It was funny how it was possible to live in a city for years and rarely, if ever, see some parts of it. The docks of Quorge were like that. Years of growing up in the city, and Felitïa could count the number of times she’d been to the docks on one hand. There just hadn’t been any call to go down there. Trips to purchase fish had taken her near the docks and, sitting in her favourite spot on the beach outside the city, she had certainly seen the docks, but actually going there was a rare event.

There was an occasion with Zandrue and Drummor. It had been one of those random things Zandrue was prone to. She had wanted to see the ships, so they’d gone. Zandrue and Drummor didn’t look much at the ships, as they were too busy staring at each other, unable to keep their hands off each other. Felitïa dawdled along behind them, not paying much attention to the ships either. She was too worried Elderaan might slip and fall in her absence, or overcharge customers in his ageing distraction.

There had to have been one or two other occasions when she’d gone to the docks as well, but they weren’t coming to mind now.

Standing in the docks now was like entering a new city for the first time. Everything seemed new and unfamiliar.

It didn’t feel like home.

Was that a good or bad thing? It was hard to tell.

A snowflake floated past her face, and a few more. Now that was more like the Quorge she remembered. She’d spent so much of this year in the south, most of it during the hottest months, there was a certain irony in returning to Quorge just as winter was stirring up. Even Dorg was far enough south that it had still been reasonably warm there, so they would not be getting much chance to ease themselves into winter.

“It’s snowing!” Nin-Akna held out her hand and tried to catch one of the flakes. It floated away on the air currents created by her hand’s movement. Another landed on her wrist and melted away. “I’ve always loved snow.”

“But Ninifin doesn’t get snow,” Corvinian said.

“Not very often, but it happens.” A pair of soldiers were leading Xoco and Mulac off the gangplank, and Nin-Akna took the reins from them, continuing to talk. “We had snow two or three years ago. I love how it covers everything like a big blanket and turns it all white for a couple hours.” She led the horses back over to them.

Felitïa took Xoco’s reins from her. “A couple hours?”

“Yes, it was at least two hours that time. I know it usually melts right away like now, but those times it sticks around a little longer are so beautiful.” Nin-Akna rubbed her bare arms in the chill.

“You know it’s colder in the north, right?” Corvinian said, checking the straps on the saddle bags.

“Yes, of course. I can feel it right now. That means you get more of those occasions where the snow sticks around for a few hours. I’m looking forward to those.”

Corvinian looked at Felitïa. “Do you want to tell her or should I?”

Felitïa smirked.

“Tell me what?”

Felitïa tightened Xoco’s reins a little. “Do you know anything about how much snow we get in the north?”

Nin-Akna rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard some stories about snow piled up like mountains, and I know in the past, I’ve believed some incorrect things about Arnor, but even I’m not so naïve to believe those stories, so you don’t have to worry. I’m not expecting mountains of snow. Just...blankets.”

Felitïa smirked. “Well…”

“You’re not going to tell me those stories are true, are you?”

“Literal mountains would be an exaggeration, but not by much.”

Nin-Akna frowned and rubbed her arms and hands some more. “Oh.”

“You sure you don’t want a cloak or shawl?” Felitïa asked.

Nin-Akna shook her head while still rubbing her arms. “It’ll restrict movement if we get in a fight. I don’t want to take any chances. Besides, it’ll warm up in…” She paused and looked at Felitïa, then Corvinian. “It will warm up, won’t it?”

Felitïa shrugged. “Maybe a little. But don’t worry, we’ll reach Agernon’s soon enough. Come on. We better get going.”

The docks had so much more open space than the rest of Quorge. The streets of the city were narrow and, combined with the close-packed buildings, it made each street seem isolated from all the others. It wasn’t possible to see much of the city from any given location. Rejoining that sense of isolation as they left the docks brought with it the feeling of home Felitïa hadn’t felt at the docks. She remained unsure if that was a good or bad thing.

“A word of warning,” she said. “People knew me here as Asa. They didn’t know my lineage. I don’t know if they know now. If they do, I don’t know how they’ll react.”

“Don’t worry, I’m ready for anything,” Nin-Akna said.

“These people aren’t Darkers. They’re just ordinary people who might be a little angry.”

“Yeah, thanks, I realise that. I’m not stupid.”

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Nin-Akna’s annoyance jabbed at Felitïa, and Felitïa had to make an effort not to wince. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” She desperately needed to get a good night’s sleep so she stopped putting her foot in her mouth like this. Even with the Staff stored in the hold, her sleep on the trip upriver had only been marginally better.

Felitïa.

Nin-Akna sighed. “It’s fine. We’re both overtired.” But annoyance didn’t stop flowing from her.

Felitïa.

Or maybe it was her own annoyance at the Staff building up.

Nin-Akna strode ahead with Mulac. Felitïa had to call out to her to tell her to turn left at the next intersection.

No, it was a combination of both. They were both annoyed.

Felitïa.

* * * * *

Once they had secured a room at an inn and stabled the horses, Felitïa led them on the most direct route to Agernon. She carried the Staff in her hand now, but it had fallen silent for the moment. Nevertheless, she wanted it out of her hands as soon as possible. She was having a hard enough time processing her feelings about being back in Quorge; she didn’t need to deal with the Staff’s incessant calls as well.

There was a long line-up at the well where she used to collect water—not an unusual thing. Quorge only had a small number of wells for a large population, and so long queues were common. Numerous eyes turned to look at Felitïa and the others as they passed. Felitïa tried not to look at them as they passed, but that didn’t stop the feelings of recognition coming through. She could have easily pushed those feelings away, blocked them from her mind entirely. However, as scared as she was of knowing what people thought, she was just as scared of not knowing.

The feelings were a mix: surprise, disdain, uncaring. They weren’t that different from what she was used to growing up here. She didn’t get the impression these people knew she was anything other than the Folith girl apprenticed to the Eloorin wizard.

Felitïa.

She stopped as they passed the well itself—suddenly enough that Nin-Akna and Corvinian walked several more paces before realising and stopping as well.

Felitïa.

That was strange. The Staff was calling in unison with the voices in her head.

Felitïa.

“Is everything all right?” Nin-Akna said.

Felitïa nodded. “This is the place.”

Nin-Akna stared at her. “The place?”

“The place my telepathy first manifested.”

Felitïa, you must listen to me.

“That’s...significant, I guess,” Nin-Akna said. “How did it happen?”

Felitïa’s thoughts drifted back thirteen years. Standing in line. Waiting. “It just...happened. I didn’t do anything. I just heard voices. People around me talking. Except they weren’t talking. It was their thoughts. They were so loud that day. I could hear everything in crystal clarity.”

Worry spread from Nin-Akna. “But I thought…”

Felitïa glanced at her and smiled. “It’s never been that way since. I fainted and woke later in my bed. While I slept, my powers decreased to what they are today. It was terrifying at the time.”

“Sounds it,” Nin-Akna said. “I don’t know if I could’ve handled it. How old were you?”

“Thirteen. I’d just hit puberty. That’s when it manifested.”

Felitïa, you must listen to me.

“It’s calling me again.”

Nin-Akna looked to the Staff and held out her hand. “Want me to hold it for you?”

Felitïa shook her head. “It’s not like other times. It’s in unison with the voices in my head. They don’t normally do that.”

Nin-Akna retracted her hand and rubbed her arms.

She is powerful indeed if she can see us in this place.

“Something else happened that day,” Felitïa said.

Nin-Akna continued rubbing her arms. “What?”

“I don’t quite remember. But something else happened. I’m sure of it.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Corvinian said. He was making designs with his foot in the fresh snow.

“Do you mind if we stop here a few minutes? I want to try something.” Maybe being in this spot would help jog her memories. It was a long-shot, but worth trying.

Nin-Akna rubbed her arms and shivered. “Go ahead. Do...do what you need.”

Felitïa groaned inwardly. She was getting too wrapped up in her own desires. “No, I’m sorry. It’s too cold for you right now. We need to get you inside. I can come back later. What I wanted to do will work better if I’ve slept a bit first anyway.”

Nin-Akna gave her a thin smile and nodded. She shivered again.

Felitïa took one last look at the well and the line of people.

Felitïa, you must listen to me.