Chương 80: Travelers

Elaria truly did not understand what went through Vera's mind at times. One moment, the woman would be chattering about some inane topic or another while effortlessly staying attentive to Serel, and the next she would leave Elaria unsettled with sudden requests that seemed to come from nowhere, yet clearly carried weight. There were things left unsaid. That was the simplest way Elaria could frame it. It vexed Elaria. She couldn't deny this. Vera had always possessed a certain reticence. So had Elaria.

She did not, in itself, find this trait frustrating. The difference lay in the fact that Vera was intimately familiar with most aspects of Elaria's past and burdens—by closeness and by necessity—while the same could not be said in reverse. It was that imbalance that now troubled her. She had not realized this until now. She was not even certain she had felt it before now. Perhaps Lorin's words had planted the thought—illogical or not—and allowed it to take root.

Regardless, it was not something Elaria intended to indulge. If Vera wished to keep certain things to herself, that was her prerogative, as long as it did not pose a threat to the rest of them. Elaria only hoped the woman would listen to reason before acting on pointless impulses like 'collecting firewood.' A slow breath left Elaria as she gazed into the fire before her. Traces of Emberward Resonance threaded from the flames as heat brushed against her bare arms and shoulders.

The fire crackled in a rhythm not unlike the steady breathing of Vorthalor sleeping some distance away. And with the softer warmth resting in her lap. She glanced down at the small form curled there, Serel asleep with her head nestled against Elaria, body wrapped in a blanket, chest rising and falling evenly. Her gaze lingered. It still surprised her how readily Serel trusted her. Rationally, it made sense—the child viewed her as a parent, and children clung to those they believed would protect them.

Serel had already shown more than enough affection toward both her and Vera. And yet, a quieter part of Elaria insisted the girl should be more guarded. That such openness was dangerous. It was a thought she was actively working to suppress. She had even gone so far as to remove her armor before conducting a full sweep of the surrounding terrain. Long experience had conditioned her never to do so in the field, yet she had still done so. Partly to allow Serel to rest against her without the discomfort of plate.

Partly to practice becoming accustomed to a role that did not involve steel between them. She had not abandoned all caution. Marks were woven into the perimeter to alert her to intruders, and she remained capable of responding to the vast majority of threats even unarmored. Still, the absence of her armor felt like a calculated risk. Though she was debating with herself whether it would be wiser to don it again once Vera returned.

She still recalled the odd look the woman had given her before upon seeing her unarmored. Shaking her head to herself, she breathed out again. Whatever the case, she had no intention of sleeping. Someone would need to keep watch through the night, and she was not leaving that duty to Mournvale. She suspected the woman hadn't slept for two or more nights now.

She knew Vera had not slept the night before last—when they had both pored over texts in the Ashledger Archive—and during their stay in Karthvale, Vera had insisted Serel sleep with Elaria while she herself appeared in the morning looking no more rested than before. Ordinarily, a few days without sleep would not trouble either of them. Both had endured far worse. But what concerned Elaria was how depleted Vera had looked after performing the Rite of Stillness.

While the woman hadn't shown the same signs since, that did not mean the strain was gone. And though they could survive without rest for longer periods, that did not mean it was wise to do so when better alternatives existed. Elaria already had an argument prepared, should Vera object. Serel stirred faintly in her sleep. Elaria watched her for a moment longer, then carefully brushed a stray lock of hair from the girl's face. Curiously, she found herself wondering what a child this young dreamed of.

What had she dreamed of, at that age? Had she dreamed? She could not recall. Even if she had, dreams had held little value to her then. A flicker of movement at the edge of her vision drew her attention. Elaria's eyes snapped to a narrow trail along the ridge as a figure emerged from the darkness. First, she assumed it was Vera—until she filtered Resonance through her sight and realized it was not. Wariness tightened through her as she studied the approaching figure.

Their gait was relaxed and balanced, and her gaze immediately went to the sword at their side. When she took in the rest of their appearance, surprise crossed her expression. It was a man in travel-worn clothing, with dark hair that was bound back. As the firelight reached him, he stopped and offered a polite greeting, fists brought together in a gesture Elaria didn't recognize.

"Didn't mean to intrude," he said mildly.

"I saw the fire and thought I might check whether it was spoken for." Elaria watched him closely, one hand shifting protectively over Serel.

"It is a strange coincidence that we would meet again." He blinked once.

"Again? Have we met before?"

"…Yes. Earlier today, in Karthvale." This was the very same purveyor who had sold her the sword she had given Serel. That he now stood here, after she had traveled by dragon for most of the evening, was… strange. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face before it smoothed into a smile.

"Now that's a mysterious coincidence. The fates must be playing a twice-folded joke while smiling on me today, if they've decided to bring two linked travelers together like so." Elaria frowned, something about his words making her pause. He brought his fists together again, pairing the gesture with a slight bow.

"Allow me to introduce myself. This one's name is Hence. I suspect you may have already met my brother—Whence." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Her gaze lingered on him.

"Hence?"

"Hence, yes. And Whence. A small joke played on us at birth. You should meet our sister, Thence."

"Your sister… is named Thence?"

"No." His smile turned drier.

"That one was a joke played by me." He motioned to the open spot beside the fire.

"Mind if I join you for a bit?" Elaria glanced at the space, then back at him. There was something about him she couldn't quite place. At the same time, she detected no hostility and no threat. Like the man she'd met earlier in Karthvale, this one carried little Resonance, barely above the First or Second Binding. If they were truly brothers, then perhaps this really was just the fates amusing themselves. After a moment, she dipped her head.

"Go ahead." Hence smiled, crossed over, and settled on the ground with an easy grace, folding his legs and resting his sheathed sword over them. His eyes went to Serel, asleep in Elaria's lap.

"Your daughter?" Elaria hesitated only briefly.

"Yes."

"A lovely little one. May I ask her name?" She paused, then answered.

"Serel."

"Serel?" Hence repeated.

"A curious name. Does it carry any particular meaning? Did you choose it?"

"No…" Elaria said, glancing down at the girl.

"I do not know if it carries any particular meaning."

"Fair enough," he replied.

"Most names don't come with explanations attached." Elaria gave a small nod. She assumed the name had been chosen by Mournvale, but with the strange circumstances of Serel's existence, she couldn't be sure. Was that a detail she should already have asked about? Hence's gaze drifted from the tent nearby to the sleeping dragon beyond it. A quiet chuckle left him.

"I was wondering whether my eyes were misleading me, but that truly is a proper dragon. I could tell from your bearing you were no ordinary traveler, but in all my years on the road, this is the first time I've met one who travels with a dragon at her side. You must live a rather fascinating life." Elaria's eyes flicked briefly toward Vorthalor. For some reason, she had not considered that the dragon's presence would draw his attention. Her focus returned to Hence.

"Can the same not be said of you?" Her gaze dropped to his sword.

"Do you follow the same path as your brother?" Like with that man, she was curious about his talents. Hence nodded once.

"I do indeed. Could it be you are a sister of the blade?"

"I would not call myself that," Elaria said.

"I walk another path. But I have trained with the sword since I was young."

"Then you are a sister, regardless of the path. The blade does not discriminate, and it is not so jealous as to forbid a hand from touching anything else." He offered her a small, knowing smirk. She considered him.

"Perhaps you are right."

"I tend to be. Whence likes to understand how things began, and I'm usually right about how they'll end." His smile lingered.

"Another joke the fates played on us."

"Is that so." Elaria had the sense that there was something she wanted to ask—but whatever it was refused to surface. It was a galling sensation. Like searching for a word that hovered just beyond reach.

"You said you were a traveler," she said instead, letting her curiosity steer the conversation.

"Do you travel to further the path of your sword, like your brother?" Hence tilted his head slightly.

"That is part of the reason we travel, yes. But we stand at rather opposed points in our wandering. Where he seeks the refinement of his art, I concern myself with what it accomplishes. The difference between chasing the purest form of the blade—and caring what happens when it's drawn."

"That is an interesting distinction," Elaria said.

"It is, isn't it?" He studied her, and something in his expression caught her attention.

"And what of you? Where does your road lead? Whence is it that you are traveling?" As she met his eyes, a faint sense of incongruity rose, only to slip away.

"I—" she began.

"Elaria—" The voice cut in sharply. Elaria turned as Vera emerged from the treeline, an uncharacteristic tension etched into her features. It almost resembled panic. It made Elaria straighten at once. Had the woman encountered something while she was gone? There should have been nothing in these parts.

"Elaria…" Vera spoke slowly, staring at Hence with unmistakable caution. Elaria's brow furrowed as she looked between them. Hence smiled at Vera. Not sharply, but with the mild recognition one might offer an unexpected acquaintance. He lingered for a moment longer, then rose, patting the sheath of his sword.

"It seems your companion has something important she wishes to say," he remarked lightly.

"I thought you were by your lonesome, but I wouldn't want to be the sort of traveler who intrudes on precious private time." He brought his fists together again, dipping his head.

"Brief as it was, it's always a pleasure meeting those rare individuals who walk uncommon roads and lead uncommon lives. If the fates will it, let us meet again." He glanced at Mournvale, considering her for another moment, then offered her the same courteous gesture before turning away. His figure slipped beyond the reach of the firelight and vanished into the dark. After he was gone, Elaria wondered what he had meant by 'private time,' and the conclusion she arrived at caused a faint scowl to settle on her brow.

Was she overthinking it?

"Elaria," Vera said as she approached, casting quick looks at both her and Serel.

"Are you okay?" Elaria met her gaze evenly.

"Why would we not be?" She shifted Serel slightly.

"That aside, why did you leave so abruptly? If you needed an excuse, surely you could have chosen something more convincing than gathering firewood." She gestured to the fire, which burned steadily without need of kindling. Vera glanced at it only briefly before returning her attention to Elaria.

"Ignore that for now. Just tell me—are you sure you're okay?" Elaria frowned again.

"I am." She studied the woman.

"…You are unsettled. Why?" Vera was many things, but she was not prone to this sort of agitation without cause. Something was clearly wrong, even if Elaria couldn't yet see it. Beneath that uncertainty, a quiet sense of unease—one that had been building for some time—continued to press at her. Vera watched her closely for several seconds.

"Elaria…" she said, and Elaria thought she caught a lingering edge of worry in her voice.

"Who were you talking with just now?"

"A traveler," Elaria answered.

"He claimed to be the brother of a man from whom I purchased Serel's sword earlier today." Vera's eyes widened.

"…You met them before? In Karthvale?" Elaria nodded, suspicion tightening.

"Yes."

"And you didn't think that was strange?"

"It was a strange coincidence, certainly. However—" She stopped. She considered what she had been about to say. And in doing so, she recognized what was wrong with it. The lingering unease that had followed her since Hence's appearance suddenly sharpened into clarity. Her gaze drifted toward the darkness where he had disappeared. Only now, belatedly, did she register the fact that she hadn't sensed his approach at all. At the time, she hadn't found this notable at all.

Her expression darkened as she replayed the interaction in her mind. The mundanity of her questions and concerns. The ease with which her suspicion had dulled.

"Elaria," Vera said quietly, "I need you to answer me honestly. Think carefully. Did he introduce himself to you?" Elaria turned back to her, startled by the intensity in the woman's gaze.

"He did," she replied after a moment.

"He gave his name as Hence, and claimed his brother was named Whence."

"And did you introduce yourself to him?"

"I…" Elaria hesitated, her gaze lowering.

"I did not." That, too, felt wrong. She hadn't consciously withheld her name. She was not afraid to reveal her identity, nor was she in the habit of discourtesy. So what had stopped her from sharing her name? It was becoming clear that she had been affected by something. Something subtle enough to pass unnoticed, even now that she was aware of it. That alone was deeply alarming. What struck her most, however, was the look of relief that had appeared on Vera's face.

"Vera," Elaria said.

"What do you know?" Vera pressed her lips together, then glanced down at Serel.

"…She was asleep the whole time, right?"

"She was," Elaria confirmed.

"Good. Good." Vera nodded to herself.

"Vera," Elaria said again.

"Tell me what you know." Vera met her gaze. A few quiet breaths passed between them.

"I'm sorry," Vera said.

"I can't."

"You can't?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I can't say." Vera looked at her a moment longer, then sighed. Elaria did not look away.

"I'm serious, Elaria. I can't explain it. Please trust me on this."

"Even if I do, this is not something I can simply ignore." Anything capable of dulling her awareness so completely represented a serious threat. That she had no idea what it was made the situation significantly worse.

"Just—" Vera broke off, running a hand through her hair.

"Please be careful from now on, okay? And whatever you do, never give your name to a stranger unless you're absolutely certain who they are."

"Are you saying that doing so is dangerous?" Elaria asked. Her chest suddenly tightened.

"Yes," Vera replied. Elaria looked down at Serel.

"…I gave him Serel's name." Had she placed the girl in danger?

"That's fine," Vera said immediately.

"As long as she didn't introduce herself, it's fine." A quiet wave of relief passed through Elaria. She lifted her gaze back to Vera. After a brief moment of consideration, she carefully shifted Serel in her arms and rose to her feet. Vera stepped forward without comment as Elaria placed the sleeping girl into her arms, then turned toward the tent.

"Wait, where are you going?" Vera asked.

"To retrieve my armor," Elaria replied. She paused at the edge of the tent, one hand resting against the fabric, and looked back.

"…Tell me this. If I were to pursue him now, could I catch that man?" Vera was quiet, then shook her head.

"No."

"Could you?" The woman's expression tightened.

"…No."

"I see." Elaria stepped inside the tent, letting the flap fall closed behind her.