Cithrael returned with a pair of rabbits he’d field dressed and prepared in the woods. Terrowin and I watched as he expertly prepared a stew with the limited resources from the cottage and the trail rations each adventurer kept. Soon, the fire was roaring in the hearth and the smell of a delicious meal filled the room. It didn’t take long after that for Aelisra and Raina to descend the stairs, following their noses.

“Cithrael, you should have said something!” Aelisra complained. “I’d have helped with meal preparation if I’d known!”

He shrugged. “You were both still busy.”

“You guys finished clearing the cellar?” Raina asked. “Anything bad down there?” A brief look was exchanged between the three of us before Terrowin shrugged and shook his head.

“Just some cobwebs and melted wax. Nothing to worry about.”

I purred and pressed against the side of his leg. They were keeping their word, as I knew they would.

“Oh, then I guess it wasn’t as bad as Malzy made it out to be,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me. “Either way, we finished putting my room back together. Mother’s is still out of sorts, but I’ll handle that another day.”

“Would you bring some bowls, Raina?” Cithrael asked. She nodded and retrieved them just in time for the elf to pour the stew into each bowl and pass them to the party. Even I got a small portion in my own bowl, which was more than we usually could afford during travel. I buried my face in the bowl, relishing in the scent of the rabbit.

Contented silence reigned over the small hearth as the party sat together and ate. Cithrael and I took seats on the floor, while Terrowin and Raina took the bench. Aelisra settled into the old rocking chair.

The meal was delicious. Though our resources were limited, Cithrael had made a delightfully savory dish made of all the choice bits of meat. Though my portion was small, it was more than filling and I settled down next to the fire once I was finished.

“Thank you all,” Raina began. “I couldn’t ask for better friends.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Terrowin said, bowing his head towards my witch. “I only wish I could stay longer. You lot are the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“So, then don’t leave,” Aelisra insisted. “Whatever challenges you’re facing, we can face them together.”

“Let us share in your burden, Terrowin,” added Raina.

For a moment, he seemed tempted. He quietly stared into the fire, wrestling his thoughts. But, in the end, he shook his head.

“I can’t tell you more,” he said sadly. “Knowing would only put you in greater danger, and I couldn’t live with myself if any of you got hurt because of me.”

Aelisra put a hand on his knee. “We’re adventurers. Danger is a constant companion, one we are well-used to living with.” She pulled back and took a deep breath. “But if you’re not ready to tell us, then that’s fine, too. Just, please don’t leave without a word. We care about you and your safety.”

“Thank you, Aelisra.” Terrowin reached forward and poured himself another ladle of stew, but it was clear to me that he was hiding his feelings behind the meal. What would it take to get him to open up? Only time would tell…

“Where will you go if you do leave?” Cithrael wondered.

“Probably Faloria,” the knight answered. “If I can make it through Howl’s Pass before the snows, then anyone chasing me might not be able to follow me across the border.” My head shot up and I meowed to get their attention. I frantically scribbled, trying to get the thought out before the conversation passed me by.

The coresmith is in Faloria.

It seemed like as good a time as any to push that agenda, even if only a little. The party was relaxed and unlikely to ruin the mood with snide comments about each path forward.

“You think that’s the best option?” Raina asked. I nodded. Aelisra sighed.

“That core could do so much good here in Aldar,” she said. “What kind of heroes would turn down those in need?”

“There’s no guarantee that it would be needed here at all,” Terrowin pointed out. As I’d expected, the whole group was possessed of clearer heads than they had been earlier.

“But, if there’s even a chance it could save lives, shouldn’t we take that chance?” the paladin argued calmly.

Nobody wanted to contest that statement. Adventurers were responsible for two things as part of their contract: helping others and growing stronger…ultimately for the purpose of helping others through bigger contracts. By giving the core to Lord Erik, we could fulfill our mandate with the Guild, and the responsibility Cithrael, Aelisra, and Raina owed to their hometown.

I, however, had no such responsibilities, and neither did Terrowin. The way I saw it, we would be fulfilling the other part of our mandate by seeking out the coresmith. With better equipment, we could become more formidable and solve bigger problems than just the small ones that popped up around Aldar.

With cored equipment, we could help more people.

“Malzy is right,” Raina agreed. “‘Lisra, you know I want to help people as much as you do, but what will happen to the core once Qelona is no longer a threat? We won’t be able to control what happens to it after.”

“And if it ends up on the warfront?” Terrowin posed. “It could hurt a lot of people. They may not be Senelari, but those people are no less deserving of our consideration.”

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Aelisra did consider it, silently mulling over the presented arguments. “What happens if we get to Faloria and then receive word that Aldar has fallen, or that whole swaths of farmland are destroyed, all because we took the core away?”

“And if we give Erik the core, only to find out that the King destroyed a Teralyn town with it?” Terrowin asked. His voice was tart, and I could see the clear heads beginning to waver in the face of frustration.

“Look, none of us are diviners,” Raina interrupted. “We can’t know the future, no matter how much we might analyze it. Until the future comes, speculating over what ifs will only make us miserable!”

“So, what do you suggest we do instead?” the paladin asked.

Raina took a deep breath. “We must consider what is right for us in this moment. We don’t know that Qelona will become a greater threat. We don’t know that the core will be used for ill. All we know is that there is a threat, and that we would need to surrender control to fight it. Then, we make our decision, and we live with it.”

Terrowin and Aelisra both hung their heads. Raina was right and they knew it. The only one here with even the slightest bit of divination was me, and even that was limited to knowledge available in the present moment. No one can see the future.

In the end, it was Cithrael of all people who broke the silence. “How badly do you want to become adventurers?” he asked.

“What does that have to do with the question of the core?” wondered Aelisra. Cithrael glared at her with an unamused look that demanded she answer the question before he would answer.

Not that I blamed her for her curiosity. I, too, wondered what the elf was trying to get at. He was the most useful of my servants, so I trusted that he, at least, had some idea in mind.

How badly did we want to be adventurers…?

Personally, I didn’t really care much for the profession itself. It was a means to an end. I may not care much for helping people, but adventurers got into trouble all the time. Their brand of trouble came with vicious hordes of monsters and deep running dungeons. Defeating either one led to levels which led to more power. With more power, I build my name and carve out a place where no one could ever threaten me.

In that respect, I was very dedicated to this path I’d chosen. I would become a healer who could keep my party alive through the harshest of injuries. With their strength, we would triumph.

Aelisra cleared her throat. “I…uh…I was raised by the temple. They tell me that my parents died when the last unholy monster rose to power. It was a corrupted warlock who was overwhelmed with the fires of hell and tried to burn the town to the ground with an army of fire elementals and demonic spirits. My parents were lost in the flames, but a cleric with the guild found me and brought me back to town.” She kept her eyes pinned firmly on the ground, memory dancing in her eyes. “I don’t remember any of it, not even the fires, but I’m thankful every day for the adventurers who rescued me, and those who risked their lives to bring the monster down. As soon as I could say the word ‘hero,’ I wanted to be one. I don’t want any more children to be orphaned. This world is cruel enough to the low-leveled. The least I can do is try to ease that suffering.”

Cithrael nodded. “Then would you rather protect them from just Qelona? Or from Qelona and the next threat that follows?” So, he was on my side. He was wise, indeed.

Aelisra went quiet, thinking about the answer. When put in those terms, the answer was obvious. Then again, it was obvious to me from the first moment. I hoped that she saw it the same way. In the end, she took a deep breath.

“I would rather protect them from more over time,” she admitted. “If you want to bring the core to Faloria, then I suppose I can support the decision.”

Raina smiled. “I’m confident in the protections in place over Aldar. They have Lizzie and Lord Erik looking out for them. They both are very powerful.”

“Not to mention the Lord’s son,” Terrowin began. “We saw him in the street before we left, remember. He seemed to be able to take care of himself. How strong was he?”

“Erik is level 45, Lizzie is 42, and Kiren is 35,” Raina answered once I provided her with the numbers. “Even if Qelona has an army, she won’t be breaking them any time soon.”

“Ser Rivan is level 31 from what I understand,” Aelisra added.

“See? Aldar has so many people who can protect them from this threat.” My witch reached over and put a hand on her friend’s. “Let’s take this moment to take care of ourselves so that we will be ready to help those who aren’t as lucky to have so many capable heroes in their midst.”

“Then let’s go to Faloria,” the paladin conceded. “Lizzie said she knew someone.”

“Why don’t we take the evening to ourselves first,” Raina said. “You all worked hard to clean up. Give me the chance to host you for the night, at least.”

* * *

We set out for Aldar in the morning with well-rested bodies and high spirits. Cithrael had risen early to gather the materials for a delicious breakfast, using the herbs in what was left of Raina’s garden to spice our rations for a nice meal of spiced jerky on toast. While still not the greatest meal ever, it was filling and started everyone off on a cheerful note.

After traversing the trail between Raina’s home and the gates of Aldar, waiting in the line, and making our way to the Laughing Lute, it was around mid-day. The tavern was more subdued than we were used to, as hungover adventurers made for a much less rowdy bunch than sober and drunk ones.

At the bar, Lizzie was washing dishes from the night before, every so often stifling a yawn before it could fully escape her lips.

“She should smack the guildmaster for making her do all the work alone,” Terrowin muttered to the resounding agreement of the rest of the group. When we approached, she turned and smiled.

“Welcome back, my favorite New Bloods,” she greeted. “Come to a decision?”

Raina nodded. “We’d like information on your contact in Faloria, if you’re still willing to give it.”

“Of course! I’m glad you were able to agree.” She put down her dishes and wiped her hands on a towel she had draped over her shoulder. Once her hands were dry, she pulled a sheet of paper from the stack she kept on the dry end of the bar and began to write with a long-feathered quill. “I’m giving you a letter of introduction to Frederick Verhalistal,” she explained. “He’s a retired coresmith working in Winter’s Crest, just across the border to Faloria. When I was a younger adventurer, my party helped him when his shipments of dungeon cores were being stolen off the road. He’s retired now, so he might not help you, but, at least with this, he won’t turn you away outright.” She folded the letter and handed it to Raina. My witch tucked it into a pocket in her cloak. “I trust you spritely, charismatic New Bloods can talk your way into convincing him to take up his tools once again.”

“We will certainly do our best,” Raina agreed.

“Good! And one other thing,” Lizzie said. “It just so happens that it’s good you didn’t leave yesterday. I received word from the Guildmaster in Howl’s Crossing that he needs a package delivered as soon as possible. If you’re willing to take it with you and stop on the way to Winter’s Crest, I can create a quest to see it done.”

The party exchanged several looks and shrugs before Raina nodded. “Howl’s Crossing is on the way, so I don’t see why we can’t bring it.”

“Excellent, I’ll get the paperwork sorted and the quest assigned to the five of you. Stop by once you’ve made your preparations, and I’ll give you the package,” instructed the barkeep.

“I have an order that I’ll need to pick up tomorrow morning,” Raina said. “But why don’t we plan to head out after that? Everyone can get their preparations and purchases done today.” The party all nodded and dispersed.

As they left, Lizzie winked at me. I purred at her in response. I was proud to have facilitated the means by which a consensus could be reached. Moreover, now Raina and I had a place to return home to once all this was over. All in all, it was a good day’s work.