Victor squatted down to better look into Deyni’s dark turquoise eyes. He remembered the first time he saw her; he’d been behind bars, waiting for his big duel with Rellia. He’d noticed how her skin was more purple than red and how her hair and eyes were different from the Shadeni he’d met—most of them had red-toned eyes from pink or magenta to deep crimson. He reached toward her, picked up one of her long, greenish-blue braids, and held it between his fingers. He knew now that her coloring had much to do with her father, an Ardeni man she’d never met. “You know what?”

“What, Victor?” She always grinned when she spoke to him, like she was anticipating him teasing her or, at the very least, saying something silly.

“I never put two and two together, but have you noticed how your hair and eyes are similar to Valla’s?”

“Lady ap’Yensha?” Deyni’s eyes opened in wonder, and Victor knew she was picturing Valla as she looked now with her glorious wings and silver highlights.

“Yeah. I wonder if maybe you two share a common ancestor. I’m trying to remember, but I don’t think I’ve ever met another Ardeni with such a pretty color in their eyes.”

Deyni’s skin was far too dark to show her blush, but her eyes squinted in a bashful smile as she looked away. “Stop teasing me, Victor!”

“I’m not, silly!” They were outside of Victor’s old wagon, and he was waiting for Tellin and Thayla to come to see him—Challa had run to fetch them when Victor approached. He gave Deyni’s braid a little tug and laughed. “Sorry if I embarrassed you. I’ve been thinking a lot about bloodlines lately, that’s all.”

“I wish I could have your bloodline!” Deyni puffed out her chest and began to stomp around, arms out to her sides, her hands balled up in fists. “I’d smash my enemies and throw the Ridonne off the nearest mountain!”

Victor laughed and, tired of squatting, fell back onto the grass, folding his legs in front of himself. “You’re still angry about the Ridonne?”

“Of course! They killed my friends!”

“Well, the ones who did that have been punished. It’s not healthy to hold onto a grudge, but it’s probably smart to keep a wary eye on the North. We don’t want them to surprise us someday.”

“That’s right! I’ll help to guard the Free Marches!”

Victor plucked a long blade of blue-green grass and stuck the stem in his mouth. When he chewed the juicy end, it was almost sweet. “Mm! I can see why Thistle likes this stuff.”

A new voice spoke up behind him, “I’ve seen you eat! You couldn’t live off grass.”

Victor turned toward the voice, squinting into the bright sun. Chandri stood there, the sunlight like a halo around her short, spiky hair. For the first time in quite a while, she’d washed the warpaint from her face, but she bore some new tattoos—a fanged skull on her throat and, along her jawline, a series of crossed bones. She had other, older tattoos to commemorate her hunts, but these were the first she’d added since Victor had known her. “Hi, Chandri.”

“Milord.” She mock curtsied, and Deyni broke into a giggle.

“Well, I’m glad to see you smiling. I like your new tattoos.” Victor pulled up the sleeve of his comfortable gray shirt, or tunic, as the people in this world kept calling it, and displayed the tattoo she’d given him. “You do good work; this one’s lasted through quite a few racial advancements.”

Deyni stepped closer and leaned in to look at the markings. “What does it mean?”

Chandri squatted beside her and pointed to the blade-tipped hand. “This is the hand of the monster Victor slew.” Her finger traced upward to the spears. “These are the six hunters whose lives he saved.” She touched the bright orange sun. “This is the dawn that came, though we’d all thought we’d die before we saw it.” Her voice was soft and her touch very gentle, and Victor was suddenly hit with a deep, gut-wrenching sense of wistful melancholy. Though it felt absurd, he couldn’t help wondering what his life would be like if he’d embraced his feelings for Chandri and never returned to Persi Gables. For the first time, he thought he understood the emotion that lurked behind Chandri’s outwardly smiling eyes.

“I wonder if I’ll earn a tattoo someday.” Deyni’s innocent remark broke the spell, saving him from further contemplation.

Chandri sat down at his side and closed her eyes, lifting her face to soak in the sunlight. Without opening them, she said, “You’ll have to be choosy about what tattoos to put on yourself; otherwise, you’ll run out of room. You’ll be a famous beast tamer and adventurer, right?”

“That’s right!”

Victor laughed, reaching out to pluck another blade of grass. “And you, Chandri? Do you still dream of exploring beyond the Silver Sea?”

“More than ever. I think my brush with death has only deepened my desire to see more of the world.”

“I get that.”

“I hate it! I want you to stay with us.” Deyni stepped behind Chandri and began to pull her fingers through her hair. “I’d braid it for you, but it’s not long enough yet.”

Chandri smiled and replied, “I’m not going to leave right away, and when I do, you can bet I’ll be back often.” She leaned back, clearly enjoying Deyni’s attentions, and narrowed her eyes at Victor. “I wonder if Victor can say the same.”

“Well, Victor?” Deyni continued to stroke Chandri’s hair as she locked eyes with him.

“The only thing I can promise is that I want to visit you. I want to spend time with you. Of course, I’ll try. My first priority is helping Edeya, and I don’t know what that will take. I bet I can visit after she’s better, though.”

“Just visit?” Chandri asked, relentless in her desire to keep him on the spot.

“Come on, Chandri. You know I’ve got other things calling me. Challenges I need to pursue, people I’ve made commitments to.”

“People? Commitments? I only hear rumors; you haven’t told us much.” Now Victor heard a touch of bitterness in her tone, and he began to sense a clue to her recent distance.

“Is that what you’ve been bothered about? I thought you were mad at me about the attack . . .”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“What? I’m not mad at you!” Chandri scrunched her eyes shut and leaned back toward Deyni, who was listening and watching Victor’s face while she massaged Chandri’s scalp. “I would like to know more about you, though. I’d like to be more than an afterthought . . .”

“Come on, Chandri! We’ve been over this, haven’t we? You’re important to me! I’m sorry I’ve been so preoccupied, and I know I should spend more time with you,” Victor paused, looking at Deyni and winking, “and other people.”

“It’s not just spending time; I know you’re busy. I just think it would be nice if we spoke about more meaningful things more often. Like, just whom do you have commitments to out there?” She waved a hand toward the sky, and Victor figured she meant out in the world or perhaps beyond it.

“Yeah!” Deyni nodded and winked at Victor, and he almost laughed, wondering if she had any idea what he’d meant by his earlier wink.

“I’ll give you an example. I mean, you already know about Edeya. I visited another world where an evil Warlord has dominated society for a thousand years or more. He’s almost destroyed a species of titan there, and I befriended some of them. I sort of promised to return and try to restore them to their former strength. It’s a big job because they had an artifact called an Ancestor Stone where they’d somehow preserved their titanic bloodline and the powers that come with it. The Warlord shattered it, and finding all the pieces will take a lot of work. Look!” Victor held up his wrist with his silver bracer and the single pink fragment of the ancestor stone. “I have one piece, but I have to find sixteen more.”

“And it has to be you?” Deyni pressed, apparently taking over the questioning for Chandri, who’d leaned further back, soaking in the sun while Deyni played with her hair.

“Right now, I’m the only ‘titan-blood’ who’s been to their world and offered to help.” He shifted and looked past the wagon to the bustling activity of the Shadeni clan as they hurried to finish their travel preparations. He wondered what was taking Tellen and Thayla so long. “Anyway,” he said, trying to wrap up the topic neatly, “you both should know this feels like home to me here on Fanwath. Especially with you and other people I care about here. I’m going to build a house or . . . something near to where you all settle, and, of course, I’ll visit when I can.”

“A house?” Chandri opened her eyes. “I thought that keep to the south was on your lands. The one guarding the pass.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t laid eyes on it, and I want to be near the sea, anyway; I’m not sure I want to move into a castle up there in the mountains. Besides, the lands I granted to your clan aren’t far from the sea. According to Rellia, there’s an easy ride over some grasslands and low hills, and then, there you are.”

“Victor!” Thayla called out, breaking into a jog over the patchy grass. Tellen wasn’t with her, but her smile was bright, and she seemed untroubled.

“Mom!” Deyna gave Chandri a quick kiss on the forehead, then let go of her hair and ran to greet her mom.

“She’s so sweet,” Chandri said, sitting up to watch Deyni run. “I’m truly happy that Thayla and Tellen found love.”

“Yeah.” Victor nodded, suddenly a little choked up. “I’m glad that Deyni has you, Chandri. I hope you realize how much she looks up to you.”

“Huh. Seems like you don’t realize that everyone looks up to me!” Her tone was bright, and Victor had to give her a double-take.

“Hey! There’s the old Chandri I knew.” His words made her smile, and though it looked like she might want to reply, Thayla and Deyni arrived and plopped down in the grass.

“Sorry it took me so long! We’ve been drawing plans for our new settlement, and some of the families are arguing about . . . things. It’s not easy for a community used to a nomadic lifestyle to trust that they have nothing to fear, no reason to believe an army will try to take their homes or property. Many want to keep to the old ways, and we’re trying to find a compromise.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I just wanted to say goodbye; I thought you were heading out today.”

“We are! We’ll likely continue the debate on the trail.” She paused, looked around for a few seconds, and then looked him right in the eyes. “Victor, how long do you think you’ll stay here? Don’t you need to establish your home? Set up some land grants to build up your income? You need to have a garrison or something in your keep . . .”

Victor held up his hands and groaned. “Thayla! You sound like Rellia and Borrius. I guess it’s safe to say that I’m going to be terrible at this governing business, at least for right now. I’m probably going to appoint a governor. Someone to run the place and set up just the sorts of things you’re asking me about, at least for now.”

“And you’re certain this person will respect your wishes and the promises you’ve made to us and the Naghelli?”

“Of course, I’ll be certain about that! More importantly, Rellia knows what I’ve given you, and she supports it completely, Lam, too!” He gestured to the wagons. “The land grant I’ve written for you is legally binding and endorsed by all the stakeholders in the Free Marches. Your lands are completely yours. Once the landholder republic is established, you’ll only have to pay taxes for services that benefit the whole of the Free Marches—game wardens, roads, a standing military to protect the border, etcetera.” Victor laughed and shook his head. “I wouldn’t know any of that if I hadn’t had a dozen lectures from Rellia over the last couple of weeks. Anyway, the governor I put in place will have to abide by the rules. Your lands are yours. I’ve relinquished all claims.”

“And if you don’t return?” Thayla frowned and leaned forward to grasp Victor’s hand. “I’m not trying to be a problem, but this is the sort of argument we’re hearing from our people, the ones reluctant to build a permanent settlement.

“Thayla, you have your deed, in writing, sealed by me, Rellia, and Lam. No matter how land is split down the road, your deed was written and approved by one hundred percent of the landholders in the Free Marches. I know you’re worried that something will happen, but if, for some reason, I die or get captured, your rights won’t go away. Valla says I should set up a trust or something so that, even if I never returned, my share of the Free Marches will continue to be governed the way I would like.”

“Thank you, Victor.” Thayla nodded. “That will help with our arguments, to know that even if you disappear, things will continue as you’ve promised. I know our deed entitles us to the lands, but we’ll be surrounded by yours. Regardless, I pray that you won’t disappear. Do you think we could share a Farscribe book?”

“Yeah, definitely! We’ll do that, and I’ll also give one to my governor. We’ll make sure things continue smoothly here whenever I’m away.” Victor was glad to see the conversation moving along; he felt like they were going in circles, but he supposed it made sense considering the history of the Shadeni Clan with the Ridonne. They’d been displaced many times and often despite promises to the contrary. He offered Thayla another smile and looked past her to the largest cluster of Shadeni, imagining Tellen at the center, busily trying to calm people’s worries. “Do you think he’ll be able to break free?”

“Tellen? He’ll say goodbye before we roll out, but he’s going to be with those elders for a while. I’m sorry, Victor.”

“Nah, it’s no problem. I’d offer to speak with them, but I doubt it would help. Would it?”

“No, they trust you. It’s just a general distrust of circumstances that has everyone worried. It’s no secret that you plan to leave soon. How’s Edeya, by the way?”

“The same. I wish I could do something for her. As I’m sure you know, it's frustrating not having someone here who’s more knowledgeable about the subject. I mean, as little as I know, I’m finding that I know more than most when it comes to spirits and spirit Cores.”

“Believe me, I know. Old Mother used to talk about how she wished she could offer you more guidance, but it’s an affinity type that’s been greatly maligned in this world. Most of what she knew, she taught herself. I hope that you’ll be able to learn more when you travel, and ancestors willing, bring that knowledge home to us.”

“Please, Victor!” Deyni said, scooting closer to Thayla so her mother could wrap an arm over her shoulders.

“You better believe I will, Deyni. We’ll give you everything you need to grow your Core into something special.” He glanced at the sky, judged the sun to be just a bit past its midpoint, and said, “Since Tellen’s tied up, I think I’ll run a different errand. I left an artifact in Sea Keep and want to pick it up. If I can’t figure it out here, I’ll bring it with me when we travel.”

Chandri perked up at Victor’s words, sitting up straight and blinking her eyes against the sun's glare. “What sort of artifact?”

“It’s a crown made of dark stone with weird runes all over it. Dunstan, the wampyr lord, was wearing it when I killed him. I didn’t want to put it in my storage ring because it felt powerful and, I’m not sure why, but I had a feeling that it might be, you know, conscious.”

Thayla nodded, distracted while she worked on fixing one of Deyni’s braids. “So you hid it in the keep before you left?”

“Yeah.”

Chandri jumped up. “I’ll go with you!”

Thayla frowned and opened her mouth, but Victor could almost see the second thought cross her mind as she reconsidered what she’d been about to say. “That’s up to Victor. We can spare you for now.”

“Yeah, sure.” Victor clambered to his feet as Deyni also jumped up.

“What about me?”

“Oh no, sweetie! I need your help with Starlight and Thistle. We must brush and feed them before we harness them to the wagon for days and days.” Thayla snatched Deyni’s hand and pulled on her to help herself stand.

Victor squatted down and held out his arms. “Give me a hug, you little huntress. I’ll surely see you again before you leave, but I can never get too many hugs.”

Deyni didn’t need to be asked twice—she crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. While he squeezed her, she whispered in his ear, “Promise this isn’t a forever goodbye.”

Victor felt that familiar lump in his throat and the sting in his eyes as tears tried to fight free. He wasn’t sad or upset; he was just happy to have such an innocent, sweet person giving him her love. He hadn’t been lying when he said he felt like his home was there with the people he cared about. “No, mija, it’s not forever. I promise. This is just a short goodbye.” He didn’t hesitate at all to break his earlier commitment about making promises.

As he realized how much he wanted to return, how much he cared about Deyni and so many others, another realization hit him—the reason he hadn’t been very excited about the news from Olivia that an ambassador and a portal stone to First Landing would be on the way, was because, to him, they were just strangers, regardless of their origin. He was more eager to see how the Naghelli made out than he was with First Landing’s prospects. He supposed that would change as he came to know them. He hoped he might make friends there and figured he ought to work to build a relationship with Olivia.

Sighing, he gave Deyni one last squeeze, then stood up and pulled some Energy out of his Core to summon Guapo. As the Mustang burst out of the pool of sparkling glory-attuned Energy, he turned to Chandri and grinned. “Ready to see how fast this guy can run?” Guapo interrupted her answer by rearing onto his hind legs and whinnying mightily. Victor laughed and slapped his rump. “You big showoff!”