Vallum craned his head up to look at the huge, cloaked figure. Ellie stopped Sarah and started talking to her, so the cloaked figure also stopped, regarding Vallum.
"So, you are supposed to be a woman under there?" Vallum tried to peek to the back of the hood.
"Don't you have any tact?" Vynn shook her head in disappointment, "Hey, brute! Are you part of the Court of the Night?"
"I am a court mage belonging to the group in question, yes." The voice that answered was far too feminine for the giant body.
"We are looking for a witch," Sari said from behind Vallum who spoke to correct her.
"I am from a village a couple days away, and I am looking for a girl named Kenra who was recruited a short while ago."
"Kenra," The voice pondered, "I don't know the name, but if she is from the area then I would be willing to bet that it was Birdie that apprenticed her. She is the only other one of us that I know is in the area."
"Great, so could you tell us where to find this Birdie?"
"Among the clouds most likely," she told him.
"She is a real birdie, just like you are a real farmer boy," Sari nodded her head, confirming it to herself.
"My name is not farmer boy!" Vallum said.
"Nor is she an actual birdie," The cloaked woman added, "She just prefers to spend her time among the clouds."
"So, it is going to be really hard to find her, huh." Vallum concluded.
"Not with this," Her hand reached into her black cloak and emerged with a small ball of light, "It's a wisp that has her scent. It will lock on to her and travel slowly toward her. Because the wisp is so slow, you should probably carry it most of the time and only release it to show you the direction."
"But what will it cost?" Vynn cut in, "Why are you so willing to send us to your friend? What if we mean her harm?"
"Do you mean her harm?"
"No." Vallum said firmly, glaring at Vynn.
"Well, that is good. I would hate for Birdie to have to kill all of you. As far as the cost goes, I need you to deliver a message."
"What is the message," Vynn asked suspiciously.
"Tell her that I found my apprentice and that I'll be moving on from the area. Tell her that it is from Betty."
"What!?" Ellie shouted, looking at Sarah, "You're going with her? Did you tell Pa? Are you really going?"
The two sisters started conversing and Vallum grabbed the wisp from the woman apparently called Betty.
"It sounds like a deal," Vallum shook the lady's hand and then gave the wisp to Sari, "You hold on to this. It would get stolen from me."
"You got that right."
"Sari, please, give me my wallet back."
"Hey, you are getting good at that, big bro."
"Let's get going farmer boy," Vynn tossed him a coin.
"What? Are you feeling left out or something? What is the coin for?"
"I am just paying for the attention of my beloved."
"If you say something like that around Kenra, then we are done traveling together." Vallum warned.
"Oh, lighten up." Vynn rolled her eyes, "Point us in the right direction Sari."
With the word from Vynn, Sari released the wisp and the group headed off in the direction that it indicated.
"Wait!" Ellie called after them, "I haven't even been able to tell my Pa about what you did."
Vynn turned to the girl and tossed her a coin, winking.
"Stop randomly giving people money!" Vallum said.
Vynn looked at Sari, "His reaction is worth way more than the coin every single time."
Sari looked unsure, but after a moment, she too turned and tossed a coin to Ellie and winked just like Vynn.
"Please don't start copying her," Vallum cried.
"Oh, you're right, big sis."
"Told you."
The conversation came to an end and the group traveled in a comfortable silence for most of the time. They had been traveling for just over two days and were sure that they were getting close to their goal.
"What do you plan on doing when we find this Kenra of yours?" Vynn asked as they walked.
"Yeah, big bro! You can't leave big sis. I finally have a real family." Sari said passionately.
Vallum looked between the two of them and then to Vynn in particular, "Teaming up to make fun of me is one thing, but this is just foul." He looked to Sari, "I am not with Vynn. We are traveling together because she owed me. And you are only here because you followed us. Kenra is the one I am going to be with and you two can go ahead and leave if you are going to make trouble." Vallum's voice had continued to rise throughout everything he said, until it reached a point where his words were scathing. He didn't realize what his words were doing until he saw tears welling up in Sari's eyes. She looked at Vynn as a single tear dropped down her face. "I let my emotions get me out of sorts," Vallum tried, "I am so-"
Vynn put her arm around Sari, the twinkle was gone from her eyes, "You heard him, Sari. He is just using me and doesn't care that you are here." Sari sobbed at Vynn's words and Vynn turned to stare at Vallum with an emotionless face, "Why don't I pay the farmer back and we can go and find a nice city to rob?"
Sari reached up and rubbed the tears out of her eyes, but more came to replace them. She sniffled and looked up at Vynn. "You can't leave big brother either."
"You heard him, he is going to abandon us the moment he finds this witch of his." Vynn said harshly.
"No, he won't. Big bro, you won't do that, right?" Sari looked at Vallum with big eyes.
Vallum hesitated. "I haven't even known you for that long. How am I already your big brother?" He tried to understand.
"Because big sis likes you!" Sari burst out in to tears all over again and threw her arms around Vynn, who looked at Vallum with dead eyes, and a smile.
Vallum was at a loss, "I won't just leave you, but I can't be your big brother, Sari."
Vynn spoke dry words that were as empty as her eyes, "You heard him Sari. Farmer isn't just going to throw us aside. Lucky us."