After several minutes of browsing the contents of the armory, everyone who needed new equipment had acquired it. Erik and Kellar decided on straightswords and parmas, while Royd, unsurprisingly, was keen on one of the iron greatshields. After completing their selections, they huddle together once more before leaving.

“So, is everyone satisfied with their choices?” Veros asks to the others.

“Very much so.” Royd answers proudly with a lift and slam of his new massive shield, making a loud thud as if a giant slab of raw metal had hit the ground – which it essentially did.

The team leader continues. “I know some of you aren't used to the equipment you picked up, but we can help each other out when we can. I know I need some time to get my aim right again.”

“I initially ditched having shields because of my dodgy left shoulder, and swords because they didn't really suit me well.” Kellar remarks, looking at his sword with an apprehensive leer. “But I guess daggers aren't the optimal weapon against enemies that want to grab and bite me.”

“So, you've all decided on your equipment?” Lena asks, patiently waiting by the door.

“We have.” Veros answers. “We're ready to go.”

“Good. Do me a small favor and bring that lantern to me, please.” She instructs while pointing to the first lantern she hung from a hook in the middle of the armory. Royd, being closest to it, complies as she turns to extinguishes the second latern right next to the door. When the group exits the building, Lena reattaches the large padlock to the door, inserts the key and relocks it with an audible mechanical clacking noise.

She turns and exhales. “Well then, should any of you feel the need to change your minds on what to bring, be sure to tell me before you head out in the morning.”

“We'll keep that in mind.” Veros nods with acknowledgement. “Thank you again for allowing us to have these.”

“Think nothing of it.” She shakes her head. “Whatever is in my power to help guarantee your survival further north, I'll offer it.” Suddenly, she turns her attention to Atticus and Zyra. “Speaking of which, may I borrow you two for a second?”

“Us?” Atticus points to himself and his mage colleage, who is standing next to him.

“Yes. It'll only take a minute. It's rather important.”

The two look at each other with a hint of confusion, but of course they have no reason to deny her.

“Of course.” The knight responds in kind. “Anything you need us for.”

“Don't worry, I won't give you any chores. Please, follow me to my manor.”

“We'll head back to the guesthouse.” Veros announces to Atticus and Zyra before they follow Lena to her large home.

Inside the manor, the chief leads the two perplexed individuals to her personal room at the back of the building, where Zyra had met with her earlier.

“Wait here a second.” Lena commands once they cross the doorway. She walks up to the desk she was sitting at earlier and pulls out a single drawer tucked along the right hand corner, underneath the desktop. She pauses for a moment to look at the contents. The knight and young mage can't see what it contains due to the position they're standing in, but grow eager with each passing second. After a quiet moment, Lena finally grabs something from inside, and pushes it closed again. She turns around with with her hands raised to chest level, clasped around whatever it was she took. She slowly walks up to Atticus.

“I had a conversation with Zyra earlier today.” She looks at him with gentle eyes and warm half-smile. “She mentioned that she trusts you quite a lot, and that you're the one she gets along with the most out of the group.”

Somewhat stunned at what he's hearing, he turns to look at Zyra for some sort of clarification, but she bashfully turns away from his gaze. Lena continues.

“I also thought about what she mentioned yesterday at dinner – about you performing a silent incantation.” She narrows her eyes slightly while looking at the item she's concealing in her hands. “You said you used to practice, but only until you picked up the sword and shield. But if you were able to do a silent incantation, then you must've been quite learned before stopping. Do you agree?”

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“Uh...” Atticus, unsure of the nature of the conversation, can only slowly voice his agreement. “I'd say so, yes. I wasn't a grandmaster or anything of the sort, but... I had already dedicated multiple years to it.”

“Good.” Lena immediately responds with relief. “Then... I want you to take this.” She opens her hands at him to show a four-stone pyromancy bracelet.

Atticus and Zyra are both shocked and wide-eyed at the gift, and the latter can't help but voice her surprise. “Four stones? Where did you get it?”

“It was found on an undead not long after we fortified Terrance.” Lena answers solemnly. “It's one of only two bracelets that we've discovered since being here. The other is a one-stone electromancy bracelet.”

Apprehensive about the gift, the knight slowly raises his hand and lifts it from hers. He examines it closely, noticing that it's been spotlessly cleaned, likely thanks to Lena.

“The proper procedure would be to return the bracelets to the university.” The chief continues with a pensive gaze at the magical accessory. “But they wouldn't do any good there, being held hostage by the selfish administration who discourage themselves and students from assisting with this plague out of spite against the crown.”

“I'm a bit surprised you only managed to find two despite being here for a few months.” Zyra comments, comparing the fact that Terrance has an entire house full of melee equipment to only two arcane bracelets.

Lena closes her eyes for a second to sigh. “There's already so few mages out here bothering to put their foot down and defend Yhordran. Every time my patrolmen come back with swords and shields, I think about the lives those people must've had before this all happened. But when they brought back these bracelets, I was struck with such an overpowering sense of loss. It's hard to explain.”

Trying to search for the right words to say, she turns and paces back towards her desk. Her hand wanders to the drawer again, where she retrieved the four-stone bracelet, and pulls it open once more. The electromancy bracelet she mentioned is there, with its single yellow stone. She stares at it with a grim, regretful expression.

“A one-stone and a four-stone bracelet. Two very recent students, one of whom didn't even finish their first year yet. I'm a healing magic teacher, so I wouldn't have known them personally, but it hurts all the same to lose a fellow mage. It feels so senseless.”

She turns back around to face Atticus and Zyra. “Because of this, part of me wants to tell you to go back and just concentrate on your studies at let others handle it, but that would just make me a hypocrite, no different from the staff members at the university who sit on their hands.” She walks back up to them and slowly places one hand on the knight's shoulder, and the other on the young pyromancer's shoulder. Her eyes go from sad to resolute. “This is for the safety of Yhordran. There's few mages putting their lives at risk out here, but that just makes us even more important. We're doing what others refuse to do, because they think they're above this sort of risk. And yet, what good is all this magic if we're not using it to save and protect?”

The two Mistwalkers quietly acknowledge her passion and determination, her contagious motivation sparking an almost equal fervor in them. Lena lets her hands down and takes a deep breath. She looks at Zyra with her usual warm expression.

“Zyra, you asked me earlier today why I was here, yes?”

The young mage nods. “Yes.”

“I have another, more personal reason for coming as far as I have.” The chief turns and walks to her desk again, this time to look out of the window over it, facing north. “My late husband was from Armasstadt. He was a six-stone mage as well, for hydromancy. He was a man of incredibly strong convictions. If he were still here, I know for a fact he'd be at my side, here in Terrance, if not forcing his way to Armasstadt's walls. After the mist appeared, I knew he would've been the first to abandon his teaching duties to put his life on the line to stop it.” She turns her head again to Zyra, and a proud smile crosses her face. “I didn't come this far just for me. I came this far for the both of us, and every day I stay alive is a day I dedicate to him.”

Though the short story was directed to Zyra, Atticus finds himself moved by it. Since meeting Lena, he never once thought she was someone who was carrying any sort of burden of guilt or loneliness. Instead, she carries herself like a thoughtful, competent, selfless leader. The loss of a loved one hasn't slowed her down, but rather motivated her to take action and dedicate herself to an altruistic cause.

“You're really something.” Zyra comments, amazed at Lena's drive. “I hope I'm just as dependable as you are in the future.”

The chief smiles at the compliment. “Thank you, but I'm not perfect. Sometimes I want to grab a sword and go further north, myself. However, that would mean abandoning my duties here, where I'm already important to Mistwalkers who pass by.”

“Don't I know it.” The young mage replies, thinking of all the help Lena's given the group in such a short time.

“So, Atticus, will you accept my gift?” Lena inquires, gesturing at the four-stone pyromancy bracelet he's still holding.

“I will.” The knight responds with a nod. “It'll take some time for me to get used to casting again, but once I do, it'll be of great help. Thank you.”

The chief smiles. “You're most welcome. I'm glad someone who can use it has finally come along.” She takes a deep breath, letting it out as a long, exaggerated sigh of relief. “Well then, I won't keep the two of you any longer. Please, return to the guesthouse and get some rest. You'll need it for the journey ahead.” She extends her arms to the door to dismiss the two from their short meeting.

Zyra nods in compliance. “We will. Have a good night.” The young mage bows in gratitude, and Atticus does the same.