It was a stroke of unexplainable skill that Izuku and his companions had made it out of the outpost unhindered. He had never seen anything quite like what Kyouka had done.

Weakened as she was from the blood drawn to heal him, she still had the power in her voice to sing out and entrance. She had told Izuku, Ochako, and Nana to muffle their hearing as they departed and Nana casted a quick spell similar to the one Izuku had used at the Keep. They moved from the Outpost in a bubble without sound while Kyouka stood outside of it and turned away the eyes and attention of soldiers with a few strums of her lute and the melody on her tongue.

Izuku was able to carry himself to their steeds and mount up without support due to Nana's Blood Magic empowered spells, but, as Healing Magic tended to do to its victims, it left him tired and dizzy. His head spun as they spurred their horses from the outpost and left it a diminishing pile of rubble at their backs.

But the moment they were out of the adrenaline rush of their escape, the exhaustion hit Izuku with the force of a wave, causing him to sway on his horse. At the same time his companions sighed relief, relaxing the tension as they passed into the wooded thicket and left the sightline of the Tarlson soldiers.

That relief lasted no longer than a moment before a chipper voice overhead startled them out of it. Hand went to swords as their horses were pulled to a halt.

"Shit, you four look terrible!"

The elf sputtered a laugh and immediately dodged a swing from the staff in Nana's hand with a frightened yip. Denki moved fluidly out of her reach and twisted around to drop off the tree limb where he had perched.

"I told you they could always find us," Kyouka smiled smugly at his sudden appearance.

Nana dismounted. "What are you doing here?"

He brushed off his breaches and held up both hands defensively at the older woman's approach in expectation of another swing.

"I was coming to get you," he said in a hurry, "There's no need to assault me over it- oh!"

Denki's voice slipped when the human woman grabbed him forcefully and tugged him into a tight hug. He stood stiffly, shocked as all eyes on them shared the sentiment of uncertainty.

"Um…"

His mouth opened in a question and then suddenly he was released and a loud clap followed her hand impacting the side of his head.

"Ow! What was all that for?"

"I won't pretend your attempt to shock and frighten us wasn't purposeful," she glowered, "I won't tolerate it… But I'm very happy to see you are alive and well."

The elf rubbed his head and the reddened point of his ear. "You have a funny way of showing it."

Ochako spurred her horse closer and rose up in the stirrups to better see the elf, entirely disinterested in the reunion.

"Where's everyone else? Have you seen Red? Is he alright?"

Denki stepped clear of Nana's reach cautiously and looked up at Ochako. "You mean the big guy with the scales?"

"Obviously!" Ochako snipped.

"Last I saw he was looking worse for wear," Denki grit his teeth, "But he's going to be fine. Mina is taking him to a healer in Talistone."

Ochako's anger flared. "What? No, I have to attend to him. He's not human, a regular healer won't know what to do! And we can't let anyone know what he really is or-"

"Whoa there, slow down," Denki held up both hands, "He's safe with Chiyo and she knows what she's doing."

"Chiyo?" Nana pumped an eyebrow at him, "Not that old Synod wench?"

"You know her?" Denki perked up and Nana did quite the opposite.

"We've crossed paths before," she said, "She shouldn't even still be alive from what I heard… but I guess the old bird was too cunning to be killed."

"This isn't comforting, so far," Izuku was starting to agree with Ochako's skepticism.

"She's that Undercity Healer, right?" Kyouka asked.

Denki nodded.

"How do you know her too?" Izuku felt like he was the only person who had never heard of this Synod Healer, which felt doubly wrong since he was the only one who actually had a connection to the Synod among these people.

"I don't know her, I've just heard of her," Kyouka shrugged, "She works very secretively."

"Then how do you know about her if she's so secretive?"

Kyouka grinned. "I'm more than just a simple bard, Izuku."

With that incredibly vague explanation, Izuku shook off his questions to make sure Ochako didn't panic instead.

"You're sure she can help Eijiro without anyone finding out what he is?" he asked Denki.

"Fairly," the elf replied.

Ochako's face was turning red. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Denki opened his hands. "It means that there was no time to sit around and wait for you to show up and we had to make a decision. As long as Chiyo gets to him in time I'm almost certain she can repair the damage. She knows about Dragons and she's a damn good healer, maybe even the best."

"I won't believe he's alright until I see him for myself," Ochako was practically shaking.

"I don't like it either," Nana shook her head, "The more I learn about your time here in Gaetha, and the people you associate with here, the more I want to just lock you back up in Solen, Denki."

"Yeah, I know," Denki rolled his eyes, "My father would be disappointed. Blah-blah."

Nana's hand flinched at her side and Denki jumped back. There was no swing but Nana's point was clear enough.

"Denki, where is he now?" Ochako cut in with the sharpness of a hot knife.

"Talistone."

"Then take us there immediately," Ochako demanded, already tapping her horse's sides.

"That's what I'm here for," Denki smiled and ran right up to Kyouka's offered hand to swing up onto her horse.

She allowed him to sit at the front of the saddle and take the reins without question. Until then she had managed to hold herself tall and proud despite her weariness, but in that moment she leaned heavy onto the elf's back and sighed. Kyouka had kept face expertly, as though the draining of her blood wasn't horrible and painful, but the facade slipped then and there. She tucked her arm to her chest and her teeth grit up as she and Denki adjusted in their seats and prepared to spur on after Ochako.

Nana quickly mounted back up and the five sped off, Denki taking over the lead to guide their way.

To Ochako's chagrin, the elf opted not to take the fastest route, but the safest path instead, where they could make it from the depths of Tarlson without running into anyone who might be in pursuit. Ochako tried to argue that it was worth the risk, but Denki assured her that the swiftness in which they got to him would not change the Dragon's fate. At this point either the healer had made it to him in time or she hadn't and there was nothing that getting themselves killed on the road could do to help that.

This left Ochako viciously quiet and kept Izuku tensely on edge. It left no opportunity for him to fall back into that exhausted slump, especially as Denki regaled them with what had happened in their absence and his many opinions on their new companions.

Despite everything he had seen and heard today, the most shocking was to hear of the King's passing. King Toshinori was a legend in his own time, a known hero, a figure larger than life, and there was nothing so earth shattering as having to accept that after all of it was said and done he was quite mortal. And what was worse, his daughter, the new Queen had been on the battlefield and was now at the edge of Tarlson with the rest of their companions, running for her life from traitorous Tarls. While this confirmed Kyouka's fears of the Todorokis being less than trustworthy, Izuku couldn't help feel it as yet another barrier to their already heavily disrupted mission. Captain Katsuki had been quick to defend her in the Grand Hall and it left Izuku with a fear that his zealous patriotism might cause him to lose sight of their more necessary mission.

The description of the events spawned fewer questions than Izuku expected, but it was simply a lot to grasp and each of them was coming to terms with it in their own time while Ochako seethed in a focused, fearful, rage towards Eijiro and Shoto; the latter for asking him to do something so dangerous and the former for even listening. Izuku could say very little to dissuade her feelings.

The last hour or so of travel was far heavier than the first few and, had the pressing fears for their companions not been over him, Izuku would have marveled in delight at the beautiful landscape they were privileged to pass through.

They traveled mainly through the gorges and passes that cut and winded through the range of mountains that danced between the Lordships' and borders of Dalem, Tarlson and the Capitol. They were not recently well traveled, but they were manicured by man. The paths of the Grimeheist Range had for many years been used as trade routes according to the books on the Magesterium shelves. But they were said to have become notoriously dangerous over the years due to highwaymen and bandit ambushes and the use of these roads was said to have diminished over time.

Izuku asked Denki about this, curious if they should be concerned about an attack, but the elf merely waved the idea off.

"It's not very lucrative work anymore," he said, "Believe me, I tried. You're sooner to starve to death waiting on a passerby than to make a copper by trying to burglarize out here these days. Only a fool would try to rob you in Grimheist."

This got a customary look of disapproval from Nana, an agreeing nod from Kyouka, and a deep feeling of concern from Izuku.

Ochako didn't react though. She stayed lost in the tumult of her own mind.

It was hours of this before they came upon sight or sound of Talistone and soon found new worries replacing the old. They had taken a discreet path from the range into the valley that lay before Talistone and, on this path, was a small creek. When he saw it, Denki dismounted and dropped to one knee on the bank, eyeing and lightly touching the churned mud before sweeping his gaze up to the woods.

"They came through here, but it's been a few hours," Denki observed as the rest pushed their horses to walk through the stream.

"How do you know it's them?" Ochako asked, leaning down to see for herself.

"This is the path Mina would have taken them; we've made this trip a few times before," Denki stood and wiped his hands, "Besides, those footprints there. They're military boots."

"Which could be anyone," Izuku countered.

"If you know a lot of Tarlson soldiers who would travel two feet apart from a Dawnfelden Soldier, then sure," Denki crossed his arms, "And these are drag marks. They were carrying someone; more specifically our little Dragon friend. And then there's two other distinct prints, male, Synod, and female without any indention."

"That accounts for everyone except Mina," Izuku did the math.

"She doesn't leave footprints," he smirked.

Nana tilted her head at him. "Impressive."

"Not really," Denki chuckled, "Humans leave the ground all choppy everywhere they go. It's like you have elephant feet. Tracking an elf, now that's difficult."

"Can you tell anything about Red from all that?" Ochako continued staring at the marks as if she could decipher them herself.

"Afraid not," he shook his head, "But we're close now. You'll be able to see for yourself that he's fine soon enough. Let's keep moving."

Ochako frowned, disappointed.

"I'm sure they made it in time," Izuku tried to comfort her, but it fell on deaf ears.

She kicked her horse into a trot after Denki and Kyouka and the others fell in behind.

They passed through more dense woods before the woods suddenly cleared in front of them. Talistone lay on the horizon with a blur of trees keeping it just a bit obscured against the uneven land on the other end of the clearing. But no one was looking at the city.

Ochako slid off of her horse and ran, Denki dismounting and following her. Izuku's heart was in his throat as Ochako dropped to her knees. Her fingers danced over blood soaked earth and the deep indent of a large body in the unkempt grass.

"Do you think...Was he...?"

She looked up to Denki and startled at the sight of a smile on his face.

"What?" her voice was pitching in desperation.

"If he was dead, there would be a body here, not a bloody patch of grass," Denki patted her shoulder, "And look over here…"

Denki ran around her to a thinner stretch of crushed grass and lifted up a fracture of something offwhite and stained with coagulated blood.

"What is that?" Izuku stood up in his stirrups.

"Bones," Denki said, "Thin and easily broken by a powerful jaw. Maybe a deer."

"What does that mean?" Kyouka asked.

"He felt well enough to eat," Denki shrugged, "That has to be a good sign."

Ochako sprung back up to her feet and shook her head. "I still won't believe it until I see him."

Denki dropped the bone pieces and mounted up again.

"Well then let's go to Talistone and see him."

The amount of time she was given to stop and think, or even breath, seemed to get shorter and shorter with each passing hour.

No sooner had they settled into their rooms after a filling meal, that no one had an appetite for, than the anxious faces of the companions that had been left in the forest burst into their quarters with urgency.

The Dragon was a boy again, dressed in clothes that didn't fit which Mina had snatched on her way to get the healer. The Mage still hadn't put his outer robes back on and it was obvious why as they half hung out of Mina's bag and did everything but drip the blood they were soaked in onto the floor. Mina entered with the most purpose, wasting no time with explanation or a report on how Eijiro had faired at the hands of the healer, though the fact that he was standing with only slight support from Shoto told enough to console everyone's concerns.

"The Tarls are here. We have to leave now."

Momo couldn't say she had any real reaction to the news, besides an exhausted feeling in her bones threatening to knock her off her feet. The whole thing felt terribly incoherent as the group rushed to respond to the turn of events.

The Captain was cursing again, no harsh words spared in the presence of a lady, and Commander Tenya was acting quickly, readying them to leave once again.

"Where will we go?" she could faintly hear Tenya asking.

"We need to get deep enough into Dalem to where the Tarls won't dare to follow," Mina answered.

"What about Nana and the others?" Captain Katsuki sounded annoyed rather than concerned.

"They'll find us as long as they have Denki or Kyouka with them," Mina seemed less than worried about it, "They know what to do to find me."

That's where things started to get fuzzy for Momo. After that she recalled walking out of the inn, blinking into the noon light, trudging through a bit of mud and then being lifted onto the back of a horse. She briefly remembered thinking that she didn't know where they were going or how to get there and then she felt the reins slip from her hand. The Commander, astride his own horse, took them from her and opted to lead the animal from the stables, relieving the worry from her mind.

Cobblestone paths passed beneath her, clipping hooves accompanying their departure with the busy sounds of city life. It followed them to the city's entrance then faded out to echoes as the stones turned to dirt and the clatter became only dull thuds of the horses' heavy footfalls.

It was surreal and strangely quiet on the path from Talistone, until it suddenly wasn't.

The reins were pushed back into her hands and the sharpness of the Commander's voice alerted her.

His eyes were fixed behind them.

"Tenya? What-?"

"Your highness, quickly!"

Something hit the flank of her horse and her heart skipped a beat. It launched into a gallop.

Momo held on for dear life and prayed the horse knew what it was doing. Thankfully, the other horses were already spurred into a run and the animals stuck close together as their herd instincts taught them to do.

With no idea where they were going or what was behind them, they forged on towards Dalem on a small hope and a massive prayer that she would simply not see the Tarlson Keep again this day.

"Well fancy seeing you here, today of all days! And with Kyouka Jirou of all people!"

The vibrant smile of the woman behind the bar counter matched her bright clothing and her pure joy at seeing them. She was fully grown, a woman in her mid to late thirties, and yet she hopped onto the counter to swing over to the other side and sweep up Denki in a quick, enthusiastic hug.

It lasted only a moment before she grabbed Kyouka's hand and shook it with force. "It's an absolute pleasure to be in the same room as you!"

Though it came as a shock for the rest to see such a reaction, Kyouka didn't seem surprised, but rubbed the back of her neck as she grinned over the attention.

"Always happy to meet a fan."

"Oh I'm a fan alright," the woman winked and leaned in while continuing to shake her hand, "A fan of all your work."

Kyouka darted a look to Denki and the elf patted the woman's shoulder.

"Do you mind if we talk somewhere more...private?"

The barkeep nodded and, with the same enthusiasm she did everything, grabbed a satchel from behind the counter and shooed them down the hall, out of the bar area and towards the living quarters.

Izuku, Ochako, and Nana remained heavily on edge as they went directly past all the rooms and down to the office at the end. It wasn't a space they expected to see in a modest pub like this.

She ushered them in and then latched the door behind them. It wasn't big to begin with but seemed even smaller with it's lack of windows. Torchlight illuminated it's small, modest interior and reflected shadows over the woman's hands as she fished into the parcel she had brought with her.

A rolled and sealed letter lifted from the bag and fell into Denki's hands.

"She left this for you," the woman said, "Didn't explain what was going on or anything."

The barkeep leaned back against the desk and folded her arms as she watched Denki's eyes scan the seal under the candlelight.

Unfortunately, Ochako's patience was not likened to the rest and his inspection was visibly getting on her nerves.

"Will this tell us if Red is alive or not?" her hand tapped on her leg repeatedly.

"Probably," Denki nodded and slowly heated the seal over the candle.

Ochako bristled at the casual response, but Izuku calmed her a bit with a gentle palm on her shoulder.

While Denki read the rest voiced the questions lingering since their arrival.

"Who are you, really?" Nana tilted her head at barkeeper.

The woman in question stood tall and grabbed Nana's hand in another enthusiastic shake, grinning wide.

"The name is Emi Fukukado! I'm just someone with their ear to the ground and an effective means of passing information to the correct people."

"So, not a barkeeper?" Izuku looked her over before she took his hand and then Ochako's for a similarly violent shake.

"Well, that too," she chuckled, "Every good underhanded business has a legitimate one covering for it. And it's quite lucrative to have a functioning bar and inn."

"I suppose that explains a lot, but do you really know all of my work?" Kyouka inquired sceptically.

"In this business I go by a different name, perhaps you know me by that one," Emi winked at her, "I'm certain you've seen the signature of Miss Joke."

Kyouka's eyes went wide.

"I thought you'd recognize me," Emi said.

"Do you?" Nana raised an eyebrow at Kyouka.

She nodded stiffly, her lips parted in an attempt to say something, but she was cut off.

"They're gone," Denki moved back into the circle that had formed, "Looks like there were some Tarls on their tails and they had to make a run for Dalem."

"Damn," Nana huffed.

"And Red?" Ochako was ready to snap.

Denki unfurled the letter and held it out to Ochako. She snatched it up in a hurry and rushed to the light pulling Izuku with her. She scanned the words silently, but Izuku read them out loud for the benefit of the others.

Denki,

I already know your first question and yes, the Dragon is alive and as close to well as he's going to get. Chiyo is still damn talented. Shoto may be washing blood out of his robes for weeks, but Eijiro is walking, complaining, and sporting an unreal appetite. Reminds me of you. So if you found his friend, tell her to stop freaking out. He is going to be fine as long as the Tarls don't catch up to us.

By the way, the Tarls are catching up to us. Looks like they are headed to Talistone as I write this and we have to run for our lives now. I would like to take this time to remind you that joining these people was your idea. Please start feeling guilty about that.

We are riding to Dalem, but that is all the direction I can give you. I will try to keep us moving East, but Captain Pisswad may have other ideas and is too thick of a head to listen to me, so do not take it as fact. Just follow the roads and look for the pine. You know what to do.

Amans tui

Ochako let the letter slip into Izuku's hands as she leaned down against the desk and took long, deep breaths. Even though he had handled his fears better than her, he still felt similar relief to hear that Eijiro was alive and healed, even if he was still separated and in some danger from the Tarlson soldiers that had given chase. Izuku squeezed her shoulder and her hand lifted to rest on top of his as he smiled comfortingly at her.

"What is the pine?" Izuku asked after they had a moment to acknowledge the good news.

"It's a tracking method we use," Denki took the parchment and rolled it up again, "Something to help us find each other if we get separated. Sort of like a breadcrumb trail."

Kyouka grinned, thrilled herself that the Dragon she wanted so badly to meet was alive, but Nana had fixed a curious and amused look on Denki.

"Amans tui?" she asked.

Denki's face reddened and he tried his best to look nonchalant. "What about it?"

Nana started smiling to herself. "I didn't realize it was that serious."

"That's how she signs all her letters," Denki shrugged, "No need to read into it."

"Don't read into the Moondancer signing her letters with the same sentiments I once heard in the most romantic sense from my dear husband? Why, of course, how foolish of me to think."

"It's an elf endearment, isn't it?" Kyouka reached for the letter, which snatched and Denki jerked away.

Emi elbowed Denki's shoulder fondly and winked at his defensive fluster. "It means something like, 'your lover', doesn't it?"

Denki made a disgusted face. "No one asked for your horrible human translations."

Nana made a face. "That I have to agree with. It is far more meaningful than that."

"Not to interrupt this, but can we focus on what we need to do next?" Izuku broke into the stream of teasing.

"We need to go after them," Ochako released Izuku's hand and stood straight, "While this news is a relief at the least, it doesn't change that there are still people in pursuit of them. They're all in danger now, not just Red."

The room sombered quickly, save for Emi who apparently could not be sombered. Her smile was unshakeable.

"Mina didn't have time to tell me anything before she left, but there was urgency about her," Emi said, "Didn't seem like your usual trouble. That Mage with her looked particularly anxious."

"Shoto?" Izuku perked up and then felt his chest get heavy and his mouth turn sour.

"Didn't get a name," she shrugged, "I barely got a greeting out of Mina before she and the Mage ran off with that adorable young man they had with them. Whatever this threat is, it should be taken seriously."

The last statement made Izuku shudder when hearing it from permanently smiling lips.

"How long ago was it that she dropped this off?" Kyouka asked.

"Goodness, it's been a few hours now," Emi hummed thoughtfully, "They have quite a lead on you."

"So we need to get on the road to Dalem," Nana nodded.

"I'm ready to go right away," Ochako said.

Seeming in less of a hurry than them, Denki held the letter over the candle and caught it on fire before setting it down into the unlit fireplace on the far wall to finish burning it to cinders. He watched it a moment, looking more lost in thought than really paying attention to the flames.

"A few hours lead, riding at full speed for even a portion of that, could put them pretty deep in Dalem, depending on how intensely pursued they were," Denki stood and looked Ochako in the eye, "We may not catch up to them by the end of the day. Can you handle it if we have to stop for the night without finding them first?"

Ochako bit her inner cheek tightly, her face squeezed and hands turned to fists at her sides. It was obviously not an idea she was happy about at all, but her overall intensity had diminished since reading that letter.

"As long as your friend can keep him safe from the Tarls there should be nothing for me to worry about, right?" She sounded all sorts of uncertain and looked to Izuku for some comfort or confirmation.

He nodded. "He's not dying anymore. And it sounds like he trapeshifted again so no one would recognize him as a Dragon anyway. He has a better chance of evading the Tarls than the rest of them do if you think about it."

"From what Denki said, I don't think the Tarls are looking to kill them either way," Nana added, "They want the Queen and they very much want her alive."

"Well they do have Katsuki with them, so I doubt there's a way it won't end in some sort of bloodshed," Kyouka rolled her eyes.

Ochako tensed a bit, but kept calm while Nana frowned at the bard.

"You talk like you know him, but sometimes I just don't really believe you do. The Captain may be...volatile, but he's also a skilled tactician and leader. He won't let anyone be killed."

Kyouka shrugged, but Izuku saw the sideways look that didn't seem entirely as confident as the image she put off to them.

"Need anything for the road? Emi broke in, pushing away from the desk.

"Rations and refilled flasks."

Denki moved with her as she knelt beside the door and flipped back a rug. There was a subtle latch beneath it and with a simple tug she opened a small door with a ladder leading down.

"Anything else?" she asked as she descended it, "Weapons?"

Izuku looked around them, noted the blades Denki and Kyouka sported as well as the staff strapped to Nana's back that he'd given her and shrugged on the staff resting in the crook of his arm. They were well equipped. All except Ochako who was bare handed as usual.

"You wouldn't have any Mage weapons, would you?" he asked with very little expectation.

Emi's head popped back over the top of the entrance and she grinned wide and mischievous at him and Ochako.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Can we please stop? It's nearly nightfall?"

Eijiro rubbed his eyes and held his stomach while he kept one hand on Shoto's shoulder to hold him stable on the back of the horse.

The horses themselves were panting and trudging along with the gusto of an old worn out mare after carrying them with all haste from Talistone and keeping up their hefty pace through the border of Dalem. The Tarls had stayed just at the edge of their sightline until the last hour when they had finally lost them on the complex Dale roads. The hope was that there would be too many options for them to find them on these well used highways and that the myriad of other traffic they had passed would confuse any hopes of tracking them.

But the Captain remained nervous. The Tarlson soldiers had already shown persistence in finding them so far and he doubted they were going to give up because they got a little turned around.

"No," Katsuki answered.

The boy's stomach growled. "I don't think I can make it much further without at least eating something."

"I liked you better as a Dragon," Katsuki muttered and then directly glared at the boy, "You survived a Blood Mage attack, you can survive another hour without eating."

"Maybe, but he lost a lot of strength to Chiyo's healing magic," Shoto argued.

"Perhaps it would do us well to take a brief rest," the Commander offered his opinion from their backs, "It has been a long journey and the Queen is weary."

"She's also the reason the Tarls are after us in the first place."

Katsuki darted a curt look back at the Commander and the Queen riding at his side. She didn't seem to hear his comment or much of anything. Her eyes were turned out and were still bursting with red and rimmed in dark purple.

"A true soldier of Gaetha would find it an honor to suffer for the sake of his Queen," Commander Tenya huffed.

"Yeah, I'm feeling real fucking honored right now," Katsuki rolled his eyes, "But I say we push on a bit further before we start getting comfortable. Elf?"

Mina tilted her head back and forth in thought. "He has a point. We can't know if we're in the clear yet. We should keep going a bit further. If we stay on this road we'll make it to Silgholme in another hour or so. It's pretty quiet there."

"Is there food there?" Eijiro whined.

"Most of its inhabitants are hunters, if they don't have an abundance of meat you'll have plenty of opportunity to go chase it down yourself," she consoled him, "And I'm not opposed to stealing a cow if you get desperate."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Or you could buy a fucking cow."

"I agree, there is no recourse for thievery."

Hearing the Commander echo his sentiment rubbed Katsuki the wrong way.

"If there was a Seat there we could restock on supplies, but I don't recall any Seats in a place called Silgholme," Shoto said.

Katsuki ground his teeth, "All the better to avoid more contact with the Synod."

Shoto sighed aloud and Katsuki crinkled his nose.

"Why would you want to go anywhere near the Synod anyway?" Katsuki glared, "Your hands still look fucked and your robes are covered in blood."

"You are more than aware it's not my first option, Captain," Shoto grumbled, "But we are missing half of our belongings, our horses, and most of our money. A Seat would provide a Master with whatever resources he needs with very little question; I'm only saying it would be convenient."

"Either way it's irrelevant," Mina tsked, "There's no Synod Seat where we're going. We will have to make do with whatever we made it out of Tarlson with."

"Unlike the last time we stole off suddenly in the night, I did come prepared," Commander Tenya said, "I can purchase supplies if need be. But when we reach our lodging we must discuss what we will do next. I don't see your path and ours being the same, but for the safety and wellbeing of the Queen we can't simply ride off on our own without a plan."

"Fine," Katsuki didn't even offer him a glance back, "Let's just get to Silgholme. We can figure the rest out from there."

Another hour without sight of a Tarlson soldier put most minds at ease when they rode into Silgholme; save for Katsuki and the Commander, who remained on edge right up to the stable doors and into the inn. Nothing felt like enough to assure them that they were truly safe here or anywhere, but they would have to make do.

From there Mina took the Dragon by the arm and disappeared in short order only saying that they would be back later. It was not explained, but assumed, that they were off to find something to better suit the appetite of an adolescent Dragon. Katsuki gave her a warning look before they left, silently demanding she not rob someone's livelihood in her pursuit to feed an animal five times the size of an elephant, but her response was just a smirk and instilled no confidence.

Unlike in Talistone, their lodgings were far from private or secluded. It was more of a boarding house than an inn and the four that remained were offered some bedding and a few clear spaces on the floor with a hot bowl of stew handed to each. The Queen seemed to snap from her daze to view the bundle and food she was handed with horror and disdain.

"Is this really the only place we can stay?" she whispered to the Commander as he paid the man.

"Unless you'd prefer camping in the cold," Katsuki replied, "Without a fire… We have to be careful about the attention we're attracting."

She had no answer to that, just scowled at the floor and followed them to where they were supposed to sleep.

It took a few aggressive shouts to get some of the scattered people to clear a place where they could fit the six beds they needed close to one another and not be dropped randomly all over the room. But staying close didn't provide privacy or opportunity to talk, there were too many busy ears still nearby.

Katsuki hurriedly ate his bowl and refrained from letting the exhaustion sweep over him at the feeling of a stomach full with warm stew. The Commander ate quickly too, trained like Katsuki to eat whatever was given without complaint quickly; there was no room to lose an appetite on the battlefield and a soldier had to keep his strength up. The Queen on the other hand took small bites, scowling at the bland taste, but saying nothing about it. Shoto didn't even touch his, just stared at the bowl, mind a thousand miles away.

Of all the things that frustrated Katsuki about Shoto that perturbed him the most. He knew Shoto had seen worse than the battle they'd fought today and it made no sense for him to be so shaken as to lose his appetite now, especially after using enough magic that he shouldn't even be standing straight anymore. But Katsuki wasn't the Mage's caretaker; he was not going to nanny him and make him eat his dinner. It was on him if he had no strength to move by the morning.

Katsuki stood as soon as his bowl was empty and jerked his head at Commander Tenya.

"Come with me. We need to stock up on supplies before the morning."

Commander Tenya set his empty bowl to the ground and darted a look between him and the Queen.

"We only just sat down to rest, I won't make Momo go marching through the city," he asserted.

"Wasn't asking you to," Katsuki crossed his arms, "She can stay here."

"Alone?" The Commander stood.

"Shoto will stay."

Katsuki looked down at where the Mage sat, back propped against the wall, knees up, head lolled back and eyes fixed on the untouched food until he heard his name.

"What?" he asked.

"Watch her and make sure she doesn't die in the twenty minutes we're not here," Katsuki shook his head.

Shoto blinked a few times and gave a miniscule nod, but the Queen's mouth was all twisted up.

"Do I have any say in this?" Momo looked up at them from her poorly set up bed.

"Obviously," Katsuki crossed his arms at her, "I'm pretty clearly outranked."

Her weary eyes held his for a moment and then she sighed and sat back on her heels. Like the rest of them she was too exhausted to argue and Katuski won the standoff effortlessly.

"Be swift," she said.

Commander Tenya hesitated, watching Shoto with skepticism, but the Mage was already spaced out again and didn't take any notice of the glare. The Queen briefly tilted her mouth at the Mage and then gave a confident nod to Commander Tenya, assuring him that she was okay to be left alone with him. Like it or not, it was as good an order to leave and attend to his duties as any.

"We won't be long. Keep your heads down and stay out of trouble until we get back."

"I don't think either of us will be rushing to danger," the Queen passed a weary look to the floor and sighed. Shoto gave a light hum that seemed to echo the same sentiment.

"Try to rest at least," Commander Tenya said and moved to Katsuki's side for them to leave.

"I will," a tiny smile crossed her lips, "Be careful."

While the Queen settled in for the night under the protection of a distracted Mage, the Captain and Commander took to the torchlit streets of Silgholme.