Noa couldn’t help but laugh at Armael’s face. He looked grouchier than the Grinch did!

“What?” the priest hissed, narrowing his eyes.

“Your face,” Noa said.

“It’s a face. Get over it, kid,” Armael said, crossing his arms and lifting his chin. “You’re going to be late.”

“You think I’m late to everything,” Noa said, rolling his eyes. He opened Mini Buckingham’s doors, the priest following him out. “Can you run?”

“First thing in the morning?”

“Better than in the afternoon,” Noa noted, breathing in the crisp morning air as he started down towards the gates. Behind the gates were a set of knights on horseback, wearing slick black uniforms and carrying flags.

“Ah, the monarchy’s men have finally caught up,” Armael said, one of Lila’s knights running past them and towards Mini Buckingham.

“And that means?”

“Bad news, kid, but they were expected. They’ll try to reestablish themselves by asserting whatever authority they have left,” Armael explained. “For now, you should ignore them.”

Right, ignore the large men with big spears. Not a problem.

The lone guard at the gate desperately worked to placate the leader of the troup beyond it, who wore a violet cape. Noa assumed that meant he was the leader. Certainly the stars on his chest didn’t allude to that all on their own.

“Wait, sir, wait,” the lone guard said.

“We have every right to enter, now open this gate, soldier, or━”

“Every right?” Armael scoffed, raising his brow. “Captain, this is the property of Baroness Lila Serandour. Invading it against her expressed permission without good reason would be against the monarchy’s own policies. Do you have such a reason?”

The brown eyed captain scoffed. “Anarchy should suffice. Constable Loic is also our own man, it is within our rights to retrieve him.”

“A corrupt constable is indeed yours, but the church does not deem the monarchy fit enough to deal with such corruption properly. Is it not you who originally placed him here? Sowing seeds of evil? By Elorn’s good graces, man, he is not yours to judge when your judgment is blind!” Armael waved a finger at the captain.

“Then allow us to make it right.”

“Nay! I will not!” Armael hissed, and looked at the gate guard. “Do not open these gates for any reason.”

“Yes sir,” the guard saluted.

“So, we’re not leaving?” Noa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t see how we can,” Armael crossed his arms.

“So now it’s your fault we’re going to be late?” Noa jabbed, the slightest smile on his lips.

The priest scowled. “Shut up, kid,” he said, and turned to look up at the manor. “It’s a bad idea to leave these knuckleheads here without any church officials to represent.”

“Right...” Noa pursed his lips, then looked a ways down the fence. What was the likelihood Lila never fixed that exploit Eliaz revealed last time they snuck in? Yeah, but they’d see me. I’d have better chances climbing over it, he thought. Staring at the gate, Noa decided that there were plenty of footholds to do just that.

“I’ll run ahead,” he announced.

“And how will you━”

Noa moved to the gate, placing his foot on a curly-cue, and grasped at a few bars. Wow, these decorative designs were awful if the idea was to keep people out. He just as easily moved to the next step.

“Ardent, that is rather unseemly behavior,” Armael critiqued.

“Oh yeah, and so is being indebted to trolls? Or maybe an indentured servant?” Noa rolled his eyes, and met the captain’s serious gaze. He stuck his tongue out at the man, which broke the poor fool’s expression. Disgust replaced man’s steely face, and Noa smiled. That gesture at least means something here, he thought, placing a leg over the gate, followed by the next.

“Your ardent is just unseemly, priest,” the captain said. Noa couldn’t help his smile.

“At least that’s something we can agree on,” Armael huffed.

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Dropping to the ground, Noa grinned at his mentor. “I’ll see you up in the mountains later. Try not to be too late,” he jabbed again.

Armael rolled his eyes, rather dramatically too. “Oh look, clouds,” he said.

Noa turned, nearly jumping right out of his moccasins as he came face to face with the captain. When did he dismount? The soldier grabbed Noa’s shoulder with a gauntleted hand, sending a shiver up his spine.

“That was very stupid of you, boy,” he growled.

“Let the ardent go, captain,” Noa craned to look at High Prelate Caradec as he approached with Lila. “Or shall I add harassing valuable healers to the monarchy’s growing list of crimes here?”

“Tch, scram, kid,” the captain shoved Noa aside, and he did just that. Running past the squadron of knights and horses, he made his way down the long, curvy pathway into town.

Reaching the church steps, Noa paused, looking back up at the manor. The knights were descending the hill now, and... Because I’m a healer? They let me go for that? he thought. Why not because he was an ardent? Or something else entirely? Well, lesson learned, don’t screw with the monarchy’s knights, at least not without the high prelate around.

He entered the church, Priest Olwen standing behind the altar. A smile spread across the priest’s wrinkled face. “Ah, good morning, Ardent Noa,” he said.

“Morning,” Noa said, moving to meet Olwen as he meandered around the altar. “I need my lock back.”

Olwen raised his brow, then furrowed it. “Why━oh, oh right,” he said, and started towards his office. “High Prelate Caradec briefly mentioned that you would be using the lock.” He moved to his desk, pulling a key from his pocket, and unlocked a bottom drawer. “Ah, here we go,” he said, pulling a dainty amulet from the drawer, along with a rush of dense aether.

“You put my lock on a necklace?” Noa asked.

“Of course I did! Something like this? Can’t just go in your pocket or it’d fall out,” he handed the amulet over.

“Right, of course,” Noa said, and unclasped the amulet to put it on. It sat far closer to his neck than his ardent amulet did. Damn, I miss simple puka shells, he thought, deciding he probably should start keeping a notebook of things he wanted to improve about this place. Fashion was next.

“Where’s your mentor?” Olwen asked.

“Running late.”

“Priest Armael? Late? Preposterous! Something must be holding him up.”

“Why does nobody think that when I run late,” Noa huffed.

“Show up on time more, and it’ll fix that problem, young ardent.”

Timekeeping, yeah, that’d been so easy in a world without watches. Should keep an hourglass handy, or something, he thought.

“Thanks,” Noa said, turning around. After making his way back outside, he frowned. Priest Armael stood there, waiting for him. “You caught up fast.”

“High Prelate Caradec had everything under control; I was not needed,” he said. “And... I ran.”

“First thing in the morning?” Noa mocked.

“Oh how blue the sky is,” Armael rolled his eyes.

Noa shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Let’s run,” he said, starting on ahead. The exasperated sigh behind him made his smile grow. It was nice, for once, to not be the one that was miserable.

The trip up the mountain pass was easier than usual, but Armael lagged badly. Noa didn’t care much, given that so long as he had his healing lessons, he maintained the mentor bonus without his mentor being present. Something about applying lessons?

Magenta waited outside the cave entrance, a large smile coming to his face as Noa crested the small plateau to the mountainside. “Noa bard!” he said. “I need to know what happens to Frodo!”

Noa cringed. Right, where did I leave off? he thought.

“Shouldn’t we work first?” Noa asked.

Magenta hummed. “I guess,” he said, his voice rumbling like stones. “Some trolls will be going down later today to start building with the humans, but I do not think you can lift logs.”

“You think right.” Noa looked back at Armael as he grunted, pushing himself up onto the plateau, panting up a wind storm. “The kid’s got legs, but not arms,” he admitted.

“Who is this?” Magenta asked.

“That’s my mentor,” Noa pointed with a thumb.

“Mentor bard? He must tell brilliant stories!”

“Yes, I tell the story of healing.” Armael pushed himself up to his feet, dragging his feet as he moved towards the troll.

“Was that sarcasm?” Noa asked.

“The mountain peaks sure are interesting today.”

Noa copied the eyeroll.

“You trolls hunt, do you not?” Armael asked.

“Mountain lions. Too dangerous for fragile humans,” Magenta stated. “Most of our hunting parties build houses today.”

“Would you like to evolve?”

Magenta scratched his head. “Hunting lions will not evolve trolls. No place for trolls to evolve here,” he said.

“What is this about evolution?” Chief stepped out of the cave. “You wish to get the hopes of my trolls up?”

“I will go so far as to guarantee at least one evolution,” Armael said.

Chief went down to a knee, raising a stone-like brow. “Is it to be a contest then?”

“It has been some time since we have had a contest,” Magenta chimed, grinning.

“A contest, if you will,” the priest nodded.

Noa scratched his head, a sinking feeling settling in his gut.

“Then the stakes? If you get at least one troll to evolve, you will win. If not, I will require that Noa Bard will remain with the trolls indefinitely to be our bridge to the humans.”

Noa paled.

“If I win, then the evolved troll will become an ambassador between trolls and the church of Elorn, to take up office in the town of Briag,” Armael said.

“No!” Noa yelped out. “I mean, erm, no offense, but I speak for myself, and━”

Chief smiled. “It is a deal. Let us go fight lions.”