Chapter 64. Going Home

he forest was once more becoming a haven for evening shadows as a halt was called to their slow march.  Brigit helped to set up the camp.  They had not gone far that day and were now but a few miles from Bauer Academy having been turned away at Lurgardis Conservatory.  Brigit thought it an odd route.  For some odd reason the Crystal Palm members had decided to head south then east at Eternal Grove until they could cross easily into the land of their Luxon allies.

True, they had received no welcome in any of the Kurzick towns, but would it not have been easier to go back the way they had come?  Brigit helped Bao Li gather what little tinder could be found in a forest that was predominantly made of stone.  She glanced over at Morisedd sitting peacefully against one of the hoary old trunks with Uriel curled possessively in his arms.  It seemed there was not a moment the two of them were apart.  All through the slow march they clasped hands like children.

Sighing, she watched Shikai lay out her silver basin and begin the ritual to contact her husband, Zhou, an exercise that had proved futile on all the other nights.  She cringed with embarrassment at the memory of how silly and flirty she had been to that nice gentleman.  For her part, Shikai continued to be friendly and thanked Brigit repeatedly for saving Zhou’s life.  Blushing, she gazed at the flames now leaping up at Bao Li’s behest. She glanced over at Nandao clutching Lemony’s blanket-wrapped form protectively in his arms.

“Always the friend, never the lover,” she muttered to herself.  Oh well. 

At least Nandao was preoccupied and could not make good on this threat to punish her for her silly stunt.  Brigit smiled to herself.  As if he were capable of doing so.  She had proven to him on a number of occasions that she could easily best him in combat. 

Besides, she felt somewhat vindicated now that everyone had emerged from the ordeal alive and mostly whole.  Of course, it was hard to make her new friends see it that way.  Nandao had already reminded her on several occasions today that if he had not raised the alarm and forced the band to go after her, everyone they cared about would have been slain by dredge and oni.  It was only the arrival of the Crystal Palm at an opportune moment that had turned the tide of battle.

“I should just pack in my armor and give up,” she mused.  It seemed warriors were always blamed for everything, even when things turned out alright in the end.

She dropped down beside Nandao and glanced at Sister Lemony sleeping peacefully in his arms.  It was a very tender, almost insipid sight to see her old friend Nandao the gambler and trickster so transfixed with adoration.

“So, how are you enjoying life as a dedicated bachelor?” she taunted.  Nandao blushed almost as red as his tattoos.

“Well… nothing is ever certain,” he said.

“Tell me about,” Brigit grumbled.

“Isn’t it, fun, though?” he grinned.