Edeline just had to stop at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. Her legs ached and trembled, and sweat crawled down her face. Still, it was not without some satisfaction. The royal knights were locked away in a handful of houses, and the remaining sphinxes had agreed to work with her. Now all that was left was for Takhat and Myronel to recover, and to deal with the Sluice once and for all.

  It was unlikely to be that simple, but Edeline still clung to the hope. She was too tired to do anything else tonight. Whatever came tomorrow would be dealt with then, after she was rested and ready for it. And this time, Hamond would be by her side.

  Entering the room, Edeline halted at the sight. Sedat knelt awkwardly, taking up far more space than any normal person, with the feathers of her wings spread across the floor. She was much cleaner now, with a long tunic. Given Sedat's feet and wings, that was probably about the only thing the girl could wear.

  Both Nela and Jylania were seated against the far wall, legs pulled up to make more room for Sedat. Hamond, meanwhile, stood at the cooking pot stirring, a forced look of calm on his face. Something was bothering him, and Edeline would know soon enough what it was.

  "Took your time," Nela remarked, "Those knights give you trouble?"

  "They were cooperative," Edeline said, settling down on the floor herself. "The sphinxes that showed up were less so."

  "Sphinxes?" Hamond asked.

  "Oh, right, that," Nela grumbled. Edeline opened her mouth to ask what Nela meant by that.

  Sedat beat her to it. "Sphinxes? Saw one of them once, before this all happened. They're weird, aren't they? How did there get to be big cats with the faces of men, anyway? Maybe they're the result of a spell like the one that hit this town."

  The words came spilling out so fast from Sedat's mouth. This was...this was nothing like the reserved and sorrowful girl they'd brought back. That...she...just how?

  "Meet Sedat," Nela said with a wry grin. "Got quite the mouth on her once she's not fighting off hunger, it seems."

  "I wasn't about to make her wait for our evening meal." Hamond shook his head. "I can't say I expected this though."

  Edeline had not either. It was enviable, in a way. Sedat had been through far worse for years, yet came out of it still possessing this much cheery energy. Perhaps they could learn some lessons from her on how to endure trials and tragedies. She certainly hadn't taken what had happened in Hallowscroft all that gracefully.

  "People always say that I talk too fast and too much. Just that with everything, there might not be other chances to talk, so I need to do it now. Don't know why it annoys people."

  Edeline couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Good to know that you are feeling better."

  "Hopefully Ronny and the captain do too," Nela said, "I'll be heading back after we eat to check on Takhat. Got the feeling someone's got to be there to watch her tonight."

  "Is she badly hurt?" Sedat asked, "What did they do to her?"

  "She'll live, although she'll have some nasty scars." Nela closed her eyes. "So many small little wounds on top of each other. Burns, cuts...shit, who learns to do something like that to people?"

  "Trained as an interrogator, then," Edeline said. She recalled her father once commenting about refusing to hire one. She could not recall the exact details of that conversation, it having been years ago. Whatever his reasoning had been then, Edeline knew that now she would do the same. Men like that were not needed.

  "Says a lot when they send someone like that and no healer," Nela remarked.

  "They did not bring a large amount of supplies either," Edeline told them, "There was no planning for what might happen if they could not acquire more in Lasfont."

  "Glad they're gone then." Nela leaned back against the wall.

  Edeline glanced over at Hamond, confirming he knew what she had been busy with. "Why would you think they're gone?"

  "Because...wait, you didn't send them back?" Nela sat upright, eyes widening. "But...I thought...why?"

  "I just said they didn't have what they needed for any journey," Edeline stated, her irritation threatening to boil over. "My options were to take from the food for the people here, or send them to very slow deaths. Or would you rather I just have slain them all after they surrendered? You didn't want to do that to the Witch of Wrath, and-"

  "I'm sorry, alright?" Nela's face paled, but her gaze did not waver as she cut Edeline off. "I should've realized you needed rest just as much as Ronny did. We can talk about this tomorrow."

  "I can rest tonight and tomorrow," Edeline snapped. Nela may be focused entirely on healing her patients, but there was far more going on than that. "What I have to tell you must be said now."

  "What, that the knights came here for you?" Nela snorted as she climbed to her feet. "We all knew it, even without actual proof. So instead of telling us what we already guessed, why don't you just let it be and wait for the food to be done?"

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  "I didn't know it," Sedat spoke up, "Why are the knights after her anyway?"

  Edeline's frustration spiked further, but she restrained herself. Sedat knew nothing of this, and after what the Remuati girl had endured, she did not deserve to be burdened with it. "It is not something you need to worry about."

  "Since I plan to leave here with you, I think it is." A simple statement, and yet one with such weight that it left Edeline's thoughts broken and confused. What...what was the girl even thinking?

  "I told you that's not going to happen," Hamond said wearily.

  "You saw how the other people acted towards me," Sedat replied, "Bet everyone else will be the same. Not going to find a home here."

  "Do you really think the people elsewhere will treat you any different?" Nela asked.

  "Yeah, because they're not from a town where other monsters killed their friends and family. Strange as I am, there's people out there who've seen stranger. Just have to find them."

  Collecting herself, Edeline had to admit Sedat's reasoning had some merit. What happened in Lasfont weighed heavily on the thoughts of the survivors, and Sedat's changed bodies, feathers and all, would be a constant reminder. Most of them likely just wanted to put this whole affair behind them. Sedat living under their roof would make that impossible.

  "It's my fault," Hamond admitted, "I tried to convince one family to take her in by mentioning that we might be leaving after we finished helping here. I shouldn't have said that in front of her."

  But that would mean...Edeline sighed, closing her eyes as the truth set in. Hamond had been trying to avoid a second Jylania situation, but now it was inevitable. They'd found another one.

  "I don't think you said the same around me." Jylania told Nela, appearing to reach a similar understanding as well.

  Edeline could not recall, but she had not been present for all of the conversations regarding Jylania's future. What she did know is that Jylania had desired to follow along with Nela and learn the ways of both the Elefae and healing. As for Sedat...what did she want out of her life once she left Lasfont behind?

  Edeline did not know, and it was doubtful that Sedat knew either.

  That matter would have to wait. Edeline turned back to Nela, ready to resume their argument, only to find that the earlier anger had already faded. In truth, Nela did not deserve it, not knowing about the rebellion in Melyn and what effect that might have on their plans.

  "I apologize for raising my voice," Edeline said, "You are right that I am exhausted, but the matters I have learned of will not wait for me to recover my strength."

  "Doesn't mean you still should get all worried," Nela complained, sitting back down. Edeline wished it was that simple, but she understood the unspoken acceptance of her apology.

  Before she could continue, there was still the matter of explaining the situation to Sedat. "I will not give you the full details just yet, but it is enough to know that the king of Hyarch desperately wants me dead. That danger extends to all those who travel with me."

  "That would be a problem," Sedat said, "Already had one of the guards try to kill me though, so not a big difference."

  "When you were out on the streets, right?" Edeline could believe that.

  "No," Hamond corrected her, "One of them came around the corner when we were out looking for a place for her. Startled him, and he pointed his spear at her."

  Edeline froze for a second, then glared at Hamond. "You did not mention this earlier." If the earlier exchange had not guaranteed Sedat traveling with them, this absolutely did.

  "She definitely can't stay here if that's going to keep happening," Nela added her agreement. Hamond just shook his head silently. He had probably already known the outcome, but was reluctant to admit that Sedat's choices were so limited.

  "Going back to the knights, they revealed that the king has more than one concern right now." Edeline did not want to waste further time. "More of the royal knights - a larger force - were sent to Melyn, to deal with some sort of insurrection."

  "That explains it then," Nela grumbled, rising to her feet again. Confused but wary, Edeline watched the healer approach as she pulled a scrap of paper out and offered it.

  Edeline took it and looked it over. "Where did you get this?"

  "The Witch of Wrath gave it to me," Nela said, "I guess she got it off their leader's body at some point."

  So that was where the Witch of Wrath had gone after helping Edeline finish gathering the surrendered knights. "Why did she not give it to me? I was there with her."

  "She'd found out about the sphinxes coming, and was trying to use it to convince me to leave town with her," Nela explained, "Like I'd abandon Ronny so quickly."

  Or the rest of them. Edeline heard those unspoken words in the silence that followed, and felt a twinge of guilt. Pushing it to the side - or at least trying to - she looked back down at the paper. So they did not want her to travel to Melyn, likely hoping to avoid her joining forces with this insurrection. Not that Edeline had any plans to lend her name or blood to their cause.

  "Who is Ronny?" Sedat asked.

  Of course the girl would not know of that. "It's another name for our wounded companion, the one who was with me."

  "Why would anyone have more than one name?" Sedat's smile wavered, telling Edeline that this was a genuine question. "That just sounds like it would confuse people."

  "Sometimes it is a title, and other times people change their names," Edeline said with a bittersweet smile. The memory of her mother was there, wearing the mask of the serving maid Lendra. "Other people give each other shorter names."

  "Still sounds confusing," Sedat insisted.

  "It's not confusing at all," Jylania stated, shooting a fierce glare at Sedat.

  "I don't want to hear any arguing about this shit." Nela clapped her hands. "She doesn't know anything about the Elefae, and it's not her fault. If she wants to, she can learn about us, just as you did."

  "On the matter of learning," Hamond spoke up, "If you're that insistent on coming with us, there is something I'd like to see if you are able to do."

  Edeline blinked, lost for a moment before delighted surprise set in. She would not have thought Hamond to be that willing to teach spellcraft in this situation, but there was no denying that a few spells would be helpful to Sedat. Perhaps there would even be a way to develop spells to compensate for her lack of hands and arms.

  "What is it? Is it a way to fight?" Sedat asked.

  "No, I want figure out if there is a way you can use those wings," Hamond answered, "I want to see if you can fly."

  Edeline was slightly disappointed, even though she knew she really should not be. Part of her wanted to see Hamond passing his spells on, possibly with her aid...what had even gotten into her? At this rate, she'd find herself looking for her own apprentice. Did she truly want that, with the work and danger that came with it?

  "Told you that I tried it a lot of times," Sedat pointed out, "It never worked."

  "I have a few ideas," Hamond said, "We can see about it tomorrow, if you're willing."

  "Not like I have anything else to do," Sedat said, "Just eating and sleeping are all I've been doing."

  "You've been trying to help us," Hamond said, "I can at least try in turn to give you some way of taking care of yourself."

  "Thank you. Thank you so much." Sedat stood up, wings rustling as she pulled them up and in. One of her feathers detached, fluttering across the floor before coming to rest. Rather, resting for now, but would float into motion at the slightest breeze.

  It was very much how Edeline felt.

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