She was dying. Lyonette du Marquin registered this fact with bitter acceptance. She lay in the snow and knew it.<\/p>\n
She\u2019d stopped moving. Lyonette knew she should keep moving, keep walking, but she was too tired. The biting, painful cold had stopped a while ago, and now she was feeling almost warm.<\/p>\n
But she was still dying. It was hard to open her eyes, and Lyon knew when she closed them next, she would never open them. So. Death. The knowledge was bitter, but at least it would stop the pain.<\/p>\n
What would be far worse, or so the girl felt, was that her death would be ignoble and untold. She would die like a dog, and that was worst of all.<\/p>\n
They had done this. The mongrels and lizard folk. Lyonette clung to life for a few more seconds just so she could hate for a while longer.<\/p>\n
Curse them. If she had one last wish, she would have sent fire and death to that city of monsters, Liscor. They had killed her. Her, <\/em>a scion of the Marquin house, one of the Hundred Families of Terandria, Sixth Princess in line to the Eternal Throne of Calanfer.<\/p>\n And they hadn\u2019t even the courage to kill her outright. Instead, she had been exiled, sent to wander through the snow until she collapsed. If she\u2019d had her rings or cloak or any of her heirlooms\u2014<\/p>\n But of course, they were out of power. Drained completely from overuse; their bindings broken. And the wretched creatures had taken the few that still had power.<\/p>\n Lyon snarled weakly. Taken. What was hers by right had been stolen. She had been betrayed. That was the only reason she\u2019d met this end. All these peasants, refusing to recognize her superior nature. If she had only reached Magnolia Reinhart. Then\u2014<\/p>\n The world was cold. Lyonette lay still on the ground. She looked up into the cold, grey sky and breathed out. Her eyes closed and\u2014<\/p>\n Erin charged over the top of the hill and skidded down the side. She ran straight towards Lyon, but didn\u2019t see the girl. Lyonette saw Erin approaching first with incredulity, then hope, and then alarm when she realized the girl wasn\u2019t stopping<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is she? Where is she? I can\u2019t\u2014whoa!\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette felt a foot slam<\/em> into her stomach and then Erin landed on top of her. The young girl gasped as Erin flailed about frantically.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?<\/em> What\u2014oh.\u201d<\/p>\n Death was preferable to life at the moment. Lyon curled up into a ball of pain and then felt something touching her. She jerked and flailed at it feebly, but then\u2014warmth.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. Hold still. Oh man, you\u2019re so cold.<\/em> Let me wrap this\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n A thick woolen blanket wrapped itself around Lyon as if by magic, the girl felt part of the chill on her lessening. And then she looked up and saw Erin.<\/p>\n The girl smiled down at Lyon with genuine kindness, warmth, and a bit of guilt.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Hi.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon blinked at her. Another human? Another girl? Her cold-addled brain struggled to work, and her mouth wasn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n \u201cW-w-wha\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Erin Solstice. And you\u2019re freezing. I have an inn nearby; can you stand?\u201d<\/p>\n Instinctively, Lyon tried to move her legs, but they\u2019d been stuck in one place for too long. Erin leaned forwards and Lyon got a good look at her face.<\/p>\n She was nothing special to look at. Part of Lyon thought that as it judged the other girl\u2019s rough clothing, her unmannered appearance, speech, and conduct. But the other, larger part of Lyon looked at Erin and saw something shining.<\/p>\n Erin held out a hand and smiled. And she was like the sun. She melted the cold gripping Lyon.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me if you want to live. I\u2019ve got crepes!\u201d<\/p>\n The other girl\u2019s hand reached out and took Erin\u2019s. Lyon couldn\u2019t help it. Erin lifted her to her feet easily. Lyon tried to move, and gasped in pain. Her legs were numb and painful at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. Lean on me.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin bent down and got under Lyon, helping the girl. Half-dragging, half-supporting the girl, she made her way back through the snow.<\/p>\n Lyon didn\u2019t know what was happening. She didn\u2019t really hear Erin as the other girl panted and tried to introduce herself and then gave up. She just knew she was being saved, and like a ship-wrecked survivor, she clung to hope.<\/p>\n The inn stood on the hilltop in the distance, promising shelter, warmth, and food. Lyon\u2019s knees buckled at the sight, and Erin caught her.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on. We\u2019re nearly there!\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon needed no encouragement. She fought for more strength as the two girls began to ascend the gentle slope. Suddenly, she began to believe she might actually live. The knowledge was sweet joy.<\/p>\n She took five more steps towards the inn, and began wondering how much coin Erin had, and whether the girl had a horse Lyon could take.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Lyonette.\u201d<\/p>\n That was how the girl introduced herself after Erin had stoked the fire, gathered as many blankets as possible, and made some hot soup. Lyonette sat in front of the fire, shivering, cold, and now, suddenly, imperious.<\/p>\n Lyon nodded regally at Erin, and gestured to her inn.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2014I thank you for your assistance in my time of dire need. You will be handsomely rewarded when I am restored to my proper station, I promise you.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin blinked. It was hard to take anything the girl said seriously. She looked like a multi-colored marshmallow with a tiny human head sticking out of it, so many blankets had Erin wrapped around her. Plus, her nose was drippy.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, it was no problem. I was happy to help. When I heard you were out in the cold, I couldn\u2019t just let you die.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust so.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl looked around the inn and sniffed. Erin wondered if she had any tissues, when Lyonette looked back at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI will stay at your inn for a while longer, perhaps a day or two. Then I will require assistance travelling north.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, that seemed reason\u2014hold on. Erin\u2019s mind backtracked and focused on Lyon\u2019s words. Somehow, she felt like the girl had missed a step. Or ten.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Uh, no. No\u2026I\u2019m not sure what I said\u2014I don\u2019t think I said anything like that\u2014but I\u2019m not helping you travel. In fact, I was going to give you a job working here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Now it was Lyon\u2019s turn to pause and think. She stared at Erin in shock, and then fury.<\/p>\n \u201cYou would have me work here<\/em>, like a peasant? I am grateful for your help, make no mistake, but I require help.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin chose her words carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I am helping you. A lot, actually. And I\u2019m willing to offer you a job working here. It wouldn\u2019t be hard\u2014well, it might be hard at first, but you\u2019ll get used to it. And I\u2019ll give you room and board, and even some money. I can\u2019t pay much but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette stood up, shedding her blankets. She stared hard at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI intend to go north as soon as possible. I will not stay another minute in this\u2014this hellhole of abominations and freaks!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin twitched<\/em> at the word \u2018abomination\u2019. But she still kept her calm.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to do that, I won\u2019t stop you. But I\u2019m not going to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon raised her chin and her eyes flashed.<\/p>\n \u201cI order<\/em> you to assist me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl stared darkly at Erin for a few moments, and then, alarmingly, suddenly switched to placid calm. She sniffed, and looked back towards the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. I will rest here instead.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin didn\u2019t need to be suspicious; she already was. But she modulated her tone to calm, friendliness.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, great! In that case I\u2019ll wake you up at breakfast. You can rest today, but tomorrow I\u2019ll show you the ropes. In a few days\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not going to work. I said I would rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026but if you\u2019re going to stay here, you\u2019ve got to work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAm I not your guest? And I am\u2014weak. Why would you force me to work?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette looked hurt and reproachful. Erin\u2019s friendly smile didn\u2019t waver.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you are<\/em> a thief, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette\u2019s face went blank for a second and her eyes flicked to Erin and then away. Erin had a sneaking suspicion the shivering girl was trying to think up a lie.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s you. You blew up\u2026well, you destroyed my friend\u2019s shop and robbed a lot of good people. But I didn\u2019t want you to die out there, so I\u2019m offering you a job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want it. I will head north as soon as I am well.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. She hated<\/em> this kind of thing.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, in that case, you won\u2019t be staying here, then. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon stared at Erin incredulously. Her eyes flicked towards the snowy landscape outside, and she wavered. Then a sly look flashed over her face for a second. The girl lightened her tone, looking at the door innocently.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose I shall simply have to set out myself, then. In the cold and snow. I fear my death will be on your conscience, but then, you wouldn\u2019t let me go out without provisions, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon\u2019s obvious attempts to manipulate Erin angered her more than anything else the girl had done so far. Erin folded her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cA coat, and five days\u2019 worth of food.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon stared at Erin, caught off-guard.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019m giving you. A coat, maybe some pants and boots, and food. You\u2019ll need a bag to hold it, so I\u2019ll give you that and point you to the main road.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I will freeze long before I get to a city. You wouldn\u2019t want that on your conscience, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot really, but I won\u2019t give you any more help.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared hard at Lyon. This was as bad as she\u2019d feared. But she had to make herself clear.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m giving you one chance, Lyonette. One. That\u2019s all. Either work for me at this inn, or try to get to another city, but if you go, I won\u2019t save you even if you die a foot outside my inn.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin leaned forwards and Lyon leaned back. Erin\u2019s gaze didn\u2019t waver as she glared at Lyon.<\/p>\n \u201cYou only get one chance.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl stepped back, rattled, and then moved away from the roaring fire. She looked at Erin and her expressions firmed.<\/p>\n \u201cI am\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The girl hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Of the aristocracy in Terandria. A minor House\u2014the Clavalettes. I am distantly related to the royal family, and I will be treated with respect!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Good for you. You\u2019re still a thief. Take my offer, or you\u2019ll be gone after dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette stared at Erin, her pleasant mask gone as well. Her brow and nose wrinkled and she hissed at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cPeon.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s face went blank. She knew that peon was an insult, but she wasn\u2019t exactly<\/em> sure what the word meant.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Will you work here or not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will\u2014under duress! I graciously accept your offer.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin felt that last sentence should have been reworded, but she took it.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Fine. Good. Now, I\u2019ll let you stay here, but you can\u2019t steal anything. And I\u2019ll make sure of that, because I\u2019m not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon suddenly looked doubly wary, but she didn\u2019t have time to move. Erin turned and called.<\/p>\n \u201cCeria? Do you want to introduce yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria had been upstairs\u2014the half-Elf had not enjoyed going searching for Erin, especially since the two had missed each other and she\u2019d been outside longer than Erin by a good stretch. She descended the stairs and Lyon reacted by backing away.<\/p>\n \u201cA half-breed? Here?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked aghast. Erin frowned at her reaction and Ceria scowled.<\/p>\n \u201cOh great. She must be from one of the Human-only countries. Wonderful. That explains a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? This is Ceria. She\u2019s a half-Elf.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a freak! An untrustworthy spy and troublemaker! I insist she leave at once!\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette stared with hostility at Ceria, who didn\u2019t look that welcoming either. Erin opened her mouth, but Ceria put her good hand on Erin\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cI would watch your mouth, young Human. I\u2019m a friendly half-Elf, but my kind isn\u2019t always nice to people who offend us. I know you\u2019ve heard the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette sneered at Ceria, but with a trace of fear.<\/p>\n \u201cChildren\u2019s tales to frighten the simpleminded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, really? Well, not all stories are fake.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria slowly raised her other hand, and Lyon froze. Ceria had learned to manipulate her dead hand quite well, and the girl standing in front of her turned deathly white as Ceria brought it in front of the girl. Ceria raised her skeletal hand in front of Lyon\u2019s face and flexed it slowly. The girl\u2019s eyes fixed on the bleached bones in horror. Ceria leaned forwards, and Lyon shrank back.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t want to find out which stories are true, I\u2019d watch your mouth around here. And I\u2019d tread carefully and obey every order as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette backed away, nearly stepped in the fire, and screamed. Erin watched as she backed towards the corner of the room, turned, saw Toren standing there, and screamed again.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t the first time Lyon had seen the skeleton. Erin had seen him come in earlier\u2014from where? And introduced him, but each time Lyon saw him she screamed. Loudly.<\/p>\n It was almost funny, except that Lyonette had even less fondness for Erin\u2019s skeleton, if that were possible.<\/p>\n \u201cYou consort with the dead?<\/em> What kind of twisted monster are you? I defy your magic, [Necromancer]!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not the necromancer. I just own Toren.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon stared at Erin, and then at Toren. She backed away from everyone, and only accepted some food from Erin at dinner. The rest of the time she spent in a far corner, glaring at everyone as she tore into her meal.<\/p>\n Erin and Ceria were discussing the problem with the Gnolls\u2014and Ceria was adamant that there would be one\u2014when Lyonette stood up. She left her clean plate and neatly arranged silverware on the table and stared at Erin, ignoring Ceria completely.<\/p>\n \u201cI will rest now. I assume you have a bed prepared for me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Yeah. Second room on the left. Do you want\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon was up the stairs and out of earshot in an instant. Erin sighed exasperatedly, and Ceria shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cRegretting your choices? I don\u2019t think she\u2019s going to get any better, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe might.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at Erin. The human girl looked down.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I might grow wings and dance naked in a grove, but that\u2019s unlikely too. Look, it\u2019s going to be a lot of work. Are you sure this is the decision you want to make?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so. I have to give her a shot, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin wasn\u2019t sure. Not at all. But she had to try.<\/p>\n She had to try.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next day, Erin decided that yesterday had been a bad start. Yes, Lyonette had been rude, uncooperative, sneaky\u2026the point was that tomorrow or rather, today, was a new day. Lyon could be different. She and Erin might really hit it off.<\/p>\n Buoyed up by what even she considered false optimism, Erin ascended the stairs and knocked on the girl\u2019s door. Ceria had already left for the city; she always woke early for some reason. But Lyon had yet to rise, and it was already late morning.<\/p>\n \u201cLyon? Hello? Are you awake?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no response. Erin frowned and knocked harder. No sound came from inside. Erin put her ear to the door and heard the snoring.<\/p>\n \u201cLyon.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl didn\u2019t budge when Erin raised her voice, but she did when Erin shook her violently. That was after gentle and insistent shaking; the girl could sleep!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhu?\u201d<\/p>\n After a few minutes of irritated blinking at Erin, Lyonette scowled at her boss.<\/p>\n \u201cGo away. I am resting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time for work. You\u2019re working here now, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon glanced at the window.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is far too early. I will get up in a few hours, perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared as the girl lay back in bed and closed her eyes. Lyon quite deliberately rolled over to face the wall, away from Erin.<\/p>\n For two seconds Erin thought, and then she smiled apologetically.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what? I\u2019m so sorry<\/em>. I had no idea it was so early, and\u2014let me just apologize. I\u2019ll let you sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm. Good.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin leaned forwards, speaking softly.<\/p>\n \u201cBut before that, can I just say one thing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018f you must.\u201d<\/p>\n The innkeeper brought her lips next to Lyon\u2019s ears and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWAKE UP!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin screamed the words in Lyonette\u2019s ear and the girl scrambled out of bed and away from her in an instant. It wasn\u2019t quite as loud as when Erin had performed her one-woman one-iPod concert\u2014she didn\u2019t want to wake someone in the city\u2014but it was still loud enough to deafen.<\/p>\n It was certainly an alarm clock to wake the dead or perhaps kill the living, because Lyon looked like she was about to have a heart attack.<\/p>\n \u201cYou twisted, evil\u2014!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLyon, when I ask you to get up, I mean it. You can\u2019t sit around and do what you want, not if you want to actually stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin spoke over the girl\u2019s insults, glad for her [Loud Voice] skill. Lyon stared at Erin and her face went red.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat<\/em> did you just call me? Lyon? That is not <\/em>my name!\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t even seem to have registered the rest of what Erin had said. Lyon pointed a trembling finger at Erin in outrage.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Lyonette. <\/em>You will address me by my full name or not at all!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin thought as she folded her arms and glared at Lyon. That was fair, or at least it would be if a friend had asked it\u2014or a stranger\u2014or anyone, really. It was just the tone of voice and the outrage that made Erin not <\/em>want to grant Lyon\u2019s request.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry you don\u2019t like it, but it\u2019s a nickname. I\u2019ll try to call you Lyonette if you want, but you can\u2019t overreact, and you will<\/em> listen to me. Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette glared at Erin. It was a good glare; full of hauteur and unrighteous anger and some genuine imperious force behind it. But Erin had been stared at by dead Goblins, an Antinium Queen, and angry Drakes capable of ripping her head off. She was the better starer.<\/p>\n The two locked gazes for three full minutes before Lyon flounced out of bed and down the stairs without a word.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have some after I teach you how to cook. In fact, you will be cooking your breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite easy. We\u2019ll make eggs. It\u2019s hard to ruin eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will eat now<\/em>. You may teach me later.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin propped her hands on her hips. This new day approach was fading fast.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what? It\u2019s your choice. Either you learn to make food, or you can skip breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t dare.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n It was amazing Lyon could deliver the line with a straight face. Erin had to fight not to giggle, but Lyon\u2019s personality helped.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s what I\u2019d do to a spoiled child, and it\u2019s what I\u2019ll do to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t treat me this way!\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon snarled at Erin, actually snarled. Erin wasn\u2019t impressed. Gnolls could snarl.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll treat you any way I want. I\u2019m paying you. Well, I\u2019m going to pay you. If you work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou dare. I am\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Again, the girl hesitated, but recovered quickly.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Distant relative to Magnolia Reinhart, and I will not <\/em>be addressed in that way! You will treat me with respect, or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin gave up. She pushed Lyon into the kitchen, or at least, tried to. She wasn\u2019t expecting the whirlwind of claws and teeth the girl became when Erin laid hands on her. That was the start of Erin\u2019s no good, very bad, very annoying<\/em> day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lyon. Or rather, as she insisted on being called, Lyonette. She was a nightmare. Erin thought she was good with people\u2014at least, she didn\u2019t have many problems in school even if she wasn\u2019t the popular girl, and she\u2019d always been good with kids. Even the really annoying young boys.<\/p>\n But Lyon. Lyon was a class of brat unto herself. Erin had only begun to realize that yesterday, but today cemented that fact in stone. Lyon was a disaster.<\/em><\/p>\n She couldn\u2019t cook, wouldn\u2019t clean, and treated everything and everyone with disdain. She hated and feared Ceria, she refused to stay anywhere near Toren, and she disliked Pisces\u2014which was fair\u2014but not for any of his many flaws, but just the way he dressed.<\/p>\n After an hour Erin had had enough. She\u2019d had enough questions of \u2018why should I?\u2019 or \u2018what\u2019s the point if it\u2019s going to be dirty tomorrow?\u2019, or worse, \u2018do you know who I am?\u2019<\/p>\n Erin dropped the dustrag she\u2019d been trying to get Lyon to accept and looked around. She saw Toren in a corner, right where she\u2019d ordered him to stay. Another fun feature of Lyonette was that she wouldn\u2019t go anywhere if Toren wasn\u2019t in a corner, and Erin had had to argue her into living with that.<\/p>\n The skeleton looked impatient, which was odd. Erin thought she was imagining it, but Toren was developing several human-like qualities. He kept shifting from foot to foot and glancing around, very unlike his normal, stoic, terrifying silence. She hoped he<\/em> wasn\u2019t about to start asking questions.<\/p>\n \u201cToren. You teach her\u2026everything.\u201d<\/p>\n The skeleton turned his head and stared at Erin. So did Lyon. It was hard to say who had more horror in their expressions.<\/p>\n Lyonette was the first\u2014and only\u2014one to speak. She glared at Erin as she pointed with a trembling finger to Toren.<\/p>\n \u201cUnacceptable. I will not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou will. I\u2019m going to the city. Toren, don\u2019t kill her or do anything stupid. Just teach her how to clean the inn, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Toren nodded. Reluctantly, Erin thought. Well, she couldn\u2019t blame him, but at least she could trust him<\/em> to do his job.<\/p>\n The skeleton didn\u2019t look happy, but at least he was smiling. Erin ignored the fact that this was because he was a skeleton and always grinning, and left the inn. She knew she could leave Lyon to Toren; he never had anything to do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Toren was busy. He knew this, and he only wished Erin knew this. Moreover, he did not<\/em> want to teach Lyonette anything, unless it was how to bleed.<\/p>\n But orders were orders, and if he finished this, Erin might give him a nice order that would allow him to kill things. So he picked up the dustrag, and offered it to Lyon. Cleaning was easy, anyways.<\/p>\n The girl refused to take the dustrag. She backed up, screaming, and tried to flee. Eventually, Toren cornered her and the girl huddled in a corner, shrieking and cursing at him until she calmed down.<\/p>\n Once fear had been replaced with contempt and hatred, Lyon tried to push past Toren. She didn\u2019t have much luck because she was afraid to make contact with him, and he kept shoving the dustrag in her face. He was getting impatient, which was new for him, but Lyon wasn\u2019t like a wall.<\/p>\n You could clean a wall, or climb it, or bash it down with time. But the point was a wall was something you could work on. Effort put in was effort gained. But Lyon refused to do what Toren wanted no matter how much time he put in, and that was\u2026<\/p>\n Annoying.<\/p>\n \u201cMove aside.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon ordered Toren with commanding tones, pointing. The skeleton made no move. He thrust the dustrag in her face and she recoiled.<\/p>\n \u201cGet that away<\/em> from me. I will not be treated like this. I am r\u2014I am nobility! You will<\/em> obey me!\u201d<\/p>\n Toren wasn\u2019t completing his task. But it wasn\u2019t his fault! It was Lyon\u2019s. The flames in the skeleton\u2019s eyes burned hotter as she tried to give him more orders. Only Erin gave him orders.<\/p>\n \u201cThing, I order you to\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Toren dropped the dustrag and punched<\/em> the girl in the stomach. Lyonette doubled over and retched. Toren watched with interest as her breakfast came up and wondered if he should hit her again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette stumbled away from Toren and her voice rose to a shriek. She started screaming at the skeleton.<\/p>\n \u201cHow dare<\/em> you. I will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Toren walked over and punched her in the same spot. Lyon choked again and fell down. She curled into a ball and started whimpering.<\/p>\n Well, she was moving, but she hadn\u2019t picked up the dustrag. Toren pointed to it. Lyon just moaned. So he kicked her.<\/p>\n She screamed, and he kicked her again and pointed. She saw the dustrag, and looked up at the skeleton. He raised his fist again and she scrambled to pick up the dust rag.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cErin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a bad sign when someone used her full name. True, people in this world liked different kinds of formality, but it was also about the tone of voice. Erin heard the warning signs in the voice, but since she knew and liked Krshia, she turned anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cKrshia. Um, hi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have taken the thief into your home.\u201d<\/p>\n Gnolls didn\u2019t beat about the bush. Erin paused, and then nodded slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is unwise. She will steal from you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but she was dying in the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. That was her punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDeath? She\u2019s just a kid, Krshia. It\u2019s not right. Look, I know she caused a lot of trouble, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know nothing\u00b8 <\/em>Erin Solstice. She has done more harm to my tribe than any other. She is my enemy, Erin. Harbor her and you will break the bonds between us.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at Krshia. The Gnoll\u2019s voice was hard and loud, and she\u2019d chosen the middle of the street to confront Erin. That would normally have attracted a crowd, but the Drakes and Gnolls around her had taken one look at Krshia and decided to skip the show.<\/p>\n Her ears were as flat as her voice. Erin hesitated. She knew dogs. She liked dogs. She\u2019d even had a dog that ate too many chess pieces and had to go through surgery as a kid. She liked dogs so much she knew it was a bad idea to pet one when their ears were flat. And Krshia\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m giving her a chance. I\u2019m sorry, Krshia, but I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have made your choice. Goodbye, Erin. We shall see what comes of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia turned abruptly and began to stride away. Erin paused, and then ran after her.<\/p>\n \u201cKrshia, wait! Let me explain. I don\u2019t want to hurt your feelings, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She reached out and grabbed at Krshia, but someone caught her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cAunt. Is this Human bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n Someone imposed himself between Krshia and Erin. A giant paw firmly grabbed Erin\u2019s hand and she looked up, up<\/em> into the face of a very tall Gnoll. He was tall, muscular, and, Erin couldn\u2019t help noticing this bit: armed. A longsword hung at one side, and a large shield was strapped to his back. The Gnoll stared down at Erin, without a trace of friendliness in his smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are Erin Solstice, yes? I would not touch my aunt so lightly, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrunkr. Let her go. She is not an enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia turned and stared at the Gnoll who had called her aunt. He let go, and Erin stepped back and felt at her wrist. It didn\u2019t feel<\/em> broken.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2014are you? I\u2019ve never seen you before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am a warrior of the Silverfang Tribe. I have come here with my brethren, yes? We have come to guard, and assist our honored sister of the clan leader, yes? But instead of terrible enemies, all I see are thieves and backstabbing Humans.\u201d<\/p>\n Brunkr gave Erin a wide grin, and stared hard at her. She did her best not to be intimidated, and held her ground.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a backstabbing Human. I just wanted to help, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHelp? Help would be bashing in the thief\u2019s head with a rock. I have heard of her deeds; if you harbor her, you are an enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrunkr. Leave her. Erin has made her choice. I will not stop her, but I will not deal with her either.\u201d<\/p>\n Krshia spoke flatly to her nephew and walked away. He hesitated, but turned to follow her. But he gave Erin one last smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI am here to fulfill my aunt\u2019s wishes, and safeguard my people here. And that includes protecting our honor. Walk softly, Erin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he was gone. He strode through the crowd, generating a personal bubble of \u2018do not touch me\u2019 almost as large as Krshia\u2019s. Erin watched him go.<\/p>\n \u201cThat. Is not good.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned. She had<\/em> been intending to shop at Krshia\u2019s and ask for a bit of forgiveness and explain, but it looked like she was without her Gnoll friend. And without any Gnoll shops either, because she saw several Gnolls on the street giving her the stink-eye.<\/p>\n Erin sighed. She\u2019d have to go to each shop to buy her goods, and only Drake ones at that. And carry all of it back herself. Wonderful. A short shopping spree had suddenly got longer, and probably more costly.<\/p>\n She just hoped this was the only bad thing that would happen today. After all, it wasn\u2019t as if her day could get any worse, could it?<\/p>\n Erin knew full well it could, and that was even before she got back to the inn and Lyon started shrieking at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe hit<\/em> me!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin paused and stared at Toren as the skeleton stood behind Lyonette. The girl was red in the face as she alternatively raged at Erin and demonstrated with her filthy hands.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he made me clean up filth!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that is your job. But he hit you? Hard?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe tried to kill<\/em> me! I demand you destroy him at once!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at Lyon. She didn\u2019t see any bruises on her face, but\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIf Toren hit you, that\u2019s bad. But I don\u2019t see any injuries. Where did he hit you?\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon hesitated, and then pointed to her chest and stomach. Erin frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I see? I mean, I believe you\u2026but I uh, want to see how bad it is.\u201d<\/p>\n The other girl stared at Erin in horror and backed away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want me to bare myself to you?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The look on Lyon\u2019s face suggested that Erin was a repeat sexual offender asking her to step into a back alley. Erin scowled at her, patience thin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you can\u2019t prove he hit you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy word as a noble should be good enough!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot for me. And why was Toren so mad at you, anyways? Were you doing something you weren\u2019t supposed to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Lyon hesitated, and Erin smelled a rat.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, he shouldn\u2019t have hit you if that\u2019s what he did. But I asked him to teach you, and I told you to listen to him. You agreed to do that when you said you would work here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never agreed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am your boss. You\u2019re my employee. You work for me, and do what I ask you to do, got it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoss? Employee? Why not just call me a servant and have done with it? I will not be ordered around.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon sneered at Erin and pointed to Toren.<\/p>\n \u201cHe struck me. Only the most craven and despicable masters would do that, even among the lower classes! I want him destroyed. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. You cleaned this room, pretty decently, so good job. Now, please do the upstairs. I think you can do it by yourself, so Toren doesn\u2019t need to go with you. I\u2019ll check on you in half an hour, but no one\u2019s getting dismantled.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going to do anything? I told you, he hit\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will make sure he doesn\u2019t do it again. <\/em>Now, please<\/em> go clean the upstairs, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin didn\u2019t know that many swear words from this world yet, but she could have sworn she heard a really nasty one from Lyonette. The girl stomped towards the stairs, pausing to shoot daggers at Erin and Toren every few seconds.<\/p>\n When she was gone, Erin exhaled slowly. This was a lot of work, and the stress from her encounter with Krshia and now this was making her usual optimism take a dive into cranky town. She looked at Toren, curious. The skeleton looked completely normal, but Erin had to ask.<\/p>\n \u201cDid<\/em> you hit her?\u201d<\/p>\n Toren nodded. Erin sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cHard?\u201d<\/p>\n The skeleton seemed to think, and then shook his head definitely. Erin scowled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I thought. But don\u2019t hit her again, okay? Just\u2026get her to work without hitting.\u201d<\/p>\n Toren nodded, and Erin sighed. She couldn\u2019t blame her skeleton, not really. He was sort of stupid, and even she\u2019d thought about hitting Lyon. Well, he wouldn\u2019t do it again, and she needed him to teach the girl.<\/p>\n After five minutes with Lyonette, Erin already had a headache.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That night, Erin made a wonderful meal of spaghetti and meatballs. It was as good as any restaurant food, and she was really happy to have her [Advanced Cooking] skill. She ate two plates with Ceria, and the half-Elf talked with Erin for a long time about different foods she\u2019d eaten over the course of her sixty-odd years of life, which included everything from raw insects to elegant cooking at fine restaurants in cities Erin had never heard of before.<\/p>\n Lyon arrived late for dinner, complained about the cold food, refused to wait to heat the food near the fire, made disparaging comments about Erin\u2019s cooking, and sulked off after eating half a plate.<\/p>\n She wanted more in an hour, and Erin refused. She wasn\u2019t feeling generous, and a night of hunger would teach the girl a lesson or make Erin feel better.<\/p>\n It was impossible for Erin and Ceria to stay up late chatting, so they went to bed early. That night, Lyon woke both with a scream as Toren caught her trying to filch food. It was a bad night, and even though Erin got to sleep again, she still had to wake up early. Because the next day, Lyonette was gone with all of Erin\u2019s gold not hidden under the floorboards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere was Toren when she took the money?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Out? Getting water? He does chores around the inn when I\u2019m not giving him orders.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin glanced at Toren. The skeleton looked abashed, but also angry. He had a sword in his hands, which was premature, but matched Erin\u2019s general state of mind.<\/p>\n \u201cCan we find her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEasily enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria rubbed sleep from her eyes and yawned as she stood in the ransacked kitchen. She\u2019d been the first up besides Toren, and she\u2019d raised the alarm.<\/p>\n The half-Elf concentrated, and an orb floated upwards. It looked like a [Light] spell, but this one had a small arrow in the center. It was pointing northwest, and slightly downwards.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like she\u2019s running for the north road. She can\u2019t have gotten far; she took a lot and she\u2019s not exactly a [Runner].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know where she is? Can you find people just like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. I thought this would happen, so I planted a tracking spell on her.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria smiled at Erin and shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cA trick we learned at Wistram. Helped when we snuck around the libraries at night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s get her.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stood up, genuinely angry. She should have expected this as well, but she liked to believe in the best of people. But she was starting to understand that ‘people’ didn\u2019t really include Lyonette.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on. Toren, you run ahead. Catch her, but don\u2019t hurt her, okay? Then I\u2019m going into the city and you\u2019re going to teach her to haul water and do a bunch of hard work, got it?\u201d<\/p>\n Toren seemed to sigh, but he was out the door in a flash. Erin stomped out as well, Ceria following right on her heels.<\/p>\n \u201cErin, you know I want to say it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou told me. But\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother chance? How many does she get?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot. If it means not letting her die\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine. But I\u2019m keeping the spell on her.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked wistfully at Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cAny chance you can magic her into behaving?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I could do that, I\u2019d have fixed Pisces a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n They found Lyon only a few miles away, struggling to get through the snow. Much shouting was had, but Erin didn\u2019t feel better. In fact, she felt awful. She left Lyon with Toren in the inn and went into the city. She almost told Toren he could hit her, but refrained.<\/p>\n That would be cruelty, and Erin wasn\u2019t cruel. No matter how hard she wanted to be. Besides, Toren was a good match for Lyon. He was unwavering, inflexible, and he never got bored. If he didn\u2019t hit her, the only thing Lyon was in danger of was overwork.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Toren was bored. He didn\u2019t like teaching Lyon, and he really, really wanted to hit her. But he couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n The skeleton stared at Lyon. She stared back at him, with a smirk on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t hit me. I heard your mistress say it.\u201d<\/p>\n Toren nodded grudgingly. He pointed towards a bucket on the floor, but Lyon made no move.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. You can\u2019t order me around anymore, monster, and there\u2019s nothing you can do to me.\u201d<\/p>\n What fools these Humans be. Toren nearly sighed, but instead he raised his index finger and poked Lyon hard in the side. She squealed.<\/p>\n \u201cStop that!\u201d<\/p>\n Toren ignored that. He also ignored her flailing arms and he effortlessly knocked her hands away. He stepped next to Lyon and did the same thing.<\/p>\n He poked her.<\/p>\n \u201cI will not be coerced! Torment me all you want, thing, but I wi\u2014ah!\u2014stop!\u201d<\/p>\n Toren ignored Lyon. If she wouldn\u2019t do what he wanted, he would make her. He wasn\u2019t allowed to hit her, but poking had never been mentioned. So he poked her hard in the side.<\/p>\n Again. And again. And again. And again. And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And again.<\/p>\n And\u2014<\/p>\n After the one hundred and fifty-eighth time, Lyon stopped screaming and trying to hit Toren and gave up and did what he wanted. It wasn\u2019t as satisfying as hitting, but it got the point across, especially because when normal poking failed, Toren got a knife and started poking with that.<\/p>\n Lyonette complained of course, about the poking. But Erin just glared at Lyon until the girl shrank back and so Toren was spared any more orders. And he\u2019d decided making Lyon work could be fun after all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was after another day of difficult shopping in Liscor when Ceria invited Erin to visit the only other adventurer who\u2019d survived Skinner. Well, the only one who was still in Liscor, that was. Erin accepted, out of curiosity as much as anything else.<\/p>\n That was how she found herself in a small room in the back of the Adventurer\u2019s Guild, a place reserved for wounded adventurers. It had only one occupant: Yvlon Byres.<\/p>\n The young woman was everything Erin had ever dreamed of when she\u2019d occasionally wondered if she could be a knight like one of her chess pieces, or someone like Indiana Jones or even a superhero.<\/p>\n Yvlon was tall, golden-haired, fair of skin\u2026she actually sort of resembled Lyon, although Lyon\u2019s hair was red and Yvlon had about a head of height on her and muscle and\u2026<\/p>\n Maybe it was just their same posture, that of perfect ruler-straight perfection, and elegant manners. For all Lyon was horrible, she still ate and spoke like someone trained to it, and so did Yvlon.<\/p>\n And unlike Lyon, Yvlon\u2019s manners matched her good nature. She shook Erin\u2019s hand after Ceria introduced her, smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cYvlon Byres. An honor to meet you again, Miss Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin smiled back, and shook the callused hand, trying to stare Yvlon in the eyes.<\/p>\n She was\u2026pretty. In fact, Erin would have ventured to say she was gorgeous before she\u2019d come to Liscor. Her skin was mostly perfect, and she had great teeth, a shapely nose, and even nice ears. Erin wished she had Yvlon\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n The only flaw was the skin which had been\u2026ripped\u2026away from the left half of Yvlon\u2019s face. Not all of it; and in truth it wasn\u2019t as if she\u2019d lost her nose or anything like that. It was just\u2014noticeable, that was all. The shiny scar tissue was still red and it was clearly different from her smooth skin.<\/p>\n Yvlon smiled bitterly at Erin and the girl tried to look anywhere else.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s noticeable. Don\u2019t worry about it. This is my penance. I failed the people I led, and I\u2019ve been justly punished for that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say that, Yvlon.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria scowled at the other woman as she took a seat next to the adventurer. Yvlon was still confined to bed, although the young woman seemed restless. Erin noted the suit of armor neatly packed on a dresser and took a seat as well.<\/p>\n \u201cYou and I both know that Skinner wasn\u2019t your fault. How could we have known the door sealing him was unlocked already? Besides, Cervial, Gerald, and Lir were all there and they were all Silver-rank Captains. If they didn\u2019t sense anything amiss, you wouldn\u2019t have either.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon shook her head. Her hand was tight on her bed sheets.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about excuses, Ceria. I took responsibility for all of the lives of those adventurers when I took command, and worse, I failed to even keep my promise to honor their deaths. I have not a coin to give their dead families and loved ones, aside from my armor and sword. And I cannot sell those; they don\u2019t belong to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one expected a complete wipe down there, Yvlon. I\u2019m sure the others will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria paused, clearly not willing to lie.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, all of us knew the risks. And Skinner\u2019s dead, so they\u2019re avenged. Just rest, Yvlon.\u201d<\/p>\n The Human sagged in her bed, and Erin saw tears in her eyes. And this was the person Ryoka had disliked so much? Why?<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could be out and about. But my face\u2014I didn\u2019t want to use a healing potion. I need to bear this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re just like Gerial and Calruz. So stubborn\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed in exasperation, and bowed her head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should use a potion. And then get on your feet. Look Yvlon\u2014and Erin too for that matter\u2014I\u2019ve been thinking. Skinner was\u2026a nightmare I\u2019ve never seen before in my life. And losing all my friends and comrades\u2014it\u2019s crushed me. But I can\u2019t give up now. I won\u2019t. If their deaths mean anything, it\u2019s that I should keep on living. And I can\u2019t rely on Erin forever. So\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She took a deep breath, and looked Yvlon in the eye.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to go back to adventuring.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Yvlon and Erin looked at Ceria, shocked; the half-Elf only shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. But it\u2019s all I know how to do. I could do small magics for money, but even I\u2019d be ancient by the time I earned enough to buy any new spell books. And\u2026I want to become stronger. I need to become stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was still surprised, not least by the suddenness of Ceria\u2019s decision, but Yvlon only hesitated a moment longer before clasping the half-Elf\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cBest of luck. I will get better and perhaps\u2014my sword arm is rusty, and weak, but I\u2019d be honored to journey with you if you\u2019d have me. I must repay my debt somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll talk more about it when you\u2019re better. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria smiled, and Yvlon clenched her hand tightly.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t go off alone, Ceria. I\u2019ve seen too many adventurers fall after losing their party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t do anything stupid. I\u2019m still recovering, and I don\u2019t have a party. I\u2019ll wait. Just keep focusing on getting better, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n They talked for a while longer, about less important things. Erin had to tell a few stories to Yvlon of what had happened since she\u2019d last been here and Ceria had to back her up before Yvlon would believe all the crazy things that had happened to Erin. She was especially interested in Ryoka, but all too soon a few hours had passed and Erin and Ceria had to leave.<\/p>\n Yvlon nearly tried to get out of bed before the two girls stopped her.<\/p>\n \u201cI can<\/em> walk, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe know, but guard your strength. If you haven\u2019t used a healing potion, your muscles will still be recovering.\u201d<\/p>\n With resigned grace, Yvlon sank back into her bed. Erin noticed the bottle of glowing liquid by her bed stand and wondered if the former Silver-rank Captain wasn\u2019t just a little bit pigheaded like Ryoka. But Yvlon nodded to Erin with far more courtesy than Ryoka had ever shown.<\/p>\n \u201cA pleasure, Erin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n It was, although somehow, Erin doubted she\u2019d been as important as Ceria\u2019s revelation. The two left quietly, and as they walked out of the guild Erin turned to Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cAdventuring? Really? Now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes, and yes, Erin. I know it\u2019s risky, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all I know.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin chewed her lip, but couldn\u2019t think of anything to say to that.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you can stay at my inn either way. My door is always open for you. And you don\u2019t have to jump into it right away. You can stay as long as you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. It\u2019s just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry. I\u2019m not trying to talk you out of it; I\u2019ll back you up! You do what you do best, and I\u2019ll be ready with a hot meal and a bath. Well, Toren will have to carry the water for the bath. And I\u2019ll need to buy a bathtub.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria smiled, touched. She patted Erin on the shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n They both smiled. Then their smiles faded when they remembered who was currently living in their inn.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least she\u2019s gathering mushrooms. I don\u2019t see how anyone can mess that\u2014well, poisonous ones\u2014and she could not get any or squash them\u2026huh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed, but then she smiled wickedly.<\/p>\n \u201cLook on the bright side. Maybe she\u2019ll fall into a Shield Spider pit and Toren will fail to save her.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned and mock-glared at her friend.<\/p>\n \u201cCeria!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should be. Honestly. I mean, if they scratched her a bit I wouldn\u2019t mind, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n They laughed, and parted ways. Ceria wanted to talk to Pisces and Erin wanted to hunt for more sugar before she got back to her inn. Neither one noticed the furred shapes moving through the crowds towards the gates in a slow, but steady pattern.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lyon and Toren were gathering mushrooms that Erin wanted to experiment with when the ground caved in near the girl\u2019s foot. She screamed and jumped back as the Shield Spider nest was revealed.<\/p>\n Toren looked down with interest at the sleepy spiders as they began to move and look for their prey. He looked at Lyon. She was paralyzed with fear.<\/p>\n Casually, Toren put one hand on the girl\u2019s back and pushed<\/em> her lightly into the pit.<\/p>\n She screamed, and flailed, and the Shield Spiders scurried over to her. Toren enjoyed the sight for as long as possible, until one of the Spiders tried to bite her.<\/p>\n Too bad Erin had told him not to let Lyon come to any harm. Toren almost sighed, although he would have needed lungs to do it.<\/p>\n He scared the Shield Spiders off with his gaze of [Terror] and then turned it on the girl. She screamed and peed a bit, but when she realized that Toren could turn the effect on and off, she ran<\/em> to each spot. Toren jogged after Lyon happily, enjoying the screams. He mentally marked the spider nest for later, and wondered what he\u2019d kill today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Later that day, Erin stood by a window, not looking directly outside but counting the shadows. She heard Lyonette stomp downstairs and sighed.<\/p>\n The girl had gotten back with a basket brimming full of mushrooms both poisonous and fair, and then locked herself in her room. Toren had gone out, and Erin was\u2026busy.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t want to hear Lyon complain in any case. The girl was never happy, never satisfied, and now was not<\/em> the time for it in any case. Erin sniffed the air and sighed. No. She looked around. Ceria\u2026Pisces\u2026they were both in the city still. And Toren was out hunting. No, not the time.<\/p>\n \u201cHe tried to kill me!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Lyonette. What did Toren do this time?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nearly added \u2018allegedly\u2019 to that sentence. Lyon could never prove when the skeleton had done anything, and she refused to show an inch more skin than necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cHe pushed me into a pit full of horrible spiders!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin eyed Lyon dubiously. She didn\u2019t appear to be injured, only scratched and dirty, and Erin was certain that Toren wouldn\u2019t be able to fend off an entire pit of Shield Spiders in any case.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you prove that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I <\/em>told you I want to see evidence. Besides, why would Toren do that? I specifically told him \u2018no killing\u2019. If he\u2019s bothering you, I\u2019ll follow you next time and see. But if you\u2019re lying\u2014look I need to take a break. We\u2019ll talk about this later, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned. She really had to get Lyon upstairs, but warn the girl? She\u2019d panic.<\/p>\n Lyonette emitted a strangled scream as Erin tried to walk towards the front door. She flew at Erin, hands raised into claws. Erin turned around\u2014<\/p>\n And punched the girl in the face.<\/p>\n It was a good punch, and it had not a bit of suppressed annoyance in it. Lyon stumbled backwards, and sat down. She felt at her cheek. It was going to turn purple soon; Erin hadn\u2019t hit her as hard as she could, but\u2026fairly hard.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hit me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou attacked me.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin felt like she was back in elementary school, arguing with a kid over a fight he\u2019d started. What boys never learned was that while pulling hair and hitting might work, Erin had a chess board which was hard, edged, and quite dangerous if wielded with force.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hit<\/em> me.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyonette appeared to be in shock. Erin didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t try to hit me. I\u2019ve got [Dangersense] for one thing, and it\u2019s going off\u2014look, go upstairs and calm down and we\u2019ll\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou hit me!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon got to her feet and screamed at Erin, face red. Her hands clenched into fists, but she wisely didn\u2019t try to leap at Erin again.<\/p>\n \u201cMonster! You violent thug! <\/em>Criminal! Rogue! You filthy, horrible, wretched<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin slapped her.<\/p>\n This time Lyon didn\u2019t even make proper words. She just turned red, reached for Erin, and hesitated when she saw the look in the young woman\u2019s eyes. She made an inarticulate noise and then she threw herself on the ground and began to sob.<\/em><\/p>\n Erin blinked. She\u2019d been ready for an attack, or another fit, but Lyon just curled up into a ball of misery and began to wail. Erin had never really heard wailing done as well or as loudly as Lyon, but in this at least, the girl had some skill.<\/p>\n For a second, Erin\u2019s heart wavered. But then she looked outside and remembered. She looked at Lyon, shook her head, and turned towards the door.<\/p>\n Erin left the girl to cry in the inn and walked outside, head bowed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was a cold, snowy day outside. Even without the Frost Faeries, snow liked to fall, and not just in small doses. Erin stood outside and shivered. She closed the door to her inn, and sighed. Then she spoke into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I\u2019d never done it, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n No one answered back. Erin took another step outside, and kicked at the snow, sending it flurrying into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I could help her, maybe even make her a better person\u2014before I met her. But I guess she\u2019s just as bad as everyone thought. Worse, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin thought about this, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, she\u2019s horrible. <\/em>The worst person I\u2019ve ever met\u2026not that I meet many horrible people. I guess there are some eviler people in the world. Well, there are lots actually. But no one\u2019s as petty<\/em> as she is.\u201d<\/p>\n She spread her arms out, helplessly.<\/p>\n \u201cCeria was right. Krshia was right. Everyone was right, even Pisces. She tried to steal from me. She\u2019s not a nice person. She\u2019d probably rob me blind if she could, and she wouldn’t be sorry<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin bowed her head.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I keep feeding her and trying to teach her, well, I\u2019m not even sure it\u2019d work. It might be impossible\u2014it probably is. It\u2019s not easy for me, and I\u2019m stressed out and annoyed every day. This is the worst, and I regret ever hearing her name.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence. Erin stared at the lengthening shadows around her inn. She felt the word on her tongue, and felt the air grow still around her.<\/p>\n The snow fell, and then stopped in the air. Erin stared around the open world, a gray world above, and an untouched land scape of white oblivion below. She stood on her inn, and felt the world pause for a moment.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t have to say it. She could still swallow the words, give up, walk away. For one moment, Erin stood on the abyss, waiting. The world held its breath and Erin savored the feeling of infinity. But then she spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cBut.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the word upon which all things changed. Erin stared towards the sky, and spoke louder, speaking to the world and those listening.<\/p>\n \u201cBut. But if I don\u2019t do anything, she\u2019ll die. And maybe she deserves it. I don\u2019t know. I can\u2019t judge people. I don\u2019t have the right. But I do know this: if she goes out, even if I give her money and supplies and Toren to guard her, she will die. She can\u2019t make it alone. She can\u2019t do\u2026anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin spread her hands out, a lone plaintiff in front of her silent jury.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do people have to die? Why? Even if they do bad things\u2014she\u2019s just a kid. She might be horrible, but is that worthy of death? I don\u2019t know. But I do know that if I don\u2019t do anything, she will die. And that means her death will be because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n The snow fell, and no one spoke. Erin took a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother chance. It\u2019s not about her. It\u2019s not about one person. It\u2019s not about doing the smart thing. It\u2019s not even about doing the sensible thing. It\u2019s about doing the right<\/em> thing.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked around. She looked into the shadows, and spoke to them.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t let people die. Not if I can help it. Not if there\u2019s still a chance. She was a thief, but that was all. She didn\u2019t kill people. And she needs help.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin pointed back to her inn.<\/p>\n \u201cI was alone, once. I was also useless. Maybe not as much as her but\u2026someone saved me, once. They gave their life for me, and other people helped me survive. I wouldn\u2019t be here without them. I won\u2019t give up on her. Not yet. Not here. So\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin broke off. She closed her eyes, and then spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if you want to get her, you\u2019re going to have to go through me. Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n For a second, all was still silence. And then it happened.<\/p>\n The shadows around the inn moved<\/em>.<\/p>\n Gnolls stepped out of the shadows, tall, lithe figures shaking snow out of their fur. Covered as they\u2019d been, they\u2019d looked like part of the landscape. But now they appeared, and leading them was a Gnoll Erin recognized.<\/p>\n Brunkr stepped forwards. His chest muscles rippled<\/em> under his fur as he stared down at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cShe has harmed our Clan and deserves death. If you stand in our way, you will be our enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin sniffed. Wet dog. It was a familiar smell. She stared up at Brunkr.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is staying in my inn. She works for me. You are not allowed in.\u201d<\/p>\n He bared his teeth at her. Erin didn\u2019t step back.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you would stop me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would.\u201d<\/p>\n Brunkr laughed. He looked around. At least twenty Gnolls were standing on the hill, all of them muscled, all bigger than Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what will you do, outnumbered and weak as you are, Human girl?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at Brunkr, and shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing much. I guess I\u2019ll just tell you something. Something very important that you should know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what is that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Erin Solstice. This is my inn. And. You. Are. Trespassing.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin clenched her fist, thumb over knuckles just like Calruz had taught her. She punched Brunkr in the stomach as hard as she could. He blinked down at her and smirked.<\/p>\n He was still smirking when Erin\u2019s leg came up.<\/p>\n \u201c[Power Strike]!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She kicked him in the groin and the Gnoll\u2019s eyes rolled up in his head. He clutched at his groin and toppled over. Erin looked around at the other Gnolls.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? What are you waiting for? Bring it!\u201d<\/p>\n The Gnolls looked at each other. They stared at their fallen comrade, at Erin, and then at the inn. They howled, and charged.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" She was dying. Lyonette du Marquin registered this fact with bitter acceptance. She lay in the snow and knew it. She\u2019d stopped moving. Lyonette knew she should keep moving, keep walking, but she was too tired. The biting, painful cold had stopped a while ago, and now she was feeling almost warm. But she was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693082,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693131],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-1891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-2","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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