#also fem highlander hyurs rise up

[overhealingway]

Day 5 of Febhyurary: Relax

Ignatia got a house finally!

[lhunuial]

Fanfic || FFXIV || Don’t Be A Stranger

Rating: T/PG-13 Characters: fem Highlander Hyur WoL, Estinien Wyrmblood, Tataru Taru, Krile Baldesion Warning: adult themes, trauma discussion Note: Canon expansion for Shadowbringerss patch 5.1: Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty. ~***~

“Oh, you’re back.”

Ishild focused so much on explaining the situation on the First to both Tataru and Krile that she hadn’t noticed the door to the Rising Stones opening and closing. When she finally did notice and heard the voice, it took her a moment to place it. She knew that voice, but it sounded different. It was a lot softer than when she heard it last. 

Estinien?

Was he the helper Tataru mentioned earlier?

Ishild looked up and it turned out she was correct. As if Tataru’s surprised and enthusiastic exclamation didn’t speak volumes already. Estinien walked towards them, his signature lance strapped to his back. The civilian clothing he wore was something new, though she thought she spied some part of new armor underneath.

“And none the worse for wear, I see.”

Was that a smile? Ishild tilted her head slightly and arched an eyebrow. Something was different about him. He seemed to be more at peace with himself now and it showed. She couldn’t remember ever having seen him like this before. The Estinien she remembered from her journey in Dravania and Ishgard was stoic, gruff, angry and vengeful. The Estinien standing before her now was happy to see her.

None the worse for wear. He had no idea what happened to her in the First. But perhaps he of all people would understand, considering the time Nidhogg possessed him. If she ever got a chance to tell him before he jumped away. 

Ishild shrugged and offered him a smile in return. “It’s good to see you, Estinien. It’s been a long time.” Longer for her than for him, or so she’d been told by Aymeric. It was Estinien who saved her after she fell unconscious during her battle with Elidibus and bore her to safety. She would have died if not for him.

“Estinien! Oh, thank the gods. We were worried sick! Did you lose your linkpearl or something?” 

Judging from Tataru’s and Krile’s expressions they had indeed recruited Estinien to step in during her absence. She’d have to ask them later just how they managed to find him with Estinien’s habit of disappearing for undetermined lengths of time. Though she had a hunch, as she did remember how Krile managed to find Thancred. She was eager to hear the full story. Maybe over tea later.

Despite the grave news he was carrying, Estinien’s demeanor didn’t change. The faint smile remained on his face. “The situation in Garlemald has become more complicated. I was making my escape from the capital when I ran into one of yours - Riol. He thought it best we come straight here.”

Ishild’s facial expression did change, however. The last thing she heard about Garlemald was the fact they withdrew from Ghimlyt after her battle with Elidibus. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned. It was strange to hear about the matters of the Source when all she’d focused on recently was the First and the Scions’ situation there.

Her gaze shifted to Tataru. That woman seriously deserved a raise, heading the Scions in the Archons’ and her absence. She would have to talk about that with Alphinaud once matters settled on the First and the Archons returned to their bodies on the Source.

The Lalafellin receptionist looked very concerned. “More complicated how?”

“Hm. Where to begin?” Estinien cleared his throat and crossed his arms in front of his chest, thinking the matter over. It was then that his expression changed to the all too familiar serious and stoic one he was known for. “After entering the Empire via Radz-at-Han, I went about my mission of investigating Black Rose. It was then, inside a provincial factory, that I encountered the one who styles him Shadowhunter: Gaius Baelsar.”

That name was enough to provoke a response. Ishild bared her teeth momentarily and made fists out of her hands. It didn’t matter that he had saved Alphinaud and had delivered the boy’s unconscious form into their hands. Neither did it matter that he claimed to have shed the Black Wolf’s pelt and no longer was an Imperial Legatus. To her he would always be Ala Mhigo’s invader, conqueror and oppressor. 

Noticing the tension in her face, Estinien paused and sought her gaze. Once he was certain he could continue he did just that and his gaze shifted between the women in front of him. “Our goals being apparently aligned, we joined forces and ventured on into the heart of the capital - to the very imperial palace itself.” His gaze and his focus returned to Ishild. “There we found a man all assumed dead.”

Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes narrowed. It had better not be him.

“But his soul lives on and he has wrested back his flesh. Zenos yae Galvus.”

Ishild’s eyes opened wide. It felt as if all of her encounters with the man flashed by in several seconds. Of all the people, why him? If there was someone she never wanted to fight again, it was him. Perhaps she should have seen it coming. He used his artificial Echo to fuse with Shinryu and she knew advanced use of the Echo allowed a person to swap to a different body after death. Still, she hadn’t thought about that possibility when he slit his own throat. Her entire body was taut and tense. She wasn’t aware she was holding her breath until she exhaled. 

The news hit Krile just as badly, she noticed when she averted her gaze. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like for Krile, considering it was Zenos who had her captured and experimented upon to gain his artificial Echo.

Estinien, however, was still focused on her. “Nor did the surprises end there,” he continued. “For no sooner had we arrived than he murdered his sire in cold blood. The Emperor is dead. This sent Gaius into a rage and he charged in, blade drawn.”

A sudden pang of dizziness hit Ishild. It was very familiar by now, even if she really didn’t like it when it happened, because it was so unpredictable. At least she didn’t feel nauseous anymore during her Echo-induced visions. As confusing as it was, she simply let it take her on a ride.

She could barely see Estinien reaching for her, asking “What’s wrong?” before the vision took her completely. 

The visions often felt like dreams and this one was no different, except she knew this was a memory. It was real, it had really happened. To see all of this, the Imperial palace and what happened within,  through Estinien’s eyes was something else. Not to mention that she could feel what he felt.

For once, she was glad that her Echo showed her this and not a vision from earlier in his past. During Nidhogg’s possession, for example. 

This was harrowing enough though.

She never doubted Estinien’s words, but seeing Zenos back in full control of his body and the increase of his power was disconcerting to say the least. At least Estinien knew not to underestimate him.

Arch-Ultima was something else entirely. It was difficult to discern whether what she was feeling were Estinien’s feelings or her own as a witness. His confidence was unmistakable and understandable. 

The Garlean fused to the machine was something else though. She shouldn’t be surprised, not after seeing the facility where the Garleans researched the Echo under Zenos’s supervision. Of course they would do something like this too. It still caused shivers to run down her spine, the sight was that disturbing.

As quickly as the vision started, it also ended. Ishild blinked a few times as she was pulled out of the vision and returned to the present. At least she was still standing on both of her feet. Krile seemed to have had a vision as well, Ishild noticed while throwing a look at the Lalafell.

~****~

“Are you all right?” Tataru looked at the two Scions with a concerned look on her face. 

Krile squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then nodded quietly. 

Ishild groaned. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Estinien’s concern faded once he saw everything was fine. He crossed his arms in front of his chest once more and frowned, recalling the previous times he witnessed the Warrior of Light and her associates experiencing Echo visions. He clearly remembered that time at the Aery after they killed Nidhogg the first time and that time in Aymeric’s office. Then of course, there was also that time when the Baldesion woman chased him all over Kugane. He hadn’t forgotten about that. “Peer into my past, did you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Ishild shrugged apologetically. “Not on purpose, I assure you. And I didn’t see anything other than your infiltration into the Imperial palace with Gaius, your confrontation with Zenos and your escape.” Krile took a deep breath. “Well, I didn’t quite relive the experience the way you did, though I bore witness to it all.”

Ishild’s reassurance seemed to have the intended effect. Estinien was such a private and contained man, it was easy to understand that such a peek into his past could come across as a violation of his privacy, even if it wasn’t on purpose.

Estinien shrugged. “I’m still not sure what I think of this gift of yours, but no matter…” Then he quickly returned to the matter at hand. “Our confrontation was cut short when the imperial guard arrived. It was then that Zenos took his leave, citing boredom. Hmph.”

Ishild could barely contain a chuckle after hearing the dragoon voice his displeasure at being brushed aside like that. “Trust me, Estinien. That's par for the course for Zenos. He does that to everyone he feels isn’t a challenge to him. Don’t take it personally. Be glad he never called you his only friend.”

“To think their research into the Echo could bear such fruit…” Krile couldn’t help but think about what she’d witnessed during the vision. It was very disturbing. She looked back up at Estinien. Before sending Estinien on his mission to destroy Black Rose, both Tataru and herself briefed him on the latest developments.”Escaping death, jumping from one body to the next, and returning to his own after all this time… He is an Ascian in all but name.”

It remained silent for several moments as they contemplated these words. This would complicate matters and meant they would need to handle Zenos the same way as they would any other Ascian if they wanted to truly defeat him.

Estinien broke the silence. “It beggars belief, aye. But no more than a hero traversing the rift between worlds.” He shrugged as he threw a glance at Ishild. Tataru and Krile explained to him just why the Warrior of Light was occupied and why she couldn’t investigate Black Rose herself. Where it concerned Ishild, Estinien knew better than to disregard the news as unbelievable. He once had been possessed by the shade of a dead dragon and Ishild faced the impossible and unbelievable on a daily basis.

She chuckled and raised her hands in defeat. “You caught me. I can tell you all about it later, if you like.” It was a jest and yet it wasn’t. His words ‘none the worse for wear’ earlier had a profound effect on her, for she knew how awfully close she got to the point where it wasn’t true. And if anyone would understand what that was like, it was Estinien.

“My concerns are far more prosaic,” he continued without responding to her suggestion. Ever the consummate professional. “With the Emperor dead and the crown prince missing, the Empire is in disarray. Until order is restored--assuming it even possible-- we needn’t fear an imperial reprisal. And for reasons of his own, Zenos took it upon himself to rid the world of Black Rose. Riol has already gone to apprise the Alliance leaders of these developments. We may leave the matter in their hands for now.”

Before Ishild could voice her concern about this news, Krile already opened her mouth and did just that. “Then perhaps we have seen the last of the fighting at Ghimlyt. Though if it comes to civil war, I can’t help but fear for the provinces.”

The provinces already suffered the most under imperial rule. A civil war would only make matters worse with different factions trying to take control. Ishild’s thoughts ventured towards the late Emet-Selch. Wasn’t this exactly why he had never appointed a successor when he was still Solus zos Galvus? This was exactly the kind of chaos he had in mind when he built the Empire.

That did mean Ala Mhigo would probably be left alone for the time being. That was a relief. They needed to rebuild and strengthen their fortifications for the next time the Empire would come knocking. Ishild knew it was only a matter of time.

Krile’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Ah, I’d nearly forgotten to ask. What became of Gaius? Did he not escape with you?”

“That he did, but we parted ways shortly after leaving Garlemald. He claimed another threat had arisen which demanded his attention.” Estinien shrugged. “He didn’t elaborate, but the absence of some device or other in the capital gave him reason to believe they were planning something.”

Ishild groaned in response. Like she had thought. A matter of time became sooner rather than later in a matter of seconds. She took a deep breath. “Does it have to do with that modified Ultima Weapon you fought in the palace?”

Estinien met her gaze. “He wouldn’t say. Lest you worry, he has well and truly shed the Black Wolf’s pelt. Conquest is no longer his objective. We may safely leave him to his own devices.”

“Excuse me?” Ishild couldn’t help but speak up. “This is Gaius Baelsar we’re talking about. He conquered Ala Mhigo and attacked Eorzea with the Ultima Weapon. He’s a war criminal. We cannot leave him to his own devices. That’s like saying I should have let the Archbishop walk away after everything he did.”

Estinien remained quiet. He knew better than to argue with her about this. She was Ala Mhigan. Gaius forced her family to leave their home and she fought him personally at the Praetorium. He simply made an instinctive appraisal based on the time he spent with the man.

Krile felt the increasing tension in the room, saw it on Ishild’s face and the way her fists were clenched. Her own Echo made her sensitive to the whispers of the soul and she saw no reason to doubt Estinien’s assessment. The two men had worked together to eliminate a catastrophic threat. There was a level of trust, to a certain extent. 

She took a deep breath and moved towards her. “Ishild, we weren’t there, no matter what we saw with the Echo. Estinien was. I think we should trust his assessment of Gaius and his new goals. We cannot do anything about him now, regardless. We should deal with the problems at hand.”

Krile did have a point and Ishild knew it. There were only so many problems they could deal with at the same time.“You’re right. He is the least of our problems right now.” She could barely keep up with one world, let alone two.

Tataru tilted her head as she considered what they’d just been told. “Well, it is nice to have one less foe to worry about… even if we do have a mysterious new threat to look out for instead. Speaking of which, I’ll see to it our shinobi are made aware, if Riol hasn’t already informed them. Though we know next to nothing, it can’t hurt to be vigilant.”

That seemed to be the best course of action for the moment. The shinobi had eyes in many places.

“Well then, with Black Rose nipped in the bud, I believe I’ve fulfilled my part of the bargain.” Estinien peered at the two Lalafells in front of him, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Tataru was clearly taken aback by his words, for she set a step backwards. Her face showed a mixture of surprise and disappointment. “That’s true,” she started slowly, “ but with the Archons still slumbering away, we were hoping you might agree to stay with us for a little bit longer?”

“I would feel more at ease if you could stay a little longer,” Ishild added. She would still be on the First for as long as it took to perfect the solution to bring the Archons’ souls back safely to their bodies. Tataru and Krile made the right decision to enlist Estinien’s aid in her absence. If there was anyone who could be considered her equal, it was Ishgard’s Azure Dragoon. 

Estinien shook his head though, a determined expression on his face. “Sorry, I’m not inclined to extend my contract. Gaius isn’t the only one with business to attend to.”

Tataru lowered her head in disappointment. Without Estinien’s help it would be more difficult for the remaining Scions to do their duties, spread thin as they all were.

Just as Estinien was about to turn away and walk towards the door to the Seventh Heaven, Krile broke the awkward silence. “Thank you for your help then, Estinien. I see why Alphinaud admires you so.” If that was meant to invoke a reaction from the dragoon, it definitely worked.

The tall Elezen man threw a look across his shoulder, a slight glare from the corner of his eye at ‘the Baldesion woman’. He scoffed at her and decided to ignore her comment, turning towards Ishild instead. “Farewell, my friend. See that you don’t make a habit of dozing off in battle.”

“Does that make us even now? I saved you, you saved me?” She winked and smiled at him playfully. Before he could walk away, however, Ishild stepped forward, closing the distance between them until only a few inches were left. “Thank you for saving my life,” she told him quietly on a more serious note.

He looked straight at her, yet didn’t speak. There was confusion in his eyes, which was exactly what she was going for. Had he been Haurchefant, or Aymeric, she wouldn’t have hesitated to give him a kiss on the cheek to tease him, but this was Estinien. He was such a private man and keeping everything he’d been through in mind, it just seemed wrong to do that to him without consent and in front of Krile and Tataru.

Estinien nodded at her, not sure what to say or do, then turned around and walked towards the door.

Ishild watched him leave, too distracted by her own thoughts running wild to hear whatever it was Krile and Tataru were saying. She only caught on halfway through.

“... In the meantime, why don’t you get some rest, Ishild? You’ve earned it.”

When the words finally registered Ishild shook her head. “Yes, no. Sorry, no can do. No rest for the wicked. See you guys later, I’m not done with Estinien yet.”

~***~

Without waiting for the Lalafells to say something, Ishild dashed out of the door, through the Seventh Heaven and out into Revenant’s Toll. Where did he go? “Estinien!” He couldn’t have gone far though.

Did he jump up onto the buildings? “Estinien!” Why did he always have to run off like that? At least she was conscious this time and able to chase after him. Ishild groaned slightly and prepared to jump up onto the buildings to have a better vantage point.

A large thud suddenly sounded behind her, as if something or someone fell onto the ground from a large height. Ishild sighed, rolled her eyes and turned around to find Estinien standing in front of her. “Do you really need to do that every time? No, wait. Don’t answer that. I know it’s your thing.”

Estinien rose to full height and tilted his head a bit. “I thought I said I wasn’t extending my contract.” The fact that it was Ishild herself and not the Lalafells who came after him was the only reason he turned back and jumped down to hear what she had to say.

“That’s not why I’m here.” She took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I need to ask you something. Something personal.” 

There was something distinctly vulnerable about the expression on her face.The last time Estinien saw her in a similar state was during and after Lord Haurchefant’s death. Back then it was vulnerability because of grief. Today he saw a different kind and he couldn’t quite place it. Talking about his experiences and reflecting upon them wasn’t his strong suit at all, so he did wonder why she came to him, of all people.

He looked about himself. Revenant’s Toll’s hustle and bustle wasn’t a good place for a personal conversation. “Follow me.”

~***~

Mor Dhona was crawling with dangerous wildlife. It was difficult to find a good place to talk, but the cliffs of Rathefrost would probably serve as a decent spot with a good view on the Keeper of the Lake and the Crystal Tower in the distance.

Once he was certain they were alone, Estinien turned around to face Ishild. She stood next to him, staring at the Crystal Tower in the distance. “What did you want to ask me?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Ishild just stood there, staring and trying to find a good way to ask her question. It was so strange to be here again, when it felt like ages ago she set out to travel to the First. A lifetime ago.She took a deep breath. “What was it like for you when Nidhogg’s shade possessed you?”

Ishild made sure to look at him once she finished her question. This wasn’t going to be easy for her and for him. His response was expected, a stoic mask sliding into place. The expression was familiar. She’d seen him wear it often when he was still carrying the Eye and had to be in full control of his faculties at all times.

He averted his eyes first and crossed his arms in front of his chest. All of his defenses in place. “I thought I told you about that when I woke up in the infirmary.” The time when Nidhogg’s shade possessed him wasn’t one of his proudest moments and he didn’t enjoy talking about it. He returned to looking into her eyes again. She wouldn’t ask this of him without a good reason even if he didn’t know that reason yet.

“You did,” she confirmed. “Please repeat it to me again.” A lot had happened since then and some things were difficult to recall.

Estinien grumbled for a moment, but acquiesced to her demand. After a few moments to collect his thoughts, he started speaking. “You know all too well when he managed to get the better of me. After you killed the Archbishop and the Heavensward, in a moment of weakness when I let my guard down…”

Her grey eyes flared with emotion and she had her hand on his gauntlet within seconds. “It wasn’t weakness, Estinien. A thousand year seemed to have come to an end when we killed Nidhogg and when we killed the Archbishop. You thought all your hard work was over. It was a normal response. It wasn’t weakness.”

Her eyes, her voice and her hand demanded his full attention, yet he still averted his gaze and clenched fist. Estinien stared into the distance. It was easier to talk when he wasn’t looking at her. She might not think of it as weakness, but that moment did lead to Nidhogg possessing his body and prolonging the war. It was difficult to think of it as anything but weakness.

Ishild pulled her hand away and took a step back. “I’m sorry. Please, continue.”

Estinien closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “The tendrils of Nidhogg’s foul presence bound up every fiber of my being, usurping my senses. Yet I retained some sense of awareness. I saw and felt everything he did as he controlled my body. The wyrm’s mind was as a vast and tumultuous sea. Its black waters churned endlessly. His grief and despair over Ratatoskr’s murder never calming, never receding, feeling like it felt the day she was killed. Perhaps even worse. Driven by this surging current came wave after wave of unrelenting rancor.”

Just speaking about it made him relive those moments again. “It was the very image of my own heart. There I saw the dark reflection of the hatred I felt after Nidhogg slew my family, when no path remained, save vengeance against dragonkind. I thought I would drown in it and the only solution seemed to be my own death.”

It remained silent between them for several long minutes after he finished speaking. There was much to contemplate. Estinien threw a glance at Ishild. It was clear to him now that something had happened on the other world. “What happened?”

Ishild ran a hand through her hair and then stretched her muscles as she glanced at Estinien again. “It’s a long story.”

“Tell me.”

She chuckled, took a deep breath and started talking. Before she could actually start to talk about what happened, she had to give Estinien all the background information he needed to understand the situation on the First, which was a whole story of its own. How the First’s Warriors of Light were manipulated by people they trusted into destroying the balance between light and dark, causing a flood of light to come crashing down upon the world. “The Warriors of Light killed themselves, so they could cross the Rift between worlds. They came here hoping to find a way to restore their world.”

This was almost like the nights they spent around the campfire together while traveling in Dravania, even if they weren’t alone then. Ysayle and Alphinaud were with them at that time. Ishild smiled for a moment. She should continue talking though, she wasn’t even halfway there. “They did find it here, in a way. I met them and through me they met Minfilia. She took them home to the First. Four of the Warriors sacrificed themselves to give Minfilia enough power to stop the Flood from consuming the entire world, keeping a small region called Norvrand safe. Minfilia told the remaining Warrior of Light, Ardbert, to wait, because he was still needed. Because time passes differently in the First, he spent an entire century waiting.”

It was starting to get late and Mor Dhona’s signature Gloom weather filled the air, dark and pink at the same time. Estinien leaned against the nearest tree. “Until you arrived?”

Ishild nodded. “Yes. I was summoned there to help. Alphinaud and the others were summoned by mistake, due to them being so closely associated with me. Now, you need to understand that the Flood of Light changed everything on the First. There was no more night, only daylight. People touched by the Flood were changed into Sineaters, preying on other people’s aether. Stronger Sineaters could turn other people into Sineaters and the strongest Sineaters were called Lightwardens. However, normal people couldn’t kill a Lightwarden without being corrupted by its remaining aether. We figured that my Blessing of Light might protect me from that.”

She threw a glance at Estinien when she heard him scoff and shrugged at him with a wry smile. Such was the way of things. She always turned out to be the person best equipped to deal with these kinds of problems.

 “After killing one Lightwarden, night returned to that region of Norvrand. It gave us hope that the world could still be restored, so we set out to kill the others as well. However, by the time I killed the fourth one, it became apparent that the Blessing of Light wasn’t protecting me. It simply allowed me to absorb more of the light corrupted aether and absorbing all that aether began to take its toll.” 

She clenched and unclenched her fists as she recalled how it affected her. “It started small. Discomfort, aches that wouldn’t go away. Dizziness. Still, I held on. The job wasn’t finished yet. After I killed the fifth Lightwarden it became clear that I was turning into a Sineater.”

At this point she could no longer bring herself to look at Estinien directly. From the corner of her eye she could see how his arms dropped beside his body and how he bared his teeth. 

It was becoming harder and harder to keep talking. The emotions and memory were still fresh in her mind. She hadn’t had time at all to deal with them yet. Her bottom lip trembled and she bit it in order to stop it. “They had to carry me to my room after I collapsed. When I came to, Ardbert was there. He’d been with me this whole time, as I was the only one who could see him and talk to him. He told me what happened. The night was gone again, because of me. And when I looked at myself I no longer saw my body as it was, I only saw a light shaped form. I was told there were cracks in my soul. It was only a matter of time before I would turn into a Sineater fully.”

Estinien pulled himself away from the tree and walked towards her. He saw what she was going through and recognised it. It was like the way he re-lived every moment he was possessed by Nidhogg whenever those memories resurfaced. The way it happened again when he told her what it was like mere moments ago and how she had pulled him back to the present. He would do the same for her now. Estinien placed his hands on her shoulders. “Ishild. Ishild, look at me.”

It took a few minutes before he got through to her and she looked straight back at him. “Look at me. You didn’t turn into a Sineater. You’re here.” He wiped some strands of hair out of her face. “See? You’re here with me and you’re still you.”

Ishild took a deep breath. She could barely talk now, but she still tried. “Ardbert saved me. If it wasn’t for him, I would have turned. When we set out to fight the Ascian and I started to turn, his soul merged with mine. That helped me to contain the light and use it against the Ascian to kill him.”

None of that made any sense to Estinien. He knew bits and pieces about Ascians. They had meddled with the Archbishop, given him the idea to become a primal. Gaius hunted them down to have revenge. They were responsible for the Garlean Empire and for the Calamities. And were some of the Scions’ primary adversaries. Soul merging though? He liked to occupy himself with  more tangible matters.

Once upon a time he had thought he wouldn’t live through the Dragonsong War. Now that it had come to an end he was still trying to find a new place for himself in the world, a new purpose as an intermediary between man and dragon. 

Knowing Ishild, she wouldn’t get as much time to deal with the aftermath of what she’d been through.

It was then that he realised his hands were still grasping Ishild’s shoulders. He quickly pulled his hands away and took a step back, averting his gaze in the process. Estinien cleared his throat. “If that was all, I think it’s time I get going. You need to get some rest and I have business to attend to.”

Ishild chuckled and shook her head in mirth. “It was more than you bargained for upon your return? I know you’re not one for emotional reunions.”

Despite his words a smile did appear on his face. She always did know how to break the tension. “Quite.” He raised his hand to signify a farewell and attempted to jump away.

“Don’t be a stranger, Estinien. And thank you.”

Their eyes met one last time and then the dragoon was off to who knew where. Ishild smiled to herself, then decided to get some rest indeed. Perhaps a visit to her family’s tea shop at the Toll would provide her with exactly what she needed.