“That can't be true.”

The idea of it was too heinous. Too pitiful. Why would an organisation as powerful and as influential as the Hall of Tyra want to get rid of me simply because I wasn't born of a Noble bloodline? Why go to the effort of tasking their greatest warriors to end my life simply over an accident of birth? I was missing something, I knew I was. I had grown up in Myrin. I knew more than most the hold that the Nobles held over this city. There were many among them who exploited their authority and power to push down on what they considered to be lesser. I had seen it happen in Andapa, in Fero and the Empire during my time with the Brigade, though never so much as in Venos itself. But that wasn't all I had seen. I had known Nobles who were kind, who were good, who worked towards a better future while using their considerable power for the benefit of others. My experiences with the bad had often jaded my own limited interactions with the good, but they did exist. Elora herself was a clear example of that. Shit, I'd have to include Tessa in that camp, now that I thought about it. I just couldn't believe that all the Masters in the Hall were fine with wiping out a whole village because I had been born a commoner.

Erin smiled kindly and patted my cheek, her eyes alive with excitement as she explained. “Oh, but it is. You weren't the first Heir born, Orin. They have appeared many times over the centuries, each of them born with the same abilities that you yourself have. They are Knights among Knights, capable of great feats because of their innate power.”

“But I'm the first commoner to be one?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

Erin nodded, “Yes, but it isn't as you fear. They don't want to kill you because they believe, as Nobles, that they have a divine right to rule over commoners. There are even some among the Masters of the Hall who could boast to be from common stock. The Hall doesn't operate in the same ways of the countries beyond its borders.”

“There are commoners among the Hall's Masters?” Elora asked this question, surprised. “I didn't think them to be so... forward thinking.”

The Sister looked to the Princess, her eyes gentle and her words even more so. “I'm not surprised you think that, Elora. Venos is not what one would call ahead of it's time when it comes to matters of blood. Places like Ragora, the land of Tessa's birth, are known to be fair to both Noble and commoner alike. I believe they hold onto the titles more for traditions sake than a need for real power. Ragora's High Lord, for example, is not the highest authority in that land, as your mother and father are here.”

Elora frowned, “I've been taught of it before. Mostly about the United Duchies and the Yelesi Republic. My tutors have told me from a young age that their systems are inherently flawed. That our Monarchy is perfect and the only way to ensure peace.”

“Backwards thinking,” Erin snorted, “But it was why I came here in the first place with Orin. The Nobles have such a tight grip on Venos that they are loathe to lend that influence to anyone, especially the Hall. Their attempts at a foothold have only met with marginal success. Venosian stubbornness and arrogance is well known, something that I believe my son has caught during our time here.”

I grumbled at that, “I'm not that stubborn, nor arrogant.”

“Well, you did attack a secured fortress in Dunhold despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, Orin,” The Sister quipped, though her tone was amused, “I think that is a large strike against you.”

I chuckled darkly at that, the Sister's reminder making me think of Brin. Before long other faces crossed my mind's eye; Adrian, Grove, Heston, Tadeus, Sabah and Frode. Brothers and sisters, one and all. Then Alec's face was there, a gloomy half obscured shadow. His fate was just as murky, just as unknowable.

“Then why were the Hall so intent on killing Orin?” Elora's question pulled me from my dark thoughts, “If it wasn't because he was a commoner, then why?”

“It is because he is the first of his kind, or the second as the case may be,” The Sister replied, looking to me as though I was some kind of miracle. Honestly, it made me a little uncomfortable. “No Heir born has been without the blood of the First running through their veins, none who carry his blood are common folk. Orin is something all his own, not bound by the rules they have lived by for a thousand years.”

“That's why they attacked me? Because I'm not a descendant of the First Knight?” I asked, incredulous. That reason wasn't much better than me being common.

I knew about the First Knight. I had been raised by a wife of the Great Spirit, after all. The First Knight and Smith were great heroes from an age long past. It was said that great evils stalked the continent then, terrible beasts and monsters from legend. The Great Spirit, weeping at the pain it's people suffered, decided to even the odds and created the first Bonded pair. Both their names have been lost to history, but their deeds live on. They founded the Hall of Tyra to stand as sentinels over Ouros after those dark days had passed. No one knows what happened to them after that time. Some said they left the continent forever and others claim that they live still, awaiting the day they would be needed again. To me it had always been just another story, a fable that was passed down through the centuries. It seemed I had been wrong about that.

“Why is Vera named the First Knight?” I asked slowly, “Is it just to honour the true First, or...”

I stopped and raised an eyebrow at Elora, who stared at me with disbelief.

“What? Did I say something?”

My Princess rolled her eyes, “How do you not know these things, Orin?”

I shrugged, “To be fair, I'm not really interested in the church-”

“Despite my best efforts.” The Sister muttered under her breath.

“and this is the first time its ever really been applicable to me.” I smiled at the frustrated Elora and down trodden Sister, “So?”

“It has nothing to do with the church. Well, it does, but it was more a case of annoying them than anything else.” Elora explained, her disbelief vanishing. Despite her assertions that she didn't like to teach, she sure found the time to throw some lessons my way. “When King Gilderbrand first founded Venos, his wife became terribly ill. Gilderbrand met with the greatest healers from across his lands and beyond, but none could save her. Eventually he turned to the church and begged for their aid. They refused, the story goes, because his heart was impure. Gilderbrand took that as a slight. After the death of his wife he famously crippled the power of the church in Venos and named his brother the First Knight, a title and tradition that carries to this day.”

“Well, after learning what the church has been doing with the Hall, I can't much blame him,” I muttered in thought.

“It was considered madness at the time,” The Sister chimed in, “A true spit in the face of the Great Spirit. At least, that's what is written in the church histories. They claimed that Gilderbrand's son, the infamous butcher of Myrin's commoners, shared his affliction.”

“Pretty convenient for the church then,” I said, before my eyes widened in realisation, “Was that another reason you came to Myrin? Because of Gilderbrand harming the church?”

Erin nodded proudly, “Yes, my son. The church has recovered much since the time of Venos' first King, but they are not nearly as established as they are in other countries. I thought it would be best to hide here and I was right.”

“Back to the reason for you hiding,” I said, realising we had gotten a bit off topic. “The Hall. Were they truly that scared that I was an original Heir?”

Sister Erin hesitated, shifting in her seat uncertainly. “Yes, they were. Even calling you an Heir is a bit of misnomer. The Heirs before you have been named such because they are the inheritors of the First Knight. You are a fully fledged original, seemingly created like the First. Which would mean that you have been touched by the Great Spirit.”

Shit. That was a little much for me to take. I barely believed in the Spirit itself, seeing it more as a guiding force than a physical presence. My days of prayer were in the past, though I'm sure I threw a few up in the air when we were about to attack Dunwellen. That was more of a way to deal with my tension and fear rather than actual belief. My relationship with the Great Spirit was one that could be measured in the amount of curses I used, rather than time spend in chapel.

“I don't know about that, Sister,” I replied cautiously. “That seems a little...”

“Mad? Heretical? Yes, I'm sure the Hall thought so as well,” my mother sighed and leaned back in her chair as she examined me with loving eyes, “But what other explanation could there be, Orin? Like the First, your power has been born from nowhere. You have no Noble blood and there is no history of either Knights or Smiths in your family going back to the First Knight's advent.”

“Sure,” I said, “But there could be other explanations for that, Sister. We don't have to immediately assume that I'm some kind of second coming.”

I turned to Elora to ask her to back me up, instead I found her staring at me, her gaze gold and intense.

“You might have been touched by divinity, Orin.” Elora looked awed, her eyes wide and staring.

“Oh, for Spirit's sake,” I grumbled, “I think you broke my Princess.”

“Don't swear!” Erin hissed, “Especially that!”

“Don't worry, Sister. I'm sure if I truly am the chosen one, the big bastard in the sky will forgive me.” I replied with a smile, causing the Sister to deflate. “Now, explain the rest of it to me. We know why I'm so bloody special, but we don't know why the Hall thought it was a bad thing.”

Sister Erin didn't even try to bring me up on that one, she just nodded and continued her story.

“First you have to understand how the Hall functions. There are many Masters that serve on the Hall of Tyra's council, but rank means nothing in their chambers. A king is no different from a farmer in Tyra, common and Noble are not terms they use, at least not openly,” Erin sighed and reached into one of the pockets of voluminous robes, pulling free a small tome that was barely the size of her palm. “This was sent to me by Mastan. It's a brief accounting of how Tyra works, how it was first established and how they reach decisions while sitting in council. You see, the commonly told story of the First Knight was incorrect. It was said that he had only one Smith, but that wasn't the case. He had five, each of them eventually taking their place as the heads of the Hall of Tyra. They became known as the Five Houses.”

I nodded. I had come to much the same conclusion by myself already. I did have a question as to how he managed to hide five Bonds so effectively. I mean, if no one knew about Heirs except for those that had attained the rank of Master, then there must be some method for hiding it. I'm sure that Vera and Annabelle could see my Bond with Elora when I first awakened in the palace. If that was true, then did that mean if I had Bonded with Tessa I would be tagged as an Heir as soon as we ran into another pair?

“Tessa is a member of one of the Five Houses, right? That's why she was sent to follow me around?” I asked. Tessa had already insinuated as much, but I needed to try and keep everything as straight as possible.

“Correct,” The Sister nodded, “Tessa is a member of House D'viritazi, The Lightning Smiths.”

“Lightning,” I muttered, remembering the feel of Tessa's Element. It was like my soul was calling to her, begging for us to join in a way that hadn't been present with Elora. It had been strange, frightening and... familiar. That perhaps had caused me to say no just as much as my resistance to hurting my already established Bond with Elora. “I felt something when Tessa asked to Bond. My soul sparked with lightning as soon as she touched me. That alone seemed to be enough to provoke a reaction.”

“Your soul reacted to her?” Elora exclaimed.

“Yeah, it scared me a little,” I shrugged, “It kind of makes sense though. If these Five Houses have been Bonding with Heirs for centuries, then maybe something in me recognised that?”

“Maybe,” Elora replied, lost in thought, “But you are also an original, that means you shouldn't be constrained by the laws of normal Heirs.”

“But it is unknown how the Five Smiths were chosen in the first place,” Erin interrupted helpfully, “If they were chosen by the Great Spirit, like the Knight himself, then it would be natural for Orin to recognise that in Tessa. When Tessa first met you, Orin, she said that she could feel your power. She felt like she could Bond with you instantly, even though you were both so young at the time.”

“When we first met?” I narrowed my eyes at the Sister. Tessa had mentioned she had known me long before I had known her.

The Sister waved her hand through the air again, stopping herself from answering. “Not my story to tell, Orin. That belongs to Tessa.”

I hesitated for a moment before I nodded with difficulty. The Sister was right. “So, the Five Houses?”

“Yes. The Five Houses are the true power in the Hall. Masters tend to pick sides as soon as they join council. It was said they were unified once, during the Hall's founding, but as time passed and agendas changed they frequently found themselves at odds.”

“So they're not just one body, with one mind?” I had thought the opposite was true.

“Not even close.” Erin snorted in derision, “Much like the governments across Ouros they are constantly at each others throats. That should be pretty self-explanatory considering that Tessa's father, one of the Five, wanted to keep you alive. I was told that he and one other House wanted to protect you instead of destroying you, but they were out-voted. The other three had many masters on their side.”

“Politics again,” I scratched at my scar absent mindedly.

“Yes. Strange, isn't it?” my mother looked melancholic, staring at nothing at all, her fingers rubbing the frayed pages of her small book. “A few men and women say a few words and good people lose their lives as a result.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

That caused all three of us to pause for a moment. It was so simple and yet so true. My fate was decided before I'd even learned to speak, much less understood why the decision was made in the first place.

“They wanted you gone because of the threat you posed to the order they had maintained for a thousand years,” The Sister kept going, though her voice was much quieter than before. “Change scares people, Orin. Especially in the Hall, many of whom had grown used to the power they wielded across the continent. The appearance of the First Knight changed the fates of everyone on Ouros. Who knew what you would grow up to one day become? Would you see their corruption? Would you do something to stop them? Who could stop you if that was the case? An Heir is beyond the powers of a mere Knight. If you were allowed to fully come into your powers then they believed you could become a genuine danger, not just to them, but to all their interests. Then there is the story of the First, who appeared during a time of great turmoil. I'm sure that the fear was that they were the turmoil, they were the danger that you would have to contend with.”

“Do you think that's true?” I asked, my stomach sinking. “Is that my 'divine purpose'? To destroy the Hall of Tyra?”

The Sister shook her head helplessly. “I just don't know, Orin. I do know that the Hall pondered a great many options first. Some wanted to hide you away somewhere, others wanted to bring you in for training. Those Masters, including Mastan, were quickly overruled. The safest option to the majority was to simply end your life and be done with it, despite what consequences it could have for their standing with the Great Spirit or for the continent as a whole.”

“That's so... short-sighted,” Elora said, exasperated, “They are letting fear drive them. Orin could be important in ways they don't know yet, much like the First himself was.”

“There are few things in this world more powerful than fear, Princess,” Erin spat out, looking just as infuriated as Elora, “Their reasoning was that they already had an Heir, born only a few months before Orin. She would be able to deal with the fallout of their actions, if there ever was one.”

A memory flashed before my eyes. The Queen of Venos holding me by the throat and screaming about the Heir already being in Tyra. “Gida mentioned that before. That there was another Heir.”

Elora nodded, “Mother mentioned her just before the Severance took place as well.”

“The Heirs are the Hall's most powerful weapons,” Erin said, “They are born infrequently and even then there is only ever one at a time. Many pushed the notion that the new Heir was born to deal with you, Orin.”

“But she was born before me. How does that make sense?”

“It doesn't have to make sense. They were using whatever they could to drive home that you were somehow evil and they were in the right to end your life. The Heirs born of the 'true' bloodline are so closely bound to the Hall that a betrayal is all but impossible. After all, the Five Houses each send a son or daughter to Bond with them. Blood trumps all, as they say. In the end it was just an excuse. Something to make themselves feel better about destroying an innocent, that their intentions were good. I hope they choked on them.”

“So, that's all an Heir is? A weapon of the Hall?” I asked. I couldn't believe that. I was still learning about being an Heir, but to be used by a group of old men and women simply because of my blood was something I felt my very soul recoil from.

“Yes. They are given the very best training by the greatest Knights and Smiths of the time. Not to mention their five Smiths, each with a unique Element, each born of a bloodline that has incredibly detailed accounts of working with Heirs. Tessa has been training herself to be your Smith for quite some time, Orin, using those very techniques that her family has cultivated since her ultimate ancestor Bonded to the First.”

“I felt Tessa's soul once,” Elora chimed in, looking cowed as she thought back to when she had caught sight of the mercenary's soul in camp. I had told her about what Tessa had said after our talk, about how she had been spotted by Elora. The Princess was strangely relieved that she hadn't been going crazy. “It felt strong. Stronger than mine.”

“That is to be expected,” Erin nodded, “Tessa has entire volumes dedicated to making herself stronger. In a way, she was built to be Orin's Smith, like the other members of the Five Houses.”

I heard Elora begin to grind her teeth, her eyes staring at nothing. Shit. I knew that look on her face. It was the same one she had after building the Forge. She was doubting herself, doubting her place by my side. I took her hand and she tensed up for a second before looking at me.

“Glad it happened the way it did,” I said slowly, making sure my eye met both of hers. “Remember?”

Elora blinked a couple of times before nodding. She still looked unsure and I could see the cogs turning in her head as she pondered the revelation that Tessa was basically the perfect Smith for me, but she looked a little less like a frightened hare. I'd have to talk with her more about it later. One problem at a time.

“I get that they wanted to end my life,” I stopped myself, “Actually, I don't get it. But at least I understand the why now. So Mastan was the one who helped you and I get to Venos?”

Sister Erin took her eyes off a still distracted Elora and returned her stare to me. It was my mother's turn to hesitate now as she raised a hand to play with the pencil behind her ear.

“No, Orin. After what happened at Sulturut, I felt like I could trust no one. I prayed that they would assume I was dead. The village burned to the ground, so I felt we had a chance to disappear. I crossed over into the Nariti plains and began the long walk into Andapa,” Erin shivered, “That place is like nothing I'd ever seen before, Orin. I managed to avoid the nomads but the trip still took nearly a month. I couldn't use the Imperial Road in case of watchers, so I was forced to cross country. You were an angel the whole time, only cried when you were hungry.”

I hadn't seen much of the Nariti plains during my time with the band. It was recommended that you don't stray from the Imperial Road when travelling through them. If you did then the chances of being attacked by the tribes increased ten fold. They didn't discriminate and they didn't worship the Great Spirit. The Sister took a huge risk in making the journey.

I reached across the table with my free hand and took the Sister's in my own, smiling at her, hoping to banish her haunted look. “You made it, Sister. That is what's important.”

Erin clung to my hand with both of hers and stared at me with tear-filled eyes. “We made it, Orin. Somehow, barely, we managed. After we got across, I knew we needed to go somewhere that the Hall could not reach easily. I had been a student of history while serving as a Sister in the Empire and knew of the troubles that Venos had with the church. That, along with the rumours from other servants that the Hall was having a hard time making any connections, made me all the more certain that was where we should go.”

“But the church does have a presence here,” I pushed, “They gave you the orphanage.”

“They did. But the only ranking official of the church in Myrin is Father Christian. You know as well as I ,Orin, that the man is hardly cut out for espionage.” Erin laughed at that and I joined her, glad she was feeling a little better.

Father Christian had been the bane of my existence as a young boy. He was old long before I was born and his droning voice during weekly visits to church had soothed me to sleep more than once. There was a place of worship in the inner city in the form of a cathedral, but I knew it was rarely used and Father Christian spent most of his time in the Commons. Venos' Nobles worshipped coin more than the Great Spirit, though I had heard tell that prayer was considered a 'private affair' for the Nobles and they only did so from the comfort of their home. Father Christian did house visits, if I recalled correctly.

“I've met Father Christian a few times,” Elora said with a smile, “I always liked him.”

“He is a lovely man, though a little careless in his old age,” The Sister replied fondly, “He tends to the religious needs of the whole city and loves his work. If there was ever a priest of the Spirit I could trust completely, then it would be him.”

“Did you tell him who you were when we got here?” I asked, faintly alarmed.

My mother immediately shook her head, “No, I couldn't do that to him. He would have tried to help me and that would only put him in danger. He didn't have many capable workers to rely on so it was very easy to find a place within his church. Including me, there are only a dozen Sisters in the city, each quite isolated from the inner workings of the church proper.”

I let out a breath, relieved. I shouldn't have been worried, of course. If Christian had known and not said anything up to now then the chances were he wasn't going to.

“Still, its a risk,” I said thoughtfully.

“Everywhere was a risk, Orin,” Erin responded, “This was the best of a bad lot. I changed my name after we left Sulturut. I named myself after my sister, Erin. She was a kind soul, taken long before her time.”

“You changed your name?” I blinked, “What was it before?”

The Sister opened her mouth to answer but closed it after a moment's hesitation. She grinned at me instead. “No, Orin. My name doesn't matter, nor would it mean anything if I said it now. I am Sister Erin now. I have been Sister Erin for nearly nineteen years and that is how it will stay. The woman from before was a servant of the Hall, a spy and a fool. Now I am Erin, mother to Orin and the rest of my foolish children. I'm happier that way.”

I almost pushed for an answer but decided against it. The Sister was right, who she was before didn't matter as much as it did now. To live in the past was idiotic. Time would pass and wounds would heal. I was living proof of that. Something niggled at me when I thought that.

“Did you change my name?”

“You didn't have a name, son,” Erin said fondly, “In small villages and towns on the Empire's outskirts children are named one year after they are born. It's a tradition that dates back hundreds of years, when plague and famine was hitting Ingemar hard and many died as a result. I was selfish. I named you after me. 'Rin' is an honorific that has been in my family for years. Usually only one child carries it. I took the 'O' from your father, Oban, and added mine. I wanted to honour Helga in some way, but I think she would have been happy with the choice. Rin means light in the old Imperial tongue and that's what you were to me. My light.”

“I used to say that when I was young,” I found myself smiling, remembering better times, simpler times, though they had seemed bad back then. “That our names were close. Pater and I got into a fight about it once because I said it meant I was your true son.”

“You were my first son,” Erin said, squeezing my hand, “I wish I could express just how much you mean to me, Orin. You are my greatest success in life.”

“Oh, stop that, Sister,” I replied, embarrassed. My face turned red as Elora watched on, amused.

“I love that I can still embarrass him, even now he's a big, bad mercenary.” The Sister laughed and Elora joined her.

“Both of you can stop now,” I near begged before becoming serious again, “So you arrived in Myrin, I get that. When did Tessa and Boldrin become involved? You said that you didn't trust anyone, what...”

Realisation fell over me in a wave. I knew what had changed, what had forced Erin to reach out. A vision of tears and sobs filled my sight. The Sister trying to keep me propped up, the wounds on my back tearing and sending sharp knives of pain running through my broken body. I looked to the Sister with a clear question on my face. She nodded once, seemingly unsurprised that I had arrived at the right conclusion.

“I couldn't protect you.” Erin said, her hands going limp against mine and the smile dying on her lips.

“What's wrong, Sister?” Elora asked, unsure why the mirth had suddenly drained from the room.

“Leila.” I said simply, my voice going hoarse. Elora's eyes immediately filled with a dark fury and she moved her chair closer to mine, trying to comfort me from the memory that I had shared with her. Though, perhaps it would be more accurate to say the one my soul shared with her.

“After living with the church for a while, I heard about the meeting hall for the People's Collective,” Erin said, gesturing at the building around her, “I immediately asked Christian if I could re-purpose the building into an orphanage. He said yes, of course. It was just sitting here, after all. I fixed up what I could and was helped by some kind parishioners. I did it in part to protect you. No one would be looking for you in an orphanage in Myrin. At least, that was what I told myself. I also did it because I enjoyed taking care of you. I always adored children and I believed that I could make a genuine difference in this city.”

“You did, Sister,” I said softly, “Where would the others be now, without you?”

“You give me far too much credit. But thank you, son,” Erin chuckled, patting my hand, “As you know, for a time we were doing well. You were my first child and Pater arrived not long after I had opened the doors. Before long we had built up quite a number.”

Sister Erin smiled then, her eyes glittering as she looked into the distant past.

“It was hard, don't get me wrong. We were at the mercy of church donations and at times it felt like I was drowning. I never regretted it though. Not until you were eight years old,” my mother froze in place, tears pouring again as she continued, “That was when the bad winter came. Everyone in the Commons was suffering, not just us, and donations had dried up to nothing. I did what I could, tried to keep you all fed and warm, but I was fighting a losing battle.”

I knew where this was going and I felt my heart rise to the back of my throat. The Sister looked so broken as she spoke, her shoulders seeming to slump under the weight as the words continued to spill and pile up atop her. My heart broke at the sight.

“I thought we would make it through, until I tried to wake up Dale,” The Sister sobbed, “H-he was so cold. I couldn't... I didn't...”

I jumped from my seat and walked around the table, wrapping my arms around the Sister and pulling her into a hug. She didn't hug me back, just wept into my shoulder as I held the shivering body of the woman who raised me. I tried to think of the words to say, but they wouldn't come.

“I killed him, Orin,” The Sister moaned, “Him and Ganger both. If I had just contacted Mastan sooner, they would still be alive. Leila wouldn't have had to-”

“Hush now,” I whispered and stroked the Sister's back. “You can't blame yourself for this, Sister. You just can't. Whatever happened, its done now.”

“Then what happened to you and Leila,” Erin hadn't heard my words. She just kept talking, her eyes wide and horrified, “You were trying to protect me, but I was the one who was supposed to protect you. I failed you, I failed all of you.”

Elora appeared on the other side of the Sister and placed a hand on her back, her eyes red and irritated as she offered me a weak smile. I tried to return it but it fell off my face. Back then had been a nightmare for everyone involved. To see the Sister like this was something I had never wanted to see. She had given her whole self to me and the orphanage, more than I had ever realised.

The three of us stood there for a few minutes, the only sound being the Sister's sobs as they echoed out into the dining room. I had nothing to say, nor did Elora. Erin had clearly been living with this burden for a long time and I couldn't help her through it. I felt a new sense of helplessness and could only clench my jaw at the unfairness of it all.

“I-I'm fine now, children,” my mother said, pulling away and patting us both on the cheeks. “I'm sorry about that. I try not to think of that time, but it all just came back to me and -”

“You don't have to explain, Sister,” I interrupted, helping her back into her seat before returning to mine. “It's alright.”

“No, it isn't,” Erin smiled kindly, cheeks still wet from crying “But it is the choice I made, or failed to make. I've learned to live with it, but if I could go back and do things differently, I would contact Mastan in a heartbeat.”

“Why didn't you?” Elora asked gently, “He seemed intent on keeping Orin alive, warning you about the attack.”

“Oh, he wanted to keep Orin alive,” Erin confirmed, “I just wasn't sure what he wanted him for. You have to remember, I didn't know him well. I only ever saw his name at the bottom of a letter. Boldrin told me that he was a good man, but my experiences with the Hall jaded me. I didn't want Orin to be caught up in that mess. Plus, as a member of the Five Houses he could gain much by having such a useful piece as an original Heir. That's how these people see the world, as some kind of game. Lives mean little to them, so I didn't turn to the D'viritazi until I felt I was out of options.”

“When did you talk to him?”

Erin shook her head, “I didn't. I sent a coded message after Dale died to his estate in Ragora, but I had sent it too late. Ganger and Leila died before Boldrin arrived in Myrin.”

“Boldrin came himself?”

“Yes. He had coin with him and gave me enough so we could see through the winter and beyond. Without it, I'm sure none of us would have seen the spring.”

To think, all that time I had believed that it was Pater and I who had ensured we would make it through the winter. It was naïve, now that I thought about it. A few coins weren't enough to feed a dozen starving bellies and keep us warm. The Sister must have seen the look on my face because her gaze softened.

“You and Pater helped a great deal, Orin. I just wished you didn't have to go through what you did to do it.”

I smiled bitterly at that. I didn't regret my actions. Back then I hadn't believed there was a choice. Maybe I should be angry with the Sister for waiting as long as she did but I just couldn't muster it. No one knew that something like that was going to happen. Erin had done what she thought was best. She had just wanted to keep me safe and I couldn't find fault with that.

“Tessa arrived soon after Boldrin did. She was such a cute thing back then. Boldrin had cut her hair and given her different clothes, but she still acted like a Noble,” Erin smiled at Elora, “She reminded me of you actually, Princess.”

Elora flinched and looked away, her expression both complicated and conflicted. The Princess still didn't know how to feel about Tessa. The comparison between them must be slightly jarring for her.

“Did you see Tessa a lot, Sister?” I asked carefully, not wanting to annoy my already upset Smith.

“A few times at the beginning, when she was still just learning to keep tabs on you,” Sister Erin said, “She was always nearby, Orin. Always.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, my frustration mounting, “How close by?”

“She lived in the abandoned house across the road,” Erin said, her voice catching, “She stayed there for nearly six years. Not just her, but other members of the band as well. They trained Tessa and she trained herself in the matters of Smithing.”

“Six years?” Elora looked up, the shock on her face a mirror of my own, “A child? Kept hidden away for six years?”

“As I said,” Erin's eyes fell, “It's her story to tell. But I will tell you that she always kept you safe, Orin.”

Something touched my memory when she said those words. I frowned as I focused inward, trying to grab onto the feeling before it fled my mind. I grasped it in both hands and a memory shone through. The man who had hurt me. The man who had left me beaten and broken. He had been stabbed to death and the wounds had clearly come from a smaller attacker. I had brushed it off at the time, seeing it as the matter settled. I had assumed that one of his other victims had attacked him, had killed him, for doing the same things that he did to me. Could it be true?

“Sister,” I said, my fists clenching and eye boring a hole into the head of my mother who looked uneasy at the intensity of my glare. “Who killed the man who hurt me?”

“I stabbed him to death.”

The words were quiet. A whisper that I wouldn't have been able to hear if it hadn't been for the deafening silence that followed my question. I turned my head to face the speaker, already knowing who it was, already expecting her. Yet I still found myself surprised.

Tessa stood next to the entrance to the kitchens. She looked worse than she did in Paldrum. She was covered in dirt and there was an abundance of leaves and twigs stuck in her hair. Her armour was scratched and I noticed that she had two new daggers stuck into her old sheaths. She looked almost afraid, her uncertainty rolling off her as her fingers hesitantly struck each other. Her eyes were aimed at the wooden floors, her uneven hair preventing me from seeing them as it fell across her face. She looked ragged, tired... dangerous.

“He hurt you,” Tessa hissed, a throaty growl behind her words. She lifted her face and stared into my eye. Hers shone like twin beacons of frozen steel, hard and unyielding. Her face was filled with fury. In her expression I saw what she thought of the man who had put the scars on my back.

“So I hurt him!”