I drifted between restive sleep and waking awareness.

Some part of me recognized I was being carried and set down on a soft surface as I slipped into dreams of men and women surrounding me, their feature fuzzed and blurry, furious voices hurling blame and accusations at me. Then, brown eyes set in a split face stared into my soul, judging me, then they became vibrant green and Grenwin's disappointed features clearly found me wanting. She crumbled to dust even as I reached out to try and hold her together, leaving me handfuls of ash that stained my skin even as they blew away.

The nightmare faded as a galaxy of lights swung around me. They sang a cacophonous chorus, each chiming with a unique melody. Alone, they might have been pleasant; all together, they were overwhelming, discordant, each fighting to be heard over the rest. I sat in the center of a small cluster, a meager offering, though these few sung in harmony with each other. A light came free and fell towards me, bombarding me with visions of working with hide and sinew, weaving fibers into fabrics, producing clothing that protected indistinct people from harm; when the visions ended, the new light had harmonized with the rest, adding to my growing chorus.

Wakefulness tugged at me as I felt my body being shifted about, soft voices speaking meaningless words as my clothes were removed and my skin wiped down. A discomfort I hadn't been aware of began to ease as grime and grit were removed, leaving the feeling of cleanliness behind. It was over soon and a blanket was draped over me, and I slipped back to sleep.

Sometime later, I began to wake. The sound of snoring and birdsong drifted into my ears, I smelled the light scents of woodsmoke and aged hide, and I felt the weight of my body settled into the bedding below and around me. There was a hint of burning pork on the air. My mouth was dry and I worked moisture back into it as I turned over to rest on my side. Cracking my eyes open, I saw the far wall of Grenwin's home, darkness beyond the window.

The darkness shifted and I blinked, clearing my vision. There was a shape out there, something a little lighter than the black around it, visible as it moved. The world outside brightened with a silver glow and I saw it clearly.

A gray raven stood on the windowsill, peering at me. Silently, it hopped inside, wings flaring for a second as it came to land before my face. It drooped its head low, one dark eye gazing into my own. It clacked its beak once and shook, fluffing its feathers out, then lightly pecked my forehead before taking to the air and flying out the window.

The feeling of its beak against my skin felt strange. The suddenness of it had me lifting a hand to rub at the spot as my mind cleared of the fog clogging it. I was well and truly awake now, though fatigue still weighed my body down. I made it halfway through a sigh before my breath caught and I coughed. My nose felt stuffy and my eyes watered as I rubbed the sleep clear of them. Sitting up, I felt like I'd come down with a flu, body aching deeply. At least my thoughts were coming easily and felt properly ordered. I sneezed into the crook of my elbow, then again.

Checking myself over with my nanites, I couldn't find anything wrong that they could fix. I felt awful despite them.

"Maia?" Grenwin's voice asked from the shadows beyond the end of the bed. Then, I heard Ygdis's quiet muttering, the young woman saying something about wanting more sleep. They both must be in here, I realized.

"I'm here," I replied.

I heard the sounds of movement and a shadowed shape rose to move closer. In the soft light from outside, I saw Grenwin come to crouch next to me.

Her voice was intent despite the softness in her tone as she asked, "Are you well?"

"I think so. I feel like myself again." I coughed into my elbow, "Sick, but myself." Casting about my hazy memories of the day prior, I found I couldn't focus on specifics, though I was certain it had been awful. "What happened yesterday? I think I remember climbing the heart tree, but everything else might as well be fog."

"You don't remember." Her response came as a disbelieving statement.

I shook my head, not knowing if she could make it out in the dim light. Shifting to sit on the edge of the bed facing her, I rested my elbows on my thighs and leaned on them.

"I think it was terrible, but not much more."

Strong hands fell on my shoulders, holding tightly. I flinched away even as I froze, the reaction coming faster than I could stop. I'm safe, I had to tell myself, Grenwin wouldn't hurt me. I trust her. My eyes began to adjust to the light and I gasped as I made out the strange scarring on the side of her face.

"Maia," Grenwin said lowly, "Do you know what you did to me?"

My breath caught again, and not from a cough. Fear coiled in my chest, horror and despair, and an awful numbness roiled alongside it. My voice came out a whisper as tears blurred my vision. Slowly, I pieced together the fragmented memories.

"You… You were dying, Grenwin. I felt you falling apart and I couldn't stop it from happening. I… I didn't want you to go." My left hand clenched and relaxed reflexively, seeking comfort. "I had to give you my blood to make up for what you'd lost. It… I don't know what it did to you, but it saved you, let me bring you back. I needed you to stay so badly. I think, I think I was willing to…" I swallowed thickly as my throat constricted and my chest tightened, "I didn't want to go, but if it meant you could live, I would have paid any price."

Her hands squeezed my shoulders near to pain, hard enough I thought my collarbones might snap under her thumbs, and then she pulled me forward into her lap and wrapped her arms around me. Her breath was hot against my ear as she held me tightly. I felt her shuddering, and then she spoke, quiet and firm.

"I am not worth your life. I should have died long ago, given myself to the snow for the shame I brought to my family and my clan. I am a coward, Maia, and you…" Grenwin made a frustrated noise and shook, "I told you to stay. What were you thinking, joining the fight as you were?"

She was wrong. Grenwin was a good and kind woman who'd taken me under her wing despite everything wrong with me, despite everything I could do. It felt like she saw me for me, not as a label or a threat or a monster or tool to sacrifice. She was a better person than I and deserved to live a long and happy life, not to die nearly out of hand.

"Wrong," I murmured, voice thick with sadness, "You're wrong, Grenwin. A coward wouldn't have helped me as you have. You're a wonderful person for taking in a broken wretch like me. You've given me a chance to heal myself… To pick up the pieces and keep going."

I felt her jaw clenching against the side of my face as she shook again.

Dimly, I recalled hearing her bellowing cry, calling First Fork to her. With it came the memory of the writhing fire and the cold voice in my mind and the violation of my flesh. A keening noise rose from my throat. For a horrible moment, I thought it was still there, still creeping through my veins and my bones. Frantic, I checked with my nanites, searching everywhere for any trace of it, but there was nothing there. A sob ripped its way out of me.

"I heard you calling for everyone, and shouting and screaming, and I needed to help! The sword- It- It hurt me, took everything, but it helped me help everyone." My body was trembling violently, shivers that stole my breath and had me almost gasping for air. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

"The sword," Grenwin hissed out. "No, I am sorry. I should have taken it from you before leaving. We found the parts you left behind and I see now that my mistake led to this."

"No!" I hissed back, "If you had, I wouldn't have been able to help! I wouldn't have thought to… It gave me the idea to give you my blood, told me to do it. Without it, you would be dead." Frustration bubbled away inside me, "It hurt me badly, violated me, but you're still here. I can…" A shudder ran through me again, "I can accept that. This pain is worth your life."

In the quiet that followed, pressed against Grenwin as I was, I could hear her heart beating steadily under my ear. It was a soothing sound and for a few moments, I let the foggy memories of the day before swirl in my thoughts.

Grenwin took in a deep breath before sighing quietly. I felt her hand shift to run her fingers through my hair in long, soft strokes.

I'd killed. Altered state of mind or not, in shock or not, I'd taken lives, so many lives. The fact was cold as ice, settling in a hollow space deep within me where something bright had once shown, now shriveled and dead. Before, I'd thought killing was beyond me, a line I wouldn't cross. I thought I should feel something terrible, but there was just frozen apathy. I couldn't bring myself to care.

That emptiness scared me, wrapping around my heart like a crawling, burrowing flame. I had to check with the nanites, just to be sure, but no, there was nothing there; it was only in my head, like so much else seemed to be.

I'm a monster.

The thought echoed within me, bouncing about the emptiness and growing in intensity. I should care that I killed, I knew it, but there was nothing there. Grenwin's warmth, the feel of her arms around me, and the stroking of her fingers through my hair anchored me and stopped me from entering a self-destructive spiral. I hated that I could feel it waiting to take me, held at bay by the kindness of this woman I'd known for less than a week.

Ygdis groaned loudly nearby. "Can't the two o' you do this after the sun rises?"

Grenwin chuckled, a rumble that started deep in her chest and traveled upward.

"Sun is rising, Yg." She hummed for a moment, then spoke in my ear. "Maia, would you heal her? She took a few wounds in the fighting yesterday."

"Oh, yea, would you?" Ygdis said with excitement, her voice moving closer.

Shouldn't they be afraid of me, after what they'd seen me do?

My voice trembled as I spoke. "You aren't… Why would you want that, after what happened?"

Another hand came to rest on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. Ygdis spoke, "My leg hurts, is that reason enough for you? You took care of the others during the fighting, remember?"

I could, now. Teagj and Dagmoor had been dying from their wounds, but it hadn't been as bad as Grenwin's injury. Misa, too, she'd had a concussion, and Gudrid and Hild both had broken bones I'd knitted back together. Even amid everything, I'd still stopped to help them. Knowing that about myself helped warm the emptiness in my breast a little. A little lantern flame in the midst of a snowstorm as it was, it was better than having nothing at all.

"Alright," I said, "Just keep your hand there for a second while I fix you up."

"My thanks, Maia," Ygdis said eagerly.

The nanites passed through my skin and hers, flooding her body in moments. Her injuries weren't bad and I cleared them up before withdrawing the tiny machines.

"You're good now," I told her just before my breath caught in my lungs and a cough tore itself out of my chest.

Her hand withdrew and I heard her moving about nearby. "Aha! That is wondrous!" She crowed.

Grenwin hummed lightly for a moment, squeezing me once more before pushing me away a little. "Was that your first fight, Maia?"

I nodded, unable to meet her eyes.

"You did well, better than I had expected. I had hoped to prepare you more before bringing you to battle." Her tone was soft but firm, "As it is… You have my thanks for giving me your blood. I hope the next is not so dire."

"I still don't know what it did to you," I sniffled, "It changed you, somehow."

"Gave her a nice scar, it did," Ygdis said lightly from by the window, where she peered outside at the brightening sky.

Grenwin sighed and shook her head, "It'll serve a reminder, I reckon."

Reaching up, I lightly touched her face around the ashen mark. She stilled under my fingers and I took that as permission to trace them along the discolored skin. It felt rough and dry, not quite the skin of an aged woman but seeming close. Her eyes tightened and she set her jaw as I examined the oddity.

What had I done to her?

"Does it hurt?" My voice came out weak, near a whisper.

"No," Grenwin said after a moment, "'Twas tender before. Now, it feels like nothing."

"It's numb?"

Pursing her lips, Grenwin nodded. "Aye."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged, brushing it off. "We had a Thing about you. Most everyone wants you to join us."

I wasn't sure how to take that. I thought, after what Sigrid and Teagj had said, that it would be alright to stay. That had been before the battle, though.

"A thing?"

"A village meet," Ygdis said, coming over to crouch next to us. "Ah, Teagj gave you dragonglass, aye?"

Turning my head to meet her blue eyes, I nodded. "It's in one of my belt pouches."

"It belonged to my mother," Her words tumbled out in a rush, "She wore it as a necklace. Teagj took it when she joined the gods."

Remembering how I'd almost destroyed it with the recycler, my gut roiled. "Take it, then, it's yours. Should be yours. He wanted it to be a weapon, said he'd found it. I didn't realize. I'm sorry."

Ygdis's mouth widened and her cheeks pulled up in a beaming grin. She leaped to her feet and I watched as she moved over to where my belt hung and began digging through the pouches. The odds and ends I'd been given spilled to the dirt in a pile near the wall as she searched. She gave a victorious cry, clutching something to her breast and whirling to face us with tears in her eyes. A moment later, she had her arms wrapped around us in a wide hug, "You have my thanks, Maia!"

"Aye, and mine," Grenwin added. "I'd not known that Teagj had done what he did to you, Ygdis. You ought to have told me."

"It was my problem to solve," Ygdis stated simply.

I coughed again, "You don't need to thank me, it belonged to you anyway."

"Is this a catching sickness?" Ygdis asked with a little concern, "Gren said it wasn't."

"She's right," I confirmed, "It's only something that's affecting me. If it was catching, Grenwin ought to be feeling it too with how much of my blood she's got in her now."

Grenwin rumbled, "'M feeling fine."

Ygdis released us, leaning back to rest on her heels. "Hm. Well, at the Thing, we had a long talk over you, and you might want to see about making nice with Frerthe and Luta. Hild, too. Oh, and I'm to teach you our ways."

"I can talk to them," I nodded to her, "And I'd like to learn."

"Good!" Ygdis clapped her hands and rubbed them together, "When yer well again, I will show you the work that needs doing around First Fork."

"Okay. I'd be happy to help out!" A thought niggled at me, the memory of the dream of a light I'd picked up. Parsing it, I thought it meant I'd gained the ability to craft enhanced clothing and armor. I'd need to put it to use to test the effects, but at least I could tailor myself new clothes. I declared, "Ah, I can make and mend clothes, too! That'd be helpful, right?"

Ygdis blinked at me, a bemused smirk pulling at her lips. Grenwin chuckled, as though I'd said something funny.

"I think it might be," Ygdis said slowly, "I meant you'd be helping with the washing and mucking out the latrines."

That didn't sound so bad to me, what with the abilities granted by my lights and all. With how fast I could work, it likely wouldn't take too long anyway. "Oh, well, that's fine too. I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

"Good," Grenwin told me, then hesitated, green eyes flicking away from me. "You said the sword told you to give me your blood?"

A shudder ran down my spine and my hands clenched to fists. My knuckles creaked and then I was there again, kneeling on the pelt with fire violating me and a cold voice speaking into my thoughts.

"Maia?"

Grenwin's concerned question felt very distant as my hand clenched around the white-hot hilt, fingers unable to open, unable to separate myself from the metal. At the same time, flaming fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing.

"What's wrong with her?" Ygdis asked from far away.

A hard jolt brought me out of the past, Grenwin's hands gripping my shoulders and shaking me once more. Her eyes were wide and worried as they flicked about my face, "Maia, what happened? Another light?"

"No," I rasped, feeling as though iron bands had wrapped around my chest, tightening implacably closed. I fought for breath against the sensation. "No, not that. Just… Bad memories."

Grenwin exchanged a glance with Ygdis, asking her "Battle-shock?"

Ygdis shrugged, "Looked like it."

Another sigh escaped Grenwin's lips as she shook her head. Meeting my eyes again, she asked once more, "The sword spoke to you?"

I was able to stay present as the whirlwind of memories came back up. With great effort, I forced myself to nod.

"We ought to go get it," Ygdis suggested.

"Mmm," Grenwin hummed noncommittally, "We left it where it lay. None o' us wanted to touch it."

"It's outside?" I asked, voice hollow as I struggled to stay in the here and now.

"Aye, resting in a puddle o' that magic fire." Grenwin nodded to me.

Sudden anger flared in my chest, hot and bright. "Leave it," I snarled, "Let it sit and think about what it did to me!"

Grenwin's brows rose and her eyes widened.

"Swords don't think," Ygdis's concerned voice matched the cast of her face, "You, ah, are you sure that you are well?"

My vision was disfiguring, blurring and warping at the edges. I felt sweat prickling my brow, and the air was too hot and too thick to breathe. My hands trembled against Grenwin's sides.

"This one does! And I'm fine!" I snapped at Ygdis. She flinched away, blinking in shock and confusion.

"Later, then," Grenwin muttered, brows furrowed over concerned eyes. "Maybe we ought to speak of other things?"

I shook my head, feeling suddenly confined. My heart was hammering painfully, hard enough I thought it might burst free from my chest, my feet tingled with pins and needles, and my fists clenched hard enough that my nanites helpfully informed me my nails were digging bloody furrows into my palms.

Wriggling free of her arms, I rose to my feet. "No, I think I'm done talking for now. I- I need to get to work. I don't want to waste any more time."

"What are you talking about?" Ygdis asked, rallying herself.

Stepping quickly to where my parka and trousers hung over the fire, I pulled them on, ignoring the slight dampness to them. I grabbed my belt, leaving the pile of trinkets on the ground, tying it around my waist.

"I need to test some things," I told them, voice tight as I struggled to stay in control of myself. I was terrified that I would lash out at them, that I'd harm them somehow. I needed distance. "Make some clothes, that kind of thing. Come with me or don't, it's up to you." Pulling my boots on, I made for the door and left without waiting for an answer.

The air was crisp and fresh this morning, the brightening skies beyond the heart tree's canopy clear of clouds and studded with stars. I had to fight a spell of dizziness after a few steps, leaning heavily against Grenwin's house and puffing steaming breaths for a long moment until it passed. Making my way to the hall, I saw I was one of the few up and about at this hour. Passing Wyck on the path, we exchanged greetings.

"Good fight, that," he told me with appreciation as we parted.

I didn't have anything to say to that, so I nodded to him and continued on. The portal was still open next to the hall doors and I stepped through quickly, entering my little workshop, lit with warm sunlight and crowded with wooden boxes and racks of tools.

My worktable was messy. I stared at the clutter for a long moment before a howl tore from me and I swept my arms across the surface violently, sending tools clattering against crates and across the floor. Staring at the new mess I'd just made, my body shuddered and my eyes watered. I was too hot one moment, freezing the next. I pressed my palms flat against the surface and leaned against it, closing my eyes and breathing heavily.

Calm. I'm okay. Focus on my breathing. In, count to five, hold it, count to seven, out, count to three. Again. I'm alright. Breathe again.

Gradually, the iron bands around my chest loosened and fell away. Tears splashed against wood, falling freely from my cheeks. My heart slowed from its hammering, leaving my chest aching.

What is wrong with me?

Was this the start of a panic attack? I'd not suffered those before, but I didn't think I'd felt this much anxiety, or had black bones, or had wings, either. I had to face that I wasn't who I'd thought I was.

A mirthless chuckle sounded and it took a moment to realize that empty laugh was coming from my throat. What a terrible way to start the day.

I needed to focus.

First things first, I wanted to test this new light. I struggled for a moment, trying to decide what to start with, eventually coming to realize I should go over the resources I had available first. Moving over to the fabricator bay, I poked at the terminal, surprised to see the catalog of patterns had grown significantly.

Thankfully, the system categorized them for me, making it much easier to break down what could be reproduced. I noted a significant amount of coinage, roundels of silver and copper and gold with a wide variety of weights and metal content. There were a myriad of trinkets as well, rings of bone and brass, twisted iron shapes I had no context for, and more besides. There was an entire category dedicated to textile samples, ranging from leather to flax and hemp linens to oiled cloths to cotton and even some silks. There were weapons as well, cudgels and crossbows and catchpoles.

Belatedly, I realized that all of this must have come from the slavers. In a way, I was pleased that they'd given me access to such a variety of things to work with. That felt a guilty thought and shame curdled my belly. I'd put this to use to help First Fork. At least something good could come from this mess.

First, though, I was tired of this parka and wanted something that fit me better. Going over the list of materials, a design came together in my head. It would take time to dismantle some of the samples for thread, and then I recalled the computer-aided design program I'd found.

Switching over to that, I spent some time familiarizing myself with the interface. It was deceptively easy to use, though I suspected a portion of that ease came from the light granting my ecotech. The program had several operating modes, including one specifically for handling textiles, and I put that to use in designing a bolt of cotton fabric, adjusting the weave and composition of the fibers with the inbuilt tools.

Saving the design as a new pattern, I had the fabricator print it, and a moment later I pulled the roll of white cotton cloth out of the output hatch. Taking a moment to appreciate what I'd just done, I hugged it close as I thought of all the things I could do with this wonderful machine.

Electronics were well within reach, I realized with awe. I needed to take the time to transcribe the information stored in my lights to patterns, but once done, I could print them as needed. This miraculous device unshackled me from so many limitations that the thought made my head spin. I wasn't reliant on infrastructure or industry, requiring only the raw resources instead.

Through more experimentation, I put together a variety of threads in a multitude of weights. Bobbins of cotton, linen, wools, silks, and spools of several metals were soon saved as patterns. Bolts of fabric followed, coming quicker as I figured out my workflow. The system was intuitive enough that I felt well-versed in its use by the time I'd put together the variety I wanted. I could add to the pattern database later as more ideas came; for now, I felt this was a good start.

Finishing up, I checked the design in my head and printed the materials I needed, carrying them over to the workshop. With all of my lights, it wouldn't take more than an hour to assemble the garment. Excitement buzzed along my limbs as I began to work.

Halfway through, my hands stilled as my attention was pulled to my realm of lights. A constellation was approaching and I felt my grasping limb coiled and ready. Trying not to interfere, I relaxed and let it do its thing. It lashed out and expended a portion of itself as it knocked a light free, then it sought several others before withdrawing once more.

There were six in total, each quite small save for a duo of slightly larger lights. As they joined the others around me, I struggled to hold the information they bombarded me with. Most dealt with singing and dancing, though one granted me the training to pilot some kind of aircraft. Vaguely, I felt disappointed as I returned to myself.

I'd not been a very musical person, I didn't think, but I could appreciate it when others sang well. Now, these lights let me sing and dance with the best of them if I could work myself up to show that to others. There were more subtle skills included, an ability to come up with lyrics and tunes on the spot, and another that gave me the grace necessary to dance well. I understood music at a fundamental level now and could play most common instruments relatively well.

The duo of larger lights granted me a means to project emotion with my songs, to better recognize and understand the feelings of others around me, and to inspire listeners and invoke the emotions I wanted them to feel. It wasn't anything that could control someone or make them act in a way they normally wouldn't, but it was still quite powerful.

It was up to me to find a use for this. None of these lights came with instructions or guides, but these felt even less useful to me than the others I'd gathered so far. Maybe I'd start singing at the evening meals. These folks appreciated music deeply enough that I might be entertaining.

"Maia?" Misa's soft question came from behind me and I whirled in surprise. She sat on one of the wooden crates, one leg crossed over the other and leaning forward to peer at me behind brown curls of hair.

Pressing a hand to my chest, I felt my heart beating rapidly. I had no idea how long she'd been there without my realizing and I felt my throat tighten.

"Please, don't sneak up on me like that!"

She blinked her warm brown eyes at me, "I said hello when I came in. You didn't hear me?"

"I was distracted," I said quickly, "Did you need something?"

"To thank you," Misa said, booted foot bobbing in the air with nervous energy. "For helping us. The others say there would have been more death if you hadn't."

Nodding slowly, I looked away, the smell of copper and offal clinging to my nose. "Ah, you're welcome. Ygdis and Grenwin said there'd been a thing yesterday?"

She nodded back, "Aye. Thought I would come and be the first to come and welcome you as one o' us, but, ah, you seem busy." She lifted a hand and gestured at the half-complete dress on the worktable.

"Well, thank you," I told her, putting as much warmth into my tone as I could muster. "Sorry for snapping at you a moment ago. I was very distracted."

"'S fine," she shrugged the apology off, "What is that, anyway?"

"It's going to be a dress, soon. I think I can make clothes that are enhanced like my wooden tools are. They ought to be perfectly warm no matter how cold it gets and tough enough to be like armor."

"Oh," interest brightened her tone, "Can I watch?"

"Sure. It won't take much longer 'till I'm done with this." I tried giving her a smile before turning back to the workbench and scowling at the fabric there. I'd hoped to be left alone for a bit. Well, I supposed I had been, and I'd used it up while avoiding my problems. Getting back to work, I tried to lose myself in the effort of tailoring. Absently, I started humming a tune as I labored.

Misa was blessedly quiet and I almost forgot the young woman was present as the dress came together. It was high-necked, with long sleeves and narrow divided skirts that ought to end just above my ankles, maintaining my range of movement. Though it was plain undyed cotton, the fabric I'd put together was light and strong, with embroidered copper vines and silver leaves around the waist, up the front, and along the sleeves and down the skirts. I trimmed the hems of the sleeves and skirts with gold and silver thread, and along the collar that should sit partway up my neck. Altogether, it was a beautiful garment, though I was very conscious of the fact that I'd never have tried this without my lights, and that they were to thank for the quality.

Grabbing it, I turned and held it to my shoulders.

"What do you think?" I asked Misa.

She sat up from a slouch, staring with wide eyes. Her mouth fell open and the tips of her white teeth peeked through her lips. "It is beautiful," she said, tone awed. Standing, she stepped closer to peer at it, poking a finger at the metal embroidery. "Is this really metal?"

"Copper, gold, and silver," I confirmed. "Would you mind helping me with something?"

Meeting my eyes, she nodded slowly. "What?"

I pointed a finger at the rack of bows on the far wall, "Can you grab a bow? I'd like you to loose an arrow at this."

A sharp and disbelieving laugh burst from her as she nodded, "Aye, I can. Why make it if you are just going to put holes in it?"

Before answering, I hung the dress on a nearby rack and stepped away. "It ought to stop the arrow, but I'm not sure." Turning, I saw her stringing the bow, then looking between the boxes of arrows. I pointed to those with heavier grain, "Try a heavy arrow first."

She glanced at me and nodded. Taking up an arrow, she nocked it, raised the bow, and pulled it back to her cheek. "You sure?" She asked as she aimed at the dress.

"Oh, yes, very sure."

The arrow loosed with a twang and there came a thunk as it impacted the wood behind the dress, bouncing off and clattering on the floor.

"Huh," Misa said, eyes wide.

Eagerly bounding forward, I checked over the dress, finding only a small divot where the point of the arrow had dug into the wood behind it. "Aha!" I laughed, holding up the fabric to show her, "No hole! Grab a knife and see if you can cut it, now!"

After a moment to recover, Misa lowered the bow and nodded, taking up one of the knives from a nearby box and unsheathing it. She stepped closer and slashed at the sleeve, an action that would have cut normal fabric apart. This, though, remained whole and unmarred. A long awed whistle blew from her pursed lips, "Not a scratch!"

"Misa, I can make clothes like this for everyone!" I told her, joy at a successful project warming my heart.

She stared at me for a second, a grin widening on her face. "Can you make me something first? Like this?" She pulled at the sleeve of her parka with her other hand.

Nodding, I felt myself grinning back. "Since you've been such help, sure! It'll take a bit but it shouldn't be too much work."

Setting the knife down on the work table, she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed, laughing with glee. "You know what this means for us, Maia? We won't need to fear raids or beasts!"

Squirming free of her, I took a step back, breathing heavily as the air felt too thick for my lungs. "Ah, ha, yeah. I'll work on real armor, too. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to put together some kind of wood plating with a thick underlayer."

Misa's smile was infectious, the corners of her eyes wrinkled with genuine happiness. There was hope in her gaze, I saw. "Grenwin said you mean to take us below the Wall."

"I do," I nodded, suppressing a cough. "I want to help the free folk stand on their own, you know? I want to teach you guys things that the southern lords haven't the faintest clue about, too."

She held my eyes for a long moment before nodding, "I believe you." Her lips drew to a serious line and she put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm with you, if you'll have me. I don't much like the thought o' traveling to Mance, not when we have you."

I blinked at her, unsure of how to take this declaration of loyalty. I gave her hand a pat, my own expression sobering. "I hope to earn that. I'm happy to take your aid, Misa."

Her lips pulled back to a grin. "I have to tell the others 'bout this!" She bounced back a pace and then darted out the portal.

I stared after her, bemusement burbling in my breast. It was kind of her to want to help, but I wasn't sure she knew what she was signing up for. Still… I felt responsible, now.

Musing on that, I changed into the dress, finding it fit just as I'd expected it to. It was far more comfortable than the parka, and I'd included slits in the back to pull my wings through without exposing a whole patch of skin to the air. I moved around, getting used to the feel of it. It was wonderful to wear and I felt it fit my figure well, though the coloring left much to be desired. I'd have to work on that.

Satisfied, I started putting together a list of things I'd work on.

I'd like some underwear, to start. Then I could put together Misa's request, then maybe a new pair of boots for myself. I wasn't sure how Grenwin had lost her shield, but I reckoned I might be able to make her something close to it. Maybe something like her round wooden buckler with an integrated gauntlet; the design fit together in my head easily, and I thought it might be useful for striking with. My mind made up, I got to work, heading back to the fabricator.

I wanted desperately to live up to what I claimed to believe. Maybe I was a monster, but that didn't mean I couldn't still try to be the woman I thought I'd been. I would use my power to keep my new friends safe, no matter the danger.