The crew arrived at the Solardian army camp in the evening. Windie helped settle a still-fainted Helena in her modest tent. He glanced across the wet landscape of a much-diminished Rentoshire, the castle standing out obnoxiously in the middle of the rushing river and persistent downpour. He had seen Kolink Castle before, but never fully armed with electricity. It reminded him why he was really here. Despite this knowledge, he lingered around Helena's camp until he spotted two of his trusted neighbors. "Ah, I need to help my army organize and settle in at the camp," Windie told Helena's team.

"Nah, bro! We came to tell you to relax!" Lincoln laughed.

"Everything's all good with Denryushire's troops. Stick around and take care of the princess!" Cynthia winked.

"Are you sure?" Windie asked, to which his friends nodded and saluted. "Alright, if anyone needs me, or if there's any trouble with the nobles, you know where to find me."

Meanwhile, Max was stirring a small pot over a tiny fire, trying his best to keep the rain out with a large tarp overhead and a Light Screen around the sides. Lily was chopping up some unknown blue-colored berries with yellowish skin. Curious, she tried a tiny piece for herself.

"Ugh! So bitter!" Lily exclaimed.

Max chuckled. "Ah yes, Passho berries are certainly not a premier choice for cuisine, my friend."

Lily stuck out her tongue for some rainwater. "Why are you cooking with these?"

"Well, you see, Helena took a lot of damage from water attacks. It will take a while for her flames to recover. The Passho berries can help relieve some of the water that is bogging down her inner fire." Max frowned as he tossed some berry bits into his pot. "It is rare for Helena to get this ruined in a battle, for better or worse. I am… still in astonishment at how poorly that battle went for us until help arrived. We must not oversell our abilities any longer."

Windie listened to Max intently while glancing at Helena's rain-battered tent. "That reminds me, I have to see if any of Count Gusion's relatives from Denryushire have anything to say about his little stunt against you all. Ugh, but what do I say to Duke Antonio now?" he huffed.

"Hey, now's not the time to worry about all that noble wishy-washy stuff!" Terry exclaimed, playfully batting Windie on the shoulder. "You got a princess to propose to first!"

Lily and Max giggled in response, but Windie pushed Terry away with his tail. "Not right now," Windie insisted, suppressing a grin. "I want to let her relax and recover first before asking for a date. Be patient!"

"Your forethought and consideration will be much welcomed around here, my friend," Max chuckled. "When this soup is done, how about you bring it to Helena?"

Windie smiled. "I can do that."

Helena woke up to a harsh and insistent pitter-patter assaulting her ears. The first touch she registered was the feeling of cold water soaked up in her fur. Next was a thick cotton blanket, which was also moderately soaked. She didn't fear water nor mind being drenched in it. What she found distressing was that she couldn't do anything about her current drenched state. Her fire was exhausted, and she felt cold. As a pokémon who lived and breathed her fire day and night, the absence of an internal source of fire made her feel like a Magikarp out of the water.

Her tent flap opened, increasing the sounds of wind and downpour. "Hey, Helena," a voice greeted softly.

Helena nudged her blanket off her face and slowly opened her eyes, seeing a hazy orange and beige figure. Her muzzle formed a weak smile. "Windie?" she voiced.

"Yup. I brought you some Passho soup," he said, placing the bowl before her.

Her ears gently perked. "Oh, thank you. It's my… well, not favorite, but the best thing I could have right now."

Windie chuckled. "I hope it's not too bitter."

"Anything is better than cold," said Helena. She was about to lap at the bowl but just barely decided against it, instead forcing her paw out from under the blanket to grasp the provided spoon. The soup was boiling hot, enough to burn any normal pokémon, which was precisely why it was great for Helena's current state. It was also wickedly bitter, but Helena barely noticed her tongue's complaints. As the boiling liquid passed down her throat, she felt like she had her fire back. Sadly, as the warmth spread out, it lost its fiery temperature. One spoon of boiling soup, or even one bowl of boiling soup, would not be enough to cure her. The Passho berries' nutrients would accelerate the recovery of her fire powers after fainting, but that would take a while.

Helena shivered as a gust of wind permeated past the tent flap, rippling across her drenched blanket and fur, whisking away more of her precious warmth. Windie glanced behind him at the tent flap flapping in the wind, realizing he had forgotten to close it; he grabbed the corner, where a small wooden stake was attached, and stabbed it into the ground. "Sorry about that. Is there anything you'd like besides the soup?" he asked.

Helena looked up at the Arcanine in between spoonfuls. His orange fur reminded her that, of course, he was a fire type, just like her. "Can I sit next to you?" she asked.

"Of course," Windie smiled, outlining a spot next to him with his fluffy beige tail.

Helena started to lift herself up, but her legs fiercely resisted. If she didn't have the strength to warm herself up, she certainly didn't have the strength to move. Helena huffed, flopping her muzzle on her paw. It almost felt like the weight of the water in her fur and blanket and the sound of the rain pounding her tent from above were telling her to stay down. She saw Windie looking at her concernedly and averted her eyes. "Ugh… I'm sorry you have to see me like this…" she mumbled.

"It's okay!" Windie reassured. "It sure takes a brave fire type to take a Swift Swim-boosted Waterfall to the face, you know."

An imaginary, yet still pleasant, warmth returned to Helena's heart. Windie lay down next to her, replacing her drenched blanket with his warm, fluffy tail. Helena welcomed his fire's warmth with a smile. "Thanks for being here, Windie."

"You're welcome, Helena."

Helena continued drinking the Passho soup, knowing that every ounce of bitterness was worth restoring her fire sooner. For now, though, she was content in sharing Windie's fire. It was a miracle that he was here.

"How did you even find me?" Helena asked. "I was in the middle of the forest in the middle of nowhere."

"We saw your Drought," said Windie.

"We?" asked Helena.

"Yeah, Lily and me, along with my friends from Denryushire. We were on our way to Rentoshire to join the siege when we saw your Drought in the middle of the rainstorm."

"Oh wow, thank you for coming to help so fast."

"All thanks to Lily," said Windie. "She wanted me to come… to help with the siege. Along with others."

"That's thoughtful of her," Helena smiled. She finished up her soup and rested against Windie. Although Helena felt much better temperature-wise, her whole body still ached from the battle. In the comfort of his fire's warmth, she drifted off to sleep.

The sun greeted Helena through her tent the following morning. Helena felt so much better, able to stretch her limbs and roar her fire to life. She snuggled against Windie's soft fur happily; it felt as if his warmth restored her flame like a candle lighting another one. She could snuggle in his soft fur all day long.

*Boom!*

Helena jolted at the sound of a harsh thunderclap, pressing her ears against her head fur. What the- it's finally sunny in this darn kingdom! Why is there still thunder… She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as reality crashed down. The castle. Kolink Castle. She was at the army camp laying siege to an unassailable fortress. She had a crew to protect, a city to care for, and debts to pay. I need to get to work… she thought, scrambling to her paws.

A yawn sounded out next to her, nabbing her attention. "Good morning, Helena," Windie greeted with a smile, stretching out his limbs and tail.

"Morning, Windie," said Helena. "Um… w-what are you doing here? You didn't have to stay…"

"I wanted to keep you warm," Windie smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Helena relaxed her shoulders a little bit. "Much better. I think I'm in working condition again." She stepped outside her tent, seeing a partly cloudy sky, a drenched camp, and an electrified river. She glared at the sparking castle. "Did the thunder strike wake you up?"

Windie joined her outside. "It did, but I don't mind. I'm just happy to see you out and about! Has anyone told you how nice your fur shines under the sun?"

Helena's cheeks flushed red. She turned her head away to hide her inevitable smile. "O-oh, thanks… I do like the sun," she mumbled.

"Would you join me for a bite to eat?" Windie offered.

Helena's ears perked, and she opened her muzzle for a brief moment before shaking her head. "S-sorry, I really need to check on my crew," she said half-heartedly, taking a heavy step away.

"Ah, alright. Just one moment then, my lady," said Windie. He swept up her other paw with his own and gave it a light kiss on the back. "See you soon!"

Helena tried to keep a straight (and very reddened) face while her tails wagged. "See you soon…" she said, shuffling away from the camp. Her paw tingled with an imaginary warmth with every step taken. She wondered how a kiss on the cheek would feel. After she allowed herself one unbridled moment, she shook her head and paw clear and made her way to the nearest mansion still standing.

A Heracross was at the front of the mansion, tossing planks into a wagon. "Good morning, Helena!" she greeted with a salute.

"Good morning, Heidi," said Helena. "How is the progress on this building?"

"Going swellingly!" Heidi declared, raising her horn proudly. "We've got you covered."

Helena grinned. "Glad to hear it."

"You're back to business already? It sounded like you got into a hot mess yesterday. I bet Captain Windie from Denryushire took great care of you!" The Heracross beamed, giving Helena a thumbs up. "You two make a great couple."

"Eh?!" Helena jolted. "W-what are you talking about? What makes you say that?"

"A strong and charming Arcanine and a strong and elegant Ninetales, what more is there to say? He's all about you! Now, don't tell me you're unaware!"

"No, I… kind of figured that out already," she murmured, looking down with a heavy blush.

"Then go get him, girl!" Heidi encouraged, pumping her fists.

Helena deadpanned. "...How do you even know…?"

Heidi chuckled, crossing her arms. "Caught some wind of it from our buddies that arrived from Denryushire with you. You and Windie have quite the number of folks rooting for ya two!"

Helena's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

Except Heidi certainly was serious. Nearly all of Helena's crew hyped up her crush in one way or another. As much as it warmed her heart, it also made her a blushing mess. She had work to do! How did everyone know? Why did everyone know? Was she that obvious? She only told one pokémon…

Hold on a second, Helena thought, freezing up. What was it that Windie said yesterday? She thought through what she could remember of when Windie brought her the Passho soup.

"All thanks to Lily. She wanted me to come… to help with the siege."

Helena located Lily's tent and barged through the flap. She saw Terry and Lily playing a game of chopsticks with their paws. "Lily!" Helena barked.

"Helena!" Lily cheered. "You look good as new!"

"You told other pokémon about my crush, d-didn't you? Why did you do that? I kept yours a secret!"

Lily giggled, flicking her tail back and forth. "You never told me not to!"

Helena stood there silently for more than a moment, then curled up on the floor. "Hmph…"

Terry grinned, looking between Lily and Helena. "What's the matter, Helena?"

"...You told Windie too, huh?"

"Yep! He was super excited, and a bit embarrassed too! So you're not alone!" Lily assured, patting Helena's shoulder.

"How do you feel when you're with Windie?" Terry asked.

"Amazing…"

"Then what are you doing lying around here? Go ask him for a date!" Lily commanded, trying to push Helena up.

Helena groaned into her foreleg, resisting Lily's insistent pawing. "You two don't get it. I can't be with Windie."

"What, because you're a princess and he's a commoner? Who's gonna tell you no?" Lily asked. "I'll give 'em a little smack!"

"No, not that," Helena sighed. "I'm always so busy. I have to lead our crew, pay off my debts, keep the dukes off of Kyukonais… I'm afraid I can't offer him the attention he deserves… and if that happens, he'll think I'm just another noblewoman who blew him off."

"He'd want to help you with all your troubles," Terry said. "He doesn't just like you. He sees hope and purpose in you. He believes in you!"

Helena perked up for a moment, then deflated once more. "Even if so, just think about things seriously. I have to lead Kyukonais, while he has to lead Denryushire. How is this supposed to work out?"

"By making it work out, silly!" Terry laughed.

Helena huffed, rolling her eyes. "Thanks for the help."

"Look, he took a vacation from Denryushire to come and see you," said Terry. "There are others to take care of Denryushire while he's away. You can do the same from time to time, like what you're doing now."

"We don't know how it's working out until we return," Helena stated.

"You don't trust the pokémon you left in charge?"

"I do trust them, and I am reading their letters. But still..."

"Oh, come on, you can't be worrying about everything," Terry insisted. "You deserve a vacation. And you know what else?"

"...What else?"

"If there's anyone who deserves a reliable, trusting, loving partner, it's you, Helena. You can make the time for your love. It will make you happy!"

Helena buried her head in her tails. "You're making me think about it…"

"Don't worry about it. There's no need to rush things. We have a long siege ahead of us, anyway," Windie smiled as he brushed off all his friends' inquiries about his time with the princess.

"Windie, you need to register with the army to get rewards once we win the siege," said Cynthia. "I talked with King Ludwig's knights at the administrative tent. They said half of the loot would be split up to everyone registered at the siege, and how much you get depends on how long you were part of the war. Since we're new, we won't get that much for ourselves. But, they also said the other half of the loot would be split across the dukes according to how much the army works for them. So when someone registers, they have to say who their leader is. We all told them that you're our leader."

"What? They're not going to give anything to me…"

"Well, you have to say your leader is Duke Antonio, then we're all going to count towards his share of the army."

"Then I better make sure he'll give us the rewards," Windie said determinedly. "I'll go find him now."

Windie wandered the perimeter of the riverbanks surrounding Kolink Castle, looking for his lord's camp. Some Solardian knights took up rigid positions facing the castle, glaring at the electrified fortress in a show of will and resolve. Others trained with their peers, honing their skills for a battle to come, while many more lounged around, feasting on the supplied food and having a jolly time as if it were a noble festival or ceremony. With the help of Kyukonais, that'll be Denryushire soon, Windie thought with a spring in his step.

In a far-off patch of the camp down the river, Windie located Duke Antonio. The Ampharos sat in a rickety wooden chair, staring at the castle, his tail strewn across the dirt with a dull red bulb at the end. "Hello, my lord," Windie spoke.

Duke Antonio turned his head to the little Arcanine and narrowed his eyes. "Windie. What are you doing here?"

"I brought some forces from Denryushire to help with the siege. You haven't noticed your own army for the past night?"

"I was not aware," said Duke Antonio, sitting up straight.

"The others give us dismissive looks, as if we are uncouth lessers," Sir Griffin spoke up, strolling over to Windie. "Thus, we confine ourselves to our edge of the occupation zone. The message is clear: We from Denryushire are not welcome among the Solardian ranks."

"Go back home, Windie," Duke Antonio grunted. "I need not contribute more than is required of me."

Windie creased his brow, paws squeezing the dirt. I'm not here for you, you selfish fool, Windie wanted to say. He sighed, relaxing his paws, and bowed. "My lord, we came to Rentoshire to help secure the spoils held by our enemies in the castle. As the Duke of Denryushire, you will receive more spoils since we joined the siege. I request that you distribute them back to us so we may improve our living conditions."

"If any individual has any qualms about their living conditions, they may take it up with their immediate landowner, as it has always been." The Ampharos stood up, looking down at the Arcanine. "I do not appreciate you making such tactical decisions and moving my subjects around without my word, Windie."

Your subjects? Ha, you wish. Bandits from across the kingdom have been part of your army since the very beginning. Windie so wanted to tell his duke how little control he really had, but he held his tongue.

"I held you in high regard and granted you many privileges," Duke Antonio continued, "yet you betrayed my trust when you turned against Luneland."

You betrayed my trust when you told me I was helping pokémon by taking down the "bandits," Windie thought.

"I will not grant funds nor tolerate the command of a betrayer-"

"I saved your castle from being looted," Windie grunted. "Every home in Denryushire is still standing right now."

"We could have won that battle were it not for your actions," Duke Antonio stated. "Denryushire would still stand, Luneland would be reunited, and the war would have been over."

Windie scoffed. "You said, back on the battlefields of the early civil war, that I should make whatever decisions necessary to keep the pokemon of your army in good shape."

"And I relieved you of your responsibilities before the battle, did I not?" The Ampharos crossed his arms, studying Windie briefly before glaring. "I no longer require your services, Windie. Since you hold such a fascination with the pokémon from Kyukonais, go speak with Sir Raymond to discuss moving there if you desire."

Windie stood silent for many moments, averting his eyes from his liege. "...Where is Sir Raymond, anyway?" he eventually mumbled.

"At his estate, I presume."

"He's not here? But I haven't seen him in Denryushire since you left for the siege," said Windie.

Duke Antonio glared, tapping his foot. "Now is not the time for jests. Return home and speak with him at once."

Windie frowned. "I really don't think he's in Denryushire. He seriously isn't here with you?"

"He did not accompany us," Duke Antonio asserted. A few knights nearby voiced their agreement.

"Hmm…" with a smirk, Windie declared, "Since Sir Raymond is missing, I suppose I cannot obtain his word to leave your service. I shall continue to lead Denryushire's pokémon, my lord." He marched away from the small camp, glancing at Duke Antonio's scowl with a spring in his step.

Windie simmered down as he returned to the portion of the camp where his friends had set up. Seriously, where is Sir Raymond if he's not back in Denryushire and not here at the siege? That sure is suspicious. Why are nobles always hiding things? And Duke Antonio is trying to get rid of me now? I can't stand nobles anymore… He looked up, and his face warmed. Well, except for one~

"Hey, Windie," Helena greeted with a pleasant smile. She was waiting outside his camp with an empty covered wagon at her side. Two of her tails curled around her forepaws while the others flowed with the wind. "I'm about to start a new deconstruction site. Would you be interested in helping out?"

"Absolutely!" Windie grinned. "Lead the way!"

Helena giggled, took control of her wagon with Psychic, and strolled through the streets of Rentoshire with Windie, headed toward the outskirts. They passed by a few crews carefully taking apart noble mansions and filling their wagons with supplies to ship to Kyukonais and Denryushire. Windie talked enthusiastically about the new construction taking place in his village, which made Helena swell with pride.

Helena eventually parked the wagon in front of a three-story mansion. The inside was quite empty; the owners must have hastily removed all valuable items to haul away, if possible, or stash within the castle. After the Solardian army took control of the area and began the siege, locals likely went through the building to nab anything helpful. The mansion's two kitchens were vacant of any food or utensils, beds were missing blankets, and washrooms lacked soap. Helena and Windie worked together to take apart and haul furniture into their wagon, like chairs, tables, cabinets, and barrels.

While going through what looked like a kid's bedroom, Helena noticed a small book on the ground with a drawing of a Shinx and Vulpix walking through a cave on the cover. "A Spark of Comfort," she read. "I haven't seen this story before!" She swept the book up in her tails.

"Want to take a break soon and read it to me?" Windie asked.

"Hmm, better yet… how about I start teaching you how to read?" she offered.

Windie's eyes lit up even more. "Really? Yes, please!" he exclaimed, wagging his tail.

Helena giggled. "Let's get right to it!" The two of them headed out and sat down on the mansion's lawn, where Helena cracked open the book and started pointing out letters and the sounds they made with Windie practicing.

Over the next few days, Helena and Windie completely tore down the mansion into several wagons' worth of building materials with the help of Darrell's construction crew and Windie's army of volunteers from Denryushire. At night, Helena continued helping Windie learn to read, opening him up to a new dimension of the world.

Helena brought a quill and jar of ink with her this time. "Alright, tonight's the night you write your first word."

Windie held his paws together in excitement. "What word should it be?"

"Your name, Windie," Helena smiled.

"My name," Windie repeated, mulling over the idea. "How do I write it?" he asked.

Helena grinned. "You get to decide."

"Oh… okay! Well, my parents always said I would run like the wind, so should I start with 'wind?'" he asked.

"Sounds good to me," Helena encouraged.

"Wind. Wind," Windie repeated, looking over a paper with the letters of the alphabet. He dipped the quill in ink and slowly copied the letter "W" onto his paper. He blushed at how sloppy the letter appeared since he wasn't used to holding a quill but carried on. After he spelled out "Wind," he took a pause. "There's supposed to be a 'y' here, right? But I'm not the wind, just like the wind. So…" He studied the alphabet, his eyes soon focusing on two letters that he had seen together before. He took a look at the book they'd been reading to double-check. Finally, he inked up the quill and dragged it along the paper after "Wind," writing out "i" and "e."

Windie put the quill down, letting out a breath. "What do you think?" he asked.

Helena smiled at the large, shaky letters of Windie's first written word. "It's cute," she said. "I like your spelling a lot."

"That's my name, then!" Windie beamed. He practiced writing it over and over, with Helena giving tips for using the quill, until the whole sheet of paper was filled up. "My name…" he reflected in awe, looking over his work. He then flipped the paper over. "I know what I want to learn to write next."

"Your last name?" Helena guessed.

"Nah, I don't have a last name," said Windie. He passed the quill to her paw. "How do you write your name, Helena?"

"My name?" Helena blushed. Windie nodded eagerly. "Alright, sure." She wrote out "Helena" at the top of the page.

"Your last name too," Windie added.

"Okay," Helena chuckled, adding "Kyukon" next, then handing the quill back.

Windie gazed at her neat, elegant handwriting. "It's beautiful," he praised, starting to copy it underneath. Helena smiled warmly, holding his paw to guide his writing.

Max made his way to the heart of the Solardian encampment. The largest tent was the war council tent for the dukes to discuss matters. Nearby was King Ludwig's royally decorated tent. Max entered a tent in between the two. A Zebstrika was at a table, combing through various papers. "Excuse me, sir," Max spoke up.

The Zebstrika looked up from his papers at the tent flap, then angled down to spot the Meowstic. "Ah, greetings. I am Ezekiel Zebraika, King Ludwig's royal advisor. And you are?"

"Maximillian Nyaonix," Max introduced, offering his little paw. Ezekiel brought a hoof forward to shake. "You are His Majesty's advisor?" Max took a moment to reflect. "Pardon me for my lack of recognition. I reside in Rokon Palace as Princess Helena's friend and advisor, yet I must have never introduced myself."

"No need to fret, Maximillian," Ezekiel reassured. "His Majesty only recently appointed me as his advisor after I stood by his side during our battles in Skarmburg, Denryushire, and most recently, our first assault on Kolink Castle. I am from Caenhaulais, though I am sure to frequent Rokon Palace in the future."

"That makes more sense," Max remarked. "Well, Ezekiel, I visited because I heard His Majesty is keeping records of every pokémon in the army."

"Certainly," said Ezekiel. "His Majesty wanted to encourage his subjects to join and stay at the siege until its completion. I and other trusted strategists from across Solardie devised the reward scheme to fit His Majesty's needs. We also create the records to support the plan," the Zebstrika explained, ending with a prideful grin.

"How commendable," said Max. "Perhaps you can be of assistance, then. I wish to know if there is a Wingull amongst our ranks."

"Why is that?"

"Several days ago, a Wingull informed me of some knights from Luneland attempting to raid our supply lines en route from Denryushire to Rentoshire. My team went to investigate, and we indeed encountered some harsh adversaries. It was a harrowing battle, to say the least. I wish to discuss the outcome of the encounter with the messenger who informed us, but I do not know who he is other than his species."

"Okay, we can look," said Ezekiel. He opened a crate and pulled out several folders with stacked papers. Each paper had several neatly aligned columns for a pokémon's name, their leader, their time of joining the army, their title, and their species. Pokemon arriving during the siege of Kolink Castle had a specific date written down. In contrast, those who had been in the army longer had their joining time generalized to "Waruvais" for those who were here since the start of the campaign, "Skarmburg" for those who joined during the occupation of Skarmburg, or "Denryushire" during the ransom camping period. Max briefly glanced at a "master sheet" which listed the number of participants who belonged to each of the eight Solardian dukes and duchesses. There were smudges among smudges all over the master list as the numbers were constantly revised. A pile of older master list versions sat at the bottom of the crate, leftovers from when Ezekiel's team decided to start with a new paper.

While Max and Ezekiel perused the many lists of pokémon names, a Swoobat entered the administrative tent and greeted them. "Sengupta, if I recall?" Max asked.

"Correct, and you are Maximillian, yes?"

"Indeed, my friend."

"I can begin my shift now," said Sengupta.

"Ah, thank you," said Ezekiel. "Before I leave, let us fulfill Maximillian's request. He is looking for a Wingull among our ranks."

The flap opened again shortly after; Max saw a familiar face. "Hello, Windie," he smiled.

"Hey, Max!" Windie greeted. He turned to the administrators and asked, "Can I see my record? I think there's a mistake."

"What is your full name and province of residence?" Ezekiel asked.

"Just 'Windie.' I'm from Denryushire."

"Were you part of the recent wave?" Sengupta asked. After Windie nodded, Sengupta gathered a pile of papers near him. "I just saw a bunch of new pokémon here. You can go through it."

"Would you like some help, my friend?" Max offered.

Windie grinned. "Not yet. Helena's been teaching me how to read. Let's see if I can do it." He looked at the top of a paper and stared at the letters of the name. He then sounded them out loud, which resembled one of his neighbors! On the right was a name written for the leader, which made him huff. I guess whoever wrote these names picked their own letters. He went down the list, slowly sounding out names similar to his friends' names. He felt the Zebstrika and Swoobat giving him weird looks but paid them no mind.

After going through several pages, he finally found the line meant for him. In the name column was "Windy," and for the leader, "Antonio Denryu." Windie took a nearby quill in his paw, dipped it in ink, and crossed out the existing line. Where there was space at the bottom, he held the quill as steadily as possible and wrote the words "Windie" and "Helena Kyukon." He grinned at his writing as if it was his first-ever harvest in a field.

"Max, can you help me with the other things?" Windie asked.

"Certainly." Max started copying the rest of Windie's information to the new line. When he noticed what Windie wrote, he placed his paw under Helena's name and looked at Windie in awe. Windie smiled and nodded sincerely. Max nodded in understanding, then pointed at Windie's name. "I like your spelling. Did Helena pick it?"

"No, I chose it myself," Windie said, puffing up with pride. "She gave me all the tools to choose."

"Very nice. There's only one problem," Max said with a little smirk. "Now you have to change the spelling for the leader on all of your soldiers."

Windie's face fell. "Oh crap, I didn't think of that…"

"No need to fret," Sengupta declared. He used Psychic to bring out a jar of solvent. Taking the quill in his foot, the Swoobat wrote over a "y" to fashion it into "ie" with extra ink, then used a drop of solvent to remove the unneeded marks. After he fixed one line, his wings glowed white, and he flapped them at the jars. Ink and solvent flew out onto the page, landing precisely on top of all the "y" letters to turn them into "ie" letters.

Max looked between the page, the jars, and the Swoobat in wonder. "So efficient… What is the secret to your technique?"

"I experimented with Encore to ease the burden of recordkeeping," Sengupta answered. He used his foot to slide the paper away and bring another list of Windie's soldiers to the jars, repeating Encore to correct Windie's name.

"Would you show me how to perform it?" Max asked.

"My pleasure, if you wish to linger after finding the Wingull."

Max frowned. "Right. I must not forget."

Sengupta pulled in the last page and waved his wings. "All done! Now, I must update the master list," he declared, subtracting from Antonio and adding to Helena.

"A substantial shift," Ezekiel remarked.

"Thank you for helping with the changes," Windie said with a bow. "Max, are you going to be here longer?"

"Yeah," Max nodded.

"Alright, I'll see you later!" Windie headed out of the administrative tent with a skip.

"Take care, my friend," Max chuckled. He glanced at the numbers on the master list once more before resuming his search for the elusive Wingull.

Max trudged back to his team's camp in the evening. He spotted Helena and Windie cooking together over a campfire with Terry, Lily, and Chadwyck gathered around. "Welcome back, Max!" Terry greeted.

"Hello, everyone," said Max. "What is on the menu this evening?"

"Liechi curry… with fresh potatoes from Denryushire!" Helena announced.

"They're a gift from my parents," said Windie. "I can't wait to try it!"

"We can't wait either!" Lily added.

Max perked up. "Now that is a promising development."

"I've never had fresh potatoes before," said Terry. "Even in Miloa, it takes weeks to get them from across the ocean."

"They don't taste much different," said Chadwyck.

"Well, the more important point is if potato farming goes well in Denryushire, we'll have so much less trouble getting enough food for everyone in Kyukonais and Denryushire," Helena said.

"No one will have to steal food anymore," Windie added. "All thanks to you, Helena."

"Well…" Helena flushed, holding her ladle still. "You play a large role too. All of us do."

They lowered the fire and dished out the curry to the team. The Liechi flavor from Kyukonais gave nary a dull bite, while the potatoes from Denryushire were cooked to the perfect consistency and satisfyingly filling.

"I tried to find the Wingull who sent us out of the camp," Max brought up. "There is only one Wingull in the army, from Nuohnais. I spoke to him, and he was not the same Wingull."

"Wait, so you're saying he wasn't a scout from our army?" Terry voiced in disbelief.

"He was not," said Max. "We have no way of knowing where he came from, and with so many new pokémon arriving at the camp from across Solardie, who would question his presence? Considering we ran into a team of pokémon full of water types, in the middle of a rainstorm, and they even had one pokémon using Follow Me to hide everyone else from our Psychic…" The Meowstic hung his head. "I am afraid we were duly tricked."

"That Wingull was probably related to the Pelipper," Chadwyck grumbled.

"Hey, you shouldn't assume anything just from species," Terry said.

Chadwyck growled, "You assumed he was from our army and sent us in there!"

Lily wrapped her paw around Terry, holding him tight. "It's my fault for leaving the camp and worrying you guys," she said.

"I also charged straight into the trap," Helena admitted. "I was too eager for a fight after sitting around, stuck at the siege. Weren't we all, Chadwyck?"

"Hmph!" Chadwyck huffed.

"Don't be mad at each other," Windie spoke up. "We'll take it out on the ones who attacked us, together."

Max smiled widely. "I am fond of that idea."

"You'll join us, Windie?" Helena asked.

"Of course! You can count on me," Windie said, placing his paw on Helena's shoulder. "In fact, I know exactly where to find them in Tritoshire."

"You do?" Chadwyck asked.

"Yeah, my local knight, Sir Raymond, is related to the Goodra, Count Gusion. In the past, Sir Raymond made me help Count Gusion fight 'bandits' around his area. And guess what? Sir Raymond is nowhere to be found right now, not in Denryushire or here. He could have something to do with the attack on you. I won't forget until you get closure," Windie vowed.

Chadwyck frowned. "Are you sure you want to attack your knight after working for him for so long?"

"Pft, definitely," Windie declared. "I don't care about any of my former nobles anymore. For all my life, they've been taking advantage of my loyalty to do their bidding when I didn't know better. I wish every noble were righteous like you, Helena," he said, holding her paw.

Helena smiled through her blush. "Well, I try my best to earn everyone's trust."

"You have all of mine," said Windie. "I went to the administrative tent today and changed my leader to you."

"You did?" Helena gasped.

"Yup! It was a no-brainer," said Windie.

"Windie wrote it himself," Max added. "Everyone who came with Windie is now under you, too, Helena. Between the supply crew and Windie's army, you now command thirty-seven percent of the total pokémon at the siege." He pulled out a piece of paper where he had written down the number of pokémon under each duke before and after Windie's switch and floated it to Helena with Psychic.

She stared at Max's paper. "That means thirty-seven percent of the spoils," Helena whispered. She turned to Windie and held his paws. "I'll make sure your portion goes straight to your soldiers."

It was Windie's turn to blush in awe. "You're the best!" He lifted up her paw and kissed it.

Max held a paw over his mouth to hide his wide grin. Windie brings out the best in Helena. I am glad he came.

Helena wasn't expecting it. She blushed heavily and broke eye contact with Windie; she briefly spotted the rest of her friends, reminding her they were watching her hold his paws, and immediately averted her eyes the other way. She didn't know what it was like for a non-fire type pokémon to step in fire, but this had to be close.

"Let's go on a night time jog," Terry suddenly said, tapping Lily on the shoulder. Lily nodded and dashed off with him.

Max caught onto Terry's line of thinking. He hopped up, batting Chadwyck's wing. "Would you humor me with a little glide around the encampment, my friend?"

"Why?"

"We might catch some enemy scouts sneaking around."

Chadwyck grinned, pumping his fists and flapping his wings. "I like the sound of that!" He let Max hop onto his back and then flew away.

Helena had been planning to follow up by giving Windie's paw a kiss, but anything she did in front of her friends would undoubtedly be final, never to be erased, for worse or for better. She was still thinking hard about it. A quick look at Windie showed that he was quite relaxed, not flustered in the slightest, nor did he look like he was expecting anything. Helena could have said good night and left to go count wagon inventory, write accounting letters, or practice her moves if she wanted to.

She didn't want to, though.

"So, um…" she swallowed and took a breath. "You really believe in me that much?"

"I do. What's there not to believe in?" Windie chuckled.

"A lot of things…" Helena admitted. "I am drowning in debt, both to my own citizens and several banks in Miloa. I have multiple enemies amongst the dukes, and the list keeps growing. You saw that with the Goodra ambushing me for whatever reason, possibly with help from your knight."

"That's what happens when you fight for what's right, huh?" Windie sighed. He shook his head and placed his paw on Helena's shoulder. "I look forward to helping you out. It only makes me believe in you more!"

Helena stared into Windie's eyes for a long moment before looking off to the side. "But I'm always so busy," she sighed. "My idea of a date was looting someone's mansion. Terry thinks I work too hard, Max thinks I'm too reckless, Lily thinks I'm too mean… and I can't disagree with them."

"Nobody is perfect," said Windie. "You don't have to be perfect. Do you believe in yourself?"

Helena sat up straight. "I do," she answered immediately. "No matter what, I'll keep working and fighting until everything is good in Kyukonais."

That's the Helena that I believe in," Windie smiled. "For the longest time, I didn't believe in myself. I used to think pokémon wanted to be bandits instead of neighbors and bullies instead of friends. That started to change when I set foot in Kyukonais, and when you came to Denryushire, you brought me hope when there was only destruction. Now I think there can be a better future and that being good actually will make a difference. No one else has made me feel this way." He reached out and held her paws. "If you believe in yourself, then I believe in you too."

After a touching moment, Windie let go and took a step back to give Helena some room to process. He scraped up most of the remaining curry in his bowl with a spoon, then held the bowl to his muzzle to get the last of it. "Don't want to waste anyone's hard work," he chuckled.

Helena giggled. "You got some on your muzzle. Here, let me help." She leaned forward, gently placing her forepaws on his, and gave him an affectionate lick. Windie's ears perked, and he responded with a tap on her nose with his own, closing his eyes. With an undaunted gentleness, Helena curled her tails around Windie's back and shared a warm, delightful kiss.

A/N 9/25/23: What's that? Do I hear a ship sailing? :D

My original plan was to have Windie join Helena's team after the victory in Denryushire, followed by a confession shortly after, but I delayed it to introduce more nuance. Funnily enough, for the longest time, I had notes on Helena confronting Lily on ratting out her secret but didn't write many details in advance on how Helena and Windie's interactions would go. Also in the original plan was to have the confession take place while they were reading a book together.

A Spark of Comfort is a short fluffy story featuring a Shinx and Vulpix team in the setting of PMD2. It's the story that heightened my appreciation of the Shinx and Vulpix lines. Without it, there'd be no Helena or Ludwig. They probably would've been Eeveelutions instead!

This concludes Chapter 21, Fire's Warmth. Up next, Chapter 22, Thunder's Wrath!