Winter 4987, 24 Ginmoth 

Shon rolled his shoulders and popped his neck before resuming his stance. He was shirtless despite the cold. More than his affinity for winter, the choice was attributed to sweat soaking his tunic. Master Daunas carried Shon’s sword at the edge of the sparring ring, circling to stay in range of the Squires while Ryuuko twittered encouragement from his shoulder. Though if to Shon or his opponents, he wasn't sure. Across from him, Rerves stood ready, searching Shon’s stance for weakness. There was none.

It was the last day before the Winter Solstice break and the Squires' last chance to defeat Shon in hand-to-hand combat. In addition to cold protection spells, Master Daunas had allowed them to challenge Shon in a bear-pit-style tournament, to give them a better chance. As he beat each Squire one on one, they would return to the back of the line of challengers to try again. He had already gone through the line twice and had taken his tunic off five fights ago.

Shon's stamina was finally starting to falter, and Rerves was a good bit larger than he was. Shon had grown a few inches since the previous winter, and though his chest and shoulders had filled out considerably, he wasn't the only one, and Rerves was still five inches taller and thicker all around.

Rerves bobbed up and down on the balls of his feet and lunged with a straight right punch. Shon stepped inside the punch and struck Rerves on the side of the jaw with the heel of his palm. Slipping his leg behind the larger boy as he tried to recover from the hit, sending him to the ground.

Rerves rolled away and scrambled to his feet, rubbing the back of his hand against his face and cracking his jaw. Shon felt little guilt at the hit. He was tired but wasn’t about to give in without one of them earning the win. He returned to his fighting stance, and Rerves gave a nervous laugh. He tried circling, looking for some kind of opening that Shon wasn’t going to give him. Shon turned as Rerves circled, keeping his eyes on his opponent and blocking out the shouting from the sidelines.

“You got this, Rerves!”

"He can't last much longer!"

“Get him to the ground! He’s not as good at grappling!” That was true, but the task would be easier said than done.

“Come on, Rerves, use that big body of yours!” Shon looked away.

Lily was standing on the sidelines, grinning evilly and cupping her hands around her mouth as she shouted.

Rerves took advantage of the distraction and barreled into Shon like a bull, knocking the wind out of him as they hit the ground hard. With stars flashing before his eyes, it took Shon a moment to recover, and Rerves was already trying to get him in a hold that could end the match. With a growl, Shon twisted free -cold- sweat-covered skin helping him slide out of Rerves grip. Latching onto Rerves' grasping arm, Shon looped his legs on either side and over Rerves' chest, arching his back and holding Rerves' fist tight, hyperextending the elbow.

The bigger Squire smacked the ground with his free hand and a cry of pain, “Match, match!” Letting go quickly, Shon rolled backward onto his feet but then dropped to one knee to catch his breath as the other Squires crowded around Lily, crying out their greetings.

She was smiling ear to ear, and Shon tried to memorize every detail. She wore a simple tunic and slacks soaked to the knee from the snow, her golden hair was done up in a loose bun held in place by a set of lacquered sticks tipped with sapphire stones that matched the deep blue of her eyes. She had a dark wood quarterstaff leaning in the fold of her right shoulder as she hugged each of the Squires, briefly, while Ryuuko fluttered around her, trying to find room to take its turn to cuddle into her cheek. 

Master Daunas approached Shon, still kneeling in the ring, “You done, boy?”

“Yeah…” Shon breathed, then swallowed and corrected himself, “Yes, sir,”

“Well, take your turn to greet the girl, then go get yourself cleaned up.” the Weaponmaster smiled and smacked Shon on the back as he stood, making him lunge forward.

Shon ran his fingers through his hair -it needed to be cut again- and looked up to see Lily moving towards him, her slitted eyes sparkling as she smiled wickedly. It looked like he wasn't the only one who'd filled out over the year. Her hips swayed as she walked, and -with her hands behind her back- her tunic stretched tight over her chest.

“It's not fair to beat up on amateurs.” she teased.

“All's fair in love and war.” he countered. She beamed at him, and he couldn't help but give one of his small smiles in return. This must be why she didn't send a letter last time. He convinced himself that the warmth in his chest was just relief that nothing was wrong, but then Master Daunas thrust Shon's sword between them, breaking their eye contact.

“Get a shower, Squire,” he ordered, a snicker clear in his voice. Shon blushed, taking the sword, its pommel swirling dark blue and purple. Lily giggled, turning away from him and back to the other Squires who swarmed her again. There would be plenty of time to talk to her at dinner.

***

Home in the central Talon, Shaloon ripped her mirror from the wall and threw it across the room, her arms imbued with magical strength and a scream of fury. Gone! She had been gone! And with no more samples, there was no way they could find the Firewyrm magically.

“So,” Tolinar asked with a grin from the door, “Does this mean we get to explore my research now?” Shaloon screamed again, summoning her sword. Her partner hurried from the room, closing the door behind him.

She breathed through clenched teeth and, with another scream, stabbed through the letter laying open and the table beneath. It, too, was useless. The only thing left in the Firewyrm's room, it only said that she'd decided to travel, to live outside of any tower and its accompanying rules. It asked the recipient to inform her other contacts about her decision, so they wouldn't worry, but gave no hint about where she'd gone.

She need only live… a voice spoke in her mind. Shaloon spun, her sword dissolving into smoke. My children have their Chosen, the voice sounded both proud and disgusted at once.

Shaloon approached the little pseudodragon sprawled on her bed. Morndancer's pseudodragon. It wasn't a true specimen, only a minor spirit given the form of a dragon. To be used as a conduit for their Master to communicate with them. “What should we do, Master?” she asked in a whine. But the little messenger didn’t answer. It merely purred. 

***

Lily entered the mess hall with the first wave of the Squires for dinner. Shon had done as ordered and got in line to shower before eating, so she'd passed the hour break before dinner with the others. It felt like she'd come home and Lily thought she must be glowing with happiness.

She'd enjoyed the trip from Tarorn to Hamerfoss. Though it had taken longer than she wanted and it was hard to be alone with her thoughts for such an extended period, it gave her time to put her plans together and decide exactly what she wanted to do. She'd felt finally and truly free on the road, and though it had its rough patches, she'd fallen in love with the outdoors even more deeply than she'd been before.

Picking up her food, she was carrying it back to the Squires' tables when someone called to her, “Missy!” Craning her neck over the taller Squires, Lily saw the Weaponmaster waving her over at the officers' table. She cocked her head in a silent question but moved towards the officers as his motions indicated. To her surprise, he gestured to an empty chair as he resumed his seat.

Lily turned to look back at the Squires but set her food down when Major General Selibra said, “Please, have a seat.” She looked at each of the men in turn, worried she was in trouble. She'd spent nearly a month with them before, and Shon had told her that his Master visited on occasion… Was there something she should've done before showing up?

There were five men at the table, Selibra, Daunas, Nangran, the Cleric, and the captain of the guard. “I trust you remember everyone?” Selibra asked as he picked up his fork and knife. Lily smiled at each of them and nodded, still nervous.

The Cleric must've noticed her trepidation because he rested a gentle hand on her forearm for a moment and said, “Relax, Miss Lily, it’s just customary for visitors to sit with the officers at mealtimes.”

“And check in with them when they show up,” Daunas added, but he was smiling and took an overly large bite of food.

“Well, you were at the sparring ring with the Squires, so that’s kind of like checking in, isn’t it?” Lily asked, and Daunas laughed, shoving all his food into one cheek so he could talk out the other side,

“It's good to see you again! I suppose you’re here for the celebrations?” Lily blushed but nodded. The Winter Solstice was no more than an excuse for her to visit her Squires.

Smith Nangran grunted, “You’re early.”

“The guests for the celebrations usually come in the morning of,” Selibra said with a small smile. She didn’t think she'd ever seen him smile. He'd been so dour last time. Maybe it was the holidays.

Her own smile firmly back in place, Lily picked up her utensils and began cutting up her food, roast chicken, mashed turnips, and grilled potatoes.

Before taking her first bite, she said, “I got my clearance, so I thought I would come thank everyone again before I went back on the road.” she took a bite of chicken with a bit of turnip scooped with it and moaned for joy. Trail rations kept one from starving, but that was all they did, and the food here had always been better than anything the Guild could conger up with their bland plates. 

Selibra furrowed his brow at her as she ate but waited for her to swallow before he asked, “Back on the road? So you’re not going to stay with the Mages in Tarorn?”

Lily shook her head and speared a bit of potato on her fork as she spoke, “No.” she stabbed another, “They aren’t much better than my old tower.” She picked up the fork but finished before putting the double helping of potato in her mouth, “I’m tired of being poked and prodded and drained of all my bodily fluids.”

Daunas exchanged a look with Selibra and shrugged, swallowing his own mouthful before saying, “Can’t blame the girl for that.”

“As long as you have your clearance...” the Cleric said slowly, “You didn’t come here alone, did you?”

Lily nodded enthusiastically, taking a drink of water after swallowing a little too fast, “Ug, excuse me.” she took another sip, then smiled at the Cleric lifting her head in a very ‘I’m so proud of myself’ manner reminiscent of a young child who had dressed themselves for the first time, “It wasn’t bad. Well the food was,” she laughed a little and speared more chicken, “Some kobolds tried to make off with my pack on the third night, but they ran off quick enough when I tossed fire at one and bopped another with my staff.” She scooped up some more turnip with the chicken while the men exchanged looks again.

“It's dangerous to travel alone, miss Lily…” Selibra said, "Though the road from Smilnda is at least one of the safest-" 

"I didn't come from Smilnda. I walked from Tarorn." the captain of the guard and Daunas both dropped their forks. Lily pointed her own fork at the Magor General whose mouth was hanging open in horror, “It isn’t illegal, I checked.” she stabbed a potato with more force than was necessary, “I’m free now, so that means I’m free to travel right?” there were no restrictions that she could find on travel within the province, though she had found something about needing the proper papers to cross the border into other provinces. She would deal with that when it came up. “Besides, I made it here fine.” she shrugged, eating her potato. She could take care of herself.

The men exchanged looks, and no one brought up her safety or freedom again. Overall, dinner with the officers was a rather pleasant fare. Not as exciting as eating with the Squires, but Daunas laughed loudly, and the captain of the guard joined in with some stories of his own time as a caravan guard for the Temple. Lily asked lots of questions and was only distracted once. When Shon came in with Ryuuko and the last few Squire stranglers.

She caught his eye and waved, then turned back to the officers and interrupted the Cleric, asking, “Can I still sit with the Squires at other meals?”

Selibra hummed, but Daunas slapped him on the back, “The Squires can sit where they want during break, so I don’t see why not.” Lily could hardly resist dancing in her seat. It really was like what others described as being ‘home.’

*** 

Shon looked for Lily as he entered the mess hall and found her eating with the officers. His stomach twisted nervously. Was she in trouble? She was only two days early for the celebrations. Should she have stayed with the nearest village and come in with them? But then she smiled as she waved at him, and he felt his stomach give a different kind of flip and twist. 

“Yo, Shon!” Rerves called from the far end of the Squire's table, where he and the usual group waited around Shon’s empty spot. He didn’t wait for Shon to take his seat before hissing, “Did you know she was coming?”

Shon shook his head, and Kefir asked in a rush, “She didn’t even hint at it?” Shon didn’t have to think about it, he'd read and reread Lily’s letters, and there hadn’t been any indication recently, that he could see, that she would be showing up for Winter Solstice. He shook his head again.

“She really filled out, didn’t she…” Zihler whispered, leaning past Rerves so he could stare at the officer's table. Shon swallowed his first bite of food, staring at his plate so as not to ogle Lily like the senior Squire.

Thom punched Zihler in the shoulder, “It's only been a year.” but he added in a whisper, “I honestly never expected to see her again.”

Shon finally looked up to scan the mess hall, noting all the familiar Paladins, then finally settling on Lily, “Did she come alone?” he asked.

Rehlien grinned and elbowed Shon in the side, “Didn’t notice anyone else, did you… just as distracted by the pretty girl as the rest of us?” Shon gave Rehlien a withering look, hoping that would be enough to stop this line of conversation.

Thom came to his rescue, “Yeah, she said she walked all the way from Tarorn. Two whole weeks on the road!”

“All to see us,” Zihler added smugly.

Ryuuko snapped at Shon's hand, and he hurried to feed the pseudodragon, trying not to worry over what had already been done. Lily had already proven that she could take care of herself. Though the thought of her lost on the road, surrounded by monsters, and with no idea where the nearest town might be, gave him chills he wasn’t used to feeling. Maybe his nerves at her lack of a letter were justified after all.

After dinner, she joined them in the library just as she'd done before. It was their last study hour before three days of break, but they were still expected to use it properly. Ryuuko took its usual spot on the shelf closest to the door, and Shon took his alone by the window. Reading an interesting theology book and doing his best to ignore the other Squires, who had immediately started whispering to Lily as she walked the shelves to find her own reading material. 

He couldn’t resist smiling when she shushed them and took the seat across from him. She sat properly in her chair for once, and Shon looked up, arching an eyebrow at her. In response, she smiled and stretched her leg out, brushing his calf with her foot. Instead of flinching, the move made him blush, and Shon quickly looked back down at his book.

When the bell for break sounded, Lily snapped her book shut and leaned forward on her elbows, cupping her chin and staring at him. Shon glanced up, then back to his book, intent on finishing the page. It was a theological story written like history, though every province had conflicting evidence of exactly when and where the story took place. It was his favorite, and he didn’t actually need to read it. He'd memorized a version of it back in Smildna before he'd even come of age.

It was about a peasant -though in some versions he was a beggar and in others a thief- who organized his fellow commoners into a defensive militia after he'd learned of an impending Horsa attack. He'd met the oncoming army on the road and had crushed them so completely that not a single soldier had survived to assault the city. He was Shon’s favorite Holy Knight and, in some stories, was actually a Chosen of Hengist. A spiritual son of the god himself.

Lily hummed to herself but didn’t interrupt his reading. When he looked up again, she was still staring at him. The other Squires had started pulling out their cards and shot glances at Lily that she ignored.

When Shon finally closed his book, she said quickly, “I’ve been practicing every day, you know…” Shon arched an eyebrow at her, and her smile turned sinister, “I might even be able to beat you now.” Shon leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Lily just grinned her silent challenge.

“We have free time for the next few days, Lily. Maybe we can-” Rerves started,

Lily interrupted without looking away from Shon, “Spar me.” it wasn’t a request, “You’re the best with the bastard sword, right? Well, spar me. If you win, I’ll practice more with the others.”

“You don’t want me to use the staff too?” Shon asked. The other Squires exchanged nervous glances Shon couldn’t begin to understand. Did they still worry about her after all she'd done? Such underestimation would get them hurt if they weren’t careful.

Lily shrugged, “Either one. But the staff is my best weapon, so you should probably use yours for it to be a fair challenge.”

“You're on,” Shon said with his own smile. The other Squires groaned. Lily held her hand out over the table, and Shon took it. Her skin was hotter than he remembered, and he felt his power flood to his fingers, tingling and leaving him warm. He didn’t want to let go.

“Tomorrow morning,” Lily said, shaking his hand but not letting go afterward. She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand.

Zihler called loudly, “How about some cards then?” The moment stolen, Shon let her go, and Lily jumped up from her seat, rushing to the larger table.

Kefir and Rerves smiled at her, but each stepped back from the table, moving as if to adjust their chairs but sidling close to Shon. Rerves spoke in a whisper from the corner of his mouth, “Go easy on her, will you?”

Shon furrowed his brow at the Squire, but Kefir said from the other side, “Just… don’t hurt her, alright?”

Looking from one to the other, Shon rolled his eyes, “It’s just a sparring match.” he told them, taking his seat beside Lily while they exchanged nervous looks.

***

“What?!” Rasnah shouted over the sending stone clamped tight in her fist. On the other side of the magical communication, she could practically feel Major General Selibra flinch.

“I understand this communication is for emergencies only, Sir Rasnah, but I thought…” he started to explain, apparently misunderstanding her frustration.

“It's fine, Major General. I apologize for my reaction,” she sighed, sinking back down into her seat. She'd jumped up at his report, nearly knocking the heavy chair over, “We've been looking for her for weeks. I'm glad you reported so quickly.”

“She didn’t tell anyone she was coming?” Selibra asked, his voice sounding inside her head as though he stood in the room with her.

“She did not. Master Veon-Zih is heading your way now. You may leave her in his care when he arrives.” the Monks could see her safely back to the Mages.

On the other end of the communication, Selibra hesitated, “I don’t know if she'll go with him, Sir.” he finally said.

What? “Explain.”

“She has expressed a desire to travel and says that the Mages Guild is no better than the tower where she was imprisoned by the Warlocks.”

“She’s a teenager. She-”

Selibra actually interrupted his superior officer, “She's a Sorcerer who melted a stone tower and helped to bring down a wyvern likely sent to bring her back… Sir.” he added as if to apologize.

Shit. “Let the Monks know when they arrive,” she finally said after some thought. They couldn’t and wouldn’t lock her up, but they also couldn’t let her wander the land alone. “Perhaps Veon-Zih will be able to convince her to come back. He has a way with Shon, at least.” 

“And he's one of the more stubborn Squires I’ve ever had.” Selibra finished her thought. She was just glad that stubbornness worked in the Temple’s favor and only hoped Lily’s wouldn’t go against it. For her own, and everyone else’s, good.