When Livia and Pippy returned to the camp, they hurried into the pavilion before Krey and Emilie could get a good look at them. They were giggling the whole way, knowing full well that they’d been noticed, but sprightly they moved all the same. Once inside, they sank to the earth once again, this time by the pavilion’s pyromantic fireplace, now basking in its warmth as well as their own afterglow.

“We are absolutely filthy,” observed Livia apathetically.

“Totally worth it,” Pippy concluded.

The two of them were still out of breath, and had just carried their clothes back in bundles. They nearly jumped out of their own skins when they heard Emilie’s voice, muffled from outside by the pavilion’s sheet walls. “When you two are a bit more presentable, come join us by the second fire outside; we’ve been preparing supper in your absence.

After looking at each other and nearly bursting out laughing, they looked at the hierophant’s silhouette. “We won’t be long,” Livia answered in the steadiest voice she could manage at the moment. “Just had a… um…”

“An encounter with a vicious beast!” Pippy filled in. “We’ll tell you all about it when we come out.”

“Yes,” Emilie hummed knowingly, “A beast I’m sure it was. We could hear the sounds of… battle… echoing all the way here, in fact.”

“Oh, you could, could you…?” Pippy stammered.

“Oh yes,” Emilie lilted. “Sir Zoubor was particularly… concerned.”

“He was, was he…?” Livia stuttered.

“Quite,” Emilie confirmed. “I’m sure, however, despite his… concern… you will wish to discuss something else over dinner, which is why I’ve come to suggest… alternate topics of conversation.”

“That’s very… thoughtful of you, my lady,” Livia mumbled.

Pippy sat up straight now, starting to sober up. “What did you have in mind?”

“Perhaps it would be prudent to go over our elemental magic training this evening, seeing as we will soon be venturing into a dangerous place.”

Emilie didn’t wait for a response, already knowing what their answer would be, and her silhouette faded. After another fit of giggles, Livia and Pippy finally got up. They made use of the aquamantic amenities the pavilion had manifested with - sparse as they were - to wash. While their garments dried by the fire, they made use of glamours to make themselves decent for the evening. Livia’s dressed her in the same gingham dress that the first glamour had all the way back in Calastre, and she immediately spun on the spot to make it twirl. Pippy’s also seemed to tap into her thoughts, creating for her a nightgown in the customary style of those with a preference for red magic in the magic capital of Aubade, made of red velvet and hemmed with gold. That city provided for all its inhabitants, down to the last detail, bespoke to their preferences and personal styles.

No one here, though - not even Livia, her fellow aubadean - recognised it. There may have been two survivors of Aubade’s destruction among them, but they themselves came from very different parts of that gone land. Not that it mattered, nor that Pippy cared; she would much rather enjoy the present now than dwell on the past. Though it did bring her mind into focus, into an academic state of mind, just as Emilie had suggested.

After the evening meal was done, Pippy clapped once to get everyone’s attention. “So! Has everyone been practising their new magics?”

“I just about managed to spark our firewood with pyromancy,” Krey shrugged.

“That’s good!” Pippy cheered. “That shows better control.”

Emilie cleared her throat. “I’m afraid I’ve been less successful for the time being, but… even so, I feel that I am gradually becoming more… more…” she paused for a moment. “In touch, let’s say, with my cryomancy.”

Pippy nodded deeply. “Confidence is important! So it’s good you’re thinking positively.”

Now all eyes turned to Livia. From Pippy, she felt an earnest desire to see her display her newly learned magic. From Krey, she sensed much the same. However, in Emilie’s eyes, she saw a deeper truth; it was not simply a show of her practiced airomancy that the hierophant was waiting for. Alright, milady, Livia said in her mind. If you really must insist. She stood up, raised her hands above her head, and began whirling them in a circular pattern. She started slowly, gently, picking up speed and vigour with each repetition, and with each repetition did the rising gusts grow stronger and stronger around her. At first, her hair was being kicked up, then all their hair was, then the campfire threatened to go out, then it did go out, then everyone had to start squinting each time they felt a gust, then they started falling backward onto the ground.

Livia had intended to direct this whipped-up storm into a shockwave with a thrust of her palms… but her concentration lapsed, and she lost her hold on the wind, allowing herself to get blown up into the air by her own currents. She didn’t rise too high, only her pride suffering bruises upon her impact with the soft earth. Just before she could finish her display, she’d locked eyes with Emilie… who was still looking at her with scrutiny, as if unaffected by the airomantic blasts, despite feeling them just as much as the others. When she’d seen that look, Livia had felt something in the back of her mind snap, and just for an instant, the markings on her face burned. It was that sensation that had thrown her off. Well, I gave you what you wanted…

Pippy, rather than just recompose herself on her backside as the others had done, couldn’t resist bouncing up to her feet. “Wow! Just… wow! That was such an improvement! I’m proud of you, Livia.”

Livia couldn’t resist the smile that Pippy was coaxing out of her effortlessly. “Thanks.”

“A significant improvement indeed,” Emilie concurred. “In… a number of ways.”

Now it was Livia’s turn to shoot a look at Emilie. Emilie seemed to get the message, and stopped herself short of speaking her next words.

“Well,” Krey said, clapping his hands once, “I think at least one of us is ready for Dunlark. You really ought to let the rest of us catch up at some point, Livia.”

“You’ll have plenty of practice when we hit Dunlark,” Livia said a bit more harshly than she’d meant to. “Don’t you worry about that.”

“That’s about the only thing we can be sure of right now,” Krey nodded. “Hopefully the scouts will be back in the morning… and then we go.”

“Right away?” Emilie questioned. “Isn’t that a bit hasty?”

“The more we dally,” Pippy added, “the less reliable the scouts’ info will be. We have to go as soon as they come back and tell us what they saw. Besides, we also have to rendezvous with the Knights Berodyl.”

“Agreed,” said Livia, with a smoother, calmer tone now. “And if it’s all the same to you lot, I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to turn in for the evening.”

“I bet,” Krey snickered. “Ow!” he rasped when Emilie smacked him on the back of the head.

“We should all be turning in,” Emilie continued. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, it would seem.”

“Hard to believe it’s finally happening,” Krey mused. “We’re finally going to hit the bastards where they live. This might even end the fighting across the Elven Theatres entirely. Well… maybe. A man can dream, anyway.”

“Yes,” Emilie smiled. “We can all dream; in our beds. Come now— let’s get some sleep.”

As prepared as they were ever going to be, Phyrn’s chosen retired for the night. Tomorrow, they would storm the gates of Dunlark, and climb atop its dreaded spire.