“Th-This is where you live?” Malori exclaimed, her mouth hanging open in awe at the manor, “I-It’s as big as the Church of Carys!”

Ingrid scratched the back of her neck. “I did say I lived in a manor. I grew up here, I suppose I didn’t have much of a point of reference for living anywhere else,” she laughed awkwardly.

Malori turned to her, practically bouncing with a million different questions. “It’s p-probably twice the size of the orphanage I grew up in! A-and you said it was just you, your brother and sister, and two servants? Th-there were almost twenty children at the orphanage, and five c-caretakers!” she spouted, almost stumbling over the words as Ingrid unlocked the gate.

She had sent Chimsley ahead during their second round of healing to get the ingredients for dinner, more than trusting him to select the best ones. That way, she wouldn’t have to bore Malori with walking around the market. If she didn’t get out much, it might have saved her from getting ripped off too.

“Around the manor itself is the garden,” Ingrid pointed out as they entered. “Druidkeepers work a lot with plants, obviously, so part of the training includes caring for it. I’m allowed to use magic to communicate with the plants, but not to help them grow. I think Instructor Owen described it as the need to understand them even without magic, which would make spells even stronger. That and the usual discipline routine,” She explained happily.

Malori nodded along, surveying the countless different types of flowers. “A-And you take care of all of th-them on your own?”

“Yes, having a servant tend to them would kind of defeat the purpose. I try to take my training seriously, so no shortcuts,” she said proudly. Her new friend’s eyes seemed transfixed on a section of the garden occupied by white, six petaled flowers with small clusters of dark brown stamen sticking up from them. Ingrid smiled. “Do you like those ones?”

“H-Huh? Oh, um, y-yes. I think they look r-rather pretty,” Malori said with a light blush.

“I think it’s fitting, given their meaning and what I’ve seen from you so far,” she said cheekily.

“W-What do you mean by that?” the shorter girl seemed slightly defensive as she asked.

“I didn’t mean anything bad by it. Those are lilies. They have a couple meanings, but two in particular for the white ones are innocence and purity,” she gave a warm smile, patting Malori on the head. “Plus, they match your hair!” Ingrid made a mental note that it was nice to have a friend that was actually shorter than her. Alice teased her for her height far too much.

Malori’s eyes went wide with curiosity. “I-I had read about f-flower meanings before. It w-wasn’t substantial, but there were a f-few. I think it’s a f-fascinating concept.”

“That’s something we can agree on. Flowers can say things much better than we can with our words sometimes,” she said fondly.

Ingrid stopped their walk to the doors, taking a moment to say a prayer to the statue of Nilin. She felt bad that she hadn’t been able to say it before going out, but she had been in a bit of a rush. She had also missed the chance to say it at the temple of Nilin in the religious district. Her cheeks felt hot as she realized how improper it was for a Druid to go through such an important holy site without so much as a word of prayer. She hoped that the priest she had met didn’t think less of her for it. Malori waited patiently as she finished, no doubt being familiar with the practice of saying a prayer when passing a likeness of a deity one worshiped. Giving a quick nod of thanks, Ingrid led Malori forward and opened the doors of the manor for her.

The awe that had been in Malori’s eyes returned almost instantly as she looked at the ornate foyer. The beautifully woven carpet going from the door to the stairs, ordained with designs of various flowers and fairies fluttering around them caught Malori’s attention. So much so that she didn’t even notice Chimsley approach.

“Hello Lady Alvar, and Lady Leblanc as well,” he said in his gentle, gravely voice.

Malori yelped in surprise, jumping a little at his sudden appearance. “Oh! Um, h-hello! I-it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Chimsley smiled and bowed. “Nonsense, Lady Leblanc. The pleasure is all mine. My name is Chimsley, Lady Alvar’s personal aide. She has instructed me to treat you with as much favor as I do her.”

Malori gave a surprised look to Ingrid. “R-Really?”

Ingrid nodded. “Of course. Like I said, you’re a guest here!” she said happily, “Chimsley, did you start on dinner yet? I figured we could eat, then have tea and dessert in the garden afterwards.”

“I started as soon as I saw you at the gate, Lady Alvar,” he responded confidently, “Tea and dessert sounds like a wonderful idea. Do you have any requests, Lady Leblanc? Lady Alvar is partial to sticky chocolate cake. It has become a specialty of mine.”

Her eyes went wide. “Ch-chocolate cake sounds wonderful…” she trailed off, still seemingly in shock from all of this.

Ingrid laughed. “Well, I’m not going to say no if you want it. Would you like me to show you around the house? It shouldn’t be too long until dinner, and I can introduce you to my brother!” she offered. She leaned down a bit to Malori’s height, giving a sly smile. “You know, he’s around your age,” she said in a teasing voice.

Malori’s face took on a shade of red that Ingrid was fairly certain would make a dragon jealous. She launched into a chain of noises and syllables that sounded like someone desperately trying to formulate words, yet coming up short on all of them. After a solid minute of trying to make one, she gave up, simply burying her face in her hands.

Ingrid couldn’t help but laugh, having to hold her sides at the over the top reaction. Once she had calmed down, she put a hand on Malori’s shoulder. “Ah, sorry, your reaction was just too good,” she gasped, “My cheeks hurt! Alright, I’m sorry about that. Truthfully though, I think you and him will get along.”

“A-Alright. S-sorry…” she whimpered, the embarrassment clearly still there. She managed to remove her hands from her face, and the blush receded a little bit. Ingrid felt a little bad at teasing her. Chimsley bowed and excused himself, going to finish dinner, leaving the two girls to their time.

Ingrid led Malori to the stairs, heading up them. “My room and Mattias’s are both over to the right, and my sister’s is to the left,” she left a small pause, “It uh, might be best if we wait until dinner for you to meet my sister. As you saw, she’s not in the best place today.”

Malori nodded, wordlessly following along. A bit of guilt hit Ingrid’s heart. Maybe she had come on a little too strong. The best she could do now was make sure she gave a normal introduction and hope Malori wouldn’t hold it against her.

Awkwardly clearing her throat, she walked over to Mattias’s door. Strangely enough, the shadows in the hallway and around the door weren’t warped or distorted. Maybe he was actually taking her advice and taking a break for once? There was a first for everything after all.

“Mattias, I’m home!” she chimed, rapping her knuckles on the wooden door, “And I have a guest today. Come meet her!”

There was a silent pause as usual, but there was no sound of shifting papers or materials. The two waited for a little longer, before Malori spoke up. “Um, is he sh-shy?” she asked quietly.

Ingrid tilted her head. “I mean, yes, but never like this,” she muttered. She knocked on the door again. “Mattias, is everything alright in there?”

No response again.

Ingrid clicked her tongue. She looked down at Malori, then back at the door. “Mattias, I’m getting worried. Really, can you please at least answer? You know I’m not going to be mad if you just aren’t in a people mood right?” she said, the worry becoming clear in her voice.

Once again, there was no response. The only sound was Ingrid nervously tapping her foot.

After another minute of silence, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Mattias! I’m coming in!” she called out, before checking the handle. Her heart sank as it was unlocked. If he just didn’t want to talk to people, then there was no reason why it would be.

She opened the door, not surprised to find everything dark. Marching directly over to the windows, she opened the drapes, then looked around the room. Mattias was nowhere to be found. Ingrid froze.

This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t even hear Malori calling her name as she sprinted to the baths, hurling the door open to look inside. Finding nothing, she ran to the closet next. Empty.

“This, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening,” she panted, her breathing starting to speed up. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her ears. Where could he have gone? Why did he leave? What was happening. She took a step backwards as her head started to spin, before Malori spoke up.

“I-Ingrid? There’s a n-note on the desk!” her voice was concerned, but in a way that sounded like she was looking to help.

Ingrid’s head snapped to Malori, who was standing by Mattias’s desk. She was pointing at a piece of paper that appeared to be folded. She dashed to the desk, giving a small apology as she almost slammed into Malori. Her heart kept pounding. Her mind was racing with what felt like a hundred different possibilities, each more outlandish and terrifying than the last. Ingrid grabbed the paper and opened it. It was Mattias’s handwriting.

“Ingrid, I found it! All of the answers are in Reach. I’m going there now.”

She read the letter over and over again, hoping that there was something more than just those three sentences.

“Um, I-Ingrid? A-Are you alright?” Malori asked quietly. She was looking around the room nervously as a phantom wind began blowing the curtains and papers on the desk.

Ingrid didn’t respond. She took a few steps backward, only stopping when she felt her leg bump into her brother’s bed. She turned and let herself fall face first on the bed as the tears started flowing. This was too much. Grabbing the covers, she screamed into them. She felt sobs wrack through her entire body. Her breathing was frantic and desperate as she felt the panic attack coming on.

Reach was a territory far, far north. The country that bordered Cordelia, Amalthea, had conquered Reach decades ago. Currently it was a province that paid tithe to Amalthea and was considered a part of the country. Her brother, her world, was going through their own country, then another, and then going into a cold, mountainous, barely tamed land that was known for giant attacks and winters that could kill entire cities. Her mind played back and forth all the different scenarios, all the different ways that he could die. The different awful things that could happen to him, and she wouldn’t even be there for him. She felt like she was going to throw up.

As the scenarios continued, something violently snapped her out of them. The action itself wasn’t violent, but the whiplash she felt from it certainly was. She felt two small, gentle hands on her head, pulling her into a hug with a frail body.

“I-I’m not very good at this,” Malori whimpered, “B-But you said we were friends. Friends are supposed to h-help each other,” there was a desperation in her voice. Despite that, it somehow had the most confidence that Ingrid had heard from her. “I-If your brother is in R-Reach, or going there, w-we need to go too. R-Right?”

Ingrid lay motionless aside from the sobs that still caused her entire body to spasm. After what felt like too long of a silence, she slowly wrapped her arms around Malori. “I-I’m so sorry. We’ve only just met today, and you’re seeing me like this,” she choked.

Malori shook her head. “People feel h-hurt sometimes. I know I have… M-Moments, like this too,” she said quietly, “I’m not going to think any l-less of you for being a person.”

“...I’m terrified,” she gasped, “He’s all I have left. I can’t lose him.”

Malori stroked her hair. It was far more awkward than when Alice did it, but clearly it was something she hoped would comfort her. “H-He can’t have gotten too far. When did you last see him?”

Ingrid choked back a sob. “No… No he can get very far away very fast. He’s a Sorcerer, and his element is shadow. Teleportation is one of his specialties, especially at night,” she could feel another cry bubbling up in the back of her throat, “I-I haven’t seen him since last night. Who knows how far he is now. He wouldn’t write something like this either unless he absolutely meant it…”

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Silence was the only response for a bit. Malori desperately tried to think of something to say, but kept coming up empty. “Th-Then we need to go after him…”

“Would we even be able to?”

“W-We don’t know unless we try, d-do we?” she stammered.

Ingrid stayed quiet. She squeezed Malori tighter. “I-I need a bit like this. I need to calm down. I can’t make any decisions like this,” she whimpered. It was around now that she realized that Malori likely wasn’t shaking from anxiety or stress, but how far the temperature of the room had plummeted. It took everything in her power to calm herself at the very least enough to return the room to a decent temperature. Struggling, she managed to look up at Malori’s face. There seemed to be just as much fear as she felt. A weak smile spread across her face. “Thank you for doing this…”

The look of fear turned to surprise, then one of resignation. “It’s something I wish someone would have d-done for me.”

The two stayed there as Ingrid calmed down. Ever so slowly, she managed to steady her breathing to a point where it wasn’t so erratic, and the tears weren’t as forceful. The sobs died down until she just lay there in Malori’s embrace, letting the smaller girl stroke her hair. It took a while, but finally, Ingrid felt calm.

Slowly, she sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks and eyes. She took a very shaky breath, keeping her eyes closed as she did it.

There was another beat of silence, then she opened her eyes, turning to Malori. “Again, I’m sorry you had to see that,” she sighed, putting her usual smile back on. She stood up from the bed and offered a hand to Malori. “There’s somewhere else we can check. I have a friend who’s fairly well connected in the outer sections of the city. Her name is Alice, maybe someone she knows will have seen him?”

Malori took the hand. “Th-That would be good. Hopefully we can find him soon,” she gave a look that had a mix of fear and determination, “I-I’ll help you look for him!” she declared.

Ingrid’s breath held for a moment. “Malori, I really appreciate it, but odds are I’m going to have to leave the city and go north. Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, we just met this morning,” she questioned, concern overtaking her voice.

The esper shook her head. “I-I told you th-that I left the orphanage because I w-wanted to help people. I-I can help you, c-can’t I?”

Ingrid gave her a fond look. She wasn’t exactly in a position to say no. This would be the first time she had left the city as well, and had no idea what she would have to deal with outside. She took a deep breath. “Alright. If you’re this committed to it, I won’t say no. I hope you're aware though, this is going to be dangerous if we’re crossing through Amalthea. Going through the mountain range on the border will probably be difficult,” she explained, to herself as much as to Malori.

Even still, she nodded in response. “I-I’d expect nothing less. So what do we do?”

Ingrid clicked her tongue. She had to think properly about this. Rushing into things would only get both her and Malori hurt, and do absolutely nothing to help her brother. She started walking out of Mattias’s room, Malori quickly following behind her. “For starters, let’s head to my friend and ask if she’s heard anything. If not, we’re heading north,” her voice wavered as she made the declaration. She wondered if part of it was trying to ease her own nerves. “Does that sound good?”

Malori gave another nod. “Yes. Oh! I-I can make sure to pack supplies for healing spells. J-Just in case either of us get hurt!” she was obviously trying to sound reassuring, but it came off as nervous, like she was only just now processing the chances of either of them getting injured.

“That’s a good idea. We should make sure to play it safe though. The best case scenario is if we don’t have to use any of those supplies,” she commented.

They walked downstairs just in time to see Chimsley approaching them. He gave the two a warm smile, bowing. “Ah, Lady Alvar, Lady Leblanc. I was just coming to fetch you. Dinner is ready,” he said happily. His eyes scanned over Ingrid, and his expression immediately switched to one of concern. “Lady Alvar, is everything alright?”

She took a deep breath, trying to relax herself. “There was a note in Mattias’s room. He’s gone missing,” she failed. Malori might have pulled her out of a complete meltdown, but it was no secret that she was terrified.

His eyes went wide. “Was there any sign of where he’s gone? I will look for him at once,” he reassured her.

Ingrid held up a hand to stop him. “Thank you, Chimsley, but I think I’ll be having you stay here for this one. The note implied he was heading to Reach,” her voice choked up slightly as she said it. Saying it out loud was still an issue. She took another breath as she tried to fight off the thoughts from before. “We’ve both watched him train a few times. In all likelihood, he’s long gone by now.”

Chimsley stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. The look in his eyes was almost fatherly. He said nothing, but the simple touch made both his intentions, and his feelings clear.

She gave an appreciative nod, then began to walk past him, “I’m going to see Alice. If anyone saw him leave the city, she could probably find out,” she stopped halfway down the stairs, clicking her tongue. “Wait until I get back so I can tell Cecilia. I don’t want Dervla to have to deal with this alone any more than she’ll already have to,” she grumbled.

“Of course, Lady Alvar. I will make sure that dinner stays warm,” he said comfortingly, “If you give me a list of supplies you may need for a journey, I will be happy to fetch them for you so that you can rest well beforehand.”

She couldn’t help but smile at that. “You’re a gem, Chimsley,” she mused, “I’ll make sure to put one together for you. I really can’t thank you enough for this.”

“Think nothing of it, Lady Alvar,” the satisfied smile was practically audible in the statement, “I am merely serving my master with hand and heart. I am happy to do so.”

“Um, w-where are we heading for this, A-Alice person?” Malori chimed in.

“She works in the lower district. Come on, let’s get going,” she replied, beckoning Malori forward. She turned and began walking down the stairs. “Hopefully she won’t be with a client when we get there.”

Malori looked at Chimsley, who gave a polite smile. She frantically gave a bow, then rushed off after Ingrid out the door.

“I really wish I had more info, but I haven’t heard a damn thing,” Alice said apologetically, resting an elbow on the desk. Ingrid had found Zavi at the desk in the waiting room and asked if Alice was available. Luckily, she wasn’t with a client. The rest of the workers were even courteous enough to leave the entrance so that Ingrid could talk to Alice alone. She looked over Ingrid with worry clear in her eyes, but keeping herself composed. “Besides, I’ve met Mattias. If I heard about him leaving the city, I’d come straight to your manor, consequences be damned.”

Ingrid sighed and slumped against the wall. It wasn’t exactly an answer she wasn’t expecting, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t hold any hope. Alice was fairly popular among the women in the lower district, and some in the Inner district, despite her dark elven heritage. If anyone had seen him leave, she would have heard about it.

“So what are you planning on doing?” Alice asked, rolling a coin that she had received as a tip over her knuckles. “I know how much you love your brother, so there’s no way you’re just letting this go.”

“Well, what else can I do,” she groaned. “I’m going to go after him.”

Alice’s eyebrows raised, and the coin that she had been manipulating with remarkable ease clinked onto the floor. “Seriously? You’re going after him, even if he’s going all the way to Reach?”

“Like I said, what else can I do?” Ingrid walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, rubbing her temples. “Who knows what he was even talking about in the letter? If this is some big conspiracy he’s uncovering, odds are whoever is behind it isn’t just going to let him. Gods, he never thinks these things through!” she snapped, “He gets an idea or realizes something big and just throws himself after it! How many times has he accidentally broken something or gotten himself hurt because he bit off more than he could chew? This has to be the biggest one yet…”

Alice stayed quiet, letting her vent. She took a deep breath, then let it out, clearly exasperated. She bent down to pick up the coin, flipping it into the air and catching it. “Well, I know damn well I’m not talking you out of this, am I?” she asked in a resigned voice.

Ingrid shook her head. “He already had one sister abandon him. I’m not going to become the second.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “As overdramatic as that is, I can respect it,” she grumbled. Pocketing the coin, she looked to Ingrid’s side. “I uh, think I’ve kept quiet long enough because of that elephant in the room, but who’s this cute little thing?” she asked in a sing-song voice, gesturing at Malori.

Said esper had been quiet as a mouse, practically shaking in the corner. Her face was bright red, and she seemed to be using every ounce of willpower she had to not look at Alice’s cleavage. It was almost amusing how obvious it was that she had never been to a brothel before.

“This is Malori,” Ingrid gestured to the esper, “She’s a priestess of Carys, and a new friend. She’s helping me go looking for Mattias.”

“Wait, she’s going with you? Out of the city?” Alice asked in disbelief. She folded her arms and looked Malori up and down. “No offense, but she looks like she’d get swept away by a lazy river. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“She’s the one who made the choice. I wasn’t about to say no,” she explained, “Besides, I’ve seen her healing magic. If there’s danger, as long as I’m the one doing the fighting, we’ll be fine. Right Malori?”

Malori yelped at suddenly being addressed, practically jumping. She looked at Alice, then at the ceiling, then back at the floor. “Y-Y-Yes! S-Sorry! I-I kind of get nervous in n-new places,” she blurted out with a significantly higher voice than normal.

Alice seemed unimpressed. “Ingrid, Princess, I don’t think you realize how dangerous this could be. You’re gonna be crossing into Amalthea. With tensions like they are right now, one wrong step and there’s an international incident. You might be a trainee, but to everyone else in the world, you’re a Druidkeeper. That’s not something to take lightly,” she explained.

Ingrid looked back at her, a steely determination in her eyes. “I know the risks, Alice. I already said that you’re not talking me out of this,” she declared. She got up from the chair, heading towards the door. “I need to go make a list of supplies for Chimsley to pick up for me. Really though, thank you for everything.”

The dark elven woman bit her lip, “Ingrid…”

“You’ve been a great friend. I hope I see you again sometime soon. I’ll make sure to tip well the next time too,” she mused, smiling at her. “Keep the bed warm for me, alright?”

She appeared to want to say something, but relented, giving a begrudging nod. “You better come back, you hear me?” she said softly.

“Of course.”

Alice nodded. “Alright. You might wanna help your friend. Cute as she is, I think she’ll explode if she’s in here for too much longer,” she joked, gesturing again towards Malori.

The esper hurried out, giving a tiny nod of thanks. Ingrid followed her, giving one last wave. As she turned to return home and walk Malori back to her church to rest up for the night, she missed the scared look in Alice’s eyes.

As the two walked back it was, surprisingly, Malori who broke the silence. “I-I didn’t expect your friend to be a dark elf,” she said nervously, “A-And you’re sure she isn’t d-dangerous?”

Ingrid tilted her head curiously. “What’s her being a dark elf got to do with it?”

A look of legitimate surprise crossed Malori’s face. “W-Wasn’t your sister a soldier in the war? I-I would have thought you’d hate dark elves.”

Ingrid paused. It was a fair assumption. The primary force the dark fey used during the war was the dark elves. They were also responsible for the attack that took the lives of Ealadha and Binne. She sighed. “Alice had nothing to do with the war. She’s just like you and me. A person trying to live a happy life,” she explained, “Blaming her for the actions of a completely different group of people doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.”

“There aren’t many p-people who would share that sentiment,” Malori said, despondent. She shook it off quickly though. “I-I’m no stranger to being picked on for my species, though. Well, um, I suppose they didn't fully know it was my species, but I suppose it would be h-hypocritical for me to make assumptions about her.”

“That’s the spirit,” Ingrid smiled, patting the shorter girl on the shoulder, “Besides, Alice has been very good to me.”

Malori looked up at Ingrid, a horribly embarrassed look on her face.

“I-I meant she’s been a good friend! Goodness, you have your mind in the gutter,” she stumbled, realizing the implications, but quickly recovered.

“Y-You’re the one that t-took me to a b-b-brothel the first day we’ve known each other!” she cried, pouting. The pout didn’t remain for long, as it was quickly replaced by a laugh.

Malori kept walking forward, but Ingrid stopped. It took the esper a few more steps to realize that Ingrid had stopped.

“I-Is everything alright?” she asked, calming down from the laughter.

“Yeah, just that I didn’t realize your laugh sounded so bright,” Ingrid chimed, a big smile on her face. She caught up with Malori, then tousled her hair. “I think I’d like to hear that more often. Hopefully it can happen more on whatever adventure finding my brother entails!”

Malori blushed fiercely at the observation, averting her eyes. She didn’t hide the genuine smile that was on her face though. “Y-Yes, I hope so too,” she agreed.

“Alright, let’s get you back ho--” she stopped, the realization dawning on her, “Wait a minute, we haven’t even had dinner yet!” she exclaimed. As if on cue, she heard a loud rumbling from her stomach.

“I-I hadn’t even noticed!” Malori said, somewhat shocked.

Ingrid thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Alright, idea then. How about you spend the night at my manor?” she offered, “It would make things easier, and Chimsley can make us breakfast too. I’m sure he won’t mind the company.”

“L-Like a sleepover?” the esper asked, her eyes wide.

“I guess that’s one way of putting it. I haven’t really had one of those since I was a kid th-”

“I-I’d love to!” Malori blurted out, leaving both of them standing there in surprise. There was a beat of silence. “S-Sorry! I um, I just n-never really got to do something like th-that before. I-I always wanted to though!”

Ingrid smiled, then continued leading Malori back to her manor. “Well, I’m happy to give you a first then. I hope I live up to the excitement,” she joked.

The two continued on their way back, Malori practically bouncing with anticipation. I guess no matter how old we get, we’re all childish in our own ways, Ingrid thought to herself. Her smile faltered momentarily, Looks like I’ll have to try and hold off the incoming breakdown until the bath tomorrow morning. You’ve done it before, Ingrid. You’ll be fine. Poor girl has never even had a sleepover. Don’t ruin the mood for her.