Chapter 3: Of Amulets and Memories

    Addy and Lillian fell into a comfortable sort of routine over the next few days, as they stayed at the inn above The Thirsty Ox. They took to sharing as much information as possible about the job they were hired for - the job that they were apparently working together. Addy liked her line of work well enough, she supposed, so long as she ignored that hole in her chest that beat for home, for Alura.

    Perhaps it would be better now, since having a partner, particularly one skilled in medicine, would cut down on the risks of dying a tragic and forgettable death rather exponentially. And Lillian seemed to know a lot more about their mission then Addy did. They had been contracted by the Lord of a small Coastal City to retrieve the Amulet of Orion, a heirloom of House Lochan that had fallen into enemy hands. From what Lillian had heard, it was said to hold great power.

    "I wonder why Lord Lukas didn't bother telling me," Addy said, her tone more curious than accusatory. "Did he know that I was going to run into you in a small farming town, of all places?"

    Lillian put down her mug. It was the early hours of morning - their last day in Casta. The tavern was dead silent, save the soft clink of the bartender organizing glasses. The drunk, dancing old man had left an hour or so ago. The stains on the scuffed wooden tables scattered around the stage were barely visible in the faint light, and the whole place had a rather charming aura.

    The two girls each had finished their breakfast rather quickly in preparation for their travels. It was a meagre thing, a small portion of stew and a thin slice of bread each, but it was half price, on account of them saving the town a few days before. Besides, they needed their energy for the journey that laid ahead, and food was food. Addy had learned not to be picky.

    "Perhaps he did," Lillian said. "I've heard that the Amulet of Orion gives the wearer the ability to see the future." She paused for a moment, considering. "Of course, most of what I hear from Perrnath these days is more fiction than fact."

    "I think the people are just scared. Mordan threatens their borders, and they're looking for any form of consultation. A magical amulet could be the turning point the war needs."

    Lillian shrugged, seemingly unbothered.  "Who knows. That would explain why he wants it back so desperately, though. Enough to pay such a hefty price."

    Addy couldn't help but grin at the reminder. A hundred gold pieces each. It was more than she'd even seen in the last five years. Ever since... the incident, she had tried to live as frugally as possible, and she certainly wouldn't be keeping most of the money for herself. It would go to the various charities she knew, to the children who truly needed it in a way she had never even considered when she was a spoiled little girl.

    She knew that she had to stay as far away from positions of privilege as possible. But still, the prospect of staying at a nice inn and buying new clothes was enticing. She was only human, after all.

    After finishing the last of her drink, Addy stood up and grabbed her bag. "Meet back here in two hours?" She asked Lillian.

    "See you later," the priestess replied.

    Addy returned to her room, gathering up her possessions. She had a change of clothes, her armour, two daggers, a few day's rations, a handful of silver and bronze coins, and her longsword, which was of good craftsmanship and was a gift from Gavril when she finished her training. Buried at the bottom of the bag were the treasures from her previous life, the things she just couldn't bear to leave behind.

    She reached and ruffled through the contents: the letters, a pair of moonstone earrings, the vials of hair dye, the clothes she had been wearing the night she fled - that cursed dress of blue silk - until she found what she was looking for. It was a small ring made of gold and diamond, worth more than everything else she owned combined. It was an image of a butterfly mid flight, surrounded by falling leaves.

    She shut her bag with a slam, letting the ring fall back to the bottom. There was no use in dwelling on the past.

~~

    Abigail Valadon was exceedingly bored in her lessons. She knew how important it was to pay attention, but her tutor just seemed to drone on and on and on. She was certain that this woman had the most annoying voice in all of Alura, and promptly decided that her father couldn't possibly be furious with her if she didn't pay attention.

    Instead, she focused on the corner of her parchment, which was filled with doodles of dresses and trinkets. Abigail had always adored fashion, and the capital's garment district had quite the scene.

She had dragged Jay and a handful of guards down there last weekend so she could determine what dresses she wanted for her birthday. He had humoured her for half a day before cracking under the pressure that only shopping with her could bring, and recusing himself to tend to his royal duties.

Thinking of it now, Abigail couldn't help but snort at the sight of her brother, the Crown Prince of Alura, looking exceedingly uncomfortable at her favourite jewelry store. Her poor brother was such a pushover, easily steamrolled by his two younger sisters.

The only place that Jason wasn't so easily manipulated was the training yard. At only fifteen, he had already cultivated a reputation as one of the best fighters in all of Alura, maybe in the whole continent.

The nobles whispered that it was only a matter of time before he displayed the Valadon light powers. The whole country of Alura was famous for light wielding, the same way Perrnath was known for water bending.

It was said that once in every generation, the strongest and purest heart of the Valadon siblings, the one with the deepest connection to the gods, would be gifted light powers of such a degree that nearly no other person in Alura could compare.

Abigail knew that her father had such power, and that her brother would too. That was why he spent so much time sword training, and kneeling in prayer and speaking of duties. That was why he was no fun anymore.

She felt someone tap her shoulder, and saw a note slide over to her. She grinned. At least she had Eliza, the daughter of the fiercest general in Alura and her best friend, who was forced to endure these dull lessons with her.

'Do you have any idea what Miss Drusilla is saying? I think I dozed off,' Eliza's note said.

'She's probably still blathering on about family histories,' was Abigail's reply.

'I bet we can go the whole rest of this session without saying a single word and she won't even notice.' Abigail smirked at the thought.

'Well, it's not like she can call us out, even if she does catch us.'

'She can't call you out, Abby. Not all of us are princesses.'

Abigail couldn't help but roll her eyes at Eliza's note. It wasn't as if being a princess gave her any special privileges.

'Well, not all of us are daughters of the scariest lord in the whole continent.'

They shared a giggle before quickly clamping their hands over their mouths.

The girls managed to evade notice for nearly half the lesson, until their governess ended her lecture on the importance of knowing their family history and saw their heads buried in notes.

"Girls!" She hissed. "Were you paying any attention?"

Abigail turned and looked up at her, with her signature wide-eyed, innocent look that got her anything she wanted, whenever she wanted it. Only a few people in the palace weren't susceptible to it.

"Of course, Drusilla," Abigail said.

Eliza nodded silently beside her, her face taut with fear. She wasn't as good as charming her way out of trouble as Abigail was.

Unfortunately for Abigail, Governess Drusilla was one of the people not susceptible to her charms. "And what, princess, is your family coat of arms?"

Abigail thanked Delos that this was a question she knew the answer to. "It's a butterfly with falling leaves, to symbolize the change of the seasons and the importance of the earth."

That clearly wasn't the answer the governess was expecting - that is, a correct one. She gave a short huff. "Very well." She turned back, looking Abigail directly in the eyes. "But you ought to be careful, your highness. One of these days, there will be a situation where no amount of luck will save you."

Abigail hadn't given her words much weight at the time, as she and Eliza had rolled their eyes and giggled, before scampering off.

But in the years that followed, she realized just how right the governess had been.

~~

Addy departed her small room in the Thirsty Ox, travelling down to the market to get supplies for the journey ahead. The shops on the main street had just started to open for the busy day ahead, and a good deal of the merchants had recognized her as one of the girls who had saved the town.

She managed to get favourable deals on a pair of gloves, and a healing salve. It was nothing particularly fancy, but the craftsmanship was good, and she was nearing the end of her savings. She remembered the rumours she heard of the cold weather in Perrnath - which bordered the ocean. With that in mind, she decided to purchase a cloak of decent make. Surely, it'd be worth the investment.

She truly liked the townspeople, appreciated their kind smiles and hard work. Casta was one of the smallest towns on Giana's border with Perrnath, and was on the small part of land that was still considered neutral territory. These people had seen little of the horrors of war.

A young boy was running down the street, chasing a girl who was giggling softly as she ran. "Give me back the ball!" He was shouting, that mix of anger and frustration that only a child could have.

Addy couldn't help but smile to herself, recalling her relationship with her older brother. She was glad that Lillian and she had managed to protect this little place of happiness for a bit while longer. These people deserved that, at least.

She returned to the inn a few minutes early, and struck up a friendly conversation with the barmaid before Lillian arrived. The other girl's quiver was fully stocked, and her bag was filled with all sorts of medical supplies Addy couldn't put a name to.

"What exactly do you imagine will happen to us during this mission that warrants all that?" Addy asked, gesturing to the rolls of gauze and bottles of alcohol.

Lillian heaved her bag onto her shoulders. "I'm a healer, Freeland. It's my job to prepare for the worst possible scenarios."
    "Well, let's pray that neither of us needs it."

"By Galina's grace, we won't," said Lillian, in a mixture of seriousness and humour. It made sense that no one as devoted to the earth goddess as she seemed to be, would invoke her name in vain.

The two women walked out of the Thirsty Ox and down the main street, taking the gawking stares of the villagers - they were dressed in armour and robes, respectively - in stride. Together, they left the town that they had saved, the place that had brought them to each other. Together, they strode out into the unknown.

It felt almost like a new beginning.

Next chapter, we're finally getting out of Casta. It's called Of Bandits and Travels, to give you a hint of what to expect <3 Hope you enjoyed - let me know in the comments, along with any theories or feedback you have.