"H-how long do you plan to carry her, Nora? C-can I do it?"
Kyra begged as she followed Nora, holding Aveline on her back. She was covered with a thick quilt to hide her from any possible prying eyes. Nora could only sigh as she slowed her pace to match Kyra's.
"Look, Kyra. I get you have an obsession with her, trust me... I'm starting to understand why, but this is the best bet right now. Lyla is scouting ahead, while you can more efficiently deal with enemies."
Kyra pouted, but kept silent.
"Earth Aura makes me consume less stamina, as well as increases my tenacity. You can get stronger, but that's for wailing on an enemy. Got it?"
Kyra rolled her eyes.
"I may be from the Southern Plains, but I am not stupid!"
Nora smiled slyly as she sped up.
"Good. Our powerful little lady here needs smarter people on her side!"
Kyra was left with her mouth wide open, but she chose to change the subject instead.
"So do you have any idea what happened to us?"
"Before or after we woke up? Cause I have half an answer for both."
Her response was expected, leaving Kyra with little choice.
"Before first. I don't even doubt that Leen is the one that saved us, either way."
Nora nodded, noticing Lyla heading toward them. The Foxkin shook her head as she fell in line beside the group.
"Just in time, Lyla. Now... from what I had seen-"
"I stopped it."
Nora froze as Aveline spoke. A pair of slender arms slide out of the large quilt, loosely hugging Nora.
"Did you see the cannons?"
Her voice was quiet, but Nora responded.
"Those... things that had ice erupting from within them?"
Aveline nodded.
"They used those. All I had seen was a bright light, so I made as strong of a barrier as I could with the short time I had."
Kyra placed her hand on the quilt, prompting the exhausted Aveline to peek out at her.
"The target..."
Aveline nodded.
"You. I blocked the blast, but six shots of unbridled explosive magic knocked us unconscious. I woke up in the cellar, their makeshift prison. The rest... erm, Lyla?"
The Foxkin chose to mimic Kyra, on the opposite side. Aveline peeked out.
"Was their a place we could camp ahead?"
She nodded.
"It's close, but... pursuers?"
Aveline shook her head.
"I'll explain when I can see you all at once."
She closed her eyes, almost seeming to have fallen back asleep. The only sign that she was still awake was the sudden and constant outpouring of freezing misty fog. Nora shivered slightly, biting her lip as a moan attempted to escape.
"The hell are you doin?"
Aveline giggled softly, puffing out more of her frosty breath as she spoke.
"Frost Fairy stuff. Special Ice Magic."
Stunned into silence, the group continued on until Aveline chirped out.
"Wait, no one told any of you?"
They stayed silent until the group was able to make camp. Lyla and Kyra had vanished to hunt and collect wood, while Nora was left to guard the exhausted Aveline.
"You seem more comfortable around me now. Less... edgy."
Aveline smiled at her guard.
"Well when you wake to find a scene like that? Of course I'm gonna place my trust in someone that strong. You are an ally I can believe in."
Aveline was still wrapped in the quilt, though she decided to throw it off and stretch out. Her white, torn and bloody dress was out in the open now. Nora glanced at her, her breath catching.
"Erm... ahem. Aveline, what exactly were those cannons you broke?"
Taking a chance to let her frosty breath out again, Aveline looked into Nora's brown eyes as she spoke.
"Forbidden knowledge this world shouldn't possess. Not yet anyways."
Leaning against the tree she sat by, Aveline stared into the night sky.
"I don't know who, or why, but this is something that needs to be traced to the source. I know who probably gave it to them, but not who gave it to the church."
Sighing softly, Aveline watched as Lyla reappeared. Small branches adorned her forearms, but they quickly littered the ground. She piled a few up, situating some nearby rocks around it before laying her head in Aveline's lap. The group's leader flicked her finger, a small flame igniting the bundle of branches.
"Hmm... I guess we are having Night Hare for dinner."
Nora narrowed her eyes a little.
"Breath thing?"
"Breath thing."
Aveline confirmed with a smile, leaving Nora with another sigh as she moved closer to Aveline.
"You are one weird girl, but I'm starting to like it. So we got the forbidden knowledge out of the way, now you might like these."
Nora pulled a few envelopes from around her waist, handing them to Aveline. The latter went wide eyed before tossing them into her dark rift.
"They burned the majority, from what it looked like, but I grabbed a few letters and documents that were stamped by the church. Was that what we needed from them?"
Aveline nodded as Kyra returned from her hunt. Without a word, she began to prep the kills she had made. Nora took the chance to continue the conversation from earlier.
"So, school. Should I also look into the can-"
"No."
The abrupt, sharp stare left everyone stunned. Kyra looked away, getting back to the harvest, while Lyla just watched from her position.
"W-why? Do you not trust me? Am I just not capable to someone with abilities like yours?"
Aveline went silent for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose as she began to speak.
"Nora, I know you aren't a moron, but damn. From what you obviously dont know yet, I am not a people person."
Her sapphire eyes bored into the confused Nora.
"I only surround myself with those a find useful or I care about them. If you become both, great, but I will never put someone I care about in harm's way. You all saw the bodies?"
Everyone nodded silently.
"Do you know why they ended up like that?"
The silence continued as Aveline smiled.
"Pure rage. I'll be the first to say it, I am not emotionally stable. If someone I do not want to lose is in danger, I'll do whatever it takes. This time, Frost Fairy saved the day. And left a souvenir."
Aveline teased her, seemingly, permanent white strands of hair. She released her hair as a sad look crossed her face.
"When you go to the school, you need to be safe. I can't lose any of you."
Kyra blushed, hiding her face as she continued to cook. Lyla practically began to purr, while Nora was left opening and closing her mouth over and over. After a while, she switched gears.
"S-s-so, what do we do now?"
Aveline smiled to herself.
"Visit home. I want to be home for my birthday. Afterwards, it'll be determined by what jobs we take and where we go with that."
---
Thank you,
Anna Haig!