They found them all there, even Grace and her daughter. Kira, Katari, and the humans were engaged in casual conversation over a game of cards, while Myrina and Chellise sat watching. Safara had found a children's book somewhere and was curled up at one end of a sofa, reading to Felicity, and Tsavani y stretched out on the hearthrug before the fire, ostensibly reading a book of her own but as her up-pricked ears indicated, actually listening to the conversation around the card table.

  Brandis, ever alert, looked up from his cards as they entered. "Hello, Fenrir. I see you were successful."

  Cassia sprang to her feet, accidentally scattering her own cards in the process. "I didn't know you intended to try now!"

  "I saw no point in worrying you, especially as I wasn't even sure it would work. Fortunately it did, as you can see." Fenrir presented Saeko with a little flourish. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

  Saeko stepped forward and gave a dignified little bow. "Hello, everyone. My name is Saeko Itsumi. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for everything you all have done. I hate to think what would have been my fate had you not stopped those svers when you did."

  "Eh, we were happy to," Kira said, looking the kitsune over with interest. "But how do you know that we rescued you?"

  "I may have seemed asleep, but I was always aware of my surroundings to some extent. Speaking of which," she turned to Cassia, "I owe you a special thanks for your care of me after you rescued me, and for bringing me here where I could be awakened by Fenrir-sama."

  'I guess she's going to stick with using that suffix for me,' Fenrir thought, watching her bow again, this time to Cassia specifically. 'First the oni's weapons and armor, and now, well, pretty much everything about Saeko here. No doubt about it, at some point someone brought Japanese influence to bear on Ruyanei. Or the other way around? ...No, that's unlikely. I already know I'm not the first to be transferred here. I mean, judging by her name, Tomoko is Japanese herself, but for it to be so entrenched, these isekais must have been happening for quite a long time.' He shrugged off the thought, turning his attention back to the present. 'Something to be investigated ter.'

  Cassia was speaking. "What do you intend to do now? Do you know?"

  Saeko nodded. "Of all the debts I owe, the greatest is to Fenrir-sama." She turned to face the direwolf and sank into a deep straight-backed bow. "Would you permit me to remain with you and assist you in any way I can until I have in some measure repaid my debt to you?"

  "Certainly, if you also consent to keep my secrets even after you leave me."

  "I would not consider doing otherwise." Saeko held the bow for a moment more, then finally straightened.

  "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Cassia asked. "The magical stasis you were under should have kept you from expending more than the minimum of energy, but you were asleep for so long that I wouldn't be surprised if you did need some nourishment."

  "No, I'm fine. I would not object to some water, though."

  Satisfied for the present, Fenrir took a seat on the sofa next to Safara. Felicity, who was sitting on her p, eyed him with equal parts shyness and curiosity. He gave her a smile, but did not otherwise attempt to interact with her. Instead, he said to Safara, "It seems we'll have one more companion on our journey home."

  "Will we have enough horses?" the elf asked, shifting Felicity to sit more comfortably on her p.

  "I think so, yes. We might have to have several of the lightest double up, but we'll see. Brandis was able to find a full ten horses, and we have what, seven people, besides myself? Even with all the sex gear we're taking, I expect we should be able to fit all our things on three pack horses. That accounts for all our mounts, but I doubt there's a horse on the continent that can carry me for any great length of time, so I was pnning on walking, or more likely, running."

  "Won't you get tired?"

  "If I'm unburdened, I expect the horses will tire long before I do. I came here from the capital under my own power, after all, and that in far more haste than we'll be exercising on this trip."

  "How long did it take? You never mentioned that."

  "Sixteen or eighteen hours, I think? I could have gone faster, but I wanted to arrive at night."

  Safara gaped. "But that's- You must have been traveling at around twenty miles an hour on average!"

  "That sounds about right, yes," Fenrir shrugged. "I'm fairly sure I could outrun most horses if I wanted to."

  Safara gave an incredulous little ugh and shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm surprised. If you can come back from being banished to Apollyon, why couldn't you make a week's journey in less than a day?"

  Fenrir chuckled. "Well, the two hardly correte, but I suppose it doesn't matter." He looked up as Saeko came over from the direction of the card table, where the game had just been resumed.

  "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, indicating the empty space on Fenrir's left.

  "Not at all," Fenrir answered, welcoming her to sit with a gesture. "We were just discussing our imminent removal back to my home. Ah, but you haven't heard about that yet," he realized.

  "I have not," Saeko answered. "When will you leave?"

  "Early tomorrow morning, some time before sunup. Is that too abrupt for you?"

  "Oh, no, if that is when you wish to leave, I will be in readiness."

  Fenrir nodded. "Excellent. We'll be traveling by horseback. By the way, becoming as that nightdress is, you don't pn to wear it for the journey, do you?"

  Saeko looked down at the article in question, a hint of pink dusting her cheeks. "I would prefer not to, but all my belongings are long gone, I'm afraid. I have nothing to call my own, not even a change of clothing."

  "Go let Miss Cree know, she'll soon remedy the situation," Safara suggested.

  Saeko hesitated. "I hate to impose on her further after everything she has already done for me."

  "I suspect she would be more offended if you tried to slip off without letting her help you, especially with such a simple need," Fenrir smiled. "You needn't ask right now, but after her game is over, let her know you'll need traveling clothes. She won't mind helping you at all."

  "Very well, I shall trust your judgement."

  Fenrir nodded, satisfied, and the conversation turned to more general topics.

  The card game broke up before long, since most of the room wanted to get to bed early in order to catch as much rest as possible before their early start the next day. As promised, Saeko went to speak with Cassia, and not only did the ranger immediately go about rectifying the situation, but Grace, who had overheard, offered her own aid. Between the three of them, it did not take long to get Saeko outfitted in clothing which satisfied her needs perfectly.

  While they were occupied with that, Fenrir sought out a bath. To the relief of the servants, he took it in a room just off the kitchens, thereby saving them the necessity of dragging several hundred pounds of hot water all the way to his suite. Once done, he dried himself and was on the way back to his room when he came upon Lady Murtell, for once without her child.

  "Ah, Ser Fenrir. I was hoping to have the chance to speak with you again before you left," she said, giving him a graceful little curtsy.

  "Likewise. I wanted to personally thank you for your hospitality, which was most kind despite the fact that we barged in here uninvited and more or less made you a prisoner for several days."

  She made a deprecating gesture. "You had good reason. More importantly, I would like to extend an invitation for you to return at some point and stay for longer. With all that's been happening, we only had the time for that one conversation yesterday, and I still have much I would like to ask you."

  Fenrir inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Your invitation is appreciated. Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be able to return, and in truth I hesitate to accept at all for fear that my return may put you in danger. I am after all a Dark-race, and I have no shortage of enemies that would not hesitate to hurt you if it were suspected that you were on friendly terms with me."

  "I would hate for us to part ways here and never see one another again," Grace said, a hint of despondency creeping into her tone.

  "As would I, but at least for the foreseeable future, it would be unwise for me to expose you to the dangers which I soon expect to face." Fenrir stepped forward and pced a hand on her shoulder, causing Grace to look up with a sharp intake of breath. "I am not saying we shall never see one another again, but I cannot in good conscience promise to visit you, at least at present."

  "...I understand. Will you at least allow me to wish you the best of luck?"

  "Certainly. Do not take my refusal as a snub or a mark of dislike. I only decline because I wish you to remain safe and happy."

  Her eyes found his, some undefinable emotion lurking within her hazel orbs, then she sank into a deep curtsy. "May Marstolle watch over you and keep you safe wherever you go."

  Fenrir responded with his best attempt at a courtly bow. "The same to you, Lady Murtell. Farewell."

  As he walked away, he only just caught the murmured words, "And may she bring us together again someday."

  Fenrir was up well before the rest of the house, and he decided to make use of the extra time by duplicating his telegraph circle. While this increased the chance of the knowledge of its existence being leaked out into the world, he wanted Safara, Kira, Chellise, and Katari to all have a copy by which they could communicate, just in case anything happened on the journey home. The rest he did not yet trust with such a valuable item.

  Accordingly, pilfering Safara's bag for the necessary materials, he settled down with a small candle to copy out the circle onto multiple slips of paper. He briefly considered using a more durable material but ultimately discarded the idea. Having them be easily destroyed was more a benefit than a liability, since keeping the knowledge of them a secret was still a priority, at least for the present.

  He was about half done with the st one when he heard a yawn from behind him, then Chellise padded across the floor to where he sat at the room's writing desk. "What time is it?" she murmured.

  Fenrir gestured to the clock hanging from the wall. "About half past three. You can go back to bed if you want; I wasn't going to wake anyone until four."

  Chellise ignored the tter half of his statement by crawling onto his p and examining the rune circles he had made. "What are these for?"

  "They're copies of the telegraph circle I made back in the capital. I'm making one for myself, you, Safara, Kira, and Katari. This way, even if we get separated on the way home, we'll still be able to coordinate and communicate."

  "That's smart. I don't know that code you used for it though."

  "Then you'll have to learn," Fenrir said, tickling Chellise for a moment and making her giggle and squirm in his p. "It's not very complicated, you should be able to learn it without too much trouble. Speaking of which, do you know how to read?"

  "Yeah," Chellise said, making a face. "Lilli made me learn."

  "Be gd she did, because if she hadn't, I would," Fenrir smirked. "Reading and writing are what I would consider essential skills."

  Chellise pouted. "It's boring, though."

  "Not if you read the right books. But I'm not asking you to read a lot, I just want you to know how in case you run into a situation that requires it."

  "Yeah..." Chellise snuggled closer to him, watching as he continued copying the st circle. By the time he finished, she had fallen asleep again.

  Fenrir let her sleep for another half hour, then awakened her along with the rest of his followers. After making the rounds to ensure everyone who needed to be awake was so, he made his way down to the kitchens to grab something for them all to eat before they started.

  To his surprise, however, the kitchens were already lit and a sumptuous scent was wafting from their interior. Poking his head inside, he saw the cook hard at work over the fire. She saw him as he entered and waved him to a seat. "What are you doing up at this hour?" Fenrir asked, cocking his head slightly.

  "You didn't think I would let you head off to who knows where without a good square meal in your belly, did you?" Adeline returned with all her usual brusqueness. "I've prepared some traveling rations, too. They're in those sacks there by the door."

  "Why, thank you. You didn't need to go so far as that."

  Adeline grunted and shrugged. "Just take them, wolf-man."

  "I will, with gratitude. It seems you've prepared enough for everyone, so I'll go fetch them. Be right back." And true to his word, he soon was, with his full party in tow. Adeline had prepared the same stew they had eaten their first morning at the estate, and sitting down in the adjacent servants' dining hall, everyone dug in with relish.

  Fenrir noticed the cook watching from the kitchen door with no small amount of satisfaction, and once the meal was finished, he took care to thank her once more for all the meals she had prepared while he had been a guest of the estate. He had the reward of seeing a smile bend the corners of her lips ever so slightly before she grunted again and bent to pick up the sacks filled with rations.

  "Take these, and take care of yourself, you hear?"

  Fenrir grinned. "Yes, ma'am. If I ever pass this way again, I hope I can have the pleasure of eating another meal of yours."

  "Go on, go on. You're wasting your fttery here, boy." She waved him off, and ughing, he allowed himself to be shooed away.

  By five o'clock they had the horses ready and were riding down the drive. Brandis and America were coming along as far as the western shore of the Phoebe river, along with several soldiers to operate the ferryboat. Brandis had arranged for one to be left at a deserted portion of the shore, and it was in that direction they turned their horses' heads.

  The general mood among the party was anticipation. Those who had not yet been to the castle in the Kharos mountains were curious to see what and where their destination would be, while those who had were eager to see their friends again.

  Fenrir had donned his yeti fur cloak and affixed his axe to his back, garnering an appreciative whistle from Kira. "Damn, boss, I forgot how good you looked in that!" she had called across the room when he had first put it on. She, along with the rest of the party, were wearing their own cloaks, so that an outside observer would find themselves unable to positively identify any of them. Not that there were any. Fenrir stayed alert, but the early hour meant they made it to the secluded cove that was their destination without being seen.

  Once the party, horses and all, were on the ferry and it had been pushed off into the river, America approached Fenrir where he stood at the rail watching the far shore. "So I suppose this is the st time we'll see each other for quite a while," she said, just loudly enough to be heard over the soft spshing of the water at the boat's prow.

  "I expect so, yes," Fenrir replied, turning to face her. "Do you know when you'll be returning to the capital?"

  "I have to be home for a ball in a little over a month. Ser Brandis also mentioned how since the trafficking operation is so much bigger than we expected, we might be better off creating a specialized task force to track down and eliminate each cell. He's worried about my safety, as usual, but..."

  "But that means you'd be stuck at home again," Fenrir finished her thought. "Despite the circumstances, this excursion has been a breath of fresh air for you, hasn't it?"

  "Yes, it has." America leaned against the rail and gazed out over the water. "I've been allowed to train under Ser Brandis, even been given this armor," -she tapped the breastpte hidden under her cloak- "but I'll never be truly considered a warrior. It sometimes feels as though the title of princess is just a yoke that holds me down and denies me the freedom to make my own choices. I know if I weren't a princess I could be a knight, and a good one, but as the daughter of the king I'm too valuable to risk in such a way. I-" She stopped and sighed.

  "Need me to kidnap you?" Fenrir asked teasingly.

  The question surprised America into a ugh. "I just might. I'll keep you posted." There was a silence for a long moment, then she said, "You know, I kind of envy Kira. She may be a Dark-race, but at least she's free to do as she pleases. It was her choice to follow you. I don't understand exactly how your retionship with her works, but I know that much, and I know that if you abandoned her she'd be heartbroken. You mean the world to her, and-"

  She took a breath, her cheeks a little pink. "My point is, she's exactly where she wants to be, and with exactly who she wants to be with. I love Flint; he's almost a second father to me, but I never had the freedom to choose my associates. It's a terrible thing to say, but I'm almost grateful to the svers, because without them I would never have met Kira, or Katari and Chellise, or ...you." Her cheeks darkened again.

  "'It is an ill wind indeed that blows no one any good,'" Fenrir quoted. "One can be grateful for the good a catastrophe brings without being grateful for the catastrophe itself. I've not yet seen anywhere near the end of the consequences this particur catastrophe has brought, but I think on the whole more good will come of our brush with them than if we had not crossed paths. After all, as you said, it brought us together."

  Another pause ensued as both watched the water and the far shore. Eventually America said, "I've always been curious about Dark-races. I wasn't allowed to fight in the war, of course, but living in the citadel meant you heard plenty of stories about it, and even Flint was called to fight for a time. Everyone always just took it for granted that the Dark-races were trying to wipe us out, but after meeting you, I've begun to wonder.

  "Humans make war on each other enough, and I can't help but feel that if it weren't for the threat posed by Dark-races, we'd constantly be at each other's throats. After all, most of the alliances forged between our different nations only come about because of the need to combine our strength to fend off the Dark. Our wars are usually over nd or resources or something like that, so it makes me wonder; is the reason the Demon Kings keep going to war with us simir? Are the Barrens really as barren as the name makes it sound, and the Demon Kings are just trying to get some decent nd for their subjects?"

  Fenrir chuckled. "You may be asking the wrong person. I was never involved in any of those wars either and I've never been to the Barrens myself, but from what I've learned I'd say that at least the majority of the Demon Kings really were trying to wipe out or least subjugate the Light. But that doesn't mean your average Dark-race felt the same way. A lot of Dark-races are barely above the level of beasts; monsters with only limited understanding, but there are many, probably even the majority, that are less different from you than you might expect. Most of those were likely forcefully conscripted into the Demon King's armies, or enticed by false promises into joining.

  "There is a war so old it might as well be built into the very bones of this world, and that is the war of Light and Dark. Just the fact that we can stand here and speak like this, without animosity and as equals is a thing almost unheard of. For Dark- and Light-races to cooperate willingly seems to be a very rare thing."

  America nodded. "It doesn't happen often, but beastfolk are sometimes accepted into a community. But for a demon or an actual monster to be viewed as a friend by a Light-race that hasn't been corrupted into following the Dark is so rare I can't think of a single case where it's happened, even in legends. Um, no offense."

  "None taken. I look like a monster, I know, and I am certainly capable of being one."

  "You're not, though." America looked up at him, something unidentifiable shining in her eyes. "No monster would care as much as you do. I've seen how gentle you are with your girls."

  "You've also seen me get angry, though. It scared you; don't bother denying it."

  "...Yes, but you stopped when I asked. No monster would do that."

  Fenrir shrugged in acquiescence, and they watched the shore approach in silence. It was less than a hundred feet away when America turned to Fenrir again.

  "You will visit me again some time, won't you?"

  "Yes. I can't make any promises as to when, but this isn't the st time we'll see each other."

  "Good." As though driven by a sudden impulse, she wrapped her arms around him in a sudden hug, nestling her head against his chest. It took Fenrir a moment to get over his surprise and pce his own arms around her, prompting a hum of contentment from America. Once she finally pulled away, her face was brilliant with both embarrassment and a sort of defiant satisfaction. "Goodbye, Ser Fenrir." Then she was gone.

  Fenrir blinked. The look on her face in that st gnce had spoken of some hard-won fight with herself, and he could not help but specute what it might have been. 'Maybe her feelings fighting with her own better judgement? I can't imagine anyone in her life being particurly pleased by her growing closer to me. I won't lie, though, I would love to make her mine. She's beautiful, clever, passionate, and I can't deny that her being a princess does carry a certain appeal. I won't force it, though. Far be it from me to impose yet another shackle on her.'

  A subtle tremor ran through the ferry as it struck the bank. Two of the soldiers quickly lowered the gangway, and the next fifteen minutes were occupied with the work of unloading the horses and ensuring everyone had all their things.

  After helping to coax the horses down the gangway, Fenrir left everyone to say farewell and stepped over to the edge of the cove in which they had docked, nose in the air and testing the breeze, but the light west wind revealed nothing concerning. There was a considerable amount of light along the eastern horizon by now, turning the darkness into shades of dusky gray. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't need to turn to identify the owner of the measured stride.

  "All well?" asked Brandis.

  "As far as I can tell, yes." Fenrir turned to face the veteran knight. Behind Brandis he could see America and his girls exchanging words and hugs. "I know I've said it before, Ser Brandis, but I'm deeply grateful for all you've done. Giving my girls a chance to prove themselves, helping to track down Safara, all of it."

  "I was happy to do it," Brandis waved him off. "Well, except for trusting your girls. That, I did mostly against my better judgement, so you really have the princess and Miss Cree to thank for that. But anyway, call me Flint. I practically live and breathe noble etiquette these days, but I'd rather dispense with it when it comes to you, if you don't mind."

  "Certainly. I'd prefer a more rexed atmosphere myself." Fenrir gnced behind Brandis -or Flint, now- again and saw that almost everyone had mounted up and was ready to go. "It seems this is where we say farewell, at least for the time being." He offered a hand that after a moment's confusion, Flint shook.

  "Spent time among the dwarves, I see," he remarked.

  Fenrir cocked his head.

  "In Mavenia we say hello and goodbye by putting our hands on each other's shoulders, like this." He pced his right hand on Fenrir's left shoulder and gave the direwolf an indicative look until he did the same. "Csping hands is a custom practiced by the dwarves. I've worked with dwarves occasionally myself, you see."

  "I see." Fenrir chose not to mention he had yet to meet a dwarf face to face, and the few he had seen in the capital had been from a distance and from the shadows. "At any rate, goodbye, and good luck with the svers."

  "Farewell, and the same to you in whatever endeavor you set yourself to next. I'll keep an eye out for anything which could negate or remove Lady Cidrin's mark. With any luck, the next time you see us we'll have a lead, or possibly even a solution."

  "I appreciate that."

  Then they parted; Flint heading back to the ferryboat while Fenrir, at the head of the line of horses, set off towards the west, and home.

  America watched them go from the deck of the boat, her eyes drawn in particur to the rge figure at the head of the column. His cloak made him look even more imposing than usual, and her cheeks fmed anew at the memory of their parting. It had been stupid, she knew that, but for just a second she had decided to throw caution to the wind and give into the desire to hold and be held by him.

  Just for a moment. A little talisman of something that could never be to warm her heart when she went back to the endless balls and parties, the empty words and the backstabbing politics. Not that all the nobles were a waste of space, but sometimes it felt that way.

  Flint came up beside her to watch the st of the horses file out of sight into the woods. "I hope they find their way home safely."

  "They will," America replied absentmindedly, her mind still full of her and Fenrir's parting. She gnced up at him to see him looking back down at her with an expression a few shades from disapproving, and flushed. "I know, I know. I haven't forgotten what we spoke about st time."

  "I just don't want you to end up regretting your actions when it comes to him, or giving him the wrong idea. I believe he would respect it if you said no, but I'm not so sure he would respect the rules of society."

  America nodded. Her intuition told her Flint was right. Fenrir had used a joking tone when talking about abducting her and she had responded in kind, but she had gotten the definite impression that there had been a serious offer under the banter.

  Apparently satisfied, Flint rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment, then turned away to direct the ferry back out into the river. America remained at the rail, however, still thinking. That was the troubling part. Fenrir would be willing and possibly even eager to take her away from her life as a princess if she only asked. She wasn't some child who was willing to throw away everything and elope, consequences be damned, but the thought was undeniably tempting. If he insisted, would she have the willpower to resist him?

  Well, she supposed it didn't matter. He was gone, and by his own admission he wouldn't come back for some time. Hopefully, by the next time she saw him she would have wrestled her heart back into submission to good solid reason.

  TheBestofSome