“So, you’re an old friend of Azara’s?” Irinia asked.

Eir nodded. “Yes, we were friends as teenagers, back when I was still an active member of the Ignis Evigan.”

“I see,” Irinia replied, as the group neared a small cabin beside a little creek. The way here had been spent getting to know the Veyorn mage that had rescued them, and Irinia had learned quite a bit. Eir was a few years older than Azara, and had given up her life in the Ignis Evigan several years ago so that she could move north to help care for her aging father.

She was an enchanter of sorts, but rather than things she worked with creatures. The ravens, which were her Veyorn namesake, could transport people and objects from one place to another in an instant. Unfortunately, just like Azara's messaging gem, it wasn’t something that could be done on the mass scale. They had just moved over a hundred miles in a moment, and were far from their dragon enemy as well as the Silver Knights.

This method of transportation, it turned out, was also how the Silver Knights had managed to move so far overland - through Issawast - without being detected. They had enlisted Eir’s helped through her father, who had once been a knight of the Order of Silver himself. That was why she had been nearby to rescue them from the dragon.

Alongside asking these questions of Eir, Irinia had also learned some of these facts through sporadic discussion between the woman and Azara, as they caught up for old time's sake. It left Irinia wondering whether or not Eir knew who Azara was, or rather what Azara was?

This question was answered once they reached the cabin door though, and an old man answered. He looked amazed when he saw Azara.

“Oh, my little star, is that who I think it is?!” he said to Eir, before even offering a hello.

“Yes, father!” she replied, faking a cheery voice. She motioned to Valerius. “That is prince Valerius of Ursulam. You got to welcome the Starchild yesterday, and you get to welcome a prince today.”

Irinia noted how the old man looked between Azara and then Valerius before he smiled knowingly.

“Daughter, you know who I was talking about. However, I understand your meaning, and I will be careful for her sake."

Eir rolled her eyes. “Please do.”

“Hello Axel!” Azara called, and she waved. Axel smiled and then began to run a hand through his small grey beard as he looked her over briefly.

“On one hand, it pleases me to see you’ve grown up healthy and strong,” Axel said, grudgingly. “On the other, it scares me that you’ve grown up healthy and strong. Last time I saw you, I believe you weren't even half my size."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Azara said, as she walked forward and embraced him. He tentatively returned the gesture.

"Well, the last time I came south was almost a decade ago now, so yes, it has been."

Eir shook her head. “Alright, catching up can wait, ok? I’d like to come inside and make our guests some dinner. They’ve just come out of a frightening ordeal, and food would be good for them.”

Axel sighed, but then shrugged and walked back into the cabin, motioning for them to follow. Soon the food was being prepared. Irinia helped out as much as she could with this and noticed that as the evening drew on that Axel, Eir, and Azara did not mention the dragon or Azara’s secret again.

It made Irinia a little bit annoyed. To a certain degree, she thought the others had a right to know. What they had just seen and fought was beyond imagination. It had been overwhelmingly powerful, and she kept thinking back to the moment Valerius sword had just bounced off the beast’s beautiful ember colored scales. She thought about how lucky they had been to be rescued at the last moment, and how close Kasper had come to dying.

And Kasper was by far taking it the worst. He sat in a corner of the cabin the whole afternoon and refused to talk to anyone. He was quiet and nervous. Irinia tried to cheer him up but found herself unsuccessful, and by the time food had been prepared and the whole group was sitting around the tiny table in Axel’s cabin, he was still in bad spirits.

“The honey wine here is amazing,” Azara commented. “My mother used to make some like this, she said that she had always been inspired by the stuff she'd tasted on her journey here. I’m glad I get to try the real deal now!”

Axel shrugged. “Your mother did like it when she journeyed through this area many years ago.”

Azara smiled. “You know, you’ll have to tell me that story sometime. I’ve only ever heard it from my mother’s side. I’d like to know the less flattering version of it.”

“Maybe sometime,” Axel said. “For now though, I must ask, how are things in Aericia and Aruslan? His lordship did not make it sound good.”

Irinia did not realize who Axel was talking about for a moment and then realized that the man was referring to Konrad.

Azara shrugged. “It is not great, but I can’t do anything about that. You know my mother and how she is.”

“Aggressive, and ambitious,” Axel said, snorting. “Let us hope she mellows out with age.”

“If only,” Azara said. “I’d hope that she would -”

Kasper slammed his mug down onto the table, and sent it flying, interrupting it all. It scared Irinia, and she put her hands in front of her face to shield herself from the spatter of mead. At first, she was afraid Kasper had collapsed, but when she lowered her hands and looked at him, he was standing and looked angry.

“Kasper are you -” Azara began again, but he cut her off.

“Shut up, and don’t talk to me.” He said, and his voice wavered as he did so. Irinia realized that he was afraid. She also noticed that at this moment that he was sitting as far across the table as possible from Azara.

Then, he looked at Eir, and then to Axel. His gaze passed over them for a long few seconds, before he spoke to them.

“Do you two know?” he asked, and his voice once sounded frightened. His lips were shaking, and the one hand which rested on the table was jittering around in fear. His other hand, Irinia noted, was in his pocket and out of her view.

“Know what, Kasper?” Eir asked, and she raised an eyebrow.

He looked at Valerius and Joakim, who was giving him the same stunned look that everyone else was. They had been sulking about as much as him, confounded by the enormity of the dragon threat they faced and disappointed at the loss of the only method they had had of tracking the monster. However, whatever was bothering Kasper was not afflicting them. This narrowed things down, and Irinia now knew for certain what was causing Kasper to be afraid.

"Kasper it is ok," Irinia said. "Just calm down, come outside. It is fine, I promise."

Azara shook her head and stood. "Irinia, I appreciate that, but I can do so myself you know."

Kasper stepped away from everyone until his back touched the cabin wall. One hand remained in his pocket, the other was stretched out towards her as if to keep her at bay. "I won't go anywhere with you. Don't come near to me."

Irinia watched as Azar crossed the room, and then gently took his hand in both of hers. "Kasper, I won't hurt you, I promise."

The young man faltered, and then pulled his hand away from Azara and went red in the face. Then he stormed away and out of the cabin door, into the gathering dusk. Azara glanced at the room, and then towards Irinia. Irinia understood the silent message and nodded. After this, Azara walked out after Kasper.

"What was that about?" Valerius asked. Joakim looked equally concerned.

Irinia breathed in deeply. She thought carefully about what she was going to say. Lying was not an option for her. That was against the will of light and the stars. She would not sin. However, even though she considered it, she could not tell him the truth.

"Valerius, do you trust me?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but why is that-"

"Then trust that you do not need to know, not yet. Perhaps someday, in time, you will. However, now is not that time." she said, keeping her voice steady and firm.

"Irinia if something is going on that-"

"Val. Trust me," she said

And after a moment of hesitation, in which Irinia was sure that he remembered his earlier words in the field, he relented.

"Alright. I will."

"Joakim?" Irinia asked, looking over to the soldier, who was quiet as usual. "I know I can't ask for that same level of trust from you, but you have to understand I can't give answers about what just happened. I can't-"

"If it is something to do wit that girl and her magic, or her ancestry, or her mother, I don't care," Joakim said. ", when I joined the prince I did so to take down his bastard father, nothing else. I've stuck around for this magic and monster business, just because it was necessary. But I don't need anymore part of it than necessary. Everyone has their secrets and I'm willing to abide that. I just want to kill a king, for my own reasons and those alone. He's a terrible person, and he needs to die."

Irinia felt a chill run down her spine. The usually quiet and well-mannered man had nearly growled out the last words. I fact, that was exactly how Irinia would have described it, a growl. Nevertheless, it was comforting to know that Joakim didn't see any need to be picky. She took a deep breath and held it a moment, before letting it out.

"Well then, I imagine they will be gone a while. Perhaps it would be best to get back to eating?"

The old knight, Axel, nodded. "It would be. How about I tell you all some of the stories of my journey with the Paladin through these lands, when fought brigands for the good of the people, and rescued Veyorn villages? Or maybe you would prefer stories of our battles in Sukarram?"

Joakim seemed intrigued by this. "That would be wonderful, I am always ready to hear another warrior's tales."

"Please," Valerius said. "I'd be honored to hear such tales. My mother often spoke well of the Silver Order's few ventures here in the North, and the stark difference between their aid and the Magi's genocide."

And soon the evening stretched on, with Axel regaling them of many journeys and epic battles, and the thoughts of where Azara and Kasper were - or what they were discussing - soon faded to the back of everyone's mind. that is, of everyone but Irinia, who could only wonder whether or not Azara and Kasper would even be friends the next time she saw them.