Priscilla woke up sweating and breathing too fast, hand clutching her neck. The only thing she could remember from her dream was the looping unidentifiable script filling the space around her before wrapping around her neck and tightening until she couldn’t breathe. How fun.

  “What a fucking auspicious way to begin today,” Priscilla muttered, rubbing her neck.

  “Did you have another prophetic dream, master?” Asha asked.

  “Nah, it’s just a normal nightmare,” Priscilla said as she rolled off the bed, “and you know what, I’ll blame the god of cowards for this one.”

  “I haven’t heard of a god of cowards before, is it a new god?”

  “No idea,” Priscilla said, stretching her neck. “They didn’t give me a name so I made one up. If it bothers them that much, they’ll show up to complain but until then, they can kiss my ass.”

  Maybe Priscilla was a little irreverent, but if the god did show up to smite her, she could at least ask them a few more questions before she died a fiery death. But the god of cowards continued to prove how cowardly they were, so Priscilla lived to see another day.

  Her shoulder ached as she got dressed for the day in an outfit that was identical to yesterday’s except for the green top, but Priscilla ignored the pain since Kavil would help fix it in just a few minutes. Priscilla did the bare minimum with her hair since she planned on bullying Sulaiman into braiding it for her again and did one last sweep over the room to ensure she wasn’t missing anything. Everything was in order, so she tossed her pack over her shoulder and strode out to meet the day.

  A few of the villagers had woken up early to send them off, but most of the goodbyes had occurred last night. Sulaiman was standing next to his horse a short distance away from the villagers, adjusting the beast’s saddle. The donkey was nearby with Sulaiman’s pack laid across it along with most of the other luggage.

  When Sulaiman noticed Priscilla strolling towards him, he immediately held out his hands. Priscilla glanced at him with raised eyebrows because she wasn’t a mind reader and didn’t know what he was trying to take from her.

  “Give me your pack,” Sulaiman finally growled, stepping forward to tug it off her. He secured her pack to the back of his horse, tugging on the straps one final time before looking satisfied.

  “Will you do me a solid and fix my hair?” Priscilla asked, already facing away from him and waving her green ribbon over her shoulder. Sulaiman sighed but complied, his deft fingers tying off the braid just as Kavil came hurrying up to them.

  “I think I have everything,” Kavil said as shrugged off his pack.

  “You have everything,” Sulaiman said as he laid Kavil’s pack across the donkey’s back, “I double checked it this morning while you were still asleep.”

  “Oh good,” Kavil said as he drew closer to Priscilla, hand surrounded by a soft light as he pressed it against her. His healing magic was as wonderful as it always was and Priscilla sighed happily as the pain was chased away.

  “How much longer do you think until I’m all healed up?” Priscilla asked.

  Kavil frowned, the magic flaring for a moment. “At least three or four days. My magic has helped your muscles heal faster but the joint should stay as still as we can manage it.”

  “I’ll be very careful,” Priscilla promised and it was even mostly the truth. Sulaiman and Kavil seemed intent to team up against her so there was no chance that the sling would come off before they both agreed – but Priscilla wouldn’t let the stupid thing slow her down if something like the Gorelock Toad showed up again.

  Sulaiman eyed Priscilla like he could sense her thoughts but Kavil gave her a charming smile and said, “If you aren’t, then it may become three or four weeks.”

  Priscilla winced at the implied threat but wisely chose to keep her mouth shut, which earned her another smile from Kavil. Priscilla nobly chose to ignore the schadenfreude in Sulaiman’s expression as he watched the interaction.

  Jeroinin approached them as they ambled towards the edge of town. She gave Kavil a lingering hug, murmuring something in his ear, before turning her smiling gaze to Priscilla and Sulaiman.

  “Before you leave, please allow me to give you a blessing from Gaelea,” Jeroinin said.

  Priscilla saw no reason not to and nodded her approval. Jeroinin’s hand snaked up to brush away Priscilla’s bangs as the half-elf spoke words that were inaudible, even though they were so close. Blue light flared in Jeroinin’s eyes before a strange sensation passed over Priscilla, like water was running down her body from the inside. Priscilla was still processing the feeling by the time Sulaiman was blessed and Jeroinin turned to address them all.

  “I wish you safe travels,” Jeroinin said, “and hope that you won’t encounter anything beyond what you can handle.”

  “We’ll be fine, aunty,” Kavil said, looking a little embarrassed. “If anything happens, I’ll heal them up, so you don’t have to worry about us.”

  “Oh, Kavil,” Jeroinin said, something sad entering her expression, “I’ll always worry about you.”

  “Thank you, Miss Jeroinin,” Priscilla said, cutting in before Kavil could retort and get into a squabble with his aunt. She didn’t want Kavil’s last conversation with his aunt to end on a sour note. “Even if trouble finds us, I’ll figure something out and it’ll all turn out fine. Trust me.”

  “I do,” Jeroinin said but before the half-elf could say anything more, Yarnon, Allasan, and Theodore had wandered over, loudly bidding Kavil goodbye and turning their quiet send-off into a more raucous affair.

  Kavil and Sulaiman helped Priscilla up into the horse’s saddle once they were out of the forest which made her feel like a child taking riding lessons for the first time again, but Priscilla bore it stoically, not wanting to give Sulaiman another excuse to be smug.

  Traveling with only one person riding a horse was a little awkward, but they eventually found their rhythm. Priscilla wouldn’t push the horse faster than a walk so that Sulaiman and Kavil only had to walk a little faster than normal, and the donkey was hooked onto the back of the saddle so it plodded along after them.

  The conversation flowed much smoother than it had when it was just Priscilla and Sulaiman, and that was only because Kavil was serving the vital role of social lubricant.

  “So, what’s your favorite hobby?” Kavil asked, having just finished their discussions on everyone’s favorite foods (roast duck for Kavil, pork and pumpkin stew for Sulaiman, and a crab feast for Priscilla), favorite color (purple, gold, and green respectively), and if they could swim (which was a yes all around). “I really enjoy whittling! It’s hard to get the hang of but it’s definitely worth the splinters!”

  “I like designing clothes,” Priscilla said as she leaned back in the saddle. The original had always been fashion conscious, so she figured that her version of Priscilla would be the type to design her own drop-dead gorgeous looks.

  “Really?” Kavil said. “What’s your favorite thing you’ve designed?”

  Priscilla hummed as she thought about how to answer that question. She’d designed many pieces throughout the years and while one of her favorites would always be Frigge’s outfit, there was another piece that she had poured her heart and soul into.

  “A sleeveless gown made of satin that fades from light to dark green,” Priscilla said, recalling the dress she had been working on just before she was sent into this world. “Gold accents on the fitted bust with a neck piece that provides a sort of cape made of transparent fabric for dramatic effect.”

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  “That sounds… really pretty,” Kavil said, sounding lost in thought as he looked at Priscilla. But then he shook his head to turn his insistent gaze towards Sulaiman.

  Sulaiman sighed and said, “I enjoy reading.”

  Kavil asked more about the books Sulaiman had read and Priscilla let them talk without her for a bit. Thinking of the dress she’d wear at Mr. ––’s wedding made her wistful for times she would never get back. It hurt less now to think of him, more of a dull ache than the acute sorrow that had overwhelmed her. For a moment, she imagined Mr. –– reading of her adventures, tracing the words with his fingers like he did when he became really focused, and laughing with her from a world away.

  It was a nice daydream but all dreams must come to an end.

  “–lla, what’s your family like?” Kavil asked, all wide smiles and crinkling eyes. “Sulaiman’s told me about Illnyea, but not much else.”

  Priscilla stilled, her smile frozen on her face.

  That was quite possibly the worst question Kavil could have asked her. It was a double whammy of her not knowing how the original’s childhood was really like and her kind of hating the whole concept of family in general – especially when shitty parents kept having children when they clearly couldn’t love them.

  “It’s a perfectly fine family,” Priscilla said mechanically, “and I never wanted for anything.”

  Sulaiman’s eyes were on her and there was confusion in his gaze, but Priscilla could only focus on keeping her smile in place rather than let her anger show. The father and the mother Thornewoods made sure that the original survived to adulthood but beyond that, they had failed her in every way they could.

  Kavil looked uncertain as he blinked a few times. “Um, is… is that all?”

  Priscilla probably should watch her mouth since Sulaiman was right there but her sharp words bit through her tongue and came out anyway.

  “Well that’s the gist of it,” Priscilla said with as much false cheer as she could muster. “Merchants have more money than they know what to do with, so it’s obvious to just throw money at your daughter so she’ll shut up. Gold is all a growing girl needs, after all.”

  Regret wasn’t quite what Priscilla felt when she realized she utterly ruined the mood and Kavil’s face fell, but it was almost right. Priscilla didn’t want to stick her foot in her mouth anymore and studiously ignored Sulaiman’s gaze she felt burning on the back of her head.

  “If you had to design an outfit for me, where’d you start?” Kavil said, the words tumbling out in a stream that made it difficult to understand him for a second.

  It was a rushed and obvious topic change but it made her fixed smile melt into a true one.

  “With your favorite color,” Priscilla said, “since I think a dark purple with red undertones would look great with your skin. Then I’d ask you how you felt about sleeves.”

  Kavil cocked his head. “I like them?”

  Priscilla laughed and began to workshop a design for Kavil in earnest. He was confused by some of the terms she used but once they got the ball rolling, Kavil was a willing and eager participant, dragging Sulaiman into the discussion once they finalized an outfit for Kavil. Sulaiman was a far less enthusiastic participant, but Kavil wheedled his preferences out with the stubbornness of a bird harassing a worm out of the ground.

  Travel for the rest of the day went relatively smoothly as they reached a house half-reclaimed by nature to set up camp. They hadn’t made it to the home they had stayed before, but they were making good time. It was colder than expected as the sun slipped down the horizon, and Priscilla shivered a little as Sulaiman helped her down from the horse. Kavil brushed past her, examining her shoulder with magic before declaring her not any worse than before.

  “Should we light a fire?” Kavil asked as he rifled through his pack and pulled out his bedspread and a silk cover for his hair. Priscilla was too busy eating a sweet cheese bun from Allasan to offer her wisdom. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially since Priscilla was fairly sure there weren’t any threats in the area that demanded they be covert.

  Sulaiman cast his critical gaze over the grassy area, pursing his lips. “Ideally, we’d want to have a fire pit far away from any shrubs and grasses and lined with stone so it doesn’t spiral out of control while we’re asleep.”

  Kavil hummed thoughtfully as he smoothed out his bedding.

  “We’ll just have to sleep together to stay warm then,” Kavil said easily, like he was simply talking about the weather.

  Priscilla choked on the pastry as Sulaiman looked sharply at Kavil. Priscilla waved off Kavil’s concern as she swallowed down a mouthful of water.

  “Phrasing, Kavil,” Priscilla rasped, though she knew she was probably the last person who should comment on other’s phrasing considering the shit that leaves her mouth.

  Kavil blinked once, twice, and then his mouth dropped open as he finally got it.

  “I, I didn’t mean–” Kavil said, ducking his head. “I couldn’t possibly suggest that we, you know, I just–”

  “The idea isn't half-bad,” Priscilla said, only letting Kavil stew in his embarrassment for a moment, “so maybe we should just put our bedrolls next to each other. It’s not that cold, but I don’t hate the idea of being a little more cozy.”

  “You can go in the middle,” Kavil said quickly, as if trying to move past his unintentional faux pas, “and Sulaiman and I can be on either side so everyone is nice and warm.”

  Priscilla slid a glance to Sulaiman, who hadn’t moved since Kavil spoke.

  “You good with that, Sulaiman?” Priscilla asked slowly like one did approaching a predator. Sulaiman’s eye twitched before he reached up to press between his eyebrows.

  He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Now there’s two fools,” before giving Priscilla and Kavil a hard look.

  “I will be taking the first watch,” Sulaiman said firmly, masterfully ignoring the topic at hand, “and Kavil the second – Priscilla, you’re off the hook tonight.”

  “Got it!” Kavil said, straightening to give Sulaiman a salute. Priscilla eyed Sulaiman but decided she didn’t care enough to keep poking at him. He’d end up sleeping wherever he wanted and there was little she could say to change that, so Priscilla finished up her bun and toed off her shoes. She debated about changing into a nightgown, but both of the boys were giving off an embarrassed aura already, so Priscilla decided against it because it would be an ordeal.

  Priscilla curled into her bed roll and situated her new goose-down pillow under the sling. Kavil laid down next to her after just a moment and shifted under his blanket until his legs were pressed against hers. His body heat did make everything a little cozier and Priscilla already felt her eyes growing heavier.

  “Goodnight you two,” Priscilla said.

  “Goodnight, Priscilla,” Kavil whispered and Sulaiman echoed it a moment later, though it sounded more like an order when he said it. Priscilla fell asleep with a faint smile.

  Kavil watched Priscilla, amazed at how quickly her breathing evened out and she fell asleep within just two minutes. She seemed totally unbothered by the way Kavil insinuated they all…

  Kavil’s cheeks burned imagining that and he was so, so grateful his skin was too dark to show when he was embarrassed.

  He snuck a glance towards Sulaiman, who had sat down with his back facing them. Sulaiman had accepted Kavil’s pushiness all day and Kavil was afraid he had crossed the line unintentionally.

  Carefully, Kavil sat up, watching Priscilla to make sure he didn’t disturb her. She frowned a little and turned towards Kavil when he tried to shift away, so Kavil didn’t stand up like he had been planning to.

  “Sulaiman,” Kavil said softly and the man twitched at his name. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I really didn’t mean to say that, I just spoke without thinking.”

  There was a long moment of silence where Kavil truly feared he had messed things up the first day they were traveling together and gods, he was such an idiot, he already made Priscilla uncomfortable earlier by asking about her family and now he’s alienated Sulaiman and how did he ever think this was going to work out–

  Sulaiman turned towards him, expression hard to read. Moonlight brushed against his sharp cheekbones as Sulaiman tilted his head.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Sulaiman said, voice just as soft. “You just misspoke. It happens to everyone.”

  “But–”

  “Shh,” Sulaiman said as Priscilla stirred, making a sleepy noise. They both stayed still until she settled back down, hugging her pillow.

  Kavil took care to be quieter as he said, “Are you sure?”

  “Quite,” Sulaiman said. “I can assure you that slip of the tongue is leagues better than some of the things Priscilla has said intentionally – her mouth is filthier than a pig's pen.”

  Kavil had only gotten a small taste of Priscilla’s colorful vocabulary but he could picture her teasing Sulaiman clearly. Maybe a little too clearly – Kavil banished those thoughts before they could take hold.

  “What do I have to do to keep watch?” Kavil asked, latching onto the first topic that came to mind. “Any tips?”

  “Staying awake is the most important part,” Sulaiman said dryly, “and besides that, just keep up a decent awareness of everything around you. We shouldn’t encounter anything around here, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  Kavil nodded but before he could ask another question, Sulaiman was speaking once more.

  “Now, go to sleep,” Sulaiman said in that authoritative tone he sometimes used that gave the expectation he would be listened to or else, “so you won’t pass out when I wake you up for your shift.”

  “Okay,” Kavil said. He carefully crawled back into place without upsetting Priscilla. The woman sighed happily as Kavil pressed his body against hers and she shifted a little closer.

  “Goodnight, Sulaiman,” Kavil called.

  Kavil could see the smile pull at Sulaiman’s lips as he said, “Goodnight Kavil."

  That smile, more than any words the other man could say, was what finally assuaged the anxiety in Kavil’s chest and let him relax enough to sleep.