It had been three days after the village's counterattack when the young adventurer had decided to return to his journey. His horse, which he had named Coin, finally started to show signs of noticeable recovery. She had eaten more grain than three horses and slept more than two. Her bones were less visible and her head less sunken in around her eyes and mouth.

It was morning as Tay stepped outside. He breathed in a breath of fresh air and stepped Down the stairs. The neighing of Coin grew louder as he rounded the corner of the cottage. He hushed the animal, patting its mane before grabbing a brush. Coin eased, her muscles and stance relaxed under the grooming.

“We'll miss you.” Emma Meyer said from behind him. Tay turned and smiled weakly. “I will too. It's been nice here, all things considered.” The woman chuckled. They both held their silence as the wind rushed against the trees.

“, hank you.” Emma said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Thank you for everything…” Her knees shook and Tay moved to support her. “I don't know why I would have done if I had lost them.” Tay stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do with the praise.

“It's all I can do,” he said finally. “I'm sure that's not true.” Emma said confidently. Tay shook his head. “This,” he pointed to the empty sheath at his waist. “Is all I've ever really known, and it's what I'm good at. And I like it, although it has its times.”

Emma stood and straightened her clothes, wiping moisture from her cheeks. “Well, I guess I should thank the Gods for that.” Tay smirked.

“Say, how's Jack?” He asked. He hadn't seen him since the young man went into his makeshift forge. “determined.” She glanced at the building at the edge of their little meadow. A constant clanging came from it.

“That's good. Perhaps it's keeping his mind off what happened.” Tay had spared her the details, but she was aware of the gist of the attack.

Signing a tired sigh, she nodded. “When do you plan to leave?”

“I'd like to as soon as possible.” Emma glanced at the cottage for a moment. “Well, I can't have you leaving just yet” She said playfully, and Tay rolled his eyes and gestures for her to lead the way.

The Village was quiet. Shops were closed and windows blinded. Chimneys only puffed out faint wisps of smoke. The only sound that accompanied the clops of the young adventurers' horse was the songs of the few winter birds.

The town had gone into an unofficial state of forming. No one could blame them, of course. Although they had won, it had not come without a cost. Four men had died during the initial attack, another seven died during the raids in the barn and house, and five were still in critical condition.

When the party had returned carrying the bodies of dead, the true scope of what had happened had hit the villagers. Either because of ignorance of disbelief, the ones who had truly known the risk of launching an attack against the bandits were those in the party.

It didn't take long for blame to start passing between names. The first to receive the anger of the people were the elders. People accused them of sending their sons, fathers, and husband's to die. They claimed that there must have been another way. Same grasped onto the belief that if they had simply done nothing, they all could have survived.

After them, their ire fell on Tay. As the man who had led the party, and as the most powerful of them, some believed that he shouldn't have let them die. Neither him or the elders argued, for there was no point. The people were angry and sad, and there were no words they could give to dissolve themselves of what the grieving had accused them of.

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But eventually, sadness won out over anger and the people simply wept.

It had taken The last few days for people to truly let go of their animosity, and some still hadn't, but the general feelings toward Tay, the elders, and the rest of the party was a general sense of painful gratitude.

Tay stopped off at the village's small, makeshift clinic where the injured were being cared for. Among them was Alfred the shoe maker. Tay gave his farewells to the man, and Alfred hopped to see him again.

After, he made his way to the Frisus’s reliable goods, Mr. Newiz's shop. He greeted the girl, Jill, who asked about the battle and Jack, and Tay made sure to only exaggerate the young man's contributions a little. He greeted the shop owner and Smith, thanking him for the care of his horse. He asked if the man had a sword, but to Tay's disappointment, the best he had was a scythe. Instead, Tay bought some of the things he would need for his trip: Grain for Coin, food for him, and shelter for them both. He didn't bother with any camping equipment as he could do most things with his magic.

He waved as he rode to the edge of town. A few other people had come out to see him off; villagers who felt grateful for what he had done. Tay felt a mix of emotions as the last of the houses passed from his vision. He liked the little town, and even if the few days he had been there were tough, they were calmer than recent times in the city. And they were mostly good people, too.

He thought momentarily of the Phantoms, of Alexander, Raya and the others. He thought of Harrow and Henry Carval. He wondered if he should go back to Finick’s Bay and deal with all the possibilities soon, rather than later.

Then he remembered Orby, and he realized he wanted his friend back.

And as he passed the farm fields for the village's, he heard an echoing voice.

“Wait!”

He turned in his saddle and looked down the road and saw a horse riding towards him. On its back we're two figures.

“Jack? Thomas?” The boys stopped just beside him, both out of breath as if they hadn't rode the animal all the way to him. The older boy carried something wrapped in a thick piece of fabric.

“I…made something for you.” He wheezed out. He handed him the object and Tay carefully unwrapped it.

It was a sword.

“It isn't pretty; I'm not very good at actually making things yet, but I spent all of the last three days making it.” Tay pulled it from its sheath, which it didn't fit perfectly in.

It shoes faintly In the sunlight, its weight was somewhat odd. It felt as if the blade should have been an inch longer. But its edge was as sharp as a razor as he looked at it. It had no fanciful decorations or valuable filigree, but it was solid, and Tay knew it would not fail him like his last weapon had.

“Thank you.” Tay bowed his head to the boy. "Its good to know you're taking the attack in stride." Jack smiled weakly. "What you said helped, and its not like i don't think about it, but I'm nit going to let it keep me down." His eyes were set and Tay nodded. Then he looked at the younger boy. He looked ready to burst.

“Let me come with you!” He blurted, and both Jack and Tay raised their brows. “Come…with me?” Tay asked and the boy nodded. “Why?”

“So I can learn from you! So I can be an adventurer!” Tay let out a disbelieving breath.

“That's Why you wanted to come along?” Jack asked. Thomas ignored his brother and stared at Tay, looking to be ready to leap from his horse. Tay gathered himself before speaking.

“Why an adventurer?” He asked.

“Because, if even half of the Adventurers are like you, then that is where I want to be.” Jack looked about ready to shove something in his mouth when Tay gave him a look.

“And you think you're ready?” Thomas nodded. And before the bot could take another breath, the flat side of Tays new sword was only inches away from Thomas’s head. The boy just about fell from his horse, and only stayed aloft thanks to a helping hand from Tay. Both Tay and Jack chuckled.

“I don't think you're ready.” Jack Saif cheekily. Thomas was about ready to cry. Then Tay felt rather bad.

“Look, Thomas. It's not that you can't be one, it's more that were I'm going, and we're I'll be headed back to, are no places for you.”

You mean Finick’s Bay?” Tay grunted. “You were once my age there, right?” Tay pursed his lips. “Yes, but it's changed, and it's no place for a budding adventurer.” Thomas was about to retort when Tay held up a forestalling hand.

“How about this? In two years when your fifteen, go to the adventuring Association in Finick's Bay and tell them you want to have your power realized. And once you reach level 3, come and find me. That is, if you still want to be an adventurer then.” He held up a hand to shake.

“Deal?” The boy took it. “Deal.”