Helen knocked firmly on the hut door, snow falling all around her. Felix and Lilith stood nearby, both clad in warm clothing. Felix wore his special captain's cloak, rank pinned to its collar. His blue sash was visible underneath, wrapped around his padded coat. If it weren't for the blatant raven sewn on the thing, Helen could swear she could see the same guardsman who nearly killed her once before, back when they stood on opposite sides of a raid.

'I wonder, does he still blame me for that time?'

She still wasn't sure how Felix thought of her now. Once before, he wouldn't go a day without glowering at her, scowl always on his lips. She was responsible for the blood of his friends, and so he blamed her. Naturally. Helen never denied her part in that initial raid and, as such, didn't fault Felix for his dislike of her. Still, there were hints that he was beginning to let go of that anger. She saw it in the way he would assist in training, in the way he always backed her up during their small skirmishes against both bandit and orc.

Even now, the guardsman captain looked casual and comfortable, his eyes focused ahead, and his expression relaxed. He even gave her a glance that didn't seethe with anger.

"So, is there a reason why you're here?" he asked, catching the veteran off-guard.

"Hel if I know," Helen said with a shrug. "Dahlia wasn't clear when she sent Elaine to fetch me and you."

"What about her?" Felix asked as he gestured toward Lilith. The young redhead was trying to catch some snowflakes with her tongue; her head craned to the sky as she struggled. She was wrapped in a thick wool jacket, hands covered in mittens that were clearly too big for her. Her tied hair bounded with her movements, her eyes filled with wonder as she caught a few falling flakes.

With her short height and mannerisms, Lilith looked almost like a child. That illusion only lasted until Helen recalled the brutality of her fight against Lars during Midsommar. Just the thought of it churned the veteran's stomach, her gaze turning away from the young woman.

However, before she could properly answer Felix's question, the door in front of them opened. Dahlia stood on the other side, still dressed in those new clothes. It threw Helen off momentarily, seeing the shaman dress formally as if she were preparing to attend some fancy party in Bernis.

'Appearance matters,' she thought as the new Frue gestured for the three to enter. Helen shook the snow from her boots and cloak—and made Lilith do the same—before she stepped into the hut's warmth.

The shaman's hut was modest, with furlined rugs and a single bed tucked by the corner. As Helen walked in, she noted a silver vase—or urn—sitting near the firepit. It reflected the flames in a shimmering wave, the light catching the veteran's eye. She stopped after seeing it, focusing on the foreign glyphs engraved on the urn.

The strange language known as English continually baffled Helen. While familiar in some aspects, the glyphs she'd seen were complete gibberish. While they weren't as complex as Kasani or geometric as Arenian, the words were strangely jumbled and switched. Some letters and even a couple of words were similar to Azuran, but they did little to help one understand it.

It didn't help that their only examples for English lay on the urn and the strange identity card that James had in his wallet. Helen had only caught a glimpse of those and had decided to herself that they weren't worth the effort to understand. She had enough going on in her head.

"I've come through a breakthrough," Dahlia finally said as Felix closed the door behind himself. The Frue walked over to the small chest she kept beside the bed, hands digging through its contents. As she looked through, Lilith attempted to sniff at one of the hanging herbs. Helen absentmindedly pulled back on the redhead's coat to prevent her from outright eating them.

"Does it have something to do with that Cyrstalchemy of yours?" Helen asked as Lilith relented in her efforts.

Dahlia nodded, her hands emerging from the chest with a small pouch. She emptied from it something small and glowing. It rolled around on her palm, catching the light of the flames. Helen raised an eyebrow, watching as Dahlia presented it to her.

A crystal marble, glowing a little and radiating a slight aura. It was opaque, like cloudy glass, and roughly the size of a fingernail. Helen picked it up with her index and thumb, examining it critically.

"This holds a reserve?" Helen asked. She looked over at the Frue, who nodded tiredly.

"It holds exactly one spell reserve," Dahlia explained with a nod, her body leaning back in the chair. Across from her, Felix was busy holding Lilith back from devouring the hanging herbs around the small shack the shaman called home.

"How long does it last for?" Helen said as she handed it back to Dahlia

"The journal says three days," Dahlia answered as she plucked the marble from her fingers. "Can last longer if I invest more reserves into its creation."

"So, if you eat it, you gain a spell slot?" Helen prodded.

"Yes," Dahlia confirmed in a mutter.

"What happens if someone who doesn't cast spells takes it?" Felix asked.

"That's why you're here," Dahlia said, pointing a finger at the man. "The notes say that Crystalchemy has a certain effect on those without magic in their ley lines. If their cryptic nature is anything to go by, it means you would be able to cast spells. Bypassing the need to link your ley lines with Azura's connection."

"Me?" Felix asked. "Why not Helen? Or Lilith here?"

"Lilith is only here because I promised I'd take her around walking once she healed," Helen explained. "As for me, the marble won't do anything. I'm a Dunn."

"Dunn? As in, your last name?"

"Dunn describes someone who can never link with Azura's connection," Dahlia explained. "It's rare, but there are those who are born without internal ley lines."

Felix blinked at that, looking at Helen with a strange expression. "Wait, then doesn't—"

"Just take the bloody marble," Helen growled. Felix relented and sighed.

"Fine," he murmured in defeat. He took the small glowing sphere from Dahlia's hands, grimacing as he looked at it once more.

"Look," Helen started. "If this works, it means Falrick can imprint physical castings on you. Castings like Snipe and Power Shot could prove vital, Felix. Do you understand?"

Felix nodded grimly, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he examined the crystal. Without another complaint, he popped it into his mouth. Immediately after, Dahlia slid him a cup. He downed it right after, his frown deepening as he slammed the empty mug on the table.

"That's alcohol you gave me!" he coughed.

"It's all we have that's clean to drink," Helen grunted. "On hand, at least."

"Well?" Dahlia asked. "How do you feel?"

Felix didn't answer immediately, his brow creased as he closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them in surprise. "Huh."

"What?" Helen asked, curious.

"I can feel something inside… It's a faint feeling. I can't describe it."

"So you do gain a reserve," Dahlia said, the young Frue leaning in with interest. "Can you use it?"

"How?" Helen asked. "He has no spells."

"Oh right, well…" Dahlia trailed off, expression falling pensive as she pondered. Before she could say anything else, however, Felix jumped in his seat. He rose quickly, breath caught in a gasp as he grabbed his chest. Helen stared at the guardsman, whose breathing quickened.

"That… That was new," he revealed in a breath. He touched his chest, poking it lightly.

"What happened?" Dahlia asked, standing as Felix leaned against the table. He looked a little shaken, eyes wide with surprise.

"I used the reserve," Felix said. He looked at his hands. "And… my body reacted. I feel better now, a little stronger even."

"Really?" Helen muttered, curiosity in her tone.

"It gave you strength?" Dahlia leaned in, poking at the guardsman's arm.

"It was like a rush," Felix explained. "Like someone injected something hot inside my muscles. But… it's gone now."

"The reserve or the strength?" Helen asked.

"Both," Felix revealed. "Still, I feel a lot more awake now. My exhaustion from today's training has subsided as well. I haven't felt this good in months."

"How did that happen?" Helen questioned as she looked at Dahlia. The young woman brushed some stray hairs aside, her eyes focused on Felix.

"I suppose since his body couldn't use the reserve for spells, it just… consumed it?" Dahlia said, almost unsure of herself. "That's my guess as to what happened. Still, it was gone so fast."

"Is he at least linked?" Helen said as she peeked at the open tome on the table. Dahlia quickly shut it, hiding what was written within.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Falrick will check on him tomorrow," Dahlia explained. "Until then, I suppose we could move on from that."

"That's it?" Felix asked, eyebrow raised. "You called us out here as test rats?"

"More like to confirm a theory," Dahlia said as she waved off the Captain. "There's also still more to discuss."

Felix crossed his arms, his brow creasing. "This is about the recent attacks, isn't it?"

Dahlia gave a tired nod. "We need to start talking about evacuations."

Felix cursed at that. "I was hoping we wouldn't talk about this."

Helen frowned, her stomach stirring. "I don't know if you're aware of this, my Frue, but we're on an island. There's nowhere to evacuate."

Dahlia shifted in her seat, her hand bringing out a roll of parchment. Without saying anything, she spread its contents out on the table. As Helen guessed, it was a map of Yorktown. Specifically, the battle map they had all been over once before. There were a couple of new annotations, specifically around the eastern side of the island.

"That's new," Felix commented, leaning in. His finger tapped on the small structure marked on the eastern side. "That's Harald's home, isn't it? Before he moved to Yorktown."

Dahlia nodded. "This is a safe spot we can move them to," she said. "Harald's old cabin is still there, last I checked. It's half a day's walk from here to there using the southern route. Like most of the eastern part of the island, it's raised at a higher altitude. The shores are basically nonexistent, replaced by steep cliffs that cannot be raided by the orcs. If we move the townsfolk there, we can get them out of the way of the fighting. It… It probably won't be enough to protect them truly, but I believe this to be our best chance to reduce casualties to a minimum."

Helen listened to it all, pensive. She stared at the map, her hands clenched into fists. For a moment, she could swear she was hearing the sounds of buildings burning, the sounds of screams echoing out into the frosty air. She must have stared at the map for too long, for Lilith had started tugging at her shirt. Helen snapped out of her stupor, looking over at the young woman.

Lilith watched Helen, her dark green eyes reflecting concern. Behind her, Felix and Dahlia discussed protocol and tactics, but they didn't seem to notice Helen.

Are you alright? Lilith signed, her lips mouthing the words as she did so. She was doing that more often lately, mimicking spoken words in an attempt to get used to them. Helen didn't know what had spurred the young berserker to do this, but she did nothing to stop her. In a way, it showed that Lilith was learning to be herself. Slowly, bit by bit.

Lilith tapped Helen again, and the veteran gave her a warm smile.

Just tired, she signed back.

Lilith stared at her, clearly not believing her. After a moment, she sighed and returned to fiddling with the puzzle cube Seamus had gifted her during the New Year Transition. Helen watched her go at it, her body relaxing a little. She didn't need to think about the past right now. Back then, she was but a grunt. A soldier with no name and no friends.

Now, she was in the company of allies who could face the daunting shadow of inevitable battle. Helen couldn't help but smile a little at the man who was responsible for inspiring such bravado and courage.

James Holter was not the strongest out there. He wasn't even the smartest or cunning. He was brash, a tad stupid, and even a little cowardly at times. Yet somehow, he had transformed this little town into a growing clan. He had turned mercenaries into friends and outcasts into heroes. He was… something else.

"Did you catch that, Helen?" Felix called out. Helen blinked and turned to the Captain, who was staring at her with Dahlia on the other side of the table.

"Move the townsfolk to the safer part of the island in batches, starting tomorrow. We'll send the children and elderly first, specifically during dawn, so the orcs don't notice them being moved." Helen's brain worked automatically, repeating the plan Dahlia and Felix had built up over the last few minutes.

"That's… correct," Dahlia said, surprised.

"I was sure she was dozing off that time," Felix murmured with evident disappointment. "How do you do that?"

"Mercenary secret," Helen said with a grin. "Now, are we done here? I got a beer in the tavern with my name on it."

"Are you seriously going to drink?" Felix asked. "You know we're heading out at dawn tomorrow?"

"So?" Helen asked as she tugged Lilith along to the door. "Don't tell me you're not going to?"

"I have a duty to my people!"

"All I'm hearing is excuses," Helen chuckled.

Felix sighed at that, his hand running through his short brown hair as he shook his head. Without arguing more, he rubbed his hands for warmth and headed out of the hut with a murmured curse.

Helen watched him go before she looked back at the Frue. "I suppose we start moving tomorrow, eh?"

Dahlia nodded. "Tomorrow morning."

Helen nodded, her focus moving to the door.

"Wait," Dahlia called. Helen turned to see the young woman hurry over, her hand carrying something. Another one of those marbles, judging from the glow that seeped through her clenched fingers.

"Dahlia," Helen started, frowning. "You know my ley lines are Dunn. The marble ain't gonna have an effect on me."

"That's what you keep saying, but…" Dahlia sighed, her hand bringing up the small glowing crystal. "I still want to try. I need to. Shaman Dres' notes are vague, but I know that what happened with Felix was a dud. It wasn't at all what he described."

"Described?" Helen crossed her arms. "You said you hoped that Felix's ley lines would be linked. Or, at best, give him the ability to cast spells."

"I did say that, but…" Dahlia hesitated. "Look, the tome says that they could restore a spell slot when used normally. However, if someone disconnected from the ley lines consumes it…" she paused momentarily, clearly debating. "Shaman Dres warned me that I shouldn't spread the information in his tomes."

"What?" Helen blinked at that, confused.

"Judging from the notes he left, it seemed like my mentor was afraid of its secrets leaking, but…" Dahlia shook her head. "We're basically dead already. We need every advantage. Look, Helen, if someone disconnected from the ley lines consumes this, they gain access to its raw power."

"Raw power?"

"He only mentions it as that. But according to his descriptions of the results, it's something much more potent," Dahlia held up the glowing crystal. "If I did the alchemy right, then this marble can give you strength equal to an orc's. Probably stronger."

Helen eyed the marble, cautious. "Are you certain?"

"I'm not entirely sure, honestly," Dahlia muttered. "Dres didn't leave much in terms of instruction or context. There's some implications that it might not work with everyone but we might want to take the risk."

Helen looked at the tome, specifically the one the Frue had been reading when she arrived here. "Have you read through his notes thoroughly?"

Dahlia hesitated. "Not really. I've been so busy with the siege that I haven't had much time to read through it all."

"Then read through them," Helen said. "I'm not risking anything until you're sure this won't have any side effects on me. No offense."

Dahlia gave a slight nod, her expression falling a little. "Still, you should take it. Just in case."

Helen raised an eyebrow at that but took the marble regardless. She rolled it around her palm, eyeing its radiating surface. Without a word, she removed a copper vial from her belt. Popping the cork revealed a swirling clear liquid with bits of herbs in it.

"Is that?"

"Horcus leaf bits," Helen confirmed as she plopped the marble in the vial. "Preserved in alcohol."

"That's… unconventional," Dahlia murmured with a scrunched nose.

"Better than the tea," Helen said with a grin. She corked the vial right after. "I'll be seeing you, Dahlia. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Dahlia nodded, her worried look from before evaporating as she watched the veteran open the hut's door.

"Be seeing you, too," she muttered before Helen left the cabin.

"The Wizard, huh?"

Seamus examined the card Kate handed to him. The wisened figure drawn on its face reminded him a little of Falrick.

"Elaine said I could have it," Kate said as she plucked it from Seamus' hands. The two were currently walking by Yorktown's wall, which bordered the town, in preparation for a raid. While they couldn't walk by the harbor like they had once before, this was a close substitute.

The night sky was also clear tonight, allowing the stars to twinkle. Seamus watched the expanse as he strolled, spotting the constellation his father called The Sword. At its tip, Erican glittered like a distant diamond.

"Seamus," Kate muttered, her hand moving to grab his. "Where do you think Jarl Holter is right now?"

"James?" Seamus asked. An unnerving feeling hit him, reminding him of his missing friend. "I'm sure he's on his way back here. Either that, or he's discussing tactics with our friends in Vindis."

"You sound so confident of him," Kate said softly. She didn't meet his eyes; instead, her gaze focused on the path ahead.

"Well, he has a habit of showing up when we need him the most," Seamus lightly joked. "Elaine told me once that he probably does it intentionally for the drama."

Kate didn't laugh at that. She instead frowned, grip tightening on his hand. "This is serious. We're days—maybe even hours—away from a raid on our home. I don't say this a lot, but… Fuck, I'm scared, Seamus."

He stopped his walk there, eyes moving to the young guardswoman. She still avoided eye contact, her head turned away as she bit her thumbnail.

"Kate, we're going to be fine," Seamus said.

"How can you be so calm?" Kate shot back. She faced him fully, brow creased with worry. Seamus was surprised to find something within the woman's eyes, something he hadn't seen since their first encounter. Fear.

"Kate…"

"It's not just you either!" she interrupted. "It's Dirk, Elaine, and hel, even Helen of all people. You're all so calm, so carefree like we're not on the verge of dying horribly to orcs!" Kate waved to the wall they were walking by, the top of which was covered in barbed wire. "And who's to say that this will be enough? That we'll be enough? What do we do if they get past our walls?"

Seamus watched Kate, silent as he allowed her to vent her frustrations.

"What do we do, Seamus?" she asked after a moment, her hands squeezing his tightly. "What do we do if it's not enough?"

"Well…" Seamus hesitated, his mind racing to find what to say. He wanted to comfort her fears and tell her it'll all be alright. Yet he didn't. Instead, he thought of a moment from his past, when he had been paralyzed by the same fears.

"If I'm being honest," Seamus admitted. "I'm terrified. Terrified of our defenses not being enough. Scared that the ones I care for are going to die. Hel, I'm petrified at the idea of fighting." He squeezed her hands back, his eyes looking into hers. "But I'm not going to run. I won't hide, either. Because the last time I did that, I lost everything."

Kate blinked, her eyes widening as his words hit her. "You mean back during the Halvorson Raid? You survived, didn't you? You lived through that."

"I may have survived, but…" Seamus hesitated. "I'd do anything to go back to that night. To try and help. To fight."

"Even if it meant you would die?" Kate asked softly.

"I'd rather that than live with the demons that haunt my dreams," Seamus answered in a murmur. "Because there are worse things than death, Kate. I can promise you this."

Kate did not answer. Instead, she was silent for a very, very long moment. Just as Seamus suspected that she'd go off to sulk, she quickly leaned into his hold. Without warning, her lips pressed against his, and her hands moved to pull his shoulders. Seamus was frozen momentarily, heart thumping as he flushed with heat.

After a quick, blissful second, she broke the kiss with a whisper. "Is it horrible to say I'm happy you were a coward then? If only that, if you never hid, I would have never met you?"

"Only a little," Seamus managed, breathing hot as he stared into those beautiful green eyes. His ears grew hotter then, his flushed cheeks stinging as a cold breeze washed over the couple.

"Well… I apologize," Kate murmured. She pulled him in again for another kiss, and this time, Seamus was prepared.

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