“How the fuck is Valya not dead?” Had been the first thing to burst out of her mouth that night, resulting in her hurriedly being hushed by her companions. Everything they’d tried to answer with was of no substance, because in truth, they didn’t know either. She was left both curious and fuming. While those two emotions were pretty much her natural state, it was odd that the anger outweighed the wonder.

They had no answer though. They’d thought her dead just the same, and were very much mistaken. Nisaki and Lillia had been imprisoned, which explained why she’d allowed ruin to come to such a fine piece of clothing- because that was clearly the concern Tya needed to focus on. With the aid of both Melody and other castle staff, they’d managed to escape that night, and pursue the attackers heading to the nearest of the targets.

Melody said that they were not the only caravan sent out of Evoles that day, though… The silent city had all been peeking out their curtains as two others rode out. Melody hadn’t even known of Nisaki and Lillia’s capture, and was fortunate to have been warned by a maid before any of the Sékan had the chance to seize her.

Displeased as Tya had been, she could tell that none of them had the information she wanted. Valya was pushing her patience, and it wasn’t as if Tya had a whole lot to begin with. So she also didn’t argue in the fact that she needed to do something about this. They’d stowed themselves away in the darkness of the alcove, letting the two present moons, Imyun, Home of the Matriarchs and Thera, Home of the Dead, shadow their presence. Melody kept watch overhead, ears alert to hear both the roads and the skies. They had been pursued, but she had managed to pull the horses into the darkness as well.

The Sékan’s eyesight was poor enough when they took up their smaller flight form, that they didn’t see them during their airborne recon. The voices from along the main road were on edge, the steps were hard, and while they’d spread across the fields, they hadn’t gone far enough to notice the spot which their group hid. Thank the Goddess of Life that she hadn’t been so creative with Evoles’ landscape to make it clear when there was a ledge somewhere. The drab, identical plains came in handy for something at least.

The next morning they headed out again. They bordered the main road at a distance, moving warily yet quick so they could reach their destination hopefully without any more confrontation. With Venat’s protection and Melody’s knowledge of the hunting grounds she so often worked in, that task was made simple.

A hooded carriage waited on the high land on Cotéfaise’s outskirts. It was empty and the horses were gone, but Melody said that it had the same appearance and, more damning, the same scent, as the Sékan that had left the city prior to Tya’s caravan. On top of that, that one seemed to have made it into the town as well, as Melody noted the mix of them both.

All eyes were on them upon entering. No one stopped them, but Tya could feel every gaze boring into her back as they passed atop their mounts. It was becoming a common theme that she did not care for in the least. Even if she had been fully human with no oddities about her body, she felt like she never would have enjoyed being the center of attention as she seemed to have been throughout this. Sure, it was reasonable the first time; murder was generally a little bit of a headturner, but now it was just getting a little absurd.

On her first trip to Cotéfaise, the small town had pegged her as a traveler given her steed and this immediately bred curiosity. This time, though the path they walked hushed at their appearance, and those nearest them scurried away. At first she had thought it was simply the desire to not get kicked by a horse, but she was forced to question it when she noticed the young man whom she'd spoken to initially.

No, she didn't expect him to remember her face- it was likely he saw so many a day, it just wasn't possible for him to do so. But she didn't really expect him to forcefully look away and busy his gaze and hands on the nearest thing he could find at the kiosk.

Maybe it should have comforted her to know that she could easily get someone to look away from her, but the thought that they were doing it behind her back was only furthering the anxiety in her core. Infuriating in a way, that they’d think she wasn’t able to feel that sensation of stares and whispers when she turned her back.

Having elected to ride behind The Man that day, she had to lean past him to see ahead at all. She anchored herself with one side of his waist and a part of the saddle that allowed a good grip, as she had still decided side-saddled was far more comfortable than the proper way.

She could hear the hiss of whispers, and see the way they raised their hands to avoid having their secrets taken from their lips. With the expressions they were given, she could only assume said secrets weren’t kind ones. There wasn’t any hostility, no, but something else. Fear? Displeasure? Uncertainty? They all seemed accurate…

Straightening up again, she leaned with the intent to ask over The Man’s shoulder, what exactly was happening. But she didn’t get the chance to do so before Nisaki’s horse was drawn to a stop. Once again, she had to bend, this time electing to do it backwards rather than forwards, to see what had halted them.

The main pathway was moderately busy, a pleasant change from the disconcerting feeling she’d got from Evoles during her last attempt to enter. People still walked and went about their business, even if they were mostly wary. In part, that seemed to be due to their presence, but there was something else heavy in the air that she couldn’t quite place. Even if it was busier than Evoles seemed to have been- she had no proof to that claim, it just seemed too quiet- the atmosphere still felt similar. Felt tense.

For the most part, they seemed to all avoid their gazes either from shame or distaste. But what was most informing, was the board that stood center in the main market. Aged papers were pinned about in orderless layers, all of mundane things such as requests to fix roofs or boats. But those had been covered. Fresh and crisp, directly on top, were portraits, all hung with precision. Each was of a familiar face, each with a familiar name, and all labeled with the words ‘wanted for High Treason’.

Irritation squinted her eyes toward the sketched and then reprinted renditions of her own face as well as the rest of her treasonous companions. “That is highly irritating,” she muttered as she pulled herself upright again. This time, the look she gave the numerous onlookers was far less curious, edging much closer to hostility.

“Let’s make this quick,” Lillia said softly as she pulled the reins to turn, at which point Nisaki budged as well and let his horse shuffle up to the side of hers.

“Maybe we should dismount,” he said over to her, casting a glance back toward The Man to be sure that his suggestion had been heard by both parties. “We stand out like this. So we should stable them.”

“Wandering around more than necessary is a terrible idea,” she argued, albeit gently. “...But we would need at least one more horse regardless.”

As it was, the horses were tiring much faster given the extra burden that two of them were carrying. And while they could probably manage Sarobie’s small, rectangular frame on the back of Nisaki’s, Skye being added to anyone’s load would have broken the poor beast’s backs.

They hadn’t come in far, and Cotéfaise wasn’t large, so getting to the stables was done with relative ease. They were not stopped, but the more people that saw them, the more likely they were to be sold out. Tya figured that, even if everyone in Evoles did manage to hate the High Queen, some might find it beneficial to try and get on her good side through hauling in the traitors of the nation.

They were quick to dismount, and as Nisaki set them up with the stablemaster, Melody busied herself with listening to their surroundings. The conversations that happened fell easy upon her sensitive ears, twitching about even despite the fact that she’d just been stirred from an already shallow rest.

Of the group of them, Nisaki was the least recognizable. While his features were Emtirian in nature, his Hybrid parts were native, calling little attention to him. Had that not worked in his favor, the fact that both he and Lillia were not featured on the signs would have. Lillia was a face many knew, and this fact was occurring to the bunch of them as Nisaki gratefully handed off the steeds.

“I cannot tell if it is of benefit or not, that news of you and Nisaki’s escape has not spread,” Tya commented, her voice low as she looked out from beneath a dark-wood overhang at the main house door. “On one hand, there is the possibility that your presence may deter anyone from attempting to arrest us. But on the other, it's very likely that we are tarnishing your reputation early.”

“We can hope for the first,” Lillia said as she closed her arms over her chest, almost as if she was cold. The thought occurred to Tya then, that Lillia had been only thinly clothed in her long, pink gown. She was not hooded as most Sékan needed to be whilst out in the light, and yet she was clean of the blisters and burns that would develop on those that accidentally found themselves caught in it.

Tya’s attention shifted outward to a young man whose eyes had been lingering on the Princess for far too long. Even if he had no clue about the bunch of them, to leer at the daughter of the High Queen wasn’t the best idea, Tya could guess. It wasn’t until he caught sight of The Man that she understood why they were not being approached.

Understood, being a loose term. He was a tall man, his skin that of a dark blueish grey. His eyes had clouded with death and reddened with the magic that pulled him out of it. While lean muscle wasn’t quite so easy to see, he made a show of it all with being clad in tight black clothing. His armor had been abandoned in the cave, much to his dismay, leaving him with the skimpy form fitting black that left little to the imagination for his torso. Fortunately, he had been kind enough to wear pants that weren’t quite so revealing.

Between his odd attire and well built frame, those odd, already disconcerting features had an inherent unsettling nature to them. Much like his voice, there was an instinctive cruelty that creased his brow and curled his lip. His jaw always seemed to be set, the bridge of his nose subtly wrinkled in disgust.

In other, more precise words, he had a resting bitch face that seemed to be deterring people even more than the Princess’ high standing.

Nisaki returned only a few short moments later, prying one of Lillia’s hands off her own upper arm so he could intertwine his fingers between each of hers. His intentions were sweet as he issued a soft reassurance and pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers, and though she appreciated it, she shook her head.

“We need to move quickly,” she said just loud enough for all of them to hear. “I am only making us more obvious to everyone. I would stay back, but…”

“Where would you stay?” Tya finished unintentionally, both of her hands clasping at her front as she paused to think. Where would they even be going after this? It hadn’t dawned on her at first that, what had started as a simple murder with a clean cut plan, was just on the brink of getting very much out of hand. And then with that coming clear to her, she realized, it was never simple.

The whole time, they should have expected more.

Though she gritted her teeth, Tya did not let her annoyance show its way through. Instead, she huffed and dropped her hands so she could pull off one of many of her layers. A dark maroon cardigan that reached midway down her thigh, with long sleeves that covered her hands. It clung to the quarter sleeve knit sweater beneath, and as she pulled it off, she held it out to Lillia. It would do little to cover the majority of her dress, but perhaps it looked simple enough that she could pass with a little more ease.

Lillia hesitated in taking it from her hands, unsure of what exactly she was meant to do with it. Wary of Tya’s impatience she did slip it from her grasp, staring at her with surprise at any gesture- a gaze which Tya didn’t notice as she took to adjusting the long sleeved black shirt that lay beneath the knit sweater. It was more form fit than either the sweater or the cardigan, but the sleeves were still long enough to cover quite a bit of her hands.

Tya pulled the fabric over her thumbs, stretched up to her knuckles with her fingers all curled at the hem where her nails picked at the fabric they pressed into.

“Put it on,” she directed with a surprising lack of annoyance toward the Princess. “Let us go get the others.” She turned on her heel to start in what she vaguely knew to be the direction of Skye’s shop, assuming that, should she begin to mislead, someone behind her would make mention of it. She only made it a few steps before she paused at the realization that, if there were warrants out for their arrest, they may not even find Skye and Sarobie where they intended for them to be.

Lillia closed the front of the cardigan over her chest, pinning it against her abdomen with an arm crossing, fist set against the crook of the opposite elbow. Her hand had gone back to Nisaki’s almost immediately, and with the cloth of Tya’s clothing so loose, the connection had been swallowed up in fabric.

They should at least have a look. She’d be irritated if they wound up scouring the whole town only to find they’d been exactly where they should be the whole time. If not, Tya would then bring up the possibility of breaking them out of the town jail, had they not been either executed on sight or shipped off to The Capital, ‘Also Named’ Evoles.

Would they come across the dead bodies of their comrades…?

She hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with Sarobie, though the woman’s knowledge did impress and enthuse her. Tya had developed a preference for studying places as a hobby, since her main training required that of the living. But Sarobie seemed to be the opposite of her in that area, having studied living creatures as a hobby whilst she traveled. The contrast was interesting to Tya, and to see it all lost at the hands of Valya’s thrall was a frustrating thought.

Skye, as well… She liked him. Her reason for him wasn’t quite as academic as her interest in Sarobie, though she did very much enjoy listening to what he knew involving plantlife. But he was patient and seemed to be kind. And pretty. Very pretty. She liked that.

Did she even still have the right to call them ‘comrades’?

Doubtful. Her self preservation had fucked that one up, hadn’t it? Was it truly that unfair to try for one’s own survival over others?

She supposed so… They had all been putting the survival of Evoles and its subjects selflessly over their own safety, and yet the moment she was faced with danger she had tried to opt out and leave them all to die.

Part of her insisted that it was unfair of them to have expected anything less from someone forced into the entire situation, that had no battle experience, and nothing even resembling a real battle tactic. But even she could see that that was a little bit petty…

She hadn’t noticed it, but at some point after her brief falter, she had picked up her speed in trying to hurry to Skye’s shop. Either that, or it was far closer than she had anticipated.

Regardless of the answers, all thoughts were forced to stall as she reached a hand out toward the door. Her intent had been to turn the knob, but near enough to it, she realized it wasn’t necessary as it lay slightly ajar. Her examination flicked upward, revealing with ease that the glass of the door had been cracked as well.

Her touch hovered. She tilted her head back toward the rest, a silent gesture to warn them of the oddities, but without anything more, she pushed the door open.

The cold hue of blue corpses were faint in the darkness of the shop. The scent of old blood prompted Lillia to pull the sleeves of the borrowed cardigan up to bunch in front of her face. She blinked teary, worried emerald eyes, frozen to stand at the door rather than step forward.

Before the worry and fear could thoroughly sink in, Melody pushed passed them, a hand hooked absently around Tya’s back to keep her from being shoved over as she took place at the front. “It’s not them,” she said back to the rest. While she seemed to have known to begin with, it wasn’t until she looked upon the bodies of three strangers that she let her shoulders loosen.

Both she and Tya moved inward on silent steps. The body nearest the door, Tya crossed, though she watched it needlessly as she did. Reddish brown hair was splayed across the floor, matted in dried blood. A knife protruded from a gash in his forehead, and as she continued inward, she noticed this was the same for each of the three.

Melody crouched next to one of them, poking at the knife though not removing it. “I think these’re Sarobie’s.”

“I would assume that they are no longer here after being found and attacked,” Tya crossed both her arms over her chest, turning this way and then that to better study the surroundings. “The cabinets are empty.”

Melody stood from beside the body. While they hadn’t looked to truly confirm, the fact that each was met with a direct headshot implied that they were indeed Sékan, and this fact didn’t at all surprise anyone involved. The fox was also quite sure based on sound and smell, that no one else was in the house. Yet she still dusted off her pants though they’d not been dirtied in her short crouching, and began to make her way toward the blood drawing room they’d used for their previous meeting.

“Stay and make sure no one comes up to get us, k?” She requested toward those at the door, namely Lillia as she still couldn’t bring herself to move. She didn’t wait for the response to be given before pulling open the door to head inward. She left it to lay open though she of all people would need no extra help in hearing should they call to her that they were being pursued. But Tya used it as an invitation to follow her.

They made their search quick. Many of Skye’s bags lay on a barren bed in the middle of an equally as barren room. He had finished packing entirely it seemed, and yet all of his things were neatly set in place and then abandoned. Too much to carry in an escape, perhaps? It was likely that he was to ride to Vousili, either by ship or by carriage, and thus wouldn’t have to cart all of his belongings around on his own. But if they’d been driven from the shop, that much would no longer be the case.

Melody went through one or two of the bags, then elected to grab up one and hold another out to Tya. “If we find him, he’ll probably want some of his stuff,” she said. “Plus, we can get Lilly into some of his clothes so she doesn’t look so fancy and robbable.”

That didn’t sound like a word, but she was right in the sentiment at least. Tya nodded in agreement as she swung the strap over her shoulder and turned to make her way out. Just on the path to do so though, she halted midstep as her eye was caught on another bag, this one with the spine of a book sticking out the open mouth. There was little contemplation to be done in whether or not she should grab that before she decided that yes, yes she should.

They rejoined the others. Tya distracted herself by looking through the few titles stored away in the weighty bag she’d grabbed, while Melody voiced the plan once more to Lillia and directed her off to change in the blood draw room so they could get a move on.

She returned a moment or two later, shed of the once fine pink dress and now dressed in something far more common. She’d opted for a tunic and elected not to add pants into the mix for the time being. Skye’s height meant that, not only would his not fit her, but the tunic was practically a knee-length dress on her anyway. She’d tugged back on the cardigan, and had no choice but to stick with the dirtied pink flats she’d escaped the castle wearing. They seemed out of place, but at least the color matched Tya’s cardigan.

As Melody raised a hand to direct them to get moving, Nisaki called “people are coming” from the front door. Both women faltered, and though it was clearly an annoyance to her, Tya pulled the satchel of books to secure over her shoulder so she could mind the situation instead of getting herself lost like she so wished to do.

The Man leaned to look out, something made easy because he towered over Nisaki as well as everyone else, and while he grimaced at the sight, he pulled back in to say “they aren’t hooded.”

“No,” Nisaki agreed. “But they are wearing Amina’s tabard. Town guards.”

“--Perhaps we can speak to them?” Lillia trotted forward a few steps, hiking up the ends of the tan tunic on instinct as she was used to something far longer than this. “Amina isn’t Sékan, and wasn’t overly fond of my mother’s actions.”

“Even if she isn’t fond of what Valya’s doing, she’s still gotta do what the High Queen says, ‘specially with one so willing to kill the leaders that don’t.” Melody said, lips pressing into a thin frown.

Lillia’s shoulders slumped some, and she turned back to catch her gaze on the bodies strewn about the floor. They only seemed to dishearten her further, but she tried to shake it off.

“We should move,” The Man stated. “Taking a risk like that has the possibility of putting us in a terrible position. If we can run, we should try.” And they didn’t have the time to argue about it, so Nisaki ushered them out.

The small troop of guards was a squad of only six or seven led by a tall, burly blond man. His path was mostly clear, but he kept mind enough to his surroundings that they were able to at least get out on the pathway and start off, back toward the stables before they made pursuit.

The guards split, three taking off into Skye’s shop while the remaining four picked up pace to try and catch up to the crew they were mostly sure was trying to evade them. They didn’t draw weapons, but the Captain called “stop right there.” A demand which they did not heed.

“We need to get away from them,” Nisaki whispered, fighting the urge to acknowledge that they were being followed.

“And how do you suggest we do that?” The Man hissed.

“Perhaps if we get the horses, we can outrun them?” Lillia suggested.

“And if the stablehand sees them coming I don’t think he’ll be so quick to give them back,” Nisaki countered.

“Then we hide,” Melody said. “We gotta lose them and duck away somewhere so we got more room to discuss what we should do, or buy time to get the horses.”

The market road may not have been filled to the brim with people as Evoles’ was, but it was still busy enough that they may blend, and close enough that maybe they’d be able to get over to it soon. They were able to turn the corner, and since the guards were steps behind, they were out of view in the process. They took that chance to pick up speed and dart out into the thin crowd.

The sounds of clanking metal bit into the insubstantial cover as the crew behind them realized they’d lost sight. A guard cut through the alley between homes while the other three kept on the path, but Tya made a quick motion for them to scatter.

They were far too conspicuous regardless of whether or not they were together or apart, but at least if they were apart, then they could break the other group up as well. They’d be easier to lose if they weren’t all together, though that stood true for both sides.

Fortunately Lillia made a motion of her own up toward a branching alley on the other end of the market, then the group broke apart. Tya twisted her hair into a loose bun and then pulled up her sleeves. It wasn’t much, and certainly wouldn’t serve her as a long-term disguise, but maybe if one passed behind her, she could fool them enough with the differences to get to the point.

The Man and Melody were the most concerning. He was tall enough that seeing him was no problem, even if they were in a little bit of a gathering. But he did well in feinting to lose them. He ducked down a slim gap between two shops and as one guard pursued him with the assumption that he’d shoot out onto the path on the other end, he lunged himself up to crouch on one of the short roofs until he watched the young brunette guard jog off. He got back onto the ground and darted off before being seen so he could join Tya as she turned the corner to the indicated alley.

Melody’s escape was far easier. All she had to do was dip into the line at a kiosk, and as she used the bodies of others to shield herself, she let the guards pass. One of the people she’d used as a human shield cocked a brow at her, but just as it began to dawn on him that his thick frame was being used to her benefit, she was already off and joining up.

Reunited, they didn’t stop to chat. They continued down that path and took the first turn they could find just to get out of view again. Only when they came across an enclosed yard did they slow, and Nisaki lagged back to make sure they weren’t followed.

Melody’s ears twitched for some brief recon to be sure they weren’t about to walk up on whomever the occupant of this particular home was, but since she didn’t say not to go, they figured it was safe enough and were able to take a second.

“Getting to the stables will be a pain,” Melody said. “Might be better to try and get out of town tonight.”

“I highly doubt we will be able to find a suitable hiding place until then,” Tya shook her head, looking up to see Venat’s placement. It was still some time until night fell, but she guessed that, being plastered on that board as well as being sighted, the place would be crawling with guards soon. “Not to mention the fact that apparently those Sékan so kindly assigned to me have joined up with their brethren here. Or. Would have, had they not been killed.” Which wasn’t exactly comforting because that meant that they’d either a small squad of vengeful participants, or a larger one of vengeful participants. Either way the anger fueling them seemed both unpleasant and somehow, unavoidable.

“How else are we s’posed to get out of here?” Melody whispered with a panicked sharpness that silenced them all as they took a moment to try and think. All at once, they seemed to hit plan B, and as all of them declared “the ships” at once, the plan was pretty much cemented.