Barri waved in thanks to the driver of the hired cart, as he gathered his two heavy packs, one slung over his back, the other uncomfortably over his front and gathered a crate from the cart. He checked the sun to see that he had time, it was bright now, mid-sun would not be for another few hours, he could make good time if he was quick. Barri shifted the packs and started off towards where he knew the paths would thin out from the lack of foot traffic, though he had traveled this way enough that he could walk it blind.

As he rounded to the less traveled paths, Barri pulled on his fur lined coat and quickened his pace to escape the urge to shiver against the dropping temperatures of the north. Thoughts of the calm of Siren’s Lake beckoning him to push forward, but he could not shake the hurt he felt leaving Apondra at the shop. He knew that her words were said with emotion, and in his many years, he knew that women deep in their emotions, especially of Apondra’s teen age, could be very abrupt, even cruel at times. But for her to say that he was not her father, it was both a hurtful truth, and a crushing blow.

“Should have told Pondie truth years ago old fool,” he quietly berated himself as he weaved through the path, checking subtle markers; small patches of dead fall, patches of bright poison berries in the snowy brush, and the occasional notch he marked in a tree every now and again, just subtle enough that anyone passing by would not take notice but enough that when the sun shone on the dripping sap it shimmered against the bark, he knew his path was true.

Barri knew that Apondra was getting to an age where she needed him less and less, that she would eventually make her own path in life, whether that was with him in it or, with his foolish words those weeks ago, without. Maybe Pearl had some insight, she knew much more about the ways of women than he could ever know. In her own ways, she was smarter than him, even if she was not aware of it.

He glanced at small markers on his way, and settled in for a long walk until his first stop at a small tavern a few hours up the road.

Apondra put her hands to her hips as she stared at her closet. All of her clothing was good enough to fit with her bindings and cloak properly, but she soon found herself fretting over what would be suitable to wear to dinner with the prince. It had to be nice enough that he would not question that he was dining with some peasant girl, but not gaudy or revealing either. She had a feeling from his interaction with the nightmaidens that he was more inclined to a modest dress.

So she sat for the past few hours, turning through her dresses, again and again, finding one reason or another to doubt that she even had anything good enough to wear.

Her stomach twisted with uncertainty, and she began questioning if accepting the prince’s invitation was a mistake. She pushed the doubts down and went to close her closet, when her eye caught onto one of the dresses that was tucked away to the back of her closet. Apondra smiled as she brought it out. She did not remember this dress, it was a longer fit than she was used to; long sleeved and a hemline that she would need to lift to keep herself from tripping over it, but the more she admired it, the stronger she felt that this dress would be her best choice. She smiled to herself as she set it gently on her bed and slipped out of her nightdress she still had not changed out of all day.

She felt a giddiness she had never felt before as she walked around the empty shop in her velvety soft dress, eventually coming to a stop in front of her small vanity table with a small pointed brush, and a mortar full of blood meal she had worked to the consistency of ink, “It should not be too bad,” she told herself as she focused on her reflection and although she tried to keep her hand steady, she had to use an old rag with a drop of the spirits she took from Barri's bedside table to redo her lips several times before she was satisfied. Apondra gazed into the mirror in wonder, before tonight she had never truly had a desire to color her skin besides the small amount of dry blood meal she used to powder her cheeks whenever she would go out to town to give her pale cheeks some color. Just enough to keep up the facade of an elf. The deep red color to her lips, even while it was wet, made Apondra’s confidence soar. She spent the next few hours admiring herself in the mirror and excitedly prancing around the shop dancing with herself to the bard’s song stuck in her head.

Barri sighed as he approached The Lonely Fishmonger. It was less of a tavern, more a small cabin almost swallowed by the trees and brush. He had been walking for hours, and the light of the sun had almost disappeared over the horizon, he could not have made it sooner, the night cold was enough to send even prepared travelers to meet the Mother and Father. These trails, while quiet, became active in the night nonetheless as thieves used the lesser known trails to travel town to town.

The young owner of The Lonely FIshmonger never seemed very concerned about the intent of the travelers coming through his doors, as long as they paid good coin, he would accept almost anyone. While he was a lanky man, the immaculate lilac robes he wore were enough to deter most unsavory characters from taking advantage of him. The colors of an honored graduate of Summersea's magic school.

The tavern bell above the door rang out into the darkness, Barri doubted for a moment that the owner was even present, until a torch lit on the wall over Barri’s head, illuminating a booth next to him. He glanced up at it for a moment and chuckled. Always dramatic.

“It is good to see you again my friend!” came a calm voice from across the room.

Barri smiled as he eyed the dark haired elf who strode confidently towards him, “Good to see Voron again, business been good?”

Voron returned a warm smile and grasped Barri’s arm in a greeting, “Business is business, I was wondering when I would see you again. You are here sooner than I expected, normally you make the trip after the winter solstice. Eager to see Pearl again eh?”

Barri nodded and handed off his things to Voron, shrugging off his fur coat, knowing well that the mage had already prepared a room for him with a warm fire. “Too long without my Pearl. Cabin needs fixing up so Barri thought an early trip was better,”

Voron called from one of the rooms, his voice carrying easily in the nearly empty tavern, “She will be glad to see you. How is little Apondra doing?”

Barri quietly regretted telling Voron about Apondra, he always found a way to ask about her, since his first trip to see Bermet after Apondra had come into his home. The man’s mind was sharp, and Voron never missed a detail. Even with the regret of Voron finding a way to talk about Apondra at any opportunity with Barri, Barri knew that he would not breathe a word outside the tavern. On several occasions Voron had stopped in the middle of a thought and seamlessly veered into a different topic when he heard the tavern bell ring.

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“Apondra is well. Nightmares still wake her, but Barri is handling it,” he said simply, hoping to avoid Voron’s persistence.

Voron laughed a bit as he returned with two tankards of warm cider and sat leisurely across from Barri in the booth, “You know that I can put together a tincture that would help with the nightmares Barri, why do you not ask for it?”

Truthfully, Barri did not trust the tincture would not have an effect on Apondra. Barri knew so little of angel and vampire appetites, he would not know if something did not agree with her without putting her in harm's way, like he had discovered while trying to learn how to properly make her blood meal without her becoming sick from it. But Barri did not want to hurt his friend with the truth, “Apondra is well enough that Barri is not worried about nightmares. Barri knows how to help, it works well enough,”

Voron clucked his tongue at Barri, a small smirk turning his lip as Barri downed his cider quickly, only partly to stem his shivers, “Just say the word Barri and I can have it ready to ship to you whenever you need it. The blood reached you faster than even I expected. She has enough to last while you are gone?”

Barri nodded to the empty tankard, and Voron reluctantly stood and went to fetch more warmed cider.

“Well…” Voron sighed as he returned to fill Barri’s drink, carrying a full pitcher now, “If you ever need anything you know I am here,”

Barri nodded, sipping his drink, “Apondra is good fighter, Barri say that much. She beats Barri almost every time now. Barri hopes lessons will make her strong,”

“With a blade comes a lot of responsibility Barri, she is only… what… she has to be about fifteen or sixteen now yeah?”

Slippery mage has mind like trap… Barri thought as he nodded, “Sixteen this winter, Ascension is coming closer… Barri just-”

“About five or six years now… depending on how the Mother wishes it,” Voron interrupted, finishing his first tankard and pouring another.

Barri huffed in response, “Chellaintha is mysterious at best time. Much like all women. Barri just wants Apondra safe when Ascension comes,”

“Have not told her about her father, have you Barri?” Voron and his big mouth… “You know that one of these days she will find out about him. What will you do then?”

Barri ground his teeth at Voron’s prying, but finished his cider quietly.

Voron’s chuckle made Barri want to lay him out on the floor of the tavern, “You have a few years yet my friend. Do not fret over it, you are already going gray over the girl!” He offered Barri the pitcher.

Barri set his tankard down, harder than he meant to, Voron looking up to assess him before setting the pitcher down. He stood from the table, and tossed a few coins for the drinks, “Barri knows as much of Apondra’s father as she does. Look, Barri should get to bed. Pearl is waiting,”

Voron nodded, though Barri knew that his friend was aware that he had kept most of the details to himself, “The room is all made up. Enjoy your stay my friend. We will talk again soon,”

Barri stepped past the mage and watched a dark room come to life with the flickering candlelight of an unseen torch. He would need to talk things out with Bermet tomorrow when he arrived.

Barri sighed as he approached the old cabin. In the year since visiting the area was scattered with leaves, small branches and washed up coontail and stonewort that littered the shore. A small tree had not survived the year, the young pine had fallen against the side of the cabin ruins, its roots pulled from the ground. It had to have fallen some time ago, there was already a thin layer of ice crystals forming in the small dent in the earth where dew had settled early that morning.

Barri breathed the fresh air, the scent of pine that grew in abundance here floating on the wind.

He quietly set his things down next to the dilapidated cabin that still hung the smell of smoke in the air despite the years, set his boots nearby and made his way to the edge of the water. She would be hiding, Barri was sure as he dipped his toes into the cold water, watching her favored spots; the small lip of a stone island that rose just to the west of the center of the lagoon, where Barri knew she liked to sunbathe from time to time, even in the cold, the dense duckweed that she had corralled to one corner for cover from the elements. Bermet did not come up very much, but as he tapped his toes in the not quite ice cold water and whistled a long low note that carried over the lake, he spied her.

Her powerful black tail lifted on the water, the dark blue scales shimmering in the sunlight as she sent a spray of water careening her forward. The ebony black tangles of her dreadlocks as she peeked over the water, surveying with her glassy blue eyes.

He took a few steps into the mud, until he was waist deep, watching her swim faster, until she popped up right in front of him and pulled him close. Barri smiled and held her for a long while, fighting to keep his teeth from chattering but thankful that she had kept safe this year, “Barri knows.. It has been too long,” he murmured in her ear, letting one hand caress the tangles of her wet hair.

Her quiet lilted voice made his heart melt, “Pearl knew Barri would come. Baby bird okay? Pearl misses baby bird,”

He loosened his hold to look her in the eye, her eyes were so curious whenever she mentioned Apondra. Barri knew that she missed her. Bermet had been one of Apondra’s earliest protectors after all, “Barri knows, one day I will bring her to see you. Things at shop have gotten hectic, but Barri promises, he will bring Apondra to visit when things settle,”

Her tail flipped happily in the water and she trilled excitedly, clapping her hands. The water splashed over Barri's head sending a chill through his bones, but he didn't mind much.

“Barri needs to do some work on cabin,” he said softly when she returned to his arms, “Will be right back okay?”

Bermet nodded and kissed him quickly, “Mali would like it. When she comes she gets lonely,” her eyes saddened as they settled on the cabin.

Barri kissed her again, thankful that she was not clinging to him like some visits Some nights she could not leave his side… her nightmares were, in some ways, even worse than Apondra's.

Barri set to work clearing away the dead leaves and twigs from the pile of stones that had been erected in the bedroom all those years ago. There were shells of all sizes and shapes scattered about and Barri began plucking them out of the snow when he felt something fly over his shoulder, making an indent in the snow next to him. A hunk of seaweed.

He turned to see Bermet glaring at him, already armed with another handful of seaweed ready to launch at him.

"Leave Pearl's pretties!" She shouted from where she waded in the water.

Barri shook his head at her and when she wound up he laughed and gently placed a few back in their place, turning his focus to the rocks that marked Apondra's mother's resting place.

He placed the rest atop random stones, feeling like an undertaker as he cleaned and tended to her grave. Barri lingered by the grave marker, letting memories of his first meeting with Malia and Mortaza intermingle with the memory of the small child they left behind. Would Mortaza ever return to her? Over these years Barri had expected at least one messenger to arrive at Siren's lake or to Dryn looking for Mortaza’s daughter, but as the years passed and no letter or knock at his door proved fruitful Barri grew to resent the angel.

Barri quietly began tying up the blankets to the shattered beams of the cabin to shelter himself from the winds that would grow stronger in the evening, trying to forget the anger that rose in his heart for Apondra, knowing her heartache would not rest until Mortaza finally came for her. The only blood that she had left in this world.