The next week was a blur of family, dancing, singing, and Edrim’s warm hands. Before I knew it, it was the day we planned to leave. We woke early, and packed up our room, I left an extra couple silver under the pillow. When we were finally ready we made our way back over to my families tavern, stopping by to say goodbye. When we entered, laden with bags, we were greeted by my father, grandmother, brother, and stepmom. I saw dad trying to hide tears in his eyes.

“Promise I’ll see you again sooner this time?” He murmured in Infernal.

“Promise. Besides I’ll be in Kama from now on, you can find me whenever you want, and now we can properly write letters,” I smiled, trying to reassure him, but I felt my throat tighten. “I’ll miss you dad.”

“My little dropling, you’re going to get a letter every week with that information,” he chuckled wetly. He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, I felt a smaller set of arms wrap around my thigh. I looked down to see Loke gripping them, I scooped him up.

“You mister, I will be hopefully seeing a lot more of too,” I smiled as I saw tears stream down his face. “Cry if you need to, but if you need me I will be there. Does that sound alright?”

He nodded, and buried his face into my shoulder. I glanced around and saw Edrim smiling softly, before my father turned to him.

“You’ll keep her safe, right?” Dad asked looking Edrim directly in the eyes.

“The only place I imagine will be safer for her would be in a tower guarded by an army,” his tone was firm. Father stared at him for a few moments, assessing him, before reaching and clapping him on the arm.

“Right answer,” he finally smiled.

I gently handed Loke over to dad, and turned to my grandmother. She smiled, wrapping me in a hug.

“I’ve got them, you live your life,” she whispered in Aquan.

“Thank you,” I murmured, she was the only person that had the same wanderlust I carried, the same need to be somewhere.

“We best be off,” I said wiping the sudden irritation from my eyes. “I promise to write.”

I waved as we headed off, I slumped a little as the door closed behind us. Edrim apparently noticed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“I know you’ll miss them, but you can visit or they can whenever you’d like,” he said as we made our back to where we stored our carriage and horse.

“I appreciate that, thank you,” I looked up at him, he was right before. I never felt safer than with him.

---

After retrieving our cart and horse we hoped on and began the week long journey back to Kama. I took the reigns first, and he sat beside me.

“You know, I think I want to write our journey down,” I said staring at the ever winding roads in front of us.

“Really?” He said looking up from the book he was reading.

“Yeah, I’m a storyteller after all. It seems like something people would enjoy,” I placed a hand on his thigh casually as I said it.

“Mm, honestly without the serial killer I’d say it sounds like a story I might read to the kids,” he chuckled. “You should do it.”

“I will,” I smiled looking at him.

He paused for a moment, before kissing me.

“Your so godsdamn cute,” he murmured against my lips. I felt my face flush. “Especially when you blush, and your face looks like a starry night sky.”

“Oh shush,” I said before kissing him again, making sure to keep a steady hand to keep the cart straight.

“So did you inherit that from your grandmother?”

“Inherit what?” I asked confused.

“Your skin,” he said running a finger across a patch on my arm.

“Oh, my vitiligo, yeah. It apparently skips a generation usually,” I said intertwining my fingers with his. “I’ve been self-conscious of it sometimes, but then I remember how pretty my grandma is and I feel better.”

“You shouldn’t ever feel self-conscious of something you can’t control, let alone something that makes you even prettier.”

“Gods your so sincere,” I chuckled nervously, my face heating up more.

“I feel honesty is important,” he said.

“Of course,” I said leaning my head on his shoulder.

The hours began to creep by as the coastal countryside played past us. The fish eventually decided they were tired of sitting in their bottles and settled themselves across the cart and us to watch the world around us. I eventually handed the reigns over to Edrim and crawled in the back to pull out some of the food we had packed for us to share.

“Do you prefer ham or chicken?” I said digging through the bag, bent over and my back to him.

“Um, Ham,” he said distractedly. I felt his hand rest on my tail as I pulled out the two sandwiches. “Here you go!”

I turned around; hand extended with the sandwich. He had an odd look on his face. “What’s up?”

“Not your ass anymore,” he said, but it seemed the words slipped out accidentally.
“I—you were staring at it weren’t you?” I chuckled.

“Yes,” his cheeks were tinged orange.

“Take the sandwich,” I continued laughing, making my way to sit next to him. I leaned over and whispered, “we can try it that way later if you’d like.”

“I would like that very much,” he said looking at me. “Very much, Nal.”

“Looking forward to it,” I murmured before hearing a rustle from a nearby tree. We looked each other in the eye for a moment, silently saying the same thing.

You heard that right?

Edrim pulled the cart to a stop, and we scanned the tree line. I narrowed my eyes as a couple of humanoid shapes darted into further darkness.

“We’re definitely being followed,” I whispered in Infernal glancing at Edrim.

“Without a doubt,” he responded in turn.

“Should we keep going or wait for a fight?”

“I think we should keep going, and see if they attack, walk on,” he said as he flicked the reigns for the horses to start again. “Let’s keep monitoring them for now.”

“I’m ready with some spells if they are stupid enough to try anything,” I said leaning against Edrim again.

“They probably think we’re a pair of weary travelers,” he chuckled.

I nodded joining in. The movements followed us for a couple more hours, the rustling becoming more frequent as they grew restless. Suddenly an arrow hit the carts seat.

“Time for a fight,” I grimaced.

“Just hand over your coins and we’ll be on our way,” a cocky voice called from the treeline.
I scoffed, and looked at Edrim. He rolled his eyes.

“Really? That’s your game,” Edrim yelled back.

“It’s kind of cliché don’t you think?” I joined in, magic lacing my words.

“Ow! Damnit you’re a bard aren’t you?” The same voice yelled out.

“Did the violin give it away?” I grinned pulling it out.

Three figures emerged from the woods, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a human. The Dwarf wielding the bow that hit us, and the human rubbing his arm.

“Just hand over the damn money and this will be easy,” the human growled looking at us.

“Yeah, no, I don’t think so,” Edrim said looking down on them, literally.

The human and the Elf drew swords, and I sighed.

“Going with the hard way, huh?” I said drawing the strings across my violin. I laced my words with magic again, “But I guess I can’t expect much from robbers on the side of the road.”

Hideous Laughter, was one of my favorite spells to incapacitate. The Elf doubled over laughing, startling his comrades.

“Rhys what are you-“ the Human started, before seeing Edrim draw his Warhammer. “Oh fuck.”

“Yeah,” Edrim said glancing between the three. “You all picked the wrong people to fuck with.”

“If you all don’t make your way out of here I will let you choose if you want to go deaf or blind,” I grinned at them.

“Bitch what the fuck,” the Dwarf asked backing up slightly.

“Or would you all prefer the tentacles?” I chuckled holding my hands out a bit.

“Nal, I think that’s enough,” Edrim said glancing at me.

“Sorry, got a bit excited,” I said sheepishly.

“But if the do anything than feel free,” he said looking back at them.

“Absolutely,” I said grinning.

“Couple of cocky adventurers eh?” The human said glancing between them.

“At least we have coin to steal, you guys just rob people. It’s sad, you realize how easy it is to get a job in a nearby city?”

“Hell, become adventurers like us,” Edrim said resting the Warhammer at his feet.

“Are you two really trying to give life advice as we’re robbing you?” The Elf said wincing from the onslaught of laughter. 

“I hate to see people waste their lives, and potential,” I said looking at them. They were dirty, and obviously tired from following us. “Go now and we’ll leave you be. Hold on,” I fished in my money pouch and pulled out six gold.

“Take it, and be on your way,” I said tossing the coins, two at a time, to each of them.

“What—” the Human guy looked down at his hands, but I took that moment to cast a Dimensional door underneath them. The dropped with shocked expressions on their faces as I clambered back into the cart.

“Come on, before they regain their barings,” I said as Edrim looked confused at where they’d gone.

“Right,” he said, and he climbed in.

“Walk on,” I called to the horses as a distant yell of “What the fuck!?” was heard from the woods.

“You we’re being a tad harsh back there,” he said about half an hour later.
“I was just trying to scare them, I’d only done it if they actively attacked,” I said glancing back at Edrim.

“Okay, that’s good to hear,” he said and pulled out a book.

“I think we should go for a few more hours and make camp,” I said turning back to the front.

“Sounds good,” he said before leaning against my back to read. “Nice of you to give them the coins though.”

“Eh they can start fresh with that,” I shrugged.

“I love you Nal,” he said as I heard him flip a page.
“I love you too Edrim,” I said as I watched the countryside roll by peacefully again.

---

The stars were out by the time they got a fire going at their camp for the night. It was quiet, only the sound of the cicadas and their breathing filled their ears. They had set up the back of the cart again to be their bed, and the two lay on the blankets looking up at the night sky.

“Gods the stars are beautiful,” I said as I watched some twinkle gently.

“Yeah,” Edrim said, but I felt his breath on my cheek. I glanced over and he was looking at me.

“You’re not even looking,” I said scooching closer to him.

“No, I’ve seen them plenty though so I’m still speaking the truth,” he said before pressing his lips on mine. “Besides I have my own constellation right here.”

“You really know how to make a girl swoon, huh?”
“I’m honestly just winging it,” he shrugged.

“You’re great at it.”

“Thank you,” he kissed the tip of my nose. “Not to ruin a sweet moment, but can I take you up on that offer from earlier?”

“What offer—oh! Yes please,” I said wrapping my arms around his shoulders.