We made our way to the temple under a cold but clear sky. The streets were busy, people moving with purpose, shoulders hunched against the chill. The temple itself caught the sunlight as it always did, white stone reflecting it so brightly it was almost painful to look at for long.
Inside, the air felt calmer. As before, Jenna and Cain were already speaking with Bassius. This time there was another man with them, one I did not recognise. He wore a red tunic and brown trousers, both clean and well kept, which alone set him apart from most of the town.
“Ah, good morning,” Bassius said as we approached. “This is Lord Raven, lord of Ravencrest.”
I gave a small bow. I did not know the finer points of etiquette, but Drisnil’s memories suggested this was at least acceptable.
“It’s good to meet you,” Lord Raven said, his tone measured. His eyes settled on me. “You must be Drisnil.”
“Yes. The pleasure is mine.”
“And these would be Illara and Sera,” he continued, his gaze moving between them. “And you must be Theo and Ash.”
Theo inclined his head. Ash followed his lead.
“I’ll be direct,” Lord Raven said. “You are accusing Captain Barnabus and Lieutenant Briggins of serious crimes. If you have any doubts, now is the time to voice them.”
“I have none,” I said. “I’m certain.”
“Good. I’ve been briefed on the evidence you gathered, and on the presence of an eyewitness who can give testimony.”
“Ash witnessed the killings,” I said, motioning to him. “We also used converse with dead to speak with the dead victims who we exhumed. The details are recorded here. Additionally there is a sketch of the mass grave.”
I handed over the notebook, opening it to the marked pages, pointing at the imagery drawn by Norman.
Lord Raven glanced through it, then nodded. “I also have records and reports from the bandit investigation Barnabus and Briggins led during that winter. The timing and location align with what you’ve brought me. It supports your claims.”
He closed the book and drew a breath.
“This is enough to proceed. However, there is a complication. The town guard is loyal to Barnabus. Ordering his arrest outright would fail, and once word spreads we may be facing total unrest.”
He paused, clearly choosing his words with care.
“The best course is to bring in soldiers from outside the town to oversee the arrests and the trial. I’ll be requesting fifty men from Wurmworst. It will take roughly two weeks for them to assemble and arrive.”
Sera shifted beside me.
“Until then,” Lord Raven continued, “we must maintain absolute secrecy. If Barnabus learns what is coming, he will destroy what evidence he can. Or worse.”
The implication of what it would mean for us hung heavy.
“For that reason, I need all of you to go into hiding. Somewhere remote. Somewhere no one will think to look.”
Sera’s face fell. “Everyone?” she asked quietly.
“Yes,” he said. “You’ve been seen together. None of you would be safe alone.”
Jenna’s expression hardened. “We have children. Camping in the wilderness isn’t safe for them.”
“I know,” Lord Raven replied, not unkindly. “But they will be in greater danger if you remain visible, they could be used as pawns to achieve their goals.”
Jenna looked away, jaw tight.
Cain spoke next. “With Theo and me gone, Holver won’t have enough workers. Could you spare anyone to help in our absence?”
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“I can,” Lord Raven said. “I’ll send three men to cover what they can.”
“Thank you.”
“If there’s nothing else,” Lord Raven said, “I advise you to be hidden within two days. I’ll send for the soldiers after that. I can’t guarantee the reason for their arrival won’t leak.”
With that, the meeting ended.
As we turned to leave, Cain caught my arm. “I’ll meet you at the tower later. We’ll need to work out the details. Until then, keep your heads down.”
I nodded.
Outside, the sunlight felt harsher than before. Justice was never a straight path here. Every step toward it twisted, slow and uncertain.
Back at the house the mood was subdued, everyone lost in their own thoughts, except for Faie.
“Good. You’re back,” she said brightly. “You owe me a date, Drisnil.”
“Ah. Right,” I said. “I suppose I do.”
“I’m ready to leave now,” she added at once. “You can buy me lunch as well.”
I glanced around the room. “I’ll be back later,” I said to the others.
Illara watched me go, her frown flicking briefly from Faie to me and back again.
Outside, Faie slipped her arm through mine as though it had always been there.
“Where would you like to go first?” I asked.
“The dress shop,” she said. “I want a pretty dress. Better than all of yours.”
“All right,” I said. “But I’m not paying for it this time.”
She stopped and looked genuinely confused. “Didn’t you buy dresses for the others?”
“Yes. With the expectation of being paid back.”
She considered this. “Fine. Same arrangement for me, then.”
She resumed walking, still clinging to my arm. When I tried to free myself, she tightened her grip.
“It’s a date,” she said firmly. “You’re escorting me.”
There seemed little point in arguing.
When we reached the shop, the merchant’s face lit up at the sight of me, then brightened further when he took in Faie.
“Welcome back,” he said. “Another friend in need of a dress?”
Faie did not wait for me to answer. “I want something that makes me look amazing. Better than hers.” She pointed at me for emphasis.
The merchant smiled, already turning. “I have just the thing.”
He produced a black dress edged with deep red ribbon. Faie’s eyes widened.
“I’m trying this on now.”
She vanished behind the curtain. When she emerged, the effect was undeniable. The dress suited her far too well.
“You look great,” I admitted.
“I know,” she said, admiring herself in the mirror. “I’ll take it.”
“One gold,” the merchant said.
I paid, found a bag for her old clothes, and we left with Faie practically skipping.
“Next,” she said, “I want lunch. Something better than what Illara had this morning.”
“I know just the place.”
We drew more than a few looks as we walked, my pale blue dress beside Faie’s black and red catching the eye. Eventually we reached a small restaurant I had been curious about.
“Morgan’s Foods,” I read aloud.
Faie nodded. “This will suffice for the continuation of the date.”
Inside, the smell of fresh bread was almost intoxicating. We were seated in a quiet corner while the waitress recited the menu.
“I’ll have the trout soup, please,” I said.
“I’ll have the chicken sandwich and the carrot cake,” Faie said, without any attempt at politeness.
Once we were alone, she turned to me.
“So. How long have you been romantically involved with Illara?”
“We haven’t,” I said.
She snorted. “You sleep together, you hover around each other, and the look she gave me earlier was fascinating. You may want to reconsider that answer.”
I hesitated. “We’re close. But I knew her when she was younger, and it feels… complicated.”
“Why?” Faie asked bluntly. “Did you groom her or something?”
I nearly choked. “No. Absolutely not. We only became close recently.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she pressed. “She’s clearly interested. Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to be with her?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back, satisfied. “So the only difference between now and a romantic relationship is that you don’t have sex.”
The realisation landed harder than I expected. She was not wrong.
“Unless,” Faie added casually, “you’re actually interested in me. In which case, unfortunate for you. I require someone at least my equal.”
Her arrogance was almost impressive, and just irritating enough to remind me why she was difficult to like.
The food arrived, excellent enough to silence us for a while. Faie spent most of the meal talking about her research, particularly her ongoing efforts to make an illusory cat feel real.
The bill came to five silver. Naturally, I paid it.
As we left, I realised the coin and the inconvenience had been worth it. Not for the dress or the meal, but for the clarity I had not managed to reach on my own.
