Black Steel: A Tale of Fire and Mind

In the morning, Maxwell, Seraphina and Vivienne sat down with Oris and his father to inform them of their intentions. It was the last time the three would have the luxury of a proper meal for the foreseeable future, so they had a plush breakfast for they had a long and hazardous journey ahead of them.

Clay listened to their plan, sneaking in suggestions of his own, and agreed with the women, much to Maxwell’s displeasure. A place, other than the capital, that they knew people like Vivienne had emerged was a good place to start looking for answers.

He’d learned about Vivienne several days into their stay. He’d become furious and he’d almost assaulted her, had Seraphina not intervened. She’d stood next to Vivienne, her bowstring drawn, a flaming arrow knocked on ready to fly, and had pointed out that Vivienne had had no obligation to tell them of her life or unheard of ability, yet she had, even offering to help them.

He didn’t like it. For days, he’d been wary of her, someone always had followed her around. One night, she’d even got out of Maxwell’s embrace, only to find a boy in Clay’s employment perched outside the window looking in on them. Maxwell hadn’t been happy and Clay’d soon cut it out.

He’d eased up sometime in spring, when after all his vain attempts to keep her out of his head, Vivienne had congratulated him on his first success. Despite his mistrust of her, he had been in high spirits because of his accomplishment so they’d all wined and dined that night like the twins’ tales of Bandville, joyous faces and dancing all around.

After that, Clay accepted her, though Vivienne suspected the twins had something to do with it. That morning, the time had come that in the debriefing he considered her an equal to Maxwell and Seraphina, asking for her input as well, since she originated from the north. She did with what her childhood memory allowed. Clay and Oris took them out to their stocked horses. They mounted after their farewells.

They trotted away and the moment they were far enough from the city gates, Maxwell dropped the act, entering a state of complete disregard of his sister, focusing solely on Vivienne.

They were riding side by side as she urged him on to tell her more and more about their path, their destinations, anything really, just to keep him busy. Seraphina, still beaten down from the night before, held their rear trying to seem as insignificant as possible. Vivienne let them both be. She didn’t want to tread on that seemingly fragile string between the two siblings, the fear of it finally snapping in the front of her mind. She focused on the ride and Maxwell’s tellings.

Their destination, her birthplace of Talonpass, lied northeast of their starting point, across the treacherous and impassable Dark Highlands. They rode east along the base of the mountain range. Their first stop was a two-day ride away. A small town by the name of Rockfront. It wasn’t the first signs of civilization they found in their way, but it was the first hive on their way. The Shepherd-built communities the twins taught her in detail about. She’d learned they were built at various times throughout the Emperor’s rule as small safe havens for Shepherds across the land. In time, they became places for Shepherds not roaming the land, so they could live out the rest of their days on their own terms, since Bandville couldn’t house their numbers.

Hardly anyone unaware of the League made the hives their home, for the tight community would put under close inspection anyone who’d express interest in settling close to them. Some they’d eliminate, some they’d scare off and a very small part would stay. No more than one family per hive, or two if the town was large enough.

According to Maxwell’s intel, Rockfront belonged to those cases that the entire population consisted of their people. The peaceful ones though, not soldiers. It provided a certain security, but Maxwell, Seraphina and Vivienne were still quite cautious.

They had never been there before, thus they didn’t know who they should inform. They headed down what seemed to be the main road, in hope to find the hive’s tavern, a place most people should gather and they could seek the person they were looking for. They followed the smoke and scent of fresh stew to a small establishment, a dozen or so horses hitched outside.

They didn’t intend to stay long, so Maxwell stayed with the horses, while the women went inside. "You do the talking, I guard. Keep your wits about though." Seraphina thought to her and Vivienne nodded in confirmation she’d heard.

She led them to the door, full of confidence. She smiled to herself at the memory of her first time walking into an inn with Seraphina at Farnost. Much had changed. She’d learned many things. She was capable of so much then. It made her feel empowered and it showed.

They walked through the door and before it closed shut, all eyes were on them. Vivienne didn’t falter. With a quick read, she nodded again to Seraphina in signal. Shepherds, all of them. Seraphina slightly relaxed, but her fingers were just above her dagger sheaths.

Vivienne could never mimic Seraphina’s natural stern, all business expression or Maxwell’s silly, approachable ways in their sessions, so they’d advised to find her own ways of dealing with people. She had settled for the easy smile, with a dose of her charm. All the years she’d spent in Michael’s tavern had proved useful.

They approached the counter, where a bartender was running a rug over an already clean glass trying to look busy. With a raise of his eyebrow and a sly smirk he spoke to them. "What can I do for you, lasses?"

Vivienne tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. "We’re looking for someone with…authority in this town. Got some information for them. Would you happen to know where we can find them?"

The bartender laughed then. "There are no leaders here. We’re free people." Through Seraphina’s mind and eyes, she noticed some of the bulkier folk stand. "Unless you’re an empire official. Then praised be our beloved Emperor. You’ll find him in the capital." He mocked.

As the men moved closer to them, Vivienne lifted her hand pulling her hair back and turned her head slightly. Just behind her ear, standing out against her fair skin, there was a small tattoo.

She straightened up again and looked at the then serious bartender. "Vivienne. And my friend, here, is Seraphina, daughter of Brenton." He lifted his sleeve and showed her his own, on the inside of his arm.

The small tattoo, hardly noticeable and easily covered, was a symbol roamers received before their first assignment and hivespeople got when they settled. Roamers would get it behind their ears, while hivespeople chose where to get it, so they could cover it. It helped Shepherds tell their own, even if they hadn’t encountered them before. With no indication the empire had connected the dots, it was a safe way to distinguish each other.

She’d first noticed the tattoo wasn’t a birthmark on Maxwell, a few days into her training. It had been a very difficult day; Vivienne had spent it sparring with Seraphina for the first time. Unlike Maxwell, who would control his strikes, his sister would never relent. Vivienne’s nose had bled that day and she’d been sure her ribs had cracked, though she has been fine the next morning.

In order to avert her attention from her injuries, Maxwell had been telling her of his very own injuries during training. When he’d finished tending to her, he’d even taken his shirt off, had lifted up his pant legs and had pointed to each and every mark on his body as he’d revealed the stories behind them. She’d known his body and scars well by then, but that night she’d learned of their history.

Vivienne, successfully distracted but filled with worry and pity, had traced his skin while he’d been speaking. When she’d been examining his back, looking for the all the scars, and had noticed the tattoo, she’d asked about it and had received that explanation too.

According to the archives, the hunted Elementals had adopted the custom in the early days of the Emperor’s rule, hence the stylized E. Back then, It’d either be scorched or carved into the skin of all adult individuals, for identification purposes within the still disorganized and highly exclusive community.

It hadn’t been until later on, when ordinary people joined ranks, and the art of tattooing became dominant that they’d switched practices. The mark survived, though, and only roamers and hivespeople got them, rather than all adults. So Maxwell had said. Vivienne had gotten hers the very next day.

Vivienne and the twins knew Brenton had passed through the hive on his way to Neverfall. Upon hearing the name, the bartender changed his stance and signaled the men to stand down. “We have no leader, but we all seek advice from one of the founding fathers of Rockfront.”

"And where can we find him? We need to report to him." Vivienne stated, awaiting instructions.

"Last farm to the east. Just follow the main street. It’ll lead you straight to Elliot." The bartender said, carefully this time, no mocking.

With a simple nod, both women pivoted and walked out as swiftly as they’d entered. They rode the rest of the way in a straight, horizontal line with Vivienne in the middle, flanked by the twins. They followed the main street east as instructed and a little while later, they came upon a large farm.

There were about a dozen people working on the fields but when the trio approached, one of them, a bulky man awkwardly holding a pitchfork came to the fence. It was obvious he’d never had to fight before.

His expression was stern, that of a distrustful man, as he pointed the tool at them. "State your business."

"We seek Elliot. The bartender told us we’d find him here." Maxwell said very seriously as Vivienne read him.

She could see the man had absolutely no intention to take them to Elliot but before she could say anything, there was a loud whistling noise. Vivienne followed the sound to its origins and noticed an old man sitting on the porch waving them forward. The farmer sighed heavily. "Follow me."

He walked up to the house with the trio trotting behind him. They dismounted and let their horses quench their thirst in the cistern nearby, while they walked up the steps to join the old man.

"To what do we owe this pleasure, young ones?" He asked with a smile. He seemed to recognise them as roamers because before they even came close, he’d turned and presented his own tattoo.

"No pleasure, I’m afraid. We bring ill news." Maxwell said going to shake the old man’s hand, followed by Vivienne. "Bandville’s no more. The empire burned and destroyed everything. Those of us who know decided to spread in the land, visit the guilds and hives, so all roamers know not to return home."

"We’re on our way north, this is our first stop, master Elliot." Seraphina added respectfully as she also shook his hand.

"Ill news indeed. May they all rest in peace." Elliot whispered, touching his thumb and forefinger together, keeping the other three straight and lightly kissing his middle finger before he placed it over his heart in a farewell to the dead. "I’m guessing you need our community to pass along this information to any passing roamers?"

"Yes, that was our hope. It’s practically impossible to track down everyone ourselves." Maxwell stated and the women nodded.

"True, true." The old man said mostly to himself. "So you’re off to our northern headquarters now? It’s a long journey from here. Won’t reach it before winter hits, unless you split up and some of you go to Oremart."

The twins stared at each other for the first time in a couple of days, as Vivienne looked into his mind. His thoughts were all over the place and none of it made any sense to her. "Excuse me , master, but northern headquarters? We have no knowledge of this."

He looked lost, staring off into empty space, as he answered. "You said you’re going north. You’re heading to Embersummit, aren’t you?"

The twins were still confused. Vivienne racked her brain trying to remember any information on the place he mentioned, but none would come. She’d never heard of it and looking into the twins’ minds, who didn’t bother keeping her out in that moment, she found that neither had they. "We have no idea what you’re referring to…"

"You don’t? What do they teach you these days?" Elliot asked exasperated. "Unless…wait, how old are you? Despite all your father’s praises and tellings, we never talked about such details."

Seraphina went rigid. The phrase you father’s praise kept replaying in her mind. Seeing his sister was somewhere else entirely, Maxwell spoke for them all. He pointed to himself and Seraphina. "Twenty-six and Vivienne’s twenty-two. You know us? You knew our father?"

"Of course. There’s two of you and there’s quite a resemblance, Seraphina. I figured you were Brenton’s children. But wait, knew? He…was in Bandville…?" Elliot trailed off. The gloomy expressions of the three young roamers was all the confirmation he needed. He repeated the previous gesture with a farewell. "My condolences. Brenton thought quite highly of you both. He always spoke with pride about you, his words hardly do you justice though."

Seraphina started pacing, her mind all over the place. She ignored his last words and refocused on his earlier question. "What does our age have to do with this summit you mentioned?"

"Yes, yes, that. My boy, you should return to the field. Our people need your help." He told the man who’d brought them up to the patio. He had been standing quietly and protectively over Elliot during the entire exchange. Reluctantly, he followed the order and the trio was left alone with the old man. "Now, what do you know of the north?" He asked quite seriously. He was missing some teeth, so his words often came out lisped.

"Everything there was to know in our archives." Maxwell was quick to answer.

Elliot looked at him astonished. "An unlikely scholar. What a pleasant surprise. Your father never mentioned it." He clapped enthusiastically. "There’s some hope then. In all your reading, have you noticed anything strange about the north, Maxwell?"

Maxwell scrunched his eyebrows while he was thinking, but came up empty. Vivienne then breathed out what she had found odd herself when they’d teaching her about the League. "Too few operations happen north of the Dark Highlands. Only major ones too."

Elliot smiled at her. "Precisely. Doesn’t it strike you odd that the League made their base so very far away from the capital? How could they reinforce anyone if it takes so long to get the news and then travel to the those in need of assistance?”

"So what? You’re saying Bandville wasn’t our base? That cannot be. They would’ve told us." Maxwell kind of yelled, his ego hurt at being challenged in the field of archive knowledge.

"Of course not. I’m saying it was never the only one. In fact, there are three. Or were in my time anyway. Bandville, Embersummit and Briohall.” He paused and scratched his chin. “Hmm, perhaps it’s not your fault. They used to tell us when we reached a certain age, but lately it seems that’s changed.” He slapped his knee in frustration. “Ugh, the southerners and their secrets…” He shook his head.

Vivienne sat silent once again, observing everything that happened in the background. As far as Elliot was concerned, she was sure he knew nothing of her abilities, for not once had he tried to hide anything in his thoughts. He was an open book to her. A very complicated one perhaps, due to his age, but she could find out whatever she wanted if she stirred him in the right direction.

Maxwell was trying to digest everything he heard and piece it together with what he already knew. Seraphina was a whole other matter. Her trail of thought was concerning, delusional. "A base in the north. More agents. More intel. Maybe they know something about mom. Or maybe dad went there instead. We could find them. Reunite with them…"

"If what you say is true, why would they keep it from us? It’s quite vital information." Maxwell spoke, bringing both Vivienne and Seraphina back to reality.

Elliot's booming laugh echoed in the fields and many a head turned their way. "You of all people are wondering about that? Do you reveal to everyone in the League that you’re Elementals?" All their heads snapped to his direction. "Yes, I know about your kind, in my birthplace they don’t keep you a secret. But even if they did, I’m old, nearly ninety, I’ve seen my fair share of the world we live in. I know what lies here."

"It’s to protect us. Desperate fellows could potentially sell us out." Maxwell stated. During his teachings, he had told Vivienne that the Elementals, when they were much more common, known and ferociously hunted by the empire out in the open, had started a small group, consisting only of their kind.

They’d had no intentions of fighting back at the empire at that point. Their only struggle had been to stay alive. They’d kept their circle tight. In time, as they blended in and the empire let up, the group of Elementals had organized itself and they’d created the League of Shepherds. When they’d established themselves better in the empire and they’d had the resources to help more people. Offer shelter to the hunted.

But as time had gone by and the number of Elementals diminished while the normal people grew, more pressure had been applied to the Elementals to do something about the empire, since supposedly only they had the power. Unsuccessful attempts had brought discord and violence within the group, some normals even betrayed them, so the Elementals had slowly pulled back, working in the shadows, and in time people forgot about them.

The Elementals had been exploiting that for years, operating behind closed doors, waiting for an opportunity to rise so they could let their people know and together they could take on their oppressors. No such chance had come so far, since there was nothing to do while the Emperor still lived.

Elliot coughed then and took a sip off his glass of water. "And that information is kept under wraps because it could sell out an entire community. Would you give out the locations to three major bases to all roamers, when they can get captured and the information can be tortured out of them?"

"That’d never happen. We’d rather die." Maxwell replied determined.

That was a part Vivienne had yet to come to terms with. Both for herself and the twins. They’d told her that should she ever be made, she should never let them capture her. "Better a noble death, than torture at their hands." They’d keep telling her. She wasn’t inclined to do such a thing. She’d fight.

"Oh, I’m sure you had that drilled into you from an early age, but the point remains. A single hole can mean disaster. The ashes of Bandville stand proof."

"There was no betrayal. They burned the entire Crookwood to crisps in order to get to Bandville. The army surrounded the area and moved in later." Seraphina reported somewhat disconnected.

Elliot’s eyes went over each of them. "What have you done…?"

"We haven’t done anything. We’ve been in Neverfall since mid winter." Maxwell said rather insulted.

The old man shook his head rubbing his temples. "No, not you specifically. Your generation. You must’ve done something bold for the Emperor to bring his own army to your doorstep. I don’t ever recall him taking personal action."

Both the twins’ and Vivienne’s minds went straight to Brenton’s discovery of the boy with similar ability to Vivienne. But they didn’t voice their concern. Not when Elliot obviously had no idea of such a thing.

"We’re not sure what drove him to destroy our home. Whatever it was, it’s out of our hands.” Seraphina said and sighed. “Let’s go back to the other bases. What can you tell us about them?" Seraphina asked intrigued.

"Well, I can only tell you of Embersummit, my home." He told them. Maxwell had gone next to Vivienne, his hand sneaking into hers seeking reassurance. "I spent my entire career roaming the north, from the Wastelands up to the foot of the Dark Highlands. Difficult times, but bearable. When I decided I wanted a life, I retired. My council had told me early on of the existence of other bases, much like ours, situated differently. One in the Wastelands, the other confined in rich woods, in the south. When I came to them, they told me I could choose where I wanted to settle."

"Your council? As in there are more than one?" Maxwell asked. He felt lost. Information was his field, his source of power, his safety zone. And then it all seemed to crumble before his eyes as a whole other part of the world he thought he knew was unravelling.

"More than one headquarters. Naturally, more than one councils. It’s quite logical, don’t you think?” Elliot rhetorically asked. “Even though the elders would at some point tell you of the others’ existence, unless you decided to move to another base, they’d never tell you of their location. I only found out about where Bandville was when I chose to settle in the south.”

“Makes you wonder how much more information they have kept hidden…” Vivienne breathed. Only Maxwell heard her words.

Maxwell nodded and turned his attention to the old man again. “So where is this base, this summit you mentioned?”

Elliot rolled his eyes. “Embersummit. It’s a settlement deep within the mountain on the northeastern edge of the land, just before the Wastelands begin. We never had a rich forest to shield us, but hard rock. We had to dig into the slopes, create tunnels to move about, rooms to live, make holes up the ceiling so air could circulate and we could breathe. You’re lucky they brought you to Bandville instead of up there. Guess Barkley being in the south had something to do with it.”

“Probably… He wasn’t a part of the council when we arrived, just an agent in Wallowdale.” Seraphina chipped in. “You make it sound easy to find. What’s the catch?”

Elliot smirked at her. “Ohh there’s no catch. That’s where it is. But finding an entrance into the mountain? That’d be tough if you hadn’t stopped here for a quick chat.” He chuckled to himself. Vivienne would think the man had gone mad, had she been unable to read him, see the things he’d just described.

“We wouldn’t even know to go there in the first place.” Maxwell said rubbing his chin awkwardly.

“No matter, no matter. You’re here now and, after fifty years, I can finally talk to someone about my home. That big hole might be repulsive comparing to the beauty of the rest of our land, but I still hold it dear. Come, take a seat and let me tell you how to reach it.”

◊◊◊

They did sit around the table while he gave them as detailed a description as he could remember, noting many times that the scenery had probably changed and should they find themselves lost, they could ask for directions at Norfolk. Before he got into telling them how to find the small hive, Maxwell, in quite snappy a tone, said he knew about it from the maps he’d studied.

Whenever someone in his household came, he’d change the subject to Bandville’s destruction, obviously not wanting to reveal anything about his home to them. Only when his daughter came to ask if they wanted lunch, did he not stop. Vivienne figured the woman, probably in her sixties, had seen the place herself in her childhood.

Along with the meal, he also requested of her to bring out his journals. Her reaction had been to shake her head with a smile at her father’s excitement, but had followed through nonetheless. She even helped keep the rest of the family away from the patio, so they could talk in peace with no interruptions.

As they ate, Elliot passed around his journals for them to read the inscriptions, since his eyes wouldn’t cooperate, till they found the ones he wanted. They didn’t stop until all the numbered Journey Home # were in the middle of the table.

He then told the trio, they could have them as he also had the originals and he could make copies. They opened them to find, written in a very neat handwriting, accounts of Elliot’s escapades leading him home. Maxwell’s eyes lit up.

Vivienne could see that concrete source of information was greatly helping him cope with the feeling of utter loss which previously overwhelmed him. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on them and study them, learn all he could from them. Vivienne suspected he’d spent all his upcoming shifts reading, until he was satisfied there was nothing else to gather from the text.

During the entirety of the meal and discussions, Seraphina plotted in her head. Her high spirits radiated from her, she even smiled to herself, a rare occasion. Vivienne didn’t linger too long in the woman’s mind, both for discretion and anxiety over their future.

When Vivienne had originally expressed interest in joining the twins’ team, she’d been convinced that after a certain amount of years, should they all live that long, they would settle down somewhere. But ever since she found out what drove Seraphina forward, those secret hopes had vanished. She then knew why Maxwell had said Seraphina would never stop. It worried her.

When they finished their meal, the trio packed the journals with the rest of their belongings, before they said their farewells to Elliot and his daughter. The rest of his household kept their distance, for whatever reason Vivienne had no clue. Then they mounted their horses and continued with their adventure. They had a new destination, or rather they’d expanded their journey beyond Talonpass, increasing the importance of speed.

More stops like Rockfront came along the way, minus the interesting conversation with Elliot. They entered hives or villages with known stationary contacts and started their search for an authority figure at the inns or taverns. They’d go to the appointed place, where they’d inform the said figure of what had transpired in Bandville, before they again took their leave.

They only rested when the horses needed to catch a break, they needed to hurry. As Vivienne had predicted, Maxwell spent his shifts and generally most of his waking hours over the journals, ecstatic like a child playing with his favourite toy, which Vivienne supposed books indeed were to him.

They reached the eastern edge of the mountain thirty days later, on a chilly summer night. Instead of pushing forward, they opted to take shelter in one of the caves on the side of the mountain. Large enough for them and their steads to huddle together. A not so clear, rocky path was the only way to reach the small crevice, but most importantly, it was a great vantage point.

Ever since leaving Neverfall, the twins had properly included Vivienne in guard rotation. Their training of her satisfying enough for them to feel quite safe. That night, it was her turn to take first shift, so after a quick meal of dried fruit, for they didn’t want to alert anyone to their presence by lighting a fire, the twins settled down to sleep.

Vivienne and Maxwell pretty much always slept right next to each other, something she often felt somewhat guilty for, but could also do nothing about. Maxwell had returned to his usual silly ways, taking Vivienne out of the awkward position of being the middle party between the siblings. Neither of them of course mentioned their discord, even if it’d lasted for a few days.

So while Maxwell slept softly next to her and Seraphina breathed steadily a little further, Vivienne was lightly running her fingers through his hair, only recently cropped to his normal do. After an hour or so, when she was sure both siblings were deep asleep, enough that they wouldn’t wake up if she moved about, she tore herself away from Maxwell and stood.

Vivienne needed to pace around the cave, eerily soundless, to rub the sleep off her eyes. They were all tired due to equally their swift pace and the emotional ramifications of the Bandville’s destruction, but she also had her own ability to drain her, maybe not that much, but definitely more than the twins.

She still resisted the special care, as long as she felt confident of her capabilities. The twins trusted her judgement then, unlike the first few days of them all being together, for the two times in their journey Vivienne felt she wouldn’t stand firm guard, she told them and they divided the night between the two of them. They hadn’t complained.

That night wasn’t such a time. It was only their nonstop two-day riding that got to her. Maxwell had reasoned it’d be preferable to find a vantage point at the edge of the mountain, somewhere they could rest and resume the ride having a visual of what lied ahead in the distance. The women had agreed, but it had taken them longer than the day and a half they’d predicted to cover the distance, resulting in additional fatigue.

All of a sudden though, the horses grew restless, tapping their hooves on the hard surface in panic. Vivienne, rejuvenated and fully alert, scanned the area with her reading only to come up empty. Whatever the animals felt wasn’t near them, so she went to calm them first. With her eyes having adjusted to the darkness, she easily found her way.

Her own stallion was first to calm, their bond and her familiar touch proving effective, but so did the others when she ran her fingers over their necks in comfort. Once they stopped making a fuss, she went to the cave’s opening, in full stealth mode, and looked outside. At first glance she found nothing odd. Until her eyes focused further.

Downing the yelp building in her throat, Vivienne immediately got off her knees to wake the twins. Seraphina, who was closest to her, rubbed her eyes sleepily, but still reached for her bow lying right next to her. "What’s going on? My turn already?"

"No, but you need to see this. Get up." Vivienne replied not giving her any other clue. She went to Maxwell nudged him. Not expecting to be awoken for a few hours more, he jumped up with his axe in hand. "Shh! Don’t make too much noise."

Despite his confusion, he complied with her request and his moves became more measured. "What is it?"

Similarly to Seraphina, she didn’t tell him anything. She simply dragged both of them to the entrance of the cave quietly. "That." She told them and pointed to the valley below. Like her, they didn’t see it at first. But when they did, they both rubbed their eyes and surveyed again.

"Dear Elements..." Seraphina breathed. She turned and went to her satchel before she returned with a spyglass.

Several hundred paces away from them, along the large main road to the east, the moon cast its light upon numerous men marching their way north. They filled the entire cleared pathway and the line they created was immense, reaching both edges of the spectrum Maxwell, Seraphina and Vivienne could distinguish. The Emperor’s army was a sight to behold.

"This is... disturbing…" Maxwell uttered after a few minutes.

"To say the least. But it took them too long to reach this spot, didn’t it?" Vivienne whispered, still a little shocked and even scared. Her need for silence was quite unreasonable due to the distance between them and the army. Fear had overwhelmed her.

"I don’t think so. They had to make sure no one escaped." Seraphina’s apathetic voice suggested. Vivienne had figured her out by then, so she knew disconnecting was Seraphina’s way of coping. "Plus, with the deed done, they have no reason to hurry back."

"Not to mention they could have orders from the Emperor to spread terror to the surrounding area. Even sympathizers of the strongest will would waver at this sight." Maxwell added. In his thoughts he cursed the man.

"Why would he need such an army? I don’t recall ever being an uprising to justify this magnitude." Seraphina wondered aloud and let her mind wander further. "Could the capital be so vast so as to house all these people?"

"None has been recorded." Maxwell confirmed. "In our archives anyway. Maybe there have been attempts in the north…"

They sat there staring for another half hour. When it was obvious the line of men would hardly let up and it didn’t deviate off the main road, the exhausted trio pulled back into the cave. Yawns came and went, but none dared sleep in that moment. They needed to make decisions first.

"Suggestions?" Seraphina asked settling her bow down next to her.

"We reach the next hive and then wait them out?" Vivienne offered unsure.

"They don’t seem to move fast. We, on the other hand, need to. We can’t waste time." Maxwell countered. "We can easily move through the forest alongside of them."

Seraphina gave a big yawn before joining the brainstorming. "True, but at some point we’ll have to let them pass us. It’ll either be now and we move alongside of them east of the main road or we don’t alter our course and wait right before Talonpass."

"So if we go with what my suggestion, we don’t inform a hive, and with Sera’s, we lose a whole lot of time…" Maxwell gave the overview in thought "I don’t like our options."

Neither woman did either. Vivienne had kept reading the area for safety’s sake, and inadvertently heard Seraphina’s forming plan. "Absolutely not!" She exclaimed startling Maxwell, who looked between the women confused.

"Two birds with one stone, Viv." She said rubbing her eyes.

"Care to let me in on the action?" Maxwell asked placing his hand on Vivienne’s shoulder in attempt to calm her.

Before she could tell him of his sister’s absurd idea, Seraphina spoke. "We split up. One goes to the hive, then using the cover of night, slips past them and over the main road. We push on to Talonpass afterwards. People get informed and we waste the least time possible."

Maxwell rubbed his chin in thought, his trademark. "For stealth, the lone one would need to go on foot. Otherwise, getting past the army is impossible."

"You’re actually considering this?" Vivienne asked turning herself around to look at Maxwell. "Weren’t you the ones to tell me, we don’t split up unless absolutely necessary?"

"It’s kind of necessary. We need to reduce our losses. The hive needs to be informed and we can’t waste time. Who knows how many people we’ve already lost because they didn’t know not to return to Bandville?" Seraphina told her. While there was merit to her words, Vivienne was still opposed.

"I’ll go. I can meet you at the lake northeast of the hive." Maxwell said confidently.

"Kid, stealth isn’t your strength. Vivienne and I are far more suitable." Seraphina told him lying down as Maxwell huffed, knowing full well she had a point.

"Then I’ll go. My reading can help." Vivienne announced.

Seraphina sighed. "True. And you seem to be a better lurker than me, but you can’t go." Vivienne went to protest, but Seraphina held her hand up signaling she wasn’t finished. "You freaked out. You whisper and make no sounds when it’s impossible they’ll hear us. Neither Max, nor I can send you down there in good conscience. That leaves me the only sound option. So let me sleep ‘cause I have quite some walking to do in the next two days."

With that, she turned away from them and pulled her sheet over herself. Before Vivienne could stand up and stomp over to Seraphina, Maxwell pulled her against him and laid them both down. "Welcome to our world of tough choices."

"It’s a recipe for disaster and you know it. Your anger better not be why you agree to this." Vivienne all but accused him.

He took a moment to answer, calculating his words. "I’d never put her in harm’s way out of spite. If you hadn’t freaked out, I’d agree with you being the best option for something like this, Viv. But you’re not. Not yet. Sleep, I’ll stay up, it’d soon be my turn anyway since she needs to rest."

She huffed. She didn’t think he was being objective no matter what he said. She was tempted to look into his head, but thanks to her, even that wasn’t definitive. She opted to let it go instead and snuggled close to him. She hoped that would help her get over the irritation the twins caused her.

◊◊◊

When late morning came, Maxwell woke Vivienne up so he could catch some sleep as well, since down below the main road was yet to clear them a path across. Unlike the night before, while the twins slept, she sat at the entrance to the cave obscured by the shadows the rock cast and watched the marching men.

The army’s tail finally appeared a little after noon, but she didn’t go to wake Maxwell and Seraphina. There still needed to be some distance between them and the army when they’d cross and Vivienne didn’t want to take any chances. So she let them be for a while.

Once they were up though, all three took a rushed meal, before they mounted their horses and descended the mountain. On their way down, Maxwell explained to Seraphina the map he’d drawn of the area, so she could have a general guide to her destination. Even though she kept telling him she remembered the maps herself, she listened intently to him, gathering all she could from him.

Vivienne stayed silent during the entire exchange, still against the decision to split up, but controlled herself enough to avoid any outbursts. She and Maxwell left Seraphina at what Maxwell had calculated was the start of a straight path to the hive. Seraphina’s bow and quiver were strapped on her back and a small sack with supplies for the next four days dangled from her hand. She gave her daggers to Maxwell to keep, so she could ran freely and faster, she only kept a knife she could sheath on her jacket. With a final thought to Vivienne, she started running through the woods. Her horse was tied to Vivienne’s and trotted behind them.

"Four days all to ourselves. That’ll be a rarity…" Maxwell trailed off as they crossed the main road. The main roads were wide pathways the empire had created between the major cities, possibly for such excursions. There were other, smaller routes, but no one could mistake the main road network.

"If things go well and she doesn’t get captured..." Vivienne shot back as her eyes locked on the dust the army raised in the distance.

"You worry too much. She’s a canny one." He replied, but his tone was one of worry as well.

"They’re too many. Only a single glimpse can turn the whole army on her." She reciprocated.

Maxwell sighed heavily. "Seraphina is master of disguise. If she can’t get past them unnoticed, she’ll find a way to blend in, trust me. Now come on, we need to get to Cloverdale and find a decent place to camp."

There was one fundamental difference between Maxwell and Seraphina. He stored all sorts of knowledge in his memory and rarely used it for anything more than getting around, preferring blunt methods of hit and run in all their jobs. In contrast, Seraphina hardly delved into any more than was necessary, but used every piece of information they gathered or her brother provided to form covert plans with minimal risk for the two of them.

In her circumstances, Seraphina wished she had at least paid a little more attention to the maps of the north, because apart from a general direction Maxwell had noted before they rode down from cave, she had no clue where she was going. Or what lied ahead for that matter, since the boscage of trees hid everything from sight.

When she’d dismounted, Maxwell gave her his estimate of distance and time to the hive. While he talked, she locked eyes with Vivienne and thought to her. "Keep yourself safe till I return. Don’t let him do anything reckless." With the conclusion of her brother’s rundown, she hefted her sack on her shoulder and ran into the woods.

Being a female warrior came with a disadvantage. More than half the time, her opponent would be someone stronger than her. It meant that from an early age she had to work on her speed and guile. In order to do so, ever since she could remember herself, she ran. Ran, hid, sneaked. If she’d put her mind to it, even an overactive seeking Maxwell would prove unable to find her in their youthful games and later serious training.

All that time equipped her with remarkable speed and stamina, which were proving essential for the very first time. She kept a steady and as fast a pace as the terrain allowed. Fallen tree trunks, mud pools, mossy rocks were among her obstacles. She was running through untouched paths, a choice that would hopefully provide her with no human encounter, but also meant she needed to be extra careful so as not to slip somewhere and get hurt.

Seraphina covered a great deal of distance before nightfall, exceeding her expectations, and when she could no longer move forward without lighting a fire due to the clouds blocking the moonlight, she climbed upon a tree with wide branches and nestled herself into one of its crevices, where she took off her sack and chewed on some fruit. From higher ground, she could see smoke rising up the night sky, indicating she had managed to catch up to the army, which like her decided to set up camp that night.

She wasn’t sure whether it was her haste she had to credit her feat to or their own slow pace. Whatever it was, if she had managed to reach them on foot, it meant that Maxwell and Vivienne, who were still on horseback, easily did so as well. Even if they had additional ground to cover. They could even be directly across from her, over the sea of men. Those were her thoughts as she drifted into restless sleep.

◊◊◊

As the sun made its timid appearance over the distant, eastern sierra, Seraphina climbed down to resume her run, since she could then see where she would step. The smoke from the army’s campsite still rose, which meant that she needed to be extra alert in case a soldier or two decided to venture into the woods while the marching had yet to start.

Though she was wary, it was highly unlikely in the first place, so she wasn’t surprised when she came upon the first signs of civilization without such confrontations. She slowed her pace to a jog, not wishing to scare the folk into bearing arms. That would complicate things, even if only for a short while.

She rounded up the homestead and found a lone woman tending to her evening chores. On the other side of the field, a shepherd was leading his sheep into their pen. Seraphina closed the distance between them and the woman greeted her with a smile. "Welcome, child. What brings you to Kremlin?"

She’d spent a lot of time in Vivienne’s presence. So long, she’d got used to the assurance her reading provided. In that moment, the easy smile on the homesteader’s lips and her lack of fear caused Seraphina doubts over how to proceed, even if Kremlin was a hive. Should she show her ear tattoo? She’d been running for hours, no way could she possibly outrun pursuers then. She wished she either had Vivienne with her or time on her hands to ascertain the woman’s alliances.

"Just passing through. Would you happen to know where I could resupply myself?" Seraphina questioned in a light tone.

The woman thought for a moment. "We hardly ever get any visitors, so no stores really. But I guess you could try at the tavern..."

"I will. Where can I find that?" Seraphina cut her off. She wanted to get out of the open as soon as possible.

"Down the road. But I’m sure I could help if you wanted anything else." The woman offered politely.

"I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your produce, but thank you for the information. Have a good evening." Seraphina bid her goodbye before turning and walking off to the tavern’s direction.

As she passed by the shepherd she saw from a distance earlier, he lifted off his hat at her and she reciprocated by tipping her head at him in respect. But just in case, her fingers wrapped themselves around her bow’s grip. Those people were far too welcoming for her taste. Hivespeople were supposed to be a little more suspicious, hostile even. Like the folks in Rockfront.

Seraphina had little time to consider that behaviour because she soon found her destination. With a deep breath to calm herself, she walked in. Eyes wandered to her from every corner of the room, but only one pair lingered: a snickering, bald man with impressive girth. He looked familiar.

She tried to ignore him for the time being and approached the counter. "Just pick a table, lass. Someone will be right there for you in a sec." The old woman behind the counter said.

With her back then turned to the crowd, she could almost feel their eyes dig into her. So she opted to follow the woman’s suggestion. She pivoted and still found the ox in the corner looking at her. Ever so subtly, he cocked his head to the side and tapped a spot behind his ear. She didn’t recognise him and in that distance couldn’t make what he pointed at, but she was fairly sure he was another roamer.

Dropping all niceties, she went to his table and sat on the opposite side of him. Like she thought, he had been pointing at an E behind his ear. "Didn’t expect to see a friend here. I’m Seraphina."

He took his hand away from his head and offered it to her. "Aren’t we all friends here?" He asked winking. "I know who are. I’ve watched you grow up, your brother and cousin as well, before I joined the roamers. Have I changed that much, Sera?"

Looking more closely, something jolted in her memory. The baldness had misled her, but she could remember seeing his face before at Bandville. It has been a lot smoother, with far less scars and wrinkles. "I don’t remember you being so… developed though, Calder."

His smile spread. "Must adjust to our job requirements. Didn’t Maxwell do so as well? Or did he change his fight style?"

Seraphina shook her head. "No, still the same reckless fool you probably remember, with more muscle like you. But he still has his hair. What happened? Did your hand tremble when you were cutting it?" She teased.

"More like took a bad blow once and the doc cut it off. Now, it’s just grown on me." He answered rubbing his hairless head. "What brings you here, though? And where’s Max?" A worried look came over him.

"He’s fine. He’s with his girlfriend, probably already camped by the Cloverdale shores by now." She replied and his features showed he’d calmed. Not for long.

"Girlfriend, I hear? You’re roamers too from what I’ve heard, how did he manage that? With our life?" Calder asked surprised.

"She’s joined us. Me and Max, I mean." She answered, but turned serious. "As for why I’m here…no easy way to say this, so, I'll be blunt. Bandville’s been destroyed. I came to inform the hive so they tell any passing roamers as well."

As expected from someone who grew up there, sorrow overwhelmed him and it showed, no matter how much he tried to compose himself. He went on to ask questions regarding the deed, to which Seraphina provided all the details she herself possessed from the witnesses. She was much more thorough as Calder wasn’t simply a person to inform, but born and bred deep within Crookwood. He had family ties back home. Parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. She felt obligated to give all the answers she could. She’d wish the same if the roles were reversed.

Calder was soon satisfied with the information and then they sat silent. A waitress came, took Seraphina’s order before leaving and later came with her meal, on the house as the girl emphasized. All the while, Calder was still wrapping his mind around everything. Seraphina knew firsthand what that was like, so she didn’t interrupt his thoughts. She started eating and waited for him to break the silence.

When he did, he went right down to business. How far had the news spread, what her next destination was, how he could enter the news spread rotation, everything. Seraphina told him Talonpass was their original end point, but didn’t get into detail about the reason. She wouldn’t tell him of Vivienne’s gift without her present.

Calder requested to join her and her team until the lake, from where they could divide to cover more ground. That was when Seraphina went on to tell him about the marching army, the account of its size eliciting a laugh from him until he realized she meant every word. He became troubled once more and figured out by himself why she had come on foot and alone.

He withdrew his request instantly, knowing he couldn’t match Seraphina’s running speed, endurance and cunning ways. There was hardly any chance she would get past the soldiers unnoticed if he was with her. His steps were heavy, his girth inconvenient, but more importantly he couldn’t keep up with her.

Despite all those problems, Seraphina told him he was welcome to join her. Since she, Maxwell and Vivienne were headed to Embersummit, a piece of knowledge she wasn’t inclined to share since it was more imperative than ever to keep it under close wraps for the time being, she reasoned someone would need to go east and keep spreading the news to the towns with a moderate resistance presence. No messenger would be better than a roamer. She was also quick to say there were other teams like hers sent to the north, so that Calder wouldn’t think to venture north to towns and hives which knew nothing of Bandville since they belonged in Embersummit’s rule.

He was wary, noting his inability to match her running skills, but she had made good time and there was no indication the moon would again be hidden behind clouds, so if they left then, she’d still be within schedule. When he brought up his difficulty of sneaking, she told him her plan B was to kill a soldier and steal his uniform. Considering the vastness of the army, it was the safest option. By the time they discovered the body, she’d have already put a great distance between herself and the men. With Calder on board, there was no other option.

After Seraphina walked him through her intentions, he reluctantly agreed. Like all agents, he didn’t want to entangle himself in her business and endanger her mission. But he provided an opportunity which she could hardly overlook. The pass east of the Dark Highlands was quite busy with roamers that time of year, the summer providing ease in travelling, which was why Seraphina hadn’t been too surprised to find a familiar face in Kremlin.

It was important that the eastern towns were informed as well, but Maxwell, Seraphina and Vivienne couldn’t spare the time. Not when thanks to Vivienne they were the only ones to have an idea as to what ticked the Emperor off into sending his army to destroy Bandville. Seraphina had been tasked with getting the hivespeople to send messengers, but she’d found a better alternative.

As Seraphina caught her breath for a short while longer, Calder, who’d been staying in Kremlin for a couple of days and knew his way around the people, went to inform the woman behind the counter. Seraphina figured she was probably some kind of authority or being the owner of the only tavern just made her the best option.

She gasped, horrified, and brought her hand to her mouth, thumb and forefinger pressed together, the rest straight and lightly touched her middle finger to her lips before placing it over her heart. Much like Elliot had done. The people in the room looked at her, worried and curious, but she paid them no mind. She was already ordering her employees around as Calder returned to their table.

Turned out, the woman ordered provisions to be brought together for the departing agents. Calder also put his stallion in her care, until he came back and reclaimed the stead. The hives hardly ever denied roamers anything within reason. Only terrible poverty and minimal supplies would make such a thing occur.

Once the provisions were ready, mainly for Calder as Seraphina had enough of her own, they said their farewells and departed. According to the locals, on foot, they’d reach the main road late that same night. Just to be safe, they jogged for as long as Calder’s lungs would allow with small walking breaks in between.

As time passed by their noses caught the first signs of cooking pits, meaning they were coming upon the army’s camp. Immediately Seraphina took point, with Calder right behind her, and they both crouched as they moved forward alert. As she feared, Calder did indeed make more noise than she would’ve liked, so much so that Seraphina considered ordering him to stay behind while she scouted.

But before she could voice her concerns, they heard movement to their left. Instinctively, they both squatted further and stopped their advance to listen. Agonizing minutes passed by while they waited for another sound to reach their ears, but nothing came. Calder tapped on Seraphina’s shoulder and showed her toward the direction the noise was heard from.

She nodded, unstrapped her bow from her shoulder taking a firm grip and stepped forward. Barely fifty paces later, she saw a man fixing his uniform, helmet in hand. Pitch black with a white rising sun sewn over the left shoulder; Standard Dawnfield regimentals, the empire’s capital. While unnecessary, his attire provided confirmation the order came directly from the Emperor.

It was highly unlikely anyone would follow the man when he needed to relieve himself, but Seraphina did a quick sweep with her eyes before she knocked an arrow on her bowstring and let it fly since his built seemed to match that of Clalder’s, making him a good choice. She quickly reloaded for safety’s sake, but noticed there was no need. The soldier had already fallen.

Seraphina quickly ran to his body to prevent his uniform from getting smeared with his blood. She had taken advantage of the fact he wasn’t in full armor due to the army’s camp for the night and struck him right on the jugular on the right side. By the time she reached him, he had already died.

Seraphina did a quick work on removing his shirt, thankful the way he fell spilled some blood only on black cloth. Her arrow was still knocked in place, keeping the bleeding to a minimum. With a little more effort, she removed his trousers too, careful not to tear them.

With the clothes in hand, Seraphina ran back to the spot Calder was waiting. She handed him the garments before she turned to give him a chance to change. It was a tight fit and the trousers were a tad short, but it would have to do. "What about you?" He asked her.

"Let’s move north and you can try to lure someone my size into the woods. But we need to move the soldier’s corpse. I could hardly undress him, let alone move him." Seraphina replied as they went back to the dead man.

Calder dragged the unfortunate man deeper into the forest by his feet and they deposited him into a fallen log they came upon. Like Seraphina had suggested, they moved to a northern entry point to the camp, a short run, where it was far less possible for the soldiers to expect a specific face to return.

"Any ideas how to lure someone back here? I’m more used to the bash heads method…" Calder asked as he fixed his helmet on.

Seraphina tried to think of what she knew about the emperor’s officials from the archives, not just the mere officers in the cities. Another time in the past few days she appreciated Maxwell’s inert need for knowledge. He’d provide the most suitable bait. But her brother lied somewhere across the mass of men on the main road, so her suggestion was annoyingly common. "I’m not all that familiar with the people of the capital. Find a lone fellow and say your partner’s stuck under a bole on your patrol, so you need help?"

"Don’t you think that’ll be hard to believe with my girth?" Calder noted, much to Seraphina’s irritation.

She wasn’t about to admit her lack of information, stored neatly in Maxwell’s head, was the reason behind her unimaginative suggestion. "It happened once to my brother, he was that careless. If you sound frantic, even if the man is smart enough to take a minute to think, he’ll figure the trunk is huge. Unless you have something better in mind…"

He didn’t. So he didn’t argue further, rather he walked towards the edge of the woods while Seraphina hung back, keeping an eye on him and some distance in any case. Whatever he was seeing through the trees didn’t encourage him, so he kept moving north, until something caught his attention. He looked back to Seraphina, who gave him a nod, before he ran to the main road looking anxious.

Because of the distance and the trees, she didn’t have a visual over what transpired. That was until Calder reappeared with a flimsy soldier. He couldn’t be anything other than an archer. Calder led him deep into the woods, past Seraphina’s hiding spot as she watched in case someone decided to follow. Calder had made a sound choice since no one did.

Seraphina then went after her companion and their prey. She found them with Calder holding a sword to the knelt man’s neck as they’d agreed. "Already told him no one’s gonna hear him if he screams. You can question him."

Seraphina nodded and knelt in front of the shaking man. He had just been at the wrong place, at a wrong time. "Let’s cut to the chase. You levelled a forest in the southeast, a small town deep in it. Have you taken any hostages?" He fidgeted and she put a knife to his throat. "Remember that if you scream, we’ll kill you."

The poor fellow was terrified and answered as quickly as he could. "Our orders were to kill all of them."

"But…?" Calder urged him on.

He looked sheepishly up at her before he spoke. "The commander took the couple women who survived the fire. Everyone else is dead…"

Seraphina’s hand trembled from the anger and the effort she made not to put everything alight. "Where’s this commander of yours and where does he keep them?"

"His tent is at the centre of the camp. Should be a thousand paces north of here. But the women… he offered them as a gift to the Viscounts of Oremart in thanks for accommodating us." He finished.

Seraphina took a deep breath and spoke in an even tone. "Take off your clothes and be quick about it."

No sooner had he given his clothes to Seraphina than Calder snapped his neck. The lifeless body keeled over while the two agents tried to compose themselves. Calder dragged him away by the feet to hide him and give Seraphina a chance to change.

When he returned, he found her dressed, sitting on a rock and playing with a knife. How she wished she'd kept her daggers. "Why do I get the feeling you’re going to do something stupid?"

"I'm going to cut off this snake’s head. Why would that be stupid?" She asked menacingly.

"You told me you saw them march. Saying you’re outnumbered would be an understatement." He said calmly.

"I’m an assassin, Calder. I can do it cleanly. My only problem is the limited time." She stated. Less than three hours till sunrise.

"What if you get caught? What’s your brother going to do? Isn’t he expecting you?" He pointed out, but she already had an answer.

"Good thing I convinced you to come then. You can tell him of my demise, should it come." She stood, put on the helmet and started running north. When he caught up to her, she resumed. "Max and Vivienne are camped somewhere on the shores of Cloverdale. While I kill the bastard, you start towards them. I’ll either reach you at some point or I’m lost. Questions?"

"Only one. Are you sure about this?" He asked seriously.

She stopped dead on her tracks. "It could’ve been your sister. Your mother. My aunt. Any of the women we know." She waited for him to decide himself.

He growled and nodded. "That’s answer enough, I suppose. Let’s get on with it. We’re wasting your precious time."

They ran the distance their victim had assumed and then turned towards the main road. To avoid detection, they split up as they entered the crowded camp. There were small tents packed with men, people sleeping on the ground by the fires, certain groups here and there socializing. It was a disorganized mess. There weren’t even men standing guard. The army was that confident of itself. It only made Seraphina wish the commander shared that naivety.

When she passed by the first group of awake soldiers, a first test, their only acknowledgement was the standard first over heart greeting, which she returned, before they went back to their business.

Their attitude was getting to her already taut nerves. The Emperor’s never-ending reign would be easier to swallow if his army was a force to be reckoned with. Other than their numbers, there was nothing to impress Seraphina in that rubble of mindless men. It finally made sense why the Emperor had gathered such an army. He relied on numbers rather than skill.

As she moved among them, she kept thinking of how idiotic all her fears of sneaking around the camp proved to be. Even Maxwell or Calder would be able to do it. As long as one wore the uniform, there was no second glance. There was immediate acceptance, even though she was armed. So, so disappointing from a tactician’s point of view. Quite helpful for Seraphina in that moment and future reference, if she made it out alive.

From the size of the tent she’d just found and the fact two soldiers were trying to guard its entrance, Seraphina figured she’d finally found her destination. The guards were half asleep, which she used to scout the tent. She needed an entry point which none would see. At least not till she had got clear of the scene.

Rounding up the general’s sleeping arrangements, she found a specific spot where no one was awake and used her dagger to cut a hole into the cloth, close to the ground, which she crawled through carefully. As expected by the lack of candlelight, the commander was asleep.

She calculated her moves as she came to stand over him. The man was disgusting; A thinning mop of oiled hair, a bushy mustache, a beer belly and hair all over, some of his most repulsive characteristics. Seraphina couldn’t possibly fathom how traumatized the unfortunate women to befall his ministrations must be. The least she could do was rid the world of such scum.

She brought her knife to his neck and slid the blade along his windpipe. It was the hardest death she could provide without making any noise. In her emotional turmoil and intent to see the suffering in his eyes, she failed to notice how his hand reached for his concealed knife.

She was a moment too slow and the knife lodged itself in her shoulder blade. She never cried out, but the man keeled over and brought down a tray on the chair next to him. Noise. Too much noise. Through the shock of her utter and foolhardy failure, she barely noticed the guards she’d seen outside come in before they knocked her out.