After the excitement of the day, Saul let Anna stay with her friends in the encampment until it was deep into the night. For one, they had a lot of catching up to do, and for another, Saul would be avoided on both sides of the field. Better to let her be with people she was comfortable around, in Saul's opinion.

  Anna spent most of her time chatting, listening to her ?arc?aban, and telling Saul about all the mischief they used to get up to. They walked back to Fort Linwood at such a late hour that Anna asked to be carried, and fell asleep in his arms.

  The sun was just below the horizon when Saul made it back to Fort Linwood, his thoughts on the future. The fort was a rather small, squat thing. It was built at the top of a small rise, and surrounded on three sides by forest. Walking through the southern houses before the gate was an eerie experience; with every citizen fleeing the demons, the houses leading up to the gate were empty, like a vacated tomb. The squat wooden buildings seemed to loom over the pair as they traveled. The two guards at the gate into the fort stiffened at their approach, then relaxed when they saw he was a human.

  The left guard was a rather stocky fellow, with an iron cap covering a long head of hair and a russet beard. He nodded, then recognized the demon child in his arms, and promptly barred his path.

  "What do you think you're doing?" The guard's tone held a bit of reproach.

  "I'm bringing the child to my quarters. She needs rest."

  "...Wait, is that-"

  "She is a demon, yes, with a heart, and lungs, and dreams, and fears. She sleeps now so that tomorrow she may wake to see the sunrise, like any other child. Is there a problem, guard, or will I have to explain this to Ser Crowley tonight?" Saul's voice held a dangerous edge.

  The guards looked at each other and quickly shuffled to the sides with murmured apologies. There was only one man in the company who even spoke of demons like that, and he called down golden fire not ten hours ago.

  Saul was rather cross for the rest of his walk to his new quarters.

  His and Anna's room consisted of two cots, two chests, and a single nightstand between them. There was hardly space to stretch out, but Anna was rather small, and Saul didn't mind the lack of space. Saul tucked in the sleeping child before falling into his own bed and attempting to sleep. Rest did not come easy to the anxious man.

  Saul worried for the demons. He didn't see a way forward for them that didn't end with them living out in the forest, and the forest wasn't kind to fresh meat. Even if they were tougher and stronger, they ate more than an average human -Annie ate as much as Saul did, at her size- and so many new hunters in the forest would cause a large amount of stress, to say nothing of other mouths to feed. Only time would tell if they would be able to manage, and they did not have the luxury of trying again.

  On that rather uncomfortable thought, Saul channeled his night-necklace, and fell asleep.

  The next morning's sun dawned on the hardy fort, with its soldiers preparing for a new day, hearing whispers from their superiors about a larger force out there to the north. Though Crowley warned about spreading word of this "?a?s?as-?u?s?" clan, soldiers talked. One scout had mentioned their plans to search further north, near the mountain pass, and soon enough everyone in the fort had that thought bumping around in their heads. Sentiment for the demons was approaching a new low (which was saying something), and that added a new wrinkle to this messy debacle.

  As he got up and kneeled in front of his bed, preparing for kindling, he had that nagging feeling that the forest would be too small. It was probably best for the demons to move into Chaidon forest, that much was true; at least, Saul couldn't think of anything better. If that ended up working out he would have to help them build something remote, something safe, before they ended up at the mercy of the courts.

  Speaking of the courts, he'd have to speak with the Viscount about the demons, which was yet another uncomfortable conversation he'd need to have. Saul couldn't even begin to fathom how the royals would respond to Viscount Langley having a new village under his name -housing demons, no less. And that's even assuming Langley accepted them into the fold.

  Saul let his thoughts bounce around for a while, not grabbing on to a single thread, letting his anxious mind wind down until his focus stabilized. Then he calmly pulled a thought to the surface: he thought of Anna, of ?hm?d, of little K?nül; he thought of how it felt to tell them stories of his travels; he thought of their eyes, wide and curious. A deep sense of contentment resonated through him, stifling any lingering thoughts of the gold-green fire he summoned yesterday.

  At the movement of his mana, Anna stirred, her nose twitching and the ghost of a smile appearing on her face. Sleepy eyes opened and simply watched, coming awake in steps.

  Saul opened his eyes and turned to face her. "Good morning, Anna."

  "Why do you tell me it is good? I can decide for myself." She sat up, looked out the window, and nodded, as if in contemplation.

  Saul smiled. "And? Is the day to your liking?"

  "I think it is... Yes, it's a good day. The people outside aren't frowning, the birds are chirping, and you aren't so gloomy." She poked him softly.

  Saul just laughed and shook his head, rising to his feet. They both took a walk outside, and Anna put her hood up to ward off the uncomfortable stares. A warm wind blew from the south; Saul could feel another cloudless day on the horizon.

  The small fort sat at the top of a small hill, the houses growing from the south like the train of a dress, falling down the slope. Though the houses were empty yesterday, Saul could already see some refugees returning to their homes; it seems Ser Crowley's messenger to the Viscount was rather talkative.

  Speaking with Ser Crowley was the first of Saul's plans. He had more to do, of course, but seeing as she was his superior officer, he thought it couldn't hurt to check in first. He took Anna's hand and led them to the commander's room, where she was already in talks with the support staff, and she did not look happy.

  She nodded as they approached. "Saul, Anna."

  Saul nodded back. "Fiadh. Something tells me you have news?"

  "I do..." She glanced at Anna.

  "Well?"

  "Our supplies are thinning out. We had enough to feed our company for a week, but with our consumption over-doubling, I've requested additional supplies. We'll be at half rations until the next wave of supplies arrive."

  Saul nodded. "Can't say I'm pleased, but it makes sense... but there's something else?"

  "Langley's coming with the next supply train."

  "Oh... much faster than anticipated."

  "Indeed. Doesn't bode well for us."

  Saul sighed, passing a hand through his silvered hair. "I admit, I haven't had many interactions with him. What do you say of his character?"

  Fiadh shrugged. "I was knighted by Earl Francis of Carlisle. I've had but one conversation with Langley, and it was... rather unpleasant. He's not one for idleness, or one for soft words."

  "He certainly has large shoes to fill."

  Fiadh's lips quirked. "Figures you'd say that, seeing as his father spared you."

  Saul simply shrugged. "At the end of the rebellion, my village had food, and my friends lived through the winter- and many more winters besides. That was my reason for raising the banner; and to have my needs met by the man I rebelled against? The man who dissected why I fought and fixed the problem so adroitly? A lord who understands his people is rare, and experience like that doesn't survive a generation. Those are big shoes for a greenhorn to fill. I hope the boy sees reason. There are 200 lives out there, Fiadh. 200 displaced folks we can help."

  Fiadh's eyes drifted back to the inventory manifest. "200 hungry mouths that hate us for existing and for taking back what's ours. This rationing will hurt, even if it's only for a few days... Please let the demons know, when you take Anna, that we're all cutting back on rations. It'd be better if it came from you and not a messenger. We're already approaching hostilities with the loss of our men this last week; I'd hate to see the mood deteriorate to blows before the Viscount's own eyes. It's a bad enough conversation already."

  Saul nodded. "I'll see to it. I may be able to provide assistance with the demons and their appetite; I'll offer to help hunt in the forest."

  "If you think it's safe enough to be alone in the woods with some number of their warriors, then I won't begrudge you the opportunity to show grace." Fiadh glanced at Anna, who was frowning. "You at least have some rapport with them, so the chances of this venture succeeding are not a remote possibility." She paused, thinking it over. "I'll allow it."

  Saul bowed slightly. "Thank you, Fiadh."

  "As long as you're back at camp before Langley walks through the gates, I'll be happy. Now, off you get." Fiadh waved them off.

  Anna tugged on Saul's arm as they left, her eyes watching the soldiers walk by. "Your ?adar is a little cranky."

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  "That she is. She has many children to keep track of."

  "Oh, is she a b?w- I mean, a parent?"

  Saul laughed. "A mother? No, not that I know of. I mean that she worries for us as she would her own."

  Leaving through the south gate rewarded them with a view of the morning sun rising over the treetops to the east, casting warm shadows through the buildings dotting the hillside. Buildings, of course, meant people, and these people were out and about for the morning, mainly going about the business of cleaning up after a short stay away. At the sight of a pair of children giving her glances and whispering, Anna pulled her hood tightly over her head, hand clenched around Saul's hand (Saul winced, but thankfully Anna didn't notice).

  "It's alright, Anna. Breathe, and know that they can't hurt you. Not while I'm here, and not while you can move."

  "I know, ?adar; it's just... I can feel them. This place is ?u?r?a?f." It seemed heavier when Anna said it.

  Saul was silent, mulling over her words. "Anna, try this: instead of feeling them, focus on your own feelings."

  Saul moved his hand to rest between her shoulders and guided them forward towards the battlefield between the two races, between rows of empty houses. As they walked, Saul murmured to her softly, "breathe, and as you breathe, think of this: at what point does it become your breath? Notice this boundary -this wall- between your mana and the world. As we move across the path to your people, think of your center, of your deepest part. Your mana simply is, and is yours." Saul gave her a moment to process, then continued. "But, look towards my hand on your back, and see that though my boundary is solid, my mana still shines into you. You are not wholly you- not while your mana gives and takes from around you. Focus on that as we walk. What are you, Anna?"

  Those words sat in Annas mind as she focused on the locus of her being. Eyes closed and gazing inward, even the act of walking became a challenge, with the cobblestone road's bumps and crannies.

  The walk over the battlefield toward the encampment seemed to be longer, from Anna's perspective. With every step past the outer border of houses, the angry noise that harried her from all sides began to dissipate, leaving her in a sea of calm.

  But was that calm? The deeper they moved into the grasses, the more Anna realized what she mistook for silence was quiet noise at the edge of her boundary at her feet. The mana flowing into her gave her an impression of movement, of senseless shaking in the wind, of the warmth of sunlight, and... Something else. Something other.

  This unknown sensation grew slowly, then all at once, until it crowded out the rest of the noise and pushed into the soles of her feet like a brand.

  Fire. Consuming, grey-yellow flames invaded her perception. Anna flinched, tail lashing angrily as she attempted to stave off the tide of mana. With a smooth motion, Saul picked up Anna and set her on his shoulders, and Anna gasped in surprise.

  "Some things demand to be remembered." Saul's sounded bitter, then his voice softened. "Not yet, but soon, you'll be able to protect yourself from these memories."

  "That was the flame, wasn't it? The one from your story."

  His steps plodded along through the grass. "That's right."

  Anna stroked his hair, finding comfort in the motion. "It wasn't the same, though. It was... More, somehow."

  Anna could feel it, even from this distance. It was like a soft roar in the background.

  Saul shook his head, and Anna realized he hadn't spoken for a while. "It's not something you need to worry about, not for a while now. Simply focus on distancing yourself from strong memories you encounter. I remember my promise to you, don't worry."

  Anna nodded, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

  The demon's encampment was quiet when they entered through the northern gate. They'd set up their tents in small clusters, all facing paths that led to the center of the encampment, where they surrounded a circle of small fires with makeshift benches. Any demons that were out of their tents were sitting around those small fires, talking quietly.

  One of those nodded to Saul, and he recognized Hiday?t. He looked more harried than usual, nodding with a soft look at Anna before turning back to Saul. "How does the morning greet you, sorcerer?"

  "It's a good day, given the circumstances. I take it you did not get much sleep?"

  "Nn. Most of my night was spent getting everything in order. This -what do you say... transition, has taken its toll on us. It feels like for every worry I ease, two more appear in its place. My thoughts are more awake than me this morning." Hiday?t looked at Anna. "How was your rest?"

  Anna raised her brow, smiling without fangs. "Rest was good. I fell asleep with my friends and woke up to a warm morning. Summer is here!"

  Hiday?t laughed. "Such relentless cheer warms my heart. Maybe you should be little ?ad instead."

  "But if I'm a star, then who would be the ?al?"

  "Why, K?nül, of course. That one's timid as it gets."

  They shared a chuckle, then Saul spoke up. "I wish I had better news, Hiday?t."

  "We will bear it all the same. Are we to move again?"

  "We'll all be at half rations until the next wave of supplies."

  Hiday?t's face hardened, and he grimaced, his fangs peeking out. "We will manage. We'll feel it while it lasts, but it's a good reminder of where we stand." He paused, looking over their tents. His voice was quiet. "This wasn't meant to be permanent, regardless."

  Saul nodded. "If you'd like an extra pair of hands for hunting, I can help."

  Hiday?t's brow rose, and he smiled belatedly. "That won't be necessary, sorcerer, but I appreciate the gesture. We have experienced harsher forests than these. Have you been in the mountains?"

  Saul shook his head. "I traveled around the southern edge of the mountains, before the cliffs, and walked along the mountain pass, but no further than that."

  "Where we used to live, along the ?wa?n- the northern slopes of the mountain, we would hunt in the taiga and follow the ?üt -or rams- wherever they grazed."

  "... How did it happen, if you don't mind telling me?"

  Hiday?t took a long time to answer, taking a polished stone from his pocket and rolling it between his fingers. Saul could feel mana swirling in the small rock. "I was on the hunt, following a herd of caribou across the taiga. I didn't know something was wrong until I saw the smoke. I rode back as soon as I could, but I was not fast enough to stop it. I couldn't believe how many there were; they roamed around like ants on fresh carrion... They choked the earth, like-" he glanced at Anna then looked over the tents, fangs bared. "It wasn't pretty. Our ?adar fought to protect as many as he could, but we lost him as we fled south. We crossed over the mountains, killing our mounts for food, until we made it here. We asked for refuge, were refused, and the rest is history."

  Saul grimaced with a heavy heart. "I cannot imagine what you and your people had to go through."

  Hiday?t looked sharply at him, hand clenched around his rock. "Neither you nor your soldiers know, and that... vexes me. There's a saying in our tribe, that a demon is never alone with their thoughts. In a ?ar, a demon's fears are freely shared, and freely felt. Here? I have never felt more unheard than when I spoke with you humans these past few days."

  Saul couldn't help feeling a bit of reproach. He stifled the feeling, but Hiday?t noticed, giving him another glare. "'What of our dead?' I can listen to the words in your eyes, words that were repeated by your leader. What of it, sorcerer? I would rather die attempting to feed my people than starve and watch them starve beside me. Your people would feel the same." He sighed, turning away. He seemed much older to Saul in that moment. "I should be off; there is much to prepare for when we are to move again. Please, watch over Anna."

  "I'll try my best... Please, I know I have no right to ask you, but please remember that you have a human in your camp. If worst comes to worst, and you must flee, follow the first eastern river to its source; I will be there."

  Hiday?t simply shook his head, but his look softened. "You are the strangest human I've met... I'll remember, if it happens."

  Saul ruffled Anna's hair (fingers bumping the horns on each side), and they stepped away.

  Anna spent a moment to fix her hair before grabbing his hand again. "That felt like thunder in the distance... He's so angry."

  "He is. He's lost a lot- more than I know."

  "So have I, though."

  "Ah, but you are young and still growing. He has grown and built many bonds in his ?ar; bonds that are now reminders of what he's lost."

  "...I think I understand." Anna's free hand crept to her necklace. "But, that seems wrong, doesn't it? He has no one to help carry his burden."

  "I don't think he'd like us to carry it for him, either."

  "But why?"

  "It's his choice. He feels responsible for what happened. Let's leave it at that, shall we? Let's not let his anger color our day."

  Anna nodded and smiled. "Let's be 'holy' ourselves."

  Saul laughed. "That's the spirit."