"So how'd you jump up into the air like that? Was it a spell?" Aidan asks, shuffling around in front of me excitedly, "And how'd you float?!"

I stop in my tracks, sighing. Maeve and Aisling are nowhere in sight - but then again, I've only just managed to get through the city's gate. Luckily, Aidan managed to get them to open it for him, and I slipped through with him. Though, I wouldn't have been so delayed if he hadn't attacked me - I have to tell myself that it balances out, somehow.

"The ring lets me jump higher, the boots let me float." I say, gesturing towards the ring and then my boots. He looks a little disappointed to learn that I didn't use skills to perform those feats.

"You're probably wondering about my crossbow skills, right?" He grins, spinning it around in his hand.

"You're a Cirix." I say flatly, "I wasn't expecting ice."

"Oh!~" He leans back, dramatically putting a hand to his forehead as I walk past, "You wound me!" With a giggle, he sprints ahead once more. "So we're on the lookout for two dwarves, huh?"

"Maeve and Aisling Gobha." I add.

"Gobha? Like Cairbre Gobha? The Pioneer?"

I nod.

"Gods, seriously?" After a minute, he gawps at something in the distance, "Think I see 'em over there!"

I know I said he'd be useful, Sybil, but I think his chatter's gonna kill me... Stella whines, Can you gag him with something? Actually - why are you letting him come along? You were so insistent about Maeve and Aisling...

It's a bit selfish, I say, but he must have some decent senses. He could really be useful in Ashglen.

My goodness... She says, When did the apprentice become so pragmatic and calculating? For some reason, there's a hint of pride to her words.

I'm not wrong about his senses, though. I can't see even a hint of the two when he calls them out, and I'm left to follow him blindly. But within a minute or so, I finally see Maeve and Aisling, just as he said. I have a feeling that even if they were further away, he'd be able to spot them. Not to mention, the sun has already set... His eyes are something else.

It's only a few minutes more before I'm reunited with the duo.

"Sybil!" Aisling says, looking over at Aidan with a worried expression on her face. "Who's this boy, then?"

"Aidan Cirix." I say, "He's going to be joining us."

"That's all the introduction I get?" Aidan groans, "After our grand duel?" That raises an eyebrow or two, and he addresses the pair directly. "The name's Aidan Cirix! I'm an expert arbalist. Adeline's my cousin, so I decided I'd tag along!"

"What was that about a duel?" Maeve asks.

"He thought he would try to interrogate me."

"Question." He says, "I really, really do prefer question!"

"If I hadn't avoided his attack, though, I probably would've died..." I mutter out.

He looks away bashfully, "I.. Trusted... That you would avoid it..."

"Right." Aisling says, "So yer a shoot first, ask questions later sort o' fella." She nods, "I get it, mind, but ye really do need t'pick yer battles. Seems like ye picked wrong."

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"I'm sorry," Maeve begins, "but ye mean t'say that 'e tried to kill ye, but now we're travelin' with 'im?"

"He..." I rub my brow, sighing, "I don't think that he actually meant to kill me... And the rumors he's heard about me are..." I bite my lip, struggling with the next word, "Gruesome."

Aidan puts his hands together, only to move them apart with a squelching noise from his mouth. After the two give him a look, he nervously puts his hands back down, "Y-yeah! Yeah, more or less that!" He sputters out, clearing his throat, "I mean, those Hunters really hate your guts, even though they think you're dead. They were calling you a witch and everything..."

"Yeah." I say, "I suppose they would."

He didn't mean to, but he's prodded at a sore wound - one that's barely even begun to heal over. That battle was brutal, unbelievably so. I can still remember the feeling of that woman's insides on my hands as [Forcethorn Burst] ripped her apart at-

"-Sybil, the map?"

I blink, looking over at the one who called my name - Maeve. "Yeah?" I say, my breath slowly steadying out again. "Yeah..." I grab ahold of a strap going across my shoulder, taking off the satchel Cairbre gave me - named Málamórán. I unbutton one of its pockets, reaching inside. It was unusual the first time, and it still is.

The pockets are larger on the inside, far larger. The bag can hold a lot of things inside of its pockets, and it hardly affects how much it weighs. Among all the things Cairbre gave me, this might be the most useful one - save for Tanascáil.

From the inside of the bag, I fish out a rolled up piece of paper - a map of Hyperion. Unrolling it, I hold it out for everyone to see.

"So long as we follow the mountainside, Ashglen will come into view before long. It should only be a few days' travel." I say.

Everyone nods, and I put the map away once again. The satchel goes right back on my hip, the strap resting comfortably on my shoulder.

"Just to be safe, we'll travel for a few hours and then rest." I've experienced just how poorly the body deals with waking up in the middle of the night. It would be beneficial for us to be nocturnal for this, but it would only be a detriment in the long run. Long nights spent studying my master's teachings engrained how utterly terrible the resulting mind-haze is.

And so the four of us, where I only expected there to be three, begin walking along the rugged terrain - along the sprawling peaks that contain Tirsollain. Only a couple of hours in, Aidan bemoans his choice of footwear, and I think I see Aisling holding herself back from laughing.

By the fourth hour of walking, the moon hangs high up, looking down below at all of us. It's then that I decide we should make camp for the evening. The area is relatively flat, and the grass isn't quite as high. It should make for a comfortable enough spot.

From the satchel, I retrieve everyone's bedrolls - and by everyone, I mean to say Maeve and Aisling - tossing them over toward them. Aidan looks over at me awkwardly, like a lost puppy.

"E-err.. Have you got a spare?" He asks.

I do have another, but it's meant for Adeline. I furrow my brow and sigh, reaching into the satchel once more. I pass it off to him, and he grins, "Thanks a million, Sybil!"

Soon, everyone has prepared their bedding. But first, we need to eat. Perhaps out of instinct, or perhaps because his hunger has just so happened to strike him at this exact moment, Aidan leans down, addressing the group.

"So, what're we eating?"

"Have ye got nothin' of yer own?" Aisling asks.

He recoils, his hands raised up protectively, "S-sorry..." He smiles nervously, "I, umm... Sort of used up all my rations on the way to Grymgate..."

Maeve sighs, but I turn to face the rest of them. "We have more than enough - it's fine." And in the worst case scenario, we can just hunt. Adeline and I had to do that for weeks. A few days shouldn't kill us...

I hand everyone a small linen pouch, filled with hardtack, dried meat, and some dried fruit - I think the meat is pork this time around. We aren't eating in luxury, but it's something. And all in all, it could be far worse. Aidan, for his part, unveils the contents of his pouch, and a grin overtakes him once more.

"These are way better than the rations I had!" He says, "How much did these cost?"

"These're on the cheaper side." Aisling says, "You lot in Hyperion're just worse at preparing yer ingredients."

Aidan laughs, and then makes a satisfied sound as he takes a bite of his jerky, "Woah~ I gotta visit Tirsollain..."

"If we survive this, I'll show ye around. This is nothin' compared to the actual food." Aisling smirks.

The conversing continues, a warmth overtaking the group slowly but surely. It almost distracts me from the task ahead. Another hour passes before we all finally get to sleep for the evening, tucked away snugly in our bedrolls.