Verik was aware that there was some drama going on with his new friends but he wasn't sure what had happened. There had been noticeable changes, such as Viera stepping up and telling everyone what they needed to do while Griffin stepped back and was more passive with the rest of the group. He didn't feel like asking either of them what happened, Falenas was too busy with his work, and Alexander told him that Viera and Griffin were working out a dispute. Takota told Verik that Griffin had snuck behind the group's back to investigate Vendra and Lavender (prompting a conversation about how the group had taken down the fake cure without him) but Verik didn't see what the problem was. With a shrug, he decided that there wasn't much he could do about what happened and focused on the present.

When Griffin was in charge, Verik and the others were allowed a lot of free time unless something had come up such as fighting wererats or investigating a sunken ship. He enjoyed having time off, and while he was worried about the plague, he needed to look out for himself. With Viera taking charge, there were no more breaks. She had called for a meeting to come up with a patrol schedule to keep an eye on the people of Korvosa to keep them safe from the dangers that came with the plague. The only one to protest against the plan was Falenas and that was because Viera insisted that he take a break from his research to help patrol. The two argued fiercely until Alexander proposed that Falenas could go on patrol once a week as a way to take a mental break from his work. The alchemist wasn't pleased with the distraction but agreed to the compromise.

For the next few days, Verik worked with his friends as part of the patrol schedule. There were a few angry citizens that had to be stopped from starting a riot but there was hardly any violence. The work reminded him a lot of his time in the Korvosan Guard so he didn't mind how dull the work was. Viera also expected for the group to patrol in pairs when it came time to work with Verik working with her along with Alexander and Takota at separate times. As part of the compromise to go on the patrols, Falenas insisted that Takota be his partner so Verik didn't get to see him. As for Griffin, he was focused on noble obligations that he wasn't able to join on any of the patrols.

What Verik did when he wasn't expected to patrol around Korvosa, he was helping Takota train as his exam to become an official Sable Company Marine was coming up. With Griffin, Viera, and Falenas all busy with their respective work and Alexander spending more time with Silana or Tayce and her family, he didn't have a lot of other options. While the adventurers were busy at work, Tiran had some of his servants make a practice range in his estate's backyard for Takota to practice their archery in, having improved on Verik's original idea. It was there that the two spent most of their time preparing as Takota was most worried about his skill with the crossbow.

Fortunately, Takota's practice with the crossbow was finally paying off. One of his biggest issues with the weapon was not being able to reload in a timely manner. Now, Takota could rely on muscle memory when it came to loading his crossbow and could fire his crossbow at rapid succession. His aim had drastically improved as well and each bolt pierced around the center ring of the targets Tiran set up. Verik clapped as Takota finished up another round of practice.

"I don't have any other pointers," Verik said with a smile. "I think you're ready for the exam."

"You're right," Takota nodded and holstered his crossbow across his back.

"Do you need any help with training for the rest of the exam?" Verik asked. "There has to be more to it than archery, right?"

Takota shook his head. "The archery is part of the physical exam along with melee combat and hippogriff riding. There's a written exam over the laws of Korvosa and-"

"Hold up," Verik held a hand. "You can't just brush over riding a hippogriff like it's nothing."

"If I pass, that'll be part of my life," Takota said. "I'll be assigned my own hippogriff to fly and fight with."

Verik whistled. "Damn. I'm starting to think I made the wrong choice when I enlisted with the Korvosan Guard. I can't wait to see you fly on the back of a hippogriff."

"The physical exam will be open to friends and family," Takota told Verik. "Normally, it's open for anyone, but given blood veil is around…"

"I understand. Well, thank you for inviting me to watch. Have you told the others?"

Takota nodded. "You were the last person I had to invite."

"Oh," Verik said, his shoulders slumping down. "I guess that makes sense. You knew them longer."

"It was always my intention to invite you," Takota said calmly. "You did spend a lot of time with me training."

"Right," Verik nodded, slowly regaining his composure. "It wasn't a problem. If you need help, you can always ask me."

Before the two could continue their conversation, a bird flew down next to them on one of the targets. There was a piece of parchment tied to one of its legs and it looked at Takota expectantly. Verik turned toward him with a raised eyebrow and gestured back at the bird.

"Were you expecting a message from someone?"

"No," Takota answered and shook his head. "It's not a trained messenger bird. I think it's from the wild."

"What's it doing here with a message?" Verik asked.

"It could be the work of a spell," Takota suggested. "One of my instructors taught me how to use magic to have a small animal carry a message to someone. This reminds me of that spell."

"You learned magic with the Sable Marine Company?" Verik questioned to which Takota nodded. "I really should have enlisted with them instead of the Korvosan Guard. Should we read the message?"

"We should."

Takota stepped forward to grab the message from the bird's leg. Once he had the parchment in his hands, the bird flew off. Verik looked over Takota's shoulder to see what the message had to say.

Takota,

I hope this letter reaches you without any issue. I've known this spell for a while but I've never used it to get in touch with someone so far away before, and with the plague that I've heard is going around Korvosa, it might be that this never reaches you. Still, I wanted to try to keep in touch with you and hope that you're not mad at me for leaving you in Trots.

I've made it to my destination safely and have been staying at a ranch belonging to a friend of a friend. There haven't been any signs of my pursuers and I'm thankful to not have to look over my shoulder for someone that could recognize me. However, life around the ranch has been so boring lately. There's hardly anyone interesting to talk to and I'm not expected to work around the ranch since I'm a guest. I've been thinking about exploring the land around the ranch and see what kind of adventures I can find on my own.

From what I've heard about blood veil, it sounds very dreadful. I'm glad I made it out of Korvosa but I am worried about you. I know that you and your friends are capable but a plague isn't an enemy you can kill with weapons. I can only imagine what you're up to in Korvosa and can't wait to hear about the stories you have to tell the next time that we meet.

Take care,

-T

Verik was quick to notice Takota smiling, which was a rare sight. He felt a little guilty reading over a personal letter but he thought that it could have been something important for the group.

"I didn't know you had a friend out of Korvosa," Verik commented with an apologetic glance. "Maybe I shouldn't have read it with you."

"It's fine," Takota told Verik with a nod. "She didn't say anything that could reveal for sure where she is."

"So your friend is a she," Verik said, smirking. "How close are you?"

Takota paused to think over Verik's question. "I… I care for her."

"There it is," Verik chuckled. "What are you waiting for? Write her a message and find a bird to send to find her with magic."

"I haven't tested that spell for myself," Takota admitted quietly.

"There's a first time for everything, my friend," Verik patted Takota on the back encouragingly. "We're done training for the day. Go ahead and write a letter for her."

Takota nodded, and with Verik encouraging him with a nod, he made his way inside the manor. He would find the ink and parchment he needed to write a letter inside without any problem. Finding a bird to enchant would be another matter but Verik was confident in Takota's tracking and animal handling skills. Takota kept to himself most of the time and Verik was glad to hear that he had someone he was close with outside of their small adventuring group. Verik hoped that something would blossom between Takota and his mysterious friend and looked forward to hearing more when the time was right.

However, another thought came to Verik's mind. If Takota's friend was able to get in touch with him outside of Korvosa with magic, what was stopping Meliya from doing the same? Verik didn't know if Meliya had any magic, but given her status, she should be able to find someone to get a message out of Old Korvosa whether it was through a spell or by mundane means even with the quarantine up. Was there a reason Verik hadn't heard from her since his release?

Verik considered that Meliya moved on from him for a few moments before shaking his head. He was convinced that the love they shared would survive the situation they found themselves in. It was likely that she had too many problems addressing the quarantine to reach out to him. The best thing Verik could do was help his companions deal with blood veil, and once the quarantine was lifted, he would Meliya out himself.

At first, Griffin didn't have any problem with focusing solely on his noble obligations on behalf of his friends but soon found that there wasn't much for him to do. Viera took care of the organization of the group herself, and since they had no active work, there wasn't any treasure for him to divide between the group members. He attended the meetings Viera called for but it felt like he didn't have anything to offer without assuming his identity as Indigo. However, he felt that Viera wasn't ready for him to offer such a choice and so he kept quiet.

Griffin hoped for a chance to help on the responsibilities that House Vossler had but Tiran had stepped up with their parents still away. Tiran worked with the servants and guards for the estate the best he could, understanding of the times those employed by the family couldn't work due to sickness. Tiran also kept in touch with the various nobles through letters about the different deals that their father had worked on before leaving Korvosa. There were several offers for Tiran to meet with the nobles in person but he was always quick to deny the requests for health concerns. Griffin offered to help but Tiran kindly told him that he could handle the noble responsibilities while Griffin focused on being the patron to his friends.

The final responsibility Griffin thought he had was to serve as a liaison between the adventurers and city officials. However, he was disappointed to learn that Viera had entrusted Ishani to such a task. Ishani had recently converted from being a follower of Abadar to worship Sarenrae but still had influence with the various temples that allowed him to send healers where the Korvosan Guard needed them most. With Cressida busy enough keeping the city safe as is, Viera thought it best to make use of Ishani's position than to have Griffin step in.

Truth be told, Griffin wasn't sure how to feel about Ishani. He could tell that the priest was a kind-hearted man that wanted what was best for Korvosa but he didn't like how much time Viera spent with him. Ishani and Viera stayed together even after the group meetings he was invited to came to an end, speaking about how Ishani was handling his training at the Temple of Sarenrae as well as Viera asking for his advice on the nightmares. Griffin hated how he overheard Viera telling Ishani about her nightmares returning as it meant she trusted the priest more than him with such information.

Griffin kept to himself in his study, contemplating what his next move should be. Given his own feelings for Viera, he knew that he was jealous of Ishani but didn't know what to do. He hadn't exactly made up for his actions with Lavender, and while he was trying to get by with his role, he wasn't exactly doing anything. As much as he hated to admit it, Griffin had to consider if it was too late for him to do anything. He clasped his hands over his desk and sighed when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Griffin called out.

Tiran opened the door and stepped in, a parchment in hand. "Good day, brother. I only wanted to check in with you before I send in this letter. You have no interest going to the Carowyn's gala, do you?"

Griffin frowned. "Korvosa suffers from a plague unlike any other and Ausio and Olauren think now is the best time to host a party?"

"They're trying to act as though blood veil doesn't exist," Tiran said with a chuckle. "I've already decided that I won't go but I didn't want to speak on your behalf."

"Nobility isn't safe from blood veil despite what the Carowyns think," Griffin shook his head. "Of course I won't go."

"The Carowyns may take offense at our absence but that is something we'll have to live with," Tiran said and pocketed the parchment. "I will have to write a letter to delicately explain that we're unable to make it and hope that whatever gossip against us stays at their party."

"That'll have to do."

"Indeed," Tiran said and took another step into his brother's study. "With that business out of the way, would you mind telling me what's on your mind?"

Griffin blinked slowly. "I'm not sure what you mean, brother."

"You don't have to lie to me," Tiran told Griffin. "You've been spending more time by yourself in your study, and as I can see now, you're not up to anything important. So, what's going on and how can I help?"

"It's nothing," Griffin said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"It's something," Tiran insisted and stepped up to stand in front of Griffin at his desk. "You don't have to keep secrets from me."

Griffin held back his immediate comment that he has been keeping a secret from Tiran. His brother was oblivious to his activities as Indigo and he intended to keep it that way. It would embarrass the Vosslers if Griffin's secret was exposed and he knew that while Tiran encouraged him to be independent, he was also overprotective of him. Tiran would likely try to encourage Griffin to give up on being Indigo for his own safety. Granted, it wouldn't change much in his current situation but he couldn't tell his brother the truth.

With a sigh, Griffin decided that Tiran's advice might be able to help him in another matter.

"Viera and I haven't talked in a while," Griffin admitted quietly. "She's spending more time with Ishani."

"I see," Tiran said with a smirk. "Matters of the heart."

"Tiran, please."

"I know, I know," Tiran held his hands up. "I'll hold off on the teasing for now at least. This has to do with the time Viera went on some adventure while hiding the fact she had blood veil from you, yes?"

That was only part of the problem, but without telling Tiran that he's Indigo, Griffin could only nod. "That's right. It hurt that she lied to me, and in my haste to try to help her, I ignored that she had a plan to cure herself."

"That day wasn't the best for either of you," Tiran said with a shrug. "Love can be more dangerous than the monsters you send her and the others to face. It leaves those who rely on logic, such as yourself, unable to think clearly, and those who rely on emotion, like Viera, are quick to act without thought. When both happen at the same time, it'll lead to a dispute like the one you're both in now."

"What do I do?" Griffin asked. "Everytime we talk about what happened, we argue and come no closer to understanding each other."

"I'm sure that you'll both reach a compromise, but for now, the best thing you can do is to confess to her how you feel," Tiran suggested. "I know you're not one for the direct solution, but in this case, it's best not to hide anything from Viera."

"Tiran, I don't think that a plague outbreak is an appropriate time for any kind of heartfelt confession," Griffin told his brother.

"I feel as though it's the perfect time," Tiran chuckled. "Either of you could fall victim to a horrible death from blood veil at any moment. The future isn't certain, and so, it is best to focus on the now."

"Except with enough gold, we can pay for a potion to heal us from blood veil," Griffin pointed out. "From what Falenas has told me, blood veil takes around a week after symptoms show before it kills someone. I don't think either one of us is going to die from blood veil."

"Maybe," Tiran shrugged. "I still stand by what I said. The longer you drag this out, the more problems the two of you will run into. I'm honestly surprised that you haven't had this talk with her. You've known Viera for quite some time and I can tell that she cares for you like you do for her."

"At least until recently," Griffin said with a sigh. "I'll admit that I have hesitated anytime I've thought about telling her. I'm worried that it wouldn't work out, that our lives are too different."

"You really need to stop overthinking everything," Tiran told Griffin with a stern expression. "So what if you're a noble and she's a warrior priestess? You live in the same city and get along well."

"But our parents-"

"Don't think about your responsibilities to the family because they don't matter," Tiran interrupted. "Father has already made it clear that we are free to choose who we marry without any worry of an arranged marriage. You are the younger son of this family, and given that you're a Vossler through our mother's marriage rather than birth, you don't have to consider the prestige of your romantic partner like I have to do. For once, don't think and follow your heart."

Griffin got along with Tiran even though the two were very different in how they saw the world. Given that many of his noble peers looked down on him for being a half-elf bastard adopted into nobility, Griffin was always careful to think about the consequences of his actions and avoided taking serious risks. Taking up his identity as Indigo helped give him a chance to act on his own but he couldn't use his alter ego for everything. Meanwhile, Tiran had made plenty of friends and he used his charisma to make up for the times he followed his whims. There were times that Tiran had to be responsible as expected for a noble heir, but when he decided to do something, it was because he thought it was right to do or because he wanted to do it without caring for what others thought.

While Griffin was inexperienced when it came to courting others, Tiran was a hopeless romantic. He fell in love quickly but his relationships never lasted longer than a few weeks before his partner at the time called it off. Tiran never let heartbreak get the best of him as he continued to live his life passionately. Griffin knew his father had been pushing for Tiran to finally settle down with someone but he had yet to find the right partner. Tiran was hoping to patch up his relationship with his latest ex-lover only for her to end up murdered by Gaedren. Although he wasn't sure if a pandemic was the right time to talk to Viera about all that happened, Griffin recognized that Tiran did know what he was talking about. His advice wasn't something that should be rejected without further thought.

"I'll consider it," Griffin finally said. "There's a lot on my mind as is. Still, I thank you for your advice."

"I'm doing my best to help you," Tiran said. "Although if this plague is truly the reason why you're holding back, then perhaps I should take up my rapier and help your adventurers in dealing with the plague."

"That won't be necessary," Griffin chuckled. "You have enough to do here as is."

"I know," Tiran sighed. "I handle the boring tasks while you get to work with adventurers."

"You know I don't go on these adventurers myself."

"It's still more exciting than trying to find the right words to explain why having a gala during a plague is a terrible idea," Tiran said and stepped away from the desk. "I've put off writing up a response for too long. I should get to it."

"If you need any help…" Griffin offered.

"You have enough going on as is," Tiran shook his head. "I'll handle this and you do whatever it is you need to do."

"Right," Griffin said with a nod. "Take care, brother."

"You as well, brother."

Griffin watched Tiran leave his study and turned his gaze down to his empty desk surface. Falenas or some other alchemist would soon find a cure for blood veil, and when that time came, Griffin needed to decide if he should follow Tiran's advice or not. For now, all he could do was wait.

Ever since blood veil first started to spread, Alexander knew that there was very little he could do to help Korvosa with what skills he had. He was a warrior but there weren't any fights that he was needed for since the wererats. Alexander joined his companions for patrols knowing there wasn't much else that he could do. He didn't have the divine powers Ishani had or the alchemical knowledge Falenas possessed. Regardless of his forced inactivity, he refused to feel that he was useless.

Instead, Alexander focused on personal matters when he wasn't on patrol. At the moment, his free time was divided between raising Silana at the Vossler estate and visiting Tayce at Trail's End. His adventuring career would come to an end once the plague ended and he needed to think about the future. He was glad that Silana had stayed healthy during the time of turmoil, and although it was difficult to act like a normal family for now, he was going to do what he could so that she would have good memories during this time.

Tiran made sure Silana was cared for in Alexander's absence and also pushed for his friend to make time for himself. It was hard to refuse Tiran, especially when Silana looked up to the noble, so he spent time visiting Tayce. He continued to help out around the house and he was confident that there weren't any repairs left for him. Brienna played with Duke, who often accompanied Alexander even when not on patrol, while the warrior started to train Tayce's sons how to defend themselves. Charlo and Rello had approached him since they were dealing with a group of bullies and Alexander thought it was simple enough to teach them how to stand up to their bullies themselves.

During his last three visits to the Soldado's home, Alexander noticed that Tayce was quick to find reasons to get her children out of the house when he was around. It didn't take him too long to realize that she wanted him alone, and after some thought, the idea of being with Tayce was tempting. He got along with her and her family well enough and didn't mind that she was older than he was. Tiran once asked him why he never remarried after Myla's death and he told him that being a single father wasn't easy. With Tayce as a single mother, there was an understanding between the two of them.

Alexander was contemplating such thoughts about Tayce while tearing down a rotting fence when she approached him, holding a cup of water. He returned her smile with his own and took the water, sipping from it. There was still much work to be done but he was glad for the break.

"Thank you again, Alexander," Tayce said. "Ever since Grau brought you and your friends to help Brienna, life has been a lot better for us."

"I'm happy to do what I can to help," Alexander said, his cheeks red from the praise. "It's not easy raising a child alone, let alone three."

"But someone has to do it," Tayce nodded. "Speaking of, where is Silana?"

"She's with Tiran, Griffin's brother," Alexander explained and took another drink from the cup of water. "After the king died, Silana and I found ourselves without a home. The Vosslers took us in, and whenever we were working for the Korvosan Guard, Tiran would stay at his manor with Silana."

"That's very kind of him."

"It is, although I don't intend for it to be permanent," Alexander said with a sigh. "I'm helping out my friends with some fights, but once blood veil passes and the city is safe again, I'm putting up my gear for good so I can focus on raising Silana.

"I see," Tayce said, taking the empty cup from Alexander. "I can understand wanting to stop going into danger when you have someone depending on you."

"I've taken steps to make sure Silana has someone to look out for her but I need to be there for her as a parent," Alexander said, shaking his head. "The life you live now is the one I prefer over that of an adventurer. Something simple with the people I care about."

"You're always welcome here," Tayce told Alexander as she took a step closer to him. "You and your daughter both. It'd be different without you."

Alexander nodded. "I think we'd like that. I know I would."

That was all they needed to hear from each other. Tayce stepped forward and Alexander leaned down to meet her in a kiss. At first, they were both hesitant and thought the other would break away, but when the kiss didn't stop, it grew more passionate. Alexander pulled Tayce closer to him in an embrace and she dropped the cup she held to hold him tight. For a few moments, all of their worries about their families and the fate of the city were gone. They found companionship in one another, something they thought they wouldn't find again.

When their lips parted, they both took deep breaths. It was Tayce who made the first move afterwards, whispering softly into Alexander's ear.

"The boys took Brienna to see one of her friends with Duke. There's no one else home."

"Right," Alexander whispered back. "Let's go."

Tayce nodded, and taking Alexander's hand, led the way inside. He would worry about the rest of the household chores later. For now, he would enjoy the time he had with Tayce and look forward to the new path he had for his future.

A/N: So, when I first started writing this chapter, I didn't realize that most of the scenes I had planned had a more romantic theme until I took a look at my notes. Romance isn't my strongest aspect but I decided to lean into it and have even moved back something planned for this chapter to the next chapter to fit with the theme.

Until next time.