Sure enough, when the time came to leave the cavern hideaway, Ferris' worst fears proved true.
"I said give it back!"
Aside from the two sisters' masks and the clothes on their backs, the community of runaways didn't let the trio go with much. A good chunk of their equipment was pilfered as well as nearly every coin, all shrugged off as payment for keeping them safe and secret. They could only argue to keep just enough to make sure they made it to civilization. While bitter over losing the money she had gathered from the thieves' den, Ferris didn't care much. Most of what was taken had all belonged to Castellar anyway.
However, she drew a firm line when they tried to keep her dagger.
The same pair that escorted them to the encampment had led them out. Standing under the heat of the late summer sun, a blindfold bundled in a fist propped at her hip, Ferris glared fiercely at Decko. He stared her down in-turn, keeping the weapon out of her reach. He seemed to debate to himself whether he should tolerate her outburst or toss her to ground. Both Castellar and Kobalt stood close by, each trying to calm the girl in their own way.
"You don't need it anyway," the skeleton told her crossly, his arms folded over his chest. He was impatient to leave. "My magic is more than enough to protect the three of us."
For a moment, all of the anger she felt fired directly at him instead of the lizard, "That's not the point!"
"You can get a new one later. Stop acting like a child!"
"I don't want a new one. I want my dagger back!"
It was a pitifully old and rusty tool, a bit loose at the hilt, but it had gotten her out of more trouble than she cared to admit. With little control of her magic, it was Ferris' sole defense. Whether she fought her way out of a scrap or found herself waking back up moments before disaster, that little dagger was almost always by her side. She couldn't let them take it.
Kobalt held his hands up passively, trying to get between them and Decko, who continued to look more and more tempted to strike the young adolescents down than himself bend. "I-is this really something worth fighting over?" He gave the other guard a warning glance before turning to Ferris with a softer expression, "Does it mean that much to you…?"
His eyes betrayed a slight misunderstanding, that the dagger held far more sentimental value than it truly did. Well, there was some sentiment: Ferris did take a sense of comfort—albeit a terrifying one—at keeping it at her belt. In any case, she was once again grateful for Kobalt's easily-gained sympathy.
"Yes," she eased back a fraction, looking up at him with an earnest gaze.
Kobalt groaned mutely to himself at the tense situation. He hesitated for just a moment longer before turning to face Decko once again, holding up his hand. The reptilian shot him a look of disbelief before his mouth twisted into a harsh frown. Nevertheless, he gave in and passed off the dagger, which the other then placed in Ferris' own waiting palm.
The hybrid's fingers stayed laced around Ferris' a second longer than they ought to have. He held her hand around the weapon's hilt, giving it a light squeeze as if to say, Keep it safe. Even after letting go, he continued to look at her with noticeable warmth.
Castellar stared at them both with disgust. In any case, he was glad that the matter was over with. Adjusting the strap of his now half-bare pack, he took the first step away from the pair of watchmen. "Well, if that's that, then we'd better be off."
Neither party was too interested in giving the other a decent goodbye. Decko continued to watch the trio sourly. Ciara hopped up from where she'd been sitting on the sidelines to mutely follow after Castellar, looking back over her shoulder as she waited for her sister to come along as well.
Only Ferris and Kobalt were somewhat cordial. "I can't say I can welcome you back here with open arms," the young man said, "but maybe we'll cross paths again someday."
"Promise on a golden flower," Ferris teased him, echoing back his own words to his embarrassment. Then, without waiting for a response, she left. The trio jogged through the undergrowth, leaving their temporary sanctuary behind.
Not knowing where their enemy was, they were a lot more cautious now. Ferris' kept her newly-returned blade in a firm grip, too uneasy to place it back within its sheath just yet. They kept a careful eye on both the trees and sky for any sign of danger. Though unspoken, there was also the concern that the band of runaways might change their minds about letting them go so easily. Because of this, it was a while before the three of them found the nerve to speak.
Ciara leaned against her sister's hip as they walked, asking her softly, "Is your ankle really better now?"
She looped an arm around the former's thin shoulders in a small hug, "All healed." In record time, really—and in no small part thanks to Castellar's healing ability, if she cared to admit it.
"Tell me if you need to stop," the skeleton voiced a couple paces ahead of them, "If your injury is bothering at all, you'll only make it worse if you stay on it."
"How considerate of you…"Ferris' expression warped into a look between a smirk and a scowl. Really, he was only warning her not to slow him down.
Once more, she wondered if it wouldn't have been for the best to have saved her place in time back at the runaway camp. She couldn't help comparing the bunch with her present company, tempted by the idea of a peaceful life among them.
In the end, however, she only thought of more reasons why it ultimately was a foolhardy plan. Even if she and Ciara could gain their sympathies, as she had with Kobalt, it was not a group that could easily accept two more mouths to feed. She and Ciara's knowledge of wild plants would only give them so much bargaining power—and that wasn't worth a mage guild's retaliation. Moreover, even if they could've stayed, how long would their peace last? Until someone else tracked her down for her magic or until the runaways themselves were hunted down for abandoning their kingdoms?
Surely continuing on their current path was still the right choice for the time being. It was just…
Ferris managed to match Castellar's pace while she was swept away in her own thoughts. She stretched her arms behind her head. "This guild of yours isn't looking too reliable so far. Wouldn't they have sent someone to search for us by now? We'll be caught at this rate."
"We'll find help," the skeleton muttered bitterly, his eyes narrowing at the palm of his hand.
Ferris glanced down to see him holding his mage's talisman, his thumb grazing over its flat surface is a light caress. His expression was hard to read, caught between fondness and subtle regret.
Still thinking of their stolen supplies, the girl pursed her lips, "I'm surprised they didn't steal that."
"It would prove more useless to them than you'd think."
Suddenly, the talisman began to radiate with a faint power. It shone white, as if Castellar had managed to capture a small star, and it burned so brilliantly that its guild insignia was consumed by the strange glow. As little as she understood about the enchantment, Ferris could feel it as if it was an extension of Castellar himself.
"A mage's talisman contains a small amount of their magic. Our identities can't be stolen, and only a mage experienced in crafting these can dispel the magic in them. If you attempt to smelt them down anyway, the spell can trigger and erupt."
She knew it wasn't just a simple trinket, but seeing the tool's ability firsthand was something else. Her feet shuffled closer on their own accord as she tried to get an even better look, now almost perfectly following the rhythm of Castellar's steps. He retreated a bit from her in response, clutching the talisman closer to his chest for a moment before thinking it over. To her surprise, he held the silver piece out to her.
"Take a look if you're that curious," he told her in a dismissive tone without facing her, "It's not like it would do you any good to steal it either."
The girl was so fascinated by the talisman that, for once, she ignored the verbal jab. She bent low as Ciara also took a peek. Ferris traced her fingertips along its surface, watching as its glow slowly burned away. The feel of the decorative grooves made the idea of becoming a mage all the more real. If all went well, she'd receive a talisman of her own—a new identity, a mark of strength and belonging.
While the talisman was well-cared for, she noticed that its surface was faintly tarnished. "How long have you been at Arnaud's Guild?" she asked.
A few seconds passed before Castellar answered, "It's been nearly three years now."
While it wasn't terribly long an apprenticeship, it nevertheless sounded like it. It would be a brief period for most, but Castellar was a natural talent as a Monster and she'd seen his ability firsthand. "Are you really planning on becoming a full-fledged mage? I mean, is there even any point to it for you?"
"There was never a point when I was sent to the guild in the first place."
"Sent?"
That's not what she remembered. Back in Heartwood, she recalled Briddle specifically saying that Castellar had run off to join the guild, and she'd wondered ever since why he would.
The skeleton hesitated again before explaining himself, "That's how everything began. The Boroughs is the only neutral territory the Two Kingdoms recognize with any authority. My father sent me to Arnaud's Guild as a way of maintaining positive relations to the Boroughs and its mages."
"So what? You decided to stick around?" Ferris gave him a questioning look. It was difficult for her to think of someone as who acted as high-and-mighty as he did effectively lowering himself to join that kind of crowd.
"I don't know yet…"
He turned quiet and introspective, and because of that, Ferris couldn't think of a way to taunt him. His allusion of restraint—of being caught in a situation at no fault of one's own and with no choice beyond the extreme—was uncomfortably familiar to her. It was unlikely that Castellar would share any more with her on the matter, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know more anyhow.
From the way it sounded, it was possible she and Ciara might not have to deal with their arrogant escort for as long as they thought. Whether or not all went well with the guild for themselves, sooner or later, Castellar would inevitably leave to return to the Monster Kingdom and his family. His aggravating face would just be an unpleasant memory.
They wouldn't quarrel or trade quips again.
It was frustrating to think about—and the sudden awareness to that feeling even more-so.
The brief return to silence was cut by an angry shout. Stepping out along a wide cliff to open sky, Castellar barked a rare curse. The two sisters gave him a strange look as he forced himself to calm down.
"We're practically facing the other side of the mountain!" he scowled, rubbing his face, "It will take hours pass through this valley alone, nevermind make it all the way to Icefield…"
Ferris tried to think of where they'd be on a map. There was no point in Decko or Kobalt sending them in the wrong direction unintentionally. Since they knew they were headed for the Boroughs, they probably just put them on the quickest route. "Isn't it better this way? We're over halfway there now."
"Yes, but it's still a long way to go through what's essentially enemy territory," he countered. Scouting out a way down, he began to walk along a narrow, natural path along an uneven slope. "I remember that fool mentioning a village nearby. If it's not far, we'll head there for now and see if there's a shortcut."