“Do you remember what Pavel said?”

“About what?”

“About how much longer we’ve got left?”

Serena nodded.

“Yeah, said about a couple of days we’ll hit Daggerford, and after that, it’s about a week to Waterdeep.”

“Ah.”

“Tired of doing nothing most days?”

Werond snorted.

“Try a month. I hate this, feels like limbo.”

“Limbo?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Serena shrugged, and leaned back in the bench.

It had been only a day since the caravan had left the quaint dead-end town of…whatever its name was. Werond couldn’t remember.

One day, and already the caravan was back in its usual line down the Trade Way.

Wagons as far as the eye could see. Teamsters drifting off with nothing do to. To the left, grassy plains stretched for miles, and if Werond squinted, she swore she could make out the ocean. To the right, the thick trees of the Misty Woods stood tall, hiding gods know what among them.

Another day in which Werond prayed Serena would light something on fire, just to cause a commotion.

A tall order, she presumed.

“You excited to get to Waterdeep?” Serena asked; her hands faced forward but she gazed out towards the woods.

Werond grimaced.

“Not really. I know how bored we’ve been, but I’ll take it over the hustle of the work back home.”

Serena glanced at her, a small smile upon her lips.

“Sounds like you hate your job.”

“I do.”

Werond spoke with conviction; Serena faced towards her, frowning.

“That bad?”

“Yes. My boss makes my life a living hell. Part of the reason why I like going on these trips. Can get away from it all; sometimes these trips are the only semblance of peace I can get.” Werond shifted about, unease spreading through her. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Let’s not ruin a perfectly good day.”

“Okay.” Serena signed; a trace of embarrassment flashed across her face, causing a pit to settle in Werond’s stomach. She hated telling Serena to drop topics, as chatty as she was, but any further and Werond knew she would lose it. On herself or Serena, she did not know.

Hoofbeats sounded from behind their wagon. The newest member of the caravan guard, an elven woman in a grey cloak, rode past them, traveling up towards the front.

Serena grabbed Werond’s shoulder and shook it, eyes wide.

“Get – attention – please!” she signed with one hand.

Werond rolled her eyes and shouted. “Ma’am! Ms. Grey on the horse!” She waved as the woman turned her head. “My associate would like a word with you!”

“Why did you say it like that?!” Serena signed closer to her chest, her voice coming out in a whisper inside Werond’s head; Werond smirked and watched as the guard turned her horse around. “You made it sound like I’m mad!”

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“Well boss, I think that’s your fault for being too shy to hail her.”

“I’m mute you b – oh hi there!” Serena flipped from anger to excitement as the guard came over; she flipped the horse around a second time and fell in with their wagon.

“Something I can help you with?” the guard asked. Her voice was low and rough, and something about it demanded Werond’s attention.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to say hi!” Serena said cheerfully. “I know everyone on the caravan, but you just got hired right? I’m Serena Lash.” She gave a tiny bow, as well as she could on the bench, “and this is my teamster, Werond…oh, I don’t actually know your last name Werond, I never asked.”

“Torohar,” Werond said. “Werond Torohar, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet both of you.” The guard said evenly. “Johana Eagleton, although most people call me Jo.”

“Nice to meet you too Jo!” Serena cocked her head. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but most people are…well, a little freaked out when they hear me talk.”

“I heard back at in the inn…well, ‘heard’ you, I guess. Wasn’t really shocking, I’m used to telepathy.”

“Oh! Can you use magic?”

“Nope. In my marching days we used it to get communications across. I was one of forward scouts, so I always had someone else in my head.”

Serena nodded, though her face twisted into a frown.

Werond chuckled.

“She was in the military Serena.”

“Oh!” Serena exclaimed. “Didn’t know what you meant, sorry. Can I ask where you served?”

“Sure.” Jo replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Wasn’t in an actual army though. Worked as a mercenary. Tempus’s Swords. Though they called themselves something else back then. Changed the name –”

“What?!” Serena exclaimed, causing Werond and Jo to jump. “Tempus’s Swords?! I know them! I’m friends with them! Well. Some of them!”

“You are?” Werond asked; Jo echoed her question.

“Yeah! Back in Mirabar, they were helping with a terrorist problem!” Serena could barely sit still as she signed. “Do you know Max? Or Charlotte? Jurden? Oh!” She bit her bottom lip, as her cheeks became a faint rose color. “Do you know Morgan? Have you heard from her? What’s she doing these days?”

“Uh, sorry to say, but I served about hundred years back. None of those names ring a bell.” Jo said.

Werond’s brows furrowed in confusion as Serena took it in stride. Jo didn’t look anywhere close to over a hundred years old…but what did she know. She still remembered believing Serena to be a full-blooded elf, a month back.

“Oh, makes sense. What did you do in the company then? Can I ask?” Serena asked.

“Forward scout, like I said. But the Captain always had me in negations. Got a knack for figuring people out.”

“Like lying?”

“Lying, yeah. But just understanding who a person was, what they do, what might they do. Helped us out quite a bit.”

“Wait, you can guess things about people?”

“Not hard if you know how to look, yeah.”

“Oh!” Serena straightened up. “Can you guess something about me?”

Werond smirked and was about to inform Serena that they shouldn’t take up more of Jo’s time, when Jo nodded.

“Sure, nothing better to do.” She said.

Jo leaned back in the saddle and squinted at Serena. Her blue eyes flicked back and forth, up, and down, the corners of her mouth twitching.

She pointed a finger at Serena’s head.

“You’re a pyromancer,” Jo said confidently, “you asked if I used magic, like it was something you normally ask people, and your eyebrows have been singed, regrown, and singed again. Plus, the skin on your palms are slightly darker. Looks like you’ve burnt yourself a couple of times before getting the hand of flinging bolts of fire out.”

Serena’s eyes grew wide; she grabbed Werond’s shoulder and shook it, glancing between her and Jo.

“Yes boss,” Werond said, brushing her hand away. “very exciting.”

“How did you do that?!” Serena exclaimed.

“Just something you pick up after a while.” Jo smirked and looked at Werond. “I can do you if –”

“No!” Werond blurted out; Jo blinked, as Serena leaned back, eyes still wide. “No, sorry, I’m okay. Besides, you probably need to get back to guarding the whole thing, caravan I mean, huh?”

“Probably.” Jo’s eyes narrowed a moment, before she straightened up in the saddle. “It was good meeting you both, Serena and Werond. I’ll see you soon.”

Jo urged her horse forward, gave a wave, and trotted up towards the front. Serena waved after her, before turning to Werond.

“What was that about?” she signed.

Werond shook her head.

“Never did like fortune-tellers. Er – I mean people who can ‘figure out’ things about you. Always rubbed me the wrong way.” She looked over at her boss, cutting off Serena’s next signs. “So, you know the company Jo worked with, huh?”

“Oh yeah! Tempus’s Swords! They were stationed in Mirabar when I lived up there. One of the…lieutenants? That the word? One of the guys in charge became a friend of my family. Nice people!”

“They must be, if you like them so much.” Werond smirked. “Got a bit red when you asked about that Morgan person.”

Serena rolled her eyes, even as her cheeks became flushed. She launched into an explanation – stating that Morgan was another family friend. As Werond listened, she sucked in a deep breath, hoping her heart would quiet down.

She didn’t need Jo guessing things about her.