After leaving the quarry behind, Kayn and Fenris continued their journey to Elvandar.
"It's getting dark," Kayn said as he noticed the light fading. "We'd better stop here and continue in the morning. Besides, this horse is already exhausted."
Fenris nodded, and Kayn gently pulled the reins to stop the horse. After dismounting, he tied the animal to a nearby tree to make sure it wouldn't wander off. Meanwhile, Kayn rummaged through the bag he carried with him. He pulled out some thread, a hook, and a couple of water bottles.
He approached one of the trees and broke off a small branch. With the thread, he fashioned a simple fishing rod. Despite the rudimentary technique, Fenris was impressed.
"I'm going to see if I can catch something. I saw a river nearby; maybe there are some fish," Kayn explained, pointing toward the forest.
"Then I'll stay here and wait."
Kayn ventured into the undergrowth, his mind wandering.
"Great. Now that I have Fenris, completing one of the labyrinths will finally be possible. How lucky I've been," Kayn thought as he made his way toward the river. When he arrived, he noticed a few figures speaking in low voices near the water. He approached cautiously, wondering if they might be Silstoner guards, which would be a big problem.
"Does the prince suspect anything?" one of the figures asked.
"Of course not. He trusts us blindly."
"You're right."
As Kayn tried to get closer, he stepped on a dry branch, alerting the figures.
"Who's there?" one of them called out. Kayn quickly ducked behind some bushes. One of the individuals began advancing cautiously in his direction. As he drew nearer, Kayn could see that he was an elf.
"Relax. It's probably just a squirrel," the other remarked. "Either way, I think it's better if we move to another area. Someone might see us here."
Both figures disappeared among the trees, and Kayn exhaled in relief. Once he was certain no one else was around, he approached the lake and began fishing. He spent about an hour trying his luck but managed to catch only three tiny fish. By then, it was completely dark, and staying there any longer would be dangerous. He decided to return to the camp where he had left Fenris.
When he arrived, he saw Fenris giving water to the horse. Upon noticing Kayn's presence, Fenris ran over to him.
"Hey, Kayn. Did you catch anything?"
"There weren't many fish in that lake. I only managed to catch these three. I doubt they'll even satisfy our hunger."
"I found some fruit in the trees," Fenris said, pointing to a small pile of apples beside the horse.
"I guess that'll have to do for now. Start a fire while I get ready to cook the fish," Kayn suggested as he began organizing their meager supplies. However, he noticed Fenris's perplexed expression.
"Me?" Fenris asked, confused. "How do I start a fire?"
Kayn seemed surprised, even slightly annoyed, by Fenris's question.
"What do you mean? Earlier, you created fire out of nowhere. Aren't you a binder?" Fenris shook his head, which only confused Kayn more. In truth, Kayn had found it strange that he hadn't yet seen Fenris's guardian.
"So how did you use anima if you're not a binder?"
"I have no idea."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Kayn exclaimed in frustration. "Never mind. Just use your power to start the fire."
"The thing is, I don't know how to use it," Fenris admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
"Then how did you do it earlier?"
"It just happened. Honestly, I don't remember anything about my past, so maybe my anima only works sometimes."
"You lost your memory? Wow, that sounds rough. Do you really not remember anything? Not a single person?" Fenris shook his head again. "You know, Fenris, you're a really strange guy."
"It's not the first time I've been told that."
Kayn handed Fenris his sword to see if holding it would activate his anima, but nothing happened. Perhaps they were missing something. Seeing that they couldn't rely on his anima, Kayn resorted to starting the fire the old-fashioned way. After several attempts, he finally succeeded, though the effort left him exhausted—he had never been good at that sort of task.
Fenris skewered the fish onto sticks, just as Eric had done when they were together. While the fish cooked, they ate the apples Fenris had gathered.
"Hey, Kayn. How did you become a conductor? You seem pretty strong," Fenris asked, genuinely curious. The question caught Kayn off guard; he had expected Fenris to ask about the reasons for his capture. He didn't like talking about his past.
"A year ago, my village was attacked by draconids…"
"Draconids?" Fenris asked, intrigued.
"They're one of the most powerful species. The only thing that distinguishes them from us is their horns," Kayn explained, clenching his fists at the memory. Fenris noticed his tension. "They destroyed my village and killed many villagers, including my parents and my two best friends. I only escaped because my father sacrificed himself for me. This sword is all I have left of him."
"And how did you end up being a criminal?"
"I worked for a while in a guild, completing missions and taking down a lot of criminals. I thought it would help me gain combat experience and earn some money," Kayn explained while Fenris listened intently. Kayn clenched his fists tighter, his head lowered. "But one day, I made a huge mistake…"
Sensing Kayn's discomfort, Fenris decided it was best to drop the subject. Once the fish were golden, they took the sticks and began to eat. Fenris blew gently on his fish before taking a bite.
"You know, Kayn? You're the first friend I've ever had. Well, at least the first I can remember."
When they finally finished eating, the two settled down to sleep. They planned to depart at first light to reach the city as soon as possible. In the middle of the night, Kayn thought he heard noises but dismissed them as unimportant.