The two sat in silence as the wooden wheels creaked underneath them. When Tella started mumbling in her sleep, Mira sleepily played with her hair. The men looked to them and admired the loving scene.

“Well, you shared something with me,” Jonen stretched, “Why don’t I share a story with you? I’ve had a few travels with the knights. I’m sure I can think of one you would like to her.”

“Like what?”

“Well,” He rubbed his hands together, “Hunting beasts in Vanora, fighting pirates on my way to Zrud, or chasing giant cats through Hangral from an experiment gone wrong.”

“Oh, Tella’s always wanted a cat. You should wait for her to tell that one,” Pallik grinned, “But pirates sound awesome.”

“Very well,” He smirked, “I grew up in Vanora. My mother bonded with a human blacksmith in Saceida, so I summered there to be with my dad. I first joined the Travel Knights there; I don’t think I was much older than you. I left the first chance I got after… after an accident.”

“You’ve been to Saceida?” He perked up, “What’s it like there? My family hadn’t been since my great grandfather sailed over.”

“Lushest grass I’ve ever felt,” He sighed dramatically and remembered the plains in his dreams, “Soft as feather pillows. Taller than me in some areas. I stayed around crystal clear lakes with black, sandy beaches. You could see fish swimming along the bottom. Absolutely gorgeous animals everywhere.”

“Why would you ever leave there?” He frowned.

“I wasn’t in a good place when I signed up for the knights,” Jonen looked down at his tunic, “I lost someone important and wanted direction in life. I always wanted to fight and travel, so it made sense for me.”

“So, pirates?”

“Right, yes. I spent a few weeks in boot camp to get some basic fighting skills. You’re probably better now than I was then. Once I got orders, I boarded a boat bigger than anything I had seen before. The upper deck alone was used for training drills. I slept below deck with almost a hundred other people. We learned to man the ship and fight—”

“Jonen, pirates,” Pallik rolled his eyes, “I don’t care about the fluffy description. I want the pirates.”

“Okay, okay,” He chuckled, “Probably about a month in, we got surrounded at night. Some low-level pirate gang wanted our food. My commanding officer, Smite, looked at us and grinned before asking if we wanted to earn our red boots.”

“Red boots?”

“It’s not exactly a prize. More like a ‘first hit’ type of thing in the Travel Knights. Everyone from my group was a new recruit. None of them had taken a life before. There were other groups of seasoned fighters on board, and they took most of the heaving fighting –thankfully. Smite threw ropes at us and told us to swing from the mast onto the other ships. Then, the real fighting began.”

Jonen recounted his pirate tale to the great interest of Pallik. The teen seemed to warm up to the idea after he described the surrender of one of the ships. The two spoke about Saceida and Vanora at length. Pallik wanted to travel and learn how to fight like Mira did. His new half-elf friend did not want to say that may not be possible, but the teen could always join the knights.

Jonen absentmindedly scratched his bandages as an itchiness bothered his skin. The splint on his ankle felt cramped and unbearable as his skin inflamed. Once the sprinkles of rain started, he felt uneasy and sick.

“You don’t look so good,” Tella wiped the raindrop from her face as she sat up, “Do you need healing?”

“I’m fine,” Jonen reassured her, “Just a bit itchy around the bandages.”

As Tella leaned in to investigate, Mira’s arms clamped around the young girl in a moment of panic. Her eyes shot open and wildly scanned the area for any threats. Jonen noticed her eyes fade from a burning white to the honey hue as Tella relaxed in her arms.

“We’re okay, Mira,” Tella reassured her, “I just woke up.”

Mira let the girl go and spun the blanket around her own shoulders. Tella sat on her lap and pulled the blanket closed around them. Pallik lifted the cloak’s hood to keep rain from hitting his face. Jonen casually wiped the water from his brow and turned to Tella.

“I heard you like cats.”

“Yes!” She beamed, “I always wanted one. Daddy Delpho says I can only have one if it hunts mice.”

“Well, I don’t know if you ever heard about Hangral’s royal mage,” He grinned, “But I helped her catch cats when they stumbled into an experiment.”

“What? Really!”

“I’d like to hear that story, too,” Mira rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she became more alert.

Jonen enjoyed sharing his stories and never had such an interested audience before. Most of the men he spoke to regularly were on the hill that fateful day. His heart ached at the thought of never seeing them again. Most likely, everyone he had known in the Travel Knights died.

“I need a break from storytelling,” Jonen scratched at the splint on his arm, “Mira, I’m sure you have a good one to share.”

“Yes!” Tella looked up at her, “Tell the one about Delpho and the bears again!”

“Oh, I don’t know if I can tell that one,” She looked to Jonen, “The knight might not find it as funny as you.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Jonen winked, “Just nothing too illegal, okay?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Pallik laughed, “There’s only minorly illegal stuff.”

“I don’t think it’s too bad,” Mira blushed, “Alright, Tella. When I first met Delpho, we weren’t at the village. We were in the mountaintops not far from here.”

She pointed over the cart towards the nearby plateau of Zrud’s eastern mountains. Clouds and rain fogged the peak from view but that didn’t stop their imagination.

“Perhaps a three day’s journey from here. My master instructed me to gather materials while he ran an errand. The harsh winter a few years back hadn’t started yet.”

“There was so much snow!” Tella clapped, “One of my first memories was making snow dwarves with mom and dad.”

“I remember that!” Pallik laughed, “Dad spilled his hot cider on Mom, and she threw a snowball at him.”

“Yes. With that harsh winter coming, I thought my master would like a new cloak,” Mira nodded, “I wasn’t as adept at sewing back then. I figured I needed a large animal to make a new, warm cloak. So, I searched for bears in the mountain caves –”

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“Wait, you went to hunt bears?” Jonen blinked, “By yourself?”

“I thought it would please my master. I wanted a new study book and if I did something my master liked, he would reward me with one on his travels,” She played with Tella’s hair, “I thought a new cloak would increase my chances of a new book. Plus, the meat would last a while in winter.”

“Okaaay,” Jonen held onto the word.

She ignored him, “I followed some goats around the mountain. They led me to that murky lake on the plateau. I saw a large bear hunting for fish and readied my bow to strike. Then, I saw a stout man sprinting towards the beat with a sword in hand.”

Tella and Pallik laughed.

“He wasn’t any thinner back then either,” She grinned, “Delpho did manage to punch the bear when it tried to swat at him. It roared at him, and he yelled right back.”

Tella raised her hands and lowered her voice to mimic Delpho. Jonen couldn’t understand what she said. Pallik leaned over to translate.

“You’re not bigger or hairier than me,” He managed to get out between laughs.

Jonen laughed as well. He hadn’t met Delpho enough to know him that well, but the hairy man fighting a bear seemed like something he would do. The two children mimicked the story as best they could.

“They both wrestled in the water for a few minutes before I stepped in. When I aimed my bow to shoot the bear, he yelled that I wasn’t allowed to take the bear away from him. So, I yelled that I was trying to help!” Mira laughed, “As we yelled at each other and the bear, another bear shows up. Delpho called ‘dibs’ on the second bear. I didn’t even know what that meant.”

She mimicked pulling a bow back and aiming it.

“I shoot an arrow at the first bear as it brought its paw down to strike. The bear fell and Delpho chucked his sword at the other,” She shook her head, “Then he went running in the water after the second bear.”

Jonen howled, “Wait, without his sword? What was he thinking?”

“I haven’t the faintest clue,” She covered her face as she snorted from laughter, “After we fought the second bear, he tried to fight me. Once he realized I just wanted one of the bears, he grabbed a fish straight from the lake and laid down to eat it. I hadn’t seen anything like the wild man before.”

“You must’ve thought he was from the isle,” Pallik tried to catch his breath.

“I didn’t quite understand him when we talked at first. I had a languages book on me and flipped through it until I got a better understanding of him. We skinned the bears and I helped him dress and load the meat into the cart he brought up the mountain,” She sighed, “Then, I met his master and went back to my own. That’s how I discovered the village.”

“That’s outrageous,” The half-elf laughed, “He didn’t go with a party?”

“Thralls don’t get a choice, especially if branded,” She scratched at her own brand, “You do as your told.”

Jonen scratched at his ankle while the others settled down. He couldn’t tell if the rain made him uneasy, the weird aftertaste of the fruit, or if he was getting sick. He blinked a few times to clear the growing uneasiness.

“Jonen!” Tella cupped her hands and pleaded, “Tell us about the cats!”

“Okay, okay,” He held up his hands, “I don’t know if you’ve heard of Zrud’s High Sorceress, but Skymara is an interesting elf.”

“I haven’t heard of her,” Mira shook her head, “What type of mage?”

“An alchemist, apparently,” He shrugged, “I never met her. But some of her cats got into her lab and spilled experimental potions on the floor. These cats are well known in the capital, because of their odd colors and shenanigans, but licking up the spilled potions caused them to grow. Imagine a giant, pink, fluffy feline storming through the castle.”

Tella’s eyes widened, “How big?”

“Taller than me,” Jonen rubbed his temples, “And, to top it off, the queen is allergic to cats. That was only Skymara’s prized pet –only one of the cats. Another shrunk to the size of an ant. One even grew wings! Chasing these little monsters took the better part of a week.”

The girl squealed in laughter, “I wish I could’ve seen the pink one!”

“What happened? Did they find the cats?” Mira titled her head to Jonen.

“Most of them, yes,” He nodded, “The ant sized one is yet to be found. The queen permanently moved her lab to a tower in the castle, with all the cats. She was sneezing for nearly two months when I left.”

“Mira!” Tella whined, “Tell another story!”

“Most of mine aren’t appropriate for children your age, little one.”

“What’s your relationship with the wraith?” Jonen asked.

Pallik and Mira stared at each other. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Black comes crawled across her neck as she took a few breaths.

“I do not know how much I can speak on that,” She stated plainly, “What exactly are you asking?”

“Well, if your master isn’t kind to you… is the monster at least?”

“I would say so,” She tapped a finger on her chin, “By the time I understood it, it protected me, despite my best efforts.”

“What do you mean?” Pallik furrowed his brow.

“It gave me a name when I thought I had no other reason to live.”

“What?” Jonen blinked in surprise, “What do you mean?”

“My master did not tell me my name. The… wraith did. I do not completely understand it, but…” She pondered for a moment, “How can I explain?”

Mira closed her eyes and debated how much detail she could get away with. Tella, Pallik, and Jonen eagerly waited for her to speak.

“It is a morbid tale. I do not believe it is appropriate for Tella to know.”

“No fair!” The girl crossed her arms, “Pallik will just tell me anyway!”

“Adorable,” She ruffled her hair, “But, I do not know if he would. The story would make you sad.”

“You could just cover her ears and tell her a different story afterwards,” Pallik grinned, “Does that make it fair?”

“A special story just for me?” Tella clapped her hands, “Can you tell me one of the stories you read?”

“Or, I could help you study.”

“I’d rather you sleep with me at the temple,” She crossed her arms, “I’ll put the spell on you, too, so you have to.”

Jonen coughed to cover his laughter, “What?”

“Mira doesn’t sleep and she needs to!” Tella frowned dramatically, “She needs to sleep or she won’t get better.”

“I’m not sick, little one.”

The girl responded by crossing her arms and sticking out her tongue. Mira laughed and shook her head.

“I’m a big girl! I can listen to the story.”

“Can you stop from crying?” Pallik teased, “I want to hear the story. She doesn’t tell many.”

“I promise I won’t cry!”

Tella held out her pinky. Mira wrapped her own around it and shook her head.

“Maybe when you’re older,” She forced the edges of her lips upward in a pathetic smile, “It’s too sad. I’d hate to ruin the lively mood.”

“How old were you…” Pallik asked, “When you knew your name?”

“Perhaps a bit older than her. I was ecstatic,” She squeezed Tella’s shoulders and chuckled, “Odd, isn’t it? To be so happy to have a name.”

“Does that mean the ghost man protects you?” Tella whispered.

“Yes,” She looked up to Pallik, “He protects you as well, but knows you think he’s scary.”

“He is scary,” She sniffled and grabbed Mira’s hand, “But if he is nice to you, them he isn’t too bad.”

“I don’t think he killed mom or dad, either,” The teen said.

Jonen watched Pallik and Mira’s eye contact. It was one of the only moments he caught her genuine smile.

“But you always said—”

“I met him, so… I think it’ll be okay,” He grabbed his sister, “Besides, I’m still around, aren’t I?”

“Probably because Mira was there to save you,” Tella pouted, “Stupid.”

“When did you meet him?” Jonen’s eyes grew.

“Last night. It stopped by to check on us,” Mira said coldly, “Why?”

“He did nearly kill me,” He rolled his eyes, “I feel like I have a right to be cautious.”

“It does feel quite bad about that,” She admitted.

“He remembers me?”

“It hoped you would run away,” She shook her head, “But you’re a stubborn, strong-headed man that refused to leave.”

Jonen grinned, “Well, sounds like at least one of you likes me.”

Pallik elbowed him. Tella turned in Mira’s lap and put her hands on her face. She furrowed her brow down at the determined girl. She yawned and pulled the repellent blanket over her shoulders. Misty rain bounced off their skins as the cart traveled down the rocky trail.

Mira smiled at the three stubborn people. She tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head. When Jonen reached the short distance to place a hand on her knee, Pallik elbowed him again in the stomach. The half-elf placed a hand on his stomach as the uneasiness came back.

“Are you okay?” Mira moved Tella from her lap and leaned towards Jonen, “What’s wrong?”

She placed the back of her hand to his face and turned to Tella.

“I don’t feel right,” He moved his hand to the growing dampness at his forehead.

His stomach lurched. He managed to lean over the side of the cart and empty its contents on the ground. Mira patted his back and pulled him back up when he started swaying.

“I’m sorry!” The teen yelled, “Goddess—”

“Pallik, move the cloak to cover him,” Mira ordered, “Something’s wrong.”

“Tell me the symptoms,” Tella placed a hand against his forehead.

“Woozy,” He tried to blink the black specks from his vision, “Nauseous. Cold?”

“Mira,” The young healer squirmed, “I don’t know how to fix that.”

“We’re only a few hours from the temple. We can get help there. Put him to sleep,” Mira turned her gaze from Tella to Jonen, “Relax, okay?”

Before he could protest, Mira cupped his face in her hands. The worry in her eyes surprised him. Jonen smiled softly and grabbed her wrists. She didn’t flinch as he squeezed them. He nodded confidently at her light blush. This woman seemed to warm up to him quicker than he thought.

“I trust you, Mira.”

Tella placed two fingers against his forehead, and he blinked out of consciousness.