Hurray for original chapter titles.

You've waited 20 chapters for it, and here it is! Action! Somewhat. Yeah.

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"And here I was thinking you were from Serdio."

"I am. But that doesn't mean I know every inch of the damn country. I wasn't allowed far from Bale when I was here fourteen damn years ago. There was a war going on, you know."

"So you keep saying."

"If this is just you being bitter about missing out on the action up north, it was your choice to come down here, you know. You could have asked Serpent Mother to send someone else and put you with the Reisch or something."

"It was not my choice. She gave me an order."

"Would you stop it already?" Thought Lavitz could not understand what was being said, two days of Marach and Niira heckling each other was still enough to grate on his nerves.

"Sorry," the Northlanders said simultaneously.

Though they traveled, they had little idea of where exactly they were going. Marach had attempted to ask for Serpent Mother's advice a few nights ago. The instructions she gave were simply for them to go south. Niira wondered if she was being purposely vague, or if she really didn't know where the Seventh was and intended to put Niira in a place where she had no 'eyes' and use the half-blood's supposed dragoon-sensing abilities. God, at this rate we'll die of old age before we find any sign of the Seventh. I don't even know if I have my mother's ability to do this sort of thing. I mean, yeah, I can feel magic but I had no idea my father was a dragoon until he held his dragoon spirit in front of my face.

Marach had led the group into the forest earlier in the day. Open spaces like the plains of Serdio made him nervous; his race lived in the rocky mountains of the Northlands, where one could easily hide even within a few feet of someone. But this had led to protest from Lavitz, who claimed the forest would only slow them. But Niira knew the real reason behind his dislike of the forest. The knights were trained to fight on open ground. Having trees in the way presented a severe impediment to someone in full armor, especially if that someone used a lance and his favored weapon.

Look at us. We must make the worst traveling group ever. She didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed.

She almost didn't notice when Kitty's heavy footsteps stopped. "Come on, Kitty."

"Brrrt."

"What?" Niira looked back at her pet. He had stopped with one forepaw raised, his small round ears turning this way and that as he tried to locate something.

"What's gotten into him now?" Marach growled.

Just then, Kitty set down his foot and lashed his tail from side to side.

"There's someone up ahead," Niira said. She recognized when the gryff was trying to warn her, and knew from years of experience that it was best to listen to him.

There was little time to prepare as a group of men emerged from the forest's shadows in front of them. They looked as if they had intended to encircle the group, but after seeing the giant gryff they must have decided to err on the side of caution. Niira did not like the looks of the strangers and immediately began thinking of whether it would make more sense to beat them senseless with her spear or give them the full treatment with her dragoon abilities.

"What business do you have in our forest?" one man addressed them.

"Your forest?" Lavitz gripped his lance tightly.

Niira glanced at him, silently pleading for him to not do anything rash that might make the situation worse.

"That's right, knight."

"We're just passing through," Niira said. She would rather not fight them if at all possible...yet she still itched for action.

"I'm supposed to believe that a lady is 'just passing through' with a knight, an armed foreigner, and that beast?"

"What concern is it of yours how she travels?" Marach interjected.

"Because I find it interesting. And besides, I like to know what's going on in my forest."

Niira narrowed her eyes at the men. They all wore a rough badge sewn onto their right sleeve, a rampant blood-red dragon on black fabric. She recognized the design, but couldn't recall what people would wear it.

"Now, you can leave, or I can have my men remove you." From deeper within the forest, Niira could hear the sounds of more of the group, members hidden away in reserve in the case of trouble.

"This is the fastest route to where we're going, and we intend to keep going in this direction." Niira knew this was beyond trying to negotiate now, but she still found herself trying anyway.

The leader of the bandits laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"Damn Sandoran rogues," Lavitz hissed. "I thought we had run you off already."

"No." The stranger looked at the knight. "Nice try though."

"Enough of this. We don't have time to banter with traitors." Lavitz swirled his spear into an attack position. "Move or die."

Well done, father. Excellent. Niira sighed inwardly.

The rogue Sandoras laughed amongst themselves. "You're far outnumbered, knight. What chance do you think you have?"

Niira felt a crackling in the air. It was the same sensation she felt whenever someone nearby transformed into their dragoon armor. She glanced at her father...but he still stood in his silver Serdian armor. Then who...

"A good chance, I think!" shouted a high-pitched, childish voice.

Chaos erupted as a shimmering pale blue figure shot through the ranks of the Sandoras. Kitty, startled by the sudden commotion, reared with a loud screech. The nearby bandits shouted in terror and tried to run. One met his end as the gryff's full weight came crashing back down on top of him, while another fell victim to Kitty's sharp curved beak.

Niira reached for the rod she carried against her back, whipping it around so it extended to its full length, spear blades locking into place. Marach owned a similar weapon; he pulled it out and joined in the fray as well.

They were disappointed in how short the fight was. The Sandoran rogues had been startled sufficiently and fled as quickly as they could, rather than stay and fight. Excited by the battle, Kitty gave chase to the last stragglers, crashing through the forest. The three companions stood still in the odd silence that followed, as if in shock.

"What the hell just happened?" Niira asked finally.

"No idea," Marach admitted.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Lavitz asked his daughter.

"You had time to pay attention to how I was fighting?"

The knight only shrugged.

Niira replaced her spear in its harness and whistled for Kitty. The gryff would return on his own eventually, but she didn't want him running where he shouldn't be.

A silvery giggle cut through the trees. Looking up, Niira saw a girl sitting in the branches above. She wore light blue dragoon armor, and she kept her wings sticking out behind her for balance as she sat on the branch. Settled across her lap was a nasty-looking war hammer that seemed rather big in comparison with the girl who held it. "Imagine seeing you again! Here! Of all places!"

What on earth? Niira furrowed her brow. At least we know who scared off the bandits now.

"Meru?" Lavitz sounded incredulous.

"Long time no see!" The girl--Meru--dropped to the ground, shedding her armor in bits of icy light. The clothes that remained were skimpy, even to Niira, who was used to the minimalist fashions of the feliforms. The girl's silver-blue hair was pulled back from her face in a long ponytail that reached her waist. Niira tensed suddenly.

She's a Wingly. Though most Northlander races had little contact with Endiness in the past, they knew enough to know of the vicious superiority complex the Winglies were infamous for. How did a Wingly get a hold of a dragoon spirit?

Why does my father not seem concerned about this?

Lavitz was indeed having a conversation with Meru, as if they were old friends. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay in the forest with Guaraha for a while."

"Who, me? Nah. Well yeah, we stayed there for 'a while.' But I just had to show him the human world! We went to Lohan, and then..."

"You came up here from Lohan? Why didn't you tell King Albert you were in Serdio?"

"We only stayed there a little while!" Meru spoke with a carefree giddiness, her arms and legs moving around as if she was dancing as she talked. "We were in Donau after that, and then--"

The knight cut her off again. Niira was somehow glad that he did. "That doesn't tell me why you're here now."

Niira glanced at Marach. The guardsman appeared to have some further knowledge of Meru than she did, and wore his usual bored expression.

Wait, if she's a dragoon, then she must have fought in the dragoon war with my father. No wonder they know each other. It was so obvious now that she remembered that, she felt stupid.

"So! Who's yer new buddies!" Meru hop-danced to Niira and Marach. The hyaeniform only glowered back.

"He's Marach," Lavitz said.

"Oh yeah! That guy from the north, huh?" Meru didn't wait for an answer, but spun around until she was in front of Niira. She stood on her toes, leaning close to the half-blood. Even making herself taller this way, Meru was still shorter than Niira. She narrowed her ruby eyes, as if deep in thought. "Who're you?"

"I'm Niira."

"Hmm?"

"My daughter," Lavitz added quietly.

"Ah! I thought she reminded me of you!" Meru did a little spin back to Lavitz. "Hey, didn't you say she was dead?"

Niira felt a her heart sink. You say that so carelessly.

Lavitz looked stung by that remark as well. "I thought she was."

"Well, she's here now, so she's obviously not dead! Hee! Where y'all going anyway?"

"South," Marach stated shortly.

"Cool! I'll come too--whoa!" She was nearly bowled over by a gleeful Kitty as he bounded back to Niira's side. The gryff noticed Meru and tilted his head curiously. "Aiee! What's that? Help!" Kitty had taken her ponytail in his beak and was tugging it gently.

Niira made no move to help the Wingly, instead stepped towards her father. "Is she always that...that..."

"Yes."