Gods, how I missed riding.

The wind in my hair, the steady beat of hooves beneath me, it was almost akin to flying as crow, high above the treetops. We had spent two entire days of walking on unsteady and rocky ground, and my feet were bruised and blistered to the point where I could only go a couple of hours before needing a break to rest. Thankfully, Lumo was very understanding - but, unfortunately for me, he was still holding strong on his promise to never bewitch me ever again, no matter how horrid I felt. I tried to remember the healing salves that Limenta used when we were young, patching up minor cuts and bruises with the magic of the earth - but I knew if I got anything slightly wrong, I would risk an even greater injury.

After a long, thankfully restful sleep in the rocky mountain pass, I awoke to Lumo tending the fire, with ebony horse beside him, searching for whatever mountain weeds she could find between dry cracked rock. Lumo explained that he had flown to Yhosa early that morning to fetch a horse for me to ride, and here she was.

Nim, the horse, was incredibly fast. I was used to the slow, steady, reliable farm horses from back home - but unlike them, she was meant strictly for riding; and with that, strictly for speed. Her long slender nose stretched eagerly in front of me, climbing off the rocks and through the jagged plains with ease. I barely had to touch the reins before she was off, full speed ahead. Wind whipping through my braid-bound hair, I looked up every so often to see Lumo, high in the sky, still on patrol in crow-form.

By afternoon, we had already made it to the Yruwell Steppe, a windy wasteland with barely a tree for cover. The mountains were a shock of gray and white, oppressively lining the horizon against the dull brown dry grass below. Tiny sprinkles of green and yellow wildflower dotted the dirt-worn path, a promise of the oncoming springtime growth.

The journey had been lonely so far, with almost no one on the expansive pass before us. Eventually, I passed a traveling merchant, a rogue courier with mule-bound wagon, but they were only a flash beside me with Nim’s constraint speed. Also unlike the stubborn horses back home, she seemed to delight in her own speed, especially in such a wide-open stretch of land.

With the Valencte Mountains almost behind us, Lumo swooped down, now flying beside me. I took his signal and slowed Nim to a trot, and watched as Lumo flew behind me, cloak fluttering off the saddle, then landing on the dry grass in a few graceful leaping steps.

“Mira,” Lumo called as I pulled Nim to a stop, “I scouted a group up ahead - just hidden by the hills… I think it’s best if we hide you a bit until we get past them.”

Before I could protest, Lumo jumped up, grabbing the saddle horn and sliding in front of me on the small seat in a single swift motion. He then turned to me over his shoulder, mask inches from my face, and pulled my cloak’s black hood to cover as much as he could over my face.

“Here -” he said, giving the hood a final tug. “Your eyes… they’re a bit cloudy from the magic. Try to hide them if you can.”

Then, to my surprise, he turned forward, grabbing both my hands from behind and placing them around his waist over one another. I cleared my throat, heart pounding in my head, grateful that he could not see my face now from this angle.

“Come now, act like you like me,” he laughed as he grasped the reins and ushered Nim forward.

I’m sure there was a clever quip I could have come up with, but I found my tongue to be quite heavy at the time, curiously. It was strange being this close to him, feeling his warmth beneath his linen shirt. I also noticed a curious citrus and cedar smell to him that I hadn’t before, much to my growing anxiety’s displeasure.

I braved a careful look around his shoulder, and spotted the group of travelers he mentioned. Golden armor shone bright in the high sun, dazzling against hints of dark red wind-rippled fabric in brilliant contrast against the dull grass. Even at that distance, they were unmistakable.

Selphene knights.

It was a small group, only four of them dotting the path just ahead of us - but why? What were they doing out here in the Steppe? It was almost a week’s journey from the Selphena Academy, let alone even further from the South Barrens or any of the many forts in which they often fought. To see them this far north was extremely troubling. I held tight to Lumo, hiding my face, and I felt his hand slightly brush mine in reassurance, sending a chill up my arm.

“I can take care of this,” he whispered to me over his shoulder.

I nodded behind his back, keeping my face out of sight, listening carefully. After a few moments, I heard the unmistakable sound of armored footsteps in the distance - a sharp rubbing of metal plates cutting across the steppe winds.

“Hello good knights! What brings you this far north?” Lumo called out.

“Good afternoon, sir - we should be asking you the same,” one of the knights called back with a chuckle.

Nim slowed beneath us as Lumo pulled back on the reins, turning the horse to face them. I felt her paw an anxious hoof on the ground as she huffed the mountain air in frustration at the sudden stop.

“Ah, m’lady wanted to see the dreaded Castle Locus - but only from a distance, mind you,” Lumo chuckled. “Perhaps there are better places to go on holiday, but I’ve always wanted to see the place for myself too. We always hear about it in all the songs and stories.”

“Aye - You may have a brave face now, young lad, but you won’t be so chipper once you see it fer your own eyes,” another knight responded.

“Oh give the lad a break, he’s just playing knight to impress the young lady,” another knight joked. “They’ll be high tailin’ it out of there as soon as they get a look at that damned place.”

“Do you think that fancy mask of his will protect him from the bugs?” the second knight jeered, and the rest joined in uproarious laughter.

The laughter suddenly stopped, and I heard the heavy footsteps of a knight stepping forward, only seeing his golden armored feet from under my hood. I hid my face deeper into Lumo’s back, turning away.

“Where are you traveling from? Fancy clothes like that - you don’t look like you’re local…”

That voice.

No.

Impossible.

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My heart started to beat faster and faster, my stomach started to knot in nauseous twinding ropes, hands growing clammy as they grasped each other around Lumo’s waist. Lumo seemed to sense my unease and placed a hand over mine as comfort, giving a gentle squeeze.

I wanted nothing more than to look up - to see him. I needed to see him.

Father.

“We hail all the way from Yhosa actually. It would have been a much longer trip if it wasn’t for Nim here,” Lumo said brightly, patting the horse’s neck.

“Ah, Yhosa. Haven’t been there for a while. They’re not known for their goldwork there though… Horses, yes, but -”

“This was a gift,” Lumo interjected with a laugh, “My uncle is a goldsmith -”

“Well it’s certainly a conversation starter. I’m not one for flashy things myself.”

Other than your dozens and dozens of swords, Father.

I swallowed, sensing the silent tension begin to grow.

Too many questions… Too much talking.

I was half tempted to pull the reins out from under Lumo’s hands and make a break for it. The knights surely couldn’t catch us on horseback.

“Have you seen anyone else on this path today?” Father suddenly asked.

“Just a couple of couriers - suppose this mountain chill is keeping the usual late spring travelers at bay,” Lumo answered.

“Right… right…” he responded, weight shifting.

I braved a look from under my hood to see his armored hand, rested but ready on the hilt of his golden magicked sword. It was Father alright. “Do you mind if I take a better look at the young lady behind you? We’re looking for a fugitive in these parts - wretched business. Hope you don’t mind a quick look - just for peace of mind.”

No. No. No.

“Oh, sorry - she’s just a bit shy. You see - we had left without telling her folks,” Lumo chuckled, pulling back on Nim’s reins.

“Ah, young love,” heckled a knight in the back of the group to a murmur of chuckles.

But Father did not laugh.

I watched to my horror as Father took two swift but heavy steps forward and lift his golden armored hand upwards to pull back my cloak hood.

Our eyes met.

I felt my lips begin to quiver as I stared directly into Father’s stoic face. Weather-worn and pale, stern sunken emerald eyes and dark brow creased in surprise. The same unmistakable purple scar across the bridge of his nose. His mouth opened just slightly as we stared at each other, unable to find the words.

I wanted to lunge at him, hug him, tell him that I missed him after years of not seeing his face. I wanted to apologize - to tell him that I was sorry that I did not get chosen by any of the Guides like he had dreamed.

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed, feeling the moisture gather in my eyes.

Would he see their cloudy glare? Would he know what I’ve done?

I closed my eyes, ashamed, waiting for him to pull me off the back of the horse and into custody, sent off the Guides for judgment - for surely I was who he was sent to find. I opened my eyes again to still see him there, staring at me. His face was not shocked or surprised any longer, but not angry either. There was a sadness behind his eyes - sadness and something else.

Understanding.

Then, to my surprise, he mouthed something to me.

I love you.

I felt my heart shatter as he then pulled away from me, expression now stern and militant. I waited in shivering pieces as he turned to the rest of his armor-clad group.

“False alarm - it’s not her,” Father said to the gathered group. He then turned back to us, “Good luck on your trip, you two. Be sure to get out of there before dark.”

“Thank you, will do… May Solia watch over you,” Lumo responded, turning Nim away from them.

“And to you,” he responded flatly, not meeting my eyes.

I covered my face with my hood again, burying my face into the comfort of Lumo’s back once again. There was a steady stream of tears lying in wait, but I held them in, waiting until Nim’s steady hoofbeats took us both away. Even when we were well past and far away from the gaggle of knights, I still was not brave enough to show my face, feeling ashamed of the dark stain of my tears gathering on Lumo’s shirt back. Every so often, he would release one of his hands from Nim’s reins and rest it on my hand, slender thumb making gentle trails over mine in a soothing gesture.

Of all the things I had thought I had prepared for, seeing my father was not one of them. I had spent the past night finding the courage to enter the dreaded Castle Locus, but seeing my father… that was an altogether different type of torture.

Father, the proud knight of Selphena - distinguished captain of Barren warfare, had chosen not to turn me in and claim whatever bounty of riches or prominence was promised. No, he chose instead to let me go - to let me free to go.

Something else bothered me though, tugging at my thoughts.

Not only were Herculea’s mercenaries looking for me, but the powerful Selphina knights as well? Their magicked armor and weapon skills were the most fearsome of all the four Guide’s disciples. They were trained and skilled fighters, fierce and unyielding.

The prospect of facing Herculea was terrifying enough - but Selphena too? What about the other Guides - were they after me too? What made me so different from any other Blood Mage on the run?

I sighed.

I suppose the other Blood Mages were currently not riding horseback with one of their betrothed.

Suddenly, Lumo patted my knee from behind, before pointing to something in the sky behind us. I turned, squinting my eyes to see a black silhouette in the sky, twirling against the setting sun high above the Valencte Mountains. It flew in circles, huge wings beating, and I was able to hear just the slight echoing cry from the great beast rolling through the Steppe behind us. To my surprise, the echoing call was matched with another from beyond, blocked by the high mountain peaks. I waited and watched and to my surprise, another silhouetted form joined, and the two far away creatures swirled in shadow ribbons around each other.

“Looks like our dragon found a friend,” Lumo called over his shoulder over the loud thumping of Nim’s steady hoofbeats below us. He was smiling.

I watched, wiping away the last of my tears off my hot face as the two dragons swirled in graceful rings weaving through each other’s wings above the snowy peaks. Even at this distance, I could see joy in their movements as they flew about one another in calm and slow circles. Their cries grew louder, and louder still, triumphant calls in the open sky. He was finally free from his beastrider.

He was home.