Back on the road were the Yerps. Yach and Mier sat in front of the wagon with the former at the driver’s seat. The older chronicler sat in the back where he perused his notes and checked his items.

  The occasional off-road bump forced him to recollect his things. One such bump knocked several items out from their loose containers.

  As Arty hurried to put everything back, he happened upon All for Heart as well as a pair of sandals.

  His face scrunched in perplexity before he rushed everything back where they came from. He kept his eyes on the work of Naim Noma though, its presence baffled him.

  The escorts that followed were just one. A few yards behind the chroniclers strolled Ythan. He chugged from his water pouch under the blazing heat; summer stubbornly stuck around with a refusal to leave.

  It had been days since the group’s exit from Odlassi and as they traveled further inland, they encountered fewer cities. Trees, hills, and wilderness surrounded them.

  The wagon’s path constituted a smooth tread with grass on its flank. Inclined hills stood to its left while assorted woods covered its right.

  Out from the forest ran a deer, they stopped in sight of Ythan and the chroniclers.

  The very next second, an uncloaked Tyroviv leaped in its direction. It weaved and avoided capture easily and made its flight.

  Quin got up his knees as he wiped dirt off his pants. The leaves above rustled before Conon and Onyl descended beside him.

  In the days since Odlassi, the team had been hard at work on their tactics and coordination. Quin had his moments for rest, but Onyl made sure it stayed short before training resumed.

  As the next recent Cosondere on the team, Onyl had a better memory of the Pit and its procedures. Thus she took the lead when it came to team training. From early on, she had fit the role nicely.

  “You failed to follow instructions.” she chided. She and Conon were also without their cloaks.

  “Again, you are supposed to use your aura. You take lighter steps. You make less noise. Why is that so hard for you?”

  “I’m sorry,” responded Quin as he got to his feet. “It’s kind of hard to do from the branches.”

  “Stop wasting time with excuses Quin. If you can leap from buildings, then you can leap from trees.”

  Quin could only shrug, sigh and face the ground. With the brief respite, Conon used the moment to grab his waterskin.

  “Yer actually usin’ yer aura wit’ buildings, right?” he asked as he pulled on the cork. “If not, yer makin’ loud noises to the people below.”

  “What?!” That was news to Quin.

  He thought about the moments he had to roof hop in Sirqu. The planting of feet before the leaps. The landings. That whole time, he might have disrupted someone’s dinner or rest. He cupped his mask.

  “Let me guess, I was supposed to learn that at the Pit right?”

  “What matters is that you learn it now,” asserted Onyl with hands on her hips.

  “She’s right y’know. You gotta learn on the go.” Conon took a swig and to his disappointment, only consumed air.

  He snarled as he looked into the pouch. “Hey let’s take a breather ‘n’ get some more refreshments. If I remember this road right, there should be some kind of spring near here.”

  Onyl turned to him with crossed arms and a scoff. “The more water you drink, the more breaks you will have Conon.”

  “I know. I know. But this heat ain’t messin’ around. We let our guard down, ‘n’ nature’ll cook us from the inside out.”

  Onyl closed her eyes as air escaped her nose. As much as she would rather resume, she couldn’t overlook the importance of a hydration break.

  She stuck out her hand and beckoned for Conon’s waterskin. Once in her possession, she bundled the older looking pouch with her newer one then handed them both to Quin.

  He didn’t appreciate the relegation.

  “Hey, why do I have to go and refill them?” he asked.

  Onyl scowled. “Because we’re not the ones in a mask, new guy. Next question.”

  Quin turned to Conon, the light shrug his friend produced told him no one else had an objection.

  “Don’t worry brother, the spring should be on the other side of these hills,” Conon reassured. “Shouldn’t miss it, but if you can’t find it, just come right back. Quick ‘n’ easy.”

  With no other choice, Quin simply complied. He embraced all three pouches and rushed up the incline. In seconds, the chroniclers and his teammates shrank as he covered the hill’s distance.

  To his relief he didn’t have to look down for long as he spotted a spring indeed on the other side at the hill’s base. He kept his head high to the sky while he slid down in direction of the natural fountain.

  He finally reached the bottom when he dropped down to an unbeknownst lady. She took a couple steps back in shock before she slipped.

  “Ooh, I’m sorry!” said Quin as he dropped the pouches, rushed over, and reached out an arm. “I wasn’t looking. I didn’t mean to drop in on you like that.”

  The lady remained reticent as she looked Quin up and down in panic. She zeroed in on his outstretched hand and took it.

  “Yeah, totally an accident,” Quin said while he lifted her off the ground. “I don’t want you to think you’re in any trouble or anything.”

  The lady parted her lips. “Wait, I remember you. Were you in Lysonick a few days ago?”

  “Uh, yes. Yes I was. Is the something the matter?”

  “You were the one who caught me when I was thrown off the higher district. I remember your hair.” She clasped her hands. “Thank you so much again.”

  “Oh yeah, anytime. Anytime.” Quin went over to pick up his pouches. “Are you out here all by yourself? Don’t tell me there are still people after you over that favor?”

  “I’m not sure. We’ve been traveling by sea and only saw a few boats. I don’t think anyone’s been following us.”

  “That’s good to hear. You said ‘us’ so you’re not alone?”

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  “Uhh-uh. We’re on a trade run, me, my father and his friends. We’re on our way to Comi and we’re just here to refill. There’s someone else who’s apprenticing with me and...oh. There she is right now.”

  Another lady walked up and Quin couldn’t believe his eyes. Onto the scene she entered where a light breeze blew her beautiful brown hair. The leaves and grasses susurrated around her as if they centered in on her. Right there before him, it was her. It was Aesther.

  Shock took over her face. “Quin?”

  “Wh-wh-wh...what are you doing here?” Quin finally got out.

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “I’m just out on a trip with Papa. Every now and then, he’ll take me with him on his work.”

  An awkward silence befell the moment. Quin couldn’t tell, he lost himself in the sights. Roughly a week went by since their last encounter, but it felt much longer than that.

  “Um Aesther, you know this person?” asked the lady.

  “Yeah. We meet time to time in Sirqu.”

  A succinct yet depressing way to sum up their relationship. Nothing but a series of light conversations before they went their separate ways.

  Even after he stood out and became a Cosondere, a Cosondere. He had forgotten he was a Cosondere. What would she say, he wondered. How Yerp-ish would it be?

  “This is the person I was talking about who saved me in Lysonick,” the lady explained with her hand stretched out to Quin. “He jumped in and caught me out of the air. See, a Cosondere.”

  Aesther looked at her friend then Quin, her face shifted from bemused to reassured.

  “Wow, I can see it now,” she stated. “It was a little hard to see in my head, but since it’s Quin, I can easily see that now.” She turned to him with her warm and welcoming smile. “You’re always so helpful.”

  Even though the mask covered it, Quin still had to look away to hide his glee.

  For the first time in his presence, he heard genuine praise from Aesther. He never really knew for sure what she thought of him so to hear her honest impressions, his heart soared to the clouds.

  “So I take it you’re here on some Cosondera business?” Aesther mentioned. “It’s so different seeing you with a mask.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Still getting used to it myself.” Quin said as he fiddled his mask. He quickly backed out of any reveal of his flustered face. “We’re supposed to keep them on at all times, but ehh y’know, doesn’t always work out that way.”

  “Have you always wanted to be a Cosondere? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about them.”

  “No, not really. It was certainly the last thing on my mind when it happened.” Something more important crossed Quin’s mind. “Actually, can you do me a favor real quick?”

  “Um, sure what is it?”

  “Can you wait right here for a few seconds. I brought something I wanted to give you.”

  “Really? For me? You didn’t have to.”

  Quin quickly filled the waterskins. “I’ll be right back. You won’t have to wait too long, I promise.”

  Aesther turned to her friend who shot a similarly confused look. “Uh okay. Get back safely.”

  Quin admired her concern for him despite their circumstances.

  He wanted to see more of her hazel eyes and cute button nose. He wanted to whiff more of that lemony-pine fragrance she wore.

  But when he returns with the sandals, he’ll get to see the best smile in the world. He left the spring at once.

  Quin rushed up the heights with rapidity. As if on pursuit, he covered vast yards within seconds.

  Somehow, as far from home as he’s ever been, an opportunity arose to give Aesther the sandals. His previous attempts had been dashed before, but not even time could get in his way now.

  The wagon appeared in his field of view; promptly after, he appeared in front of everyone’s view. They barely spotted him when he sailed up beside them.

  Onyl crossed her arms and shook her head. “Were you moving that fast the whole time? No matter. You are ba-”

  “Forgot something!” Quin blurted as he tossed the skins at his teammates.

  He quickly went for the wagon and retrieved his sack. He barely checked inside before he clenched the bag under his grip.

  A bushy brow rose. “Forgot something? Like what? Why are you carrying your things with you?”

  “I won’t be out too long Onyl. We can do the training as soon as I come back.”

  Onyl looked to Conon who shrugged once more. The two swapped the other’s pouches in the air as they allowed Quin the time he needed.

  With possessions in hand, he set out for the hills. Or he would, had a certain blue cloak not stepped in his way.

  Impatience and consternation merged inside his heart, all while he stood in silence before his boss. Ythan squinted at Quin for a short while before he handed the Tyroviv his own waterskin.

  “If you’re going back then get me some water too,” he instructed. “Don’t take as long as you did, this won’t be a straight path the whole way.”

  “You got it sir,” Quin affirmed as he took hold of the pouch. Once the Neraviv stepped aside, he made a straight dash to the hills.

  Sandals in his possession, Quin moved even faster. His chance finally arrived. He took several leaps across one side of the heights. His chance finally arrived.

  He reached the other side and despite his uneasiness, looked down toward the spring. His chance hit a snag.

  At the bottom beside the spring stood Aesther, her friend, and two strangers. Quin snapped his sights to their hands as they gestured to the two ladies.

  Their fingernails were painted black. They forcefully pointed at the friend all with a hostile body language.

  Quin prepared himself to jump in when an unexpected sight occurred. Instead of any fear, Aesther stepped before the two men with an unfriendly posture of her own.

  Quin slowly closed in more so he could get a closer look at Aesther’s angry side. He moved close enough to hear the dispute.

  “Listen dammit,” one of the men told her. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of this. How you do business ain’t how we do business.”

  “Probably the only honest thing you’ve said so far,” Aesther pointed as she gazed at the men with suspicion. “How can you talk about legit debts when you run an ill-legit business? Only crooked folks make crooked deals. We don’t have time for crooked deals.”

  The other man lost his patience. “This has nothing to do with you and we’re done arguing, MOVE!”

  He shoved Aesther aside to the spring and snatched her friend. The frightened expression on her face disappeared in the spring as the two men had an arm on the friend to drag her away.

  The sight of Aesther drenched and possibly hurt sent Quin over an edge and his spirits took over. Before his mind could process a thought, he dove to the scene, blood boiled hot.

  Shock and disbelief overcame the two men. “You can’t be serious,” one of them cried out. “Of all the times, a cloak here now?”

  “I don’t know what you’re doing here,” Quin started. “But if you don’t stop right now, it’ll be the last thing you’ve ever done.”

  “Hey this is a matter of business. We’re allowed to do business within our means and needs. You cloaks can’t just cut in and set your own ter-.”

  Quin marched straight for the speaker, clutched his collar, then picked him off the ground before he had a chance to flee.

  His partner never looked back in their flight. The frightened face slightly cooled Quin’s anger but he still had a fire under his heart.

  “If you have a working brain in your head, you’ll stop talking and leave ‘cause if I see any of you at it again with this ‘business’, then I’ll put you all out of business. Permanently!”

  A few moments went by without a voice uttered. Aesther emerged from the spring before she was hit with sneezing fits. Thoughts of a potential illness rekindled the fire.

  “What do you have to say for yourself?!” Quin grilled with jolts to the man.

  He screamed and hollered before he yelled, “I won’t come back! I won’t come back!”

  “Don’t tell mee!”

  The man looked at the two ladies behind Quin. “You two won’t see me again. Ever. I promise.”

  Quin dropped him on his ass and with no time wasted, the man scrammed away. Quin’s eyes followed him a few yards before he turned them to Aesther.

  “Are you guys okay?” he asked as his head turned to each of them. “Any of you hurt?”

  “We’re fine, I’m fine. Thank you,” Aesther responded as she flicked water away. “I’m just all wet. It’s a good thing you showed up when you did. I didn’t know what they were going to do.”

  “I’m sorry about this,” the friend stated. “It’s because of me that they came here. I thought they weren’t following me. I thought...oh I’m so sorry.”

  “It’ll be fine. You’ll be okay,” Quin assured. “Just go back to your group as quickly as you can. I’ll make sure they won’t follow you this time.”

  The two ladies began to set out. Aesther looked back at the Tyroviv.

  “Be careful Quin. I know you’re a Cosondere now, but...”

  “I’ll be alright. Just make sure you get a fresh change of clothes. I wouldn’t know what to do if that pretty face got ill.”

  That last sentence wasn’t supposed to be uttered. Quin froze, his mask hid his shock.

  “Don’t worry I will,” Aesther told him confidently. “Thanks for everything Quin. Hope to see you again.”

  As Aesther walked out, her words resonated inside Quin. She “hoped to see him again,” he replayed in his head. Was this progress, he wondered.

  He certainly wanted it to be, it would make it all the more easy to gift her...with the sandals he forgot.

  Quin kicked the ground upset that he missed yet another chance to give his gift.

  All because of those black-nailed piss peddlers as Onyl called them. He couldn’t get angry with what happened to him, but what happened to Aesther inflamed his ire.

  He knew they already attracted attention from the Cosondera, but as he picked up his things, he looked in the direction of the two men’s flight and followed their path.

  Since they were Yerps and he a Sentar’i, he’d be able to catch up to them fast. He had no intentions to harm the lot of them, but every intention to end their activities.

  He wanted to see Aesther again and by all accounts, she wanted another meeting too.

  He’d be dammed if another Black Nail got in the way.