The group set sail down the Suudowa River, heading southeast towards the neighbouring Duchy of Watur. As they traveled further and further away from Rezon and its monster troubles, the wide, gentle river grew more crowded with traders and the shores more packed with established towns and trading posts. Which Gaz insisted they take advantage of.

“Oh yes,” the giant of a man moaned, stuffing more juicy pheasant into his mouth, “This is the best trip ever.”

The others sighed, looking about to make sure none of the locals or travelers were witnessing this embarrassing display of gluttony. None of them paid Gaz any mind, however, too consumed by their own lives and priorities. The market was packed that afternoon, surprising none of the group given the beautiful grey skies and refreshing, cool weather – a blessing in Kelahk’s otherwise hot climate.

“Am I forgiven now?” Shaya asked, sliding another bronze scale into her brigandine where the Ur-Cinwolf had torn out its predecessor. She proceeded to sew it up using the needle and thread she purchased from a stall nearby, hoping to get her armour back into fighting shape sooner than later.

Gaz paused in his gorging long enough to shoot her a glare. “Never,” he declared with grim formality around a mouthful of bird. “Celebratory feasts are the best kind of feasts!”

Shaya sighed, then cursed as she pricked herself with the needle.

Ever the good friend, Lorral laughed at her expense. “I thought rogues and thieves were supposed to have dextrous fingers. What gives?”

“I wasn’t always a thief,” Shaya said, setting her brigandine down on the table. She turned her hands over to showcase the scar tissue that made them into bricks. Without her brigandine on, she also showcased the age-old scars where she took knife slashes on the backs of her exposed forearms. “People tend to assume you’d make a good bruiser when they see the giant-blood.”

“Are they wrong?”

Shaya’s smile was an equal mix of satisfaction and sorrow, as her memories wandered back to those times. “No, and the assumption is only a benefit when you’re so much more than brute strength.”

As Shaya pulled the brigandine back onto her lap, Pelark’s coin pouch sat on the table. “Also, Pel, you really shouldn’t keep your coin pouch on your belt. Verrry vulnerable there.”

“Gee, thanks for the advice,” he said, taking his coin pouch back and tucking it into his vest.

“Can I get you another plate, Serra?” The inn’s owner, a stout, round woman, asked Gaz. Her copper eyes twinkled like coins, eager to sell the endless glutton more of her pricy food.

“No, thank you, Mistress,” Krebo cut in before Gaz could spend more of his earnings, “We really must be off.”

“Oh, that’s quite the shame,” she said, mirroring Gaz’s crestfallen expression, “Can I get you something for the trip?”

“Just another pound of salted salmon,” Pelark replied, “for the gryphlet, you see.”

“Of course, Serra, of course,” the matron said before gliding away.

“Traitors,” Gaz grumbled.

“Don’t get me wrong Gaz,” Shaya said, still focusing on her needlework, “I’m thankful for these stops when it aligns with our schedule, but you shouldn’t spend ALL of your recent earnings on food.”

“Agreed,” Lorral said, leaning back from her empty plate and glowing with contentment, “Though hot, fresh food is a welcome break from days of hardtack, jerky and the occasional fruit. And it provides us a much-needed reprieve from Gaz’s complaints.”

“Hey! Is that any way to speak to Serra Gazno?”

“I don’t recall you earning a knightly title yet, Gaz,” Pelark said, eyebrow cocked at his friend. “Don’t let the matron’s politeness get to your head.”

“Another advantage of traveling along a trade route is that we can top up our provisions as needed, and only when the price is right.” Krebo added, unable to resist providing some form of lecture during their rest stop.

“Boo!” Pelark said, “Learn to relax a little, man!”

"I am relaxed,” Krebo said, sitting ramrod straight on the bench.

“Do they shove a bronze rod up your ass as part of the sanction?” Gaz inquired with surprising sincerity.

Krebo glared as the rest of the group laughed.

“Gods,” Shaya snorted, “I hope not. That definitely wasn’t in the recruitment pamphlet!”

“I’m going to get my revenge, you know,” Krebo growled, “I am not above abusing my power on the likes of you.”

They continued to laugh, and even the gryphlet joined in with its mimicked little warks.

“Aww,” Lorral said, scratching under the gryphlet’s beak, “they’re growing so used to being around people.”

“Yeah,” Gaz added, “because the little guy is associating us with fresh fish and other delicious food.”

“They’ll get there,” Shaya said, “I just wish they’d cling to me a little less, they spend every waking moment as close to me as possible.”

“Speak for yourselves,” Pelark grumbled, rubbing at a bandaged finger, “they still bite me if put a finger near them. Needs some actual training, if you ask me.”

“A name would help,” Lorral said, looking at Shaya pointedly.

“I still think Gryphy McGryphface is a good name,” Gaz said.

“Gods, not again!” Shaya groaned, her needle and thread put away for the time being. “I regret asking you for your ‘helpful’ suggestions.”

“You should just go with Silverbolt and call it a day,” Lorral crossed her arms.

“They’re golden though!” Shaya got to her feet and threw on her brigandine. It looked more patchwork than ever, her sewing hand far from steady, which meant that her duchy’s gryphon icon looked more like a scarred veteran than a proud mascot. “No more suggestions! I’m...I’m calling them Quill! It’s settled, what do you think of your new name buddy?”

The gryphlet looked up at her and squawked with pleasure.

+++++++++++++++++++++

As the days passed, Quill’s injuries continued to heal, aside from their mangled leg, and they grew more energetic and playful as time went on. Which proved troublesome. A bored gryphlet’s screech could be heard from miles away, as the group learned when passing merchants interrogated Shaya if her gryphlet was the origin of that terrifying sound. Those merchants were the lucky ones, up close that screeching caused Shaya no end of headaches, which meant that she was very focused on keeping her new friend entertained at all times.

Krebo decided to get his revenge on a rainy day, just as Quill had fallen asleep. Shaya was looking forward to recovering from her headache under the barge’s small central canopy, but caught a wooden sword as it was thrown at her.

“What the hell?” She scowled at Krebo, who tossed a wooden dagger to Lorral, Pelark and Gaz.

“It’s time to spar.” He replied casually.

“It’s pouring out there!” Pelark complained.

“You don’t always get to fight in favourable weather, or favourable terrain.” Krebo explained, “Kelahk is known for its naval battles and marine assaults against the Exiled. It’s time to work on those sea legs of yours.”

“Then what are these for?” Gaz asked, holding up the tiny dagger in his meaty fist.

“You’re not always fighting opponents on the battlefield, it’s also time to learn how to defend yourselves with more mundane items.”

“Why does Shaya get a sword?” Lorral said, looking over with envy.

“Nobles get to carry swords around, and she needs more practice with it. Now, all of you, attack her.”

“What!?” Shaya shouted in alarm.

Her friends jumped her without hesitation.

Bastards!

She gave ground rapidly, but a coil of rope on the slippery barge threw her to the ground with a crash. Her ‘friends’ pounced on her and jabbed her with their little wooden daggers before she could recover. The bout ended and she had only ‘nicked’ a wrist or two with her defensive parries.

“You can’t give ground on treacherous terrain,” Krebo lectured as Pelark helped Shaya up. “Reset, Pel and Lorral at her back.”

“Ah, starting me off flanked,” Shaya said, “That’s great, I see today’s lesson is on how unfair life is, eh?”

Shaya lunged at Gaz when the bout started, hoping to eliminate him before the others could get to her. They were both similar enough in height that the sword’s reach gave her the advantage, and she put him on the back foot. He slipped on the deck just a little, which was enough for her to slash her sword across his exposed gut.

She spun, ready to defend herself, but was not prepared. Pelark charged into her with reckless abandon, basically ‘impaling’ himself on her sword. She tried to pull her sword free, but he clamped down on it with his armpit, allowing Lorral to close in and stab her in the back repeatedly.

“Clever strategy,” Krebo commended them.

“Who is going to throw their life away like that, though?” Shaya whined.

“You would be surprised at the lengths some people go to achieve their objectives. The Exiles, for example, know they will receive no quarter if they surrender, so they fight to the death. That makes them very dangerous opponents, as you can see.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Shaya said, “Can I start with my Esper invoked?”

Krebo shook his head. “A mage is at their weakest when they’re unprepared for attack, you need to get used to it. Besides, I believe you wanted to learn to cast faster – this is a good time to learn.” He smiled.

You sadist.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

In between stops, Krebo ensured that the group was far from idle. In addition to her daily magic practice, Shaya and her friends sparred constantly to maintain their skills and learn from one another’s fighting styles. With Krebo around, there was no end of torturous training that took advantage of the barge’s minimal surface area, all of the ship’s clutter lying around, and any poor weather.

Shaya never won at Krebo’s one-sided challenges, try as she might. She could overcome Gaz’s strength with her reach, best Pelark’s speed and accuracy by accepting non-lethal cuts, but there was nothing she could do once Lorral got within reach of her sword. With her short stature and small dagger, Shaya couldn’t react to Lorral’s strikes at that range with her sword even if she choked up her grip on the blade.

I never considered being small advantageous. She thought to herself one afternoon, kneeling next to her unbeatable friend as they practiced their healing magic together. Krebo’s unrelenting lessons at least afforded Shaya and Lorral plenty of opportunities to practice.

“Focus please,” Pelark murmured, an arm thrown over his eyes in feigned pain, “I am wounded and require the full ministrations of my kind, gentle medics.”

Shaya grabbed her sleeping roll from under the canopy and smothered him with it. He sputtered and flailed, providing a sufficient real-world distraction as Lorral concentrated on channeling her spell.

Just as planned. Shaya nodded to herself. Definitely.

Lorral’s casting slowed at Pelark’s struggles, but she managed to finish several seconds later. She laid her hands upon his chest and Jade light flowed from her tattoos. The energy moved to her hands and into his body, causing his bruises to transition from bright red to dark purple and fade away as the spell sped up the healing process. Shaya, reluctantly, removed the sleeping roll from Pelark’s face and set it back.

“Thank you, my lady,” Pelark said, composing himself quickly and taking Lorral’s hand, “You are as talented in the healing arts as you are beauti-”

“Gross!” Lorral said, pushing him away, “No hitting on your healers!”

“I would never,” Gaz said across the barge.

“And what’s THAT supposed to be mean!?” Shaya asked, outraged.

“Wha- but you jus-” Gaz stammered.

Krebo put a hand on his arm, “There’s no winning this game, son. Never let a woman bait you into playing it.”

Shaya and Lorral laughed as Pelark moved away from them and the sparring resumed.

“See? Isn’t it nice being able to magic away any harm done to you or your friends?” Shaya smiled to her friend.

“Any harm is a bit of a stretch, but it is nice.”

“Well, even the basic healing spell you know can cure a lot of injuries.”

Lorral shook her head. “Hardly, there’s a lot of danger to using it on more serious wounds. Didn’t Jax teach you this during his lessons?”

“Uh...” Shaya thought about, “I don’t think so.”

Lorral turned to her. “Shaya, were you so focused on just learning another spell that you ignored how to best use them?”

“No.” Shaya lied, “Maybe. Like you said, Jax is really busy, and I felt guilty for taking up his time for lessons, so I told him I could learn around it.”

“And you didn’t.”

“And...I didn’t.” Shaya admitted.

“Well, the tables have turned then,” Lorral grinned at her, “Now it’s my turn to teach you!”

“Alright, fair enough. I’ll definitely owe you one.”

“So! Low level healing spells don’t have the power to regenerate flesh or knit bones. To make up for the lack of raw power, what they do is use the body’s natural healing process – and just speed it up!”

Shaya cocked an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, I know that part already.”

“Well, the body is stupid. People bleed out because the body tries to pump blood to a wound that’s too great to be sealed, for example.”

“Ah, I see what you mean,” Shaya said, “an unknowing mage could cause greater harm than good if they get blood pumping in a patient that can’t hold it in, or the like.”

“Yup! That’s all I got for you, let’s go back to making me stronger now. What can you teach me about polymorphing?”

Shaya laughed. “Nothing, my Esper wouldn’t know the first thing of channeling Jade ather that way. But you’re already getting faster!”

“Thanks! I think your constant distractions are actually helping!”

“I told you they would...eventually.” Shaya stood up and motioned for Lorral to do the same, “Jade magic requires you to be present in the moment – not focusing on the past or the future. Now let’s see if you can concentrate on a spell in the middle of combat.”

“Is this revenge for me knifing you a lot this week?”

“Absolutely.” Shaya drew the wooden sword from her belt, which she kept on her at all times due to Krebo’s penchant for ordering people to jump her whenever he pleased. “If Krebo gets to abuse his authority as teacher, I’m definitely going to.”