Cadence blinked her eyes, slowly coming awake. Before the world could come into focus, her fingers were already anxiously darting up to her sky blue hair, undoing the low tail she preferred as Caden and brushing out the tangles, knowing immediately that her solar self was more comfortable today.

  “Feels like I haven’t slept this late in forever,” she commented to Storyteller as she sat up in bed. A yawn overtook any further comments, and she lifted her arms in a broad stretch. The inn he had picked out was far more lavish than any they had stayed at thus far, and Cadence had deeply enjoyed her first night ever sleeping on the plush softness of a down mattress rather than a straw bed or a simple wooden pallet.

  When the lanky man uttered no reply, Cadence finally peeked her eyes open. The room was empty, with the second bed across from her own unoccupied and still tidily made, as if it hadn’t even been slept in.

  Anxiety crept into Cadence’s shoulders, and the last vestiges of sleep vanished as she swung out of her bed.

  “I’m being ridiculous,” Cadence told herself out loud. “I know Storyteller doesn’t sleep like a normal person. He must’ve just gone out to run some errands and let me sleep in. Yeah, this is normal.”

  Even as she tried to justify it to herself, Cadence’s eyes fell on the writing desk tucked in one corner of the room–and on the belt pouch placed next to a simple, neatly folded letter.

  “Well. Fuck.”

  Hands trembling, Cadence opened the letter, and quickly had her fears confirmed.

  Cadence,

  My presence was needed elsewhere, and unfortunately, I could not continue moving at a pace you could follow.

  My apologies for leaving you like this. I know it’s not ideal, but I suspect the time was rapidly approaching for us to part ways in any case. You have come far in the time I’ve known you, and are quickly approaching the point where my continued presence would only hinder your growth.

  I’ve left you what I could to aid your next steps forward. In the pouch I left beside this letter, you’ll find more than enough wealth to make your way for some time. I suggest you be careful with revealing its full contents. Inside, you’ll also find a contact tablet–should you have need, simply break it, and I will know you need help, and take steps to ensure you get it. I’ve also left you the flask I offered you yesterday–may it and the potion inside serve you well. Additionally, I had a word with Sheriff Elway–he will be willing to speak on your behalf while you reside in Jellis, should you need it.

  Remember, your mind is a weapon keener than any mere blade and more potent than any gift. Use it well.

  I know we’ll meet again. Until then.

  - Storyteller

  At the bottom of the letter, signed as if it was a signature, was an odd design, a series of four lines that intersected at various points. On another day, Cadence would’ve puzzled over the odd symbol, but at the moment, she was far too anxious to give it more than a moment’s attention.

  “This has to be a joke, right?”

  The empty room gave no answer.

  “....Fuck.”

  #

  Not knowing how else to proceed and needing some time to think, Cadence went down to the taproom of the inn. It was quiet, with only a few others sitting and having their own breakfasts.

  She approached the bar, and the tender, a tired looking, middle-aged woman, greeted her with a weary smile. “Good morning lass! You’re a new face, when did you roll in?”

  “Last night.” Cadence was in little mood for conversation, but the woman seemed oblivious to that.

  “All by your lonesome? The roads are far from safe for a girl your age these days.”

  “Apparently…” Cadence muttered, a sigh slipping from her lips. “Look, can I just get some breakfast?”

  The woman’s face turned into a mild frown. “Not a morning person, I suppose. Very well, we’ve got some eggs and bacon in the skillet, and I can throw on a slice of toast too. Anything to drink?”

  “Do you have any cider?”

  “I can do some soft cider, sure.”

  “Hard, please.”

  The woman arched an eyebrow, but the motherly disapproval she tried for paled in comparison to Ryme’s, and Cadence stared her down.

  “Fine then,” the woman said, bemused, “that’ll be four rings.”

  Cadence counted out the small bronze coins from her own coin pouch–she had left Teller’s upstairs– and quickly retreated to a corner table to await her food and be alone with her thoughts.

  In some ways, this was where she always wanted to be. She had dreamed for years about the freedom to travel where she wished, when she wished, with no obligations or responsibilities. But having it happen so suddenly caught her flat-footed.

  At the very least, Storyteller’s behavior over the past several days made sense now. She wasn’t sure how the man knew the things he knew, but he must’ve felt the need to be moving on days ago. Cadence supposed it was a small mercy that he had gotten her as far as Jellis before going on his way. She could only imagine how disconcerted she would’ve been if she had woken up on the side of the road to find him gone.

  With Storyteller’s disappearance, Cadence had finally gained the freedom she had always sought, but she had never considered the harsh reality of her dreams. She was alone now. With the exception of Elway, she didn’t even know the name of a single person between here and Kellister–and the only person she really knew in that village had probably left it by now. She had to find her own way forward now, but Storyteller hadn’t left her with any indication of where to start.

  From Jellis, there were only really two options. She could go north to follow the Flax Road up to Correntry, or south, through the deadlands towards Emeston. She had no doubt that Storyteller would’ve taken them south. The deadlands were the region between the fertile farms and forests of the northern heartlands and the flourishing fishing villages along the Coast Road. It was an area that had few villages and no major trade routes, a victim of rugged terrain, barren soil, and poor lumber that gave it little use to the commerce of the Realm. That made it exactly the sort of place that Storyteller claimed adventurers were supposed to go.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Unfortunately, the bartender hadn’t been wrong, even if her sweetly condescending tone had rubbed Cadence the wrong way. Without Storyteller by her side, Cadence was just one teenager, Novice level and with gifts that scarcely qualified her as a battle-gifted. Going into the deadlands by herself was likely to be the last mistake she ever made, and even if she made it through, Emeston was far from an ideal destination. From what Storyteller had told her of the trade cities, she’d be little safer in Emeston than she’d be on the road.

  “Here you go, lass. Take it slow.”

  Cadence rolled her eyes, barely acknowledging the woman as she placed down a plate of eggs and bacon, along with a slab of toasted bread and an earthenware mug of cider.

  Though she would’ve likely done it regardless, Cadence quietly delighted in the sour look the woman gave her when she took a hearty gulp of the cider. Cadence was far from a heavy drinker, but the cider was far from the most potent alcohol in the world, and if there was ever a time for a drink, it was now.

  “Thanks.”

  “Call if you need anything,” the woman told her, clearly exasperated, before she went on her way.

  Cadence waved absently after her as she departed, tucking in to her breakfast as she continued planning.

  Emeston wasn’t the right choice. Part of Cadence desperately wanted to see the ocean, but at her level, by herself, there was no way she’d make it that far. That left the Flax Road, the route north to Correntry. Storyteller had described Correntry as the most urbane of the trade cities, a rival even to the older bastion cities. That certainly sounded like something worth seeing.

  But Cadence had also caught wind of a complication in the conversation Storyteller had with the sheriff the night before. There was apparently some sort of danger lurking along the Flax Road, specifically attacking low level gifted, which meant that Cadence might very well be at as much risk going north as south.

  So what was she supposed to do? Remaining in Jellis wasn’t an option–besides her own embarrassment, the town would become stifling long before the road was confirmed to be free of dangers. Both of her gifts required her to explore more, to find new gifts and experience new things. That’s what she needed to do.

  She could try to make her way through the roughs again, back to Kellister and the Lumber Road, but even with Know Direction there was no guarantee that she’d be able to find her way back there. Ryme had instilled decent woodcraft and survival skills in her child, but those alone didn’t give Cadence much optimism about her odds in the woods.

  Sullen, Cadence idly lifted her eyes and caught sight of two girls across the taproom, eating their own breakfasts. They were about her age, one tall, with broad shoulders and a build more muscular than most men; the other was short and slender, with a mane of brilliant red tresses. Cadence had noticed them the night before, along with a third youth, an athletic boy who was now missing from their company.

  More to the point, she had noticed them noticing her, as well as Storyteller, when they arrived. A thought began to percolate in the back of her head as she connected the pair with what Elway had told Storyteller, about the trainees sent to ferret out whatever danger was haunting the Flax Road.

  Caden’s lips curled up in a small smile as that thought led her to another, and another after that. By the time she finished her breakfast, she had the bare bones of an actual plan in her head.

  Eagerly, she tossed back the last of her cider and brought her dishes up to the bar. “Another cider, if you don’t mind. Soft this time.”

  Fresh mug in hand, Cadence turned towards the table with the two girls.

  [Soul Surge] activated

  Charm attribute boosted

  “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

  #

  A half hour passed easily as Cadence chatted with Beryl and Rose. With her charm Surged, Cadence had an awareness of body language and social cues she had never experienced before, and it was easy enough to get the two girls to chat with her. After the first several minutes, the supernatural charisma of the Soul Surge died away, but it helped Cadence get through the toughest part of the conversation.

  Now that they had begun to open up, the two girls seemed eager to talk, and one of Cadence’s last realizations as the boost faded was that they must’ve been starved for someone new to talk to. They were both full of stories, both of their trip down to Jellis and of their childhood in Correntry itself. They were vague on their exact reasons for traveling, and Cadence was happy to return the favor, referring to her travels with Storyteller as “a trip with a family friend.”

  Finally, Cadence felt comfortable broaching the real topic that had brought her over to meet them in the first place. “Would you mind if I ask, is your caravan going to be heading back up to Correntry soon?”

  The two girls traded a look that spoke volumes, silently communicating with an obvious level of intimacy. Probably not romantic partners, but life-long friends, sisters by bond if not by blood. They had thus far claimed to be hired hands on a merchant’s caravan, but Cadence had recognized that to be a lie when they had said it during her Surge. One of the odder parts of a temporary boost to her mental attributes was being able to remember thoughts like that without remembering exactly what had led her to that conclusion.

  “It is,” Rose replied tentatively, “but…”

  “It’s dangerous,” Beryl supplied as her friend trailed off. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for you to join us.”

  “I can handle myself, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Cadence reassured them.

  “Really?” Beryl’s eyes shamelessly slid up and down Cadence’s figure. Upon waking and finding herself dysphoric, she cinched her leathers tightly enough to make even her minor curves obvious, and based on the glances Cadence caught throughout their conversation, she pegged Beryl as more than a bit sun-drawn. “You’re battle-gifted?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Cadence hedged. “I have one utility gift, but the other is a bit tricky. I can hold my own if something happens, that’s all.”

  “Well…” Rose pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. “Be that as it may… we’re expecting some real trouble on the way back. You’d be better off waiting here.”

  Cadence asked the obvious question, given the mutual lies they had told each other. “If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you do the same?”

  Beryl winced, and Rose’s lips tightened. Reluctantly, the redhead admitted, “Because we’re warden cadets. It’s our job to do that sort of thing.”

  “I kinda guessed that much,” Caden told them with an apologetic grin. “But if that’s the case, it seems like you could use all the help you can get, right?”

  “Still,” Beryl shrugged uncomfortably, “I’m sorry but… we only just met.”

  Rose nodded her agreement. “More than skill, trust is critical in the sorts of fights we’re preparing for. I’m sorry Cadence, but it’s just not a good idea.”

  Cadence quickly buried a frown in her mug, taking a gulp of (thankfully) non-alcoholic cider to give herself time to think. They didn’t trust her–and of course they wouldn’t. They had no reason to. She was just a random traveler. For all they knew, she was with whoever was behind the attacks in the first place. Storyteller had told her the same thing once, that a lack of trust was one of the biggest hurdles adventurers had to overcome on the road. It was why he…

  Cadence’s eyes went wide as she realized her way in. It would require another lie, which she regretted, but it was a trick right out of Storyteller’s book. She schooled her face into a sheepish smile as she lowered her mug.

  “I understand. But… Okay, well…” Cadence gave an exaggerated look around the taproom, and leaned closer to the two.

  “I was trained by a silver knight. I’m his squire.”

  “Really?” Beryl arched an eyebrow. There was something odd in her tone. Not disbelief, but… ugh. Why didn’t she save her Soul Surge?

  Cadence bulled ahead anyways. “Really! Sir Toren Cifel. We actually just got into town after some work in Kellister, out east.” The two girls treaded another speculative look, and Cadence hurriedly added, “My master was actually on good terms with Sheriff Elway. He can vouch for me, if you ask.”

  Beryl looked faintly impressed by that claim, and gave Rose a shrug.

  The petite redhead sighed–then looked up with a bright smile. “Okay, that works. Let’s just grab Oli, then we’ll go talk to Elway and Hugo.”

  “Oli?”

  “Our friend, he’s actually an Argent Order squire too!”

  Cadence’s eyes went wide. Another silver squire? What were the chances of that?

  “Oh there he is!” Rose stood up and waved at someone across the taproom. “Oli, over here!”