I’ll say this about Shay, she certainly knows how to pull her weight. After three weeks on the road with her, she’s turned her hand well to every task I’ve given her and hasn’t complained once. She’s comfortable in the saddle and diligent on watch every night, and she’s even proven a worthy additional tutor for Gael in our practice sessions with their sword-work. Not that I’m surprised by the last, I’ve seen what she can do in earnest first hand. I decided on the second night after Gael was well enough to train again that it’d be best to fold her into that too, if only to give our wizard a fresh perspective on what we’re trying to teach ‘em.

Okay, so maybe part of it was to stop Shay shouting corrections from the sidelines the whole time, which was already old before the end of that first session. I’ll admit I was a little dubious at first, having no idea what Shay as a teacher would actually be like, but I shouldn’t have worried. Shay was taught by an elf, it was a different style to begin with, but maybe it fits Gael better. I’m still in charge, and the fundamentals are the same, but Shay’s better suited for the nuances in this case.

Besides, she’s getting something out of it too, namely getting to know that strange elven sword she won from Ashsong. She was very careful with it to begin with, extremely mindful of how fiendishly sharp that edge has remained, while its weight and balance is certainly different to what she’s become used to. It’s been a steep learning curve for her, but she’s figuring it out now, and clearly growing comfortable with it. Maybe even getting to like it. I could be a little envious of the fact she never has to sharpen it if I didn’t get more outta looking after Hefdred than just two keen edges on a well-oiled blade.

Gael’s getting good, too. They come along a lot in the weeks since we been on the road again, learning each lesson quick and putting ‘em to good use too. I’m still routinely beating ‘em when we spar, but the margins are getting finer now. Dunno if they’ll ever get good enough to beat me, but at least they’re finally getting to where I hopefully won’t have to worry about ‘em the next time it gets to a proper down-and-dirty fight.

Although I’ll probably still worry anyway, truth be told. I got too fond of ‘em not to.

Safe to say Gael and Shay have turned fast friends, too. It might just be cuz the half-elf owes the half-orc their actual life, but in truth reckon they got far more in common than I would’ve expected anyway. Even though they come from wildly different backgrounds their upbringings have actually been strikingly similar, and while Shay seems a lot more worldly than Gael in truth this kinda life is still all she’s really known. All she really knows of civilisation she learned in passing through the occasional visit to Hocknar with a resupply or trading party when her company wasn’t on the road, which was a rarity.

I’ll admit to being pretty curious how she’s gonna react when we finally get off the road and she finds herself in a real big city. One with paved roads and full stone buildings that scale more’n two or three storeys, where it ain’t all about commerce derived from the resources of the Northern Reaches. Where real civilisation can be found, for better or worse …

“Gods, will you look at that?” Shay breathes as she reins in her mount at the top of the bluff, and I don’t need to see her face to know how impressed she is. Ain’t my first time here.

Letting Trampler trot up this last stretch at his own pace, I prepare myself for the view. I passed through Bavat twice in my travels, although it’s my first time in this party’s company. I should be largely immune to the majesty by now but, as in each time before, it still takes my breath away.

Looking down at the city, I can certainly commiserate with Shay’s almost child-like wonder at the sight. In Hocknar the only two genuinely impressive proper stone buildings are the Houses of Commerce and the Temple of Mithra, which both have their charms, but neither hold a candle to the seat of magical power in Rundao.

The Citadel dominates everything here. The only reason it ain’t been in our eyeline the past hour is cuz the lonely granite peak of the Iron Paladin’s been in the way, but now we cleared the pass that pale stone behemoth has hoved into view. Straddling the Icespine, the massive structure looms over an intimidating three hundred foot drop, the river’s raging waters pouring in a furious torrent into the basin below, into the sprawl of the city itself.

Even a girl from the grand capital of Tabaphic has to admit it’s an awesome building. It must’ve taken more’n a century to build this immense structure, at the cost of several million platinum marks. The Citadel’s an eight hundred foot fortress of gleaming white stone, the main tower clawing at the sky while the three more slender spires surrounding it ain’t much shorter. The encircling wall forms a single unbroken ring that crests like a wave at the falls, but it’s still real tall where it tapers at the gatehouse. Several shorter structures cluster in ringing slopes round the towers, but none of it looks cluttered, every new addition seeming to have been built with thought for its optimal place in the whole. Even though it sits in the shadow of the Paladin, it’s still impressively vast in its own right.

Even so, while the rest of the city might be dwarfed in comparison, it’s still impressive. Stretching out in a great swell for almost five miles to the encircling wall before the green plains roll southwards, thousands of low buildings sprawl around a radiating cluster of much taller structures of various shapes and sizes. Many at least seem to be externally constructed of the same pale stone as the Citadel, but there are others of much darker, broodier stone or rich terracotta red. The temples are the most varied of all, their aesthetics as particular as the gods they serve, and most can easily be picked out in a single glance. None more so than the Sanctuary of Druanna, Mother of the Wild, a wonderfully chaotic ramble of a building where almost every inch has been purposefully overgrown with trees and gardens.

Most impressive of all is the Academy itself, Tao’s dominant seat of learning for the House of the Silver Order. Encroaching the narrow lake into which the towering falls plunge, the vast campus is an inviting ramble of white towers, halls, dormitories and offices. This is where Gael grew up, of course, and now I know this I’m looking at it with new eyes.

“It’s like nothing I ever could’ve imagined.” Shay stares with unabashed wonder at all of it as I rein Trampler up beside her. “I never thought something like this was possible.”

“I grew up in Tabaphic. This is only the second most impressive city in Rundao.”

Shay turns enough to give me a sidelong look. “You’re clowning with me. There can’t be anything more splendid than this in the world.”

“Oh, Bavat’s a wonder all right, several genuine marvels of construction after all, ‘specially that great monster there.” I nod to the Citadel itself. “I grew up in the shadow of the Royal Quarter, mind. Nothing can beat that, I promise you.”

An appreciative whistle sounds behind us, picked from by the wilful clatter of cantering hooves as Art joins us on his filly. He lets her circle us once before reining up on my other side, using his pass to take in the view with eyes almost wide as Shay’s. That’s right, reckon I forgot this is his first time here, too. Untermer has its own beauty, but his home city’s almost as different from Bavat as Hocknar is.

“Wow. That’s some pretty architecture.”

The sheer understatement in his words makes me laugh out loud, and he turns to me with a typical grin telling me that, while he’s similarly impressed, he’s still taking it in his stride like with most everything else.

“Pretty.” I muse after a moment. “Interesting choice of words. Seems like you might’ve missed the point some there, Art.”

“Don’t get me wrong, boss. It’s quite a place, very big and tall and I’m sure it’s proper expensive, but it’s still just a city, and I am a city boy. This mostly just feels a bit like home to me.” He turns to crane up at the Citadel now, and it makes him frown a little bit. Reckon he might at least find that a little intimidating. “Well now … that is a proper monster fortress and no mistake. What d’you reckon, Yes?”

Yeslee doesn’t seem to have moved since she came into view as we approached the bluff, she’s been sat up here in her saddle this whole time, frowning down at the city. Now she turns her head to regard the Citadel for a long stretch before finally turning our way, still frowning deep. Her face is otherwise unreadable as ever, but I think I can read a particular tension in her posture, especially her long fingers, gripping the reins in her lap especially tight right now. “I hate it. I hate this whole place. This is a place for people, not nature. It’s no fit place for me.”

“When we’re finished with our business you should let me take you to the Sanctuary.” Gael finally joins us, seeming largely oblivious to the great wonders around us as only someone who grew up here could. They stop their mare just behind Yeslee’s great hulk of a draughthorse and hop down, starting to limber as soon as they’re on the ground. “I’m sure you’ll find that to your liking, at least. If you want maybe I could see if they’ll let you stay there the whole time we’re here.”

When Yeslee turns to look down at them, the tiniest lift of one of her eyebrows is the only show of expression I’m able to discern on the Fir Bolg’s face. For a moment I wonder if perhaps she‘s thinking about puncturing our young wizard’s resolve a bit, but then I think I see the slightest upward quirk touch one corner of his mouth. Seems more like a particularly reserved show of indulgent amusement to me.

“We’ll see.” Yeslee sighs after a moment, and when she turns back to the view I think her frown might’ve lessened a little.

For their part, Gael remains largely oblivious to this unusually magnanimous display. They’re positively sprightly now, like they ain’t just spent four solid hours in the saddle, seeming fresh as a daisy now as they turn to look back down the hill and the track we’ve just followed.

Krakka’s working the team up the slope now, and they’re taking it with characteristic cool affability. This ain’t his first time here either, far as I know, but he still seems a little discomfited by the looming hulk of the Citadel as he guides the wagon up the bluff behind us, finally turning the team sidelong before bringing them to a halt. When he lets the reins rest on the bench beside him at last he sits there for a time, just looking up at the towering structure looming over us, his frown almost as deep as Yeslee’s.

“Never did like that place.” He growls after a moment, finally looking away from it as he starts to find his feet again, and there’s a subtle popping and creaking of his knees as he rises.

“You’re not really supposed to like it, Master Krakka.” Wenrich stays where he is, sat just behind the bench, still tucked away in his cosy little nest with his makeshift walking stick cradled in his lap. “The Citadel is about power, but also security. Within those walls, important decisions are made that effect the entire nation and beyond. And in the Catacombs, several levels deep, great and terrible secrets have been locked away to keep everyone on this side of the world safe.”

“Yes, well that’s all very well, Master Clearwood. But even you surely can’t deny that that is not a particularly pretty building.”

Wenrich chuckles affably and nods along. His smile stays in place as he looks up at the towering fortress with a surprising amount of fondness. “Again, you’ve somewhat missed the point, my friend. But for me at least, it’s nonetheless very much home.”

“Yes, well myself not so much.” Gael’s finished stretching now, returning to her mount and stroking the mare’s neck. “For me, home’s always been down there. Or at least it was until graduation.”

“You ever been inside there?” I nod towards the Citadel again, finding it increasingly difficult not to look at it now.

“After graduation, yes. We had the ceremony there, and I stayed for a few days until I was ready to start my work out in the world. This is the first time I’ve been back here since.”

“Well feel free to lead us in then, young Master Foxtail.” I can’t quite keep the chuckle out my voice as I turn Trampler round so he’s pointed towards the gatehouse itself.

Gael blinks, not quite getting me for a moment, then frowns a touch. “Right now?”

“What, you wanna rest now? We’re basically there.”

Their frown increases for another moment, then they just shrug and their smile’s bright and airy again. Clearly they’re so happy to be home they don’t mind a little more time in the saddle right now. “Sure, why not?” They swing back up into their saddle with ease and kick the mare into a trot right away. “Come on, then!”

Krakka fixes me with a look as he takes up the reins again but doesn’t snap the team into motion yet. “That’s your fault, you know.”

I just smile back. “Let ‘em have it, it’s been a tough few weeks for ‘em after the recovery.”

“And what about Big Man?”

Damn … in all the anticipation I think I must’ve forgotten about that. I look back to find Driver 8 is finally lumbering up to us, having steadily fallen behind as we were making the climb but finally catching up. If he’s at all distracted by the view I guess I’d never know it, but really it feels more like his attention’s very much focused on me. “Ah, yeah. Big Man …”

“I am perfectly happy to wait out here until you return.” The golem stops a little before the top of the bluff, still looking my way. “This is no different than any of the other large communities we have been to before, it is simply more substantial.”

“Yeah, but …” I look down into the city, then up at the Citadel. “Damn it, y’know I hate doing that.”

“Oh, I don’t think we should really have to worry about that this time, Mistress Shoon.” Wenrich interjects “The Order holds sway in Bavat, not the politicians. If I say Driver 8 is welcome in the Citadel, or the Academy, or anywhere else in the city, he’s welcome.”

That makes me frown, I’m a long way from convinced. “You’re sure about that, Master Clearwood? Even if that is true, it’s takin’ a big risk. The Terrors –”

“Have always left us alone to conduct our own affairs as we see fit, because they’re smart enough to know they need us. Bavat is our city, not theirs. That’s why they didn’t try to take it by force during the occupation, and why there are still so few of their forces here now. Driver 8 is our guest, as are you all, and so as far as they should be concerned he is untouchable.”

“What d’you reckon, Big Man?” I look to our oversized friend again. “Still sounds risky to me if I’m brutal honest.”

“If Master Clearwood says it is all right then that is good enough for me. I am willing to take the risk.”

Cocking my brow, I watch Driver 8 for a few thoughtful moments. If I didn’t think that was terribly out of character for him, I’d almost suspect he’s just saying that because he’s so curious about actually getting to explore such a big, grand, populous metropolis for himself. I turn to Krakka at last, find he’s watching the golem too, frowning a little. Art mostly just looks surprised, but maybe a little amused too.

Sighing deep, I roll my eyes to the sky. “If this blows up in our faces I’m holding you responsible for this, Master Clearwood. It’s up to you to smooth this out.”

“Of course.” Wenrich simply nods, still smiling at me, and says no more. I’m still not sure if that should make me more confident or not, but given all we’ve been through I think I’m willing to trust our employer a little further.

“All right.” I sigh again, looking round at the others one last time and finding Shay watching me close with a rather more closed-off expression than I seen from her lately. I wonder what that’s about, but I don’t reckon I know her anywhere near well enough yet to work it out. “Let’s get this over with, then. The sooner we get this bloody box dropped off, the sooner we get paid, then we can finally take a bloody break. Gods know I could use a bloody drink.”

“Yeah, I second that.” Art kicks his heels in and his filly springs into a run as he guides her after Gael, who’s waiting for us now several paces down the track. Yeslee looks at me for a moment longer before simply turning her own mount and following, while Krakka finally snaps the reins and sets the carthorses moving again.

For now, Shay seems content to hang back here with me and Big Man. I watch her for a moment, still trying to fathom out that look, but she turns away first, taking in the city once again. Her expression seems to soften almost immediately looking at it, her wonder returning, and I let out one last sigh before turning to Driver 8, mindful now of his gaze too.

“Go ahead.” I say after a moment, cocking my head down the track. “We’ll catch up.”

“Very well.” He doesn’t nod, but then since he doesn’t really have a neck he’s never real had the knack for it, but I get the feeling he would now if he could. He starts plodding after the others, and again I’m impressed by the way his gait covers so much ground so quickly.

I give Trampler a little nudge and he draws closer to Shay and her own mount, Elder. He’s an impressive young stallion of similar size, and they seem to share a certain fire in their temperament, which has me convinced they’ve both got destriers somewhere in their bloodline. Shay’s mother Min told me Trampler’s been a fine fighting horse for her over the years when she gave ‘im to me, and I seen something of it on the occasions I been able to open him up a bit. He’s surprisingly fast and agile for a draught-horse, and incredibly powerful, and I’m deeply curious how much damage he’d be able to inflict in a battle if I gave him a chance.

There’s definitely still some fire in him, but he’s old enough now for the years to have seasoned and cooled his blood some, teaching him control and patience, and I’ve become extremely fond of him in the weeks I’ve had him. Elder’s clearly a lot younger, all fire with none of the wisdom yet, but he’s clearly ferociously loyal to Shay, and she has impressive natural control that soothes his hot blood.

So Elder tenses up a little under Shay for a moment as we arrive, like he wants to puff up and prance and look all big and impressive alongside his senior, but it’s clearly nothing Trampler ain’t seen before so he remains thoroughly unimpressed. Then Shay gives his neck a soothing little stroke and he snorts happily in response.

“Okay, you’re right.” I say after a moment, watching her sidelong. “It is an impressive sight. Bavat’s a real beautiful city by any standards. Just wait ‘til you get down in it, it’s a feast for the eyes.”

“I don’t doubt it, it’s impressive enough up here.” Shay gives me her own sidelong glance and takes a breath, seems like she wants to say something but holds it for now. There’s maybe a little melancholy in her now I’m looking.

So that’s what it is. Yeah, I seen this, off and on, since we been travelling together. In some ways it’s been a tough three weeks since I invited her along with us on the road and she left her own people to come join us. I wasn’t really sure what I was thinking at the time, it was almost just an impulse I found myself indulging the evening after the battle ended, but I had plenty of time to think on it since and I still keep coming up blank. She was clearly hurting, and clearly needed a distraction, but there must’ve been more to the thought than that. I just can’t quite fathom what.

To an extent it does seem to have helped, but there’s still times when she seems down, even quietly emotional and maybe a touch fragile, and I find it hard to work out what to do in those situations. A lot of the time Gael’s been round to take up the slack, and the way they both clicked so fast definitely helped, while Art sometimes pitches in too. For his part, mostly he does for her what he does for me most of the time, which is cheer me up, even if it’s just laughing about him being a bit of a prat sometimes. Me, I never been too good at this kinda stuff, I’m never really sure what to say. Grief’s always been something I personally dealt with on my own.

Shay lets out a heavy sigh after a long moment, and while their jaw still don’t seem particularly tight, there seems to be a lot of tension in her fingers as she squeezes the reins in her lap. “Makes me wonder, I guess. How many times they looked at this view when they were here.” She looks to me again, pursing her lips for a moment. “Garnon I mean.”

Yeah, I thought that might be it. Her dragonhalf friend, the wizard. Now I remember, it makes sense. He trained here too, much like Gael, though he never got to formally graduate. Not that it blunted his talents any, he was a hell of a spellcaster. But more’n that, in the short time I knew him it was clear he was one of Shay’s closest friends.

“A fair few, I’d imagine. If they was anything like Gael, much as they might pretend it don’t impress ‘em. Home’s an important thing.”

“I wish they could’ve gotten to see it one last time.” She sniffs and it sounds a little wet, swipes her eyes with a sleeve for a moment, looking to me after she does it and gritting her teeth for a moment that I saw it. She don’t say a word about it, though. “It’s not right, how they got turned out the way they did. I have a mind to give someone in there a talking to about that, perhaps.” She looks up at the Citadel once more, but there’s none of that appreciation in her eyes this time. Seems more like recrimination now.

“Y’know what? That ain’t too bad an idea, now I think about it.” I give her a smile, and it’s a cocked one, sly and a little conspiratorial. “Hell, we got a big shot in the Order on our side now, might be we can get some restitution for your mate, posthumous as if might be?”

She frowns at me for a moment, a quirky little cock to her head.

“Oh, it means ‘after their death’. Fancy word, like.”

“Right.” Shay manages a smile of her own now, and while it seems a little shaky there’s real humour to it. “Cool. Yeah, you’re right, fancy. It’s a good word too, though. I like it.” She opens her hands out now, one at a time, looking down at her fingers as she stretches ‘em out. Seems I might’ve done the job right there after all. “I’d like that, yes. Give them a little peace after their passing, perhaps. A little justice for their name, at least.”

Nodding, I look out over the city again. The sun’s almost directly over our heads now, the air up here crisp and clear so we can see for miles, and there’s plenty of day still left to us. If we’re lucky, might be we can still get down into it for a bit before we have to start looking for somewhere to call home for a few nights. Having been here before, I already got a few ideas, and once we got the rest o’ that coin coming to us in our pocket we might be able to set our sights a little higher’n usual for once. Like a proper hotel, maybe …

“Well we can’t sit here all day, nice view as it is.” I say after a few more moments, a good deal more comfortable than before. If I’m honest I reckon I’m starting to proper enjoy Shay’s company. “Shall we?”

“Hmm?” She seem almost startled out of her reverie this time, but the smile she manages this time, while small, is a good deal stronger. “Oh, yeah. Of course. Yeah, we should.” The smile broadens after a beat, seems to be a little twinkle in it now. Something mischievous. “Race you?”

I gotta return my own sharp grin to that. “Why not?”

“Well then, why don’t we .. ooh, what is that?” She points past me now, and it ain’t till I turn to look I realise I fell for her trick as she digs her heels in and Elder takes off like a shot after the others.

“Ooh, you sneaky little …” I bite off the retort, snapping Trampler’s reins and kicking my own heels into his sides, gently but firmly, and his response is sharp, immediate and powerful as I was hoping. I can’t help it, I’m grinning wide now as we tear off after her.