The house had finally quieted a little… but I knew it was about to become far more hectic. For me, at least.

My headache had not started while listening to Fly and Renn seeing each other again for the first time, or Lilly and Windle as they enjoyed it, but rather would begin here and now.

During conversations not of simple glee and joy, but foreboding and brooding.

Honestly I was dreading it enough I was half tempted to leave. Maybe I should go wrestle that shadow bear or something.

Or maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll all spend the night talking to each other. Getting lost in their stories. Fly going to sleep endangered such a hope though. They were too kind to the girl. Not wanting to stress her by talking about all the chaos currently swirling around her. Especially since she was already burdened as it was.

Some light footsteps further proved I was in danger as I glared at the door… hoping it’d stay half-closed.

It didn’t.

“I don’t know what’s worse Vim,” Lilly said as she entered the room.

“Hm…?” I felt my eye twitch as the owl sighed and sat down at the table nearby. My tiny quiet room was now in danger.

“Fly or Renn,” she stated.

I frowned at that, since she could mean that in many ways. “For me Renn is the most dangerous thing to exist… though to you I’d think maybe Fly, right now at least,” I said. I wasn’t sure if Windle had brought up his idea to her or not yet, but I had little doubt that even if he hadn’t she already was thinking of it.

Fly needed a home. And well…

This was a perfect one for her. Especially since Lilly will soon be traveling. Windle could use the help around the house, with the baby, at least until his kids showed up.

And who knows? Maybe one of their sons would take a fancy to her… though she was still a little young for that.

“Funny,” Lilly smirked at me as she leaned back a little. The chairs here had backrests, and even headrests, but they had openings in the center. They gave enough room for Lillly, and Windle, to sit back leisurely. What with their little nubs they had left for wings.

“I hadn’t meant it to be,” I said simply.

She scoffed at me. “Your cat is falling in love with us,” she then said.

My eye twitched again. “She falls in love with everyone, I think,” I admitted… a little ungracefully as I coughed and shifted.

“Yeah? Well from where I sit, I worry about not having a new bird making roost, but a cat too. Or well… what do cats do? Nest?” she asked as she frowned and thought about it.

“Depends on how you wish to view it. Some see cats as lazy, so they’d say lounge. Others would say they prowl, though I suppose neither work in that context. Larger cats make dens, or nests, so you’re right,” I said.

“Prowl. Yes… although not doing so with sadistic intent; that’s a good descriptor for her. She does sometimes just… stay quiet in a corner and watch; though I don’t think she does it because she feels out of place or not welcome but rather because she simply enjoys it. It’s like she basks in other people’s conversations and stuff, finding pleasure as she listens,” Lilly said as she crossed her arms.

Ah. So she was giving me her thoughts on Renn. While we had a chance, and were alone.

It seemed some things never did change.

Still… that being said, I was pleased to hear that in the short time Lilly and Renn had been together… it seemed Lilly had genuinely studied Renn, and noticed certain things about her that even others hadn’t. Lilly had always been observant. Sometimes even in odd ways.

Though all those letters she’s received over the years from others, namely those like Merit, may have helped in such an assessment.

“Could you live with her?” I asked bluntly. If she was just going to have this conversation now, there was no point to beat around the bush.

Lilly wasted no time in nodding. “Yes. Though… I do have a fear about it, if you’ll promise not to repeat it,” she said.

I nodded, also without any hesitation.

“My sons. She’s adorable, Vim. Plus as you know… other than Branches, they’re all softhearted. Like Windle. She’s exactly the type they’d fall head over wings for,” she said with a huff.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “By the divine I think you’re right!” I said, unable to deny it.

For a few moments I laughed, almost a little too much, and although Lilly gave me an odd look… I couldn’t help but admit it felt good to do so.

My laughter didn’t take long to die down. Like all things, my body rarely allowed strangeness to linger or endure. Even the good types.

It’s been a while since I’ve laughed like that, so I basked in it for a moment… and then I nodded and sighed. “You’re right. They would. And I wouldn’t rule out Branches either, for that matter,” I said, warning her.

“Oh I know, I just meant she’d more likely win the other’s hearts first,” Lilly said, grinning gently at me. She had obviously found my laughter odd but had made no comment about it. She likely would to Renn later though.

Funny. I had laughed because it had told me a lot about Lilly. Even if she hadn’t realized it.

She had basically just admitted that she and Renn were very, very, similar. For the same reason she worried her sons would fall for her; twas why Windle had fallen for her. He liked strong women with backbone, yet had a gentle side to them that no one else saw.

Though I suppose in Renn’s case her gentle side was far more open… almost too much so.

About to say something else, I went quiet as Lilly and I both turned… as to watch Renn hurry into the room. She nearly gasped for air as she slouched and glanced around, smiling strangely at us. She looked as if she’d just run around the world.

“What?” Lilly asked.

Renn blinked just once… and then with a few deep breaths calmed down and stood up straight. Her eyes fell upon me, and I smiled gently at her. I liked the way I could see a tiny bead of sweat forming at her brow. Had she strained herself running up here? Why had she hurried so desperately?

“What’d you do? Drop Root?” I asked, amusing myself at the thought. The baby was no longer in her arms. A rarity, she seemed to treasure Root. She’d been holding Root more than her own mother had, though Lilly had seemed happy over that fact.

“What…? No! I uh… well…” Renn grew red in the face, and I felt my shoulders go stiff as I realized what had happened.

She had heard me laughing. And had rushed here to either enjoy it up close, or find out the reason why.

“Wait… did you hear his laughing? Is that why you ran here?” Lilly noticed too, almost as quickly as I did, and Renn became redder.

A part of me fell for the damn woman again, but another part of me wanted to look away from her and shake my head while sighing.

Lilly laughed, nearly as boisterously as I just had, and Renn groaned as she reached up to cup her face. She hid herself from me, and the world, for a small moment as she hated herself.

How lovely.

In fact it was more than just her that was lovely.

Glancing at Lilly, I studied the grin on her face.

It was warm. Genuine. Soft.

A rarity. Usually only appearing on her face when she stared at her children, when they didn’t realize they were the target of her focus.

Renn eventually calmed down and sighed as she finished entering the room. She stepped around Lilly’s chair, and instead of sitting next to me went ahead and sat next to her instead.

A little amused at that, I wondered if Lilly’s earlier concern had more weight to it than I had first assumed. Renn always got close to those we met, until she was pushed away or kept at a distance… but usually in such a scenario she would have sat next to me.

Though I could just be reading too much into her actions. She may simply be annoyed with me at the moment, having teased her, so didn’t wish to grace me with her proximity.

“Kids are asleep are they?” I asked a question I already knew the answer to.

Renn nodded. “Windle’s cleaning up the kitchen, Root and Fly are asleep… Thank you by the way, Lilly. For letting Fly into your home,” Renn then said as she turned to her friend.

Ah. Maybe that was why she had sat near her. For this.

Lilly shrugged. “She’s fine. In fact…” Lilly paused a moment, and then sighed. “I should maybe speak to Windle before saying it, I suppose,” she realized.

Renn tilted her head and glanced at me. I smiled at her. “They’re considering allowing Fly to live here. With them,” I said.

Lilly’s eye twitched as she glared at me, and Renn’s eyes went wide with shock. “Really…?” she whispered.

“Yes. She’s… weak. But I’ve raised weak children before. And although weak, she’s more like us than the idiots elsewhere. Though Vim hasn’t really given his opinion on it yet, as far as I’m aware,” Lilly said as her glare subsided.

“I’d agree with the idea… My plan was to take her to Tor’s village, otherwise, and if that didn’t work I’d take her east,” I said.

“East?” Renn asked.

“Likely Nasba’s place,” Lilly said.

I nodded as Renn frowned. “Vim… they don’t like predators,” she said.

“Fly isn’t one. She just sees them as friends. But unlike the Bell Church, the ducks and weavers won’t abuse her over such a thing. Nann and Nasba both are prey, yet aren’t afraid to kill or do what they must. They’d understand,” I explained.

Renn hummed at me as she thought about it.

“No point talking further until Windle and I speak about it, though,” Lilly noted.

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Either way Lilly… thank you. Thank you so much for being kind to her,” Renn said.

Lilly smiled at my wife. “You act as if such a thing is really worth praise, Renn. Really. Helping each other is kind of expected of us, isn’t it?”

Renn shifted in her chair, and I was able to read her thoughts rather easily.

She agreed, but knew so many in our Society didn’t… or at least they preached such a thing, but didn’t actually act on such ethos.

“What was the reason for her banishment anyway Vim? Was it really because she got into fights?” Renn then asked.

Oh…? I had thought she and Fly had talked about it. I thought I had overheard them mention such a topic earlier.

Maybe not. Or maybe she simply wanted to hear my opinion on it.

“It was a combination of things Renn. Those at the Bell Church despise those they claim as troublemakers. Predator or no. Their reason for it though, is a valid one. There are those like Prasta, whose son had committed terrible deeds, who live there. They’re touchy about such things thanks to their pasts with such individuals. Add that to their religion they so desperately cling to… and well, it becomes a line they don’t approve of crossing. Not even on accident. Fly wouldn’t voice her support of such an ideology. She’d argue with them, saying not everyone who commits violence does so out of evil, that sometimes it is needed. Then add the fact she didn’t quickly convert to their religion, and her willingness to scuffle with some of the younger members, and it all just resulted in what occurred,” I explained.

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Renn’s eyes held my own, and I realized she had likely known the truth. The truth I had omitted.

The real source of Fly’s discontent with those at the Bell Church had been their badmouthing of Renn.

“How is Prasta anyway?” Lilly asked before Renn could say anything more on the matter.

“Fine. Like always enthralled by her sciences,” I said.

Lilly scoffed. “Hiding in them, you mean,” she said.

Well… she wasn’t wrong.

“You mean Prasta’s mother, don’t you?” Renn asked.

Lilly nodded for me. “They named their children after their own names. It had been a family tradition.”

Renn glanced away from me and side-glanced Lilly… and I wondered if I had ever told her what Yangli had done. Had I? Surely right?

No. Maybe not. Yet she was looking at Lilly as if she knew the full story. Though… it wasn’t an impossibility. Although most of the Society didn’t know the exact details of what Yangli had done, and what I’d done afterward, there were a few who did. And several of them had ended up liking Renn. Enough to tell her such stories.

“You name yours after parts of a tree… what will you do when you run out of parts?” Renn asked.

Lilly smirked at her. “Just how many children do you think I’ll have? Windle has worried over the same thing, though. His plan is to use similar things from nature. River, and stuff like that,” Lilly said.

Renn perked up at that. “That’s cute!”

Was it?

“How about you Renn…? Any ideas for names?” Lilly then asked.

Renn’s ears fluttered as she sat up straighter and then glanced at me.

“What? Don’t look at me, people always vote against me when it comes to naming things,” I said.

Renn’s eyebrows twitched a little, and I couldn’t help but smile at the way she looked stunned. She had not expected me to respond in such a way.

“Rennalee is neat. Sounds old. Fancy. Maybe keep using that style?” Lilly suggested.

“Fancy…?” Renn asked, though I noted the way her eyes lingered on me even as her head turned to look at Lilly.

Lilly nodded. “Sounds like a name from one of Windle’s old books. But… that is an interesting thought… Vim, do you have any children? Other children?” Lilly then asked me.

Great. Headache was here.

“No.”

Lilly hummed as she studied me, and then looked to Renn. “He may be impotent, Renn. I know for a fact he’s had little trysts over the years, enough times that he really should have a few by now,” she said to my wife.

Renn frowned as her ears fluttered again and her eyes locked back onto mine. This time with a glare.

Was she upset over Lilly mentioning my past lovers, or the other thing, I wonder?

“I’d worry about it if we were already trying, but we’re not,” Renn then said, speaking a little stiffly.

My eye twitched as Lilly smirked, and I recognized that smirk.

This was not the first time Lilly had heard about this. That smile was one that she wore when she amused herself over a long-running joke. She and Renn have had this conversation before. Maybe even many times.

So they were just teaming up on me. Or well, maybe Lilly was just trying to help out her friend.

Just great. Wonderful.

“I’d rather be talking about the vote,” I grumbled as I looked away from them and over to the window.

“It is a strange idea though. Little Vims? I wonder if they’d be strong like him,” Lilly said, completely ignoring what I’d just said.

“I’ve wondered about that too. Maybe whatever he is might also appear on them too, little traits he doesn’t have?” Renn said, doing the same.

Where the hell was Windle?

“I’d rather them inherit yours, Renn. Those ears are bloody useful. She can hear better than I can, Vim,” Lilly said.

“She hears well, yes,” I said. Likely better than anyone else alive today, anymore, at least. “Usually she hears my tiny pleas to avoid certain topics, but it seemed this time her ears weren’t working, though.”

The two laughed at me, and upon the window I saw the two shift in their chairs. Renn’s ears fluttered again as I heard a door close downstairs. Windle was likely on the way.

Good maybe he’d change the conversation a little. Hopefully.

“As much as I enjoy teasing him… You mentioned most of your children didn’t inherit your strength, right?” Renn asked Lilly.

I heard her nod as I watched the world beyond grow darker. Some clouds were settling in, blocking the moonlight.

“Mhm. Not just my strength, but my temperament too. Only Leaf and Branches are like me, really. The rest are more like Windle,” Lilly said.

“And she loves them all the same,” Windle said as he entered the room.

Lilly giggled. “I try,” she said.

Looking away from the window, I watched Windle sit down on the other side of Lilly. Feeling a little alone on my side of the table, I wondered if this was because they instinctively knew they wanted to interrogate me or something.

While Windle got comfortable, I noted Renn’s look. She had a soft smile on her face, and her eyes looked warm. She had likely really enjoyed the previous topic, a little too much… but I also knew she may have heard the small truth in Lilly’s joke just now.

She loved her children. Without fault. But it’d be a lie to say Lilly wasn’t disappointed in some of them.

It was hard to change who you are. Even for your children.

“Speaking of our children, I suggest getting Crown first. Then someone will need to go get Sap, since no letters will ever reach her,” Windle said.

Oh…? Right. They wanted to gather them all home.

Windle and Lilly seemed to believe the Society may fracture. And… well…

It was possible.

“I can go get Sap real quick. I need to stop at a few of those locations up north anyway,” I offered.

“Ah… didn’t think of that. Yes. Then I’ll go get Crown, and maybe Bark too since I’ll be at it,” Lilly said.

“Where’s Bark? Still on the coast?” I asked.

“No. He’s near Telmik. Along the way there,” Lilly said.

“Nasko,” Windle answered.

“Oh? We passed through there on our way here,” Renn noted.

I nodded. That was indeed on the path. Which meant Lilly would be able to get two of her children within the week or so if she didn’t dally, which she never did.

“Then after Renn and I visit this saint of hers, we’ll head north and let Sap know to come home. We’ll likely head back southward though, not return here,” I said.

The owls both nodded, but Renn frowned.

“You don’t have to. You can stay here, Renn,” I offered, noting her sadness.

“Huh…? Oh… no it’s okay. I was just a little worried over the way you mentioned Elaine,” Renn said.

“Hm…? Had I said it with malice?” I asked the owls.

Windle frowned and Lilly shook her head. “Not really? But we’re used to your hatred of saints. Maybe she isn’t yet,” Lilly said.

Ah. So I had a little. Interesting. I had thought I’d been rather calm about it, all things considered.

After all… a prophecy? About Renn?

“Look at his face. He just got angrier,” Renn said with a sigh.

“You should be nicer to your wife, Vim,” Windle said.

Lilly glanced at her husband as I sighed and leaned forward, to rest my arms on the table. I was tired all of a sudden.

“I could send your siblings home too, if they’re still on the coast,” I said, forcing the conversation to continue elsewhere.

“Please do. I’d like them all home before you return to Telmik and this vote occurs,” Lilly said.

I nodded, agreeing with her.

“Fly said you ran into Brandy, Vim?” Renn then asked.

“Yes. Along our way back north. A few days outside of Bell Church,” I said.

Renn’s ear, her left one, twitched. “Was she nice to Fly?” she asked.

Oh…? Out of all the things to ask about concerning Brandy, that was what she worried most over? “Yes. Brandy’s not as weak willed as others. She simply plays the game, to further her ends. She would vote against Fly’s residence at Lumen but not because she doesn’t like Fly but instead because her presence would threaten her goals and purpose. If she’d even vote against her in the first place. Honestly she may not do so, Brandy as shrewd as she is in business is actually very pious. Like Randle. She’d not abandon a child, let alone one of our own,” I said.

Lilly nodded. “I don’t like Brandy, but her cruelty is not from malice or disgust. She simply focuses on her goals, nothing more,” Lilly said.

“And did you ask her about what they’re doing? In Lumen?” Renn asked.

“I had,” I said.

The three were quiet for a moment, and I realized they wanted to hear more.

Right.

“They’re not allowing Brandy to get involved with the new church. They’re keeping her at the Animalia Guild. She’s offended, and doesn’t understand the reasoning, so she wants to force her involvement if anything out of principle. But if she’ll actually do anything about it is another story,” I said. I kept the fact to myself that I figured Brandy would stick her nose into the schemes enough to find out the truth… but I wasn’t sure yet what she’d do once she found it.

“Brandy does have fight in her, when it comes to her coins,” Lilly noted.

I shrugged. The church wasn’t really about the coins though. I mean… it would make a lot of money. Churches always do. But for them, at the moment, it was more about political power. Maybe even a restructure of their logistics. They might even make Lumen the new capital of faith, at least for that faith.

“What of the vote? What does Brandy think of that?” Windle asked.

“She told me she trusts me and would not vote against me. But…” I shrugged lightly.

“People have said that to you and done the opposite behind your back. Yes,” Lilly agreed.

I nodded.

“Would she though? Really?” Renn asked.

“A part of me would say no… since Brandy, out of most of the Society, knows full well how useful Vim is to our needs. But… well…” Windle shifted as he noticed everyone looking at him. He flinched and then nodded. “She’s one of the few who have proven she can survive without Vim. That they all can. She’s made her way in this world, through her own methods. Off the back of Vim’s feats? Of course. But now that the foundation is built. His talents are no longer needed, and she may not care for the past and only the future,” Windle explained.

“In my opinion the future is all that matters,” I said lightly.

Renn ignored me as she leaned forward on the table, as to look past Lilly and at Windle. “Brandy seemed to know more about Vim than most. I can’t imagine someone who’s helped, and been helped, by Vim actually thinking he’s not valuable to the Society. Even if the opinion that we don’t need Vim anymore was a correct one, why would anyone toss aside his assistance so fruitlessly? Even disregarding his strength, look at all the stuff he knows and can do,” she said.

Lilly giggled at her. “You mean all the secrets he keeps? The same ones that have gotten our kind mercilessly slaughtered when he did share them?” she asked.

Renn’s ears went up straight as she leaned back. “What do you mean…?”

“Many of Vim’s secrets are secrets for a reason. He does not believe in keeping information, or knowledge, from others. It’s against his belief of free-will. But over the years, most of the times he’s shared such knowledge with those who sought it… chaos and death are all that come of it. So, against his own beliefs, he’s decided to no longer share certain things. Not even with those who could use such knowledge, or need it sometimes,” Windle said.

I frowned as the three seemed to forget I was even here. Renn shifted a little on her chair, turning as to properly face Lilly and Windle. “Is that why only a few people know certain things? Like Nebl and his forge, the camels and their dyes?” she asked.

The two owls nodded. “Yes. In the beginning he had shared such information freely, with anyone who asked. In fact he had helped many people gather such knowledge during the wars, as to preserve and protect them. Books and stuff. It actually used to annoy me, because even back then he’d not share information on how to build weapons with me when I wanted them,” Lilly said with a glance at me.

I ignored Renn’s look, and particularly the way she looked hurt.

Hadn’t we had such conversations before? And even if we hadn’t… surely by now she had to have realized it, right?

I didn’t mind sharing knowledge. My mother had wanted me to be a teacher. Teachers taught. Keeping such knowledge tucked away was almost as against my personal ethos as not allowing someone to make their own choices.

But there was no denying the truth.

The mountains of bodies attested to that.

“We’ve lost many over the years because of things I’ve taught them. Either the knowledge itself gets them killed, or their use of it. One could argue who claims responsibility, but the fact remains most of the knowledge I used to share had done more harm than good. So now I only share things that either can’t bring harm, or have proven to not be too harmful,” I said calmly.

“Then why did you give Rapti that book? To cause all of this?” Renn asked.

Feeling almost as if I had just gotten hit in the stomach, I shrugged lightly. “I had not thought it could have caused this big of a problem… and honestly, it was likely just a useful mistake. Their plans have been in motion for a long time, it could have been anything that set them off,” I said.

“I’d like to tease him and say such a thing is a good excuse, but it’s the truth. Light and the Chronicler could have, and would have, used anything once they were ready. From the few letters I got, they had even planned to use you Renn. Still kind of are, too,” Lilly said.

“Me?” Renn glanced at me, and I tried not to look away from her.

“They had originally hoped you were a problem maker. They had hoped you were another Lilly,” I said with a small point at the owl.

Windle laughed at that, but Lilly ignored me. “They wanted to blame all the chaos on you. Ruvindale, Lumen, and such. But there have been plenty of people who have voiced against such claims, even those like Crane. So it’s already fizzled out I think, but they had tried,” Lilly said.

“The Chronicler had? Really Vim?” Renn asked.

“Someone had. I don’t get those letters Renn. I’ve only heard of such conversations through word of mouth, like from Oplar,” I said.

Renn huffed. “If I’m going to be used against you, at least do it in a proper way,” she complained.

“Like how so?” Windle asked.

Renn smirked at me. “At least say I’m distracting him or something. Since he’s so in love.”

While Lilly and Windle chuckled at her, and Renn grinned happily… I did my best to not let my own thoughts show on my face.

They had all thought such a joke was funny.

How little they knew.

Reaching up, I rubbed my eyes… which only made Lilly and the others laugh even more. But I was not doing it out of annoyance… but instead exhaustion.

My own exhaustion. Because it was growing harder to face the truth.

Renn was a distraction. More than they knew. Or possibly could know.

And I was completely fine with it.

Which was the problem.

Endure, Vim. For now… at least.

“Tell me about the saint,” I said, changing topics… so that I could ignore and deny the harsher realities before me.

For as long as possible.

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