Yvette groaned. Every inch of her body ached. She was laying in the grass, under a small shelter created from the nearby trees. Her bag rested around her shoulder, closed tightly.

Her head felt like it was splitting open, her brain as if it had been squeezed through a keyhole. Her tongue was dry and her eyes burned from the sunlight. She ran over the prior night once again.

She’d found out about some medical herbs Gervas had carried that, when mixed with wine, created a simple sleeping draught. She remembered putting it in her guardian’s wine before insisting he share it with his grandmother and--

Her eyes lit up. She pulled the journal from her robe and opened it, her heart soaring. She’d gotten the spell.

It hadn’t been easy. She’d had to go through strange defenses that... The more she thought on them, the more disoriented she became, as if the experiences were smoke she was trying to catch in her hands. But she remembered getting the spell and then trying to escape.

Cecily had been there, had tried to stop her. But weakened as she was by the potion, she’d only managed to stall Yvette, burning away her bracer and marking her as one of the fallen before she could escape.

Yvette had then fled through the night, running as fast and hard as she could. At some point, she’d stopped and found Wimark’s master bracer in her bag. She didn’t remember having it, but she’d used her magic to heal the damage done to her arm, though the mark remained.

Guilt and dread flooded her, though she tried to push it down. She had to do this. She didn’t have a choice. She would never have been allowed to be herself otherwise.

But she’d betrayed Gervas. She gave a soft prayer that he would be okay. That he would forgive her. That he would understand why she did what she had done. Slowly, she climbed out from the treeline and made her way back to the road, beginning the slow, long walk away.

She was one of the fallen, now. She glanced to the mark and shook her head again. Mages all over the world would kill her, despise her, if they saw it. She tugged the bracer down a little more, covering as much of the symbol as she could before lifting the arm up and cradling it to her chest. “I’m sorry, Gervas. I had to. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

------

Yvette tried to ignore the sounds of water splashing against her tent, even endure the creaking trees pushed by the fierce winds. It was only thanks to a simple repelling spell that the tent wasn’t soaked through and she was allowed some small hint of warmth.

Her tent was propped up with a few sticks she had cut with her dagger and, while the grass had been a little damp at first, with a bit of magic even that moisture was gone.

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She still couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. It had been two days since she’d fled the vault, there was no telling who could be following her, or when they’d catch up. Having poor weather hitting her and forcing her to camp early only made things worse.

She reached into her enchanted bag and pulled out her journal, opening it to the spell that had cost her so much. She’d only managed to decipher a few of the ingredients so far, two of which she has on her way towards the ocean to find.

Tears of a siren and the scale of a dragon turtle.

Despite the pouring rain, she couldn’t help but feel her spirits lift, just a little, at the sight. Even if the requirements to cast the spell would be difficult to obtain, the answer now rested in her hands. No matter how hard it was, there was now hope for her. She pulled out a few more books as well as a quill and ink, getting to work.

Soon the sun fully set, leaving her to work by magic’s glow. A sudden tingle went down her spine, making her freeze when she identified the source.

Something had triggered her first ward, meaning it was coming off the road. She quickly put the lid over her ink and began stuffing everything into her bag before snuffing out the magic light. She then went quiet as she could, waiting in the darkness.

The only sound was the raindrops against the tent, however after nearly a minute she heard the light sound of boots squishing through the mud and muck. She felt the second ward go off, the creature smaller this time. Slowly, she drew her dagger, her left hand touching the bracer on her arm.

She could see a light in the darkness, casting a glow over her tent. Her heart beat faster and she waited. Whoever they were, they stopped outside the tent. After a few seconds, a voice she hadn’t expected to hear came through the walls.

“Yvette? It’s Gervas! I know you’re there.”

She froze in place, her eyes wide. She’d betrayed him. Why would he be here? Had he come to capture her? Were there mages out there with him? Waiting to drag her in?

“Listen, I know what you did. What you stole,” he said, his voice calm and gentle. Soothing, even, though her heart didn’t stop pounding.

“I’m not taking it back,” she said softly, clenching her dagger so tight her fingers were white. “I need it, Gervas. If I--”

“I’m not here to take you or it back,” he said. His fingers appeared on the edge of the tent flap and he pulled it back, revealing his rain soaked frame while he leaned in, peering inside. “I’m here to help. I was hired to protect you, remember?”

Yvette stared at him, her entire body quivering. “You… you’re here to help? Even after I poisoned you?”

“Eh. You didn’t try to light me on fire, so as things go that’s not so--”

He didn’t get a chance to finish before she dropped her dagger and tackled him, the rain hiding the tears in her eyes while she hugged him tight around the neck, not caring that he was soaking wet.

“Hey… hey there, Yvette. It’s okay...” he whispered, gently patting her head. He then glanced at her tent and chuckled. “I see you’ve taken my lessons to heart. Good job. Now come on, let’s get Chestnut and Redwood under shelter before we turn in. We have a long road ahead of us, don’t we?”

She nodded, only then loosening her grip on him. She did have a long road ahead of her, one so long that, most days, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it.

But, at least now, she knew she wouldn’t face it alone.