The next day, I woke up, still in much pain, but feeling as though I was somewhat human. I was in my caravan, alone. I crawled out of the caravan, and went outside. The sun was just starting to set. Christen and Rico were looking silently over the hills, and down into the half burned valley. The castle was destroyed, and the villa was gone. There was nothing left there but a huge gash in the landscape. Come the spring, the forest would try to reclaim the ruins.

However, that wasn't what they were looking at. Rico was glaring out, and Christen knelt nearby, her hand over the glass bottle of flames, which she now wore around her neck on a chain.

Coming out of the forest were two figures, leading a small group of what appeared to be soldiers, if the gleam from their armor was a hint.

I cursed. “Some of them survived.”

Rico nodded. “'deed...We killed a lot of them, though.”

“Not enough.” I snapped. I stalked away, cringing with every step as I got the caravan ready.

“Where are we going?” Christen asked.

“I don't know!” I snapped. “Away from here seems like a good idea though, doesn't it! Far away from Almond. Somehow, he survived an explosion, drowning, and a castle falling on top of him. He very easily could have killed me. Rico, you should perhaps be dead, but you're lucky you're not.”

There was silence as I started to destroy evidence of our camp, but them I gave up. I couldn't destroy all evidence of the horses, nor their tracks, or the tracks of the caravan.

“Let's go to Teans.” Rico said suddenly.

“...I've never been to Teans.” Christen said.

“Why Teans?”

“Rico chewed his lower lip. “That's where my brother is. The leader of the Vanguard, and I-”

“I already said I don't wish to get involved in the little struggles of you and your friends.”

“I know that.” Rico said. “But, you've made enemies of Kos and Almond already, even if you didn't wish to. The only ally you have now that might be able to get Almond off your trail is the Vanguard and my brother.”

I pondered this a moment. I knew I didn't have many options. No matter where I went, Almond would be after me, not only because of his grudge, but because of the pendant.

“I refuse to pledge any kind of loyalty to anyone.” I snapped.

Rico nodded. “Fine.”

“I won't give up the pendant.” I said. Rico sighed.

“I will tell my brother that you have it. I will tell him all I know. If you keep it or not, will be up to him.”

I shook my head. However, I was in too much pain, I was too tired to argue at the moment. That was a bridge I would have to cross later. Another threat looming in the future.

Right now I had the shadows of an assassin far greater than I was creeping towards me.

***

A winter storm struck Teans on the night that we finally entered the gates of the city. It was a miserable welcome, but anything was better than wandering about the endless white landscape that had become the rest of the kingdom. Winter was well settled in. The air was so cold and sharp that it felt like trying to inhale many tiny daggers.

Rico was glad to point out that there was a farming village we could have stayed in, if a certain assassin had not made himself a wanted man within the walls.

Though Teans was cold and covered in snow, I knew that there were many warm bars, filled with fresh meat and booze. That was where I wanted to go, to the harbour front.

The harbor front brought to mind Ridia.

“I say we bring the horses to the stables, go to a pub, and then rent a room in an inn before morning.

“We can't take that long.” Rico said, “But let's get out of the cold first, then figure out what to do.”

I nodded. Riko was already annoyed that I had insisted on bringing my horses to the good stable in town, further away than three others that we had passed, but I knew from experience that only the good ones would still have people looking over the horses. My caravan was locked and hidden in a nearby alley, and Christen, Rico and I went to the closest pub we could find.

The pubs in Teans in the winter are always full. In the rest of the town, the houses are cold, the meals are small, the nights are silent and dark. However, in the pubs, so long as there was good business, one could always get some extra meat for a few copper pieces. A log was always burning in the fireplace, and there was always the chatter of people, the telling of stories, and always a bard, or more likely, some old drunk singing songs for extra coins. While the rest of the city froze and stayed silent, the pubs were as lively as ever.

I pulled Christen and Rico behind me as I glided over to an empty table near the fireplace. Truly, I was lucky. A seat by the fire in the winter was as rare as a good bard in the wintertime. I called over the barmaid, and before Rico could protest, ordered a tankard of mead and a plate of meat. We stayed by the table and warmed our frozen limbs by the fire. I wiggled my numb toes inside my boots. It would take more than fire, of course, to get the feeling back in those digits. After a very bad song from the bard, both in lyrics and in tune, the barmaid came back with the mead and the meat.

“We can't stay here long.” Rico whispered. The bard exploded into another terrible song, and I myself could hardly hear Rico.

“Why not? There's mead, there's meat, there's heat, and once people start throwing things at the bard, there'll be entertainment as well!”

“I think Rico means that, while the pub is...” She took a moment to take in the dirty wet floor, the stench of the sweat and mead, the squealing of the instrument the bard was killing, “...liveable, he wants to find his brother as soon as possible.”

I sighed. I poured some mead from the tankard into a dented metal mug, and drank half of that. “You know, there was a time I could sit in a pub all night, do a job before morning, and have a nice long day's sleep before sunset. Now, I don't get to linger in pubs anymore, and I can't sleep all day.” I glared at Christen and Rico, “You don't let me have any fun.”

Rico smiled for the briefest of moments, then turned serious, “What if Almond comes here with his remaining troops? If we are captured before I can talk to Justin, Justin won't be able to help us.”

“Justin's your brother, right?” I asked. Rico nodded. “Very well. I still want to finish this meat, and this tankard before we leave.” I sighed. “And I suppose you can get a roaring fire going in a fireplace once we find a Inn.”

Rico slowly shook his head. “I can't”

“Of course you can. If you can set an entire forest on fire-”

“I mean, I won't.” Rico picked at the meat before him. “I promised Justin that I would never use my powers in Teans, unless it was against Kos, or Baliancia.”

“Why not?” Christen asked.

Rico scratched at the dirty table. “Well... Justin doesn't really like me... Or my powers.”

“Why not?”

Rico stared off into space for a moment. “My brother... Never quite forgave me for Artem. ”

“I heard the story before. I also heard that your brother managed to keep the villagers from killing you, but only just.”

“... That's true.”

“I also heard that doing that cost your brother the respect of the villagers.”

Christen looked over at Rico, who was staring down at the table. “Well,” she said, “You used your power to save him then, and you still work with him now. So things can't be that bad.”

Rico shook his head. “No, It could be worse I guess. However, when we came here, Justin made me promise never to use my powers in the city.” He sighed, crossed his hands on top of the table. “He doesn't like my powers, he doesn't think they're natural, and even now, I think there are time he wishes he had left me to die by the villagers hands. I shouldn't have these powers...” He looked up and looked from Christen to me. “And having said that, I need you both not to tell him how much I used my power around you. You have to hide your necklace, Christen.”

Christen took her necklace and tucked it into her tunic. “Well.. You have that power now. And he is your brother, can't he just-” Rico shook his head before she could finish.

“In the fire that destroyed Artem, our parents died. Our family and our village was destroyed. The only thing that keeps him from ignoring my existence altogether is the blood we share. He does what he must to honor family bonds, and that's it. If he knows I used my power so much, even that may not...”

“I won't tell him.” Christen said. Rico smiled warmly at her.

“Me neither, provided you forget to tell him that I have the pendant.”

Rico snapped his head away from Christen and looked at me with wide, shocked eyes.

“You don't want him knowing how much you used your power, I want as little people to know about the pendant as possible.

“Why? You can't use it.”

“If I give it to your brother, I've clearly sided with the Vanguard. This means that anyone with connections to either Baliancia, or to Kos will see me as an enemy. You don't survive by making lots of enemies. But don't worry. I don't intend to hand it over to anyone just yet.”

***

Well before I was ready to face the storm again, we were outside, wandering around the residences. The residences were further away from the harbour front than I normally go. Most of the liveable Inns are closer to the water. The houses here stank like rotting vegetables. Windows were covered with nothing but ragged cloths. Doors were closed with rope and every now and then, we would come across someone either dead or dying on the street. The nicer houses were nearer to the harbor, so the merchants could be closer to their shops.

It reminded me too much of home. It reminded me of the slums of Rawlin.

Rico seemed to know where he was going, so I focused most of my attention on trying to keep the wind and snow out of my cloak. It was a very unsuccessful attempt. However, Rico finally led us down a very narrow alley. He moved a bunch of crates blocking the way, and then we had to make our way over the debris in the alley. A dead cat lay half eaten by rats who were still gnawing on what remained of its frozen body. We had to kick our way through the rats, which didn't seem at all scared of us. Christen hung back, shuddering as Rico and I scared them off.

Rico stumbled through the alley, and reached out to the wall. I couldn't see in the darkness, but I heard him knock on something. A moment passed. and I heard a door open. I felt Rico tug on my cloak. I in turn grabbed Christen's wrist and pulled her into the darkness with me.

And then we were inside. There was a flurry of movement. The door behind us slammed shut, and we were pushed through another door and into a room. It was an ordinary room with rotted wood making up the floors and walls. On an old table sat a few candlesticks. Their flickering light made the shadows dance out of reach. A rat scurried somewhere, and Christen whimpered and inched towards me as the rat escaped from the shadows of the corner and ran at us.

There was a sudden sound, an arrow slicing through the air, and the rat was slain. stuck into the wood my a quivering arrow. I turned and grabbed the candle from the table and looked about the room. A man in a dull, brown tunic sat in the corner

“Don't scare me like that, Luke.”

The man chuckled. “Sorry Rico, I couldn't help it. I wanted to show you how much I've improved my aim.” he reloaded a crossbow that he was holding. Crossbows were mostly used only in the Cyclades, and even then only on the islands further east. He pointed the crossbow at Christen and I. Quickly, I drew my dagger.

“Tell your friend to put his weapon down.” I growled. Luke shrugged and looked at Rico.

“Luke, they're...friends. I've brought them to see Justin.”

Luke nodded. “Fine, ok. He puts down his dagger before I put down the crossbow”

“Not a chance.” I muttered. Rico stood between Luke and I.

“Luke, can you get Justin?”

After a moment, Luke put the crossbow down. I sheathed my dagger.

“I'll go after him.” Luke said, “ It might be a while. You'll have to wait here-”

“With the rat!?” Christen cried, still staring at the dead rat as though it might leap up and try to eat her face.

“With the rat, I'm afraid.” Luke said, smirking. He walked to the door on the other side of the room and took out a set of keys. He fiddled with an ordinary lock, one which I'm pleased to say I could easily have picked, and then left, closing the door behind him. From behind to door, I heard him slide a piece of wood into place.

I set the candle back on the table, and wondered how long I would have to be here.