The following morning Zell and Cora were waiting behind the inn for Teya to arrive. Zell had spent the early hours of the morning preparing a lunch of smoked meats, cheeses, hard bread, and plum jam. His backpack was filled with delicious food and he was overflowing with energy.

Cora waited a few feet away, wearing typical clothes for her: sturdy fabric breeches with leather reinforced patches for riding, along with a loose tucked in clean white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows. Her long brown hair was up in a ponytail and she was pacing excitedly.

A sudden tug on Zell’s sleeve made him flinch slightly. The small, delicate hand belonged to Teya. Zell’s eyes widened involuntarily when he saw her.

Gone were the boyish dirty clothes and muddy matted hair. She now wore a doe skin skirt that stopped at her knees with calf high matching boots. Her vest was forest green and made from fine cloth. Her skin was dark bronze much like Agitha’s. Her freshly washed hair was ashen blonde and when combed properly framed her undeniably cute face. She noticed his reaction and gave a small curtsy.

“So this is me minus the camouflage. I’ll give you a moment to adjust.” She said with just a hint of teasing.

“So pretty!” Cora exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re the same girl from the other night.”

“You could fool anyone in the kingdom with a disguise like that. Your skills continue to amaze me.” Zell shook his head in awe.

“Well, let’s not waste the morning, lots to see!” Teya interrupted the stream of compliments and turned to set out.

“First we’ll head to the southern lighthouse. It’s a clear morning so you can see where the river meets the ocean from the top of it.” She said as she led them south through the Merchant belt.

As they walked, Teya pointed out several businesses and gave small insider details such as who were the softest hagglers or who had the highest quality products.

They continued without incident and soon entered the rough edged communities near the river docks.

“Stay close to me and keep your wits.” Teya said as she walked a narrow path between two dilapidated buildings. “The docks have a reputation, and it's well deserved.”

Zell and Cora both nodded. A moment later, as though they had been summoned by the warning two men appeared and blocked the path. They were average height, burly, and reeked of rum and stale sweat. They looked like brothers.

The voice of a third spoke up behind them.

“We’re suren’ blessed this day. One corpse an’ two snacks!” The third man was tall and wiry, with thick dark body hair covering his arms and bare chest.

“Oh dear, stereotype thugs A, B, and C have appeared! Whatever shall we do?” Teya cried in mock despair. “Look boys, I’m a lieutenant for Pinky. Clean it up and piss off.” She added dryly.

“It’s got a mouth. Eh Rett?” The stocky thug on the left said.

“Aye, and we love mouths. Eh Soro?” The one presumably called Rett responded.

“That is what we love. Eh Poker?” The left thug apparently called Soro answered back.

“Nothin’ better than a mouth my lads.” The wiry thug called Poker added.

All three of them drew hidden daggers at that point.

“Well, I warned you.” Teya said calmly. “Zell, Cora please give me a moment.”

The three thugs all burst out in laughter and began advancing. The thug called Soro reached out as if to grab Teya by the hair but he froze, then screamed in pain and dropped to the ground, clutching at his groin with blood welling between his fingers.

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Teya, whom had barely twitched then tossed an object to the thug called Rett. Rett caught his brother’s bloody severed genitals and gaped in terror.

“Still like mouths?” Teya asked in a wicked tone.

Rett never had the chance to answer. Teya moved with the speed of a mongoose and was instantly behind the recoiling man. A tiny blade severed the tendon at the back of his ankle. It instantly snapped up into his leg with a loud pop and he too dropped to the ground screaming.

Teya turned to the final thug, the one called Poker. The wiry man was in full flight down the alley.

“Well so long eunuch and cripple, hope your little friend comes back for you or it’ll be corpse and cripple after you bleed out. Onward with the tour, then!” Teya chirped with a clap of her small hands.

“Just like Agitha.” Zell was shaking his head. “Are all elves so casual with violence?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we live a long time and end up seeing more violence, eventually building a darker sense of humor in order to cope with what we’ve seen.” Teya mused with a shrug. “Either way, daylight is burning so off we go!”

Zell and Cora complied but with shock still stamped on their faces. The brief violence was slowly drowned out by Teya’s unphased and fascinating guided tour.

They made the lighthouse and Teya charmed the keeper into taking them up to see the top. The view was spectacular. They could see for miles, across the huge estuary where the Vine River met the Imperial Sea. The breeze blowing north carried a chill and the smell of the ocean. It was a reminder that fall was upon them.

They were quiet for a long moment, then Cora finally broke the silence.

“Can we talk a bit more about Teya mutilating two scary guys like she was buying a snack? I mean, it’s been a lovely morning but that’s kinda sticking with me.” She said, not looking away from the distant coastline.

“Well they were pretty clearly going to kill me and kidnap you so I’m fine with it.” Zell replied after a pause.

“Definitely.” Teya agreed.

“No I get why I just can’t understand how you were able to do it, and how you have an attitude like you do it all the time.” Cora clarified.

“Oh. Well it was a rough couple decades before I met the princess so I guess it’s just normal for me. I’ve always been quick and I learned from a really talented thief before he left the kingdom.” Teya offered in answer.

“I see.” Cora was still reeling but accepted the answer. “Should we find a place to eat? Zell made our lunch.” She asked to change the subject.

“I know the perfect place!” Teya replied, pushing away from the wooden rail and heading for the long spiral staircase.

They walked northeast, following the city wall until they came to an ivy covered fence of twisted iron. Teya wasted no time scaling it effortlessly.

“It’s safe.” She called quietly from the other side.

The siblings shrugged and followed, it wasn’t a difficult climb and they were soon standing on the other side with the young elf girl.

They were in an overgrown courtyard filled with dozens of trees, rose bushes, and hundreds of other plants that Zell and Cora didn’t recognize.

“The owner of this estate was executed by the kingdom nearly twenty years ago, and it was awarded to the family of his victims. They decided to simply let it rot. All the valuables have long been taken but this garden remains. I used to hide from guards in here.” Cora walked them to a clearing near a moss covered fountain.

Zell unpacked the food and laid out the quilt he had also brought to sit on. They enjoyed the lunch and shared stories.

After awhile Zell finally couldn’t contain the question he had been wanting to ask all day.

“Can you teach me some things? Like how to walk silently or pick a lock or maybe even how to use a knife? I’ve been training with a sword but that won’t always be practical.” Zell was so ready to be refused that he had silently decided that he would hound her as he had Agitha if need be.

“Sure.” Teya answered easily. “If we can find time to meet I don’t have any problem doing that. I won’t do it for free though.”

“Of course not!” Zell jumped to his feet in excitement. “I’ll work around the clock if I need to!”

“For now have a seat and enjoy lunch. I don’t need money necessarily. Maybe just a meal at Kel’s Place once a week or something.” She added.

“I’ll cook for you anytime!” Zell was beaming.

Cora watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.

“You should really make up your mind.” She said. “You’re already training swordplay, studying magic and meditation, and helping in the restaurant right?” She ended with a question.

“I’ll find a way.” Zell said determinedly. “I want to learn as much as I can from as many masters as I can.” He added.

The three finished their lunch, and continued their tour. Teya showed them the libraries, the Monster Museum, and the Monster Hunter Academy campus which Zell would someday attend.

As the sun began to set, they returned to Kel’s Place and Zell invited Teya inside for dinner.

They ate delicious pan seared Vine salmon that had been caught earlier that day accompanied with sauteed vegetables. Teya declared it the most delicious meal of her life and told Zell that would cover his first lesson and the tour.