It wasn't until the thick of the afternoon that the travelers finally awoke from their naps in the inn. H'aanit barely even realized that she had fallen asleep to begin with until she sat up and rubbed at her temple. Her headache from before had gone away, and she thanked Draefendi for being kind enough to ease her pain after the fight against Dreisang. H'aanit's muscles still groaned in protest as she pulled on her shoes and began to stroke Linde behind the ears, but she figured the knots would work themselves out when she started going about her regular business in town.

Linde purred and nuzzled her head against H'aanit's hand, and the huntress allowed herself to smile gently. She hadn't realized just how tense she felt until she gave herself the chance to decompress. It felt like a weight had been pressing down on her chest ever since Stonegard, but its weight had doubled after the tournament in Victors Hollow. The break wouldn't last for long, and H'aanit was confident that the gods would return her to her previous stressed state soon enough, but at least she had a few moments to breathe. She was willing to take that.

"Are you ready?"

H'aanit perked up at the sound of Primrose's voice. She had been so distracted with Linde that she hadn't even realized the dancer had woken up and was watching her carefully. There was something in Primrose's eyes that looked a lot like worry, but H'aanit refused to comment on it for the sake of both her comfort and Primrose's. "As ready as I can be," H'aanit replied simply. She was afraid of what she was going to find as much as she hated to admit it. She wanted to figure out how she could turn Z'aanta back to normal, but she didn't know what that would entail, and the suspense was agonizing already.

"It's okay to not know how to feel about all of this, you know," Primrose reminded her. "This is a lot for anyone to take in, and you don't need to pretend to be okay when you're not. The rest of us are happy to help you if you decide that's what you need."

H'aanit held back a comment about how Primrose didn't have much ground to stand on when it came to telling others to open up. Those in glass castles should not throw stones, and Primrose rarely ever talked about how her feelings influenced her actions despite her emotions being the primary motivator for her journey. H'aanit instead swallowed back her darkest anxieties and nodded. "I thanke thee," she murmured. It was hardly an actual response, but it was the best H'aanit could bring herself to offer in the moment, so it had to count for something. She would take it.

Primrose didn't seem entirely satisfied, but she chose to not pursue the subject any more than she already had. Instead, she sighed and pushed herself to her feet, stretching out her spine along the way. "I'll be feeling the bruises from the battle against Dreisang for a while," she remarked, happy to change the subject when she saw H'aanit didn't want to discuss her feelings either. "I can only hope we don't need to fight any other gods for quite a while. I could use the break."

"Only three gods remain... We simply need to waiten and seen where Cyrus' map leadeth us," H'aanit told her. Cyrus was bound to keep studying the map when he had the chance, though H'aanit had no idea how long it would take him to find something new. Beyond that, she had no idea where it would take them. After all, there was supposedly another magical location all the way out in Hornburg, and that would take a long time to get to. Hornburg had always been far from the rest of the continent, but ever since the kingdom's fall, the journey had felt even longer. No one wanted to go that far out, especially if Cyrus found it to be unnecessary. They would just need to be patient and see what he wound up finding.

"I'm sure he'll have a route figured out for us soon enough," Primrose nodded. "For now, I think a certain someone here is excited to head back outside." She gestured down to Linde where the snow leopard had risen to her feet. She was continuing to press her face against H'aanit's hand, though she was now flicking her tail back and forth with excitement in her eyes. It was always a treat for her to return to her homeland, and coming back again so soon after the previous visit was even better for her. How could she not be excited?

H'aanit let out a small chuckle at that. "Eager, aren't we, Linde?" she asked of her companion. Linde responded with a light purring sound before butting her head against H'aanit's hand once again, a plea for attention and some time out in the snow. H'aanit couldn't help laughing at the gesture, and she shook her head as she started toward the room. "Comen then. You have earned your time outside."

As H'aanit, Primrose, and Linde stepped out into the inn hallway, they were met with the sight of none other than Therion. Unsurprisingly, he had already found a way to sneak through the town to steal an apple. H'aanit had always wondered just what it was when it came to Therion and apples, but she didn't want to ask. After all, if she chose to not question him about it, then she still had some degree of plausible deniability.

Primrose snorted when she saw the apple in Therion's hand. "Busy already, I see," she commented.

Therion tossed the apple one more time before catching it, though he hadn't yet taken a bite out of the fruit. "I wanted to see how things have changed since we were last here," he explained. "As far as I can tell, everyone is much happier now that Rufus is gone. Spreading his money out amongst the townsfolk was the way to go. His old manse has been completely abandoned. Nobody wants anything to do with it now."

"I wonder if Arianna is still here..." Primrose murmured. "I would love to catch up with her on everything that's happened since we were last in town. I'm sure she would be happy to fill us in on anything new or exciting."

"We can payen her a visit when we finden the time," H'aanit agreed. "For now, we should meeten with the others. I doubt they would liken it much if we decided to setten out to find Susanna the seer on our own."

"Alfyn's awake already. He's sifting through his herb supply. He thinks we might need to stop soon to pick up a few extra supplies if he can't find everything he needs in our next few towns," Therion explained. "He's got enough for right now, but he wants to stock up when he gets the chance."

"If I recallen correctly, he said Saintsbridge had a fine collection of wild herbs," H'aanit said. "We could usen the Warp Staff to returnen if we find ourselves in need of more medicine for his work."

"That's what I was thinking," Therion nodded. "But we can save that for later. Right now, we're here, and we should take a look around. I can wake up the others. You should take your... Cat out." He gestured to Linde who was still impatiently butting at H'aanit's left hand in a bid to pull her partner outside into the snow.

Primrose couldn't help but laugh at that, and she covered her mouth with one hand as she looked to H'aanit. "Therion is right. We can meet up with the others once we get outside. I think we could both use the fresh air anyway."

H'aanit nodded and gladly led Primrose and Linde outside. While she had been asleep, the clouds overhead had redoubled their effort to bring snow upon the earth, and a gust of wind hit H'aanit with a flurry of snowflakes as soon as she opened the door. The huntress raised one arm to try and block her eyes from the sudden intrusion as Primrose forced the door shut behind them. "By the spirits, the snow falleth deep here," H'aanit muttered as she forced herself down the steps and into the white plains below.

Linde dashed down quickly, immediately prancing in circles as she relished in the feeling of snow on her fur. She purred to herself after running in at least four circles in as many seconds before sitting herself down in the snow. Her tail flicked quickly and gladly, and Linde watched the surrounding area with surprisingly alert eyes. She somehow seemed even more excited than she had been the previous time the group had come to Stillsnow, and considering how quickly she had started acting like a kitten upon their previous arrival, that was certainly saying something.

H'aanit couldn't help chuckling to herself at the sight of Linde's sheer joy. Part of her wondered if perhaps Linde was playing up her excitement to be back in the Frostlands for the sake of cheering up her partner. Linde had known it the instant H'aanit began to spiral, and she wanted to do everything she could to pull her out of that depression. If that meant going a bit above what she was used to, then so be it. H'aanit smiled at the thought and closed her eyes for a moment. Linde was truly too kind. H'aanit had no idea where she would have been without Linde at her side, but she didn't want to think about it either. They belonged together, and she loved it.

H'aanit only opened her eyes when she heard a few shocked gasps from nearby. A few children had darted over to where Linde was sitting, and they were examining her from head to tail with wide, impressed eyes. "I ain't ever seen a snow leopard that big afore!" the boy of the two exclaimed.

The girl at his side reached one hand out to pet Linde, but she pulled back at the last moment out of newfound anxiety. "I-It doesn't bite, does it?" Linde, for her part, just let out a confused mewl, glancing over to H'aanit for information about if this was alright. Linde wasn't used to people just walking up to her since most people were too afraid to approach her, and the occupants of S'warkii knew better than to scare the impressively large snow leopard. That was a disaster waiting to happen, but these children weren't aware of that etiquette, and Linde didn't know how to handle this either.

H'aanit approached the two children and Linde, and she reached one hand out to scratch behind her snow leopard's ears. Linde immediately nuzzled against her fingertips, purring and leaning into H'aanit's side ever so slightly. "Fearen not, young ones. Linde is with me," H'aanit explained to the children. "She is a gentle creature. She will doen thee no harm."

That was the only encouragement the girl needed to reach out and start petting Linde. The snow leopard purred a bit louder with the touch, so the boy started to stroke at her coat as well. The girl glanced up to H'aanit in curiosity once she was certain it was safe to continue petting Linde. "She's yours? Funny sort of pet, isn't she?"

"Linde is not a pet," H'aanit was quick to explain. "She is my companion... My friend." Linde purred even more at that, and H'aanit smiled as she continued to stroke the snow leopard. Linde's tail flicked back and forth slightly in a lazy sweeping motion across the surface of the white flakes below.

"Friends, you say? Just like us then!" the boy cried out as he looked over to the blonde girl beside him. The girl nodded and let out a cheerful laugh as she looked back to Linde. The boy continued to run his fingers across Linde's back as well, and he let out a small gasp. "Her fur's so soft!"

"And warm too!" the girl supplemented. Linde seemed satisfied with the two children even if she couldn't understand what they were saying, and she gladly remained still as they gave her all the attention she could have asked for. Nearby, Primrose laughed under her breath at the sight of the excited snow leopard, and she made a mental note to give Linde as much attention as possible if she was ever in a sour mood.

H'aanit nodded before turning her attention away from Linde and up to the children. "Tellen me, children. Doth a woman by the name of Susanna liven here?" she questioned.

"The old lady?" the girl asked with a slight tilt to her head.

"The old witch, you mean!" the boy countered. "Aye, we know her. Who doesn't?"

"I see," H'aanit hummed. "And where might I finden her?"

"See that house with the red roof over yonder?" the boy prompted as he pointed deeper into the town. The building was at the back of Stillsnow near the white forests lining the back edge of the village. H'aanit looked past the two children before nodding her confirmation about seeing it.

"That's the old witch's place," the girl explained.

"Thanke thee, children," H'aanit nodded.

"Of course! Say hello to the witch for us!" the boy cried out. He gave Linde a few parting pats before pulling his hand away.

"Bye, Linde!" the girl chirped. She followed the boy's lead in patting Linde's head before darting away, her friend following after her. The two laughed and smiled as they rounded a nearby corner to continue playing elsewhere in town.

Linde, meanwhile, slinked back over to H'aanit's side. The huntress smiled as she began to glide her fingers across Linde's chin. The snow leopard practically melted at her touch, dissolving once again into a flurry of purrs and affectionate nuzzles. "Enjoyedst the attention, didst thou?" H'aanit questioned with a humored smile. Linde pressed her face desperately against H'aanit's hand, and the huntress laughed. She knew what that meant. Linde enjoyed getting attention from others, yes, but she had her limits, and she hadn't been expecting to be ambushed by excited children as soon as she left the inn. She needed a bit of time to recharge before she could indulge in affectionate displays like that again.

H'aanit laughed and shook her head. "Best comen with me then before they returnen with more friends," she told Linde. H'aanit glanced over in the direction of the inn to see if the rest of the travelers had arrived and were prepared, and she found that they had all gathered near the entrance of the building. H'aanit took a few steps in their direction. "I certainly hopen I did not keepen thou waiting for too long."

"Not at all," Alfyn assured her. "We only just got here. Besides, I don't think we would have wanted to interrupt even if we had been here for a while. Those kids were bein' awfully sweet with Linde."

"They tolden us where to goen next as well," H'aanit told the other travelers. "We must setten a course for the home with the red roof near the back of town."

"Then let's get to it," Tressa nodded. She quickly dashed down the steps of the inn before jumping down into the snow, kicking up a small cloud of white around her feet. She raised one hand to her forehead along the way to wipe way a few stray snowflakes from her skin. "I love seeing the beautiful snow, but I'm not quite as big a fan of having to sit in the cold."

H'aanit started in the direction of Susanna's home with that, and the rest of the travelers gladly followed her. Ophilia caught up to the huntress and stood beside her, watching Linde with a bright smile on her face. "Linde is popular with children, isn't she?" Ophilia remarked.

H'aanit nodded. "Yes. Back in our village, the younglings oft played with her." She smiled as she scratched behind Linde's ears once again, and the snow leopard purred while nuzzling against her hand. "Linde seemed to enjoyen the games as well."

"Nothing warms the heart quite like seeing children smile," Ophilia beamed. H'aanit could tell by the look in her eyes that she was thinking back on the children she had met in Saintsbridge. One of these days, the travelers would need to go back to see how Emil and Derryl were doing after everything that had happened.

In the meantime, H'aanit carried on the current conversation as Linde brushed against her side. "Linde is most proud of her fur. She liketh nothing better than to be stroked and groomed." Just to prove H'aanit's point, Linde purred a bit louder with those words.

Ophilia couldn't hold back a small chuckle at Linde's enthusiasm. "I can see that."

"Of course, the children liken it also," H'aanit went on. "They enjoyen being able to buryen themselves in her thick, warm fur."

Ophilia stared down at Linde at that, seeming to calculate in her mind just how soft the snow leopard would be. She blinked a few times in a bid to convince herself to stop thinking about it, but she couldn't hold it back. In the end, Ophilia looked up to H'aanit with a shy murmur. "Um..."

"Yes?" H'aanit asked. "What is it?"

"Do you think Linde would snap at me if I stroked her?" Ophilia questioned, a childish enthusiasm starting to rise in her eyes. "She looks so soft, and I can't stop thinking about how nice it would be..."

"Of course she would not snap at thee," H'aanit assured her. "Wouldst thou liken to petten her?"

"Would I ever!" Ophilia grinned. She reached down to Linde, giving the snow leopard the chance to sniff at her hand. Linde didn't bother with investigating the cleric though, instead just pressing her face against Ophilia's palm. The cleric let out a coo of affection before she started to stroke at Linde's face. She gasped when she felt Linde's purring vibrate against her hand, and H'aanit couldn't help but wonder if she had ever seen Ophilia this overwhelmed with glee.

H'aanit chuckled at the sight. "Linde loveth the attention. If you ever finden yourself in need of extra cheer, she would loven to stayen with you," she told Ophilia. "Daren I say Linde liketh you and the rest of our traveling companions even more than the children from our home village."

"I'm honored," Ophilia smiled. "I always wanted to pet a snow leopard when I was growing up in the Frostlands. I never had the chance though... I suppose it comes with the territory of needing to present a certain way as a member of the church."

"Being involved with the church should hardly exempt thou from displays of joy," H'aanit pointed out. "Though I am glad I can offeren thou the chance to taken off the mask for a sort while. Linde is as well. I am sure of it."

Ophilia nodded. "It's certainly taken some getting used to, but... I'm glad I've given myself the chance to relax since I joined you and the rest of our friends on this journey," she confessed. "I never realized just how much I was bottling up while I was at home until I was able to leave it all behind. I love the church and the work I do, but... I hid a lot because I felt it was my obligation to present in a way that would satisfy others."

"Satisfying every person we meet is impossible. The best we can doen is maken ourselves happy," H'aanit told her. "As long as thou is happy here, who is anyone else to object?"

Ophilia smiled and nodded once again. "I'm glad you feel that way... It's been nice having this chance. I never realized just how much I needed it until I was able to take that first step. Now, I couldn't imagine a life without all of you," she said. She paused a moment later, and H'aanit followed her gaze to realize they had arrived in front of Susanna's home. "But discussion of that can wait. For now, you have someone to meet with."

H'aanit swallowed dryly at that. She knew there was little to be afraid of when it came to approaching an old friend of Z'aanta. Natalia had been proof of that back in Stonegard. For all his clumsy misdemeanors, Z'aanta kept good company, and H'aanit trusted him in that regard. If anything, she was afraid of what she would hear from Susanna about the petrification. Would there be a way to reverse it? Perhaps Z'aanta had suggested this as a last ditch effort even though it was set to fail. The idea of living any life without Z'aanta made H'aanit feel sick to her stomach.

But the best way for her to prevent that was to take the plunge and speak with Susanna no matter how anxious the idea made her. She had come all this way, and H'aanit wouldn't back down just because she had been assaulted with a sudden burst of nerves. She could go inside and speak with Susanna. She had fought monsters far more terrifying than having a conversation. It would be fine.

However, the world seemed to have different thoughts. A crowd of people was gathered in front of the entrance to the house, and they were all chattering amongst themselves. H'aanit didn't think she had ever seen this many people gathered in one place in Stillsnow, and she could only assume it was a shift that had arrived after Rufus' death. Everyone was less afraid of being in public now that he was gone. That still didn't explain why they were standing in front of the house with the red roof though, so she decided to investigate for herself.

"Stayen here," H'aanit instructed to the rest of the travelers. She didn't want to risk losing any of them in the shuffle of the crowd. Beyond that, she wanted them to look after Linde and ensure nobody caused too many issues for her hunting companion when she was already recovering from the unexpected burst of attention from the children near the entrance to town. Luckily for H'aanit, nobody objected to her words, and she started off toward the nearby cluster of people.

Much of the noise seemed to surround a single man who stood in front of the entrance of the house. His expression was set in something stony, and he refused to give anyone around him a second glance in his strict focus. Everyone in the area seemed to have some issue with him, and they were all clamoring to get closer to him for the sake of saying such.

"But I have journeyed many leagues to have my fortune told by Madam Susanna!" came the cry of a man in the crowd as he begged with the guard standing outside. "I implore you! Pray open the door!" The guard, however, remained perfectly silent. He stared ahead like the man at his side wasn't speaking at all, much less loudly begging him for entry. The man sighed in frustration before sinking into a combative stance. "Gods' teeth, man! Get out of my way!"

When the guard once again refused to move, the man launched himself forward with his fists at the ready. The guard delivered a single punch to the man's stomach, and that was all it took to send him crashing back to the ground clutching at his abdomen. He let out a cry of pain, but the guard refused to flinch, instead just staring ahead the same way he always had. He was used to this treatment, and he knew how to handle it without being bothered at all.

The man pushed himself up slowly once he managed to get a grip on his pain, ignoring the way he shook all the while. "You wretched whoreson! Apologize at once!" he demanded.

One of the other people in the crowd just shook his head. "Ye won't get no apology out o' Alaic. He don't talk none," someone told the man. They didn't seem surprised at all by the guard-Alaic, it seemed-striking at the people who attempted to enter the building without permission. If anything, that just seemed like a regular part of their routine.

"Has he lost his tongue?" the man questioned, confusion twisting his features into an ugly glare.

"Nay. It's just that Susanna does the talkin' for the both of 'em," another villager explained. Much like the man, she was completely unbothered by Alaic's behavior. This was just how life was in Stillsnow as far as she was concerned, and there was nothing this newcomer could do to change that.

As soon as the man realized just how fruitless the effort was, he let out a scoff and stormed off, leaving the crowd behind. When everyone realized he wasn't going to try and fight Alaic again, they began to spread out to go their separate ways. Alaic, meanwhile, stepped closer to the door in front of the building, returning to his previous strict posture as he watched the surrounding area. It was impressive just how unbothered he was by everything happening around him, though H'aanit was confident there was much more going through his head than he wanted to admit openly.

Alaic was her greatest obstacle to getting inside that building and hearing what she needed to from Susanna. Unlike the other man, she was here for something much more important than a mere fortune, and she would get in there no matter what it took. However, she didn't want to start a fight if she didn't have to. Instead, she would try to find another way inside. Peace was always the best first step, and H'aanit was more than happy to make that her priority.

So H'aanit stepped through the crowd toward the pair of villagers who had named Alaic during that confrontation. The rest of the travelers finally caught up to her once the crowd had dispersed, and they brought Linde along with them. The snow leopard seemed much calmer once the overwhelming noise in the area dispersed, and H'aanit was glad for it. She didn't want to cause too big of a stir when it seemed Alaic was already doing that and then some.

"Who is that man?" H'aanit questioned as she approached the villagers from before. She pointed at Alaic even though she knew she didn't need to in the first place. It was obvious who she was referring to.

"Susanna's minder. Looks after her and keeps the riffraff from botherin' her as ye might have noted," the man replied as he nodded in Alaic's direction.

"Name's Alaic. She took him in off the streets when he was a wee sprout," the woman explained. H'aanit realized with an internal wince that perhaps the insult the traveler from before had thrown at Alaic was likely closer to the truth than he had expected. In a place like Stillsnow, someone who was picked up from the streets was likely connected with Rufus' ring. H'aanit frowned at the thought, but she did not voice her worries on the matter.

"Saved his life, she did. He's been with her ever since," the man went on.

"Old women aren't commonly in need of a bodyguard..." H'aanit hummed to herself. She wondered if there was more to this Susanna character than Z'aanta's note had implied. Then again, it wasn't as if he had much time to explain the details of who she was given the fact that he had been turning to stone at the time. She was bound to run into this wall eventually, though she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do about it. She somehow doubted showing Alaic the letter Z'aanta had written would help her case much. She needed to find another way around him.

"They are when folk from far and wide come flockin' to 'ave their futures told," the man replied. "Fame don't sit too well on 'er, considerin' 'ow little she cares for company." That certainly explained why she had such a poor reputation around town; her magic was incredible, but she rarely did anything with her fame that would make people think kindly of her. She was so secretive that H'aanit hadn't heard anything about her when she was there as part of Primrose's revenge mission, and that was certainly an impressive feat on Susanna's part.

"Surely she doth not refusen every visitor?" H'aanit questioned even though she already had a sinking feeling in her stomach that told her where this was going. She wasn't going to like the answer she got, but she had to at least pose the inquiry.

The woman nodded. "Bit o' a funny one, ain't it? A seer who can see the future clear as day but don't tell no one what she knows. Alaic turns 'em all away, and no amount o' beggin' or beseechin' makes one spit o' difference." No wonder they had acted like the man from before raging after Alaic was a regular occasion. It definitely seemed to be. Alaic knew how to handle himself, and he would show it to everyone who tried to cross him.

"Every now an' then, a fool tries to get rough with Alaic but oft as not ends up with only a cracked skull for the trouble," the man sighed. He looked off in the direction of the traveler from before, wincing when he saw the way the man rubbed at his newfound injuries.

"Finding her was easy... But talking to her may proven more difficult," H'aanit murmured. She needed to find a way to get past Alaic. Doing so would be much easier said than done, but H'aanit hadn't come all this way just to be stopped at the first obstacle. Z'aanta was counting on her, and H'aanit wouldn't be coming back empty-handed. She would hear what Susanna had to say no matter what that meant for her. Alaic may have been stubborn, but H'aanit was too, and she would give him the competition he needed if that was what it came down to.

For Z'aanta's sake, she at least had to try.

H'aanit chapter three time!

All things considered, I don't have all that much to say here about the chapter itself. It's not like we're really in the interesting stuff quite yet since things have just started. H'aanit is a lot calmer now that she's finally figured out how to put all her nervous energy to good use, so that's a step in the right direction at the very least.

I know I've commented on this before, but I really like the extended travel banter I've been able to come up with since developing the group's dynamics a bit more. Ophilia having such a soft spot for Linde is adorable, and I think it adds an extra little dimension to her character. It's not that she needs it, but I still like throwing in those details.

This chapter speaks for itself for the most part, so I'm going to wrap things up here. Next week, we'll continue with H'aanit's chapter three. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital