Each morning came with the same question on the mind of most soldiers, and it was certainly first and foremost in Dorothea’s thoughts: what next?

She spent all of her time floating about with a sullen Ariana and a jumpy, awkward Cerid with only Shark to have fluid conversations with. The atmosphere wasn’t unexpected. Shark had quite the attitude about the diner incident even three full days after the fact, and Cerid didn’t seem to know how to deal with everyone else’s emotions. Dorothea almost wished for something new to happen so they could all just let bygones be bygones and try to get along.

Happen, something did. As the group meandered through Springen’s less densely trafficked streets, they were approached by a breathless Iree. It was clear that she had rushed desperately through the city to find them. Without pausing and through heaving breaths, she set the stage for their next fight.

“Sunmer,” she gasped. “It’s under attack; we just got the message. Wither magic is being used. No telling what’s happened by now.”

Dorothea looked to Shark. “Sunmer?”

“The other fort city,” they explained. “But why?”

“The why doesn’t matter,” Ariana snapped. “Sunmer’s probably been taken or wiped out if Wither’s in the equation.”

“Atlin.” Iree gripped her shoulders, nails digging in. “I need you to—”

“To what point in the day?” Dorothea interrupted, anxious and scared in the face of Iree’s urgency but trying to stay calm. “What will give us enough time to get to Sunmer and get organized before the attack starts?”

Iree smiled, relieved. “Dawn. I need you to warn us about Wither as well as the fact that the attack starts with a diversion at a nearby village to the northeast. Understand?”

“Yes.” Dorothea took a step back and clasped her hands. Then, in a blink, she was back in bed at the Tamlin residence. All was gray and blue, gentle and dim just before the sun’s light could illuminate. After she shook Shark awake in the next room over and explained the situation in rushed babbles, it seemed as if all of Springen burst into activity. If anyone else was afraid, they certainly didn’t show it. Dorothea and Shark were soon gathered at Springen’s entrance with the rest of Iree’s squad. After establishing a guard for the fort in her absence, Hollyhock at its head, and sending off other subordinates to take care of business, Iree addressed Dorothea.

“Nice work, Atlin. Let’s not waste her effort, everyone.”

The compliment was entirely lost on Dorothea, as she was busy being awed by the magnificent four-legged beasts that were snorting and swishing their flowing tails about.

“Shark,” she breathed. “Is that…?”

“Yep. That’s a horse.”

“Oh. Oh my goodness. They’re even more beautiful than I imagined…!”

Iree laughed. “Not that this isn’t adorable, but let’s move on. Someone help her up, yeah? Two people per beastie.” She and Ariana had already mounted one, Iree controlling the reins.

Shark stood beside Dorothea, frowning. “Lemme see if I remember how to do this…”

Rhys floated over to them, smiling kindly. “Maybe it’s best the two of you both ride with someone more experienced?” he suggested.

Shark grinned. “Dibs on Cerid.”

“Wha?!” Cerid screeched.

“Well… I guess that’s that.” Rhys lifted himself up in a smooth motion and guided her into getting up behind him. It was a massive creature, and they were both able to fit into the saddle comfortably. “Just stay calm and don’t clamp your legs down on her sides. Relax your body and hold on as tight as you like.” He looked to Iree, since everyone else was waiting on them. “Ready.”

“Okay…” Dorothea felt calm at first, yes, but the sheer power and speed the group set off with nearly made her jump out of her skin, and Rhys let out a choking noise as she clamped her arms around his midsection with all her strength. “Sorry, sorry!” she squeaked. She’d be enjoying the way the scenery looked like watercolor brushstrokes as they passed by or the wonderfully wild whistling of the wind in her ears if she wasn’t scared about falling off and breaking her arms and legs.

He chuckled faintly. “It’s okay. Deep breaths.”

Once she calmed down, she was able to tune in on the conversation around her.

“There are Creed soldiers in Sunmer,” Iree was explaining, “though not as many as there are in Springen. If they didn’t see Wither coming and didn’t have a chance to stop it, it’s possible that the entire fort could be wiped out in an instant.”

A tremble ran through Dorothea. Yes, it was terrifyingly possible. Given how the epidemic had spread, the destructive power of Wither couldn’t be underestimated. What kind of person wielded that magic, she wondered? She couldn’t imagine a fully human face. The fantasy came out deformed, animalistic and monstrous.

A hand came to her arm for an instant, patting it. “It’s okay,” Rhys murmured. “We’ll get there in time.”

She nodded, pressing her cheek to his back and continuing to hold on for dear life. He was solid and warm. For the longest time, Shark was the only other person she’d been this close to.

“Miss Dorothea!”

She turned her head at Cerid’s voice. “Yes?”

“I must inquire!”

When he didn’t continue but instead just looked at her, she nodded. “Of course.” It was hard to ignore Shark making funny faces at her from behind Cerid, and she didn’t want him to think he was laughing at him.

“So!” he barked. “Do you like things?”

Huh? “Yes…? I like, uh, things?” But that went without saying for every single person in existence.

“What kinds of things?” He spoke quickly.

“Um, well, walking is nice. Slow walking. I like to move slowly.”

“I, too, enjoy a calm stroll now and then. What else?”

“Um, let’s see… I can sew. If you ever need anything mended, I’d be happy to.” She’d tucked her sewing kit into her bag before leaving Sirpo. “What about you?”

“I enjoy the flute. Playing it. Not only the flute itself.”

She smiled. His awkward mannerisms really were charming. “I gathered that. What do you enjoy about it?”

“Well, you see…” He prattled on about the practiced discipline of measuring and expelling breath, of timing breaths correctly so as not to disrupt the song in the wrong spots, of controlling intensity so that the sound would be clear and loud enough yet still delicate and nicely airy, but not a wheeze. Like a breeze, it should be, not a sigh or a storm. “It helps the mind, you see, to have to focus on that control. Additionally, if a melody can stir the heart in just the right way, then maybe it really does have the potential to bring about something good… But one has to avoid being too caught up in the feeling of something if it completely rids them of technical prowess.” He looked at Dorothea expectantly once more; she wouldn’t have realized he was done talking otherwise.

“Wow, Cerid, you really do like music.” It was amazing in a way to see how passionate someone could be about their hobby. Shark, too, looked impressed.

His cheeks darkened crimson. “I apologize. I get excited, and then I cannot stop talking. People have walked away from me before… I should learn to stop these rants.”

“No, no, it’s alright.” Dorothea smiled, sincere. “The way you think about things is interesting. I liked listening to you.” She’d never met someone whose thoughts whirled around so. It was hectic but somehow brilliant in a way too. “Besides,” she laughed, “I know a thing or two about rants. Sometimes you’ve just got to let it happen.”

“Very well!” He coughed after yelling. “Ahem. I...hope this has proven to be helpful. I myself find that, when encountering the unfamiliar, it helps to distract oneself from the task at hand so long as it does not impact performance.”

“Oh… I hadn’t thought about it like that, no.”

“It is true.” They emerged from a copse of trees to find their destination before them. “We have arrived.”

So he’d talked to her to distract her? True, she hadn’t kept track of time while he’d been chattering along, only knowing that it had taken a while for him to stop. “Cerid, thank you.”

He smiled, looking pleased, before dismounting with Shark, and they both walked over to Iree and Ariana. Once Rhys managed to get Dorothea to slip-fall her way down, he held her arms until she felt steady again.

“Feels familiar,” he said quietly, his slight smile and the twinkle in his eye telling her that she was being teased.

“I’m so sorry,” Dorothea mumbled. She was a burden still. There were so many things she didn’t even know to consider that she had to catch up on to keep up with them.

He looped his arm with hers and led her to the rest of the group. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. One step at a time.”

Hopefully he meant that, and it really would be enough. His eyes were so kind whenever he looked at her, but she couldn’t help but think that there had to be hatred for her behind that gaze. Revulsion for her quiet life, her reluctance to act before now. Ariana was just one who had made her feelings more clear than the others.

“Right,” she said, doubtful. “Sure…”