Valerie met them halfway, jogging out from the farmhouse. She looked none the worse for wear. The farmer and Aly, each carrying a child, followed at a slower pace. The sky hadn’t quite turned black yet, but the farm’s position surrounded by hills meant darkness was already falling on them. “We dealt with the three beasts and the farmer’s family are safe,” she reported. “But I believe it would be best to stay here until morning. Travelling at night when there may be a large pack of beasts about would not be wise.”

“Do you think more will come for us?” Lucas asked.

“I can’t be sure. What I can be certain of is that there are more out there.” She turned to gesture back to the farm buildings. “Ser Elwyn has agreed to shelter us for the night in exchange for our protection in case any more beasts do come calling.”

Lucas looked back at the flock. They seemed to be clustering together again, the firesheep surrounding the regular sheep like guards. “So we’re going to hunker down?”

“Our best bet is to barricade a building as best we can, take up a defensible position just in case, and try to avoid any notice until the sun comes up, at which point we’ll make a run for the town if the area is clear. Taunton, apparently.” She tilted her head, squinting at the sheep. “What happened here?”

“I didn’t want a bunch of crazy sheep attacking us from behind, so I helped them, uh, solidify their mana. It’s had side effects.”

She looked down at Jamie. It was unusual to see the monstercat out and about; he much preferred lazing in the heart of Lucas’ soul. “And this?”

Lucas shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

“I see,” Valerie said. Her lips thinned. “Unlocking magic in wild animals without bonding them is a risky manoeuvre.”

“So Wick already told me,” Lucas said. “But it was the best option I could stomach, and it worked.”

“I’m right thankful for it, Ser James,” the farmer said as he arrived within earshot. It was hard to see details in the dark, but he seemed a tall bald man, wearing a heavy fur cloak over his shoulders and a dark shirt and trousers with rugged leather boots. There was a brittle smile on his face as he rubbed soothing circles on the back of the blonde girl sobbing in his arms. “It might sound a mite odd to warrior types as yerselves, but them sheep are like family to me. Raised ‘em all since they were lambs.”

“Silly man,” Aly said, following behind Elwyn. The boy she was carrying seemed younger, his blonde hair long and wild. He was taking in Lucas’ party with curious dark eyes that matched his father’s, looking far less stressed by the situation than his sister. Didn’t even look like he’d been crying. All three of them wore furs with similar colours to Aly’s, and Lucas wondered if she’d gifted them.

“Don’t you start with your nagging, kid.” He huffed goodnaturedly. He bowed his head to Lucas and Wick. “Name’s Elwyn, pleased as pie to meet ya.” He hefted the girl a little higher on his hip, and she whimpered. “This is Eleanor, and the fearless little tyke Aly’s got there is Elbert.”

“Lots of El’s there,” Lucas commented. “I’m James, as you apparently already know. Star of our group.”

That sounded so full of myself, Lucas thought, internally cringing. Why did the class have to be called the Star, of all things?

“Wick, at your service,” Wick said. “As a shieldmaster, I pledge to protect you and yours for the duration of our stay here.”

“Thank you kindly, Ser Wick,” Elwyn said with a small bow. “Aly explained a bit for me. You people have been hunting beasts. Mighty honourable work, and I gotta be thankful for it right now, ain’t I?” With introductions handled, the farmer took on a more serious expression as he looked at Valerie. “What’ve you got planned, Captain?”

They ended up scavenging spare wood from the barn to shore up the main house, barricading the windows. The house wasn’t a big one, with five outer rooms surrounding a pentagonal central common room with an unlit hearth at its tip. The central room was about four metres across at its widest. All the heavy furniture aside from one table went piled up against the outer windows, shoring up the barricades.

It left the common room feeling empty save for the chests that sat flush against the walls, but that was a benefit; they didn’t want to be tripping over clutter if they ended up having to fight in here. Each outer room had a door leading to it, and they set about blocking those next, leaving one looser in case they needed to create a choke point.

Everyone pitched in, a nervous energy pervading them as they worked. Even the children carried little bundles, following behind their father like ducklings. They were all constantly glancing up to the hills surrounding the farm, waiting for the moment a beast would appear. It felt like they were on a hidden timer and had no way of knowing when it would hit zero.

They were mostly quiet as they worked. The only voice penetrating their silence was Valerie’s hushed instructions, coordinating everyone.

So it took him a bit off guard when Elwyn struck up a conversation with him. The two of them had been working quietly to shore up the windows in the kitchen of the little farmhouse—Lucas couldn’t really work on his own with his firehand handicap, so he was mostly acting as an assistant for the others as needed—and Elwyn let out a quiet chuckle as they dragged a wooden cabinet in front of one of the windows.

“This must feel below an experienced warrior like yerself,” Elwyn whispered with an apologetic wince. “So I gotta make sure I give my biggest thanks for yer help. Not many would bother.”

Lucas blinked at him. “I’m not particularly experienced.”

“Don’t gotta be humble, lad,” Elwyn said with a wry smile. “I may be a backwater nobody, but believe it or not I’ve met some veteran warriors in my time. People can see it in the way you carry yourself, the way you walk n’ that. Only people who train themselves for a long ruddy time move with the kind of grace and poise you three do.”

Well, Lucas thought. Well. What did he say to that?

He averted his eyes, focusing on the wooden cabinet. In the time they’d been working, he’d gotten a much better handle on moving things around. Following his ‘instincts’ led to an easier time; better handholds, tighter grips, and more comfortable posture when lifting. Beyond all that, he was much stronger than he’d expected to be. If the cabinet wasn’t so unwieldy, he could’ve lifted it on his own; Elwyn was mostly there to keep it balanced and direct it.

“The other two have much more experience than me,” Lucas muttered eventually as they finally got the cabinet settled before the window.

“Bah, you noble warrior types never accept the praise you deserve. Little Lady Aly is just the same,” Elwyn said with a huff. “A good girl, that one. Glad she found some people to watch her back. Don’t let her wander off, ya hear?”

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“We’ll try not to,” Lucas said. “Little Lady, huh?”

“Oh, she’s the granddaughter of a tribal chieftain or some such. Not actually a noble or anythin’. She acts all huffy when I call her that, but I think she secretly likes it. Poor girl misses her home. Or her people, at least.”

“She’s from Raelan, right?”

“That’s where her family’s from, aye. Said she’s never been there herself, but if I’ve got my timelines right she should’ve been old enough when the place got swallowed up that she should remember some of her time there.” Elwyn sighed. “But maybe it’s better if she really doesn’t remember. The kid doesn’t seem hung up about it, apart from her mother.”

“Her mother?”

“Not a story she’s seen fit to share with me,” Elwyn said sadly. “But the few times she’s mentioned her mum, she seems to get all melancholic, y’know? And I’ve seen no sign of the woman. Dead or alive? I don’t know. But I assume the worst when I see a teenage girl has been wonderin’ the wilderness on her own for years. We’re not so far away from beast country, ya know?” Elwyn snorted. “I mostly like to ignore that fact, but it’s hit me harder than ever today, obviously.”

Before Lucas could think of a reply to that, the little girl, Eleanor, came trotting into the room. In quite the contrast to her earlier terror, there was a small smile on her face and her eyes were beginning to brighten. She made a beeline for Elwyn and looked up at him with naked hope. “Papa, is the lady out there Mama’s sister? Is she my auntie? Is she?”

Elwyn chuckled, bending down to relieve his daughter of the plank of wood she’d been awkwardly carrying. He placed it beside the cabinet. It was almost as tall as the girl. “Quiet voices now,” he said to her. “As for your question: not as far as I know, sweetheart. Your mama had only a brother. Captain Vayon just looks similar, is all.”

Eleanor’s lips pursed. “But she acts just like Mama. And she’s really amazing like Mama! Did you see her sword?”

“I did,” Elwyn said. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and started leading her back to the front door. Lucas followed. “Maybe one day you’ll be amazing like her, eh?”

Eleanor’s eyes lit up once more. “Do you really think so?”

“You can do anything you set your mind to, my love,” Elwyn said. He ruffled her hair, earning a squark of indignation. A second later, though, the girl caught sight of her brother outside—he was carrying a small bundle of sticks towards the house—and dashed over to him, shouting about how she was going to be an amazing swordmaiden like her mother and Valerie. Once her brother had acknowledged her proclamation, she went bounding over to Valerie and started chattering at the bewildered Skycloak with the lack of social grace only a child could get away with.

Elwyn chuckled softly to himself, leaning against the jamb of the front door. He spoke softly enough that Lucas suspected he wasn’t meant to hear it, “I do wonder what Lesa would think if she knew her daughter wanted to be a Skycloak?”

“It’s nice to see she’s cheered up a bit,” Lucas said. “But it could end up being a long night still.”

“Yes,” Elwyn said, shoulders slumping. “I must thank you again. I’ve not got much, but I’ll somehow see you paid for looking out for us.”

“We’re sheltering in your home for the night,” Lucas said, holding up his hands as if to ward the man off. “That’s enough payment.”

“All the same,” Elwyn said, and then he was stepping out of the house and back to work before Lucas could form a reply. With a sigh, he followed suit.

Their efforts quickly bore fruit; most of the windows in the farmhouse were soon boarded up. After a significant look from Valerie, Lucas got the hint to subtly use his floramancy to shore things up tighter than they could by hand, closing gaps. The thatched roof was pliable too, becoming more like a solid impenetrable mass than densely packed straw.

Curiously, the sheep took it upon themselves to crowd into the barn. The five sheep with the glow in their eyes seemed to be corralling the others, herding the flock to safety on their own initiative. And when they were successfully ensconced, the five crowded around the others like guardians. All the farmer had to do was close and bar the large doors.

“Animals get used to routine,” Elwyn explained when he caught Lucas’ baffled look. “But I admit that’s the most effortless herding I’ve seen since I lost old Bella a few months back. Haven’t gotten around to getting a new sheepdog, but now it looks like I might not need one! Ha!” He paused, glancing to one side. “And your little cat helped, too! Good little critter, that. Is he for hire?” he joked.

Lucas just smiled. He wondered how the man would feel if he knew Jamie’s true nature.

Before the barn doors were fully closed, he was sure he saw a glowing-eyed ram staring deeply into the eyes of another sheep, their foreheads touching.

Night had fallen when Valerie declared the house as safe as it was going to get, and they sealed the doors last. With that, they condemned themselves to a night in a single room.

Silence fell on them, and the air started to thicken with tension with every passing minute. No one attempted to start up any conversation. Ostensibly most of them were trying to sleep, but in reality they were too focused on listening for signs of activity outside.

There’d been no direct sign of any more beasts since the initial conflict, but the likelihood none were out there seemed slim. It was the kind of night where the cold air carried with it a kind of dread, a certainty that evil lurked beyond their dark walls.

Wick didn’t seem to know where to stand, his head constantly on a swivel as he tried to decide the most likely point of entry for any beasts that came. Valerie stayed in the centre of the room, her sword held ready but not yet glowing. Aly lingered by the farmer and his children where they’d ended up huddled beneath their oak table, a heavy blanket draped over them.

Jamie had decided to curl up atop the very same table with his tail hanging off the edge, and it seemed to be quite the source of fascination for wide-eyed young Elbert. The boy batted at the tail whenever it strayed near with a look of determination furrowing his brow. Lucas couldn’t decide whether to find it amusing or alarming; he didn’t think Jamie would react too poorly to a kid grabbing his tail, but cats were generally unpredictable.

But then again, Jamie wasn’t really a cat. Through their connection, he could feel not only the monstrous amalgamation of bodies that somehow packed together to form a cat, but also the very same spiritual flame that powered Lucas’ pyromancy. It was odd how their connection worked. Proven by earlier events, it seemed Jamie didn’t even need to be resting inside Lucas’ chest to act as his heart’s flame; somehow, fire mana still transferred over when Lucas sought it.

That was something worth investigating. He made a mental note to revisit the thought when his ongoing vigilance wasn’t required.

Problematically, Lucas didn’t really know what to do with himself beyond a vague sense of needing to be on guard; his firehand was the only source of light and heat in the oppressive darkness right now since they didn’t want to put power into any techniques and his firehand was somehow a passive thing. A part of him felt he should be near the children, keeping them warm. At the same time, he wanted to be ready to fight. The idea of a beast catching him off guard was unconscionable.

Minutes crawled by, seconds feeling like hours. He repeatedly found himself holding his breath and had to consciously let it go.

Eleanor started blubbering at some point, sounding tired as much as scared. Elwyn spoke softly to her, but she didn’t quieten down. If anything, her whimpering started getting louder. It sounded cacophonous in the otherwise silent night, echoing in their empty pentagonal room.

“We may need to put her to sleep,” Valerie said quietly.

Wick shot her a look over his shoulder.

Valerie rolled her eyes. “I have perfectly harmless, humane means of knocking someone unconscious.”

“Frightened children should be comforted,” Wick murmured.

“I agree,” Valerie whispered back. “She can find comfort in her dreams, because there’s clearly none to be had for her here.”

An idea hit Lucas, and he got Jamie’s attention through the bond, sending emotions of protection and comfort with his intent focused on the children. The monstercat watched him for a long moment, unimpressed, his eyes two hot coals in the dark, but eventually rose to his feet and hopped off the table, appearing in front of the children with a sceptical tension to his body. After a moment, he approached and nuzzled his face at Eleanor’s leg. Her eyes widening in fascination, she slowly reached out a hand and gently grabbed a fist of Jamie’s fur, then let out a gasp. She probably hadn’t expected him to be so hot.

Elwyn smiled down at his child, then turned to Lucas. “Thank—”

A beast’s distant scream cut through the night like a knife, and in its wake the room was plunged into silence.