A Knight's Lilies

"Thus did the Masked Traveler beseech our aid, and in our generosity did we provide. In turn we were bestowed gifts and gratitude, and from them did we find bountiful harvests. So learn from this blessed children of the wilds, that we are to keep our hearts open to the world. "

- Feraniel Songshield, Clan Songshield, "Tales Of The Forlorn Watcher"

"Hah. I've heard of crazier." The old man guffawed, "But tis a worthy enough tale for song I reckon."

Sir Danneth seemed to find great joy in Ary and Sophie's brief summary of events and their immediate need for the Frostwinds. The man jumped into the task of sketching over a rudimentary map of the mountains. It didn't highlight much beyond each of the peaks and their names, but the squiggles and dots that were supposed to be potential settlements and pathways was certainly appreciated.

"Still, to think an adventurer has gotten this tied up with the church, hmm?" The old man shot a curious look towards Mila.

"Our goals align." She curtly stated.

Sophie just smiled and nodded.

"Oya sina?" The man used the strange tongue once more.

Ary perked up, like she had the other times that the commander used the speech. But this time she was quiet for a moment, her mouth curled into a thoughtful frown. Her brief silence even made him look up from the map he was hastily adding to.

"Astianni min." Ary whispered softly, a gentle smile creeping onto her face.

Sir Danneth paused for a second, evidently amused and intrigued by her answer. Whatever it meant, he nodded almost knowingly towards Sophie before continuing his work. Judging by how Ary shifted in her seat and grew more bashful by the moment. Sophie had a rough inkling at what the tender phrase might have meant. Though she certainly wasn't about to embarrass the adorable girl by asking, even if she desperately wanted to.

An awkward silence soon settled upon the group. Sir Danneth was focused on his task, the man clearly spending a few extra moments with each notation or addition to the map to ensure that everything was accurate. Mila just stood by the doorway a soft distance away, the inquisitor trusting Ary and Sophie to handle most of the small talk and conversation. Sophie meanwhile, wondered what exactly the commander was scribbling all over the map whilst still stealing a few glances at Ary whenever the girl wasn't looking. On the other hand, Ary was nearly completely unfocused for the most part. The girl's expression often twisting between something akin to a grimace and a more wistful look as she stared absently at the map. Thoughts of home, I'm guessing.

Sir Danneth tapped his quill back into its inkwell and then wafted at the paper, trying to speed up the drying. He then pulled back a bit, studying his handiwork before beckoning for the others to gather up. Sophie wheeled Ary forward a bit and Mila finally moved a little closer to the commander's table. Amidst the mass of now sealed documents and papers on his desk, the center had been cleared for a weathered looking map that was dotted with a fresh layer of notes.

"Commander." Mila nodded.

"Inquisitor." He replied equally curtly.

Sophie and Ary quietly acknowledged the others.

"So, listen well." Danneth's smile disappeared, replaced fully by a serious tone that more closely resembled his role.

The trio leaned a little closer.

"You're coming in from Melton, yes? Which part?" He asked.

"Correct." Mila answered for them, "Likely somewhere between Heartsford and where Melisgrad once was. So probably from the territory of House Crawe."

"Ahh, the Lady of Crows, how fortunate." He mumbled, "Then you'll be looking at the pathways here, or here." He pointed towards two areas near the middle of Melton, "This will take you past the southern expanse."

"Ah! That's where the three shields reside!" Ary quipped in surprise, before quickly lowering her head in embarrassment at the noise she made.

"Aye. The three shield clans. Songshield, Forstscryld or Fyrweald. If I remember from my time there, guarded, but amenable to outsiders." He mused and looked to Ary for confirmation.

"I… I admit, I only know of them from the others, I do not know much about them, only that the Frostfyres had no quarrel with them." Ary sheepishly answered.

"Hah. First time for everything." He chortled.

Ary bobbed her head.

"At least we know the names, though doubtless they utilize whatever strange language it is that you two share." Mila added, "And it is likely that the church might've had contact with them too, given that some of our number have tried scouting the Frostwinds in… recent times."

"Good. Local contacts could be helpful." Danneth continued, "And then through here, last I recall, two different mountain passes that I've labelled with triangles."

Sophie studied the map and saw that both paths seemed to skirt the edges of the mountains. She shuddered at the thought of traversing them as she still remembered the nerve-wracking climb she had to do in the Deep to cross the old dwarven fortress. The sensation of the damp humid cave air trying to drag her down into a rocky mess below.

Danneth chuckled, "Don't worry, lass. I marked these because they should be more or less pathed roads… well, in their own way. Better than trying to scale any cliff-sides. Trust me, I'm aware." He inclined his head towards Ary.

"Sorry." Sophie mumbled towards the girl.

Ary just shrugged.

"Anyways. Past the paths is where the hard part is. Once you're close to the 'younger' peaks, you'll be in a bit of a bind."

"How so?" Sophie queried.

"Well, first off, you're looking for an ancient ruined temple. Considering we have no document proof of such a place, that could place it… just about anywhere. Above a certain point, it's easy to lose track of where things are." He motioned vaguely at the length of the map, "Still. I suppose I have some suggestions and ideas. Potential locations, you could say."

The commander then drew their attention to four different 'X's' that he marked on the map.

"Here, here, here, and here. These are the most unexplored regions, as far as I recall from the time I spent with the mountain clans."

Sophie noticed how Ary suddenly stiffened up. The redhead looked a little more uneasy.

"Ary?" She asked softly.

The girl turned towards her, a worried knot knit across her brow.

"What is it?"

Ary looked to Danneth apologetically, almost afraid and reluctant to interrupt. But the commander merely let her take the floor.

"This place and that place. I have heard of them before. At least, rumors of them."

"Rumors?" Mila spoke up, the inquisitor's interest suddenly piqued.

"The closest one, I have heard the hunters call 'The Silent Valley' in our tongue. They say hunting for game was impossible there, that only strange geysers and veins from the mountain itself spew forth toxic fog. And that the area has a strange stillness to it."

"Well that's ominous." The inquisitor muttered.

"The other, I don't remember if it was a merchant or whether I had heard it at the clansmeet. But they talked with some of the elders about the uhh 'Peak Of Rotted Ice' is what they called it."

"Oh… great. How lovely. Cursed land or cursed land." Mila scowled.

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"Heh." Ary grinned, "But this place, I remember it in stories… back… well back a while ago." Ary mumbled her eyes a little more downcast, "The land smells like rotted snow and much like the Valley, nothing is said to grow. The land is also supposed to be 'rotten' whatever that might mean."

"Hmm, that doesn't sound that pleasant." Danneth snickered grimly.

"But it's a lead." Mila sighed, "At least we'll have a general idea of what to ask about. With any luck, some of the clanspeople can help us rule out these areas if it seems like no one could survive there."

"Fair."

The four of them traded a few looks before Sir Danneth began rolling up the map.

"That then, I believe, means that our business is concluded here." He stated.

"Thank you, commander." Mila formally acknowledged him.

"Thank you." Sophie followed along more casually.

He nodded appreciatively and handed the map to them, "Goddess bless you all."

"And Stars guide us." Mila mumbled.

"As for you," He smiled grandfatherly towards Ary, the girl staring up at him, "May the spirits show the way."

"Vilemme blesstuja." Ary bowed however she could.

Mila was the first to turn away, the inquisitor clicking her heels together and marching towards the door.

"Once again, my thanks for your assistance commander. Now if there isn't anything else you two need, we should get moving before the others get antsy." She commanded.

With practiced motions, Sophie started to wheel Ary back out, the group now heading back upon their quest with one extra map in tow.

Walking up to the convoy was a strange sight. Being a part of the warband was one thing, but seeing so many armed individuals suiting up for a journey was another. In a way it was almost like a mini parade, the half dozen templar escorts were joined by two more, though these seemed to stick exclusively around Inquisitor Janos. With their original contingent and these numbers, they now had ten fully armed riders alongside them.

Sophie felt mildly impressed by the arrayed forces. If Eva was intending on a display of strength when she returned home, well it would certainly do. Her eyes travelled to the front of the convoy where the carriage with the saints would be. Beyond Suzuki the sword saint was Eva who stood talking to two familiar faces that Sophie couldn't quite put a name to. Based on how animated the two were, Sophie could tell that they were at least somewhat friendly with Eva, though one was noticeably more reserved than the other. And with how Eva seemed to be acting relatively casually, Sophie approached without caution.

"Eva?" Sophie tried to rouse her to attention.

Hearing her name, the girl perked up and quickly motioned to her.

"Speak of the hells, Sophie's back." Eva smiled.

"Uhh, hi." Sophie mumbled.

"Pfft. She's forgotten us already." The taller and more forward of the two girls chuckled.

"Sorry. You look familiar though." Sophie quickly added.

"Of course, of course. I do remember you though. Can't believe one forgets so easily. Samantha. Pleasure once again, I suppose." The girl chuckled.

"Sophie." She introduced herself then froze.

She now knew why the girls seemed familiar. She had the same eye color and vague appearance of Freddie.

"Ah! Lady Samantha!" She hurriedly bowed.

"Hahah, I see your memory has cleared up. It's fine, do stand at ease. I was never one for formality, as you might know." Princess Samantha winked conspiratorially at Eva who just rolled her eyes in response.

"And that's Aleta, right?" Sophie asked the other girl.

"You remember?" She chirped in surprise.

"Barely."

"Aww, now isn't this a happy little reunion." Samantha cooed.

"Sammmm." Aleta groaned.

"Alright, alright, enough teasing for now Sam." Eva finally spoke up.

The princess held up her hands in mock surrender. But then her joking expression turned into a stoic mask most often seen even amongst the noble children at the Academy. The cover they wore when they were about to venture into a subject of discussion that might provoke less than pleasant reactions.

"And Lady Aryana, I see that she's seen better days." Samantha murmured.

Sophie and Eva traded a look, it wasn't a sore subject per se. Only that she could tell Eva would also feel a little guilty if they discussed Ary's current situation without her knowing. But based on Eva's furtive nod, her mistress trusted her to be able to satiate the princess's curiosity. She's right though, I would be better suited to answer than her.

"We… ran into some trouble during our travels. You could probably ask her yourself." Sophie tried to carefully explain things.

Samantha just grunted. Whether out of satisfaction or acknowledgement that it would be rude, Sophie couldn't tell. Only that the princess had caught onto the vibes and was willing to drop the issue.

"Ahem." Eva cleared her throat.

"Right, right." Samantha adopted her cheeriness once more, "Lady Eva and I were talking about your deeds before you arrived. Quite the long list I must say. If only the realm had more heroes like yourself, hmm?"

"I am unworthy of your praise, princess." Sophie replied and bowed.

"Pah, forget the formality already. Fred's already told me about you guys more than enough. I know both of you are far more relaxed than most would expect."

"Heh." Eva and Sophie chuckled.

"Anyway, what I came here to tell her, and I guess by extension you is that I've discreetly let Fred know about the…" Samantha gestured towards the rest of the convoy, "Forcefulness? Yeah, forcefulness of your return so he can be ready for it."

"Ready for it?" Sophie glanced quizzically towards Eva.

"Mmhmm." Eva nodded, "Unfortunately, it seems like we might have to do a little politicking back home. While I doubt anyone would try to outright stop us, we are trying to get your branding of traitors removed too. Having some nobles in our corner would make the messaging stronger, so to speak. Freddie-urr Frederick is going to try and sway a few or at least soften their opinions, if he can."

"Oh? Will he? I thought he didn't like involving himself in court intrigue." Sophie wondered out loud.

"Well…"

"He doesn't." Samantha answered bluntly, "But he's also head over heels for Evaline here, so you being a valued friend… "

"Okay, okay. You don't have to word it like that, at least." Eva blushed.

"Hah! Got her." Samantha grinned and nudged Sophie.

"Heh."

"Sophie!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine." Eva reached over to gently pat her shoulder.

"That about sums up everything." Samantha beamed at them, "Good luck to ya, and keep Fred out of trouble, you hear me?"

"Of course." Eva grunted.

"I'll see you back in Carrador, Lady Eva." Aleta quickly chirped once the girl noticed that they were getting ready to depart.

"Looking forward to it, Aleta."

Not knowing the girl as well, Sophie just offered a humble bow. One which the noble quickly tried to match but far more elegantly.

The two of them waited until the other two were out of earshot before turning around to give each other a warm hug.

"You guys get everything you need?" Eva inquired.

Sophie nodded and threw a thumb towards where Sigrid and Raylani were helping Ary and her wheelchair onto the wagon.

"Uh-huh. Managed to get a rough map of the Frostwinds. Looked pretty helpful."

"Oh! Good!" Eva smiled before lowering her voice, "Sorry for getting you wrapped up in all this, Soph."

"Huh?"

"All the shit with the nobles and that you guys need to come with too." Eva shuffled apologetically.

"Eva…"

"No, really."

"Heh."

"What? I was being sincere."

"Nothing. It's fine, Eva. We… I needed to go to the Frostwinds anyways. Just changed how we get there."

"Ehh…"

"And I'll get the chance to figure out if I can ever visit after this."

Eva looked mortified at the mere thought of it, "Nonsense, they'll have to lift your brand. You have the support of the church and the saints."

"I know. But look at you, you did too and they carried out the banishment anyways."

'Only temporary though. If anything, that's what they should have done with you at most. They were still too agitated by the small skirmish with Melton back then. To have passed such a permanent judgement for only a mention about your deeds, good deeds at that, is… is… frankly absurd." Eva growled.

"We'll figure it out, one way or another." Sophie calmed her mistress.

"That's my line." Eva grumbled and exaggeratedly crossed her arms.

"Heh."

"Heh."

The two giggled at each other and embraced once more.

"Ready to go?" Eva asked.

"Yeah, ready." Sophie affirmed.

"Let's get this show on the road?"

"Let's."

The two shared a mock salute with each other and finally separated. Eva raised her hand up and performed a strange back and forth motion to signal the inquisitors. Janos caught her gesture first and barked out a few commands. In an instant, the templars trotted their mounts into position, the armored warriors sitting heads above the common folk that were now gawking at them and even Sophie herself.

She made her way towards her party's wagon. Unlike the one they used in Gratia, this one was more heavy duty. Waterproof sheets formed the roof with some furs lining the inside. It was also large enough to hold most of them, with only Elaria, Raylani, and Sigrid needing to travel with the supply wagon. At the back were even some admittedly thin panels that could be put up to form a wall and windbreak. Something that Ary had stated would likely be a necessity if they were planning to use the wagons anywhere even near the Frostwinds.

"Alright folks, mount up. Sergeant, clear the way." Inquisitor Janos bellowed from the front of the convoy.

Sophie quickly clambered up to the wagon and watched as a small squad of redcloaks started making sure the convoy wouldn't be blocked by civilians.

With a violent lurch forward under Hanabi's far more aggressive driving than Raylani's, the journey was underway.