“I’m coming in!”

Umbren had to work up the courage to come back to the house, but he knew he had to. Leaving without establishing some sort of clarity just wouldn’t do, and he wouldn’t be able to carry out his task properly if he always had that boy on his mind. What would he even say to him? That he was sorry for his fathers death? That he was partly responsible? That he took his father’s sword?

Cronai suddenly felt heavier on Umbren’s hip. Could he give the sword up if the boy wanted it? The boy would probably want that, but…

Umbren shook his head at the thought. He would have to see how the boy felt. He walked into the house. It was the same as it was before, but no one was in sight. Umbren moved into the dining room where the drawings that he helped the boy carry still lay. He picked one of the papers and analyzed it, considering the details more than he had previously.

The paper displayed a rushed drawing of a statue. It wasn’t clear as to who the statue was based off, and the proportions seemed a bit uncanny under scrutiny. As Umbren looked at the drawing the sound of pen on paper reached his ears. It came from one of the bedrooms down the hall.

Umbren gently laid down the blueprint and followed the noise. He came upon a room with papers similar to the ones in the dining room scattered about, so much so that the floor couldn’t be seen, only a collage of different drawings. In the corner of the room sat Burn who was scribbling away furiously and periodically he would throw a paper over his shoulder.

Umbren had to clear his throat a couple times with increasingly more effort each time before he got the boy's attention. Burn sluggishly looked over his shoulder as if he was waking up from a dream and considered Umbren, “Yes?”

“Can I come in?” Umbren asked.

“Well, it's not like I can stop you.”

Umbren slowly entered the room, careful not to step on too many of the papers on the floor.

“You don’t have to be careful. All that’s pretty much trash.” Burn went back to his work at his desk.

“Oh, okay,”

The sound of the quil; in Burn’s hand scribbling on a piece of paper once again filled the room, and Umbren awkwardly stood in its center.

“I’m sorry about leaving so abruptly earlier.”

“It’s fine.”

The scratch of scribbling

“I knew your father…”

“Stop!” The sound that had once permeated the room came to an abrupt stop.

Umbren thanked Tenebrage that he couldn’t see the boy's face.

“So, I guess that that’s really Cronai then.” Burn sounded like he was holding something back in his voice.

“Yeah, I was there when…I’m in Master Yorburn’s debt, so…” Umbren slowly unsheathed Cronai, but Burn looked over his shoulder and held out his hand.

“Do you use it?”

“Of course.”

“Then keep it. It would only collect dust if I had it.” Burn said it matter of factly and turned back to his work on the desk.

Umbren had been staring at the floor for a while, and he had started to notice that all of the drawings looked different from each other. There was no similarity between them, no distinct style, or sign that the designer was the same.

“Having trouble?”

“Well, there’s not a lot of inspiration here.” Burn spoke as if that explained everything Though but Umbren didn’t quite understand, he tried his best to respond, “Well I’m going to Canalith, maybe I can find your inspiration there.”

Burn gave a start bringing him and his chair to the ground, “What!!”

Before Umbren could respond, Burn lounged at him and clutched his cloak, “Really!? You're willing to do that?” He didn’t seem to be affected by his tumble.

“I mean I’m in debt to your father, so it’s only natural…” Umbren was caught off guard by the sudden change in Burn’s mood. Especially at such a minor thing.

“Okay here’s everything that I need…”

***

Umbren presided to be berated with demands by a child in what to get for him at the fulgcere home. This went on for so long that Umbren now ran through the streets of Ambis to Hands’ stables where the tenebrage going to Canalith agreed to meet. If he had left that house any second later, he wouldn’t have had a chance of getting there on time at all.

The only reason why he had left was because Burn’s mother had returned from the textile market, and sent Burn to do chores with much difficulty. Umbren felt that he would have gladly stayed for longer though. It was the most useful he had felt in a while, and for a brief second, he felt a moment of clarity, but the moment he left the house a cloud once again spread over that like a storm blocking out the sun.

When Umbren arrived at the Hand of Morta stables, Mortis looked at him disapprovingly, “You're late.”

Everyone was -including the Bluecloaks and Hands-were already saddled up and ready to go. Though Umbren was surprised to find Relam with the Bluecloaks, the only person in the group that he knew, apart from the disheveled Bluecloak that he had seen at the conference.

Umbren gave an unassuming smile, “I’m sorry I lost track of time.”

This didn’t seem to soothe Motis’s sour mood, “Well then, I apologize for taking your time away from what you were doing. I’m sure it was important.”

Umbren knew that he couldn’t say anything that would improve Mortis’s mood, so he stayed silent. He looked inward and searched for a clear purple line, it didn’t take him too long to find. He had gotten used to finding the line since the ritual. Though each time he would do this he could see yellow in his periphery, and he would always have to make an active effort to avoid it.

As Umbren honed in on that purple strand a ball of purple appeared in his palm and shortly after an attoka ran out of the stables. He was already saddled and ready to depart. The Hands always had the attokas ready at a moment's notice.

Umbren swung himself onto the beast’s back, “you ready Grimel?”

A triumphant snort came from Grimel, and Umbren took that as a yes, and he could also feel how eager Grimel was to depart.

Mortis looked back at Umbren impatiently and Umbren responded with a simple nod. Though before they could leave, a surprise awaited Mortis.

Faldrid rode towards them with a bundle attached to Dela, prompting an irritated gaze from Mortis, “What are you doing here?”

Faldrid gave out a sigh, calming himself before he conversed with Mortis, “Because you need me to come, my Lord.”

“Oh?” Mortis gave an amused smile, “And why would I need you to come, Faldrid? Don’t you remember the last time you went to meet with a foreign leader? I thought I needed you then, but apparently, I didn’t.”

Faldrid had to bite his tongue to hold himself back while his attoka’s gaze sharpened as she felt her master's emotions, “My lord with all due respect, this is an important occasion. I would even say that it could be a turning point of the war. And that’s exactly why we can’t have a repeat of your last interaction with a foreign leader.”

Mortis’s face betrayed himself as he grimaced at Faldrid’s words and clenched his fist, for you to be so impatient…”

Sensing Mortis’ building rage Morta stepped in, “I believe that neither of us want to deal with Taldry’s constant talk and questioning. I definitely don’t, so why don’t we bring him along?”

The way she phrased it made it sound more like a demand than a question. Mortis seemed to want to retaliate at her protest, but his face softened as he realized the validity of her words.

He looked to Faldrid in annoyance, “You can come, but you’ll have to deal with Taldry, and make no mistake that is no gift.”

Faldrid gave a polite bow, “It would be an honor.”

Mortis looked away as if he had seen something repulsive, but his voice never faltered, “Come tenebrage, it is time to ride to Canalith.”

***

The ride to Canalith would take a little more than two weeks, maybe more depending on how careful the tenebrage were. The party would arrive in Lysets on the third day and from there they would have to be careful. The first day would be the easiest however since there would be no obstacles in their way. The second day would be more grueling as they would have to cross a river, and then even worse, the field of Sardon where Yoshin was defeated.

The land of Skotous was much different than Lysets. Skotous’s land was infertile and its grass had a grayish hint. The sky was always overcast so the sun didn’t have much of a chance to show itself. No wildlife could be seen by the untrained eye, especially when they were scared off by the clops of the attoka’s gallop. Though every so often you could see a small rodent burrow out of the ground and take a glance out into the light of day.

Throughout the first day Umbren spent most of his time behind Mortis. Alsarie gave him a dirty look when he did this and acted accordingly, riding behind Morta. Umbren had noticed Morta and Mortis’ bickering and if it didn’t calm down soon, Mortis would say something that he would regret. Umbren knew that he couldn’t let that happen, so he watched.

Faldrid spent his time talking to the fulgcere, Caekeve, Caekeve wouldn’t stop whining about his current position. Most of the time he would call out to Lord Taldry, pleading to be whisked away back to Canalith. Mortis was greatly annoyed by this, but let him continue anyway as there was still a chance that Taldry would listen to the request. Though Faldrid tried to ease the fulgcere’s mood by talking with him about many different subjects about Skotous and asking about Canalith. Faldrid answered every question to the best of his ability, well every question except one…

“Do you know anything about that nasty business in Sanghai, I’ve only heard horrible whispers about it so…”

“Let’s leave that alone for now.”

Vale would occupy herself with talking to the Hands or Sadine, and when Sadine wasn’t talking to her, she would be lecturing Kagi about something or the other.

“Have you noticed it yet?” Sadine asked with an impatient sternness.

“Notice what?! You haven’t told me what I’m looking for!” Kagi said with a child-like frustration.

“Do I have to tell you how to do everything?” Sadine’s voice was filled with irritation.

Kagi bit her lip, knowing that anything she said would prompt a rebuke from the mistress.

After a moment of waiting for a response, Sadine let out a sigh, “Reach out like I taught you to. Really, I spent all my time teaching you, but you’ve barely used it. What a waste of time.”

“No, I can do it! Just watch!” Kagi clenched her eyes in concentration, “Everyone’s here there’s nothing weird at all. Only purple threads, that's all.”

“Don’t let the group distract you. Focus your attention away from us.”

Kagi was silent for a while, and then her face filled with chagrin, “There’s nothing out there. Nothing but fields and bushes. There’s absolutely noth…” Kagi’s mouth snapped shut as she focused inward, “There’s a faint…line. It’s purple, but it's constantly vanishing.” She slowly opened her eyes in confusion, “What even is that? Why is the line like that?”

A smile of self-satisfaction came over Sadine’s face, “It doesn’t matter what the line’s like. What matters is that we’re being followed.”

Kagi furrowed her brow at Sadine in perplexion, “How did you even know. Are you looking at people’s souls all the time.”

“No, I don’t need to.”

Kagi let out a muffled sound that conveyed both resentment and anger.

Sadine ignored her and rode up to Morta, and Kagi took her opportunity and slowed down to meet with the other Hands.

As Sadine passed Alsarie, she gave a lively nod, and Alsarie responded with a reluctant one.

When Morta noticed her presence she spoke in a hushed tone, much to Mortis’ frustration, “So you’ve noticed. I don’t know if I should have suspected less.”

“Honestly, why would you?” Sadine said in a joking manner.

Though Morta remained serious, “You should know. Recently, you’ve been lazy, but when it comes to her, you're anything but.”

“Can you blame me? I think it makes more sense to put more effort into this than this war for…why are we still doing this again?”

Morta ignored her as she looked into the horizon, “So what are you going to do?”

Sadine gave a mischievous smile, “Someone has to take care of this. Kagi found her while soul searching, and if she could do that then Mortis should be able to find her in no time, if he doesn’t know she’s following us already.”

Mortis looked over suspiciously when she heard his name, but the two ignored him.

Morta eventually let out a sigh, “I’m going to have to help track her down. Kagi can’t do it alone.

“Really Morta? At least give her some time to do it by herself.”

Morta’s face conveyed that she doubted Sadine’s sentiment.

“Please Morta. Just do me this one favor. I haven’t asked for that many…recently.”

Morta gave a hesitant nod, “I won’t give you that much, but if it's Kagi I guess it's fine.”

Sadine gave a celebratory clap, surprising all those around her then rode back to where Kagi was. The Hands around Kagi were shocked by Sadine’s eager intrusion.

“Kagi, I have a job for you. I need you to hunt down the person following us.”

Kagi was caught off guard by the mistress's excitement, “Why just me? Wouldn’t someone else…”

Sadine cut her off, “No Kagi, think about it. Who could be following us.”

Kagi was lost for words, “How should I know…” she blinked a few times as she realized the answer, “Thendle? I’m going to have to ask you to run faster than you have your whole entire life.”

Kagi and Thendle instantly galloped off into the distance to the confusion of the whole group while Sadine was left to be questioned by a disgruntled Vale.