Their descent down the narrow corridor was made in silence. Judging by the passage’s width, Tya guessed that it was made between the walls of the castle, at least for the portion of it that was exceptionally steep. As it leveled, there were signs that suggested it was underground for some extent of it, such as roots pushing through the bricks. It was surprisingly well kept for what and where it was, but to her, that made sense. It wouldn’t do to have an escape route that had fallen in, so someone likely had to keep up with it, whether that be mages, enchantments, or household staff.

Just as Lillia had said, the path was direct. It curved but didn't turn, not until the split to the stables. Tya had considered just continuing on since this part was mainly for Holly and Lucy, but she realized that it would likely do her some good to have a horse anyway. The faster she could get through with this mess, the better. Though really, could she get through with this mess? She’d likely have to kill every damned Sékan in the country just to get left alone… Fucking Disaster.

The scent of hay and sounds of hooves hurried the two girl’s forward. The light of Tya’s fire melded with that of the yellow magelights that lit the interior of the stable.

Just as Lillia had said, supplies had been secured just next to the worn ladder that would raise them to the hatch overhead. A pack was filled and stored beneath soft, clean cloaks small enough to fit the small girls. Holly helped Lucy drag hers on and pinned it just before doing the same with her own and securing the pack over both shoulders. “Don’t think she left any for you,” Holly whispered back to Tya.

“I would be suspicious if she had,” she replied. She didn’t seem to register the fact that Tya could not actually go home until it was stated outright, and had that been the course of action, she wouldn’t need supplies to get home.

There was the smallest urge to stop the two of them and spit out all the questions she still had, but her own thoughts timed out that desire. Stuck in her own head, she missed her chance to do so because Holly boosted up the ladder and peeked out to be sure the coast was clear. When she saw that it was, Holly slipped out, holding the door up with one hand while the other hurried her sister to come up. When Lucy was within range, Holly grabbed her and swung her up where she hurried off to go pick out a horse. Tya was surprised to see that Holly actually waited for her to get to the top rather than dropping the hatch closed on her.

Lucy had trotted her way over to a particularly large horse, which she’d been eying critically whilst swaying from side to side. Tya had to wonder what was going through the child’s mind; what checklist was she going through to see if the horse was fit. Clearly it wasn’t a good one, since both children appeared far too short to even reach the stirrups had they managed to mount the beast.

When Holly joined her sister, she ultimately ushered them to a much smaller, thinner steed. He had already been saddled and readied for them to take when they arrived, but no such luck was to be had for Tya. Holly boosted Lucy up onto the saddle then pulled herself on behind her, reaching around to take the reins.

Tya was glad to see that they were smart enough to wait lest they call attention to the escape.

She was less picky about her ride than Lucy seemed to have been, settling for the first she set her eyes on- a pleasant little paint who, upon being approached, shook its head and leaned out to sniff at her. She offered a hand to ease its mind though it didn’t seem to need much soothing and was enthused to be petted. It was both adorable and closeby, so it would do.

The problem though, was that she’d never really ridden a horse…

Erathae was known for being a traveler’s town. It was set right along the path that would lead into the Serrated Mountains, on the other side of which was Seren’s Desert. The town itself began as traders would set up shop right there to sell to people preparing to make the trek into the desert, to Seserté. It soon evolved into shops and stables where people could rent horses, mules, camels, and the like to help make their way across.

Tya had worked there, meaning she’d indeed helped on stables. She’d cared for and tacked up horses for their journeys, but never ridden one herself.

She had paced momentarily at the spotted horse’s side, but quickly realized she didn’t have the time to wander aimlessly and try to figure out what to do. She didn’t know when or if the inhabitants of the castle would come down, and because of that, she needed to get out of there as fast as possible.

Saddling the beast was done with ease, and once she pulled herself onto it, she looked at the reins. It seemed self explanatory enough direction wise, but they needed to be moving for that.

She sat there, looking at the horse as if it should know to go. When she realized he apparently wasn’t a mind reader, she thought back to what she had observed in riders before. She experimentally nudged at the steed’s sides.

To her surprise, the horse started forward, albeit with a little bit of confusion, but Tya hurried to balance herself. The reins, she knew, were to control the horse, though she wasn’t entirely sure how. It seemed self explanatory enough, but her nervousness meant she held the reins tight. In response, the horse pulled forward and shook, trying to loosen up the way it was being restrained. The discomfort was clear, leading her to shake her hands and force them to loosen on while she considered what she should do. It seemed simple, just pull in the way she wanted to go, so as the horse started forward a little more knowingly toward the stable’s open exit, she tested her theory by pulling both hands off to the right.

Unsteady as it was, the horse responded by turning off to the left, so she figured that was probably good enough.

For the stables and the city this speed would do, though she knew it would likely take her forever to get there. That was for later though- she’d figure it out on the road. Hopefully.

She let the paint trot out of the stables through already open doors and gates. The fact that they were given no trouble in leaving suggested to Tya that their escape had not yet been noticed. If it had, it was probably too fresh for them to try venturing out into the daylight to find them when it was far more likely any escapees would be lost in the castle halls without aid. Even if it was just… Kind of a very large square.

Incompetence of the Sekan within aside, her trip to Cotéfaise began slowly, and the journey itself was made difficult by her inexperience in riding a horse. Figuring out the ropes seemed self-explanatory, but she’d obviously been too cocky in that thought as she wasn’t even half way there by the time night fell.

As much as she wanted to continue on since she guessed they had to have caught on by then, and that her pursuers were able to travel easier when the Fire of the Sky was snuffed for the night, she decided against it. She knew the horse no doubt needed to rest, just as she did.

It was a stolen horse, but it looked normal enough that she figured she could veer off road slightly and set up a small spot to sleep. Though she wasn’t sure how that would go, since her cooperation was apparently unplanned, meaning all the supplies Lillia had given was to the fugitive children and not her.

She was left with only a few dimes the girl’s decided to spare, which didn’t entirely matter, because intelligent traders who sold the bits of equipment she needed had set up their own camp before nightfall.

Regardless, Tya redirected the horse off the main path, letting it go some ways away before stopping. The dirt road was still visible enough from her spot on the plains, that she felt she wouldn’t get lost unless she was truly that bad at directions. Which wouldn’t have surprised her, but she elected to have a little faith in herself.

She wasn’t able to make much of a camp, and decided a little fire at the very least would be fine, so she and her horse could stay warmed while she slept. She chose a spot mostly shielded by a small stoop in the ground only a few feet above her head. Had her horse, whom she’d begun calling Pepper, stood on its hind legs, it likely would have been seen over the rock. But he seemed to be a calm horse, so she had confidence in him.

She really couldn’t imagine the amount of incompetence that was required to not have caught her that night. No complaints, of course. She didn’t want to go back, and she guessed there was a whole city to scour, and that their first instincts would be to go look in her cave. But really, nothing?

As she mounted up again that morning, she wondered what they’d do to her home. Would they destroy it? Would they even leave her anything to return to? It was likely that they’d be watching the place in case she did decide to go back, which was an annoyance in itself. But would they have been so heartless as to destroy what little she had?

She should have set fire to the castle while she was there. Just in case.

She checked her map after she mounted again, this time with a bit more confidence than before. Evoles over all wasn’t really that large of a country. Her destination really would likely only take her a few days to get to, and she could count herself lucky for a few reasons. The country of Evoles was made up primarily of plains everywhere but the north. Whatever lay beyond the northern mountains, they didn’t know, and exploring them was a slow process. But for the most part, she traveled flat land on a main road. Not smart as a fugitive, but good decisions were never Tya’s strong suit.

She hadn’t ever been to Cotéfaise, nor had she seen the village at all. She hadn’t expected it to be like it was: at the foot of a wall of cliffs, tucked in the split of Mel’s River just before it spilled into the Tryant Sea.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the plethora of directional signs telling travelers where to go, she probably would have missed it entirely. It seemed like a bad place for a settlement given that it was built right on the coastline. She wondered if it was prone to flooding, or if its place in this little gulf was secure enough that it wasn’t often hit by disaster.

Clearly it hadn’t ever been ravaged by it since it was still standing despite being just a little larger than a basic settlement.

Pepper knowingly slowed as they followed the dirt path into the village.She allowed him to move freely, as he seemed to at least vaguely know what to do on his own, and she took the time to study the village.

At the foot of the cliffs, bordering the village, were thick stone walls. They were not tall, simply fences, though what for she wasn’t sure. Perhaps just aesthetic?

The buildings inside weren’t much of anything either. Grey wood with roofs that were likely made of the same materials, but moss had overgrown them to the point it was difficult to tell. Many of these were huts, and anything larger was made from dark, worn stone.

Despite the dreary coloring of the buildings, the village itself wasn’t gloomy in the least. People walked the main road with baskets and bags, filled with wares such as fish and flowers. If Tya had any sense of smell at all, she likely would have noted the smell of the ocean and the smell of fish in general that emanated from the town.

Even without this though, she was able to deduce that fish must be its main source of income, simply because of its proximity to the ocean. Any village that didn’t use it’s position to its advantage wasn’t going to last long at all, especially one as poorly placed as this.

Her horse came to a stop soon enough, unsure of where to go without real lead. When he did, Tya paused, then looked around.

Her map was by no means detailed, meaning it would not lead her to this Safílas Skye’s Apothecary. This meant she needed to speak to a local…

A sigh left her at that thought. Speaking to people…

As it was, her being mounted was calling more attention than anticipated. She had no travel gear, and while her clothes were dirty to an extent, it was difficult to tell with the drab neutral colors of all the fabric.

Perhaps a vendor would do. They were unlikely to ask questions or try and guide her and take more of her time than she wished them to. Maybe she should consider a stable as well.

Tya slid down off the saddle, grimacing as she landed on her own feet. There was no pain since that on the outer shell was often dulled, but it did feel strange and required she let the fire course to her legs again. Without having used them for much of the ride she didn’t see the point in wasting the energy to fuel them.

Pepper was led by the reins as Tya examined the various stalls along the main road. The only road, it seemed. Time and usage had worn dirt paths between the unorganized scattering of buildings, but only this one seemed to be truly planned. Kiosks with various colored coverings served as the only real color among the grey stone and dark roofs. Those, and the fresh flowers and sea-grown fruits.

Her studying didn’t really have a purpose. She was interested in the fruit, never having tried any of them, but she didn’t intend to buy, nor did she care to look like she wanted to. Really, she was just kind of curious about all the things available. Outside of the necessities she’d gathered in her cave, she never really thought about Stuff. But she’d noticed that humans seemed to really enjoy it, and she couldn’t help but be intrigued. There was so much of it! Where did they find it all? How did they think to sell it? Had she the money, it was like she could buy anything, and the thoughts of having Things was so enticing, especially if they served no purpose. To just sit there and be a Thing. Her mother had had Things. Artistic ones like vases and paintings. Masks she thought looked nice. Jewelry. She made herself a mental note. She would like to get Things for her cave when she was out of this mess.

Right… This mess. She huffed, pausing before a stall and looking to the person that manned it. A young man with light-bleached hair and cheeks reddened by his time outdoors, dusted with freckles.

Tya cleared her throat, as if such would wash away her nervousness. It didn’t, but she pretended it did. “Excuse me,” she said. His attention had already been on her, but upon being addressed, he offered her a small, soft smile in greeting. “Have you any idea where Safílas Skye’s Apothecary is?”

He thought for a moment, lips puckering as he did, then he leaned a little way over the counter that separated them. “If I’m remembering right, should be down that way, take another path to the left, and just look for the sign on your right.”

She turned back to glance in the direction he had pointed, nodding as she did. An idle ‘thank you’ was said back to him, though whether he heard or not, she didn’t know as another woman had soon taken up her spot to examine the wares he had laid out. The conversation that ensued between them, Tya had considered eavesdropping on simply for the benefit of information and possibly learning a thing or two about socialization, but she refrained and instead started off in the indicated direction.

There was no rhyme or reason with the placement of the buildings, but the town was small and the roads were wide. It made it easier to traverse, and even if it hadn’t been, the various people on the streets all glanced at her horse as she passed. Had she needed guidance, she likely could have waved one of them down. Fortunately she didn’t though, and was content to stroll along, head cocked with curiosity while she examined the closelines, window planters, and small people giggling and darting around in the grasses between homes.

A part of her mind was still set on her objective, and that part fortunately thought to slow her as she reached it. She’d noted the sign in a quieter thought that was pulled forward as she arrived.

Upon reaching the steps, she glanced up to the door. This was one of many wooden structures, the boards all placed close and horizontal next to one another. The door was a bleached white with a window, in which a sign hung to signal that it was open. On either side of said door were slim bay windows curtained on the inside by vines and flowering plants outstretched toward Venat’s feeding light.

There was a second story to it, smaller, set back on the roof of the first. It matched the rest’s width, but in front of it were the shingles of the first floor, and over the top of those were two symmetrically placed windows.

Tya started up the two stairs to the door, faltering only as she was lightly tugged back by the reins still in her grip. She looked at the leather with a touch of confusion, recalling a second later that they were attached to a horse who knew that it was likely not supposed to go into a shop.

Pepper looked at her expectantly, earning a small ‘what?’ from the woman before she focused on trying to look around.

There was a particularly useless wooden fence lining either side of the short stairway to the door. Likely just there for aesthetic, but it came in use as she wrapped the rein around it and pointed scoldingly at Pepper. “You stay here.”

After he stamped his hoof in response, Tya shook her head and turned to continue up, hiking the length of her skirts up to avoid tripping over them on the short ascent. A needless action since the longest of the three layers only reached to the middle of her calf.

She entered the building slowly and as she did, she took note of her surroundings.

It looked a lot bigger inside than it did outside. The ceiling had been painted with a beautiful portrait of the stars and one of three moons, Thera. The walls were decorated with red fabric, draped lazily over the grey wood. Herbs hung in places the drapes didn’t reach. Tiered tables were placed in the middle of the room, and on each were rows of plants that were trimmed and obviously cared for.

She stepped in further, hands moving to clasp over her stomach absently as she finally returned her attention to what she was doing.

There was a counter on the far side of the shop, behind which were three worn, wooden cabinets with glass fronts. They were filled with vials ranging in both size and color, many of which had little tags. Upon closer inspection, Tya could see that each was finely labeled and placed in alphabetical order.

“Need help?” A smooth masculine voice caused her to flinch.

She quickly spotted the owner of both the voice and the establishment, a man with dark skin and gently waved black hair that reached about halfway down his upper back. He approached her, though his soft yellow-green eyes were fixed on a little bottle of dark liquid in his hands. He wiped the edges with a little cloth, stained in a similar color, both fresh and old.

Behind him a man with sharp, pointed ears emerged from the same door he’d just come from, rubbing his arm just under what seemed to be a tourniquet.

Simple goodbyes were passed between the two of them while Tya stood idle, head cocked with curiosity toward the vial in his hands. As he looked back to her, he noticed her interest. A smile curved his lips and he said as if she should know the implications: “It’s Elf’s Blood.”

And she believed she did.

Elf’s Blood: A valued ingredient in magic regeneration.

She said nothing, but her curiosity faded out, causing him to ask “You know it?” while he held it out to her, only to show her. She examined it closely.

It was thick and seemed to move even if the bottle itself was still. If her eyesight was better, she may have noted a gentle sparkle in it as well.

“It is used to help magic.” She answered quietly, looking up from the bottle.

“Can even give you magic.” He chuckled, pulling back the bottle and using it to point at her before moving behind the counter. “Only for a little time though.” He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a paper tag, then he gently set down the bottle on top of the rag he’d used to clean it. He reached for a bit of ink and a thin brush.

She watched as he wrote the name on the paper. If she were honest, she admired the action. She was never able to write on her own because it was entirely illegible when she tried. She couldn’t hold the brush as she had trouble closing her hands, and the fine movements required for lettering was something she just hadn’t been able to master. Perhaps with time she’d learn, but for the moment she only looked on with envy.

When he finished, he turned and pulled open a cabinet where he set the vial safely inside, next to others like it.

He then turned back to her, a smile still on his face. “Whaddya need?”

It was then that she snapped back to attention. She’d become incredibly interested in his work, but she’d have to further inquire on that later.

“Are you Skye Cailbane?” She asked.

His response was to look at her with a bit of confusion, then he nodded and motioned around. “I thought it was obvious.” He chuckled and moved to the counter, propping his elbows on it. “ Safílas Skye’s Apothecary”

It took Tya a moment to catch on to what it was he meant when he emphasized the name of his shop. When she realized, she tilted her head and replied with “Well it wasn’t exactly spelled out for me when I was told to find you.” Though her expression said she was unamused, her tone suggested otherwise.

Skye shifted, tensing in a way that was barely visible.

“Told to find me?” He stood straight, turning back to his concoctions.

“Yes, it’s involving Princess Lillia,” Tya moved to find the papers she’d stuffed away earlier.

“Princess Lillia? What could royalty want with me?” He said humbly, chuckling and shaking his head as he turned back with a vial in hand.

Tya pulled out the paper, looking up at him with confusion. She offered it forward a bit and said “I was under the impression you knew her quite well.”

He looked at the paper, dark brow furrowing with confusion of his own as he slipped it from her hand. It lacked a royal seal, which Tya thought was always necessary when royal blood wished to prove their word, but she understood why Lillia wouldn’t use it. In fact, leaning over to look at it, she noticed Lillia hadn’t even used her name when signing it. Instead it was signed Bloom.

Skye nodded his head slowly when he looked back up to Tya. He didn’t say anything, only turned back to set the bottle back in his cabinet. Tya could see the little tag which read ‘Lure d’aci’.

She paused, tilting her head once more. She’d read about that before…

Lure d’aci: A highly venomous snake, known more commonly as Mekir. The breed is primarily found in deserts and is said to have acidic venom.

She bristled.

He had seemed so casual, but she understood quickly that that was a finely acted cover for an impending attack. But he disarmed himself and, without a word, moved to the front door. He turned the sign to make it clear the place was closed then he turned back to Tya, motioning toward the room he’d first come out of. “Come this way.”

She was hesitant to obey, but he had set the poison down. Had he more on his person? Was he luring her? She followed, but her hands tensed regardless, prepared to ignite should he make any moves.

He entered and stepped aside so she may do the same, but she just stood at the doorway, watching him.

“I will not have you behind me.” Her statement seemed to strike him as bold. He drew back slightly, somewhat flustered by such a thing, but without question he stepped forward to give her room to enter.

She watched his every move before stepping a short distance inward. She pushed the door but did not let it close. In fact she kept a hand on it while staying in its opening, where she’d have the ability to dart out and slam it should it be required.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he raised both hands in a manner that suggested surrender, and his tone was soft, as if he was trying to soothe her paranoia.

“Not now.”

“A new face came in questioning me about a connection between me and the princess. If you didn’t expect a little hostility, you’re the fool here.”

His reaction, while a bit aggressive, brought her pause. It made sense when she thought about it. Valya was apparently crazed, so any dealings with Lillia were probably secret. She couldn’t fault him for that, since she’d be paranoid just the same. She was much too cautious in any situation, probably even more so when she was actually doing something wrong.

She loosened to an extent and nodded to show she understood his notion. “So then why have you dragged me in here?”

Skye shrugged, “Because I figured you needed to know some things.”

“I am to kill the High Queen.” She stated bluntly, and in response Skye performed a mixture of a nod and a shrug, implying she was mostly right. “Is there more?”

“I figured if you’re really a new ally, I’d give you a little information about what’s happening here, but I suppose that does about cover it. If you want to be that blunt, I mean...” He made an odd little gesture with his hand, a loose circular motion, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Right now, we’re really workin’ more on finding the people we need to do it.”

“The people we need? Who exactly do we need?”

“We can’t really kill a Sékan with blunt, physical attacks, which is all we got. That, and my supply of mixtures, but that’s not really overly helpful.”

Tya stepped aside, leaning against the wall by the door. “I’ve had the question since Lillia first found me—why exactly can we not just take a torch to the High Queen?”

Skye’s brow arched and he made another gesture, this one suggesting he didn’t quite know how to respond to such a question. “They’re not really reliable should everyone else fall, so it seems dangerous” he paused once again then mused “and way too easy, honestly.”

“Ah yes, setting her aflame with a person is much more interesting and much less dangerous.” Tya agreed bitterly.

“I mean that’s also dangerous, but at least a person has more of a mind than a torch.”

“So we endanger as many people possible to get everyone out of danger.”

“If you’re not supporting us, why did she let you come here?”

“Because I’m your sentient torch.”

Skye was momentarily silenced as he straightened and looked her over more carefully. “You’re a fire mage? She actually found a seasoned one?”

“You can say that, yes.” Tya straightened as well, stepping forward so he may further examine her. An opportunity he took, moving closer to her and checking her out. Admittedly he was more interested in the way she dressed than her. The common people of Evoles often wore baggy clothing, though none of them overdressed to this point unless it was cold. Given the time of year, her layers definitely drew attention.

He chuckled, shaking his head and looking toward a window to her left. With him briefly disengaged, she took just a second to note her surroundings for any means of escape should the one at her side be blocked. She first took note of the fact that this room was decorated differently than the last. There was equipment centered behind Skye, two chairs and a small table that held everything she assumed he’d need to draw blood. The only window in the room, the one that had his attention, was one of the two bay windows she’d seen outside. Thin black drapes were tied off on either side of the plants spilling over the sill. Opposite of them was a staircase, before which was a sign that read ‘please do not proceed’.

He gathered his thoughts. “Well, she sent you all the way here to talk to the others of this uh... ‘resistance’, so you can know who you’re working with--”

“I would prefer not to directly associate with them.” Tya intervened, her sentiment catching him off guard.

He froze, brow arched as he waited for her to say something else. What she could add to that statement, neither knew, and when nothing came, he shook his head. ”Isn’t that a pretty bad battle tactic?”

“A battle tactic? I must fight with you all?” Tya seemed rather offended by such an idea.

“Well… Yeah.” He said as if that should have been obvious from the start.

“Why is it you cannot just pave a path for me and I will carry on being your sentient torch?”

“Th-that’s not really… I mean I guess that could work if we had the supplies? If I could make some sort of grenade flasks, I suppose...”

“Very well, it’s settled then.“ Tya turned and began back out, only to have Skye hurry behind her.

“Wait, you really don’t think it’s best to meet the people you’re going to be fighting alongside of?”

“I don’t like talking to people unless it’s absolutely necessary. And I hardly think them going in before and taking out the bulk of them will be me fighting alongside.”

“You didn’t even listen to what I was saying about it. We need supplies for that, and if we had that we wouldn’t even need you to begin with.” He stopped not far from the door and crossed his arms. “We can’t take out anyone without fire. They are immune to what we can do, unless we can drain all the blood out of them or push them outside into Venat’s light.”

Hearing this made the elemental slow. She was admittedly displeased by how quickly she’d been shut down. Perhaps if she listened more and wasn’t so quick to disengage from a particularly important conversation, she wouldn’t have made herself look stupid.

“I’m guessing these supplies are hard to come by, then?” She quieted, turning slightly but looking to the floor.

“Yeah, just a little. If it was easier, we would’ve handled it before so many people died, but making the grenade a grenade isn’t easy” Skye replied, annoyed by her question. It was as if she’d implied something in this she wasn’t entirely sure of, but the way she shrunk back a bit definitely said it wasn’t her intention.

“We’ve got an archer, and she’s good, but I don’t think she can get a headshot on every one of them unless we keep them off her. Even if she could, all it takes is one pulling out the arrows and we’d be swarmed again.” He told her a bit more calmly, though his voice still relayed plenty of aggravation. It was evident they’d thought extensively on this subject, which she would commend them for. She shouldn’t have written him off so quickly, but that was obvious.

“They will live if the arrow is removed?” Tya adjusted slightly, relaxing to show she was staying. Skye loosened up some, and took a deep breath.

“The Leeches’re pretty resilient.” A quiet, wary laugh left him as he tried to read her current posture.

He’d called them leeches, which struck Tya as odd for a moment. But as she thought about it, it made sense, given what she knew about the nasty little worms.

“This is why you should meet everyone that’s with us. You need to know your allies, there’s three here in town. And they know a lot more about this stuff than me anyway. Are you interested in learning more about your enemies?”

Tya shifted a bit, visibly uncomfortable though whether it was by the thought of meeting other people or the fact that she looked particularly stupid, was unclear. The idea of being able to learn something was always alluring to her, causing her to cave pretty easily. “Very well, I’ll meet them, then…”

At that, a smile formed on Skye’s lips, and he nodded his head gently. “You know, the worse you act, the harder you’re going to make this for everyone, probably you too.” He spoke absent then, turning and moving back behind the counter. He pulled a key from his pocket, locking up the cabinets before slipping it back into its apparent rightful place. Tya watched curiously as he did this, then returned to her. He motioned toward the front door she’d so rudely begun to storm toward, and she looked back at it. For a moment she didn’t quite comprehend the gesture, but she soon caught on to the fact that he was telling her to go.

She did so, and Skye followed, closing and locking the doors behind him. As he did, Tya took note of the fact that her horse had remained in its spot, watching people pass with a look akin to confusion.

“What is it we are doing, exactly?” Tya instinctively moved back to her steed, lightly patting his neck after making sure he knew she was there. He seemed less confused by her presence at least.

“I just told you,” Skye said, dark brows furrowing once more as he motioned outward. “We are going to go find the others.”

Tya slumped slightly then, her hand dropping off the animal as she looked at him. “They cannot just come to us?”

“They could, I guess, but—“

“Then why can we not do that?”

“You have a really bad habit of interrupting me before I explain everything.” Green eyes narrowed slightly in Tya’s direction, and she crossed her arms then, giving him a look that said he was allowed to continue.

“But unless I’m going to send someone out to fetch ‘em, then it might be a while until they just randomly show up. And I don’t want to pay some kid to go hunt down three people I have to describe to them in detail when we can just go walk around, don’t you think that sounds like more work?”

“Not for me,” Tya shook her head, giving him a simple shrug. Skye sighed and gave a small smile, but ultimately dismissed it and motioned outward once again. In response to this, Tya huffed, but followed. “This is the sort of pointless quest that would only be meant to waste pages.”