I fall asleep during the wee hours of the morning, under a real roof, in a real bed. It’s not nearly so fine as my rooms in my brother’s palace, but I’ve spent so many nights sleeping out of doors on hard ground and stones, in rain and chill, winter’s cold and summer’s heat, that to my weary body the inn bed feels like heaven.

Both the paladin and I go our separate ways to our rooms not long after we finish our drinks, but I’m not able to fall asleep right away. Time-displacement messes with my brain and body. One part of my body thinks it’s daytime, while the other feels the nighttime frequency of this part of the world , and tries to sleep.

It’s very exhausting. Couple this with the night that I spent in a chair in my brother’s room, and you have a recipe for a very grumpy and tired me.

I wake bleary-eyed, sometime when the sun is high in the sky. It’s shining directly into my face.

Again.

I flop my arm over my eyes, groan. Roll over, rustling sheets and quilt.

A knock sounds on my door.

“Go away!” I shout.

“Avalon?” Daniel’s voice is muffled by the thick wood of the door.

“I said, go away!” I lift my head and hurl the words at him with all the force of a grumpy morning.

He doesn’t go away.

“Are you alright?” He asks.

I flop my head back and groan.

“Avalon?” The door handle jingles. I’ve locked it, like any sensible person would do, but it’s not going to deter that fools-cursed paladin if he thinks I’m in trouble.

I sit up, cursing under my breath. Throw the bedclothes aside and stand. I pad to the door, dressed in a long white nightgown.

I always keep spare clothes in a bottomless pocket.

I unlock the door and yank it open a crack. Glare out at the cheerful sandy-haired man standing outside.

He passes his gaze over my sleep-mussed hair, my grumpy scowl. Tries to hide a smile, but isn’t successful.

“Are you alright?” He asks again.

“Time-shift.” I say. “Makes a body very tired.”

“Ah. I see.” He replies, his lips twitching with suppressed amusement. “Well, it’s nearly the noon hour, and when you didn’t come down to breakfast, I became worried.”

“You’re sweet.” I growl. “I’m fine. I’m up. Now will you leave me alone?”

I shut the door in his face. Hear him chuckle as he walks back down the hall.

I sigh, lock the door again. Walk over to my leather jerkin that I had tossed over an armchair last night. I slip off my nightgown and stash it in my jerkin’s bottom-less pocket. It’s like a bag-of-holding, but with a smaller mouth, and it’s sewn to the one garment I take with me nearly everywhere.

I raise my arms above my head, stretching out the kinks in my joints and muscles. Bend over backward to touch the floor with my palms. Rise back upright, recycling my form to cleanse me of dirt and sweat.

Rummaging in my bottomless pocket— upon which my brother long ago placed a spell of cleansing— I come up with a short dress of dark grey cotton, a pair of black trousers, and fresh under-clothing. I pull it all on, shove my arms through the sleeveless openings of my jerkin and do up its clasps, and buckle my belt and baldric over it all.

Tug on my boots and I’m feeling ready to face the world.

I tap silently down the stairs, survey the taproom for Daniel. Find him, waiting for me by the bar. He smiles as he sees me, waves me over.

I thread my way through the mostly empty tables to join him. A steaming plate of hash-brown patties and sausages sit on the bar alongside a hot cup of strong, black coffee. Daniel gestures to the lot.

“For you.” He says. “I took a guess on what you like.”

I raise my eyebrows, surprised he’s read me so well. It’s… disconcerting.

“Thank you.” I say, picking up the cup of coffee and giving it a sniff. It’s been spiked, just the way I like it.

I turn to him, a small, wondering smile parting my lips.

“How did you know—?” I ask.

He smiles shyly and shrugs.

“You seem like the kind of person who’d do that.” He replies. I turn away and laugh, sip my coffee.

“Thank you.” I say again. He shrugs again.

“You saved my life. The least I can do is buy you breakfast.” He pauses, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Listen, I don’t intend on staying in town for long. I am only waiting for a few friends of mine; they should be arriving today. I wasn’t going to expand my party any larger, but you seem like a capable person, someone I could use in this mission. Would you— be willing to join us?”

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“What would ‘this mission’ entail?” I answer carefully, sipping my coffee.

He sucks in a thoughtful breath. Turns his gaze to the windows and gathers his thoughts before speaking.

“We— will be traveling through the Clan lands, Exalos and the like. The lords and kings must be rallied together against Falkirk D’Adrian, self-called High Lord of the North. That is what we are attempting to do. If we fail, then our world as we know it will be destroyed.”

I keep my face carefully neutral as I answer, “I’ll consider joining you; however, I can’t show my face anywhere near D’Adrian’s demesne. I’ve been banished from those parts on pain of death.”

Daniel whistles long and low, a small smile of awe playing on his face.

“What did you do?”

I turn away, not deigning to reply. My stomach sours slightly at the lie, but I shove the guilt away. It has no place here.

“So,” I say instead. “Your friends— what are their roles here and what exactly would you be expecting me to do?”

I dig into the main part of my meal as the paladin answers.

“Well, Antony is a bit of a rogue, but great at reading people and the room.”

Antony could be a problem.

“Raeldon is politic-savvy, if a bit dry.”

Interesting.

“Eliana is skilled in battle-arts and strategy. She will help strengthen the cities’ defenses, should they accept our help.”

Ah. A useful skill indeed.

“And what about you?” I ask over the rim of my coffee mug. “What are you?”

He smiles. “I am the instigator, the conspirator, the general. If we run into trouble, I am the first line of defense. If one of my people is hurt, I am the healer. If a sacrifice needs to be made, I will make it, but I will not willingly endanger those I care for. I am the leader of this mission, and the final say.”

His eyes shine with the fire of his spirit.

I cannot help but give an answering smile. Part savagery, part foolhardy determination, part triumph.

“What about you?” Daniel asks, narrowing his eyes at me curiously. “I already know that you are a ruthless fighter. I could use that. But I’d like to know what other skills you are bringing to this party.”

I laugh into my coffee.

“You’ve already invited me to join you. Bit late for an interview, Daniel. But fine. As you’ve already found, I am pretty good with a blade. I can also perform music and…” I eye him over my coffee cup, a smile dancing in my eyes. He gives me a tentative smile.

“What?” He asks.

“I’m a bit of a spy.” I inform him. His eyebrows shoot up.

“For whom?” He queries, not that concerned.

“My brother.” I reply. “He’s a minor crime lord in the west.”

Lie, truth, lie.

I try not to feel guilty at deceiving this paladin.

Of all the times my conscience had to surface, it picks now?

Bah!

I shove it down where it can’t bother me.

“Your brother?” Daniel echoes, leaning his weight back against the bar and tilting his head back to eye me mirthfully. He’s smiling. Not worried at all.

“Yes.” I mutter, turning away.

“Would I know his name?” Is the paladin’s next question.

“No.” Is my very terse reply. Daniel leaves off.

“Sooo…” He switches subject, less so than he knows. “Your banishment from D’Adrian’s lands— you’ve seen the man?”

“Ye-es.” I answer carefully. “I’ve interacted with him before,”

“Excellent!” He brightens. “I wish to appeal to D’Adrian’s better nature using diplomacy, try to get him to see that perhaps less brutal measures are more effective in annexing the lands that he wants. And that is only if he will not be deterred from his warmongering.”

I nearly snort into my coffee.

Fat chance of that. My brother is set on his course and not even I could deter him if I wanted to. Which I don’t. I will be right by his side all the way, even if we fall.

Daniel continues, “If you could tell me all you know of his motives and how he thinks, so that I will know what I’m getting into and how to deal with him, I would be most grateful. I know you said you couldn’t show your face around his lands, but if you’ve dealt with the man….”

“Sure…” I mutter into my coffee.

The fool paladin smiles, pleased.

After my meal is finished, I toss my room key to the barkeep.

“I won’t be needing this again.” I tell him. He just gives me a nod.

“Thank ‘e kindly for yer business, ma’am.” He replies, wiping out a tankard with a rag.

I turn to Daniel.

“Well,” I say, “I’d be honored to join you, paladin. But if I’m going to be traveling with you, I’ve got to go home and grab a few things. I’ll be back in two or three hours.”

He inclines his head.

“Of course. I’ll be here.” He replies.

I wish I wasn’t going to be. I take my slate marble out of my pocket, give Daniel a short nod, whisper “Home.”

He and the tavern around us fades into misty white.

And then I am gone.

Fal’s lounging in an armchair in his sitting room, reading a book, when I appear. He looks up, his cheek supported on one long-fingered hand. Grins.

“You’re back.” He says. I sigh and open my arms wide.

“Appears I am.” I answer tiredly. He gives me a concerned look. I know he can feel my emotions through our bond.

“If you don’t want to do this, you do not have to.” He tells me.

I sigh again. If anyone is having concern for anyone else, it should be me for him.

“No,” I say, “you want this done, I’ll see it through.”

He gives a nod as I study him. He’s been healing well, I know, but the sight of him still does me good. The stitched gash at his hairline is blood-free and on the mend. His color is good, and I feel he’s not in much pain.

“Are you alright?” He asks, growing more concerned as my emotions bombard him.

I press my eyes shut. Shake my head.

“No.”

He stands and wraps me in his strong embrace. I breathe in his scent, trying not to cry. Hold him tight and shudder.

“What’s wrong?” He rubs my back, circular motions he knows will calm me.

I tell him.

“Time-shift, and troubled sleep, and the dreams, and you being hurt, and this fools-cursed mission!” I cry, my voice breaking. His mind brushes against mine, gathering the details. I don’t shut him out.

Falkirk presses a kiss to my forehead.

“Don’t go back.” He says, sending me all his love and concern.

“I have to.” I reply, calming. “I told the paladin I would travel with his group.”

Fal is silent at this. He knows how much keeping our word means to us both. Without our honor, we are nothing.

A spark of anger flashes through our bond, coming from Fal.

“What?” I ask, leaning back to see his face. He gives me a tight smile.

“I am not angry at you.” He reassures me. Then mutters, “I’m going to kill him.”

He means the paladin.

“He means to treat with you.” I tell my brother.

He growls, half-pushing me gently away. “I don’t care.”

I step toward him.

“You should. If there’s a way to resolve this without bloodshed, then you should take it.”

He turns away from me, lays a hand on my shoulder.

“Then he had better be prepared to surrender.” Falkirk replies grimly.

I gather a knapsack of the provisions that I cannot stuff inside my pocket-of-holding. Tie a worn guitar onto the pack. I caress the neck of the instrument for a moment. I have fond memories of this guitar, memories of nights spent in taverns and inns, performing for loving and boisterous crowds. Memories of sitting alone or with Falkirk, strumming gently. Memories of laughter and love and gentle sorrow.

I sling on my pack, mindful of the instrument, and head to my brother’s rooms to say goodbye again.

He gives me a sad smile as I stand before him.

“Be careful.” He orders. I grin.

“Aren’t I always?”

He laughs. Reaches out to ruffle my hair.

“Love you, little sis.”

“Love you, Fal.” I reply.

Then I activate my slate marble and appear back in the Hollow Bard.

It has been two hours since I’d left. Daniel is still waiting for me.