I have begun to study my second foreign language with Gudrun, and this time, she’s a lot harsher with me now. We studied twenty words today, although it’s nice to have some translation.

The smell of the forest was a welcome change from the sweet, yet smoky tang of the village–especially the tavern. As she hiked, silence lingered within her company. The whistle of the brittle breeze echoed.

By the time they stopped once more, they were at the edge of a large lake. Emerys stood near the edge, inhaling a deep breath. In the background, it was as if the hills in the distance had been painted a deep green.

By the time Emerys had caught and cooked their fish, clouds had settled over the landscape, promising rain. And yet, with the cooler temperatures, she found the fire to be a welcome distraction from the chill.

“By the way,” Jarl said. “There are rampant myths about our path.”

“Trolls, giants and gods,” Gudrun said. “There was an old song about it, and a myth about a cat.”

“I wish Zoe could have come,” Emerys said. She sat back. “It felt like I met my sister from another world.”

Gudrun arched an eyebrow. “So it seems like your friendship with Zoe may have turned into something more than a friendship?”

Emerys shuddered. “I don’t know.”

Emerys stood and stepped away from the fire, finding herself on the shore. Then, she sat down.

There are several different types of fish here, although with my equipment, I likely caught only one type of fish. According to Jarl, there are whitefish in the middle of the lake, but one would likely need a boat or a dock to catch them.

Emerys took her stone. It had been a while since she had messed with it–her stay in the previous village had left little time for meditation and practice with it. Yet as she worked with the stone, she took her hand and lead the little beam of light. Guiding it carefully, she took it to the water, where the water hissed. A small thread of steam billowed from where the light touched the water.

My light can possess some heat now, although I cannot control it yet.

Before they could go to sleep, another group of travelers arrived. A woman, alongside three men, waited. Fear lingered in her eyes. Emerys turned toward them, her eyes narrowing as she said hello.

The woman turned toward Emerys. “You’re not from here.”

“I know,” Emerys said. “What brings you here?”

“Where are you from?” she asked suspiciously.

“Pelios,” Emerys said. “And you?”

“I am from the northern part of this country,” the woman said. “I work with the king. It is my job to know what you are doing here? And there is no version of Pelios in this world.”

“You let Zoe into this kingdom,” Emerys said. “My kingdom is similar to hers.”

“You’re not from this world, then,” the woman said.

Emerys gestured to her companions. “They’re taking me to the king. As for the rest of my business, that is my own. Respectfully.”

The woman narrowed her eyes. “You have something to hide, don’t you?”

“Should I bore you with the details of how I was divorced and left with nothing in the old world?” Emerys said. “No, it’s not something I need to be telling you. Just know that I do not have anything to go back to.”

“Fine,” the woman said. “Where are you planning on going?”

Emerys released a long breath. This was not something to tell the woman. No, not really. She tried to remember the map from when she was in Valrun’s place. Curling her fists, she spoke. “Probably to one of the southern ports. We have business there with someone in the hunter’s guild, as per the request from Jarl.”

The woman glanced at Jarl. “Is this true?”

Jarl nodded briefly. “I am supposed to meet my old friend, Jorun. Respectfully.”

“Fine,” the woman said. “I don’t need the minute details. I want to know you’ll stay out of trouble.”

When the woman and her company passed through the mountains, Emerys sat back down once more, trying not to say too much. Jarl lookd her in the eye, then his expression deepened with concern. A moment of silence lingered between them before he spoke.

“Thoughts?” He said.

Emerys gave a long sigh. “I don’t know. I know I maybe shouldn’t have lied to her.”

“Going into the neighboring kingdom without clearance would be suspicious,” he said. “Like you’re a thief. That’s what thieves do.”

“Well…” Emerys paused.

“Your backstory,” Gudrun said.

Emerys sighed. “It’s not good.”

She glanced back at the lake, wishing she could jump into it, never to be seen again. At this point, she found herself trailing her gaze back to the fire, not taking it away for a longer period. Her heart drummed in her ear. She should tell them what was going on. Of course. But did it have to be this terrifying?

In looking up at Gudrun, she spoke again. “I suppose I owe you an explanation. How about we try to do a truth for a truth at this fire. I share a truth with you, and then you share one with me.”

“Fine,” Gudrun said. “But you go first.”

“I walked out of the divorce proceedings the day before I came here,” Emerys said. “I was left with nothing.”

“That, you told us,” Gudrun said. “Something else.”

“I have a brother and a sister,” Emerys said. “My family is from a long line of academics. My sister studied mathematics, my brother studied philosophy. Both were professors at Pelios University.”

“Okay,” Gudrun said.

“I suppose I could tell you the story of how I ended up where I did,” Emerys said.

“One night at a time,” Gudrun said. “Oh, and I have a sister as well. Technically my younger sister, but she usurped me. I lost everything when she became the family heir, and I used the last of my money to run away. I met Ingrid shortly afterward.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Emerys said.

Her confession, alongside that from Gudrun, felt like a match. In looking into Gudrun’s eyes, Emerys couldn’t stop feeling the shame. Jarl glanced between the two women, but he remained quiet for a second. That was before he spoke.

“I soiled my family legacy,” he said.

“That makes two of us,” Emerys said.

“I wasn’t good with money, married Helja, and turned my life around,” Jarl said. “I know it’s a long road, but believe me when I say there is good inside of you. You can make a change if you’re active with it.”

After staring up at the night sky, she journaled once more. This time, she kept her light to her side, using it to highlight her paper.

It has become much easier for me to use the stone. Something about dealing with other struggles has made it much, much easier.