A/N: Oh wow, thanks so much for all the reviews! These opinions really help me improve the story, so thanks again!

Malomedies heard the door to his prison open. The sun had already set long ago, and he'd been drifting in and out of sleep for a few hours. The mask was carefully lifted from his face and he looked into the asura assistant's wide eyes. Malomedies smiled at her. Their nightly encounters had become routine already, and were admittedly a lot more pleasant than the daily ones. The assisstant never hurt him, but she showed him the magic of numbers and calculation - which interested him immensely.

'Do you not need to sleep?' he asked her. She had bags under her eyes, but shook her head.

'I want to make the most of our time,' she said, which made Malomedies cringe a little. He looked up in surprise however when she continued. 'Gixx' return won't be long now. He was right all along.' She sighed. 'You will be free soon.'

Malomedies smiled widely, for the first time in a long time. He had stopped counting the days long ago, for fear of depressing himself to death.

'How come? Why are you releasing me?' The assistant laughed wryly.

'Because Gixx is going to force my master to treat you as he should. He can't go on with this façade of pretending you're a Jungle Wurm or some other half-sentient lifeform. He has no right to go on like this any longer.' She shook her head slowly. 'You'd wonder why I still call him my master.'

'That is indeed curious,' Malomedies agreed. 'How come this Gixx knows what I am?' He asked then, curiously, as she untied him and he sat up. He lifted his badly damaged left leg with his hands and carefully swung it over the edge of the table, wincing when a sudden pain shot up his leg. The assistant noted it, and turned to rummage in the cabinet without speaking. She returned and injected a greenish fluid into the leg. The leg immediately regained some colour, and the pain vanished.

'Thank you,' Malomedies said, a surprised tone in his voice. The asura waved him off.

'Please don't thank me. I have done horrible things to you, as well.' She looked at her feet.

'I cannot deny that.' Malomedies complied. The asura huffed and tried to change the subject.

'So, the Gixx matter. I do not know how he knows about you. He has been away to the Shiverpeaks, as far as I know. Durmand Priory business. In his letters he described meeting two females, who looked like humanoid plants.' She glanced at him. 'But you do not identify as female, do you?'

'Obviously,' Malomedies answered. 'Two of them, you said? Both female?' He seemed deep in thought, but his eyes sparkled. 'And these Shiverpeaks are far away from here?'

'Very. Wait, I'll show you a map.' She opened the cabinet again, looking in one of the lowest drawers. It was filled with papers and brochures. The tag on the drawer said "Other".

The assistant returned with an old-looking, worn and wrinkled piece of paper, that she unfolded. It was discoloured in large spots and quite obviously not used for a while. Completely unfolded, it showed a delicately drawn map. The asura rotated it so that Malomedies could read it. He looked at it with wonder.

'Here. This,' she circled a dot on the map, 'is Rata Sum, where we are now. And here, ' she circled another point, not far from the city, 'is where we found you.' Then she moved her pen more to the middle of the map, and circled a big portion. 'These are the shiverpeaks. And here is the base of the Durmand Priory, where I assume Gixx is now.'

Malomedies studied the map for a moment.

'How can it be far away? It's no more than a hand's length.' He looked at her with a confused look on his face. She returned his gaze, for a moment just as confused. Then she laughed and shook her head.

'No no no. This is all scaled. This city is not as big as this dot, now is it? You would never fit in the dot.'

'That makes sense,' Malomedies said, softly, still looking at the map. The assistant decided to explain further.

'From here, to where we found you,' she drew a short line on the map, 'is about two days walking. Maybe one with your long legs.' Then she drew a long line towards the area she marked "Shiverpeaks".

'This line is much longer, you see? It is more days of walking.' Malomedies nodded.

'How convenient! So one can calculate the amount of time it will take to go anywhere on this map?'

'Exactly,' the asura nodded, proudly. 'And we use these maps to navigate while traveling.'

'How do you do that?' Malomedies asked, and the asura's face glowed with enthusiasm. She had not had a conversational partner this interested in a long time. She turned the map over to reveal a chart sprinkled with dots and lines.

'This is a star chart. You can use it to determine your position on the map by comparing the rotation of the stars you see at night to the ones on this map.'

'Fascinating!'

The door slammed behind them. Both asura and Sylvari looked up in shock. Master Kudu's eyes sparkled with rage.

'As I thought, my assistant has been sabotaging my work behind my back!'

He screamed at his assistant to get out, and she yelled back, trying to reason with him, tears in the corners of her eyes. Malomedies could only watch as Kudu smacked her face and cruelly shoved her out of the room. Kudu spat on the ground and fired her on the spot. The last the Sylvari saw of her was her tear-stained face before the door closed in front of her.

.

The Inn was crowded the next day. Hunters and warriors in full gear sat, nervously tapping their fingers on the wooden surfaces of the table, sharpening their blades or counting their arrows. Their ale went mostly untouched. Even though it was almost noon, the sky was as black as it had been twelve hours prior. Wind howled around the wooden building, building the snow up quickly around every ledge it could find. It was knee-deep on the ground already. The fires blazed, yet even the Norn shivered once in a while.

The innkeeper knocked softly on the door of the room where her two Sylvari guests slept, holding an oil lamp and carefully coming in.

'Wake up, darlings. I need to you to be travel-ready.'

Caithe shot up, daggers at the ready. Whether Faolain moved faster or had already been sitting up, she didn't know. Slowly, Caithe lowered her daggers when she recognized the innkeeper.

'What is the matter? Why do we need to go?'

'Not yet,' the innkeeper said, in a soothing voice. 'I'll explain downstairs. Please pack your things.' She left the lamp on a bedpost. Caithe looked outside, confused.

'Why in the middle of the night?' She asked, reaching for the lamp.

'It's not night,' Faolain stated softly from her edge of the bed. She stared at the window, into the darkness outside. Caithe followed her gaze, sensing her unease.

'Come downstairs, make sure your belongings are ready for travel. I heard you were planning to depart today anyway?' The innkeeper asked, friendly as always.

'Yes, we are. We will meet with magister Gixx in the afternoon.' Caithe said, getting out of bed. The innkeeper nodded.

'I'll keep you children safe until then.' She closed the door softly behind her as she left, and her footsteps died away on the wooden stairs. The only sound remaining was the howling of the wind and Faolain nervously tapping her fingertips on the windowsill as she stared outside. There was nothing to be seen but deep darkness and snow flying by.

Caithe gently embraced her, her chest leaning against Faolain's warm back, her chin on Faolain's shoulder. She felt the other was tense.

'Does the dark scare you, Caithe?' Faolain whispered, still gazing outside. Caithe squeezed her reassuringly.

'Not the darkness itself,' she answered softly, 'but sometimes I fear what it might conceal.' Faolain leaned into Caithe's touch, slowly nodding. They listened to the moaning wind for a moment.

'It reminds me of the water,' Faolain said. Caithe held her hands, and interlaced their fingers.

'Where you scared then?'

'No,' the simple answer came.

'And now?' Caithe asked, moving back a little so she could look at her lover's face. Faolain did not return her gaze.

'I do not think I ever was,' she trailed off, 'but now I am sure I am not scared.' Now she turned her head, looked at Caithe from the corners of her eyes. 'It's just like daylight, but different.'

'Daylight is much more beautiful. We belong in daylight.' Caithe replied.

'Do we, Caithe of the Cycle of Night?' Faolain jested her, and freed herself from the embrace. She silently picked up her belongings, and Caithe followed her.

.

Wrapped in their wolfskin mantles, they went downstairs. Even more Norn had gathered there now, some standing, some pacing through the inn, slaloming around the others. A Norn woman was oiling and braiding her long, black hair, wrapping thick leather strips around it and curling them up into a big ponytail at the back of her head.

The innkeeper beckoned them, and the Sylvari were seated in a corner, where no Norn fit. She set two mugs of steaming dolyak milk before them and then sat down, speaking to them in a hushed voice.

'You're probably wondering what's going on.' She started, leaning on one arm. Caithe nodded and leaned closer, as if this was some kind of secret no one could know.

'North, far north, there is a deep cave of ice. In it, the champion of the Dragon Jormag resides.'

'Jormag? Who drove the Norn from the north?' Caithe asked. The innkeeper raised her eyebrows at her, and then Caithe quickly added, 'Knut told me.'

'Exactly, that Jormag. His champion is his right hand. Every now and then brave Norn rise up to go and defeat him. Never has one returned.' The woman shook her head, a tormented expression on her face.

'That is, no one has returned alive. The champion collects our warriors and turns them into Icebrood. Frozen beings, driven by only the hatred of the Dragon, that destroy everything that gets in their path. ' The Sylvari saw the sadness in her eyes.

'Once he collects enough warriors, he sends them back here, an Icebrood army. But the Icebrood don't come silently. This storm,' she gestured outside with her head, 'tells us they are coming.'

'Can no one defeat him?' Caithe asked, her eyes wide. The crowd in the inn stirred when the door swung open and a familiar, deep voice echoed through it.

'The archers are at the ready. Warriors, follow me.' Knut's eyes scanned the inn, nodding at the men and women he recognized. His face looked stern, and his eyes had bags under them, as if he had not slept well. The innkeeper roughly shoved her chair back and marched at him, looking him straight into his eyes.

'Whitebear, you have to let me fight alongside you,' she said, her voice strong. Caithe only now noticed there was a dagger in a sheath hanging from her belt. Knut smiled at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. His tone was strangely patronizing as he spoke to her.

'I cannot let you. Today, your task is to protect the hero you carry inside you, while we protect you.'

'I can still fight!' She hissed through her teeth, seething with anger. The other Norns started exiting the inn, assembling outside.

'What if you die? Will you take your child's future before it has even started?'

'I will not stay back uselessly while you, while Ron-'

'Ron will want his son alive when he returns from this battle!' Knut growled. He saw the last Norn-warrior leave the inn, and grabbed the door, barring the exit. 'And so you will stay here, on my orders!' The door slammed shut, staggering the woman back. She banged on the door with a fist, then turned, unsheathed her dagger and stabbed one of the tables, growling in the back of her throat. She heaved a few times, holding the heft of her blade, then slowly straightened her back and looked outside. Knut walked at the front of the formation, quickly disappearing into the snowstorm.

Caithe had been staring at the ordeal with wide eyes. She walked over slowly as the woman threw herself down on a chair, and felt Faolain follow her.

'What was that all about? Why won't you fight, if it is that important to you?' Caithe asked, quietly. The woman shook her head.

'I'm pregnant.' She stated, the regret clearly audible in her voice, her head resting on her fist, her torso slumped against the chair. Faolain and Caithe exchanged confused glances. The woman caught it and annoyedly sat up.

'I'm with child. What do you not understand about that,' she snarled at them, then her face softened as she saw the Sylvari flinch back at the sound of her voice. She managed a half smile, sighed, and got herself some ale. Her boots clicked on the wooden floor, and Caithe glanced at Faolain, eyebrows raised. Faolain followed the innkeeper with her eyes, but did not speak. Then the woman sat back down, but shoved her chair back and gestured for the Sylvari to come closer. She opened the few lower buttons of her thick canvas shirt, and the slight curve of her belly became visible.

'Here. You can already feel him move, sometimes. My son.' She guided Caithe's hand to her belly and placed it there. Caithe was amazed when she indeed felt movement, only slightly, she really had to concentrate on it, but it was definitely there. Faolain placed her hand next to Caithe's, her expression switching between fascinated and utterly astonished. Suddenly Caithe realized something.

'So that is why children are small, at first, then?' She looked at the innkeeper with a smile. The woman returned her gaze, first confused, then suddenly laughing.

'Yes,' she said, her voice warm again, 'but I take it doesn't go the same way with you?'

'We rose from our seedpods exactly as we are.' Faolain said, tentatively taking her hand off the Norn.

'Ah,' the woman answered, idly rubbing her belly. She buttoned up her shirt again and stood up.

'I have things to do,' she said, 'but I'll escort you to the gate when it's time. Stay inside until then.' Caithe nodded, stepping back, her eyes still wide with wonder. The innkeeper straightened her back and greeted them offhandedly as she took her half-empty ale mug with her into the back chambers.

Caithe looked at Faolain, who still had this mixed expression on her face. She placed her hand on Faolain's stomach and grinned at her.

'Well, that must be what the Pale Tree feels like, carrying all the new pods,' she said, and Faolain smacked her hand away.

'Caithe, that is just terrifying. How can you even think something like that?'

'I remember you wanting to be in her footsteps?'

'I changed my mind.'

'You are a coward,' Caithe teased her, but Faolain turned and looked at her with dangerously narrowed eyes. Caithe's smile fell from her face, as she sensed she had gone too far. Faolain stepped forward and held Caithe's chin in her fingers, her eyes boring into each other's, their faces almost touching.

'You are nothing without me, Caithe,' she hissed. Faolain radiated anger. Caithe's eyes were wide, and she felt paralyzed and shocked.

For the first time, when she felt Faolain lean in and warm lips touch her own, she was not sure if she enjoyed it.

.

The day did not clear at all, and a few hours later it was still pitch-black outside. The innkeeper had a thick mantle around her own shoulders now as well, and she held open the door for the Sylvari to step outside. Caithe emerged and was immediately blown back against the wooden walls by the storm. The innkeeper grabbed her by her collar and pulled her back, shielding her from the wind with her body. Faolain joined them silently. They had not spoken since their fight.

Caithe saw Faolain throw her a quick glance, and felt her breath hitch for a moment. Faolain'd looked sad. If anything, Caithe had expected her to either still be fuming or to have forgiven her, not this forlorn expression that seemed so alien on her face. The innkeeper set a fast pace, just slowing down enough for the Sylvari to keep up, towards the city centre. It wasn't far to the Great Lodge, where they'd meet Gixx, but the storm made it hard to move, and even harder to navigate. They all had to hold their hoods up to shield their eyes from the flying shards of ice and debris. The snow wasn't white anymore, it was brown and mixed with dirt and soil that had been lifted up by the storm.

They waded through the snow, the innkeeper making a path through it wide enough for the Sylvari to follow. Finally they reached the bridges of the boulevard and climbed them, their cloaks soaked with near-freezing water and their feet covered in dirt. Faolain swung the door to the Great Lodge open and they stumbled in, lavishing in the generous warmth of the Lodge.

Norn rushed towards them, especially trying to support the innkeeper, who swatted them away with an annoyed sound. Then she turned to the Sylvari.

'Well, I am going back,' she said, dropping to one knee so she could look both Sylvari in the eye. 'But if you ever visit Hoelbrak again, you're most welcome in the inn. You know where to find me.' Caithe hesitated for a moment, but then embraced her, thanking her softly for all her care. Faolain bowed deeply. The woman ruffled Caithe's leafy hair.

'Don't thank me, darlings. Be safe now.' Then she stood up, loudly greeted the rest of the few Norn that were still gathered in the Lodge, and took her leave. The door slammed behind her.

The Sylvari stood for a moment, both looking at something irrelevant as if it was incredibly interesting. Caithe was on the verge of saying something, snapping at Faolain, when the other suddenly turned and took her hand gently. Faolain had a small, unsure smile on her face.

'Let's go find Gixx,' Faolain said, softly. Caithe knew it was as close to an apology as she was going to get.

Gixx sat at a table at the far end of the lodge, accompanied by another asura instead of his usual human companion, who was nowhere in sight. He was deeply engaged in conversation with the other, angrily gesturing with both his little hands.

'..he just upped and left, to join the Vigil! I have never, in my entire career-' he was interrupted by a subtle cough from Faolain, who elegantly led Caithe to the tableside. Gixx immediately stood up and presented them to his friend.

'Ah, here they are! May I introduce you to my most fascinating friends yet, miss Caithe and miss Faolain of the Firstborn Sylvari. Ladies, this is the Gatekeeper who will lead us to Rata Sum, eventually.'

'Eventually?' Caithe asked, while the Gatekeeper let his eyes glide over the both of them, mumbling 'Fascinating, absolutely fascinating..' to himself.

'Ah, yes,' Gixx answered, a little uneasy. 'We'll have to cross two gates, and, well, you see,' he trailed off, not sure how to word his sentence.

I still don't see anything, Faolain thought in the back of Caithe's mind. It took a lot of willpower for Caithe not to giggle.

'Well, um, we were still in negotiations about the price of this transport. Gate traveling, unfortunately, isn't cheap. Hopefully that will change one day, but for now... well.' Gixx decided. He awkwardly rubbed his hands together, obviously uneasy with the situation. Caithe shrugged.

'We don't have any money. We did not need any until now.' She looked at her lover. 'Right?'

Gixx looked about ready to faint. Faolain gave Caithe a sideways glance, then smirked. With one, long, elegant movement she reached into her bodice and pulled up a pendant by its chain, letting it dangle in the air and making the delicate gold reflect the light. She held it up in front of the Gatekeeper's face, who looked at it greedily.

'Will this do?' Faolain asked, sweetly, her voice nothing but roses and seduction, but her eyes were utterly cold. Caithe frowned at her.

I thought you got rid of that.

I am getting rid of it now, Faolain thought back, with another of her arrogant smirks. The Gatekeeper grabbed the pendant and jerked it out of the Sylvari's fingers.

'This'll do fine, just fine, miss,' he said, then turned to lead the way towards the gate. They exited the lodge, climbing the boulevard to the side, until they reached a stone arch, no a full circle made of stone. In it, a purple membrane seemed to float, trembling with wind that wasn't from Hoelbrak.

'This will lead you to Lion's Arch, ' the Gatekeeper said. 'From there on you know the way, don't you, Magister?' Gixx nodded, and beckoned the Sylvari closer.

'Yes, we will go to Lion's Arch first. Ladies, I want you to stay close to me. Lion's Arch is a big city, and I don't want to lose either of you.'

'Will we see it?' Caithe asked, excitedly. Gixx stood dumbfounded.

'Well, um, no, well, yes a little, but we won't stay there or anything-'

'Gate is turned on!' The Gatekeeper shouted, and the Gate made a low humming sound, audible even over the sounds of the snowstorm.

'We just walk through, it's quite easy, ladies!' Gixx yelled as he approached the Gate. Faolain followed behind him, but Caithe looked back. She hoped the people she had met here, the friends she had made, would be safe. That they would meet again. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Faolain's breath was hot against her cold cheek.

'They will be fine. You don't fell a Norn that easily, they are big tough thorns. Come on.' Caithe looked at her lover, who looked back at her, reassuringly, familiar and trusted once again, like she should be. It made Caithe's lips curl into a small smile as well. She nodded and took Faolain's hand.

They followed Gixx through the gate, stepping through the membrane, which felt like a cold dry shower. But the other side of the arch was warm, and the air was salty. The busy hustle of various people, and the warm sunshine welcomed them in the Capital of the World.