I staggered across the threshold to the room that Elora and I shared, closing the door behind me softly before leaning my head against the cool wood. I sighed, enjoying the cold that was retained within the oak. It was a long sought after relief from the hot sun, though a very fleeting one. My skin was chapped and burnt from exposure, something which had become annoyingly frequent as the training sessions with my three instructors grew longer and longer. The same could be said of the list of injuries that I often sported at the end of each day.

I trembled as I pressed a hand to my tender and bruised ribs, one of which I was sure was cracked. Boldrin's devastating slash had thrown me half way across the fucking arena. I was tough, but I wasn't invincible and my mentor was hardly a normal man. It was like getting punched in the chest by one of the Spires of Myrin, and it didn't end there. Vera had immediately decided that I wasn't in enough pain, unleashing a brutal downwards chop that had very nearly knocked my head from my shoulders. Luckily, my skull was thick enough to weather quite a bit of damage so it only took a few minutes of laying on my back and staring at the spinning sky before I was back to normal. Mastan, for his part, had been kind to me for once. He'd only shattered my ankle the once, which I thought was rather nice of him. He, of course, acted the asshole as I hopped after him in a violent rage but... well, that was to be expected.

I frowned as I thought on Vera and Boldrin. After I'd asked to kick my training up a notch, the two had been becoming increasingly concerned about me. Today for instance, was a perfect example. After Vera near knocked my head off, I opened my eyes to find them worrying over my prone body like a pair of mother hens. On more than one occasion they'd tried to tell me to take it easier. Their pleas were touching but ultimately unnecessary. In answer to their quiet urging, I simply jumped to my feet and prepared to go again. It alleviated some of their doubts to see me bounce back from serious harm with such ease, but their distress at my increasingly diminishing condition remained untouched by my show of confidence. They said little to me now, knowing that I wouldn't listen to any words of caution they had for me, and I knew that they wouldn't leave me alone with Mastan. Despite the weeks we'd spent together, the mercenary captain and the First Knight still treated the King of Lightning like a snake, as I myself did. I didn't begrudge them their uncertainty as to my chosen path, I just hoped that they would say nothing to my Smiths about it. Besides, I was fine. I can heal from anything short of having my head chopped off, after all. I once more thanked my Knightly Gift of enhanced healing, offering a silent prayer to the Great Spirit that would have made the Sister proud. If I didn't have access to the otherworldly power of my soul, there was little doubt that I would be laid up for weeks after only a single session. The power to recover from any wound within hours, however, was both blessing and curse in my eyes.

I was extremely thankful to not be in crushing and debilitating pain for months on end, but I'd be lying if I said that the thought of being able to wake up in the morning without the threat of having my ass handed to me sounded anything less than pure bliss. I went with that thought, losing myself in the daydream of a possible future that I one day hoped to have. One which was absent the threat to my life and the Knights who wished for my utter destruction. Maybe Elora and I could one day go for a walk, hand in hand, without the chance of me becoming embroiled in some life or death struggle. I didn't like my odds, but it could happen.

“You can't fight fate,” I muttered the words like a curse, all but spitting them from my mouth as I sulked, lightly tapping my forehead against the rapidly warming wood. My dreams of a better tomorrow were marred by the shit I had to wade through for the chance of seeing it realised; The Hall, Samuel, the Mentor, Zelato. The fear that had followed us to Nian had waned, for here we were safe, but Tess, Elora and I knew that we couldn't stay here forever. It was still there, just beyond the White Sea. Each day that passed marked all three of us becoming stronger, but the terror of the unknown grew as well. Yet in spite of that, I would continue to push, to live up to my potential. I was an Heir, the strongest of Knights. One day no one, be they Samuel or the Mentor, would be a match for me. Until then I was an easy target.

My thoughts of the world outside of Nian put me into a melancholic state. I grumbled to myself, shaking my head in disgust at my own self pity, happy that my Smiths weren't there to see it. At least I didn't need to worry about my emotions flowing over the Bond. The time I'd spend training had done wonders for my skill with a sword, as well as my body, but that wasn't the only benefit of completing such intensive sparring matches and soul jarring attempts to Saturate my flames. Another was that I could now hide my pain from Elora and Tess, a skill which I had mastered in the last few days as my injuries became all the more frequent.

I didn't want to continually pull them away from their own training to heal me, as I knew they would if they knew the extent to which I was pushing myself, and I was pushing myself. As much as I complained internally about fighting three masterful warriors simultaneously, it was something that I was very much in favour of. More than that, I had begun to insist that they stop holding back when fighting me, which had led to an up tick in the wounds I accumulated at the end of each battle. Practice had become an almost life or death affair now, where each strike thrown at me could spell my immediate loss. It was there that I thrived, in the heat and pain and promise of defeat. It was the only way that I knew I could reach beyond my limits and finally forge a style of combat all my own.

And despite the fears harboured by Boldrin and Vera, it was working.

Asking my instructors to ramp up my training had helped enormously. Something was forming within me. It wasn't Boldrin's, nor Vera's, nor Tessa's. It was all my own, born of a desperate need to protect my Smiths and destroy my enemies. It was still in its infancy, but I could feel it when I let go, when the storm of attacks launched at me demanded my mind switch off in favour of true and brutal instinct.

I tightly wrapped a hand around my sword hilt. My pain was evaporating by the second, my fogged vision all but cleared, my ankle and ribs ceasing their incessant gnawing. I couldn't be sure but I was almost positive that my passive healing ability was becoming stronger. The difference was infinitesimal and barely noticeable, but it was there. It was a subject I should raise with Mastan the next time I saw the man. While he was a piece of shit, his knowledge of souls and Heirs in general made him a boon.

I sighed, shaking my head as I realised I'd just complimented the man who'd spend the last five hours making my life a living hell, before finally turning back into my room. I carefully removed my dusty boots, not willing to suffer another haranguing from my wife for trekking dirt into the place where we slept. Taking off my sword belt took a decidedly longer amount of time, but I just about managed it. I carefully lay it on the small table at the room's centre before limping towards my bed. The soft silk sheets and feather stuffed mattress were as water to a man dying of thirst. I smiled blissfully as I sat on the edge, finally taking some of the stress off my poor feet.

My injuries were recovering, true, but the physical, mental and spiritual exhaustion remained. It was an ever present fixture in my life now, but I refused to allow myself to fall asleep. Not until Elora and Tess returned to tell me about their days, at least. I had so little time to spend with them as it was, I didn't want to further limit it.

I closed my eye, allowing my consciousness to fall down and deep into the black void of my soul space. There, I saw my diminished obsidian fire. Usually so vibrant and full with emotion, they now lacked their lustre, the tongues flickering weakly in greeting as I manifested before them. Like me, they too had taken a beating today. I'd maintained Storm for the entirety of the sparring match with my teachers. Without its aid, I would have soundly defeated in the opening moments of the bout, but the liberal use of the Storm's active aspects had left me drained of Aurum to the point of being empty. That wasn't to mention my earlier attempts to saturate my soul with Lightning. I was getting more comfortable with the feeling of channelling my wild Element, but I realised quickly that I wouldn't be taking any significant steps forward anytime soon. At the very least, I was making progress with the others. I could now channel Space for prolonged periods of time before the activity fatigued me. My earlier domination of the Element with Elora's help during the creation of First Sword being the obvious reason for it being more prone to listen to me than Lightning. I was still failing to find common ground, some way to bring my fickle Element to purpose. I knew I couldn't control it in the same way as Space, or Dark, but there had to be something I was missing. Mastan, for his part, had given all the help he could on the topic, leaving the rest in my hands. Every Knight's relationship with their power was different, after all. I wouldn't be able to count on his aid, at least for this aspect of my training. It would have to come from me and Tess.

Thinking of my savage Smith gave me cause to glance over at the golden Bonds that extended outwards into the black. I touched upon them gently, careful not to bother either of my Smiths. From the impressions I was getting over our connections, I could tell that they were still training in Lilian's arena, no doubt joined my Tessa's sisters.

At Elora's insistence, I had given the duo my blessing to begin to ramp up the Princess' training. Members of the D'viritazi guard were now commanded by Tess to spar with Elora on a daily basis, with Tessa keeping an eye on things. Training of this type was of little use to the mercenary, who'd long since soared past the limits of what might be considered normal, but my wife was another matter. From the way she spoke to me at the end of each day, I knew that the sparring practice was doing her good. She was thinking more like a warrior, deliberating on the differences between each opponent she faced. Our journeys were in step with each other, in a way. Both of us were trying to find our way forward as warriors, our own defining style. Fighting against a variety of opponents with differing disciplines could only be beneficial, I knew that, but that didn't mean I fully agreed with the idea of putting her up against experienced warriors. I comforted myself once more with the knowledge that Tess was present and would step in if things got out of hand. We'd had a rather intense talk after I'd very nearly killed Roland for harming Elora. My mercenary had made it clear that the combat wouldn't get so out of hand again, and I believed her. For her part, the Princess was throwing her all into becoming the best swordswoman she could. She had yet to win a bout, but that was not to say it was all in vain. The few fights I'd managed to watch showed me just how far she'd come since first picking up a blade in the camp outside of Dunwellen. I couldn't be prouder of her, and I made sure to keep whatever doubts I had locked deep within me. Voicing them would only make Elora unsure of herself and that wasn't what I wanted. I knew this was the right path, but I loathed that it was necessary.

I hated the idea of putting her in harm's way even if I understood the need for it. Tess and Elora had both done a good job of humbling me when I'd arrived at the arena during her fight with Roland. I couldn't fault their argument, nor could I deny the stubborn look in my wife's eye. She wanted this, she needed this. I needed to put whatever fears I had aside for her sake, and I couldn't deny the benefits of Elora's new training regimen. Everyday she grew sharper and stronger.

The same could be said for my Tess, though in a different and far more profound sense.

I smiled as a memory surfaced from a week before, when Tess returned to the living quarters of the D'viritazi to find me and Elora waiting for her in the room with the mural of the First Knight. The smile on her face was small as she rounded the corner, but it was touched by a tentative hope. I'd managed to discern a little of what happened during Tess and Theadora's talk with each other over the Bond, but I didn't pry. I was half convinced that she wouldn't listen to me and run. The second I saw her, I knew that she had stayed. I went to Tess immediately, wrapping her up in my arms as she wept into my shoulder, shaking as she shed tears that had been buried inside for years. I held her close until it passed, until the heaviness of the moment had abated. When I pulled away there was a look on her face that I couldn't quite interpret, for it was one I'd never seen before. Whatever it was, whatever emotion lay deep within her eyes, it was one I was unfamiliar with. She seemed different, more sure of herself. The change suited her.

Tess explained what had happened in a blur of excitement and anxiousness. She spoke of the talk they'd had, of the promise made to make up for the mistakes of the past. The more my Smith spoke, the more sure I became of my decision to push Tess towards reconciliation. Theadora clearly wanted to begin again, to forge a new relationship with her daughter. It was one that I was sure Tess would come to cherish, but I also knew that it was still in its infancy. It was too fragile, too new, to know for sure if it would last, but Tess had taken that first step forward. She'd trusted herself and taken a leap of faith. I just hoped to the Great Spirit that it would take hold and Theadora would live up to the commitments she'd made.

In spite of these cautious thoughts, the pride I felt for Tess was all consuming. There was a time not so long ago that she would speak to no one but me. Even talking with Elora was difficult. Comparing the Tessa of now to back then was like the difference between night and day. She had her family back and that was all because she'd allowed herself to be open enough to give them a chance. A feat which would have been unthinkable even a few weeks ago. The thought of her smile was enough to banish my pain as I grinned in turn, thinking back on that momentous day. It was enough to put a spring in my step, to vanquish the tiredness that had suffused my bones.

The memory of the dinner we'd shared with her mother, however, did the exact opposite. I groaned in abject misery, the mere flash of that night ruined my good mood as I fell backwards onto the bed, pressing my hands into my eyes and wincing as my many blunders were given pride of place once again. When Tess had first told Elora and I that Theadora had invited us to dinner, I was more than a little excited. It was an olive branch, a hand extended welcoming my wife and I to the family, recognising me as Tessa's Knight, and it was one which I was more than willing to accept. But as the appointed hour drew closer my happiness quickly turned to dread. After all, I had a famously terrible history when it came to the mothers of my Smiths. The last one had tried to kill me, so I felt I had a right to feel a little worried about making a good impression. Surely I would be able to get through at least one night without making a complete ass of myself? That couldn't be too much to ask, could it?

I knew I shouldn't have asked myself the question, for from that point forward I was doomed. Everything that could have went wrong did so, and usually in spectacular fashion. I spilled red wine on the table, somehow managed to throw a butter dish half way around the room and even cut through my lamb so hard that I shattered the plate on which it rested. As my mistakes began to mount, my nervousness grew in lock step. By the end of the first course, I couldn't even recall the taste of what I'd just eaten. I'd become all but a gibbering wreck, focusing solely on the food to stop Tessa's mother from asking me any more questions.

Thankfully I managed to find my footing by the second course, in most part due to the wine. Theadora spent much of her time addressing both Tess and Elora, but I managed to answer the few questions posed to me as eloquently as I possibly could. Honestly, in spite of my many blunders, it turned into quite a good night. No servants, no distractions and no Mastan. It was just the four of us.

When I'd first arrived in Nian, Theadora had struck me as a cold woman. I could see the love she felt for Tessa, true, but she seemed to be as emotionally isolated as her husband. As the evening went on, that began to change. The intimidating air the D'viritazi Matriarch often exuded was stripped away to reveal a woman who desperately wanted to make things right with the one she loved. My impression of Theadora was transformed for the better, though I couldn't help but be reminded of what Arno said on the day of our arrival.

Tessa's mother may still believe as Arno said she did, that I was a threat to her family and her country, but I hoped the effort I made during the dinner showed her that I cared for Tess if nothing else. If not, then I would try again, and again, until I proved my worth to her. I owed it to my Smith to try. I also made a promise to myself to make more of an effort with Gida once I returned to Myrin. If I had learned anything from the D'viritazi Clan since arriving in Ragora, it was that you can't allow the mistakes of the past to define who you were. That was what Mastan did, and it drove his family away from him. I could perhaps help ensure that Gida didn't make the same mistake. There was hope there already, for the Queen had asked me to keep her daughter safe before sending us away and had been present for our union, but I knew there was more I could do. So I would.

Overall, in spite of me making a complete ass of myself, the night went rather well. My Smiths were quick to joke at my expense on the way back to our rooms but even that only added to the evening and did nothing to detract from it. Seeing Elora and Tess bursting with laughter as we strode down the halls of the Nest made the experience all the sweeter.

I chuckled to myself. While my idiotic antics gave cause for my soul to shrivel, I still counted the dinner a success. Apparently, Theadora had invited us to another in a few days. Now that I could put aside my anxiety, maybe I would make for better company.

I emerged from my soul space and allowed myself to be cradled within the cool embrace of the bed that I shared with Elora as the image of my Smiths faces slowly faded away. Aye, that was a good day, maybe the best I'd had since we'd first arrived. If that wasn't enough, Tessa continued to push herself onwards in hopes of mastering our Technique.

I'd be the first to admit that Tessa's grasp of Second Sword far outstripped my own. When I used the attack in combination with the Storm, my Aurum drained dangerously fast, so I was forced to use it sparingly when fighting against my three instructors. Especially so when taking into account that using the Technique left me weakened and easy prey for whomever was left standing after it was done. Usually Boldrin. The man was a beast, even when I was using aspects of my Knightly powers, blocking or even dodging attacks moving at nearly superhuman speeds. Even Vera, one who was more than used to fighting as a Knight, was unable to do the same. Mastan could, but that was mostly due to his ability to channel Lightning without a Smith. When I used Second Sword, he simply compensated by increasing his own speed until it matched my own. The blows I could deliver while in the centre of its power were stronger than those of Tessa's, true, but she demonstrated a stability and competence that was greater than what I was capable of. As a result, I was more cautious when I employed it, only doing so when I was certain it would result in me taking one of my teachers out of play.

Watching Tess use it, however, was an experience all its own. Every step she took, every movement and swing of her sword was artful and almost delicate. There was almost no violence in the Technique when Tess called to Second Sword. Instead she became graceful, at peace as she and the energy locked inside of her became one, whereas I seemed clumsy in comparison. I wondered idly to myself if the difference in our styles was simply because she'd been practising with it non-stop or if it went deeper than that. Lightning was a part of her, engrained into her very bones. The Element was the power of her family and the D'viritazi's connection to the sky couldn't be ignored.

We'd set some time aside to train together during the last week as I sought to emulate her newfound ability to manipulate the 'path to victory', but my understanding of Second Sword was dwarfed by Tessa's. I eventually managed to get it down in no small part due to my steadily increasing mastery of the Storm. My Resonant Gift and Technique were truly made for each other, with each bolstering the others abilities, which made it all the more remarkable how incredible Tess was to have gained such an immense understanding of Second Sword.

I pondered that mystery for a moment. I found it rather strange that both First and Second Sword seemed to synergize so well with my Resonant Gift. I wondered if I did it subconsciously, or perhaps my soul and the souls of my Smiths had some input in the construction of our Techniques? Something to raise with Elora and Tessa later in any case.

As for the more esoteric discoveries Tess had made, I was unsure what to make of them. If the path to victory wasn't the point of Second Sword, then what was the Technique's true purpose? My Smiths and I spent hours pondering that very problem before inevitably arriving at the conclusion that my savage mercenary had already reached: We won't know until we managed to use it as Knight and Smith.

I'd been concerned by this revelation at first, mainly because it placed all the pressure on Tessa's shoulders. I couldn't use Second Sword while Bonded. I'd tried with Rionna but it didn't take, almost as though my sword of stars resisted the act, appalled that I would even try. No, to use Lightning I would need the catalyst that was my second Weapon. I was relieved that Tess didn't seem to be particularly stressed by this, in fact she seemed to glow with determination. It was such a change from a few weeks ago, with her anxious to forge her Weapon as soon as possible. She'd seen it once, the first time she'd used Second Sword against Cassie. Tess believed the answer was there and both Elora and I agreed with her.

Her goal defined, Tessa had doubled down on her nightly excursions to the Sky Bridge. Twice now I'd been pulled from my bed in the dead of night, the Bond guiding me as I walked the halls of the Nest to find her fast asleep on the cold stone. Each time, I'd carried her back to her room, making sure she was comfortable before returning to my sleep. I worried about her, as I did with Elora. Both of them were pushing themselves so hard, beyond what I wanted or expected. But, like with my wife, I knew that trying to convince Tess to take it easier was a battle that I had lost before it had even begun. Besides, it was hard to make a compelling argument when I myself was doing the same.

The difference was at least I knew the full extent of their training, while they knew little about the change in my own. Guilt manifested once again, but I swiped it away before it could take root and not for the first time. I was doing it for them. I needed to remain strong, a pillar who would not falter. Anything less and I wouldn't be the Knight they deserved or needed.

The daydream of simply spending time with my Smiths without the need for training or the threat of eminent death appeared in my mind once again. It was a fantasy that often found me in my quieter moments, and one day I would see it realised. It may seem impossible now, but the future wasn't written.

Opening my eye with a frown, I was transported to Calliston's estate within the boundaries of the great and beautiful Yelmora. There was a feeling of parchment in my hand, the message inscribed personal and addressing me by name. Signed by Fate, doomed to come true. At least, that was what Tess had believed. I hadn't thought upon the words since I'd left the city behind, yet now they appeared as though I was reading them for the first time all of over again.

“Save Faith... Look to the Sea,” I mumbled, my eyebrows coming low as I pondered the meaning behind the message. If I was being completely honest, I had dismissed the mysterious letter out of hand. While Calliston seemed sure of the power the writer seemed to wield, I was less than convinced, and dwelling on a cryptic letter from some would-be seer wouldn't help matters. I wasn't really a great thinker, at least not in the conversional sense. Postulating on what the message could mean gave me nothing but a headache and it wasn't something I would bring up with either of my Smiths. Both had been disturbed by the note's contents, and we had enough shit to worry about without throwing that into the mix. But even still... the memory refused to fade. As always, I was missing something, but that wasn't anything new.

Grumbling with annoyance, I banished the image from my mind and followed my own advice. To force myself to think about something, anything, else, I thought back over my day with Mastan, Vera and Boldrin. I examined every movement, every placement of my feet or swing of my sword. I thought of the Storm and how it interacted both with my body and the environment. I closed my eyes and meditated on my burgeoning style. It was an amalgamation of all who had taught me, all that I had fought, all that I had overcome. This training, these precious weeks, would define what kind of warrior I would become going forward.

I closed my eyes and pondered the mysteries of what I was becoming, of what I wanted to be. It wasn't long before one picture blended into another, transforming into a whirling maelstrom that pulled me in. I went unwillingly, but I knew I didn't have the strength to resist, despite my earlier oath. The allure of a dreamless slumber was too tantalising to resist. I sighed blissfully, the wordless sound an apology to Elora and Tess as I was enclosed in darkness.

*

Fingers pressed themselves against my cheek. The touch was gentle, intimate and familiar. I felt them trace their way along my scar, my jaw and my lips. A smile formed, for I knew these hands better than I knew my own. Reaching up with my eye still closed, I took a hold of those fingers, kissing them softly and sighing as I basked in the feeling of my wife's touch. Elora continued unabated as she stroked my hair, each motion more relaxing than the last. The fact that my head was in her lap was a surprise. She must have moved me in my sleep, yet I hadn't even stirred. Maybe my wounds had taken a bigger toll on me than I'd first thought. I subtly turned my awareness upon my body and breathed a sigh of relief as I realised that the pain was gone, banished during my sleep.

“I could get used to this,” I mumbled under my breath, melting under the tender ministrations of my wife.

I didn't receive a reply, at least not one of words. Instead Elora leaned down and pressed her lips against my cheek before returning to her self-appointed duty. I lay there for a few minutes longer, savouring the moment and enjoying the quiet calm with the woman I loved most in all the world, but time waited for no one and that was doubly true for me. I could no longer feel the sun shining on my face from the open bay doors of our room, which meant that it had already passed over the other side of Dealanaich. I grumbled, annoyed with myself for allowing my sleep to go overlong.

“How was training?” I asked, hoping that engaging in conversation would allow me to fully return to the waking world, willing or not. “Have you been here long?”

“Only half an hour. I hate waking you, especially when you sleep so peacefully,” Elora whispered in response, finally stopping and kissing me soundly. “Practice went long today. I fought a spear-user for the first time and Tess was not impressed with my performance. She proceeded to show me just what I'd done wrong by beating up my sparring partner for a couple of hours. Poor girl. She really was terribly outclassed.”

“Most people are when facing someone like Tess. I'm surprised the person you were sparring didn't try to run away.”

“Oh, she did,” A tremor of laughter ran through Elora's voice as she tried to contain her mirth. I grinned in response, the sound lightening my heart and making my injured black flames bounce joyously. “But Tess kept catching her, all while explaining how to properly dismantle her defence. She's one of Mastan's guard and almost as skilled as Roland, I think, but... well...”

“Tess is Tess.” I chortled as I ran a hand along Elora's arm gently, “So? Did you learn anything?”

“Oh, yes! The spear is so different from the sword. I thought after seeing you fight Berthold I would be more prepared, but I was wrong. They use range so effectively, and can set the rhythm of the fight in the first few seconds if you're not careful. It happened to me almost immediately, drawn into it before I even realised what was going on.”

“Aye, fighting against a spear can be frustrating,” I said, nodding my head sagely and thinking back on all the times I'd had my ass handed to me by wielders of the weapons. First among them was Old Brin, no doubt the same warrior who'd taught Tess the strengths and weaknesses of the spear. “The trick, I've found, is to keep pushing forwards. Once you're inside their range their weapon becomes unwieldy. The problem is getting to that point. Most spear-users are more than aware of that weakness and will do anything to keep their advantage. I've found overwhelming strength works well.”

Elora laughed as she kissed my forehead fondly, “Now that is a surprise, my love. Unfortunately, I do not have the same advantages you do.”

I chuckled and blinked open my eye blearily, staring up at Elora with a smile as she gazed down at me with her golden eyes. Her blonde hair tumbled down the sides of her cheeks and brushed against my own, stirring the skin and filling my nose with the soft scent of flowers in the spring. “You smell nice.”

Elora chortled, rolling her eyes, “I doubt that very much. I spent much of the day being thrown up and down Lily's arena. First this morning against Tess and then against those she chose to face me after our session with Theadora.”

“But its true all the same,” I quipped with a yawn, pushing myself upright and pressing my forehead against hers briefly, “And how did training go with Lady D'viritazi today?”

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Elora immediately perked up as she slid off the bed, stretching to shake out her cramped muscles, no doubt a result of having cradled me for so long. “Very well. Tess is getting closer and closer to her Weapon everyday. She's on the edge of a breakthrough. It's not just Second Sword either, its everything else. Her control, her ability to use the Gifts and channel Aurum, all of it has improved.”

I smiled at Elora's excitement, glad to see her enthusiasm for her sister-Smith's continued progress. “And you? Any more insight into the Dark?”

While Tess and I had been hard at work on Second Sword, I was also aiding Elora with her many attempts to utilise my secondary Element. The Princess had focused on little else for the past couple of weeks, pouring over the tome that Julian gifted me. She'd been sure for days now that she was on the cusp of seeing her efforts realised and given the sheer amount of focus she was giving to the task, I was positive she was right. Unfortunately, there was not much I could do to help her in these initial stages beyond listening to her ideas and giving insight where I was able.

Elora frowned as her positive outlook waned slightly, replaced by a dogged determination that spat in the face of defeat, a stubbornness that was reminiscent of my own. “Not quite yet, but after speaking with Tess I feel like we're in exactly the same position. All the pieces are in place, we know what to do and what direction to look in... all we need now is a push.”

“A push?” I asked, confused, as I attempted to rise from the bed. The room immediately spun and I would have fallen if not for Elora, who rushed to my side and kept me upright. After the bout of nausea passed, I stared down at my wife with no small amount of surprise. I could feel the strength in her arms as she pushed against me, stopping my descent to the floor. It was easy to miss because we spent every day together, but it wasn't just Elora's skill as a warrior or Smith that was improving. She was getting stronger every day and it showed. Her skin had taken on a healthy sheen from exposure to the harsh Ragoran sun and there was a little more definition in her arms than there was before. Muscle could be seen beneath the surface. It was a stark difference to the demure and fragile Elora I'd first Bonded with in Myrin. I couldn't help but grin at her, once more questioning the sanity of the Spirit and my own fortunate relationship with luck. How in the underworld did I manage to make a woman such as this fall for me? She grew more beautiful by the day, so much so that I often found myself watching her in our quieter moments. The longer we spent together, the more love I felt. I'd thought it impossible after Dunwellen, then again at our wedding. Yet even now, in this simple and perfect moment, It grew all the greater.

I realised after a minute that I was still staring at my wife, who watched me with concerned eyes and more than a little panic as my silence continued. She'd asked me a question, yet I'd been so consumed by the sight of her that I must have completely lost my wits. I chuckled to myself, shaking my head. “Sorry, Princess. I think training took a lot more out of me than I first thought.”

“Do you want to sit down?” Elora asked, worry abating slightly as I responded but I noted that she didn't let go, “Maybe we should give our apologies to Freida, Dawn and Tilia, get some dinner here.”

“No, I'll be fine. Just a little light-headed is all. It's probably because I haven't eaten since breakfast.” And I voided most of that within the first few minutes of sparring, but I wouldn't say that aloud.

After a long and pregnant pause, Elora nodded slowly, but I noticed the look in her eye had not faded, at least not entirely. When she continued to speak, it was with a tender tone, her hand pressing against my chest as she allowed me to stand on my own. “Orin, you need to stop pushing yourself so hard. There's nothing wrong with you, at least not physically. But the mind can break just as easily as the body.”

I swallowed, guilt crawling the length of my spine at the sight of the expression on Elora's face. I smiled through it and kissed her on the forehead, pulling her close. “Don't worry, I know how much I can take.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Elora said, looking up at me and placing her chin on my chest. “Your stubbornness is one of the reasons I love you, but by the Spirit can it be annoying.”

“I've noticed that you don't follow that same advice, Princess,” I murmured, reaching down and pulling slightly at the collar of her tunic to reveal the hint of a bruise that was already healing. I'd known it was there the moment my wife stood up, noting that she favoured her left side over her right. A flash of anger rose up from within my soul, one which I immediately crushed without much effort. While I wasn't a fan of Elora fighting, it had been rather good for becoming more familiar with controlling the emotions of my soul.

Elora scoffed and knocked my hand away playfully, “There is a difference between a bruise and barely being able to stand up on your own, Orin.”

I laughed at that, stepping away from my Princess and wandering over to where I'd placed my sword, lifting the blade from its resting spot and tapping the hilt idly against my hand. “You're right. I'm sorry, Princess. I'll try to take it a little easier from now on, I promise. So, you said something about a push?”

Elora's stare narrowed, opening her mouth to continue to berate me before clearly thinking better of it. Instead by wife sighed bitterly before going along with my rather blatant attempt to change the subject, rolling her eyes. I could tell whatever this 'push' was, it was eating at her. “Yes. I don't know how else to describe it. I feel like both Tess and I are on the cusp of something great, we're just a single step away.”

“So what do you need to see it realised?” I asked, placing the sword down on the bed before sniffing at my tunic. I wrinkled my nose as the smell of my rather ripe body struck me like a hammer blow. Fuck, it was incredible that Elora had managed to stay near me for so long. I stank like I'd been running for a week straight. To be fair, after training today it had felt like I had. I peeled off the piece of clothing, soothed by the warm breeze that struck my fair skin through the open balcony doors. There wasn't a hint of a bruise on me, not a mark on my chest that spoke to the agony I'd gone through outside of the Nest. It only reinforced my theory that my healing was getting stronger.

Elora frowned, biting at her lip as she sank into deep thought. My wife folded her arms, idly tapping at them as she walked over to the small table near the entrance to our abode, picking up and cradling a familiar tome. Her father's book was never far from the Princess now, always close at hand in case she needed to pour over the knowledge within. It was the repository of House Brand, every Technique that had been crafted by her line since the first King of Venos could be found on those pages, including those used by Gida and Julian.

“I'm not sure,” Elora answered honestly, turning to face me once again. “I just know we're reaching a point where simple training isn't enough. It's difficult to determine what we need because every breakthrough we've achieved has been due to being in peril. You made First Sword in the arena against Berthold, Tess used Second Sword while fighting Cassie and I Forged Rionna while fighting Craven. It seems a pattern is forming.”

A general sense of unease began to roil around in my gut as my expression fell. “What are you saying, Elora?”

“It's all just a theory I have, and a shaky one at that,” The Princess continued as she began to pace. “I thought back to when I first made Rionna. I've told you this before, but from the moment we Bonded I could see her in my mind. She was right there, fully realised. When I woke up after the wedding in Myrin I felt like I could Forge her right there and then. Now I'm wondering if I was wrong. Tess told me that she knows everything about her Weapon as well. If she closes her eyes, if she concentrates, she can see it just as I could see Rionna. Yet she hasn't been able to Forge it yet.”

“You think that the Forging needs some kind of trigger?” I asked, finally catching onto Elora's point. “And you think Craven was ours?”

“Maybe... Possibly?” Elora breathed out explosively, her frustration abundantly clear, “At least in part. A million things were going on when I Forged Rionna, but that doesn't change the fact that every time we take a significant step forward, every time we become more powerful-”

“It's always when we're fighting for our lives... or at least trying to win with everything we have,” I replied, unable to deny that my Princess made a very good point. It was hard to dismiss the notion we became stronger right when we'd reached our limit. “Have you told Tess?”

“Not yet,” Elora shook her head almost violently, worry once more appearing on her face as her eyebrows went low, “It's just a thought I've had, nothing more. If it is true, then I'd wager we'd be the first to experience such a phenomenon. I don't want to confuse Tessa or cause conflict with her methods. Forging a Weapon is an extremely personal experience. Besides, we don't share the same Bond. Ours was born in violence, desperation, so even if what I'm saying could possibly be true, it might only apply to our connection and not the one between you and Tess. After all, she didn't fear for her life while fighting Cassie and you'd already used the first version of Second Sword against her back in Yelmora, so it could just be a coincidence. Plus I wanted to run the idea past you first in case I was overthinking things.”

“I don't think you're overthinking things, Princess. We should tell Tessa in any case,” I said as I walked over to Elora, taking the book from her hands and placing it back on the table before laying my shed shirt down beside it. “Maybe she knows more about cases of Knights and Smiths who experienced the same thing from her family's books. I say this in the best possible way, my love, but I pray to the Spirit that you're wrong. I love a good fight, but the thought of having to keep fighting those who are far stronger than us to get more powerful ourselves sounds like... well...”

“I know, Orin,” My wife sighed as she kissed me once again, fingers idly tracing the scars carved upon my chest. “You don't have to say it.”

“I'll call for Tess in a bit and we can all speak about it before dinner-” I paused, a smile immediately forming as I felt a tug on the Bond, a gentle touch that could only belong to one woman. She was checking on me, her consciousness sliding across our golden connection. She must have been waiting for me to awaken, having sensed me sleeping. I sent a reply filled with warmth and welcome, knowing she would accept the obvious invitation to join us. “Actually, never mind. She's coming now.”

Elora chuckled to herself as I walked over to the entrance. I could sense Tess leaving her room just two doors down and so threw ours open in welcome, wearing a large grin as I leaned against the frame.

A foolish move. I should have expected that Tess wouldn't be alone. We'd been invited to dine with her sisters that evening, with every single one of them to be in attendance, including the often absent Lilian and Cassandra. What I didn't expect, however, was for every single one of them to be

with my Smith. Four pairs of stormy grey eyes and two of sky-blue stared at me in confusion as my grin immediately crumpled back in on itself. While having them all show up wouldn't usually be a problem, that wasn't what caused me to blush. In my eagerness to see Tess, I had forgotten one very, very crucial detail.

I really should have put on a fresh shirt.

“The Scarred Knight indeed,” Cassie whispered as she examined me thoroughly with her piercing eyes, fingers wrapped around the hilt of the ever present sabre at her hip. “Impressive.”

Tess stood next to the raider, face turning a bright shade of red as she glared at me accusingly. I gave her a shaky and rather panicked smile, unsure of what to do with my hands as I stood upright. The collective intensity of so many women staring at me at once was quite a burden, but at least none of them were looking at my chest in disgust as more than a few had in the past. As I've stated before, I didn't mind people seeing my scars but I didn't enjoy flaunting them as so many other warriors did. I had another issue in that I couldn't turn back into the room, because that would expose my back, which made the few scars I had on my front seem like nothing in comparison.

I let loose a sound that was a pained mix between a yell and a laugh as I slowly began to back away, forcing a few words as I walked, “A-apologies, Ladies. I thought Tess would be alone.”

“There is nothing to apologise for, Lord Orin,” Tilia called back with a little wave and the hint of a smirk at the edges of her lips, “Nothing at all. I have to agree with Cassie, you strike quite the figure. I won't object if you come to dinner as is.”

Tess glared at her older sister, who looked away while fanning her face dramatically. Freida's eyes were hidden behind her hand, though I noticed that she was taking peeks at my bare chest when she believed I wasn't looking, curiosity pulling at her. Lily was just grinning at me, holding back laughter as Dawn, the most mature of the sisters, rolled her eyes at the antics of her siblings. The heavily pregnant woman gently shoved at Tessa's back, pushing her towards the door, “I'm terribly sorry, Orin. We really should have sent word ahead. Why don't you take a moment with your Knight, Tessa? Don't worry, I'll wrangle the herd and we'll meet you in the dining room.”

“What!?” Tilia shouted as Dawn favoured her with an intense glare, “I didn't do anything!”

“The fact that you say that means that you know you did,” Dawn hissed before smiling at me.

“She has you there, Tilia,” Lily chortled in amusement, an expression which became all the more amused when faced down by Tilia's adorable glare. “Sorry, Orin. We'll go wait at the table till you're... decent.”

“One moment, Ladies,” Elora's voice came from my back as she moved to stand in front of me, shielding me from sight as best as she could with her small frame. The Princess pressed a new shirt into my hands even as she continued to face the storm of D'viritazi that even now bore holes into me, “My husband, Tess and I will be out soon. We will join you presently.”

As Elora finished speaking, Tess did as her sister requested, hair falling down to cover her eyes as she stalked into my room and all but slammed the door closed behind her. The last thing I saw before the sisters disappeared behind the heavy, carved wood were Cassie's eyes, examining me coldly. A shadow crawled over my heart in that instant and I suppressed a shiver until the warrior was finally gone. Spirit but was she terrifying. That only marked the second time I'd been in the presence of Cassandra D'viritazi. Something about her analytical eyes and the severity of every word she spoke unsettled me. It made my right hand twitch absently, summoning the phantom memory of a blade in my grip. I'd seen her fight Tessa, and if it weren't for the supernatural abilities of Second Sword, there was a chance that Tess could've lost that fight.

It was a sobering thought. Tess was the finest warrior I knew, besides Boldrin, and even though I'd managed to eke out a few victories against my savage Smith, her stature as unbeatable was still a very firm fixture in my mind. As much as Cassie put me on edge, though, I couldn't help but think about fighting her. She would push me far. Perhaps not as much as Vera, Mastan or Boldrin, but even still... I wondered if I could win? Our styles were as different to each other as Ouros was to the sun, but I was perhaps a better match for her than even Tess. Cassandra seemed to favour cold strategy over the bold spontaneity that both Tessa and I used liberally in our own combative arts. The difference was that I was far stronger and fighting against my mercenary had prepared me well for the incredible speed that the D'viritazi all seemed to possess.

The more I thought about it, the more sure I become that I could beat her.

“Spirit damn it, Orin,” Tessa's familiar growl pulled me back into the present even as Elora covered her mouth with a hand. I focused on my Smith, noticing that while the red had faded slightly, a pink flush remained, “Why are you half naked?”

I shrugged helplessly, truly unsure of how to respond to that question without making myself sound like an idiot. I swiftly came to the conclusion that was all but impossible, so I decided to rely on honesty to explain my foolishness, “I haven't seen you since this morning and got a little enthusiastic?”

Tessa's eyes, hard like granite, suddenly softened at my response. She took a deep breath and idly reached over, touching the back of my hand with her fingers before falling back to stand beside Elora. The contact was brief, but meaningful in more ways that one. Tess often did this after a few hours apart from one another. It helped to calm her, and me. “I shouldn't have brought my sisters. They were in my room when I reached out and followed me.”

“I guessed as much.”

I breathed a mental sigh of relief at having chosen the correct answer before throwing on the new tunic that my wife had procured for me. Tess approached once more as soon as I was properly attired, looking me up and down with a clinical eye. I knew what she was looking for and thanked the Spirit once again that my body had long since healed from the thrashing I'd received earlier that day. After a moment of two of careful examination, my Smith nodded, seemingly satisfied in her assessment of my condition. “You aren't hurt, but something's wrong. What is it?”

Maybe I spoke too soon.

“I'm fine, Tess,” I said exasperated, holding up my hands as though to ward off her accusations. “I'm just a little tired. Today was a long day.”

“Bullshit. You aren't just tired, you're exhausted. I can see it, and this isn't the first time you've been like this either. For the last three days you've passed out as soon as your sessions ended.”

I couldn't argue that point and knew that trying would get me nowhere, especially so when knowing that my Smiths would gang up on me. “I know. Elora said much the same. I know my limits, I'm fine. If it makes you feel better then I'll take it a little easier. There? Happy?”

“Not even slightly,” Tessa' response was instantaneous and accompanied by the wise nodding of my loving wife. “Elora?”

“I agree with Tess, love,” My wife began very unhelpfully. I should have guessed that my Smiths would be aligned in matters of my health, “I was about to say exactly that before your little side-step earlier, but now that Tess is here maybe you'll listen to us. You could barely stand on your own just a few minutes ago.”

“What?” Tessa glared at me like I'd personally offended her. I found myself backing away, seeking to retreat further into the room. My Princess and mercenary both encroached upon my position until I felt the bed press up against the back of my knees, my lack of balance forcing me to sit as I looked up at them with a meek smile. Shit, it seemed the dizziness hadn't quite left me yet. Tess sighed then, arms folded as she looked to Elora, “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

Elora sighed, reaching down to take my hand gently and holding it in both of hers, “We know you've been hiding your pain from us, Orin.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words emerged as my heart began to pound within my chest. A a pit of guilt opened up in my stomach, one which sought to suck me in. My mind went blank, absent defence even as my black flames stiffened in place, sensing we'd been caught in a lie.

Tess snorted as though in derision, but the clear worry in her eyes made the hole grow all the deeper. The look was matched by the Princess standing beside her. “We've known since yesterday.”

Elora nodded, “You're good at hiding injury from us, love, but you're a terrible liar. You've brushed off my attempts to talk about your spars for the last few days. I was concerned so I asked Annabelle. She said that Vera and Boldrin are worried about you, They think you're throwing too much of yourself into training. I tried to speak to Vera about it directly, but she told me nothing. Her silence, however, more than confirmed Annabelle's words.”

“I didn't want to worry you both,” I murmured weakly, knowing that it wouldn't be enough to assuage their concerns but feeling the need to do so regardless, “It really isn't something to make a fuss over. I just asked Vera, Mastan and Boldrin to stop pulling their punches as much as they have been. I heal fast, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, its working! I'm getting better and better everyday!”

“By breaking every bone in your body? By getting your skull fractured, ribs broken and kneecaps shattered?” Tessa's hands were shaking. “We were planning to speak to you about this after dinner but fuck it, now is as good a time as any. I spoke with mother last night. Apparently Mastan has been going on and on about how committed you are while listing off how fucked up you keep getting every single day.”

Elora paled, whirling on me like a hurricane as her grip on my hand became all the harsher. “Spirit, Orin, what are you thinking!?”

“I'm thinking that I don't know how much time we have left until we're dragged into another life-ending fight to the death!” I snapped, jumping to my feet and stalking over to the entrance to the balcony, pulling my hand free of Elora's grasp as I brushed past my Smiths. I don't know where the anger came from, but come it did, mixed in with no small amount of frustration. “I need to be ready when that happens, which it fucking inevitably will! I don't have the time to rest, to sit on my laurels. No one is going to fight in our place. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow the fucking roof came down upon our heads and Samuel, or Zelato, or any one of a hundred people that want me dead comes through to do just that. If I'm too weak, then we all fall.”

“Orin-”

“No, Elora,” I stated stubbornly, staring at the floor and clenching my hands. “There's my answer. I-I can't stop. I need to do this. I made a fucking promise. If I have to bleed, I'll bleed. If I have to break every bone, then I'll break every bone. But I'll be damned if I'm not ready to kill anything that tries to hurt either one of you when the time comes. I'll grant you that I'm going at it a little hard, but it's nothing I haven't done before. I'm fine.”

“That's bullshit and you know it!” Tess stated as she stalked closer, “We can see it, Orin. You may be able to hide your injuries from us, but we still get impressions if we focus. Your soul is diminished. Fuck, it's a miracle you're even standing, and what's this shit about protecting us? We fight together, we protect each other. That's what it means to be Bonded.”

“We fight as one, love. Always, the three of us. That was our promise.” Elora backed up Tessa's claim, “You're not fighting alone.”

“But that's the point,” I sighed in defeat, the fight leaving me as I returned to the bed and sank back down, dropping my head into my hands. “I'm not... When we do fight, I don't want to be the one whose dragging the two of you down.”

“Dragging us down?” Elora blinked, confused and taken aback by the confession. Tessa threw her hands up into the air and stalked back over to the window, all but glaring at the beauty on display. “What are you talking about, Orin? How in Ouros would you ever be dragging us down?”

“You've both become incredible Smiths,” I admitted, sub-consciously pulling at the piece of Elora's dress in my hair and Tessa's favour upon my arm, the two totems giving me the courage to continue to speaking, to admit my fear. “But all your progress, all you've learned, all of it hinges on me. If I'm not fast enough, or strong enough, then all we're doing here means nothing. The training I've done and the progress I've made... It's not enough, not compared to how much you both have grown. I know for a fact that I wouldn't last a second against Zelato. He tore me to ribbons the last time we met and if he appeared today then I'd lose again. If that happened I would never forgive myself.”

“You'd find a way to win, Orin,” Tess said softly, not turning to look at me, “You always do. We always do.”

“But what if the will to win isn't enough?” I grumbled into my hands, trying to make them understand why I needed to continue on my current path. Inspiration struck as I looked at Tess with a wry smile, “You said it yourself, Tess. I learn from pain.”

“Not like this, Orin. Never like this.” Tessa's voice cracked for a moment on the last, “You shouldn't have to put yourself through agony just to become more powerful. You can't force yourself to become a Master overnight. That isn't how being a Knight works. We have all the time in the world to train, nothing can touch us here!”

“But I'm not like other Knights, am I?” I smiled bitterly, “I'm not even like other Heirs. If there's even a chance that it could work, that it could give us the edge we need, then I have to try. If it wasn't for me, you two wouldn't be here, wouldn't be in danger-”

I suddenly could not speak, for Elora's arms we're wrapped around my head, pulling me against her chest and not allowing me to escape. I could feel her shivering as she clasped me tight. It was a fervent and possessive gesture, one which was filled with love and fear in equal measure. So shocked was I by the emotions pouring over the Bond that I didn't return the embrace, so consumed by the magnitude of it all. Tessa's joined Elora's soon after and they rippled across my soul. It was almost like they were speaking to me over the Bonds once again, but it was softer, gentle. This was no great revelation of what my Smiths felt for me, it was simply a gentle reminder of it. The depth to the feeling was so great that I felt my mouth fall open, my eye closing as it washed over both my spiritual and physical self in great, unstoppable waves.

Tess joined Elora, sitting next to me on the bed and threading an arm through my own. She too was shaking as her fingers slid down to wrap around my hand, clenching them tightly. The Princess pressed her lips to the top of my head before laying her cheek there, rocking me as though I was babe. “Oh, my Orin, my love. Why do you punish yourself for things that you cannot change? Why do you think you have to shoulder so many burdens when we are right here to help you? We are your Bonded, Orin. Despite all we've seen and done you still think you need to carry all of it alone.”

“That isn't it,” I asserted gently, pulling away slightly from my wife so they could see the grin upon my lips. My sense of self finally returning, I wrapped Elora and Tess in my arms, pulling them both close. The Bonds hummed in contentment at the contact. “I know I'm not alone. You both have made me painfully aware of that fact over the last few weeks. I'm a fool, true, but not one to forget a lesson so recently learned.”

“Good,” Tess murmured quietly, a calm settling over her as my mercenary leaned against me, “Then why, Orin? Why hide this from us?”

“I...” I paused, hesitation finding me and holding fast as I stared into the distance, thinking to the feeling within me, the one that had festered now for weeks. If I said it out loud, it would make it real. This was exactly what I'd wanted to avoid when I'd hidden how injured I was becoming. As long as I kept it within, hidden, then it didn't really exist. Once more, I decided honesty was the best policy. Elora and Tess would see through my lies in any case. I was a fool to believe I could hide anything from them in the first place, and more of an ass because I'd believed I had to. “I... I'm afraid.”

“What are you afraid of, Orin?” Elora asked softly, “You can tell us.”

“I've had this feeling for the last few weeks,” I frowned, trying to think back to when I first felt it but unable to pinpoint a specific time. “It's... a wrongness. I don't know how else to describe it. The longer we're in Nian, the worse it gets. Something's coming. Something bad. It's close now, I know it. It's there every morning when I wake up and every night when my head hits the pillow. There's something in the wind, almost like a Storm is gathering on the horizon. Fuck, saying it out loud makes me sound insane, or paranoid.”

“You're neither, Orin,” Tessa said shortly before she smirked, “Besides, no one can blame you for being a bit paranoid. Some days its almost like every fucker in the world wants your head.”

“Aye,” I snorted as Elora chuckled into her sleeve, “It does feels like that sometimes, but in any case, that's the reason that I've been acting the way I have been. Throwing myself into training, asking for more intensive exercises. You said we had all the time in the world, Tess, but I feel like we haven't got much time here left. I need to be ready when whatever happens, happens. I need-”

“You need a break, love,” Elora interrupted, furrowing her brow as she grabbed my jaw and forced me to look up and into her eyes. “We need a break. Remember what I said: Your body may be healing, but that does nothing for your mind. You need to take a moment and breathe. Spirit knows we deserve it. When was the last time we took a moment to enjoy ourselves? Yelmora, for all of five seconds?”

“Elora-”

“No excuses, Orin. We can't keep carrying on the way we have been, and no protests from you either, Tess!”

My savage Smith shrugged non-nonchalantly, jumping to her feet and breaking from my hold in the process, “I wasn't going to protest, Elora. I think a break is exactly what Orin needs.”

I didn't expect that. Of all people, Tess was the last person I'd expect to voluntarily put off practice in favour of... relaxing. It wasn't in her nature, wasn't the way she was built. From the moment I'd first met her in Boldrin's camp she'd been improving herself, chasing goals that would've been unreachable for anyone else. Tess being so eager to go along with Elora's plan threw me for a loop.

“I am?” Even my wife seemed confused at Tessa's willingness before doubling down on her declaration, fixing me with a cold and unyielding glare, “Of course I am!”

Tessa nodded absently, “It might be just what we need. Besides, I think I have an idea for what we could do, and when.”

“You do?” Would wonders never cease? Now Tess was suggesting ideas for how we could waste our time?

Tessa grinned at the bewilderment on my face. Then it faltered, dipping for all but a second as she gritted her teeth against a sudden sadness that flashed across her stormy eyes, “Aye, I do, and I know that look on your face. You want to say no, but the Princess is right. We've all been so focused on getting stronger that we're losing sight of what's important, and it's not just you. If Elora and I had been a little more aware of what was going on we could've talked some sense into you sooner. I know you can take the pain and so does Elora, but putting yourself through misery day after day will eventually break you. You're a Knight, you heal, but you're still just a man. An idiotic one, but a man all the same. We won't let you hide away again. You've spent all the time we've had here taking care of us and keeping nothing for yourself like you always fucking do. You helped us train, pushed me to build up the relationships with my family... you take care of us, Orin. It's time we take care of you, if only for a few days. You need to relax. Don't try to fight it. It won't go well for you if you do.”

I almost protested... almost. But then I looked into the eyes of each of my Smiths and realised that arguing would be futile. I could press the issue, once again raise the concerns I had but I knew it would be all for nothing. My Smiths were of one mind and even with all my will and stubbornness, there was no way I was shifting them. “When did you get so wise and thoughtful?”

Tessa chortled, rolling her eyes, “I'm not. All this shit comes from you and Elora, you're both making me soft. No one to blame but yourself, Orin.”

“It's a good look on you.”

“Fuck off. Oh, and one more thing. If you ever hide how you're feeling again, or keep things from us, I'll make sure Mastan, Vera and Boldrin are the least of your worries.”

My Princess nodded in silent agreement, “You are our Knight, but we are your Smiths. We support and protect one another before anything else. That is the first promise, the first oath we took when we offered the Bond. We would never think less of you if you'd just told us what was wrong. You may think you dragged us into this, but we chose this. We chose you.”

“No matter how bat-shit fucking insane you sound,” Tess finished smugly, “We're right here with you, till the end, till the last. So... Don't be an asshole.”

I looked at both of my Smiths in turn, taking in the commitment on their faces, feeling it roll over the Bond and strike me with unparalleled clarity. I knew what I was doing was foolish, I knew that I didn't need to hide anything from them, yet I'd done it anyway. I'd done it because I felt it was the only way. So much was going on in the lives of both my Smiths. They were wearing themselves thin every single day, all with the goal of becoming greater for my sake, but they were right. I could rely on each of them to be there for me, and I knew that. I chalked the lie up to a moment of madness that was based in the belief that, of the three of us, I needed to stand tall, to be unwavering. Their words were an arrow through my heart, but a welcome one. I had help, always. All I had to do was reach out and Elora and Tess would be there for me, as sure as the sun would rise.

I swore to myself in that instant that I would never forget that fact again.

Elora laughed, beaming at the two of us with such a breadth of joy that it forced Tess and I to follow suit. “Well said, Tess. Now, are you going to keep us in suspense, or are you going to reveal this grand plan of yours?”

“Nothing grand about it,” Tess said as she folded her arms, looking at me smugly, “But if nothing else, it'll be a laugh. Cassie and Lily wanted to ask you both about it tonight, but since this break has become a mandatory requirement for our Knight, I don't see the problem with telling you now.”

“Why do I suddenly feel a very acute sense of dread?” I asked dryly, “Your older sisters care only for combat, Tess. I'm assuming we're fighting something?”

Elora's face fell at that, exhaling heavily at the notion, “I shouldn't be surprised. Can we possibly find something that doesn't involve violence? Just this once?”

“This doesn't. It is fighting of a kind, but it's a battlefield where Elora will have the edge. I have some experience, but I know that you, my Knight, have absolutely fucking none.”

That cleared up absolutely nothing and only gave cause for the frowns on the faces of my wife and I to deepen. “What does that mean?”

Tessa's grin widened, her eyes all but shimmering with mirth as she stared at me like prey caught in a trap. “Apparently there is some kind of event going on at the Singing Trees and my sisters want to take us. I was going to refuse but... it seems almost perfect timing, doesn't it?”

My expression fell even as the blood in my face followed suit. I stared at my Savage Smith with an empty eye, coming to the horrible realisation of what her fiendish plan entailed. “You can't be serious?”

“Oh, but I am. It's just what you need.”

“What?” I asked, glowering at my Smith, “To make an ass of myself?”

“To stop thinking about Samuel, Zelato and the million things that could go wrong at any given moment. You're right, Orin. The sky could fall on our heads tomorrow and there is nothing we can do to stop it, but that doesn't mean you have to put yourself through hell on the off chance you can prevent it.”

“I believe I'm the only one who doesn't know what the Singing Trees are,” Elora broke in, glancing at Tess and then at me, “I've heard about them in passing, but learned little beyond the name. Care to illuminate?”

I rubbed at my eyes desperately, trying with all my might to push the knowledge out of my head but having no such luck. Finally, I explained, “Alden told me about them on the road. It's a small wood on the edge of Nian. Apparently there is something mystical about the trees there, though he said that no one has been able to figure out exactly what.”

“It's a gathering place of sorts. Once in a while, when the Wind is right or when one who can manipulate the Element is in Nian, many people, both Noble and Commoner, come together to watch the trees sing,” Tess smiled almost wistfully, staring into the past with an nostalgic gleam. “It's something else. When the Wind touches them, they create music. It's so... well, I don't want to spoil it. My family and I used to go often when I was young. There's usually drinking, feasting and dancing. It will be a good night, one where we don't have to worry about the world ending. I usually don't go in for that sort of thing, at least not now, but watching Orin try to dance will be hilarious.”

Dancing. There it was, the word I dreaded. I'd tried the activity exactly once when I was fifteen years old. It was a day that had lived in infamy, one of the many stories told by the Brigade during those cold nights on the road.

I'd been trying to impress a girl I met in a tavern while I was still with the band. I was hardly a ladies man back then and didn't have the faintest clue what I was doing ,but had heard from gossip told by mercenaries that the best way to show your interest was to invite the object of your desire to dance. What followed was ranked among the worst moments of my life.

I proceeded to make myself look like complete idiot, somehow managing to step on the girl's toes so many times that I robbed her of the ability to stand. She proceeded to fall back into another couple, who fell into another, and then another. Before I knew it everyone was on the floor and I was the last man standing. I didn't really have a choice after that but to flee with my tail between my legs, chased by a dozen angry voices. The worst of it was one of the men who fell over was smoking a pipe that somehow managed to set the curtains ablaze, very nearly burning the entire place to the ground. All told, Boldrin had to pay out a significant sum to stop the tavern-keeper and his friends from beating me to death. It took near six months of work to pay him back and I learned a valuable lesson that was worth the weight of every coin. I don't dance. It's safer for everyone. Tess was painfully aware of this tale, yet she was saying we should do it anyway? What was her plan here? To replace one fear with another?

I turned to my wife. Hoping that within Elora I would see some small seed of support. My stomach dropped immediately when I saw the look on her face, for I knew I would receive no safe harbour there. Her smile was too much to contain, her enthusiasm for Tessa's idea taking on a life of its own as she hopped eagerly from foot to foot. The excitement she was feeling at the prospect of me embarrassing myself was somewhat worrying, but I chalked it up to a reaction born in the heat of the moment and not one of nefarious intent... At least, I hoped so.

“Orin! I finally get to teach you how to dance!”

Well, that was just fucking fantastic.