Lianne stared at the mountaintops in the distance. They had journeyed north all this time, hoping to find mountains ever since the seer in Windermore had told them so. Now she saw them right on the horizon and she couldn't believe it. They were a step closer to finding Clandmere.

"So, there is more than one mountain in the north," Amra whispered with a frail voice.

Lianne glanced at Amra, who looked fragile. Her normally healthy-looking face lacked all colour, the sheer skin almost reflecting the moonlight. Amra's hands trembled, but she tried to hide it, keeping them tightly on her lap. She had lost a lot of blood, but luckily not enough to make her unconscious.

Lianne clenched her fists while grinding her teeth. "We found them," she said with a tense voice.

"We've gotten so far," Amra said while lifting her hand on Lianne's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

Lianne flinched and a shiver went through her body. Amra's touch felt comforting but also increased her guilt.

"Do you recall-" Amra started saying when Lianne stopped her.

"You're weak. We have to get you somewhere to rest," she said while standing up. Her knees felt weak and her muscles had lost all strength, but she pushed all those things aside. She started looking around for shelter.

"Lianne?" Amra asked puzzled, but she kept gazing on the horizon.

Lianne knew she was avoiding what was right in front of her. She couldn't look Amra in the eye. She had hurt her, and she hated that Amra would be too understanding about it. She remembered everything, and she couldn't help but think of all the things she had forgotten before. What if she had been that cruel every time? What if she had hurt Amra before?

"Are you hurt?" Faolin asked Lianne, but she waved her hand indifferently.

"I'm not," she said, even if she was lying, and Faolin probably saw right through her.

"Why do our stays at inns always end up badly?" Amra asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Lianne frowned. "Amra, sit down," she said as if she was Amra's mother. "Don't waste your energy more than you have to."

Amra's expression faltered as she stared at Lianne. When she started to sit down, Faolin immediately went to support her as she tediously got on the ground with a grunt.

"Alright, I'm sitting down. Now what?" Amra asked, her voice tense as if she was angry at Lianne. That tone of voice instantly made Lianne feel better. She accepted that anger gladly, even if it was because of how she spoke to Amra and not because she had hurt her.

"We have to get back to the inn," Faolin said surely. "We left our belongings and Amra's horse there."

Lianne shook her head. "No, Amra's not in any state to travel. We need to find shelter and get her to rest."

"We are not too far from the inn," Faolin said, but Lianne shook her head again.

"It's still too far. We can't go back there like this. Amra needs to rest first," Lianne said, and when she saw that Amra was trying to say something, she glanced at her strictly. "You need to rest."

"I can retrieve our belongings," Faolin suggested.

Lianne spread her arms, pointing at the ground around them. "We can't stay here and wait, can we?" she asked her voice tense. "Look at all this blood. If someone comes by, we're too exposed."

"Lianne, calm down. Let's think this through," Amra said, trying to be rational.

"I'm calm," Lianne said irritated. "We have to find shelter."

Faolin looked around as if he was pondering. Then he walked to his horse and mounted it without a word. He looked in each direction and then snapped on the reins. "I will try to find you shelter," he said as Myrin started galloping toward the mountains.

Lianne looked at Faolin riding away, the clopping of hooves receding into the distance. She immediately realized that she was now alone with Amra. Silence fell over them like a curtain. Lianne had a hunch that Amra had realized the same thing, her posture stiffening.

Lianne didn't know what to say to Amra, so she took steps to the side and back again. She shifted on her feet and looked at the ground. She let her eyes wander on the blood in the ground and trail over to the mountains.

"Lianne..." Amra said when she was clearly feeling uncomfortable. Lianne shifted her balance before taking a couple of steps again.

"Lianne, don't blame yourself," Amra said, and that's when Lianne finally glanced at her.

"Why wouldn't I?" she said anxiously.

"I know you want to hate yourself, but don't," Amra said as firmly as she could with her weak voice. "I don't blame you."

"You should," Lianne said and started pacing around nervously.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Amra said.

Lianne quickly stopped and turned to Amra. She squeezed her fists tightly. "Stop patronizing me," she said through gritted teeth. "I know I messed up."

"Lianne, you came after me. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where I'd be now," Amra tried to explain.

Lianne went silent. She knew Amra was right, but it still didn't lessen her guilt. Even if she had saved her from the men, she had still hurt her.

"Don't you-" Lianne started saying when Amra suddenly swayed, almost falling on the ground. Lianne acted before she really comprehended what was happening. She quickly took a hold of Amra, to keep her steady. "Amra, are you alright?" she asked worried.

"Yes..." Amra said while taking a hold of Lianne's arms, squeezing her eyes shut as if she couldn't keep them open. "I felt a bit faint," Amra said with shallow breaths as Lianne pulled her back to a sitting position.

Lianne let go of Amra and slumped next to her on the ground. Her whole body got drained of any strength. That fright had taken the last bits she had left. She didn't even have the energy to avoid Amra anymore.

"I'm sorry Amra," Lianne said, looking at her blood-stained clothes. Lianne knew Amra would immediately forgive her, and she hated that.

"I know," Amra said, a silent rasp in her voice as if she had a hard time trying to speak. "I know you would never do that to me if you could decide, so don't worry".

"It still doesn't ease the pain," Lianne said, and Amra nodded before they both went silent. Lianne touched the blood on her shirt and smeared it with her finger. It was still wet. The blood had seeped through her clothes and the fabric clung to her skin.

Lianne turned to look at Amra, her brows furrowed. "Did you see the man in the wagon clearly?" she asked, wanting to see how Amra would react to her question.

Amra seemed to ponder for a moment as if she was recalling what had happened. Then she shook her head. "No, his face was covered with a hood, and he kept me in dark most of the time."

Lianne pursed her lips. She couldn't get it out of her mind what she thought she saw. Edwin. It couldn't have been him. In her mind, Lianne went through the night she had used the dark spell to get her brother back to life. The spell had backfired and she had later woken up next to a dead man she didn't know.

Lianne inspected Amra's demeanor. Lianne hadn't seen Edwin after she had woken up from unconsciousness. Amra had been the one that had found her lying on the ground. She had told that Edwin had been finally buried while Lianne was out.

Lianne shook her head. She didn't know what to think. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her? Maybe the darkness was messing with her more than she would have thought?

A clopping of hooves caught Lianne's attention and she saw Faolin returning. She recognized him from the way he carried himself, his straight posture highlighted by the moonlight.

Myrin galloped next to Lianne and Amra, and Faolin pulled on the reins. "We are in luck. I see trees further up," he pointed toward the north.

"Great," Lianne quickly said, trying to get rid of all her thoughts as she stood up and strode to her horse. Luna had stayed further away after Lianne got pulled off its back.

"Thank you for staying," Lianne said to Luna and stroked its muzzle. The horse whinnied and swished its tail calmly as Lianne took the reins, walking back to Amra and Faolin.

"Can you help Amra on my horse?" Lianne asked Faolin, who nodded and quickly jumped down.

Faolin helped Amra from the ground and walked her to Luna. She took shallow breaths as she leaned on him, her trembling knees making moving tedious. Faolin took a tight hold and lifted Amra up on the horse as Lianne helped her from the other side.

"I'm on," Amra said as she sat on the back of Luna, taking a hold of the reins. Lianne walked around the horse, getting ready to pull herself on it too when Faolin bent next to her. He held his hands together, wanting to help Lianne get up.

Lianne looked at Faolin for a moment, a warm feeling growing inside her chest. "Thank you," she whispered and stepped on his hands as he helped push her on the horse. As soon as she got on Luna, she winced. A sharp cutting pain went through her, the wound on her side stinging, a small splotch of blood wetting her shirt again. She had to close her eyes and breathe calmly until the pain subdued.

Lianne let out a deep breath and opened her eyes. She took the reins, enclosing Amra between her arms. She felt Amra leaning against her, feeling her shivering body against hers.

Faolin easily mounted Myrin and snapped on the reins, starting to walk toward the trees he had seen. Lianne did the same and when Luna jerked forward, she and Amra both swayed on top of it.

As they rode slowly ahead, Lianne kept her eyes on the mountaintops in the distance. It seemed almost a dream that she saw them ahead. Could Clandmere be somewhere there, and if it was, would they be able to finally find it?

They soon arrived at the edge of a forest that seemed to spread further toward the mountains. It was hard to say how wide it was, but they wouldn't have to go too deep. All they needed was shelter from the trees and a place to set up a campfire. The night was starting to turn into the early morning.

Lianne gave the reins to Amra and jumped off the horse as gently as she could. Another shiver of pain went through her as her feet hit the ground, making her knees almost buckle under her. She grimaced and steadied herself, not wanting to show the others that she was hurting.

Faolin jumped off his horse too and they moved further into the forest. They walked between the trees and soon they found a small clearing. Tall trees surrounded the place, beams of moonlight filtering through the swaying branches. A fresh scent of morning dew on the growth lingered in the air.

Lianne and Faolin tied the horses to a tree before he helped Amra off the horse, gently lifting her down. He walked her to a spot near a tree and held her arms tight as she sat with trembling legs, leaning against a tree trunk.

"We need to get the fire starting," Lianne said and looked at Amra, who started digging into a pouch on her belt. She took out a flint and with shivering hands, handed it and her knife to Lianne.

"You'll do the honors," Amra said casually, but Lianne wasn't smiling. She grabbed some rocks while Faolin gathered wood and branches from nearby for the fire.

Lianne laid the rocks in a circle to border the campfire. She arranged some of the bigger pieces of wood in the middle and the smaller twigs as kindling. Amra was usually the one who started the fire, but Lianne wasn't a stranger to making it either. She wasn't as fast and efficient as Amra, but she could still do it.

She scraped the flint with the knife and sparks flew. The first kindling didn't catch fire, so Lianne tried again. She had to do it a couple of times before a small twig finally caught fire, soon spreading to the bigger wood. It probably hadn't rained in a while and the wood was dry to the core.

"Will you be alright in here?" Faolin asked, looking as Lianne got the fire going.

"Hey, don't forget my lute!" Amra said to Faolin before showing him a small grin.

"I..." Lianne leaned back from the fire that started blazing. She glanced at herself. "I want to clean myself a bit. Could you stay with Amra for a moment before you leave?"

"I'm fine. I don't need a babysitter. He can go," Amra said, but Lianne shook her head.

"No," she only said to Amra before turning to Faolin. "Is that alright with you?"

Faolin nodded. "I will wait for you," he said while looking at Lianne as if he was inspecting her. He squinted his eyes, focusing on Lianne's bloodied shirt, almost as if he could see that some of it was hers.

Lianne got up and turned around, wincing from a sudden pain while twisting her body. She stopped for a moment while grimacing, and then started to walk away from Amra and Faolin.

"You are hurt," Lianne heard Faolin saying behind her with a tense voice, but she just brushed it off.

"Don't worry about it," she waved her hand as she walked further into the forest.

Lianne walked past the trees. She heard an owl hooting as she stepped over roots and plants, the moonlight showing her the way further. She wanted to get far enough from Amra and Faolin, but not too far so that she could still see the faint blaze of the fire.

Lianne stopped at a spot filled with moss. As she stopped, she suddenly realized how exhausted she actually was. She hadn't thought about it while being with Amra and Faolin, but now that she was alone, her whole body wanted to give in.

She sat on the ground, feeling the weight of her body pressing her down as if she was lead. She felt so tired, her mind numb. She knew that she had wounds, and even if they weren't bleeding anymore, they still stung.

Lianne tediously started taking off her boots. As she reached out to her feet, she felt another twinge on her side and she groaned. Her body had taken quite the beating, but she ignored it and pulled off her boots, tossing them on the moss. Lianne had gotten new boots before she left the village, but the worn-out leather made them look as if she had been wearing them for years.

Lianne stood back up on faint legs but kept her balance. She started taking off her clothes slowly. She concentrated on it carefully, but the wounds still hurt as she twisted her body too much or her arm brushed her side.

Lianne took off her shirt and trousers, leaving only her underwear on. She dropped the clothes on the ground and knelt back down. She took the shirt and looked at it. There were bloodstains all over the shirt and it had ripped in a couple of places where the knifes had struck her.

Lianne put the shirt on the ground and started rubbing it against the moss, hoping to get some of the stains out. She rubbed it hard and eventually the green started turning red. Lianne changed a spot, continuing on cleaning the shirt on a new patch of moss.

She couldn't clean her clothes entirely, but she was pleased that the shirt wasn't soaked through anymore. The moss had absorbed some of the blood away. Lianne did the same to her trousers and then rubbed her boots with some leaves, trying to get as much off as she could.

When she had dealt with her clothes, she hung them to a branch for the time being. She started pulling her undershirt off, which seemed to be clinging onto her skin and the wound. She struggled but got it off eventually, exposing more skin to the cool night air. Lianne threw the undershirt on the ground. She knew she couldn't use that again.

Lianne turned to look at her body. She had a stabbing wound on her side and a cut where the flying knife had scraped her skin. Both of the wounds were red with the blood they had shed, but they didn't bleed much anymore.

Lianne touched her stabbing wound and flinched. It was sore to the touch. She tried to assess how bad it was, and fortunately, it didn't seem too deep. The other cut was merely a flesh wound that hadn't even bled that much.

Lianne took some leaves off the ground and pressed them on the stabbing wound, wiping it carefully, trying to get most of the blood away. It stung every time she touched it, but Lianne bit her lip, not wanting to make a sound.

She took another handful of leaves from the ground and wiped the wound again. The cool leaves felt nice against the warm and damp skin.

Suddenly Lianne startled as she heard rustling from behind. She quickly whipped around to see Faolin standing next to a tree. She was too focused on her wounds to keep an eye out for her surroundings.

Faolin looked at her, his brows furrowed. He pursed his lips as if he was annoyed. Lianne ended up staring at him. Her mind had gone blank in the sudden situation and she didn't know what to say.

"I knew it," Faolin said, sounding angry. He shook his head as he started walking toward Lianne.

"It's not bad," Lianne tried to say, but Faolin stomped straight at her.

"You should have told me," Faolin said while stopping before Lianne. He seemed to inspect her body and the wounds she had. He didn't seem to mind that Lianne was in her undergarments as he was fully focused on the wounds.

Faolin slowly reached out to the stabbing wound on Lianne's side, making her flinch. Not because it had hurt since he was being gentle, but because of how his skin felt against hers.

Faolin carefully put his hand on top of the wound, staring at it intensely. He pressed his palm on Lianne's side and started concentrating, his hand emanating warmth that instantly seeped into her. Lianne felt a tingling around her wound. She had felt the same when Faolin had helped her before. He had really helped her many times and she was grateful for that.

Lianne stared at Faolin as he focused on healing her. He was so close and she could feel his energy spreading through her body. She felt vulnerable in front of him. She felt perplexed by his closeness and her heart kept beating faster. Faolin wasn't even looking at her, but Lianne kept staring at him. Faolin's mouth moved slightly as he concentrated and his dark eyelashes twitched as he blinked. His features looked alluring in the moonlight that shone between the branches.

Lianne didn't even think of what she was doing when she wrapped her arm around Faolin's neck and started pulling him closer. The gesture made Faolin glance up, and as their eyes met, Lianne leaned against Faolin and kissed him.

Lianne's heartbeat thrummed in her ears when she felt Faolin's lips against hers. She pressed closer while wrapping her arm tighter around him.

Until she realized that the warmth on her wound had seized and Faolin wasn't responding to the kiss.

Lianne stopped and instantly pulled away, flinching. When she opened her eyes and looked at Faolin, she saw him staring back with wide eyes, frozen on the spot. He had already stopped the healing.

Lianne opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She was confused. "I..." she started but stopped herself. Why had she done that? Had she really thought that Faolin was fond of her too?

Faolin withdrew his hand from Lianne's side but kept on staring at her with round eyes, completely baffled by what she had done.

"I'm sorry...I..." Lianne tried to say when Faolin took a step back. "I'm confused. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," she tried to explain before going silent. She didn't know what to do, and she saw from Faolin's expression that he was too surprised to even react to what had happened.

"Faolin..." Lianne started to say again, but Faolin stopped her.

"I...I better head to the inn," Faolin said and took another step back.

Lianne looked at Faolin but didn't know what else to do other than nod. He still looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but then he averted his gaze and turned around, starting to walk back to where he had come from.

Lianne stood there, staring after Faolin's receding back. She felt stupid. She leaned against a tree while covering her face with her hands. Her heart beat fast and her thoughts were a mess. Why had she done that?

Lianne let out a deep sigh as she felt emptiness forming in the pit of her stomach. The wound on her side seemed better already, and Faolin's warmth still lingered on her skin, even if it faded too soon. Why had she even thought that Faolin would respond to that?

Lianne took in deep breaths, trying to steady her wildly beating heart. She had to get back to Amra so she pushed herself up again and took her clothes from the branches, starting to put them back on. The stickiness of the blood was mostly gone while she had rubbed them on the moss. The clothes still felt awful to put back on, but there was nothing else she could do at this point. Their spare clothes were at the inn.

When Lianne got dressed again, she took the undershirt and started walking back to the camp. Her mind was more of a mess than when she had gone to clean her clothes. She saw the blaze of the fire between the trees, leading her way back.

Just before Lianne reached the camp, she stopped. She heard Amra's voice humming a tune silently. The sound of her frail voice drifted past the trees, barely reaching her, but she recognized the tune. It was the same Amra had sung to her every time Lianne couldn't get any sleep.

Lianne stopped and stared ahead, listening to Amra's tune. Her voice sounded so frail, like a thin piece of ice that could break at any moment. Lianne knew the song, and without even realizing it, she started to recite the words without a sound, her mouth moving with the melody.

When Amra stopped, Lianne took a deep breath to brace herself. Then she stepped back to the camp.

"Did you get any of it off?" Amra asked, looking at Lianne's appearance.

Lianne shrugged. "Some of it," she said while throwing her bloodied undershirt in the fire.

"That's a good shirt wasted," Amra whispered as she looked at the fabric starting to burn with the wood.

"Do you want me to clean that?" Lianne asked, pointing at Amra's face that had blood on it.

Amra nodded and Lianne took some leaves off the ground, kneeling next to her. Dried blood trailed down from Amra's nose, on her chin, and to her neck. Lianne tried to carefully wipe as much off as she could.

"Faolin left to the inn," Amra said while looking at Lianne closely. "He seemed quiet. Did something happen?"

Lianne cleared her throat uncomfortably while wiping the blood. "No," she replied, but when Amra looked at her with her eyebrows raised, she continued. "He was angry that I didn't tell him about my wounds."

Amra frowned. "Were they bad?"

Lianne shook her head. "No, only flesh wounds," she said while throwing the bloodied leaves on the ground and backing away from Amra. "You should get some sleep. I'll stay awake."

"Usually it's the other way around," Amra said with a small smile as she leaned further back against the tree.

Lianne didn't smile as she sat down, opposite Amra, the fire blazing between them. "This time it's-" she started saying when she got interrupted by a rustling sound coming from the woods.

Lianne whipped around, starting to conjure magic to her hands, even if her energy levels were low. The rustling seemed to come closer, steps echoing in the dark woods. It couldn't have been Faolin. The inn was further away than that.

"Who's there?!" Lianne yelled into the woods, trying to sound intimidating. The rustling stopped and silence filled the air. For a moment Lianne didn't breathe, listening attentively to any small sounds.

A familiar voice echoed from the dark forest, breaking the tension as a man stepped from the shadows. "Funny seeing you two here at this time of night," Kendel said as he walked casually to the camp. He leaned against a tree while folding his arms, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.