I have decided to end my hiatus early because it turned out I had gotten the date of my family vacation wrong.

Caspar and Petra were on their way to deal with a bandit gang who had been causing trouble for Hateno Village. Petra, having experience hunting, had volunteered to track the bandits down, while Caspar had figured he could provide muscle in case she couldn't handle the entire bandit gang herself.

The only problem was, the history between their families made working together rather awkward.

"Petra, I don't think we can avoid this issue any longer," Caspar eventually said. "Do you hate me?"

"Because your father did kill my father?" Petra asked.

"Yeah," Caspar answered.

Petra sighed. "I am not wanting to hate you. You are not the one who is responsible for killing my father. You were not giving the order or swinging the sword."

Caspar knew that wasn't all Petra had to say. "But..."

"But I am not fully without anger," Petra admitted. "Hate? I am not knowing. But anger? Yes."

Caspar didn't know how to respond to that. "I'm sorry."

"It is not being your fault," Petra said. She paused. "Your father. Is he ever talking about mine?"

"He talked about your father a couple of times," Caspar said. "He said your father was perhaps the canniest general he ever fought. He said he was a superb leader who commanded the loyalty of his men. And he said that he fought with honor and courage to the very end. He said that out of every enemy general he ever fought, he respected your father the most."

Petra paused. "I have been wanting to kill your father."

Caspar sighed. "I can't exactly say I blame you."

"I am knowing that it is maybe not right," Petra admitted. "My father's death, it was not murder. It was in battle. My father was not surrendering. The cause of Brigid was just, but I cannot be blaming your father for being loyal to his home. Killing my father, it hurt me, but it was not an evil act."

"Then maybe you should blame Lord Arundel for your father's death," Caspar suggested. "Since Emperor Ionius got sick, Arundel has been Regent. He's the one who made the decision to go to war with Brigid."

"I am wanting revenge against Arundel too," Petra said. "But, evil or not, it was your father who killed my father."

"It's complicated," Caspar agreed. "I don't know how Ashe and Cyril just...decide the history between their parental figures doesn't matter to them."

Petra nodded. But then she had a thought. "Your father is not here."

"No, he's not," Caspar said. "Your point?"

"I am caught between wanting revenge on Count Bergliez, and wanting to be being friends with Caspar," Petra said. "In Adrestia, I would have to be choosing. But if I am not in Adrestia, I cannot get revenge on Count Bergliez. Even if I were to kill Caspar, Count Bergliez would not know. It would not be being good revenge. So I can be friends with Caspar."

Caspar frowned. "I'm not so sure I like that logic. And what if we make it back to Adrestia?"

"We might not ever be making it back to Adrestia," Petra argued. "And if we are making it back, I can be deciding what to be doing then. Maybe I will be killing Count Bergliez and maybe I will not be."

Caspar opened his mouth to say something, but Petra shushed him. "I am hearing something."

"Well, well, well," came a deep voice as several bandits surrounded the two of them. Most of them were Hylian, but there were also two Zoras and a Goron among them. "Looks like a couple of kids got lost in our neck of the woods," one of the bandits said.

"Too bad there's no slave trade in Hyrule," another said. "These two look like they would fetch a good price."

"Maybe we can sell them to that pirate captain who's been raiding Lurelin Village," another suggested.

Caspar removed the Boulder Breaker from his back. The Goron realized what it was instantly. "He has the Boulder Breaker! That club belonged to Daruk! If we got our hands on it, the Gorons would pay more than we make in a year to get it back!"

"Is that so?" another bandit asked. "Looks like we found a good score, boys!"

Petra drew her sword. "Banditry during war and slave trading are being both punished by death in Fódlan."

Caspar grinned. "Glad we're on the same page, then."

One of the bandits had gotten too close, and Caspar smashed his skull with the Boulder Breaker. Several other bandits loosed arrows at him and Petra in retaliation, but Caspar deflected them all with Daruk's Protection, and he and Petra began fighting the bandits.

It wasn't much of a fight. In fact, an impromptu execution would be a better descriptor.

Petra fought like a Sheikah warrior: swift, graceful, and precise. Caspar was the opposite. There was no grace in his movements whatsoever. He fought like a Demonic Beast, aggressively crushing his way through his opponents with overwhelming power. Daruk's Protection was the only reason he survived the battle, because he was clearly not trying to defend his body at all. Fortunately, the bandits lacked the power to overwhelm the spell protecting Caspar.

The Hylian and Zora bandits were dispatched easily by a single slash of Petra's blade or blow from Caspar's Boulder Breaker. The Goron wasn't so lucky, and he took several blows from Caspar before one finally dropped him to the ground.

Caspar swung the Boulder Breaker down as hard as he could, smashing the Goron bandit's skull. "Yeah! Caspar!"

Petra looked at Caspar. "You are relying much on Daruk's Protection."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Caspar asked.

"Maybe there is not," Petra said. "But you are fighting more aggressive than you did before." She thought for a moment, and shrugged. "It is probably not being a problem. I just thought I would notice it."

"I feel a lot stronger than I used to," Caspar admitted. "So, let's find these guys' hidden stash. I think the people of Hateno are going to want their stuff back."

Petra agreed. "Yes, they will."

However, she couldn't shake the feeling that the two of them were still being watched.