I didn't get an answer. No surprise there. However, Rudiger reappeared from beneath the cot and summited his friend's shoulder. I took the chance to dive under said cot and get my queen back, then started gathering the rest of the chess pieces.

By the time I'd found every single piece and returned them to my pouch, Raccoon Boy seemed to have forgotten I was even there. He was still glued to the window, shoulders relaxed, and in the complete absence of background noise, I could hear his steady breathing.

I heaved a deep sigh and padded up to him. "May I join you?"

He turned his head and his face contorted into a scowl. His voice dripped with disdain as he said "Oh, you're still here," but there was such a strong undercurrent of exhaustion that it fell flat entirely.

I shrugged. "You didn't exactly give me a reason to leave."

"I am the reason to leave!"

"So you keep saying." I placed my hands on my hips. "Look, if you want me to leave, just say so. Until then, I'm going to assume you're in dire need of a hug."

"Don't you dare," Raccoon Boy huffed and turned back to the window. "And here I thought Rudiger was clingy."

Rudiger responded to the accusation with outraged chittering. I snickered and took the last step towards the window to scratch his head. "He just cares about you! Nothing wrong with that!"

Raccoon Boy spun around and leaned against the window bars, arms crossed. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"Nope." This time, I was the one to turn to the window for relief. "And I get the feeling I really don't want to know. I'd rather enjoy the sunset right now."

"The sunset?" Raccoon Boy tsked. "Someone's got her priorities straight."

"Oh, come on! My window faces south! I haven't seen a sunset in a long, long time!" I only realized how true these words rang when I spoke them. I hadn't really missed watching the sunset, but now that I got the chance, nothing was going to separate me from this window!

As a matter of fact, the view in general was pretty amazing. My own window overlooked the yard, which was rather boring most of the time. Raccoon Boy's window, however, overlooked the castle town. I could see the bustling town square and the main street, where the people made some last purchases before the traders would pack up their stalls and close their shops. I could see a fountain breaking up the sea of colorful houses, and even the actual sea glittering in the distance under pink fluffy clouds. The setting sun bathed everything in a soft orange glow, accentuating the purple flags of Corona strewn about the town and invigorating the citizens with its warmth.

I couldn't believe I never missed this. Vague memories popped into my mind, memories of riding these waves of humanity with my family. Memories of dragging my elder sister around by her hand to show her the musicians, memories of begging my mom and dad for cupcakes and lollipops. Memories of harvest festivals, when my sister would ignore me because she was busy dancing with the boy she liked, loved, and went on to marry. My little eight-year-old self had been very angry at her, and at Mom and Dad drinking apparently super tasty stuff that all adults drank and refused to share with me. But I'd had fun, too, playing with the other kids and pranking the mean, mean grown-ups. I even remembered the harbor, and the time when I fell into the sea on the princess's birthday because I wanted to catch a lantern that went out and sank into the bay.

"I snuck on a ship once." I had no idea why I shared this random bit of information. It just felt right. "I was six or seven, I don't remember. But I loved ships as a kid, and I wanted to know how such a huge hunk of wood could float when even teeny tiny me couldn't. My family was not amused when one of the crew members brought me back. They busted their butts trying to find me, and I was on a vessel headed for Galcrest!"

Raccoon Boy hummed. "Galcrest? That's an impressive detail to remember."

"They kept repeating it." I sighed and leaned my elbows on the window ledge. My heart ached. "Besides, I don't have many memories of that sort. I was nine when I came here, and I've only been out once since then, last winter. And that didn't even count, because it was an evacuation."

"The blizzard..." Raccoon Boy mumbled, making me nod.

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes. I did miss this. I did miss life outside the walls, the people, the town, my little backwater village. I even missed my chores. I missed feeding the chickens and picking their eggs, or helping my mom around the house.

I missed it so much. I only convinced myself I didn't. And right now, that conviction was crumbling.

"You know, I taught myself to always look forward, and only forward. I simply wasn't meant to grow up that way, and looking back just... It just hurts so much. But I guess a part of me just can't forget." A small sniff escaped me as I lifted my eyes to the horizon. Lost in thought as I'd been, I didn't see the sky streak over. It was completely red now, but still a sight to behold. "It's probably a blessing that I can't see the town." I choked on my own words, but my twisting guts told me to keep talking. If I stopped now, stopped distracting myself, I knew I'd have a breakdown. "I can't see what I'm missing this way. But, you know, I was nine. I was small and pudgy and tanned and had long, bright red hair. My sister called me 'little foxy'. And now..." A sob tried to wrench itself from my throat. I slapped my hands down on the window ledge, and my fingers curled into fists without me wanting them to. I swallowed, hard, and the sob stayed where it was. "They wouldn't even recognize me now. All they'd see now is a growing pale brunette with a haircut that'd be more at home in the military and who's in dire need of exercise. Some stranger who couldn't possibly belong with them. I–"

"Hey, hey." A hand squeezing my upper arm cut me off. I swatted at it half-heartedly, not intending to actually hit anything but hoping to get the message across. The hand went away.

I didn't dare turning around to face Raccoon Boy. It was bad enough that my shoulders were shaking – I didn't want him to see my watery eyes, too.

I drew a deep breath, willing the tears to stay where they belonged. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you have your own set of problems, without having to listen to mine."

"It's fine," Raccoon Boy replied, neither confirming nor denying the rest of the statement, and I was in no mood to push for information. I just sighed and turned around.

"I guess I'll better be off." As I picked up the chessboard and hid it inside my tunic, I wrangled every bit of self-control I had. So I could at least give Raccoon Boy a smile. "Sorry for dropping this on you, really. But thanks for listening anyway."

"Let's not talk about it." Raccoon Boy shook his head and waved me off. "Just go!"

A bitter chuckle escaped my throat. I complied, gladly, and practically fled the scene. Or at least I planned to, but there was another uncomfortable bit when Rudiger tried to follow, chirping at me in a way that sounded like a scolding. Raccoon Boy was forced to haul his chained-up self across the cell to stop his pet from causing another scuffle, which wouldn't have been so terrible in and of itself, but I really wanted out by this point and my proximity-o-meter was overloading. So I spent a good thirty seconds trying to merge with the door and generally being a useless log while Raccoon Boy chased his critter around my legs.

Finally, Raccoon Boy caught hold of Rudiger and straightened, with the animal chittering in protest. "Gotcha! What's wrong with you?!"

"Probably me," I replied, even though there was no way the question was meant to be answered. My voice came out all breathy and panty, and I could feel my heartbeat all the way to the tips of my ears. I heaved a deep breath. "Animals are so much more sensitive to anguish than humans are." I shook my head and slid down the door. I needed to sit.

It hadn't been a pleasant experience, but at least the excitement distracted me from my grief. I was much calmer and had no trouble looking up into Raccoon Boy's eyes. "On the other hand, he could be after our medicine again." I shot Rudiger a warning glare. "You never know with these little guys."

"Medicine?"

"Some ribwort tincture." I rolled my eyes and braced my hand against the door to climb to my feet. "Although that probably doesn't mean anything to you. Basically, it's cough syrup. But it can also be used to treat infections, which is why it's so important to us at the moment. The last couple weeks took a serious toll on our med supply." I finally reached a stable upright position and leaned back, arms crossed and gritting my teeth. "I probably don't need to tell you why."

Raccoon Boy shook his head, but it was mechanical. The rest of him remained unmoving, his brows were knitted and his eyes unfocused.

His mind was clearly somewhere else.

With a start, I remembered what the Captain had said about Raccoon Boy, and how his brains were his greatest weapon. He'd latched onto something, and it had to be something sinister. And while I had no idea what part of 'cough syrup' could possibly be hinting at escape routes or anything, I wished I'd kept my mouth shut. Like freaking always!

"What are you thinking about?"

Raccoon Boy winced and looked up. Good. Whatever train of thought had been running through his head, he should have lost it.

"Uh..."

He was struggling for words, I could see it. I unfolded my arms and pushed myself off the door. "You know what? Don't bother. I can imagine." I sighed and reached out a hand to pet Rudiger's head. Might be the last time. "Look, I don't like this any more than you, but you know I can't ignore this, right? I'll have to tell the guards."

Rudiger squeaked as he was torn away from my scratching fingers. Raccoon Boy took a step back, hugging his pet tightly to his chest. He kept quiet, but his glare made words superfluous anyway.

It made my heart ache. So I stared back, silently pleading with him to say something, to prove me wrong. But nothing came.

Suddenly I felt very, very tired. I should have known better than to try and make friends with someone from this section, but even so, I was going to miss him. And I'd have to tell Maurina I failed... Raccoon Boy would never talk to me again after this, but not telling anyone and possibly enabling a criminal to escape? That was a rule I couldn't break.

I turned on my heel and started fiddling with the lock. The sooner I stopped looking back, the better. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It was nice meeting you, though."

"My dad."

I froze in mid-fiddle and turned my head. I couldn't help it. "What?"

"It's about my dad," Raccoon Boy pressed through gritted teeth, then stalked away to sit on the cot and give me the cold shoulder in the process. "Happy now?"

His dad? Wait, wait, wait... What? What did cough syrup have to do with... Oh. Oh. The war, of course!

Stupidity, thy name is Kailyn...

My face must have been quite a sight, because Raccoon Boy huffed. "What, did you think I was plotting an escape? By throwing cough drops at a guard, perhaps? Hope they slip on it?"

I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. "Yeah... It sounds really dumb if you say it out loud." I dropped to the floor again, deciding that it was really, totally cozy after all. I hugged my knees and buried my flaming face in them. "Sorry..."

I couldn't tell if the lack of response meant he didn't hear me or if it was really just The Usual, and I didn't care enough to ask. Once I recovered from my moronicness (which seemed to become a habit real quick lately), I instead tried to make sense of the thought process. There didn't appear to be any inclination on Raccoon Boy's part to volunteer any more information.

Maybe his dad was a guard? There'd been a minor uproar when casualties were counted after the war, and the number of deaths amounted to a whopping zero. It seemed like a miracle. But there'd still been injuries, and hoo boy did I get worrying about family members! Especially when you're cut off from any way of receiving news...

In a bid to relax and steel my resolve, I leaned back and stretched out my legs. It helped to breathe a little freer. "Would you like to write a letter?"

"Huh?" Raccoon Boy gave me a blank look. The concept seemed to puzzle him. "Letter?"

"Well, you're worried about your dad, right? Maybe I can get some paper and–"

"No." That was the point when he, too, straightened a little and a sigh of exasperation filled the room. "I mean, yes, I'm worried, but sending a letter would be pointless. My dad's in no condition to..." He trailed off and shook his head with an unsettling amount of ferocity. "Forget it! Just go away!"

I didn't even try to process anything beyond the last couple words. I was not going to leave him alone in this state! "Are you–"

"Get out!"

My ears rang from the sudden rise in volume. Yes, he was sure, and forcing him to endure my presence was not going to help anyone. Plus, when he turned away and a comforting chirp emanated from his lap, I realized I wasn't leaving him alone at all.

Raccoon Boy was in good paws.

I couldn't help smiling. Without disturbing the silence, I turned the key and squeezed outside to where Austin was waiting. Together, we hauled the heavy door shut and locked it, then I handed the key to my new personal guard.

I nodded at him. He nodded at me. We didn't need words to decide to put some distance between ourselves and the cell before anyone dared speaking. And by 'some distance', I mean The Door.

The very moment it closed behind us, Austin pulled me into a hug. Which I happily returned. (I've seen cuddlier things than a chestplate, though. Owowowow...)

"I'm so glad you're okay, Kai! You were in there for so long, I was getting worried!"

"Sorry, Austin. I was just–"

"Wait..." Austin cut me off. The chessboard vibrated a little under my tunic, pressing gently into my back. Uh-oh...

Austin released me and stepped back, hands on his hips and eying me from underneath his helmet. My face heated up – again. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Kailyn?"

"Um..." I clasped my hands behind my back and awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other. And maaaan, that was one fascinating ceiling!

"Kai?"

"Gosh, Austin! You're not my mom!" I sighed and reached down the back of my collar. Better get this over with...

As I sheepishly unfolded the black and white pattern, Austin's expression changed from accusing to slack-jawed and, at last, to upset. "You didn't..."

"I'm afraid I did."

"Kai!"

I flinched and reflexively raised the chessboard like a shield against the noise. Before I knew it, the board was torn from my grasp and I found myself inside another bear hug.

Yep, that was about what I expected. After a moment, I relaxed my shoulders and wrapped my arms around Austin's chest. "I'm fine, Austin. I'm safe."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?" Austin whispered, which would have been heartbreaking if it didn't seem so... over-the-top. For goodness' sake, Raccoon Boy wasn't exactly Wreck Marauder!

"I could have come out with a bad conscience because I decked a kid in chains?"

"This isn't funny, Kai!" Austin placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back a little so I could look into his eyes. They were very, very serious eyes. "I know you don't know what I know, but you know..." He stopped himself and shut his eyes, visibly pulling himself together. I waited with bated breath until his eyes opened again and he heaved a deep sigh. "Please, Kai. You must promise me to never do something so reckless ever again. You have no idea what's going on and I just... I can't let you do this! I can't let you get hurt!"

"Austin, I..." I drew a long, calming breath. I reached up and gently took Austin's hands, then stepped back a little to make room for holding them between us.

I could see he meant it. This wasn't the usual drama. Something big was going on, something I knew nothing about, and I could very well be in way over my head. But Austin hadn't met Raccoon Boy, and Nurse Maurina and the Captain of the Guard, who did (or at least I thought who did), trusted me to do this. And I wanted to do this!

"Look, Austin... I get that you're concerned, and I'm very grateful to have a friend like you. I also understand that yes, I do not know the bigger picture, and I'll promise to lay off the blunt weaponry if it's so important to you. But I need you to understand that I, too, know a thing or two about Raccoon Boy that you don't know, and I can take care of myself. Okay?"

I looked squarely into Austin's eyes, and I held the gaze until eventually, he nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you." I smiled and gave him a quick hug, then picked up the chessboard that leaned against the wall behind Austin. Time to change the subject. "So, uh..." I chuckled awkwardly and tapped my nails against the wood. "I didn't quite think things through when I took the board. There probably won't be another situation where the game room is virtually unguarded any time soon. I could use someone to cover for me while I put back the board and replace all the chess pieces." I donned my toothiest grin and my best puppy dog eyes, and I could see the sense of foreboding flooding Austin's face. "You wouldn't mind, do you?"

Austin facepalmed. "No, Kai! I mean, yes, Kai, I do, in fact, mind! I'm not going to get involved in your shenanigans!"

"Suit yourself," I chirped. I kept the grin on as I slipped past Austin and had way too much fun doing so. "Then I guess I'll just have to keep it until the opportunity arises. I wonder how many chess matches I can fit into that time?"

"Kai!" Austin yelled, and the pounding of boots against the floor rang in my ears like the sweet fanfares of victory.

"Yes?"

"You are a horrible person."

I dropped the chessboard down the back of my tunic, snickering all the while. "I know. Love you too!"

Not much to say about this one, I guess. Except maybe that if you're looking for action, don't hold your breath. Oh, there'll be action and plenty, but it's going to take a while and I remember getting a very nasty review once from someone who was looking for a plot in a story that practically screamed "Character-driven!" and never pretended to be anything else.

So yeah... Better clarify that now before people get disappointed?