep I spent an average day wandering the house, meeting the new servants who had been acquired by my parents during my absence. A few were happy enough to be there, and even those who did not care for being slaves were gracious because of the leniency they were granted. If they so wished it they could take time off from work and head home, and most would do so while taking along their earned wages for the rest of their family.

Days began to slip by with a speed that almost alarmed me, I had become so relaxed in the house that had often grated on my nerves that soon enough a few weeks had slipped past me. During it all my recovery continued, and while I continued to limp and rely on a crutch everything else had healed.

General Rudicus had not waited long in leaving my house, he had caught on quickly that his underhanded attempt at acquiring a bride did not please the servants. Many of those who spent their time opening doors would often pretend he was not there, and a few of the maids managed to demonstrate their displeasure by accidentally ruining his clothing when they washed them.

So after two and a half weeks since the night Rudicus tried to gain my hand in marriage by appealing to my father, I began to once more develop the urge to leave. I did not despise the house so much that I needed to run away, if anything Diana managed to make me smile on a daily basis. Still it was time for me to leave, which I decided to tell my mother. She took the news without a single blink of the eye, though she did order me to follow her into another room.

It was a room large enough to hold a central table, a few chairs and a sofa against one of the walls. Commonly used by the servants of the house, Esmeralda and myself were seated at the table, while Diana hovered nearby mother with a worried expression on her face. Every so often she would move in closer, though with a tremble in her hands, before speaking a few words of encouragement.

Two hours passed while all three of us had been in the common room, while Diana struggled desperately to teach mother the basics of knitting. With enough yarn to create nearly anything imaginable she had so far failed to produce anything of use. She was the wife of the legendary Vandross, she had the ability to break people in half and lay siege to an entire army, yet she was incompetent at handicrafts.

What had come as a shock to the both of them was how capable I already was at knitting, a skill that I had gained thanks to the assistance of Maria. The girl who had grown on a farm learned all of the basics of knitting, sewing and cooking from her mother prior to the slaver attack. Whenever I had free time and wanted to see her she'd willingly teach me whatever I wanted.

"No, Lady Esmeralda, you used the wrong stitch again," Diana lightly told her, as she stepped in close and hesitatingly pointed at the blanket mother was working on.

Mother's hands froze as she stared at the mistake, before her brow furrowed and she let out a small sigh. She offered it up toward Diana who once more had to help her unknit the offending stitch. It took little time and mother once again began to tackle the difficulty that was knitting, even while I worked steadily at my own project.

It was meant to be a scarf, though it was not for anybody in particular. When mother had started her own attempt at creating a blanket I realized that I lacked anything to do, and so had begun to knit while Diana began her lesson. My progress was not fast, as I lacked the confidence and technique to produce anything quickly, and so the scarf had barely any rows done even hours into it.

While mother had proven quite incompetent at knitting she did not let it dissuade her, she remained seated in a rigid and upright position. Her hands moved without fear, even as she made one error after another. Even as she worked at the blanket she managed to spare a few words for me, as she probed me for information. "Do you truly plan to depart tomorrow?"

It was a question that made my own knitting pause, while I gazed toward mother even as a small smile began to form. "Yes, I've been gone too long," I responded, before I began to work once more.

"You're still hurt though!" Diana chimed in, as she turned in my direction.

My pace at the knitting dropped significantly while I attempted to wrestle with speaking alongside the task. "I'm fine Diana, I want to check in on the kids at the orphanage," I told her, before I smiled toward the head maid to reassure her.

Diana stared at me with slightly widened eyes, she would not relax anytime soon based on how often she worried about me. Like an older sister or aunt who always wanted to support you, Diana had helped to fill the void that would often occur whenever mother left on a mission. To so readily give up on the habit of worrying would prove impossible for her.

A slight murmur to the left made me turn my head, my eyes focused away from my personal project and to a spot of thin air. For a while I merely stared off into space, head tilted to the side while I listened to a ripple of noise that was impossible to decipher. Time began to hold no meaning while my mind began to blank out, and then the world rushed back as Diana touched my right shoulder gently. "Liliana, are you okay?" she asked in a louder tone of voice than normal even as my head turned about to face her in surprise.

With a certain degree of difficulty I wrestled a smile onto my face, before I turned my gaze back to the scarf. At the pace I was going it would be completed in a few months, perhaps longer if I was distracted by any major events. "I'm fine, Diana, and you know you can call me Lily," I reminded her.

A small little grin flashed onto her face, before my mother cleared her throat. "If you are so adamant on departing for the orphanage tomorrow I shall not stand in your way," mother said with an even tone of voice. "Though you had best plan to return in eight months."

"Do you really think I'd miss the birth?" I asked of her, before I chuckled lightly. While the thought of being around an irate mother did not please me the fact that I would have a new brother or sister made up for it. I could only hope that none of the servants died during my absence.

"I would hope not," my mother honestly replied, before she put her knitting down and looked to me with a serious expression. "When you do come back your father has a favor he would like you to do for him."

"What's that?"

"Nothing much," mother responded, before she picked up her blanket and returned to knitting even as she spoke. "Merely bring Allie's son along."

The scarf that I had been working on was completely forgotten at that, as I half-rose from the chair. Even Diana paused in her attempt to guide my mother in her knitting, to only stare with a slightly opened mouth at Esmeralda. "Mother! Why would father want me to do that?" I almost demanded of her.

"Oh? Why such an outcry?" mother asked in return, though she did not take her eyes from the blanket she worked so carefully at. "He only wants to talk with the son of an old friend."

Slowly I settled back into the chair, though it was obvious that I was not happy from my face. "I'm sure that's all he wants," I muttered unhappily, before once more I returned to knitting.

For a while after that we sat there in silence, while Diana looked from my mother to me more than once. Once the tension that my mother had created began to drop off Diana once more started to offer her tips and help, though she kept her distance as often as possible. It was a tactic that most of the servants had adopted, avoiding being within striking distance of my mother.

♪ ♫ ♬ ♫ ♪

The next morning my mother and I stood outside of the mansion, while a carriage rested nearby. There were a few men who rode their own horses, strong looking steeds of the purest white and pedigree. Each of the soldiers was a member of the Legion, garbed in the magic tools that are the legionnaire armor.

"Why are you sending them along with me?" I asked mother, even as I rested my face in my right hand. "I can handle myself, I'm not an invalid."

Mother sniffed at that comment, her face half-turned away from me. "If you could take care of yourself you wouldn't be as beat up as you are now," she pointed out, before she brandished an envelope at me. "Be a dear and take this, it is for Allie."

"A love letter for your old friend?" I teased my mother, even while I accepted the letter. It went into the small bag which I planned to take with me, a few pieces of clothing to help shake up the monotony of baggy pants and baggy shirts all day long.

"Don't be silly, Liliana," mother chided me before she turned and started to walk back to the mansions main door. She paused after a few steps and cast a look back at me, "I hope you will not forget to visit from time to time?"

It was impossible not to smile at her, before I gave a small bow. "Of course, mother. Take care and don't kill anyone!"

"Vargos will stop me before I can," mother assured me, even as she walked into the mansion and the doors closed behind her.

With her departure I climbed into the carriage, before resting and quickly finding that I had little to do. While I chose to knit for the duration of the trip there were moments when even that wore at my mind, and so I returned to testing the limits of the Shatterblade. Previous experiments had focused on new types of weapons, but it was armor and tools that I began to test while I traveled to Alise's orphanage.

By the time we arrived at Shiadone I had exhausted any practical applications of the Shatterblade and tried to figure out new types of tools or pieces of equipment. It would prove a futile effort on my part as I lacked the mental flexibility to create inventions from scratch, and so I had attempted to take on the task of creating a bow with the Shatterblade once more.

When the carriage passed out of Shiadone and we entered into the forest I gave up on the Shatterblade, my attention turned instead to the trees nearby. My gaze instinctively sought out the hidden children who helped to guard the orphanage, noting the telltale signs of their passing which they used to communicate with one another. It was not long into the forest before I noticed a shadow perched high atop a tree that blended in near perfectly with the foliage of the tree.

The carriage passed unmolested through the forest and slowed down prior to entering the tunnel nearby the orphanage. As it passed out of the defensive structure crafted by Alise the sunlight streamed down and illuminated the surrounding glade, with the cottage centered as always in the middle of it all. No children could be seen, though Alise did stand nearby the door to her home while she watched the carriage.

The presence of the legionnaires was not one that drew any form of happiness from Alise, the fact that armed men had rode their horses into the orphanage grounds was similar to a declaration of war. When they pulled their steeds to a stop and did not dismount Alise visibly relaxed, though it was doubtful she ever fully truly let her guard down.

When the carriage finally came to a stop I wasted no time in opening the door and leaping out, throwing the bag in advance. I bounded out of the carriage with enough pent up energy to destroy a horde of Plague, and waved toward the foremost legionnaires. "You can head home! Thanks for the escort!" I yelled out to not only the driver but also the Legion members.

The legionnaires saluted me, before they reined their horses back toward the wooden tunnel. The carriage lurched along after them, while the driver called out for me to take care even as he waved in parting. While we had not talked during the journey he was one of many servants I had met numerous times back at my parents home. While the legionnaires and the carriage departed I paused to scoop up my bag and toss it over my shoulder, before I turned toward Alise and bowed in greeting.

The cacophony that occurred then nearly threw me to the ground, as the children burst out of hiding and cried their hellos to me. Many of the children were so young that they struggled merely to speak up loud enough to be heard over the oldest of them all, who were far too enthused with my arrival. Like a tidal wave they poured out of their hiding places, even as the cottage door opened and Maria along with Phil appeared.

The numerous arms and hands that clung to me were far too many to count, and instead I merely laughed and reveled in the attention, while I patted the heads of many kids and said hello to as many I could. It was a tough task, but one that I did not have a qualm with since even I had grown saddened by my absence from the orphanage.

An ocean of children and teenagers began to part as Alise walked forward, everyone knew to clear room for her and hastened to not disrupt her steps out of respect. When she was close enough to touch Alise gave a slight nod of her head, before she spoke in that quiet voice of hers. In truth it made little sense that I could hear what she said, over the buzz of excitement that the throng of children produced. "Welcome back, were your parents in good health?"

"Yes!" I almost cried out, before I fished through the bag for the letter. With far too much energy I thrust the envelope at Alise, before I spoke once more. "My mother is pregnant again!"

I had never known the joy that could come from a pregnant mother, for the most part people hear about the fact that someone is going to have a child and they merely nod their head and say congratulations. Yet as soon as I knew she was expecting the urge to tell everyone boiled up in me, and for the first time I had managed to find someone I could speak to about the subject.

Alise's eyes widened in surprise at that statement, before a small smile curled her lips. She accepted the envelope, though she did not open it in front of myself and the others. "That's wonderful, dear, now make sure you clean up before dinner," she reminded me before turning away and walking gracefully back to her cottage.

As Alise stepped out of the gathering of children once more the bodies surged toward me, the youngest of the kids far more eager to hug me and say their greeting than the eldest. From my spot I could only wave toward the teenagers who stood guard on the walls, before the mass of bodies managed to topple me and send me to the ground even as laughter erupted from my mouth.

It was good to be home.

♪ ♫ ♬ ♫ ♪

Later that evening we feasted on venison that had been acquired thanks to the hunters of the orphanage, along with some fresh vegetables pulled out of the gardens near the back of the orphanage. The drinks had been a mixture of juices and water for the children, while the handful of adults were allowed to try the wine.

Skara was there and made certain that none of the others became too drunk, he had taken on the role of a parental figure so well that it startled me. While he still kept up that goofy grin of his and friendly attitude, he had lost a certain degree of the wild nature that had made him almost childlike during our journey together.

The absence of Shorty was one that saddened me, I had hoped to hug the miserable old man and thank him for all of his hard work. Alise informed me that he had yet to return, he would be busy as he helped to reconstruct and make certain the Legion was ready for any more dryad attacks. She danced around the question of why the legionnaires had bowed so readily to his commands, as well as why she had chosen him for the task in the first place.

After the grand feast in celebration of my return I helped to put many of the kids to bed, before Alise called me to her cottage. Even though my day had felt quite long as I had played with the children for so long, I still had enough energy left over that I nearly skipped my way from the dormitory to the cottage. Knocking on the door drew a command to enter from Alise, and without hesitation I opened the door and stepped inside.

Upon entrance into the cottage everyone was greeted with a wide and tall room, with a square table set off to the left side. Three chairs were placed around the table, one of which Alise had seated herself in. A rug sprawled across the wooden floor in a rectangle that failed to cover all of the interior, while across from the door a fireplace merrily burned away at logs placed inside the flames.

Upon the wall rested the head of a monster that I couldn't even recognize, stuffed and preserved for Alise. While I closed the door behind me I noticed a tapestry that was placed above the doorway, one that showed a story about a girl who was found by a man in white. My eyes continued to scan the interior of the cottage and I noted a pile of weapons gathered on a side table in the corner. To the right of the entrance the door to another part of the cottage could be seen, closed, with a two-handed sword rested outside of it.

Alise beckoned toward me to take a seat, while she remained in her chair. The combination of white and red hair fell down onto a thin scarlet nightgown, while a pair of dark red slippers covered her feet and helped to ward off the chill of the night. She rested both elbows on the table with one hand placed against her cheek, even as the other hand gripped mothers envelope.

By the time I had seated she had not spoken a word, and so I cleared my throat and spoke first. "Alise, why did you ask me to come here?"

Alise tapped the envelope against the wooden table, before she turned her gaze toward my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said hesitatingly, I had finished recuperating on the carriage ride to the orphanage. If not for that the child avalanche probably would've rebroken my bones, or at the least reminded me of how sore I had been.

"Anything odd happening?" Alise inquired, while she studied my face for any reactions.

The questions had started to bother me, but I accepted it as necessary. Alise was not one who did something strange for no reason, she always held a purpose to her actions. "Nothing that I can think of?" I half-asked in return, not sure where the conversation was headed.

"You wanted to know about Shorty, and it almost seemed like you were checking up on every child here," Alise began, before she paused and then placed the envelope flat against the table. "Why don't you wonder about Taryn?"

Out of all the questions she could pose it was the one I had not expected in the slightest, for the very reason that I didn't know the answer. For a moment I sat there stunned, before I looked toward the fireplace and stared into the flames as though they might hold the answer. "I...don't know?" I finally admitted, before I slouched a little in the chair.

"When you fought the dryads you did something dangerous, you used your Presence," Alise told me in a hushed tone, soft and slow. "There is a reason why the Legion does not seek out and utilize every single person who can hope to wield Presence."

I merely sat there, the fact that her question had let me befuddled was obvious. Even as she spoke her words sank in but didn't really matter, instead my brain worked at discovering the answer to her previous inquiry.

Alise slammed her fist down on the table, though she held back her true strength. It was with enough force that I nearly jumped out of my own skin, my eyes widened while I looked at her in confusion. "Presence is using your very soul as a weapon, you bare yourself to the world and the world marks you forever, if you use it too much, too often, it permanently warps you," Alise told me. "The more you use it the more you change. For some people there is almost no change, but for others there is a vast change."

"But father and mother use it all the time!" I almost cried out, I had not heard about this aspect of Presence whatsoever when others had told me about it in the past.

"Haven't you noticed how your father touches nobody?" Alise asked of me, before she tapped her one finger lightly against the table a few times. "His side effect is raw strength, the power he would normally only utilize while draped in his own soul no longer can be put away. I've seen him break people in half simply by patting them on the shoulder."

It was information which hit me hard, and also started to answer many questions of the past. The fact that we had so many people who held open doors, how my father never touched me during my childhood and constantly avoided me. The way that mother and he seemed to rarely touch one another even though they loved one another so much. "What about mother?" I asked, though it was a question that scared me.

"Esmeralda lost the ability to feel temperatures," Alise replied, though she did not expand upon it.

"What about you?"

The response from Alise to that question was to look away from me, a hint of distaste crossed her face. Whatever it was that she thought in that moment was not about to be shared with me, as she cleared her throat and steered the conversation away from herself. "I'm not important, you are. Your mother already noticed something off about you. A few times over the past few weeks you've been distracted, according to her letter."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I honestly responded.

"Close your eyes, Lily," she ordered me. "Relax, breath in deep. Let your mind wander."

I was not about to argue with someone who could tear me apart with her pinky finger, and so I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. Each muscle of my body was individually flexed, and then relaxed, so as to fully let my body loosen up and release any tension. No longer did I focus on the thoughts of the day, the memories of everything and instead let emptiness fill my mind.

The scent of leaves and flowers, the sound as boots crushed down on leaves with each step. Ahead in the distance a light could be seen through the trees that surrounded, along with a wooden wall that ran in both directions. The presence of a few of the night watch who kept their eyes out for intruders could be felt, rather than seen.

"There are two reasons why you wouldn't ask me about Taryn," Alise told me. "The first reason would be that your side effect is the removal of him from your mind, memories, perhaps even heart."

She did not need to tell me about the second, as I opened my eyes. "Thank you," I told her before I stood up from the table and politely pushed the chair back in. I paused for a moment to look toward the bedroom door, a small smile passed over my face, before I opened the main door of the cottage and walked outside.

♪ ♫ ♬ ♫ ♪

The outside air was fresh and cool, wrapped in a wool cloak I sat on top of the tunnel and stared out into the forest. Saris had paused to hand me a mug of warm tea, before she walked away without asking me about my presence on the wall. Out of the numerous guards who watched over the orphanage she was my favorite, a quiet girl who worked hard to being the best she could be. Shorty had already told me that Saris would probably make for a good Guild member in the near future, though a part of me didn't want to see her leave the orphanage.

A small burst of wind swept over the forest and threw the leaves up in a cloud of disarray, while my long hair flew out behind me. The ponytail had been released, it was better for the hair to not be left in a ponytail when I went to bed after all. My free hand lifted up to ward off some of the leaves from striking my eyes, while I continued to gaze into the darkness ahead.

From the shadows the sound of movement came, and then a figure stepped out into the open before the tunnel. It was a man who wore dark clothes and had a hood up to hide away his face, though I already knew that beneath the hood rested silver hair and green eyes. At his waist was a small coin purse, which I knew without asking held four coins he had picked up from a job in town.

Taryn tilted his head upward, before he reached up and pulled away the hood and let it fall. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, before he leapt up from the floor of the forest to the top of the tunnel with as much effort as sitting in a chair might require.

I stood up, though it proved harder than I expected given the mug of hot tea in hand. With one hand I gripped my cloak closed to ward off the cold, and with the other I extended the drink toward Taryn. He took it, though a puzzled look was clearly on his face as he accepted it from me.

"Welcome home," I told him.