I hadn’t believed my uncle when he had said this supposed company was the most prominent.

How foolish I had been… and was, since not even he had comprehended just how wealthy it was.

“Mintmorency, is it?” she asked, squeezing my hand gently.

“Mint is fine,” I said to the tall woman… while doing my best to not stare at her face.

“Buth,” was all my uncle said when it was his turn to shake her hand.

“I’m Lena. My father spoke of you. I’m glad to finally meet you,” she said to my uncle, then gestured for us to sit before her desk.

I made sure to take note of my uncle’s sad expression as he slumped into his chair. We had only this morning learned of his close friend’s death… but somehow, seeing this woman now in the afternoon, made him sadder than even when he had first heard of it.

“Seems he did well in life, at least,” Buth said as he looked around the office.

You just noticed? I wanted to glare at him, but knew better. He was still stunned, still unsteady. He had not thought it possible his friend would be dead.

Still… how could he have not noticed it? One didn’t even have to look far. This company’s status in the world had been visible from the front doors, and with each step taken beyond them it only became more obvious.

Forgetting the massive building we were in, that dwarfed all the ones around us; this office was covered in more wealth than I’ve ever seen.

Carpets thick and luscious, without a hint of wear. Curtains of heavy silk. The lamps that they used for illumination were lit not by coals or oils, but stones. Of magic. The walls were lined with shelves, which held more artifacts than books. The few walls that were free of shelving were covered with fancy paintings. One most notably was hung up right behind the large chair sitting opposing us, across the rather bare desk.

I had stared at it as to not stare at Lena’s face, and had worried she’d notice and take offense… but I knew she’d not realize that had been my reason.

After all, the painting was magical. The night sky that loomed over a rippling lake was shimmering with light, sparkling and dancing as if there was a wind. It was as alive as us, and wouldn’t surprise me if a fish jumped out from it.

That single painting was worth more than entire cities.

It was one of many.

“Yes. It had not all been without struggle, but I am proud to say that he made the most of his life,” Lena said, taking her own seat behind the desk.

And it was definitely her seat.

She leaned back in her chair, and it silently arched, as if it somehow had known just where she wanted to angle herself. If not for the very proper attire she wore, I’d have expected her to put her feet up on the desk. She looked at home.

“And you’ve done even better, I’ve heard. I am sure he’d be proud,” Buth said, and his tone told me he meant it.

Lena’s eyes were calm as she sat there, almost ignoring my uncle’s words.

Her lack of emotion wasn’t just because of the scars covering her face. It was something deeper. Her eyes were steady, her breathing calm. Uncle Buth didn’t seem to notice her indifference as he smiled to her.

She then turned her head ever so slightly, looking me in the eyes. “I’m told you are here to cross the Rift?” she then asked.

Maybe she was impatient. She must be very busy, and we were intruding without warning.

“Yes. We heard a door was about to open here, and once long ago your father had told me to come to him if I ever needed help with anything to do with the Rift,” Buth said.

She nodded, and eased a little bit farther back into her chair. “Both of you?” she then asked, with her eyes still on me.

“Yes,” I answered before my uncle could.

I didn’t need him causing trouble now.

“Are you as young as you look?” Lena questioned.

I was long used to such a question and not bothered by it. I was however, not used to my uncle answering for me. “She’s probably not much younger than yourself,” he said.

Glancing to my uncle, I found he was still giving Lena that weird smile. Maybe she looked like his friend, and he was being reminiscent.

It wasn’t wise to let people know how old I really was. Since…

“I see. Well maybe the trip through the Rift will fix that,” Lena then said as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. Had she gotten those scars in the Rift?

“So we can rely on you to help us?” I asked.

“Possibly. Although my company does indeed have a few ventures concerning the Rift, we don’t necessarily employ guides or take part in the caravans. My services are more… gentle,” she said.

“We understand that you can’t do what you cannot… but I was hoping you’d be able to at least guide us to someone who could? Surely you know who or what company is trustworthy and who isn’t,” My uncle hurriedly said.

“Oh, indeed. And I shall. I just need to think for a moment…” she said, her voice growing soft as her eyes bored into me.

Did I look strange to her? My hat was on, wasn’t it? Resisting the urge to check, I wondered if maybe it was obvious.

I’d not seen any others here, yet, but I knew they were here. After all, this was the Rift… the Lands of Man, yes, but still right next to the Rift.

And if anyone could recognize us on sight alone, it’d be someone prominent who dealt with my kind on a somewhat normal basis.

My uncle and I exchanged glances, and I was glad that he also seemed worried. It meant he was returning to normal, somewhat.

“I’d like to thank you for meeting us, by the way,” I said, hoping to steer the conversation a tad.

“Of course. I just apologize it took all day, I had been occupied,” Lena said.

“Nonsense. We arrived without any prior warning. Then you even had your people search us out,” my uncle said.

Lena waved it off. “Rather than that, it will take time to find a route through the Rift. Door or not. Do you have a place to stay yet?” she asked.

“The young woman we met this morning referred us to an inn a few streets over. We’ve not gone yet, however,” I said.

“A bright red building, on the corner,” my uncle added.

“Red Inn? I’ll make sure you two get rooms. The Rift’s been real active the last few days but it just started. It could be a week or more before a door opens,” she said.

“Yet you don’t need a door, do you?” I asked.

I’ve asked such a question to several people since we got here, but she’s most likely the best and most trustworthy source I’ve met so far.

“Doors are the safest routes, but that’s all… opinion, I think. Personally I believe your chance of survival is more dependent on the group or guide you’re with,” Lena said.

“What about those people on the streets, offering spots for caravans,” Uncle Buth brought up another question we had.

“Most are worthless. A few occasionally get through, but I’d call it luck more than anything else. A vast majority only go to RiftLand, leaving the last few hours of the journey to your own abilities,” Lena said.

“What’s rift land?” I asked.

“A town inside the Rift. On the other side, near the Lands of Power. It’s not the biggest, nor the safest, but thanks to it being so close to the other side it’s become a hotbed of activity. Enough Powers venture there to keep it safe, supposedly,” she explained.

Although thankful for the information, it made me realize how little we knew about the Rift and how to cross it. It seemed I was going to have to do a lot of research… was I going to be able to afford the time it took?

I hadn’t even known that there had been towns inside the Rift.

Wait…

“Supposedly…?” I asked.

Lena nodded. “I’ve not seen RiftLand myself. And to be honest I’ve not heard from anyone I trust yet if it exists or not. I can’t afford to believe everything I hear. It probably does exist, what with so many people coming and going nowadays, but…?” Lena shrugged.

Wonderful.

“I know the journey is… rough, but how dangerous is it honestly?” I asked.

“There’s not a single rumor or story that does it justice,” Lena said plainly, and I could tell by her eyes that she wasn’t really looking at me anymore.

Lost in thought, or…?

Lena then sat up a bit straighter, blinking lightly. “Oh my. Please forgive me, I can’t believe I forgot,” she said, standing quickly.

“Excuse me?” I felt my own back straighten as she hurried over to a nearby shelf. My uncle and I watched her grab a small wine bottle from behind a potted plant.

Before I could ask what the heck she was doing, and why, my uncle shot to his feet.

“It can’t be!” he rounded the desk, rather rudely, but Lena didn’t seem to mind as she handed him the bottle.

“A promise fulfilled. I’m sure my father regrets not sharing a glass with you, hopefully I make at least a modest replacement,” Lena said as she went to another shelf.

While Lena procured a set of drinking glasses, I watched my uncle lean against the desk to support himself as he stared at the bottle in his hand.

“Uncle?” I asked.

“Ah… before the night we marched to war, this is what we drank. It was all we could afford. All we could…” he began to mumble, too low for me to hear, but I got the gist of it. It was a drink that he and his friend had fond memories of. Or at least, it had importance to him.

Lena handed my uncle a glass, and turned to hand me one. I politely refused, and was glad she didn’t seem bothered by it.

I withheld a sigh as I watched my uncle open the bottle and pour its contents into their glasses.

Great.

I’ve kept him off liquor for the entire trip, and look what happens. Right at the defining moment.

I couldn’t say anything, especially since Lena herself seemed amused. Maybe she had inherited her father’s alcoholic desires, as well as his penchant for business.

Or, maybe… unlike most, she actually took joy in fulfilling a family member’s long lost wish.

“To family,” Lena said after my uncle finished pouring and placed the bottle down.

My uncle took a small breath, nodded, and clinked his glass to hers. “Family.”

While my uncle slowly drank the whole glass, I watched Lena take only a small sip. She stepped back, and went around her desk, back to her chair. She didn’t sit back down, and instead stood there.

Smiling to her as she held the glass, but refrained from drinking more, I hoped my uncle would…

Flinching as my uncle went to refill his now empty glass, I knew it was over.

It was too late.

The only question now was if he’d last through the meeting, or…

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“It took my father some time to track down that bottle. The family who ran that vineyard died during the war, and,” Lena seemed more than willing to go on, but she noticed that my uncle wasn’t listening.

This time it took him three gulps to empty his glass.

“Tastes just like I remember,” Uncle Buth said.

“It is a unique taste,” Lena said. I noted her tone.

She hadn’t found it very pleasant.

“Yes… your father had spat it out when we first…” Buth went quiet, staring at his glass.

Surely he wouldn’t…

He did. Refilling it once more, for the third time, I allowed a sigh to slip through.

Lena’s eyes didn’t move from my uncle, but she did notice. Her finger tapped her still full glass as we watched my uncle drink down the rest of the liquid.

Typical. I couldn’t even feel sorry for him. He’d say and swear that he was drinking because of memories, but I knew better.

No… maybe I shouldn’t be too harsh on him.

After all, Lena’s father had honestly been one of his closest companions.

Whenever Buth got drunk, he’d always babble about how he’d saved this woman’s father.

The only reason I had ever believed it, was because no matter how sober or drunk he was… the story never changed. Every little detail remained the same, always. And it was rather obvious, but it was also the only thing he believed to be…

It was the only thing he took pride in. In his whole life.

“I uh… do you mind if I go for a small walk?” Buth asked with his voice catching as he gulped.

Lena’s eyes narrowed a tad bit, but she gave a smile. “Of course. Right across the street is a large restaurant, let them know I sent you and they’ll provide you a seat,” she said.

“Why, thank you,” Buth said, and turned to leave.

He wouldn’t really…

Buth did. He not only walked past me without saying anything, but had even walked out with the bottle and glass still in his hands.

Doing my best to not yell, I hoped that bottle and the next few he found tasted horrible and made him sick.

No matter how sentimental you got, how could you abandon your niece here and now! She may be your friend’s daughter, but we have no idea who or what…

The heavy doors to the office shut silently as my uncle left, and I wondered if I should just follow.

Would she understand? Would I be able to meet her again? What if she refused to meet us again? Then I’d be unable to…

“My father had always said he couldn’t believe it,” Lena then said.

I startled at the voice, and turned to find Lena with a smirk

“Believe what?” I asked.

“That such a coward had saved him. He said he’d never have believed it had he not seen it himself,” she said, amused.

For a long moment I sat there, staring at her. She hadn’t changed… but something about her was different. Maybe she was more honest, or was it her smile?

“So he really did save your father, then,” I said.

Lena nodded as she sat back down. “He did.”

“Did he not also repay my uncle, many times over?” I further questioned.

“Personally, I believe so. But… what is a life worth? Some would give you an exact number of coins. Others…” she waved off her comment.

I stayed silent, mostly because I didn’t believe my uncle was really worth all of that.

Her father had given Buth a small fortune after the war. It took him less than two winters to lose it all, upon returning home. He had traded it for empty bottles.

Not that she’d know that.

“Nonetheless, I’d like to thank you. It really did break his heart to hear that your father was gone,” I said.

“Hm,” she made a small noise as she reached over and put her still full glass near the edge of her desk. Away from her, as if it was something she wanted to keep at a distance.

Sitting still, I watched as she went to staring at me. Studying me. Judging me.

“You’re a Power,” she finally stated.

Blasted Buth. Of all the men in the family to have survived the plague, it had to have been him.

He may have left because he got emotional, but I knew damn well where I’d find him later.

Reaching up, I firmly grabbed the small down brimmed hat that rested on my head. Lifting it a little so I could unhook the two small pins that hooked to my hair, I watched Lena calmly study me as I removed it.

“Hm. Figured. Your uncle, however…” that smirk returned as she studied me, and I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.

“He’s human. Like you,” I said.

“I see. Are you a half?” she asked.

“You can’t tell?” I asked, and hoped my question didn’t seem too forced.

“You don’t look it, but… I can’t imagine a full-blooded power would come groveling into my store, relying on a very old friendship with my father whose long dead. Either you’re a half, or on the run and hiding from the other powers here,” Lena said.

Great. What did I say to that?

“Well… All I can say is my mother wasn’t a half. I never knew my father, but that is why I’m here. Sitting before you,” I said.

Lena’s smirk grew a little, and I noticed how her scars moved alongside it. Somehow, instead of making her smile look misshapen, her scars made her look… More natural.

Had she been smiling when she had received those wounds?

“So you wish to cross the Rift to find your father?” she asked.

“Rather, to find any of my family. My mother is dead, everyone I called family has also passed away. Most thanks to the silver-plague. All that’s left is Uncle Buth… and…” I stopped talking, lest I said something I couldn’t take back.

“I see. Not the grandest reason, but you’re not the first power to want to go home. Usually, you’d be able to employ from their envoys, or military. Are… are you not able to utilize those routes?” Lena asked, carefully.

Careful indeed. She didn’t sound or look worried, but was obviously being cautious. Wonder why.

“I didn’t even know there were such things. Do you mean to say there’s a… embassy? Is it here? Can I go to it?” I asked.

“No. If you don’t know about them, then it doesn’t matter. There’s no official building, or anything like it, on this side of the Rift. You’d have to send a request through the Rift, to them on the other side. In all my years I’ve only heard of it, I’ve yet to actually see it… or them, for that matter,” Lena said as she drummed her fingers on the desk.

“So my only choices are guides or doors, then,” I said.

“Indeed. Regrettably, even after all these years. Though still better off than during my father’s time. Back then all we had was doors,” she said.

“No guides…?”

“Not back then. At least not like what they are today,” she said.

“Which option gives me the best chance of success? A door or a guide?”

“A large door is probably the safest. Passing through with as many people as possible. But safe doesn’t mean success. I’d bet more money on a good guide than a large door,” she said.

“That… doesn’t make much sense. Why would a large door be safer, but a guide be the better option?” I asked.

“More people mean more bodies. More chance that they’ll die before you will, alerting you to dangers. A good guide will be a small group, but you’ll be with someone who’s survived the Rift more than once. No matter their methods, they’re more likely to get to the other side. Odds of you being with them when they cross over, however,” she shrugged a little, as if it didn’t need to be said.

“Seems like there are only bad choices,” I said.

“And it will be your choice, Mint. I’ll help you, as far as I can. But thanks to the… risks involved, I’ll not make the choice for you. It wouldn’t be right. Spend some time, come to your own conclusion, and once you have, then…” Lena nodded, pleased with her own moral standard.

She had a right to be, honestly. It was better than most.

After all even my own uncle had only accompanied me once I offered him payment.

“How’d you do it?” I finally asked.

The scarred woman paused for a moment, but gave me a tiny smirk. It was becoming more apparent that her smirk was a smile, and was probably a full smile or something close to it. Her scars were just too prominent.

“I had a guide. A friend,” she said.

“A guide? Did you use a door?” I asked.

“No. He believes doors aren’t worth the headache. Though practically everyone else disagrees,” she said.

“Is this guide employable? If you vouch for him, then…” I started to say, but as I spoke her smile disappeared.

And stayed gone.

I didn’t like how she was looking at me, as if I was suddenly someone else.

“You don’t want to help me, do you?” I asked her.

Lena blinked, and shook her head. “But not because I don’t wish to. But rather, I think crossing the Rift is… foolhardy,” she said.

“Because of its dangers? Or is my purpose not good enough?”

“I’m not sure if you’re honest with your purpose, but it’s not the reason I’m hesitant. I’d say only one in a dozen survive the trip through the Rift. And of those who survive, a vast majority of them do so maimed or broken. And that’s not even taking into account the return trip,” she said.

“I don’t plan on a return trip, if that makes any difference,” I said.

“So it does…” she whispered.

“I would not have come this far, if I wasn’t serious. I know it’s a little rude, begging you for help under the circumstances… but I don’t have much a choice. I can’t trust the rumors, and I even more-so can’t trust my uncle to…” I stopped talking, as I realized what I was about to admit, openly.

Lena seemed to wait, as if she somehow had known already.

“I can’t trust my uncle to make the right choice. Especially not now. Your father said he was a coward, well now he’s an alcoholic coward. Can’t do anything without a bottle, and he’s thrice as useless with one in his hand,” I said.

Although I was disparaging my uncle, and the man who saved her father’s life… Lena still responded with a smile.

“He won’t even be going with me. I had just said that earlier, because I wasn’t sure what you’d say otherwise,” I added, deciding to just tell the truth.

“Oh, I knew. I saw the truth in his eyes when I asked the question,” she said.

Figures.

“Because of that, I’d really value a trustworthy guide. Or at least someone respectable,” I said.

“Well, the guides today are… just accessories, I’d say. In fact most aren’t true guides, just people who claim to be or…” she stopped talking, and then opened a drawer behind the desk. After a few seconds of rummaging around, I heard something metal clink as she pulled out a bundle of papers.

“Lena?” I asked, wondering what she was doing as she pulled out an odd looking quill.

“I just need to verify something,” she said as she began to write.

As she did, I noticed a faint glow come from the ink appearing on the paper.

Leaning forward, I felt a little silly as I watched another line of words appear on the paper. At this distance, and angle, I couldn’t make out what she was writing but I was more interested in the faint red glowing than the contents.

“Enchanted ink?” I wondered.

“Yes. The paper is too,” she said without looking at me.

It was quite a sight, really. The reddish hue was bright with words just written, but dull and dark in the words at the top of the paper. It was almost as if the quill was… smoldering, or burning, the words into the paper.

As she wrote in earnest, I wondered how much a single vial of that ink or a piece of those papers was worth.

I’d heard rumors of such things, but hadn’t believed most of them. Yet here they were, being used as if they were just an everyday thing.

Maybe here next to the Rift they were.

“There are a few companies I can reference you to, in the meantime. I’ll write some letters later and give them to you tomorrow,” she said as she wrote.

So she wasn’t writing said letters right now.

Those weren’t for me.

“I couldn’t ask for more, thank you,” I said.

“You could, actually. I hadn’t been born before your uncle saved my father. So in a sense, I’m only alive thanks to him,” she said with a glance.

She was younger than she looked. The war had been almost forty years ago.

“Honestly I’m not sure what to even ask for… A reference to a reputable guide, or method to cross the Rift, is all I want right now. So I am really grateful you’re willing to give such a thing to me,” I said honestly.

Lena paused in her writing to give me a look.

“Very power of you. We humans are rather greedy compared to your kind. It almost puts me on edge, as if you were scheming something,” she said finally.

I blinked, and wondered if something in my voice had sounded unthankful…

Before I could say anything she waved the quill at me.

“You’re fine. Though you should mind your thoughts, they’re quite clear on your face.”

“Are they?” I asked, touching my cheek.

“Quite so.”

That bothered me, since I had been trying my best…

“That all said… I’ll contact him. Krift is always very busy, though. It could take days just for a response, and there’s no telling if it’ll be a good one,” she said.

Krift? The guide she spoke of, likely.

“I understand. Thank you,” I said.

“Honestly it won’t sit right with me otherwise. I was raised to repay everything. Insults as well as kindness, as my father would say,” she said.

“The risk is on me, I know I’m doing something foolish… if that makes it any better,” I said.

“I’ll not send you to your death. But I’ll respect your decision, and aid you once you make it. It will take me a few days to get a response, so if you choose to join a caravan, hire a guide or use a door… I’ll not be able to do anything but offer my advice. If you wait, however, I might be able to offer a little more,” she said as she wrote.

“Thank you, Lena. I’m willing to wait, especially if it’s just a few days. Odds are it’ll take longer than that for me to find a route anyway,” I said.

Only a few days though… since I doubted I’d be able to afford anything more than that.

“Good. I won’t promise anything, but… I’ll do what I can,” she said.

“I appreciate that…” I said, and meant it.

“Is it just you and your uncle here?” she then asked.

“Yes. As I said, the rest of our family died with the plague,” I said.

“Hm. I recommend staying around here, for now. If his response doesn’t come soon or it’s a bad one, I’ll find someone to help you search for a guide,” she said, without looking away from the papers.

“Staying around here?” I asked.

Lena glanced up at me for just a brief moment. “RiftWarren is a dangerous place. Especially for a power. Even doubly so for one as young as you. In fact only a few months ago a power was murdered a few streets away. In broad daylight. The city has been cleaned up and become more orderly… but there are still plenty of shadows lurking behind all the corners. This district is safe enough, but if you go too far from this area it gets dangerous,” she warned.

“I see. Thank you for telling me,” I said, and hoped that my uncle really was just suffering from emotions. If it was that dangerous here, I needed him.

She nodded, and I knew it was time for me to go. She was still writing, and had gone silent.

“I better go. Before my uncle drinks me into debt,” I said.

“If he made it across the street, it’s all on the house. I own it,” Lena said.

Pausing for a moment, I nodded. I found her charity odd and concerning, and wasn’t going to forget her generosity… but I wasn’t in the position to turn it down either.

Standing, I took one last glance around her office. I wanted to examine each book, peer into each cupboard and scour the shelves… but there was no way she’d let me do that. Nor did I really need to. I had other things I needed to focus on.

“I’ll have you summoned with a letter when I have an answer. Stay near the Red Inn until then. It could be a few days,” she said as I headed for the door.

“Thank you, Lena. Hopefully, unlike my uncle, I’ll be able to repay you. And rightfully deserve it,” I said as I opened the door.

Lena only nodded as she continued writing… with more of a concerned face, than a focused one.