~*~

The four sat around a fir, Matthew no longer tied. After their meeting with the hermit, he had not seemed like much of a threat. It had been a weird feeling. He was a friend, someone they could trust. The knight still stole cautious glances at him, but he just sat there, harmless. A silence hung over the travelers, all of them taking in what had just happened.

Nadia had spread a shawl like cloth on the ground, noticeably far from Daniel, and was sitting cross legged, staring into the fire, mesmerized by the dancing flame's twirls. She had changed from her dress and now wore long travel breeches and a plain long sleeved shirt. Her dark hair was tied into a knot, fully exposing her blue eyes that shone black under the firelight.

It was Daniel who broke the silence;

"If anyone has complaints about the food, I urge them to keep those to themselves."

He finished cutting the piece of cheese he was holding into four slices and went on to do the same with the bread. He fished out the potatoes he'd thrown into the fire and set each on plate-like leaves he had sworn were not poisonous.

He handed out the food and took out his water skin.

"Wine anyone?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

"You could've carried more water with that you know," The knight said disapprovingly.

"Plenty of rivers between here and Wyden."

"I'll pass," the knight said instead.

"Princess...?"

Nadia eyed the water skin skeptically.

"Hmpff."

"Don't be snorting at me messenger," she scoffed. "You may be used to eating like-"

"Like what?" Daniel challenged.

"We should have brought more supplies," Nadia said, evading the attack.

"And who would carry those supplies?" Daniel asked.

"Add another sac on the horse." She said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

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"That horse can barely carry you and our current load, maybe if you'd walk like the rest of us-"

"I am a princess," she said with authority.

"Or maybe if we'd taken two horses-"

"You know very well that if we'd taken two horses someone at the stables would have noticed and-"

"Why is all of this a secret anyway?" the messenger finally asked. "Your father could have just organized a small escort of knights and a banner carrier with some servant girls to get you to Wyden in luxury. You'd have your own cork bearers and everything and wouldn't have to drink filthy messenger wine."

Nadia rolled her eyes and looked back at the flame. She nibbled at her food in silence for a while, then opened her mouth to speak but decided against it and continued eating.

"The stars look beautiful."

They turned to look at Matthew who had finished his meal and was looking up at the sky. There was no moon there but the stars were out and decorated the night like a thousand sparks.

"It was a shifter," Nadia said to Matthew after a brief silence.

"Princess!" the knight warned.

"No," she said with finality. "He deserves to know." She turned to Matthew. "The person who killed your mother, she looked like me, right?"

Matthew looked at her.

"Yes, but it was not you. I... I'm sure of it."

"Yes. It was a shifter. The same shifter broke into our castle, my home, not too long ago. It made itself look like me so it could infiltrate the city. It's part of the reason I have to leave Solestia."

"I know what a castle is," Matthew said.

"Oh... Sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant. Do you know where she is?"

"No. But I'm sure my father's looking for it. If there's a brain in that head it made then it'll be nowhere near Solestia. But if it's in Solestia then rest assured that your revenge has been taken care of." Nadia smiled at him reassuringly.

He turned away and gazed back up at the stars. He didn't want the shifter, or whomever it was, to be dead. He wanted her alive. He wanted to ask her why, and he wanted to kill her.

Sir Charles stood up and stretched his limbs.

"Fawsley, are you sure we are far enough from the forest to set up camp?"

"Yeah, this is the best place to set up camp. Any further and we hit the mountain pass where we'll not want to spend a night, trolls and all. We can go through tomorrow with the sun on our shoulders, safer that way. Once through, we can rest at the Swollen Foot inn. It's just beyond the mountains."

"Alright. We'll sleep here for the night. I'll take first watch."

He walked a little distance from the fire. The trees were shorter here and not as dense, so it was easy to see a little more into the distance. The starlight also helped illuminate the land, leaving everything as graying dark silhouettes.

Nadia went on to line the ground with more cloths. She set her small blanked down since it was too humid to go under it. After moments of trying to make the ground as comfortable as possible, she lay on it and continued to stare at the fire. It seemed to take things off of her mind.

Daniel simply lay on the naked soil, wrapping his cloak around himself with practiced ease.

Matthew rested against a tree, looking up at the heavens in wonder. He shifted to get into a comfortable position and was surprised when a pang of pain didn't shoot up his leg or side. He turned to look at his calf but instead of seeing burnt flesh, there was a mark tattooed there;

A flame that resembled the fire mages' seal. He had seen the sign in many of the books. As much as it was unnerving, something about the mark calmed him. It was the way it buzzed, in and out of phase with a yellow hue...

~*~