A Quest for the Stars

As the girls waited for the Warden, they opted to survey the village from the safety of the entrance. The guards outside had opened the gate for them, allowing them to step foot inside. Once there, they were greeted by two other guards, who stood firmly in place with their halberds crossed to prevent passage. Once Lenoria identified herself, the guards uncross their polearms and requested for the girls to stick close to the gate.

"Are you sure about this," Joanna asked Lenoria.

"Yeah. Thanks for patching me up all the way, but the two of you will be helpless against the undead. At least Chestnut and I have a good chance of running away if we bump into a horde."

The girls came to an agreement. Once they settled down, Lenoria would go back for Alistair while Clara and Joanna would stay behind to watch Lisa. Clara's bardic powers were tapped out and Tsukuyomi was close to disassembling, and Joanna's joints had been encased with burning ice after restoring both of the girls. When the choice came to use the last bit of her power to heal Lenoria or Clara, Joanna opted for the former given her melee and ranged combat abilities.

"Then we just wait for the warden, have them take us to our lodgings, and wait for them to make themselves scarce before you go search for Alistair." Clara recapped the plan without fail. "I wish we could help you, but these fights have taken their toll on us."

"You two have done plenty. I'm sure Al will understand. And if he's still with that Demetrio guy, at least then I can introduce myself as the worried girlfriend." Pressing her cheeks with both hands, Lenoria grimaced to fake her crying. "'Oh, Alistair! What took you so long? You know our bed is so cold without you!' If I do everything right, that old guy won't suspect a thing!"

Joanna narrowed her eyes at Lenoria. Even after everything they had faced, Lenoria's enthusiasm never went away whenever Alistair was concerned. "I'm amazed you have any energy left at all. But what about Chestnut? Won't the bull guy recognize him if he's still there?"

"Not to mention, Chestnut must be tired after all that running," Clara pointed out.

Chestnut neighed and nodded his head, as if to reassure Clara he would be fine.

"I may have the solution." Lenoria rummaged through her bag and pulled out a kitchen knife. "They're looking for a male horse, aren't they?"

Chestnut neighed to protest, but did little else since Lisa was still on his back.

"Fine, fine. I'll just hide you behind a shed or something while I go get Alistair." With Chestnut happier with that arrangement, Lenoria then tapped Lisa on the shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I-I'm fine..."

Watching your caretaker die must be a traumatic experience too harsh to image. All Lenoria could do was offer comforting words. Gror may have had a near-death experience, for example, but he did not lose someone he loved to that dreadful harpy eagle. Helping Lisa recover from such an awful experience would be difficult.

"What this girl needs is a parental figure. I wonder if she has any other relatives..."

"T-thank you," the young girl said softly.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"That mean bull was going to hurt me. You saved my life. All of you did. You were all so cool when you fought him..."

The girls were well out of earshot of the guards, but Lenoria still looked around to make sure no one was listening in. Once she made sure they were in the clear, Lenoria beckoned for her two companions to come a little closer. "We didn't like what those guys were doing, so we had to do something." She placed her hand over the stab wound on her shoulder. Ser Loin had missed piercing a vital spot, but Lenoria knew she was stronger than ever before. Never in her life did she ever see herself going toe to toe with a minotaur, much less hold him off for as long as she did despite the size and strength difference. "First thing I'm gonna do once we settle in is make a mobility chair for you. Sound good?"

Lisa nodded with approval, but her face went pale when someone approached them. Lenoria turned around to meet the newcomer: A red-haired woman with braids wearing a simple black sleeveless top, thick pants, and leather greaves above her boots. Her skin was stonelike in both color and texture, and a black tattoo Lenoria didn't recognize was marked on her right cheek. The tattoo stretched out to her spine and both of her arms, and her skin tightened around her bulging muscles.

A rock giant. Smallest of all giantkind said to descend from stone giants, but still bigger than the average human - usually between seven to eight feet in height - and typically a lot stronger, too. Despite the smell of cheap ale lingering after her arrival, the woman appeared to be far from inebriated and in possession of her mental faculties. "Are you the ones Gabrielle sent over?"

Awed by the giant woman's presence, Lenoria nevertheless mustered all the assertiveness from within to speak with her. "That's right. Who's asking?"

The woman's grin shifted to the side. "She told me you had a lot of spunk in ya. Name's Solveig. I'm a priestess and a warden. My job's to make sure my men stay healthy, stay on their best behavior, and help them keep any dangerous folk from escaping."

The girls have heard of weirder job descriptions, but that didn't make Solveig's any less concerning. "Escaping," Joanna asked.

"Didn't the boss lady tell ya? Normally, when you commit a crime in Thule, you go to jail or prison based on the severity of your crime. But if you're an outstanding citizen, you may get a chance to join the Broken Scales."

This piece of information did not sit well with Lenoria. "You mean to tell me every single guard here is...?"

"A crook on their best behavior." Sensing the girls' uneasiness, Solveig leaned closer to Lenoria with a smile. "Just stick close to me and I'll protect you from them."

Lenoria nodded assertively, raising her head high and straightening her back. Clara and Joanna followed her example, while Lisa failed to hide her discomfort. "Alright," the young scientist answered swiftly.

"Heh, looks like you're a tough girl. It's hard enough to find people willing to work for a high-profile woman from House Bisset. This means either the trip to the mountains toughened you up, or you were already tough to begin with. Either way, looks like I won't have to coddle you."

Gabrielle's idea to reach Ragnarok Station on foot suddenly made more sense. The girls would be working in a harsh environment, and in order to weed out all signs of weakness, the dangers of the mountains proved to be the most efficient method. If Lenoria could face the dangerous creatures and the harsh conditions of the Ragnarok Mountains, she could handle Goodsprings and its denizens for sure.

The question now was why Goodsprings, and not the capital city?

Judging by Clara's scowl, it appeared Lenoria wasn't the only one who caught on. "Thank you for being a good host. Would you mind taking us to our lodgings?"

"Gladly. My job here is to escort you there, anyway, and I can't have you passing out from blood loss "

Solveig tapped Lenoria on the shoulder, a move that made the latter flinch. It was hard to see it, but blood had seeped through the bandage and her dark clothes.

"A stain like that is hard to ignore. I take it your trip was far from uneventful?"

"Lots of walking dead on the way here," Joanna gestured to the road behind her. "I applied some first aid, so we should be fine for now."

The girls had to deny any involvement with Demetrio's men. As far as they were concerned, three unidentified rebels thwarted their plans. No one else.

"Say less. This way," Solveig said as she led the way ahead. Lenoria lightly tapped Chestnut's belly, which was the signal for him to follow. Clara, Joanna, and Mr. Horsey followed right behind them.

Dawn was still far off, but some of the villagers were out and about; some workers in construction were getting a head start on a small house to avoid the sunlight, while some men in overalls with farming tools left a nearby tavern with their bellies full. Most of the shops were closed, but a smithy was operating even in the darkness of the night if the smell of smoke was any indication.

Lenoria couldn't help but notice some of the guards stopped their patrols to leer at the new arrivals. Refusing to encourage them while also wanting to appear polite, she took a moment to make eye contact before continuing on her way without a word.

"You mentioned the guards here being crooks," Clara said. "What about you?"

"Oh, hon, you don't want to know," Solveig revealed nonchalantly. "Let's just say I was supposed to get the gallows because the butcher's axe was too kind. But after seeing I was too heavy for their ropes, they decided on a life sentence. If I can serve Goodsprings for thirty years, I can leave with parole."

Solveig stopped to grin at the girls, who were a little stunned by her revelation.

"I remember my first day like it was yesterday. After a couple of months, I said to myself 'What if I just leave?' And that's what I did; everyone here is too weak to stop me, at least at first. Then the Sheriff took his gloves off." Solveig shrugged. "That guy knows how to brawl. Instead of extending my sentence, he offered me a deal. I get to walk out of here whenever I want, but I have to serve my sentence as his warden. That's fine with me, really; more bones to break."

That's when Lenoria noticed the pattern on Solveig's tattoos; they were shaped like bones, from the jawbone, spine, and lastly both humerus bones. She wasn't familiar with giant anatomy, but she figured the bones were more or less the same.

Despite the initial shock from Solveig's monologue, Lenoria remained steadfast and unafraid. "Thanks for the autobiography, Solveig. But was there a point to any of that?"

"I guess not. I just like reminiscing, and as long as you don't piss me off, we'll get along just fine."

The girls left it at that and continued on their way without further distractions. Lenoria took this chance to tap her Soulstone once to get a response from Pearl. "You've been pretty quiet. Everything okay?"

"I'm fine, but I'm detecting two Soulstones here in Goodsprings. One of them is somewhere in this village to the east." Pearl paused before continuing. "The second...is right in front of you."

With things getting stranger by the second, Lenoria was not surprised when she noticed her hair - normally long and straight - had frizzled and rose in place. "Static electricity?" Lisa's hair was going through the same process while Clara and Joanna had gone unaffected. "I see. If Solveig has a Soulstone, it must be one that exudes an electrifying aura. If it's not affecting Clara or Aquamarine, then the range must be limited."

"It looks like she was granted Ophiuchus. Apus and the others are wise for hiding from her; we can't give ourselves away until we know Solveig is a friend or foe."

"Something tells me she isn't the type to be convinced with words no matter what side she's on. We better brace ourselves for a fight in the future."

Some minutes later, they finally arrived at their destination: a wooden one-story building that was longer than it was wide. There seemed to be nothing special about it, but the girls were ready to rest anywhere at this point and were itching to discuss the night's events as soon as Solveig made herself scarce.

But that wasn't happening just yet. "This is where you'll be sleeping. There's a kitchen in there with plenty of ingredients, so you're free to help yourselves as long as you restock the pantry when it's low on food. There are dorms on both sides of the building; one for the boys, one for the girls. Before I let you go, though, there's something I have to ask." Solveig crossed her arms. "Where's Alistair Adams?"

If the Sheriff knew of their pending arrival, then anyone working for him must have known as well. It was silly to believe Solveig wouldn't know, as well.

"That's what we want to talk to the Sheriff about. Where is he," Lenoria demanded.

"Asleep in his own home. I take over his duties overnight. You're free to wait until morning so I can escort you to his office, but I doubt you have that kind of time, judging by the look in your eyes."

Lenoria remained silent, but she knew Solveig was right.

"If his life is in danger, then his chances of survival go down the longer we delay. I will ask again: Where is he?"

"Screw it. She's sharper than she looks, anyway." Lenoria sighed. "I'm not sure, to be honest with you. We split up in Norwich because he had some business there, but I grew worried when the undead started popping out of the woods. He's the type to insist we go on without him."

"I've heard the stories, so it doesn't surprise me. If he's smart, he'd stay in Norwich and wait until morning. But he's not known for making the smartest decisions, if his taste in women is anything to go by."

Lenoria balled her fist angrily. "Clara, Joanna. Please take Lisa inside and get some rest. I need to have a word with the Warden here."

"I know that look," Clara said with hesitation as she and Joanna jumped off Mr. Horsey. "Are you sure you don't need us?"

"It's fine. Just go."

There was a smugness in Solveig's smile when she let Clara and Joanna through. Tsukuyomi gently picked Lisa off of Chestnut and followed them inside. "Women's side is on the right. Just pick any bed you want," the Warden happily informed them before the door closed behind them.

Once it was just the two of them, Lenoria frowned at the giant woman. "Listen, you. I don't know what your problem is, but you don't scare me one bit. It's fine if you look down on me, but I won't let you pick on Alistair."

"And why does that matter to-?" Solveig paused and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lenoria. "Ohhhh, I get it. Alistair got hitched while he was away and got busy. No wonder it took you all more than a week to get here."

Lenoria blushed at the implication, prompting Solveig to roar with laughter. "I-I wish, but he's made it clear he doesn't want to. I don't mind, though; I actually think it's admirable how he wants to stay chaste."

"He must really like ya if he's confident enough to tell you that. You're definitely a step up from his previous partnerships. That little girl isn't yours, then?"

"Mine? What do you-?" Solveig raising her eyebrow was more than enough to answer Lenoria's question. "No! She's just a relative of Joanna's! Do you even know how human physiology works? Alistair and I just met about three weeks ago!"

"Really?" Solveig scratched her head. "Weird. I have a drinking buddy who claims humans reproduce like rabbits. Then again, he had already gulped down two bottles of moonshines when he said that, so he must have been thinking of something else. Goblins, probably."

As scary as she was, at least Solveig had a sense of humor. The giant woman had a relaxed posture, hands in her pockets and slumped shoulders. With a job as dangerous as hers, Lenoria had discerned that Solveig didn't deem her a threat after all. Her knowing Alistair, however, was something that needed to be addressed. "How do you know Al? Are you an ex-girlfriend or something?"

"No, but he is a big name around here. Plus, his determination is admirable. Any man who can still move forward after all the crap he's been through deserves to be happy, and I'd hate to see anyone take advantage of him just because he's friends with two noble houses. My question to you, Tsukino, is this: What are you to him?"

More questions for later, Lenoria thought. She was respectful enough to give Alistair distance as far as his past was concerned, because she herself didn't think she ever needed to mention Carter or anyone else who fancied her back in her school days. But they weren't on the same wavelength, so she figured it was time to lay it all bare with each other if they wished to move forward. Alistair's past could affect her in the future, and she needed to get more context to better gauge just how popular her beloved was in Thule.

For starters, she needed to ask him about his prior engagement, which was mentioned back in Norwich. And if Solveig was to be believed, there must be at least one other woman he was involved with. For now, she had to give him the benefit of the doubt and speak to him privately once both of them were safe.

She didn't owe Solveig anything, but Lenoria wanted to go back and search for Alistair. Clara was still hurt, and someone needed to look after Lisa. So, both of her friends had to stay behind, and right now there was only one other person to ask for help. Solveig seemed sincere when she said she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him, so maybe she could be trusted with this one favor.

The girl thought on how to answer Solveig's question until she found the words she needed. "He's... he's the man of my dreams. My knight in shining armor. We've been through so much together these past two weeks, and he's never complained about me. He's always protected me, even after telling him over and over that I can take care of myself."

Thinking back on the entire trip, Lenoria couldn't think of a single instance where she took the initiative to do something for Alistair, at least not since the Butterfly Plains. Cooking her meals? Alistair. Healing her wounds? Alistair. Checking up on her well-being? Alistair. Always protecting her from harm? Alistair. Offering a prayer each morning for her safety? Alistair.

And staying behind in Norwich? Alistair wished to save the children alone, believing he could, just so Lenoria and her friends wouldn't be captured and questioned by Demetrio for being outsiders who had arrived at the wrong time. He never said it, but perhaps he didn't need to say it. His actions spoke louder than anything Lenoria had ever said or done for him.

"He...he loves me. I wanted him from the moment I laid eyes on him, but I'm starting to think it was nothing more than desire..."

"To be fair, it's only been three weeks," Solveig pointed out. "You can't just fall in love with the first guy you meet."

"Still... he's always looked out for me. For us. I always had his back, but he always ended up doing more for us."

"Ah, so between the two of you, he's been putting in more effort." Solveig crossed her arms. "Knowing that, what are you going to do?"

"I wanted to go back for him because I thought he ran into some trouble. But now...it's more than just that; I want to talk to him. Tell him how I feel." Lenoria looked up at Solveig. "Why am I even telling you any of this?"

"I don't know, but it looks like you care for the little runt. As do I, believe it or not," Solveig said. "I was thinking about going to look for him, too, once I confirmed what happened. But rounding up a search party could take hours."

Clara and Aquamarine had to stay behind and look after Lisa. And being unfamiliar with Goodsprings, Solveig was Lenoria's only option.

"I still have plenty of energy left in the tank. How about we go look for him together," Lenoria proposed.

"You sure? You won't get far if Chestnut is tired."

Chestnut tried to play off his exhaustion, but he had trouble raising his head the longer he stayed awake.

"You're right. But he's as stubborn as his master," Lenoria said.

"I got this." Solveig gently stroked Chestnut's mane. A radiant light emanated from Solveig's hand, and it waned with each stroke. When she was done, Chestnut stood in his hind legs and shouted a hearty neigh. "There we go. Good as new."

"What did you do?"

"What's it look like? It's a [Lesser Restoration] spell. Chestnut should be fine for another day."

"You're the best!" Lenoria wasted no time and climbed on Chestnut again. "Ready to see your master?"

Chestnut neighed affirmatively.

Solveig grinned. "Good. Why don't you two go in ahead and wait by the gate? I'll catch up shortly."

"Okay!" Delaying no more, Lenoria flicked the reins and pushed Chestnut to return to the gate.

Once they were out of earshot, Solveig grinned cockily and prepared her own spell. In an instant, she donned a black trench coat and a black gat hat, and at the same time a fiery portal appeard before her. "Time to summon my own horse. There's just one thing left I need to ask you, so you better be ready, Lenoria. You, too, Pearl."