The next morning Triosa woke Helnion up as usual and after another simple breakfast the two left for the forest.

"Today you will practice pulling water out of the air," Triosa told Helnion after she had taken her usual spot.

Triosa then made another crystal jar, this time with a small hole in it. “I will fill the jar with water and your task will be to put the water you make into this jar. Your task is to put water into the jar fast enough that it does not become empty in the time limit I have chosen.”

Helnion looked at the jar then looked at Triosa. She had never enjoyed using this kind of magic because it was one kind that required lots of concentration, though it was not the worst.

Triosa stared at Helnion, as if expecting blood, but instead of doing anything to Helnion she instead filled the jar part way with water and said, "Hurry before it all leaks out."

Helnion looked at the jar again. She could not remember very well how to do this and it was one of the few magics that Salis could do better than her, even if it was sporadic when she could do it. Still, the water in the jar was going down, and she had received only a few lashes from Triosa the last few days and she wanted to keep it that way.

An hour later Helnion had failed three times. Triosa had seemed neither angry nor disappointed and merely refilled the jar after giving her a lashing across her arm.

On her fifth try Helnion got her first mist to form. While it was soon easily blown away by the gentle breeze passing through the forest, it was a victory to her. Triosa still lashed her when the jar emptied despite this.

By the time noon came, Helnion was practically falling asleep. If she had thought the training before this had been tiring, this had been almost tortuously exhausting.

About an hour and a half after lunch her training was interrupted.

"Stand," Triosa commanded to Helnion.

Helnion stood up and wondered what was happening. Triosa had never interrupted training like this before, but with the way the woman was scanning the area in the village's direction made her wonder if someone was coming this way.

Soon enough three men wearing light armor with red markings and a man in a red robe pushed through some thick bushes. The men looked at the two and then whispered among themselves for a moment before the man in the robe spoke to Helnion, "Are you Helnion Usui Kein, daughter of Jefis Turrel Kein Patricius?"

Helnion nodded.

"And who are you?" The man said, turning to Triosa.

Triosa said nothing and did not move. The men in armor drew their swords. The man in the robe held out his hand to hold them back.

"Are you responsible for the disappearance of this child and another, a Terran, named Salis? We have been sent to retrieve them."

Triosa turned to Helnion and whispered in her ear. "This is an opportune time for you to return to your family. I will expect you to continue your training, if possible, and I will keep an eye on you to make sure of this. I will return for you in a week, so if you want to do anything with your family use your time wisely. I would also like you to tell them as little as possible of what has happened to you in the past year."

Triosa looked at the men then turned her back to them. The men tensed up but before they could do anything, there was a burst of wind and the woman took off through the tops of the trees.

Two of the men tried to chase after her but were called back by the oldest man in the group.

"I see your friend wanted nothing to do with us." The man in the robe said with a laugh. "I am Loih Sorris Stutra. I have been sent from the Temple of Sorris in Stutra after we received word that we might find here you in Al-Kel. Your family has been notified and your brother and fiance will meet us in Stutra to take you home."

How long had it been since Helnion had been home? Not since the day before she and Salis had gone on their adventure almost a year ago. She was happy for the opportunity to see her family again, but it was one more week Salis would be on her own.

Helnion looked back at the spot she had been sitting. Only the blanket she had been sitting on remained. There was no sign that the jar had been there other than a wet spot from the water that had drained from it.

Helnion looked back to the men and then back to her blanket. She had grown fond of the blanket. It had done a very good job at keeping her bottom comfortable so she would reward it for its job and would bring it with her.

When she had retrieved the blanket, she headed towards the village with the men.

Helnion found a carriage waiting for her and the men next to the small house she and Triosa had been staying in. She had hoped for a levitating carriage but they could not make it up steep slopes. If it were not for her blanket, she imagined the ride down would be very rough. At least she could pet the horses that pulled the carriage.

"Lady Helnion." The man in the robe said. "We have already retrieved your belongings from the house so there is no need to go back inside." He then opened the door to the carriage for her.

Helnion did not care if she had brought the clothes Triosa had given her, despite their high quality, but it was too late to worry about it now, anyway.

Helnion stepped inside the carriage with the man close behind. The other men climbed onto the seats to the front and back of the carriage.

Not long after, the carriage began to move.

"As we cannot reach Stutra by nightfall, we will lodge in an inn near the base of the mountains. We will then leave first thing in the morning by levitating carriage and hopefully be to Stutra before nightfall. The next day you will be taken to Kein and be reunited with your family." The man sounded pleased.

The man's tone then changed. "I know it is not my place to ask but could I ask where you have been for the last year?"

Helnion could easily tell this man… Fiodh?… this man where she had been but Triosa had told her not to so Helnion shook her head.

"Do you not remember or is there a reason you cannot say?"

Triosa had said nothing about not saying why she could not say where she had been so, "Triosa told me not to say." Helnion said.

"Is Triosa the woman you were with?"

Helnion nodded.

"Was she the one that abducted you?"

Helnion shook her head.

"Can you tell me who abducted you?"

"No one did," Helnion hoped she was not giving too much information.

"If no one abducted you then why did you leave?"

"Some bad men attacked Salis. I took a levitating carriage and took her away from them, but they followed us."

"Ah, Salis…" the man said as if remembering something fun.

Helnion was confused. Did this man know Salis?

The man laughed, "Did Salis ever tell you about her stay in Stutra?"

Helnion nodded.

"Did she ever mention the priest that gave her food?"

Helnion's eyes opened wide. This was the priest in Salis' story!

The man laughed again, "I see from your response that you have heard about me. I am glad that I made a big enough impression on her to mention me."

Helnion looked more closely at the priest. Salis had not described him so she wanted to take a good look herself.

"I feel like a precious heirloom," The priest said laughing yet again.

"Fioh?" Helnion said, trying to remember his name.

"Fioh?" The man said a bit confused before brightening back up. "My name is Lioh. Did Salis never mention my name?"

Helnion shook her head. Salis never had cared much for names.

"Wait… Did I even tell her?" He laughed. "Now that I think about it I did not."

Helnion smiled. It was just like Salis to not ask for someone's name.

"So what happened after the bad men started chasing you?" Lioh said, getting back on track.

Helnion decided that now was a good time to stop talking about their adventure and shook her head.

"You cannot say anymore?" Lioh said with a sigh. "Is this Triosa that scary?"

Helnion rubbed her arms. She did not find Triosa scary, but she had agreed to help her and she did not want to risk losing an opportunity to find Salis.

Not far into the trip, Helnion drifted to sleep. She was glad Lioh figured out quickly that she was not interested in long conversations or else her headache would have gotten worse.

The next time he spoke it was to wake her up to let her know they had arrived at the inn and as she was still tired so she went back to sleep as soon as she settled into her room.

The next morning she awoke to Triosa's voice.

"Wake up. I will resume your training today even if I cannot be right there with you. Now eat your breakfast and get ready to go. You can train in the carriage."

Helnion grudgingly got out of her bed, dressed, and then went to get her breakfast.

Helnion ate her breakfast quickly and soon found herself in a levitating carriage with the men that were accompanying her. Lioh had tried to talk with her more, but she was not in the mood. She also worried about Triosa and decided she would focus on training.

Helnion looked around the inside of the carriage as if expecting to find a leaking crystal jar but found none. She was glad it was not there because it only distracted her and reminded her she was horrible at this kind of magic unless she was in Concentration Mode.

To her surprise, she quickly created a small cloud of fog in the middle of the carriage. She was not sure why it had been easier for her to do it today, but she did not care.

"What are you doing?" Lioh said when he noticed the fog.

"Practice."

"Strange place to practice."