After a couple of hours or riding on my ice spell, we arrive at the first village, to bring Violeta back to her home and family. I perform a smooth stop, obviously, but the five of us barely have enough time to step off the ice, before I see someone already running in our direction.

“Oh, Violeta!” A young man shouts and runs to hug the girl with long straight purple. “I thought we’d never see you again!”

“As if I’d let some low-lifes keep me captive for long!” Violeta pouts and doesn’t reciprocate the hug.

“What happened? How did you escape?” The young man asks as more villagers gather.

“It was all thanks to this little girl!” Cyra announces and theatrically gestures in my direction. “She single-handedly took on the vile men and freed us all!”

“I was about to free myself,” Violeta mumbles. “The girl helped... a little.”

“Oh thank you!” The man drops to his knees and hugs me.

“The bandits demanded a great ransom for his sister,” An old man speaks as he walks up to us. He’s the village elder no doubt. “More than this poor village could ever hope to gather! How could we possibly express our gratitude?”

“Well, I—”

“Some food would be good!” Cyra interrupts me... again. “We’re starving! Right, girls?”

“Well, I guess I haven’t eaten since I got here...” I say realizing that I am a little hungry. Ivy and Lily nod in agreement.

“But of course!” The elder exclaims. “We shall slaughter a fresh lamb and have a feast in your name! What is your name, little girl?”

“Lilith!” I say with a smile, looking up at the kind old man.

A couple of hours later I’m eating the most delicious, juicy, tender lamb shank. Better than anything I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant. Well, the lamb was running in the fields just a couple hours earlier after all!

The village is nice. A couple dozen well kept, single-story wooden houses, a stone well with a wooden roof in the center square. Lots of shrubberies with flowers in all the colors of a rainbow. Chickens and dogs running about. About what you’d expect in a medieval setting. This might be a nice place to retire to, for those who seek a calm, peaceful life. The villagers are kind and welcoming, and I’m already bored.

“I suppose it’s time for us to go!” Cyra speaks up, wiping her mouth with a cloth. Did she read my mind? No, she must have caught the disinterested gaze that I’ve let slip.

“You’re leaving already?” The villager asks with clear disappointment that is obvious from the tone of his voice.

“Of course!” Cyra says. “We’d love to stay with you and the meal is the tastiest we’ve ever eaten, but think of the poor families of these two girls!”

Cyra gestures at Lily and Ivy. I see her eyes watering as she continues to speak with a slight tremble in her voice, “They must be worried sick! I cannot possibly let them suffer for another minute longer. Even staying this long has been so selfish of us. Oh, how can I possibly face their families now!”

“Of course, I understand,” The elder says, though still seems disappointed. “Then we cannot possibly hold you up any longer.”

“Great! Lilith, let’s go!” Cyra says looking at me with a cheerful smile, gets up from the table, grabs me by the arm and drags me away. She’s stronger than she looks!

“Lily, Ivy, come on!” Cyra shouts, looking back at them.

Within a couple of minutes, we’re already on our way to the next village, riding on the ice path I create with my [Freeze] spell.