Nami was quite confused when she woke up the next morning. The sunlight shone through her eyelids and she could not recall the last time she had not woken up at dawn. She opened her eyes to find the sun was above the trees and was already starting to climb. She sat up and found Kin was still lying beside her, undressed, and had been cuddling her in their sleep. She pushed a loose strand of hair from his eyes and smiled down indulgently at her best friend. He muttered something inaudible and rolled over, facing away from her.

She giggled and decided to give him a moment, getting up from the bed and putting on her clothes. She then went into another room to try and tame her hair. When she came back into the room, she found Kin is now awake, stripping off the bandage and the dock leaf.

“Checking the damage?” Nami asked as she sat down on the other side of the bed.

She saw Kin pull away from the leaf and found a very small purple splotch on Kin’s stomach. He touched the spot and only winced a little. “Better than I had hoped for. At least this isn’t gonna set us back.”

Nami snorted, her mood fouling. “Oh yes, let’s look on the bright side. At least you’re not bedridden from the pain. Ignoring the fact you are still injured.”

Kin looked down at the floor before he responded, “I’m sorry Nami, I know you hate it when I get hurt. I didn’t mean to make light of it.”

Nami sighed, not meaning to have snapped at him like that. “No, I’m sorry, love,” She moved over and hugged him. “I cannot stand the idea of you getting hurt. You have to take it easy today, even though the bruise has faded well.”

Kin accepted the hug and she could feel his gentle hands rubbing her back. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll promise to take it easy today.”

Nami nodded and broke their hug. “Good. Now, as much as I love seeing you shirtless, we need to meet up with Hugh.”

Kin winked at her and put his shirt on, wincing as the leather touched his wound. Nami turned away to not feed his ego with her blush. “Faster or there will be consequences.”

Kin chortled in response and when she turned around she found he finished. The villagers gave back their bedroll before they slipped into bed. Picking up their gear, the two of them headed off into the main part of the house. They found the house deserted except for some food left on the table for them. They had a modest breakfast on the supplied food and slipped out once they finished. Growing up so close to a village, they knew everyone would be about their tasks already.

Kin turned to face the lake and wrapped an arm around Nami’s waist. “Better we go, I think. Unless you fancy helping catch some fish.”

Nami scowled at Kin and elbowed him in the side, though she was careful to be more gentle than normal. “I hate fish,” Nami shuddered at the thought of the flopping little things. “Yes, let’s get as far away from here as we can. While I would like to check on the injured woman, I doubt she will be up to visitors.”

"Right. We can try to visit her on the way back from the ordeal." Kin pointed out. "Let's get you as far away from the flopping things as possible."

They turned and headed off towards the forest, the sound of her partner’s laughter lingered as they left.

***

An hour later, Kin and Nami found the hut that belonged to Hugh. Nami was quite upset by this point, as finding the hut had not been easy in the slightest. After getting lost twice, Nami had doubled back and tracked the huge man back to his hut. His moccasins left very little trace to follow, but his bulk helped even that out. Kin, knowing her well enough to know her moods, knocked on the hut door.

The door swings open and the large man himself pokes his head out, he beamed down at the pair. He now has a leather tunic that matches his pants.

“Welcome to my home, lad, and lass. Come on in, please don’t mind the clutter.” He withdrew further into the house and Nami wasted no time following. The inside of the hut is modest, with a bed in one corner, a fireplace on the back wall, and a table for eating. Nami spotted the large ornate battle-ax Hugh had used against the shadowy monsters. Hugh took out a dark bottle and popped off the top and a smell of blackberries struck Nami’s nose. He poured three glasses and passed two of them to his young guests. The liquid was dark as the bottle and Nami took a sip. The taste of blackberries was pleasant on her tongue.

“Let me know your honest opinion,” The large man puffed out his chest in pride. “I have been aging that wine for a couple of years now.”

Nami spied Kin to lick his lips to get as much of the liquid off. “It is really good, Hugh, though I have not had enough wine to give an opinion. I do love it though.”

Nami took another drink. “I can’t give you one either, but this is better than the apple wine the village sometimes makes.”

She saw Hugh look away. “Ah well, I was afraid that might be the case, but you never know. I had hoped that you were from one of the wine-making villages in the north.”

Nami felt sorry for the big man and gave him a warm smile. “Sorry, we come from the Harvestville area to the west.”

“Been a long spell since I had been over that way. I should stop in there at some point and check on the area. So, did you learn anything interesting?”

Nami ran a hand through her hair before responding, “We did. Strange men were seen on the edge of the village before the shard appeared. There is a good chance it's the same bandits my partner fought in Rootford. There was a shard there too but they broke it before anything happened.”

Kin got up and paced before the table. “Which could mean this attack might even be my fault. How many would have died if this attack had happened in Rootford?”

The large man finished his wine before putting his oversized mug down with a bang. “No, lad. Something like a Shade Shard is not something you would use for petty revenge. This is something far more sinister.”

Nami saw Kin freeze before both turned their attention to Hugh. “Wait, you know what that black shard was?”

Hugh rubbed his beard. “Oh, yes. I have seen a living Shade Wolf with my own eyes. Usually, it fires those shards into the bodies of other canines and takes control of them. What we fought was a watered-down version of the true beast, but they are still dangerous.”

Nami felt tears sting her eyes at the thought. “Do you think they have more of those?” She asked, her voice a little hoarse.

“Count on it,” Hugh’s response sent a way of cold fear through her body. She felt Kin’s hand go to her head and stroked her hair. “This needs to be addressed, and soon.”

Nami saw Kin’s eyes grow hard with determination. She swallowed her fear. Had this been how Kin had felt in Rootford? She took two long breaths before rising. “We want to help. Elder Applebeer gave us a mission to alert the Dove base already about the situation.”

Hugh sized them up for a moment. “As far as I am concerned, you both proved yourselves to me yesterday. I try to stay out of the squabbles of people, but not this time. Those fools upset the natural order. I am honor-bound to fight them. It would please me to no end if you two would fight by my side.”

“Count on us, Hugh.” Kin replied as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. “It will be an honor to fight beside you as well.”

The large man rose from the table and took down his ax. “Well, no time like the present then. We can head for Heartsville now, and camp at dark. Even if we went non-stop there, we wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow anyway.”

“Hey, Hugh,” Kin interjected, his voice nervous, “Can you train with me tonight? I would feel better if I could polish my skills a bit more before the battle.”

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Nami watched Hugh give the boy a soft pat on the shoulder. “Of course, lad, if that will help ease your mind. I will need a training weapon.”

Nami giggled at Kin’s crestfallen face at the news. “How easy you forget, Kin, that I am an expert carver. I can fix something up for the two of you before we camp tonight.”

Kin gave Nami a brilliant grin that made her heart race. “Thanks, you’re the best.”

“Ah, young love,” Hugh remarked. “Let’s get moving.”

They filed out and Hugh closed the door. Soon the group headed off towards Heartsville.

***

The day passed in companionable silence as they returned to the road and headed east. Nami could tell Hugh was holding back his pace for them and she was very grateful. He was so tall, he could leave them in his dust without trying. Every so often, a bird would flap down and land on the man’s outstretched arm and sing at him for a bit before flying off. After the third time, she could no longer contain her curiosity.

“Hey, Hugh, why do all those birds keep coming to you?”

Hugh raised an eyebrow at her. “Had I not said I am sworn to uphold the natural order? I have some rapport with the beasts of the woods and can communicate with them to some degree. These little ones are saying their hellos but sometimes they bring me tidings of danger in the woods. Like what happened yesterday while I was chopping firewood. I grabbed my ax and came running.”

Kin chuckled and earned a look from Hugh. “Sorry, we were both wondering why you came up without a shirt on. It made a great first impression, mind.”

Hugh chortled before replying, “oh, yes well I was in a hurry and didn’t think to grab my shirt at all. I do not as a rule run into a melee half-dressed, though I could if I wanted. I’m very hard to injure, you see.”

“Well, that’s useful.” Nami grinned as she scanned the side of the road for materials for the training weapons she promised. “Those bandits might just give up when they get a look at you.”

The large man sobered up at these words. “I would love that outcome but we can’t be counting on it. More often than not, this Bjorg you told me of has them all so scared they will not even consider surrender as an option. Be ready for a fight.”

Kin sighed. “Why does it have to be this way? We do well enough in the Dale. Everyone works together. Why do some people turn to stealing and hurting people?”

Hugh paused and looked up at the sky. “I have often asked this question myself. I have yet to hear an answer. But my brother used to say because people are free to choose their path, they can be selfish. You may find the answer to this one day, maybe you won’t. But you have to remember there is good honest folk out there that need protection.”

Nami found herself nodding in agreement with the hermit. “So what you’re saying is, these men picked their path, and now all we can do is protect others from that choice?”

Hugh beamed at her. “You’ve got it, lass. Now, let’s get going, we got some ground to cover before camp yet. And don’t worry, stick with me during the raid, you both will be fine. We will get you both through your first big battle. The first is always worse.”

The teens shared a weak smile but resumed their walk with Hugh.

***

That night before they set up camp, Hugh had halted them and bowed to look at some animal scat on the road. He examined it for a long moment before rising. “A deer nearing the end of her life nearby. We should hunt her to end her suffering and provide dinner for us.”

Nami blinked, shocked at the man's ability. “You got that from some droppings?"

Hugh’s lips pulled up into a half-smile. “It takes some time to learn what signs to look for. No offense to our kinsman, but I only partake of meat when doing so is a mercy to the creature. I do enjoy meat so learning what to look for helps out quite a bit.”

Nami could not think of a reason to decline and drew her bow but Hugh shook his head. He waved for the two to wait for him and headed off into the woods. Soon, he came back dragging the body of a dead doe. Her neck looked snapped and her head was at a strange angle.

“Did you do that with your hands?” Kin asked in disbelief.

“Aye, lad,” Hugh responded as he took out a rope from his pack and began to hang her from a tree. “Now, help me butcher this kill and we can make camp here. We need to prepare and salt as much of the meat as we can tonight so it does not go to waste.”

Nami rolled up her sleeves and joined in. Soon, they had a fire going and were roasting the meat on hot rocks. Kin and Hugh were tending the meat, while Nami was standing watch. She was whittling on Hugh’s training ax, having finished Kin’s sword earlier. When they finished, she took a break and walked over, and handed the weapons to the guys. Kin and Hugh admired her handy work.

“Wow, lass,” Hugh remarked, “you are good at making things. The lad told me you made his shield too.”

Nami blushed at the praise. “It’s just something I have always done. I have always loved working with wood and leather. I made the hilt and scabbard for Kin’s sword too.”

Hugh looked over to Kin’s blade, propped on the rock its master was sitting on. Nami saw he gave it an admiring look. “So, it was a group effort then? I can see it is important to both of you. If my brother was still living, he could tell more. He had this way with objects I’ve never seen since. Still, that’s a tale for another night. Lass, why don’t you get some shut-eye. I and the lad will keep an eye on the camp and the meat while we train.”

Nami wanted to disagree but could feel the exhaustion of the road was taking its toll. “Oh, alright. I’ll go and lay down. If you two need me, please wake me up.”

Once they had both promised, Nami went and pulled out the bedroll from Kin’s pack. His jacket was sitting nearby. On an impulse, she slipped a throwing knife into it. Soon, she was slipping off to sleep.

***

The next morning was overcast and looked as if rain might be coming later in the day. Hugh remarked that it would be fine, they would be in Heartsville long before any rain fell. They packed up the camp and were off along the road once more. They had a little bit of excitement that morning. A pack of wolves stepped out of the forest, likely smelling the cooked meat in their packs. These were normal wolves, not the shadowy ones from the village. Nami saw Kin go for his sword but Hugh again stopped them with a gesture. He stepped forward and growled at the wolves. Immediately, the wolves halted their advance and backed up from the large man. They did not turn their backs to him until they were in the woods and they ran as fast as they could away.

“What did you tell them, Hugh?” Kin asked in wonder.

Hugh shook his head. “Sorry lad, maybe I will tell you when you’re a bit older. My old ma would’ve washed my mouth out if she heard what I told those wolves.”

Nami giggled at the disappointed look on her fiance’s face. “It would be a neat trick but I think we should trust him on this one, love.”

Kin reached over and ran a hand through her hair, causing her to fall into a fit of blushes. “Alright.” He gave Nami a wink and Hugh burst out laughing.

“You two are fun,” Hugh said as his laughter died down. “Come on, we are almost there.”

Nami saw he was correct as an hour later, they came to the top of an incline leading down into a mass of buildings. Nami stood, stunned by the sheer mass of Heartsville, it sprawled for a good mile. Four roads were running from the city, one in each cardinal direction. Nami felt Kin take her hand for support.

“So many people, so many houses.” Kin mutters in amazement. Nami was unable to reply, she can only gulp in some air as she tried to regain her composure.

Hugh winked at the pair. “Oh, if you think this is big, wait until you see Crater City, kids. It makes Heartsville look like Rootford.”

Nami could not process this information. She decided to stash this information away for a time when she could handle it. She slapped both cheeks to bring her out of the stupor she was in.

“Right. Let’s get down there and alert the Doves to what is going on.” She began to walk down the hill when Hugh stopped her.

“Hold on, lass. We will need to split up for a bit. I need to do some errands in the town. One of you needs to get the blessing of the temple as well as telling the Doves. We could use a cleric to come with us to tend to any wounds we get in the battle.”

Nami saw Kin’s eyes go to the temple in the distance. “I want to check out the temple,” Kin declared. “I’ll take care of that if you're alright with that Nami.”

Nami smiled and agreed. “Sure Kin, I would rather meet with the Doves. Meet up at the inn after we're done?”

Kin stepped in and kissed her on the lips, soft and gentle. “Promise. See you later.” With that, Kin headed off down the hill. Nami stood there for a moment, lost in heaven. Finally, Hugh coughed and woke her from her bliss. She blushed and rushed down the hill, hearing the giant man laugh as she went.

***

Nami surveyed the town laying before her with longing. Her pulse raced at the sight of a new place and she longed to roam its streets with Kin. She sighed in resignation, the mission had to come first. She could not indulge in this selfish desire right now. She vowed that on the way back home, she would make sure she and Kin had a nice date in the town. She forced herself to continue towards her goal. Her destination was a fenced area on the northwest side of town. The Doves had erected a massive pavilion in the center of the area. There were a series of smaller pavilions set up against the walls. She smiled as she saw some fresh recruits, boys, and girls around her age. They rushed about as they drilled, a grizzled older man barking orders. Gami had taught her how to identify Dove ranks and her eyes drew to his lapels. A dove on a silver star. She could tell the man was a Patroller First Class, the highest rank a field agent could hold. She strolled up to stand a distance from the drills, trying to not disturb the recruits. Soon, the man called the drill to a halt and the grateful teens dropped to the dirt to catch their breaths. He then approached her. She could see his hair was starting to gray, he had a large scar over his left eye and was as tall as her father. The man stopped and gave her a once over, his deep golden orbs gleamed in the light.

“Well, what do we have here? An exchange patroller from up north?” The man had a voice made for command, he was loud and his voice carried well. Nami resisted the urge to snap to attention. Then his right eyebrow rose. “Wait, that jacket looks familiar. Do you know Gami?”

“Aye sir, she is my mentor. She gave me this jacket right before I left on my Ordeal a few days ago.”

“Ah, I see. I heard Gami had a couple of village kids she had taken a shine to. Shame you are not here to join up, you already look like a seasoned patroller.”

Nami grimaced. “I'm afraid I bulk under orders, sir, I'd likely get discharged. For telling a superior exactly where he could shove his commands.”

The man threw his head back in a roar of laughter and offered his hand. “Oh, I see why Gami likes you, girl. Patroller First Class, Simeon Gray, at your service. Welcome to Fort Heart.”

Nami stepped in and clasped his forearm. “Pleasure is mine, my name is Nami Forgewood. I bring news from Shore Village to the west about recent bandit activity.”

Simeon’s smile soured at these words. “More bandits, they are starting to become a plague. Well, you should go and tell the Fort Captain. He is inside Central Pavilion.” Simeon jerked his head at the tent.

Nami touched her fist to her breast in salute. “Thank you, Patroller Gray. May the Lady shelter you in your battles.”

“You too, Forgewood.” Simeon turned back to his recruits.

Nami headed into the large tent and found a single person inside. He had light skin and black hair with a short beard. His eyes were the Emerald Green of a Green Phoenix. He had his tongue poking his cheek as he worked on some paperwork. A very unusual combination actually and it was very striking. Nami stopped before the desk, unsure if the captain had noticed her come in. Eventually, he placed down the quill and looked up at her. He rose and offered his hand.

“Hello miss, my name is Dyric Stormson. I am the Fort Captain of this outpost. What can I do for you?”

Nami again took the offered wrist in a clasp. “My name is Nami Forgewood, I have been tasked with carrying news for you from Shore Village.”

“Ah yes, I still need to get over there and visit one of these days. Part of a captain’s duties is to personally introduce themselves to the locals they protect. But things have been so busy since I was assigned here. the chance has not arisen,” He shook his head and grabbed a quill and dipped it in some ink. “What have you got for me?”

Nami described the events that unfolded at the little fishing village. She heard the quill scrap across the parchment. Dyric looked up, his eyes sharp with anger.

“You’re telling me that these bandits used a Shade Shard against the village?”

So intense was the anger in those eyes, Nami felt the cold grip of fear and was unable to respond at first. She inhaled, reminding herself that he was not angry at her until she calmed down.

“Forgive me,” the captain looked sheepish, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I told the Elder Council in Crater City something like this would happen. Curses on Eerika for not listening.”

“Why are you so upset though, I have a formal request for you to deal with the matter. Won’t that allow you to deal with it?” Nami asked, worried about the captains decision.

Dyric sighed and paced before his desk, hands behind his back. “This is exactly what I need. But I sent out most of my forces on the summer patrols. It’s just me and Simeon here for the next fortnight.”

Nami coughed. “You have five. Myself, my partner Kin, and our friend Hugh would like to volunteer to help.”

Dyric froze and whirled, his eyes sparkling with delight. “Hugh? Hugh the Hermit? He’s here?”

“Yes?” Nami asked, confused at his shift in mood. “You know him?”

“Well no,” Dyric admitted as he set back down. “Hugh is pretty famous to us Doves. If he is on our side, we have a solid chance. But still, we can’t tackle an entire bandit gang with five.”

“What can we do about that?”

Dyric kicked himself up and grabbed a staff leaning against the wall of the pavilion. “I’ll show you. Come on, Nami. We got work to do. Those bandits' days are numbered.”

Nami cocked a smile and followed Dyric as he marched from the pavilion. She was starting to like their chances in this battle.