Disclaimer: I do not own 'Shadows of Amn', the 'Forgotten Realms' or any characters therein. Wizards of the Coast do, at my last check. Lucky them. Nor do I won 'Never mind the Why and Wherefore' by W.S.Gilbert.
I do, however, own Fritha and certain other characters and plot points. Basically, if you don't recognise it from the game, it's probably mine.

– Blackcross & Taylor

War and peace

'Oh, I see, my lady; so you think it is a fool's errand!'

'I didn't say that, Anomen, I just said I wasn't sure it was practical!'

Jaheira felt her temple twitch, trying in vain to block out the noise of the argument that was in full swing behind her. That she was nervous about their return to the city was true enough, but it seemed it was nothing compared to the squire's anxiety and Anomen had been in an odd humour all day, the man taking even the most innocuous of comments the wrong way, and for him and Fritha it had been one quarrel after another.

Jaheira cast her eyes up through the thinning canopy to the overcast sky beyond, the day seemingly over before it had begun. It became dark so much earlier now and they had set off later than planned that morning as well. Elise had not let them even leave the breakfast table until they had all had at least two helpings (Fritha had been distraught), the woman pressing on them an assortment of dried meats and other rations and even a bottle of elderberry wine for the journey. In fact, the old cook had only stopped when Daleson had jokingly reminded her they were heading for Athkatla not Waterdeep.

Once they had managed to quit the Keep, it had been a steady day of walking westward, the group crossing one of the rivers that would eventually flow through the city at about noon and they had been following its course northwest ever since. Jaheira sighed, drawing her gaze away from the darkening sky. It was no good, they would not make Athkatla before nightfall; better they made camp then and set off fresh tomorrow.

'Right,' she sighed as they entered a likely looking glade, turning back to the group behind her, though interruption was hardly noticed, Fritha and Anomen's argument still going strong, the squire now no less then bellowing at the girl.

'It was surely a fool's errand to ever seek your council in the first instance! Be assured now, my lady, it is a mistake I will not make again!'

'Anomen, I just said it wasn't practical, so stop bloody SHOUTING!' she screeched back even louder, a silence finally falling between them only to be broken a moment later by Fritha's embarrassed laughter, in which Anomen slowly joined her, the irony of her outburst not lost on either of them it seemed.

'I am sorry, my lady.'

'Yes, me too.'

'Now, you are both quite finished,' continued Jaheira curtly, sending the pair a stern look, 'I believe we should stop here and make camp.'

xxx

Anomen reached up, looping the rope about the branch above him twice as he tied off the final guy line, glancing over to check Cernd had done the same before he released it. Jaheira had predicted rain for that night and he and Cernd had volunteered to put up the canvas in anticipation of it. He watched the druid opposite give his own line an experimental pluck, the thin rope humming like the string of a lute, the canvas that spanned the small clearing taught and slightly angled against the wind, ready for whatever the weather had in store for them.

Anomen gazed up at the pale square of fabric half wishing he had the task to do all over again. He had been on edge all day, keeping busy the only thing to distract him from the unpleasant writhing of his stomach. Well, that and quarrelling, he considered dully. Anomen shook his head; he did not like himself like this, so angry and short-tempered. He had been snapping at people since breakfast, though mainly Fritha, the girl seeming to take it upon herself to spare the others from his temper. And she had appeared fine with the task, merrily arguing with him until his anger was worn out to accept his apology with a ready smile. Perhaps a little too ready, and Anomen considered that she was probably not quite so cheerful as she was willing to make out. He watched as the girl herself appeared back at the camp, returned from collecting their water and setting the pot over the fire Jaheira was currently tending.

'She bears it well.'

Anomen glanced sharply to his side to find Cernd had crossed to him and was watching Fritha as he had been, all serene eyes and mild smile.

'Sorry?'

'Your temper, she bears it well.'

Anomen bristled instantly. 'I have much on my mind at the moment! Tomorrow I must face a judgement which decides the path of the rest of my life!'

Cernd said nothing, and Anomen felt his conscience prickle, the man finally admitting with a sigh, '…though I know this to be little excuse, my temper has been hard to control for a while now.'

'Ah, yes, the anger than defies all reason and reign, I know it well.'

'You do?'

Cernd smiled slightly; he seemed to find his incredulity amusing.

'Why, yes, I have always found it hard to control my temper ever since I contracted my lycanthropy. I suppose it is a lingering aspect of the baser instinct I am now attuned with. But now I am a werewolf, it is perhaps even more important that I do so. I can teach you the method if you wish.'

Anomen sighed dully.

'It would seem a touch belated now; the Order will make their judgement on my past actions.'

Cernd sent him a measured look.

'Does that make it any less worth learning?'

Anomen glanced again to Fritha, the girl crouched beside the pot talking to Jaheira about something as she slowly stirred the steeping tea.

'How do you do it?'

The mild smile did not waver, but the druid's eyes seemed to take a rueful cast.

'Whenever I feel my anger rising, I think of a moment when my temper ruled me, a moment I would never wish to see repeated.'

And Anomen was suddenly back there, stood before Fritha as he had been on more than one occasion, him with his temper at its peak and her wearing that awful resigned look she would sometimes get, as though she did not expect any better from him. He swallowed dryly.

'I see.'

The druid sighed, perhaps mistaking his shortness for displeasure.

'It was not my attempt to shame you, Anomen, it is merely a method I use to remind myself of the consequences of a temper unrestrained.'

Anomen nodded, his voice warmer. 'No, I understand. Thank you.'

Cernd merely smiled, nodding mildly.

'Come along you two,' called Fritha and he turned to see her beckoning to them, an assortment of cups set about her as she ladled out the dark brown liquid, 'your tea is getting cold.'

They moved to join them, Cernd sinking into the place beside Aerie, Anomen sitting next to him, nodding his thanks as Jaheira passed him his tea. They had been the last to join the circle and the whole group was together about the fire now, a strange quietness hanging over them all, though he should not really be surprised, it has been so for days. Anomen watched those about him, Jaheira and Minsc seemingly happy to just sit a moment and enjoy their tea in silence, Cernd smiling slightly as he fed pine seeds to a roving Boo, the hamster scurrying about the grass under Minsc's watchful eye. At his side, Aerie was absently leafing through one of her spellbooks, Haer'Dalis sat rather pointedly on the other side of the fire from her and checking the tuning on his lyre. Although yet to have another argument, Haer'Dalis and Aerie did not look as though they were exactly reconciled either and Anomen wondered vaguely if the source of their quarrel still stemmed from the tiefling's views or whether something further had happened in the meantime. The squire shook his head, such things none of his concern in either instance and his eyes drifted finally to Fritha, the girl currently stood by the fire rooting through a plain linen bag she had brought from her pack.

'What are you making for the meal, young Fritha? asked Minsc, the girl glancing up to send him a smile.

'Well, Elise very kindly spared us some beef and Cernd found some mushrooms this morning that he promises won't make us all violently ill, so I think those cooked in wine and spices. Oh, and onions; I've got quite a few onions in here too. Will that do?'

Minsc nodded, smiling broadly. 'A meal fit for kings of men!'

'Yes, but unlike kings of men, I expect you to help,' she laughed as she threw out the dregs of the tea and poured a measure of oil into the now empty pot, 'You can slice the onions if you like.'

Minsc agreed good-naturedly taking the vegetables from her, Jaheira moving to help him, Fritha humming blithely to herself as she sliced the dried meat in to the now hissing oil. Anomen watched her a moment before he rose stiffly, moving to stand next to her.

'Is there anything I can do to help, my lady?'

She glanced to him, but shook her head.

'Hmm? Oh, no, I think we've everything in hand, haven't we, Minsc?' she refused genially, adding the last of the onions and mushrooms to the pot and fetching a couple of thin parchment envelopes from the top of her pack.

'Paprika,' she explained as she carefully unfolded the envelope to add a large pinch of the vermilion powder to the pot, 'and perhaps a touch of cumin as well. They say it keeps lovers faithful,' she added quietly with a smile and he followed her gaze first to Aerie and then Haer'Dalis, the pair still not speaking to each and looking as though it would take more than seasoning to get them back on good terms.

Anomen allowed himself a slight smile, turning back to find Fritha already struggling to open the wine and he was about to offer his assistance when the cork finally came loose in her hand. The squire sighed, feeling increasingly conspicuous just stood there next to her and he moved back to his place next to Aerie and began to check over his armour just for something to do, one eye still on Fritha as she worked, the girl now busy putting the wine they had been gifted to good use.

'One for dinner, one for me!' she laughed, pouring a decent measure into the hissing pot before putting a splash into her empty tea cup and downing it in one, the girl singing to herself as she divided her time between stirring the mixture and conducting her song with the spoon.

'Never mind the why and wherefore, love can level ranks and therefore, I admit the jurisdiction, ably have you played your part; you have carried firm conviction to my hesitaaaaa-ting heart.'

Anomen smiled; he thought she sounded quite tuneful, though it seemed he was in the minority. At his side, Aerie sighed slightly, moving a hand up to her temple.

'Are you well, my lady?'

The girl started, seemingly caught out before she smiled and shook her head.

'I am fine, Anomen, just a slight headache.'

Cernd sent her a concerned look.

'A headache?'

'It's nothing really,' Aerie protested and more strongly this time, though the druid shook his head.

'Perhaps, though it could be a symptom of much more. Do you not think Aerie looks pale, Anomen?'

'I suppose,' Anomen conceded. He actually thought she looked quite pink from all the attention she was receiving. Cernd just nodded though.

'Indeed. I can tell by the way you are sat, Aerie, that you are carrying a lot of tension across your neck.'

Aerie laughed lightly, now even pinker.

'My neck? I am surprised you would have noticed.'

Anomen frowned, suddenly feeling this was a conversation he no longer wanted a part in, Cernd looking mildly surprise by her uncharacteristically playful tone.

'Well, it could be said that it draws the eye,' he conceded eventually, a slight smile on his weathered face, 'As for the cause, well, my first guess would be your pack is probably a touch heavy for your frame.'

Aerie smiled teasingly.

'Well, it has been fine up until now -though if you are offering to carry it for me...'

Cernd laughed. 'Would that I were strong enough to carry both yours and mine, though I can prepare you some herbs to alleviate the pain, if you would wish.' He smiled slightly, eyes flicking for a moment to rest on the still singing Fritha, 'Though I wonder at the good it would do whilst we are being so vociferously serenaded.'

'Could it be the man who once claimed to only have an ear for birdsong is now an authority on arias?'

Anomen glanced up sharply to see Haer'Dalis staring at them from across the camp, his eyes narrowed and looking almost liquid in the firelight, 'Though I will admit to knowing little of the former, I should easily favour the raven over the lark any day you care to choose.'

Fritha had turned to them as well, still holding her spoon and for a moment Anomen got a glimpse of the weariness he suspected she had been hiding all day, the girl casting her eyes heavenward, as though another argument was the last thing she wanted.

'Now, I'm sure Cernd just meant it as a joke,' she interrupted quickly, sending the druid a smile to prove there were no hard feelings, Aerie hastily adding her agreement.

'Yes, I have a slight headache. Cernd was just offering to ease it for me.'

'Yes,' confirmed Haer'Dalis in a voice of cool displeasure, 'I heard him well enough. Well, you should take him up on his offer then; I would not have you in pain, my dove.'

Aerie's eyes widened, her cheeks pink as her surprise gave way to a hurt look.

'Well, perhaps I will!' she snapped, glaring at the tiefling as though willing him to retort, and perhaps he would have as well, if not for Fritha's timely intervention.

'Well, good, that's all good,' came Fritha with a sigh, turning to give the pot behind her one last stir before replacing the lid. 'Right, that should be fine to simmer for a bit. I should go and fetch some more firewood anyway. Come on, Haer'Dalis, you can help me.'

xxx

Fritha sighed to herself, a silence between them as she and the bard marched through the trees. The day had seemed a long one though she knew in reality it had probably been the shortest yet, and after she had been so prepared to look forward from now on. Last night, though distressing as it had been, had also had a cathartic effect and she had awoken that morning feeling refreshed. They would be back in the city soon where she would work to earn money enough for Imoen's rescue, after which she would be free to find a life for herself wherever and with whomever she chose.

And all day she had walked with this thought, the increased weight of her pack, heavy with Nalia's green gown and an amber sash she had quite liked, pressing it into her. And yet it had all been for naught, the day of Anomen's worries and Haer'Dalis and Aerie's subtle hostilities slowly wearing her out. At her side, Haer'Dalis sighed, an indicator he was finally calm enough to talk and Fritha instantly sent him a reproachful look.

'And what was all that about?'

'I know not of what you speak, child,' he answered, his voice mellow and calm in quite a good imitation of a certain druid, 'I am as serene and bland as the trees of the forest.'

Fritha sighed tersely. 'Oh, Haer'Dalis, stop it; he's done nothing to you.'

'Nothing? You heard what he said of your performance!'

'I really couldn't care less what anyone thinks of my singing, as well you know, so don't even pretend that's the reason you're in a tiss.'

'A tiss?' the bard repeated, his voice taking on the mellow cadence once more 'My anger is as the tempest: furious, noble, a bit wet.'

'Haer'Dalis!' Fritha cried again, though a laugh wavered behind it and Haer'Dalis smiled slightly too, giving an exasperated sigh as he slowed his pace.

'Well… I do not like him.'

Fritha snorted.

'You don't like anyone at the moment.'

'I like you,' he answered promptly, but the mulish tone had gone, his eyes watching her with a strangely open look. Fritha turned away feeling suddenly sad.

'You love Aerie.'

The man sighed again, nodding in acquiescence.

'Yes, yes I do, though I sometimes wish I did not. Infuriating dove. Why must she behave so, and with that druid no less?'

Fritha smiled wryly.

'And what happened to you not "caging the dove"? She was just talking to him.'

'Aye, that she was! All coyness and smiles, in a manner sure to arouse my jealousy!'

'Well, you can hardly complain if she was; that is something I recall you yourself are not above when it suits you.

Haer'Dalis sent her a dark look and for a moment she thought he would argue the point, when he sighed and nodded tiredly.

'Ah, you are right, I know it. I am just ill tempered after these last few days. I apologised to Aerie yesterday, you know, tried to explain myself, but she is just as cool towards me today as she was before. And I am enough of a fool to lose temper with her and make it worse.' He shook his head, smiling ruefully. 'Ah, these mad couplings we birds try to make; I tell you, my raven, you are better off without them.'

'An easy judgement to make when you are already paired. Oh, let's not talk of this anymore,' she sighed; the whole thing was depressing and she was finding it hard to be sympathetic when they both still had each other and all their problems were of their own making.

They walked on for a while in silence after that and neither of them spoke until they had reached a large clearing dominated by a fallen tree, the gnarled trunk lying across the glade, a deep bowl of earth left where it had been uprooted and Fritha suspected it had been a victim of the last winter's storms.

'Here, this will do,' she announced, climbing to stand on the decaying trunk and taking out her frustrations on kicking off the thinner branches, Haer'Dalis collecting others from the ground.

'There, do you think that's enough?' she asked eventually, the tiefling straightening with a frown.

'No, I do not, if it means we have to return to the others. It is fine for you; I will have to endure an evening of the dove's glowering.'

'Well, that's your own fault for throwing a fit and storming off in the first place,' Fritha scolded with a laugh, 'Come on, we can sweeten our return with gracious tithes.'

She straightened to scan the undergrowth about them, the fallen tree allowing light to reach the forest floor and it seemed every dormant seed had burst forth, a myriad of plants stretching greedily up to the sudden sunlight.

'There, that one,' she said finally, pointing to a tall broad leafed plant behind him, 'Betony will cure Aerie's headache if brewed up right; pick it and let's get back to camp.'

Haer'Dalis followed her hand with a frown.

'What, that one? It looks a little… hardy. Are you sure?'

'Ah…' Fritha paused a moment, the usual doubts stirring before she shook herself, 'Yes, yes, I'm sure! I know my herblore as well as anyone, don't make me second guess myself.'

Haer'Dalis laughed, snapping it off about halfway along the stem and placing it within his coat, Fritha dropping lightly from the tree with her own haul as he gathered up the wood he had collected and they started back to camp.

'As you will, my raven, but recall to me again why we are bothering; Cernd has already offered her some concoction of his own brewing.'

Fritha sent him a shrewd look.

'If I had a headache what would you do?'

He grinned roguishly. 'Well, if Aerie was about, I'd serenade you.'

'Haer'Dalis!' she cried, not knowing whether to laugh or despair of him, 'You would want to help me, wouldn't you, because you would not wish to see me in distress. This is what Aerie expects as well; you doing something, even if redundant will show her you care.'

'Ugh, I find these foolish games I must play quite annoying.'

'Yes, well, you were the one who said "couplings" were madness. This is clearly how Aerie wishes to be loved. If you want to play the game then you have to follow the rules, sparrow,' she teased lightly, but the bard merely gave a disgruntled snort.

'I would warrant you would not be this infuriating.'

Fritha smiled wryly. 'Oh, I'm sure I could have my moments. I might seem all mildness and manners now, but once us girls get coupled, it is our prerogative to be as stroppy and unreasonable as we can.' She gave a cursory glance about her before leaning in conspiratorially. 'I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but there's a bit of competition in it, each girl trying to outdo the others in the irrationality of her behaviour, while across the world poor men of every creed are tearing out their hair trying to make sense of it all.' She chuckled merrily. 'Oh, we girls do all have such a laugh about it when we get together.'

And they were not the only ones finding it amusing apparently, Haer'Dalis laughing warmly, the man shifting the sticks in his arms to free a hand and gently ruffle her hair.

'You are mad, my raven, and don't ever be otherwise!'

xxx

Anomen glanced up as Fritha and Haer'Dalis arrived back, the pair looking bright and full of smiles and the squire felt something inside him twist, though he ignored it. Aerie too had noticed their arrival, the girl turning, almost deliberately it could have been said, to engage Cernd and Anomen watched as Fritha and Haer'Dalis held a whispered argument, the girl finally giving the bard a shove towards them. Haer'Dalis moved to stand awkwardly before the pair, Aerie turning to look up at him as he drew a woody large-leafed plant from his coat to present her with.

'I have brought you this, Aerie; if steeped in hot water it should make an infusion for your headache.'

Something about Aerie expression seemed to soften. 'Haer'Dalis…'

The man shrugged evenly, still looking a touch awkward.

'Well, it was as I said, I would not see you in pain.'

'Here,' came Fritha on cue, fetching up her flask, her eyes closing for the briefest of moments before she passed it to him, 'You can use my water. Careful, it's hot.'

Aerie smiled, Haer'Dalis nodding his thanks and sitting down next to her to begin shredding the leaves into her cup, the pair talking quietly and Cernd muttered something about 'evening prayers' and rather considerately made himself scarce.

Fritha had moved back to the fire to check on her cooking, the girl adding water and more wine to the stew, and she was just dividing up the waybread she planned to serve with it, when Cernd arrived back. Anomen watched as Aerie's eyes followed him across the camp, though Haer'Dalis muttered something at her ear and she turned back to the bard with a smile, seemingly content as he put an arm about her, resting his chin upon her shoulder as he watched her continue her sewing.

They ate soon after Cernd's return, everyone full of praise for the meal though Fritha diverted all compliments to Elise's fine ingredients and it was with a better sense of fellowship than they had enjoyed in days that everyone settled down around the fire to spend their evening together.

Anomen sighed, his old training diaries not distracting him from his worries has he had hoped, and he felt restless as he watched the camp about him. Cernd and Minsc were deep in conversation, as were Aerie and Haer'Dalis, Jaheira disappearing to rinse their cups and dishes ready for the morning.

Fritha, meanwhile, was searching through her bag to finally withdraw a small square book with a brightly coloured picture of a very smiley-looking dragon on the front, which bore little resemblance to the vicious creature Anomen had met so far. It was one of the ones he assumed she had bought before leaving Trademeet and it did not look to be particularly challenging; he suspected it was intended for readers much younger than she. She opened it at the dried leaf she was using as a bookmark and settled down to read, her progress punctuated by much snickering and quiet laughter until Jaheira, who was now returned and trying to do some reading of her own, finally seemed to lose patience with her.

'By Silvanus, Fritha, must you? I am finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate with you snorting away to yourself like some wild pig.'

Fritha glanced up with an affronted look.

'I'm just laughing! What would you have me do? Stifle it? I'd rather not read at all!'

Jaheira smiled tightly, her manner unusually tense.

'Well, then you have your course.'

Fritha looked for a moment as though she would have liked nothing more than to hurl the book right at the woman's head. But Anomen had the feeling that would have been against everything the girl had been brought up to and in the end all she threw across the camp was a filthy look, pushing the volume gently back into her bag and roughly pulling out her sewing instead. She was working on embroidering a pattern of oak leaves around the neck of one the new tunics she'd bought in Trademeet and the warm amber silks she was using looked striking against the dark red linen.

Anomen sighed as he watched her sew. Her activity reminded him of something he had been meaning to do for a while now and he rooted in his own pack for a moment, bringing out the thick padded coat he'd bought two winters before for the Order's campaign in the Cloud Peaks, the dusky blue wool almost grey in the deepening twilight.

He turned it inside out, exposing the soft quilted lining and his task: the inner breast pocket. At one time only slightly worn through, he'd left it and left it and now it was more hole than pocket. He had been planning to wear the coat tomorrow and though the hole was on the inside and no one but he would know, he still felt it should be mended, that he should go before them all as whole as he could be. He pulled the two sides of the frayed material together, wincing slightly as the fabric puckered. No, it was definitely a patch or nothing now and he glanced again to the girl sat opposite, who was sewing away diligently, pausing every now and then to hook a stray curl behind her ear.

'My lady?'

'Fritha,' she corrected, glancing up only to stab her finger in the process. She frowned slightly. 'Well?'

'My- my pocket has worn through, I was wondering if you have something I could patch it with?'

This seemed to pique her interest and Fritha held her hand out for the bundle of blue wool.

'I didn't know you could sew.'

'I am hardly skilled, but all in the Order are required to have the basic knowledge to repair their own kit.'

Anomen swallowed and the knot in his stomach tightened. The Order. In but a few hours he may never be able to mention them again without a bitter taste to it.

'Well,' Fritha continued, bringing the jacket closer to her face and carefully examining the frayed fabric, 'I'm afraid what little is left is too weak to hold a patch. You'll need a whole new pocket.'

'Oh, no matter then,' he answered shortly, moving to retrieve it. He knew from experience that a patch would have been testing his skills to the limit; sewing a new pocket was way beyond them.

'Patience!' she scolded, holding the coat out of reach, 'I didn't say I wouldn't do it.'

Slowly Anomen withdrew his hand, his look of incredulous delight unnoticed by the girl, who had put aside her own work and was now leaning forward to pull a vicious-looking hook from the leather wallet at her side and begin the laborious task of unpicking.

All evening she worked on it. Anomen sat across from her reading a book Aerie had lent him, glancing up at intervals to check her progress. He watched her, sat as close to the fire as heat would allow with the lanterns and even her own werelight set up around her, the girl straining to get the best light as she sewed furiously fast, a smile never far from her lips. Finally, just as Jaheira was making noises about bedding down for the night, Fritha bit the thread and slipped the needle into her sleeve with a flourish.

'There, done!'

She handed the coat back to him, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, tired eyes shining and it was immediately clear as to the source of her amusement. There was, of course, the pocket; perfectly sewn with small neat stitches in a stiff blue material she'd found among the scraps at the bottom of her pack. But on its right-hand corner, no larger than a gold piece, an eye of Helm had been embroidered in yellow and blue. He moved it slightly, watching it shimmer as the gold threads she'd slipped into the weave caught the light.

Anomen looked up to her face, utterly speechless, and Fritha grinned.

'And there He'll stay, over your heart; inspiring you to noble deeds and… to look after your coat!'

She laughed brightly, but he just smiled and nodded, still at a loss for words. Considering how worried she knew he was, and how hard he'd been to travel with lately, it was possibly one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him.

'What has she done?' came Aerie at his shoulder and he turned to show her and a mildly curious Jaheira, the elf giggling slightly while the druid sent Fritha a fond look.

'Foolish girl.'

Fritha merely smiled.

Just a moment to decide the rota of watches and the group bedded down, Fritha volunteering for the first and summoning a small bead of light that hovered at her ear for her to read by, the girl quite content as she settled back against a tree with another book. Anomen wished he felt the same, lying under his blankets, tired but unable to pull his mind from the worries that haunted him, and he lay there watching the stars slowly wheel above him.

His mind fell more often than not on his family; it was usual for relatives to attend the ceremony, but his both his mother and sister, the only two who had ever supported him, were dead. And as for his father! He could only pray he did not make an appearance. No, Anomen considered tiredly, there would be no family there tomorrow to congratulate or console, and instead he would be accompanied by group of people who he had only known for a few months at most.

The world was surely a strange place, and his mind was drawn back to the seminary that had once been his home. The future that had seemed so distant back then was now only a night away. What would that boy say now if he could see him, see the changes he had undergone, the mistakes he had made. Anomen wondered if he would even recognise himself.

The squire sighed, his head feeling dull as he final gave up. There was little point in trying to sleep now; it felt as though ages had passed since he'd first bedded down and it would be time to take his own watch soon.

'I believe it is my turn now, my lady,' he began quietly, heaving himself up slowly so as not to startle her, but Fritha just shook her head, barely glancing up from the book she was still reading.

'No, no, lie back down, Anomen.'

Anomen frowned. 'But you have taken your watch.'

'Yes,' she agreed, sending him a stern look, 'and listened to you fidget and sigh for the entirety. Get some sleep; it wouldn't do to be tired for tomorrow. Besides,' she smiled, gesturing to him with her book, 'I've just reached a good bit, so I don't mind.'

He watched her go back to the page, seemingly thinking this an end to the matter.

'Are you quite sure, my lady?'

'I practically insist.'

'What is your story about?'

'I don't think it would be to your taste, Anomen. It's about romance,' she confessed, putting a heavy, almost accented stress on the word and laughing softly at her own idiocy. Anomen nodded wisely, trying to stop his lips from twitching.

'Ah, romance –another tale of terrible assassins?'

'…No'

'I see… Any bakers?'

The sound of her giggling made him smile.

'Anomen, no! Now stop distracting me and go to sleep.'

His smile broadened at her matronly tone and he lay back down, closing his eyes with a sigh.

'Fritha?'

'…Yes.'

'I once told Sir Keldorn you did not understand the importance of the Order to Amn… but lately I have come to realise that does not mean you do not understand its importance to me… I- I will never doubt you again, Fritha.'

'Gods, don't make such promises!' she exclaimed with a quiet bark of laughter, 'You'll render our relationship unrecognisable.'

Anomen smiled to himself as he heard her return to her book. He would like to hope so.