Indenuel dressed quickly in the early morning. It had rained last night, which felt amazing now that the days grew hotter. A fine mist weaved through the trees, and Indenuel did his best not to wake anyone else in the inn.

He opened the door and found someone already there. He leapt back in shock.

“Oh shi-” He clamped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from finishing the phrase. Tolomon stood there, dressed, waiting for him. He gave a low bow.

“Warrior Indenuel, I hope you slept well.”

Indenuel lowered his hand. “Did you sleep? At all?”

“Of course. I heard you getting dressed and wanted to be ready.”

Indenuel did little else but stare at him in awe before he realized how ridiculous he looked. “Right. Well, usually I go for a… a morning walk alone. A way to rejuvenate from meeting with all the people from last night.”

“I understand. If you’d like, I could follow behind and make it so you don’t notice me, should you wish to continue these morning walks alone yet still be protected.”

Indenuel ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out of his room before closing the door. “I think other days that might be nice, but it’ll be best if I use this time to get to know you more. I’m not sure if you get this a lot, but you are intimidating.”

Tolomon smiled, and if he didn’t have to incline his head back and look past the bulging shoulder and neck muscles to see the smile, it might have made him more approachable. But the fact remained that Tolomon still looked like he could destroy Indenuel if he wanted to.

“I am your bodyguard. You may do whatever you’d like. Most of my assignments choose to ignore me until my services are no longer needed.”

Indenuel walked down the stairs into the main area of the inn. “But you’re going to be with me for a while, right?”

“I am. Most likely until I die.” Tolomon opened the door and checked outside before stepping aside and allowing Indenuel to pass. Indenuel stared at him, unnerved by the simple way he talked about his death.

“I hope not,” Indenuel said.

Tolomon gave a shrug, and nothing more to elaborate on the fact. The cool morning air felt nice on his face as he tried to change the subject.

“Well, I should get to know you better,” Indenuel said.

“It’s not necessary, Warrior Indenuel.”

Indenuel winced. “You don’t have to call me that.”

“Alright, sir,” Tolomon said.

“I’m not a High Elder, either.”

“I swore an oath to protect and serve my King and my God. I show respect to the High Elders, and therefore I shall show you the same respect.”

Indenuel kicked a small rock down the street and followed it. “I’m not even twenty yet, and you’re…”

“God has given me thirty-eight years.”

“It feels unnatural for you to call me sir.”

“It’s not a matter of age, more of position. You are the Warrior, and therefore the most important person in the world right now.”

Indenuel kicked the rock again, keeping his head down. Something inside him wanted to resist. Being important was against everything he grew up learning about himself.

“I am the subject of your assignment?” Indenuel asked.

Tolomon moved his head from side to side. “A rather informal way of putting it, but yes.”

“And as my bodyguard, you would be required to do whatever I asked?” Indenuel asked.

“Within reason.”

He kicked the rock again. “So if I asked you to stop calling me sir, you would have to listen to me. As my bodyguard. Right?”

There it was, the smile that Indenuel hoped would make Tolomon not so intimidating, yet he still was. “You have sound reasoning. How would you like me to address you?”

“Just… Indenuel.”

Tolomon nodded. “It will be done, Indenuel.”

They walked a bit farther. Indenuel kicked the rock too far and figured he had lost it, but once they got closer, Tolomon used his foot to toss it closer to Indenuel’s side. “So you know Nathaniel?” Indenuel asked.

“Yes. We were schoolmates. We studied in the military together at the palace when we were young.”

“What was that like?” Indenuel asked.

“We were fiercely competitive friends, both fought to be the top of our class, literally. He was the only nobleman in our class who respected me, instead of looking down on me for being a commoner. Military is one of the only professions both the commoners and noblemen study together. Throughout the years, we became as close as brothers.”

Indenuel kicked the small rock again. He could empathize with that. He and Matteo had a strong brotherly connection, though there wasn’t a lot of competition between the two of them. More a bond which grew out of survival.

“We shouldn’t have been surprised when we both got letters of recommendation to begin the Graduate program, but we did,” Tolomon said.

Indenuel glanced up, shocked. “Nathaniel could have been a Graduate?”

“Yes. Honestly, General Davi was devastated when Nathaniel turned him down.”

“Why did Nathaniel turn it down?” Indenuel asked.

“To be a Graduate is to sacrifice yourself for Santollia, and only Santollia. We are not allowed to get married and have children. Too much of a distraction. And he had high hopes to court Rosa.” Again, Tolomon’s tone was so casual it was almost strange to hear him casually mention something so foreign to him.

“A distraction?”

“If I was married and I needed to protect you, but both you and my wife were in danger, it would get in the way of my work,” Tolomon said.

“That seems rather extreme. And cruel.”

“It’s a choice I made from my own sound mind.”

“Still seems cruel,” Indenuel said.

“Well, the only girl I ever loved turned me down, so it was an easier choice for me than for Nathaniel,” Tolomon said.

“Ouch,” Indenuel couldn’t help but say as he kicked the rock toward Tolomon again.

“Ah, don’t worry about me. It turned out.”

“So, what happened?”

Tolomon didn’t say anything for a moment. A long enough moment that Indenuel wondered if he should have kept his questions to himself, but Tolomon started talking again. “She was a noblewoman and I, as a commoner, could not marry her until I became a Captain. Granted, I was on track to become one, but it would have taken years. More importantly, however, is she did not love me in return. She married someone else.”

“Oh? Does her husband know you’re a Graduate?”

Tolomon spied the small rock in his path. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter. It’s been years. My romantic feelings for her are quite gone. She’s happy I’m a Graduate, and I’m happy she’s with Nathaniel.”

Indenuel’s eyes widened and he stopped walking. He didn’t know what to expect, but he certainly didn’t expect that. Tolomon kicked the rock up enough to make it go into the air before he gave it another quick kick. The rock flew up and he caught it easily. He then tossed it to Indenuel who caught it, staring at him. Tolomon gave him another smile, one Indenuel was trying to figure out. Was it genuine? Were the romantic feelings gone? He honestly didn’t know, but he trusted that Tolomon told him the truth.

“What about you?” Tolomon asked. “What was it like for you to grow up?”

Indenuel stared at the rock in his hands. “Right. Me.” Tolomon had every right to know what it was like for him growing up. The more he told, the more Tolomon might understand, but he didn’t enjoy remembering it. After all, it wasn’t that long ago. Indenuel gave a brief overview of his childhood, talked with small details about the way the villagers treated him and Lucia. He skipped a lot of his darker stories, instead choosing happier stories when Matteo, Isla, and Emilia had come under his mother’s care.

“I’ve never heard of Mountain Pass,” Tolomon said.

“A lot of people don’t.”

“And they treated you with fear because they didn’t know what you were?”

Indenuel shrugged. “That’s a good way to explain it.”

Tolomon gave Indenuel a look as though knowing Indenuel hid some darker stories. “You’ve used corruption before?”

Indenuel looked down at his feet, not daring to meet Tolomon’s eyes. It wasn’t hard to imagine him breaking every bone in Indenuel’s body.

“Once or twice,” Indenuel said. “In… desperate times.”

“On Nathaniel, right?” Tolomon asked.

Indenuel winced, still staring at the ground. “Yeah. Someone told you?”

He smiled. “Martin thought it would be imperative I know, since I am your bodyguard.”

They circled around to the inn as they saw the carriages being loaded.

“You should be a minister. You could get anyone to confess. You’re intimidating.”

Tolomon laughed, and it was such a jolly sound it took him by surprise. “This should be an interesting assignment.”

Indenuel rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you’ve had experience with these things before. Is there any way that we could make this not so stiff and formal? Like maybe a friend instead of a bodyguard?”

The jollity left Tolomon’s face. “That might be too dangerous.”

“To be friends?”

“I am first and foremost your bodyguard. Your life needs to be protected. If you become my friend, I don’t want you to do anything stupid, like try to save me if I tell you to run.”

Indenuel’s heart skipped a beat, a reminder that not only was he the Warrior, but he would be in life-or-death situations. Tolomon seemed ready to face them, but he was not. “I honor your title as Graduate, and I understand you have a job to do, but if you’re going to be by my side everywhere I go, I’ve got to be comfortable with you there. Right now you’re… incredibly intimidating.”

Tolomon gave a nod. “Then you must promise me you will not be an idiot and risk your life for mine.”

“Understood.” It wasn’t good enough for Tolomon. He stepped in front of Indenuel. He stopped walking to keep himself from running into him. Tolomon stood at his full height, his face serious, and stared him down. As he shrank under Tolomon’s gaze, he got taller and his massive muscles became a constant reminder of what exactly he could do with them. “Good God, you’re terrifying. Yes, yes, I will run away when you ask me to. I won’t try to save you.”

His face finally relaxed, and they resumed walking. “I almost believe you. Just know that if you and I die because you were an idiot, I will make Heaven a Hell for you instead.”

Indenuel rubbed his upper arm. “I don’t doubt it.”

“Breakfast!” Nathaniel said once they were close enough. He tossed two small loafs of wheat bread, both of which Tolomon caught.

“Another thing you might have to get used to.” Tolomon took a small chunk out of the bread and ate it before handing it to Indenuel. “I’m going to have to sample all your food.”

“For poison?” Indenuel asked, partially joking.

“Yes,” Tolomon said, his face serious. “I’ve built up my immunity to them.”

Indenuel cleared his throat. Of course he had.

“Indenuel!” Derio shouted, holding out a paper. He walked over to Derio as Tolomon fell behind him. “I got a message back from Felipe.”

“Is it about the children?” Indenuel asked.

“Yes. Hugo informed Felipe that Andres and Lola do not have the funds necessary to write everyday like the children want. The farther we get, the more expensive it is.”

“Oh.” Indenuel hadn’t thought about that. He’d never sent letters before because he never needed to. He forgot that the farther the message, the more money it cost, especially if one had to go through multiple tree talkers.

He looked down at his outfit. At this point on their journey, he had received a new outfit at every town, and now had more clothes than he knew what to do with. Maybe he could sell some to get another message from the children.

“I’ve discussed it with Martin, and a fund is set up between Filipe and Hugo. There will be no cost for these letters. The children will write one today and we will expect it soon.”

Indenuel stared at Derio. “Right. I… um, do I need to pay you anything for this?” Again, he glanced down and wondered how much his shoes would go for.

Derio smiled. “Sir, you are Martin the Healer’s honored guest, and the Warrior, once the High Elders confirm it. You do not need to worry about finances ever again.”

He bowed before walking away. Indenuel watched him leave, a conflicting feeling in his heart as he straightened the jacket he was so ready to part with before. He doubted he’d ever get used to this.