We spent the rest of the evening nestled next to the roaring hearth in the center of the camp after Lilan agreed to my terms. We talked about plans—mostly the plans that Lilan and his band of rebels had in the works. They seemed eager to convince me that working together was a boon, and I had to agree it was, at least on some level.

  Sil mostly stayed quiet, refilling his mug of wine when it ran low. The bittersweet taste of the drink was refreshing, especially after our long walk through the forest, but it was the food that came later which really sealed the deal. They also provided us with new clothes. It was nice to finally be wearing something that fit me better, though the shirt was still rather loose, and the pants too long. At least I didn't smell as bad now—hopefully.

  As it happened, Lilan and Brenk had a lot of plans to discuss. Most notably, details about how they planned to infiltrate the empire's army. From the sounds of it, it seemed like the idea had been in the works for a while, though after explaining that the empress was looking to expand the size of her army, they grew convinced that they'd easily be able to get some people into the ranks. Kev would be traveling back to Caelthara with us, where he planned to sign up for the army.

  When the night had finally settled over the camp, and the cold had grown more biting, we all retreated to the warmth of the tents that lay scattered throughout the valley. Sil and I were given our own tents, and when I pulled the flap aside, I found a supply pack, as well as a longsword, two daggers, and a bow with a quiver full of arrows.

  "I wasn't sure what you preferred," Lilan's voice called out from behind me.

  I turned to face him, his face lit only by the glow of the torch in his hand.

  "Thank you." I offered him a slight smile and a dip of my head. I had planned to ask them for weapons, so at least this would save me the trouble of doing so. Sil had his music; I needed something a bit more physical.

  Lilan looked like he wanted to say something else, his eyes wavering slightly. I couldn't tell if it was nervousness or the strength of the wine. He and the others had been drinking it almost as heavily as Sil had. The white-haired man had already retired to his tent an hour before, and I could hear soft snores from the canvas structure closest to mine.

  "Was there something else, Lilan?" I had to bite back the desire to chastise him for wasting my time. It was already late, and Sil and I were leaving in the morning. I needed sleep. Something that didn’t leave me with branches digging into my back all night. Luckily, they were giving us a wagon—as they should—so it wouldn't be as long of a journey back to Caelthara. I was so close to a proper bed, I could almost feel the softness of the mattress beneath me.

  After another moment of hesitation, Lilan finally shook his head. "No, sorry, still recovering from everything. And perhaps I had a bit too much to drink." His mouth broadened into a goofy, but kind-looking smile. "It was nice to celebrate for once."

  That was a sentiment I shared, though tonight had felt less like a celebration and more like a much-needed step forward that led me walking straight into a wall. I still wasn't sure how I planned to use the rebels' plans to help with my own. But I had an entire wagon ride to figure that out.

  I spoke softly, "Then I'll be retiring for the night. Take care of yourself. If you're ever in the capital, come see me at The Slumbering Drake. I'll make sure you're taken care of." I nodded and then let the flap of the tent fall between us, hiding him from my sight.

  The light of his torch hovered there for another moment, as I readied my bedroll. By the time I slipped into the warmth of the thick roll of blankets, the light was starting to fade, leaving the tent in a welcoming darkness.

  *** *** ***

  The next morning arrived without incident, and Sil, myself, and Kev all loaded into the wagon, with Kev at the reigns and Sil seated beside him.

  I was in the back with Ophelia. We'd wrapped blankets around her to help cushion her body from the ride. The massive beasts harnessed to the wagon bellowed as we left the seclusion of the camp behind, following the trail out of a larger gap in the cliffs that surrounded the valley. I'd chosen to take both the sword that Lilan had offered, as well as the two daggers. I had left behind the bow. I'd never had much use with those kinds of weapons, and I had far more skill in the others, especially with the benefits the System offered.

  Silence settled over us for most of the ride, though Kev tried to strike up conversation with Sil at least twice. The white-haired man would respond, but never held the conversation for very long. I shook my head the third time that Kev tried to get him talking and turned my focus to other things.

  There was still a lot I needed to do. Not just to complete the quests that the System had given me on that first day, but I also had some very important goals I wanted to work toward when we arrived back in the capital—chief among them securing The Slumbering Drake for myself.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Not only was the location critical to my continued work against my imposter, but it would give me access to other resources I wouldn't have otherwise. It also meant getting to clean up one of the many problems I'd discovered littering my city.

  A smile crept across my face at the thought of Brin's demise at my hands. Though, I did wonder if Irinda might want to be involved in it in any way. It was doubtful, and I still hadn't figured out exactly how I planned to take care of that problem. An idea was brewing in my mind, though. I just needed to talk to Will and see what kind of connections he could help me make when it came to making someone disappear for good.

  That line of thought also brought up another potential problem: Aurelion and his plans for the Segrid's uprising.

  As it stood now, the Southern Uprising was likely a blessing more than a curse. If I let it go forward as planned, and I didn't step in to stop it, then perhaps it could further destabilize things within the empire. However, I wasn't sure Aurelion would like that stance, which could pose a problem, especially given his influence on the city's underworld.

  I'd have to spin it so that it was clear we gained more by letting everything play out as it was meant to. Even then, what I'd thought were guaranteed moments in the future didn't even seem as such anymore. I'd already seen some changes to the present, which made it likely that the future could deviate from what I'd already experienced, too. Even existing in this body was a deviation when I thought about it.

  I also had a gnawing feeling that the [Hero] might arrive early for some reason. Hopefully, the System would alert me to any such changes in the events of the future, though I had my doubts. It hadn't exactly warned me about the other System users in my world.

  I glanced down at Ophelia. There was so much I needed to do when I returned to the city. So many things I needed to take care of. First, I'd take Ophelia to Henrietta and see if she could do anything for her.

  The day was mostly uneventful, though we did pass a group of merchants heading southwest from the capital. They didn't bring much news about the city, but it was still good to see people coming and going from the city. That meant my imposter hadn't put all of her plans into motion yet, which meant I still had time to stop them.

  We rode for most of the day, only stopping once the sun had completely sank below the horizon. Sil and I unloaded Ophelia, putting her blankets down on the ground next to the fire that Kev made. Once she was situated and warm, we all bundled up in the heavy blankets that we'd brought for ourselves. Kev took the first watch, and he awakened me later to take the second.

  "All yours," he said, settling into his own blankets by the fire.

  I gave him a quick nod and stood up, stretching out my arms and legs to get the blood flowing again. It was cold enough to send shivers through my body, my teeth chattering together, but I held back against the urge to climb back into my blankets. I knew they'd just end up putting me back to sleep if I did.

  Instead, I did a patrol of the immediate area around the campground, looking for any signs that anyone might be following us or trying to sneak up on us. It wouldn't be unexpected, given how close we were to main roads now, but it also wouldn't do much good for me to let someone sneak up on us while we were camped out.

  Confident that nobody had come close to our little haven, I returned to the fire, keeping my back to it so that it wouldn't impede my night vision. The moons were high in the sky, and they bathed the clearing around us in pale light. A yawn drew my attention back toward Ophelia and Sil, and I found the white-haired man climbing out of his blankets, a tired expression on his face.

  "It's still early," I told him. "You should get some more sleep."

  Shaking his head he clambered over to where I was. "I'll be fine. Would rather talk while we have chance." His eyes glanced over our shoulders, back toward Kev.

  "What's there to talk about? You aren't happy with our arrangement." It was a statement. Not a question. He hadn't said it outright, but I could see it in his eyes the way he looked at Kev and the others. The way he'd shut down conversations with the man during today's wagon ride.

  He made a motion with his hands, as if half-shrugging. "It's not my favorite deal ever, but it's also not the worst I've ever seen made. I'm just confused about how they think getting this one man into the army is going to help them."

  I chuckled. "I assume they think he'll be able to send messages back to their camp and keep them aware of what's going on. It's reckless, but if they have the resources to possibly send someone off to die, then I say let them." I shrugged. It wasn't my job to tell Lilan what to do with his people. Maybe it was heartless to say, but any of them that died being stupid was one less I might have to kill later on when the rebels became my problem again.

  "And what about your plans? You have someone in mind you want to take Ophelia to? I can't imagine taking her to one of the healers in the city would be very smart."

  "No, it wouldn't." I agreed. "But I know someone I think can help."

  "And what if they can't?"

  "Then I'll figure it out. I don't need you breathing down my neck about it, though. Just trust me, okay?" I rubbed a hand across my face, using it to warm my cheeks. Did he think I had all the answers? Maybe he did. Maybe I should have them. But I didn't. But I'd be damned if I was going to admit it.

  "Okay," he said, holding up his hands. "Didn't mean to be pushy. I'm just trying to see where your head is at. I've thrown my lot in with you, Aria, and I'd like to keep my head. I'm very attached to it."

  I sighed, the air fogging up the space in front of my face, and rolled my eyes. Had he really? "Nothing is going to happen to your head. We just need to get back to the city before the snows start to fall."

  Sil looked up at the sky, taking in the stars and the moons. "That'll happen soon. I can feel it."

  "Yeah," I muttered. I could feel it, too. In the way that my bones ached with the cold, and the way the air seemed to grow drier, as if every bit of moisture was being soaked up by the coming winter. It wouldn't be long now. All we could do was try to outrun it. With any luck, our wagon would get us most of the rest of the way toward the capital tomorrow. All I had to do was survive the night.

  I eyed the blankets I'd left empty by the fire, then turned back to Sil. "Well, if you aren't going to sleep anymore, then I will. You've got the watch now."

  I didn't wait for him to respond. Instead, I climbed back into my blankets and pulled them close, letting the cold of the night fade as I fell into sleep once more.