There was a warm air blowing in from the south, allowing the travelers to sleep soundly at night under the stars without fear of dipping temperatures. They had been on the road for many nights, avoiding the main roads and most of the villages. After Ryker and Cayden had learned that Haemon was in danger because he had touched the crystal, they had become fiercely protective of their friend. Haemon was somewhat exasperated, but was touched for the most part. He had been exceedingly relieved that they had come out of the chaos alive. He knew that Ryker thought he ought to have mourned properly, but he enjoyed the distraction from the realization of the loss of his best friend. While traveling, it was as though he were simply on a mission and would see Azael when he returned. One night, while sitting at a small stream, staring up at the slit of the moon with his companions sleeping behind him, the loss truly hit him for the first time. He had experienced inklings of it, here and there when his mind was unoccupied, but nothing compared to how he felt then.

A confused bundle of anger and resentment for Ezra and sorrow and hurt for Azael mixed together, choking him. He clenched his eyes tight against the moonlight and lowered his head. He would never have condemned Azael to a disabled life, stuck sitting and doing nothing, not able to barely walk, but right then he wanted nothing more than to talk to his too-reasonable friend, with his logic and shrewd eye. It was the first time since they had left the destroyed base that he was able to truly miss him to the point where his heart hurt. Haemon could not even remember the last time he had felt this type of constricting pain.

He released a strangled breath, coughing, and then sat staring ahead of him glumly. His mind flashed with memories of when it had just been him and Azael, laughing after a particular heist or laying in the sun by a stream like this, eating stolen food, absorbed in philosophical debates. He could remember their heated discussions, about their hate for the nobility and sorcerers, their passionate desire for a new world order, and the way they seemed so perfectly similar in their thoughts and actions. The memory made his heart hurt worse than ever.

He had never been so alone.

“Are you doing alright?” The voice startled him out of his bittersweet thoughts and he turned slightly to see that Rania had woken at some point and had walked over to where he was crouched on the rock by the stream. In the moonlight, she looked more dream-like than ever with her bright hair and unusual features.

“I’m fine, go back to sleep,” he said a bit brusquely.

Ignoring him, she told him, “It is normal to grieve for someone you have lost...Especially when you have not had time to mourn. I cannot imagine what it is like to lose your closest friend. I was never that lucky.”

He said nothing.

“Even so, the heart will heal. Do your best to get some rest so that your body may, as well.” She turned from him and went back to their camp where she laid back down. Haemon turned to look at her, annoyed that she had even bothered to wake up if that was all she had to say. The annoyance washed away, however, when he realized that most people would have just left him alone and slept on. She had at least offered her company in case he needed it.

Haemon stayed awake for some time after that, reliving painful, wonderful memories in his mind and when he was too exhausted from thinking and struggling to stay awake, he went and lied down at camp. The moon had dipped down considerably, but when he sat down, Rania shifted and sat up slightly. “It’s just me,” he said softly from his spot across their cold fire pit. She turned to look at him and nodded, lying back down and almost immediately falling back asleep. He smiled in spite of the gloom that was hovering over him.

In the morning, the group swiftly took care of their camp and continued towards Keystun. They knew they were closer as the smell of the ocean became more prominent in the air. Even though Haemon had received little sleep, he felt refreshed and lighter. Rather than ignoring the thought of Azael, he was able to let his friend cross his mind without guilt or anxiety as there had been previously. Although he had initially agreed with Rania about traveling to Keystun, now that they were so close to the capitol city, Haemon wondered if this had been the right course of action after all. He knew that Azael would have suggested moving to the south given the type of thieves and security that existed on the western side of Sorra, but due to the circumstances, Haemon was unsure what the best plan would have been.

He glanced beside him at Rania, who had purchased a horse at one of the villages, but she did not acknowledge him, seemingly deep in her own thoughts. For now, Rania would be a permanent part of their group, something that neither Haemon nor Ryker seemed to mind. Cayden, however, remained reserved towards her, but it was in his nature to be so distrustful of strangers. If he had ever been rude, Rania had never seemed to notice it or she never perceived anything he said as offensive. Haemon suspected it was more from her inability to recognize when he was being impolite than anything else. In many ways, he found Rania to be peculiar in her interactions with others. At times, her distance came off as more of a formality than a character trait. He often suspected her of being from nobility, but not even they were as refined as she tended to act.

“There’s Keystun,” Cayden spoke up as they broke away from the wilderness to come onto the main road that led to the capitol city. He and Ryker were still sharing a horse and were only a few feet ahead of Haemon and Rania. Haemon shielded his eyes against the sunlight as he peered toward where Cayden was pointing. In the distance, he could see the city looming, set against the length of blue that was the ocean. Even from here, he could see the bright white of the castle towering in the sky and the expanse of bright stone buildings surrounding it that was the capitol city. It had been a long time since Haemon had last been in Keystun – or even on this side of Sorra. He lowered his hand, casting a wistful look towards the eastern side of the continent. “We should be able to make it there before nightfall.”

“Thank the gods,” Ryker sighed, “because I need a nice bed to sleep in.”

“We could end up sleeping on the streets,” Cayden told him mildly. “My uncle might not be so welcoming when he finds out his nephew’s turned to crime.”

“I am sure he will be happy to see that you are even alive,” Rania said in a soft tone.

They passed farms and fields that spread out around the city walls as they traveled towards Keystun and as they drew closer, there were more people on the road, mostly poor farmers rolling towards the city in their carts, looking tired and frightened. Nobody paid the group a second glance, caught up in their own concerns and worries. They looked as ragged as the rest of those on the road towards Keystun, weatherworn and exhausted from many days of traveling. They were halted at the edge of the city behind a cart that was attempting to get through the tall stone archway where a group of soldiers were stationed. “Is this typical?” Haemon murmured, leaning over towards Cayden.

“No...,” he said slowly and looked around. There were some people milling about and there was one cart where a group of farmers were talking, looking towards the stone arch in concern. There was no other way to get through towards the city, as there was a wall surrounding the city behind the line of trees that were clustered around the stone archway. Beyond that, they could see there were more soldiers guarding the city entrance. There were other entrances on the north and south side of the city, but they would be just as carefully guarded. “They must be trying to filter out who comes into the city...it looks like they don’t want a rise in thieving and are trying to keep out the poor.”

“What are we going to say?” Ryker whispered, raising his eyebrows.

“I’ll handle it.”

The cart in from of them was rejected and the soldiers started yelling at the farmer, brandishing his sword threateningly. The farmer’s donkey got startled by the violence and went careening to the side, nearly tipping the cart over. It took some time for the farmer to calm the donkey before easing it to the side where the others were talking with each other. Cayden led the way forward towards the soldiers, pulling his horse up short.

“What’s yo’ business here in the city?” the soldier asked in his casual city accent, snapping his sword back into its sheath.

“Restockin’ supplies and visitin’ the families, maybe get some o’ that company, if ya know what I’m sayin’?” Cayden cast the soldier a self-indulgent leer, winking. The soldier reached up and scratched his beard, taking a look at the group carefully. Haemon easily covered his surprise at Cayden’s accented tones, but was secretly amazed at the ease in which he slipped into the city slang.

“What will ya be doin’ after the fact?”

“Headin’ towards Kremshire, up north here,” Cayden stated, jerking a thumb towards the Tilusian Mountains. “The lass ’ere’s got a husband up there – whole travel group got slaughtered ’cept fo’ ’er when comin’ from the south. Thought we’d help ’er, imagine the gods were in ’er favor, know what I mean?”

“Damned lucky,” the soldier agreed, nodding at Rania and then looking back at Cayden. “Well, don’t be stayin’ long. Too many troublemakers coming in an’ out o’ here, we be tryin’ to keep ’em out, but people be suspicious o’ strangers.”

“Wouldn’t want to anyway, what with all the thieves ’round ’ere.”

The soldier nodded, seeming pleased with the response and waved them through. The soldiers at the other end of the wall nodded at them as they went through. Inside the city, it was louder and congested, but Cayden led them through and away from the busy streets towards the other end, closer to the docks. It wasn’t long until they were at a quieter area, with narrow streets. “We can start walking here, it’s not far from the blacksmith shop,” Cayden told them, pausing, reigning his horse in. The others slipped off the horses and led the beasts down to the shop where Cayden simply ushered them to follow him towards the back, where there were stables. Rania looked puzzled by this, but none of them questioned him. The stables were empty save for one older horse that merely looked at them when they brought them in. “I’m going inside, I’ll be back shortly,” Cayden said simply and left Ryker with their horse.

“Do you think someone should have gone with him?” Ryker asked after he had left.

“I think this is something that he needs to handle on his own,” Rania told him, easing her horse into a stall and petting its nose fondly. “It has been a long time since he last saw his uncle. I think they will need some privacy.”

They lingered in the stables for as long as they felt necessary and then went round to the front of the shop. Deon was stepping out of it with Cayden a few steps behind him and paused upon seeing them. He took them in thoughtfully and then nodded. “I think this is something we might be able to work out,” he told his nephew slowly. “Ah! I knew it had to be you when Cayden mentioned a woman,” he added at seeing Rania, smiling at her. He turned to Cayden and asked, “Do you want to show them upstairs? I’d like to talk to her alone.”

Cayden glanced at Rania, but nodded, gesturing for Haemon and Ryker to follow him inside. Upstairs, it was much larger than he had expected. There were extra rooms and beds and while it wasn’t very spacious, it was better than sleeping on the ground in the wilderness. As Cayden settled down on a bed, Haemon asked him, “Are you really okay with this?”

“I thought I wouldn’t be,” he admitted, “but I guess I am. I came to terms with what happened between Deon and I a long time ago...The reason why I ended up becoming a thief on the streets was that I didn’t want to believe what Deon had told me, that he was my uncle. He raised me as his own son and I never thought that he was anything but my father until he told me.” He raised a shoulder in a half-attempt at a shrug. “But we’ve lost everything else...the rest of our family...I figured it was time to turn to my real family for this. I had to swallow my pride and it’s worth it. It will give us safety – for a time, at least.”

“And you told him that we’re thieves?”

“I did...but he seems less bothered than I expected.” Cayden smiled slightly. “I forgot how accepting he was of people’s faults. He was never one to make quick judgments.”

“Hopefully he remains so accommodating,” Haemon sighed, slumping on the floor of the room and rubbing his hair vigorously. “To be honest, I don’t like being this close to Fynn. I’m pretty sure Ezra is close by – I can’t imagine where else she’d go. Whatever Rania needs to take care of, it’d better be quick.”

“And do you trust her? I know she saved us in the Yarvuul Woods, but we don’t know anything about this girl or what’s in it for her.”

“I trust her,” Haemon firmly said, “but I don’t expect either of you to do the same, I can only hope that you will. I expect you both to make your own judgments about her character.”

“I have nothing against her,” Cayden told him in his usual mild-mannered way, “but I have no reason to be loyal to her, either. If she gets us entangled in some sort of mess, I’m not sticking around to help her.”

“Well...I trust your judgment,” Ryker slowly said to Haemon, “but I’m with Cayden, I don’t want to get mixed into any sorcerer fight. The one with Ezra was enough for me. If you fight with her, though, of course I’ll fight with you. I know that right now you’re more at risk than she is.”

“That we know of,” Cayden added cryptically.

They fell silent, each of them exhausted and drained from recent events. Haemon raised his knees up and crossed his arms over them, resting his chin against his arms. It was a nice feeling to finally be in a secure place rather than out in the open. Haemon had been on the road for so long it seemed forever that he had been in a place that he could have actually called a home. Living in the inn in Jorlaan had been uncomfortable and less than pleasant with the amount of traffic that came in. This, at least, had a more comfortable feel to it. He knew it wasn’t permanent, however, and his mind drifted to Rania. He had no doubt that, were she by herself, she would be no threat to anyone except for those that she was contracted to take care of, but with Haemon’s contact with the crystal, they were all put in danger. She could have washed her hands of the situation, but she had chosen to help them. While he told his friends that he trusted Rania, part of him was still suspicious of her motives for assisting them. She clearly was unable to protect them very well with her menial sorceress abilities, but for some reason she was putting herself in danger for him. It was something that he intended to interrogate her about when they were given a chance to be alone.

The sound of voices stirred him from his thoughts and he raised his head, straining to hear.

“...could be a problem with you here,” Haemon could hear Deon murmuring. “I never thought I’d say I’d prefer holding thieves over a mercenary, but with how things are turning out lately – ”

“I understand,” Rania interrupted smoothly, apparently unruffled. “It was like this when I left, too. I had no idea it would escalate this far.”

“Unfortunately so. You should be careful from now on.”

“I intend to do my best.” They came in view of the room and Rania smiled when Haemon rose to his feet to meet them. He could tell that Deon was worried, his expression slightly pinched. “It is much bigger than it looks from the outside,” Rania remarked. Unlike Deon, she seemed at ease and unperturbed by their conversation. From the small bit that Haemon had heard, he suspected that mercenaries had become unwelcome in the city. “It should be enough to house you three for awhile.”

“You’ll be staying somewhere else?” Haemon queried.

“Yes, Deon’s just told me that there is a high alert for mercenaries right now. Anyone that even resembles a mercenary is taken to the prison for questioning. I would like to avoid that type of trouble coming here and you certainly do not need that trouble since you are being searched, too. I will stay in touch, of course. My contact should have some more information that will help me. It may be better to get dressed in something more appropriate, though. Deon’s letting me store my things here.”

“Rania,” Haemon called as Deon ushered her over to a different room. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Before you leave, I need to talk to you.” She eyed him thoughtfully before nodding and disappearing behind a closed door. Haemon turned to Deon, asking, “Mercenaries?”

“Yes...it’s being kept very quiet, so I don’t know much,” Deon admitted. “I’ve just heard bits and pieces. There’s been a lot of grumbling at the amount of increased security in the city. People are beginning to think the king’s getting paranoid, but nobody is sure what about.” He shook his head. “It’s best to just try and blend in right now...”

“But you’ll let us stay here?”

Deon looked uncomfortable. “I’m only doing what is best for you boys and Rania agreed. She said that you’ll be at risk more than her, so long as she keeps her head low.” Haemon was skeptical, but a subtle, warning glance from Cayden kept his lips sealed. “Anyway, I’ve prepared a bath for you boys. You can wait up here for Rania, I’ll just be downstairs when you’re ready.”

“Thanks.” Deon led Cayden and Ryker downstairs and Haemon leaned against the doorframe, his face set into an annoyed scowl. He was unsure why it bothered him so much that Deon would not allow her to stay with them simply because of a rise in paranoia against mercenaries. He knew he should not have expected much from a mere blacksmith, but he had thought that, being related to Cayden, he would be far less of a coward. As he was dwelling on this, Rania emerged from the room in her plain tunic and took note of his expression.

Laughing, she said, “You look just like Azael with that expression.”

He scowled even further. “Trust me, I feel like him right now.” He pushed off from the door frame. “Listen, I’m sorry about Deon’s attitude – ”

“Actually,” she interrupted, “we can hardly blame him. When I was here last, I was told that there were several assassination attempts by many of the mercenaries in the area. It does not seem like anyone else is aware of this, only that the guards are targeting mercenaries.”

“I never heard about any of the dukes dying, though.”

“Probably because the dukes are being protected by their sorcerers.”

“Ah, true.”

“So, is that what you needed to talk about?”

Haemon turned his gaze to Rania’s face and felt a twinge of guilt at being suspicious of her. Nonetheless, he had never been particularly subtle or fearful of confrontation. In spite of his guilty feelings, he bluntly told her, “I’ll be honest, I don’t trust your intentions for being involved with us.” She blinked, clearly surprised and somewhat affronted. “Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think you’re going to do anything to mean us harm, but there has to be a reason for you wanting to put your neck out like this. Especially given the situation here in the city.”

“I told you my reasons for wanting to help you before,” she stated, her mouth turning down in displeasure.

“Yes, but I’m not stupid. I know that there are other reasons for you getting involved that have nothing to do with Ezra and more to do with those crystals. Be honest – what’s in it for you?” He knew that he had struck home when she did not immediately respond. She was lost in thought, staring at him as though weighing something in her mind. After a long while, she nodded to herself.

“Alright. I will tell you what I can, but not until I have seen my contact. Right now, there is still quite a bit that I am ignorant of that I feel like I am unable to explain myself thoroughly without confusing both of us. It does have to do with the crystals...but it is not because I want to possess them myself, if that is what you think.”

“I don’t know why you’d want to anyway with the type of people that are after them,” he told her with a grim twist in his mouth. “No, I didn’t think that was it. But, if it does have to do with them, I feel like I should warn you to be careful while we’re in the city.”

She smiled warmly at him. “I appreciate the concern, but I have no plans on involving myself in them anymore than I have.”

“Fine. Get going then, and try to find out about Ezra while you’re doing your own investigation, yeah?”

“Sure.” She waved a hand and left him standing by himself by the room. Even though he had dismissed her in his usual flippant way, he was still feeling unsettled.