"Vania!" Cianna rushed over and hugged the enforcer's legs. "What took you so long?"

"Cianna, we told you Vania was working in another city and would be gone several days," Licia chided as she crossed the room to also give Vania a hug. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Vania replied quietly, hugging Licia, then reaching down and tousling Cianna's hair. "I missed you, too, kiddo." She looked around, noting the two cradles still slightly rocking, Grava and Rantin babbling quietly. No one else was in the room. "Where's Derry and Kuran?"

"Since your friends were so kind to let us stay here, Derry's been baking every morning, then taking Kuran and distributing the goods to the other displaced people gathered at the inns and parks. Not everyone was so lucky to have rich friends willing to house and feed them."

"He's been going all the way to the bakery and then coming up here to deliver baked goods to everyone? That's a dangerous journey these days," Vania protested. She let Cianna pull her farther into the room, to where a bunch of toys were gathered.

"Oh, no. Your friends have opened the kitchen to Derry, as well. He bakes here, now." Licia sat in the chair near the cradles and began gently rocking them with her feet. "So, how was your journey?"

"A waste," Vania replied with a sigh, letting herself fall onto the couch. "We accomplished nothing." She swallowed, hand going over her face as she added, "And now Eddin's being called back to Hursa."

"What?" Licia exclaimed. The babies began to cry. She bent down to them, shushing and murmuring soothingly. Once they settled back down, she sighed and straightened, then looked over to Vania, speaking in a much quieter tone, "What? Why? I thought he'd quit the military."

"No," Vania mumbled with a sigh. "He's only been on leave due to mental health. Since two of his siblings died. He still has a year left in the service contract he agreed to."

"Oh, no..." Licia whispered. She glanced into the cradles, then stood and joined Vania on the couch, wrapping her arms around Vania as the enforcer sniffled. "I'm so sorry, Vania... Being left behind by someone heading to the front is terrifying. You just never know..." she trailed off and just hugged Vania tighter as Vania sobbed quietly into her shoulder.

"They say it's certain death for everyone sent there, now..."

"Oh, dear..." Licia murmured, patting Vania's back awkwardly between the furled wings. "I thought... his mother was head of the military? Can't she stop this?"

"No... She says she's exhausted all options, but... it's Eddin. And she's already lost two kids to Hursa. Does she really want to lose a third?"

"Of course she doesn't," Licia murmured. "If she's tried everything, then maybe... it's time for someone else to try something."

"Like what?" Vania whispered, sniffling.

"I don't know, dear... I don't know..." Licia sighed. "Let's ask Derry when he comes back. He's bound to have an idea or two."

"Vania?" Cianna asked, tentatively tugging at the black cloak. "Did you say Eddin's going away?"

Licia looked down at the child and said quietly, "Yes, honey. He's going to go fight in the war."

"Why? I thought he fought bad people here. Like the man who..." Cianna trailed off, biting her lip as she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"And now he has to go fight bad people in Hursa," Licia replied.

"But, his family's here. His animals are here. Vania's here. Why would he leave them?" Cianna fidgeted and looked at the floor. "I thought... he was gonna marry Vania and move into her house and they'd have a family, and then I'd have cousins to play with... How can he do that if he goes to the war?"

"Th-that... we never... Cianna. Eddin hasn't..." Vania stumbled as she sniffled, then gave up trying to correct the child.

Licia sighed, hugging Vania tighter. "I don't know where you get your ideas, Cianna, but Eddin has to go to Hursa. He promised people he'd go. And remember what we taught you about promises?"

Cianna nodded solemnly. "Keep them."

"That's right. We keep them. So, you see—"

Vania pulled away from Licia, making the woman stop talking.

"Vania?" Licia asked.

Vania rubbed at her wet eyes as she stood. "I'm... gonna go lie down for awhile. The three days on the road tired me out."

"Of course, dear. Remember, if you need anything, we're right next door."

Vania nodded as she walked out the door. The next room down was hers. She sighed as she eyed the rune etched onto the door frame, then held her hand against it. Tingling began in her hand from the contact, then spread up her arm and suffused her body. The rune under her hand glowed, then more sigils and runes appeared all over the door, glowing blue with flashing silver. The door unlocked with an audible click.

She opened the door and stepped inside the door, pushing the door shut behind her. It clicked shut as she leaned back against the door, closing her eyes. A'lei'iana and T'kanna had somehow spelled the door to only open when she was in full control of herself. She didn't understand the spell or how it worked, and she didn't appreciate the headache it induced, but she was grateful for the extra precautions, especially with Derry and his family right next door. She didn't want anything to happen to them if she lost control of herself, either through the rage of the Mark or by the malignant powers of the goddess.

She opened her eyes slowly to view the violet room open and empty before her, still gasping shakily for breath as she sought to regain her composure. Tears still ran down her cheeks. The chairs by the fireplace, the desk by the window, the dresser, the canopied bed, all still as they'd been the last time she was here. A pile of folded clothing sat upon the dresser, beside the basin, a piece of paper resting on them. She ignored it all and walked around the bed to the corner, where the hammock still hung.

Without bothering to remove her boots or her cloak, she climbed into its folds and lay down, pressing her wet face against the pillow.

A knock on the door made her groan.

She whispered into the pillow, "Just go away. I don't want to see anyone."

The knock came again. This time, a voice called, "Vania? Are you in there? It's me, T'kanna. I'd like to talk to you."

Grumbling, Vania returned to the door, wiping at her wet eyes and rubbing her cheeks dry with her sleeve before holding her hand to the rune on the door frame. After the door unlocked, she pulled it open.

"Vania," T'kanna greeted with a nod. Studying Vania's red-rimmed eyes, she said quietly, "I assume you must've heard the news about D'merdon. May I come in?"

"News?" Vania asked quickly. "What news? Did something happen?"

T'kanna sighed as she entered the room, pulling the door closed. The hawk on her shoulder ruffled its feathers. "Happen? No. But, he's been given his recall notice. He's being sent back to the front." She gestured to the chairs by the cold, empty fireplace. "May we sit?"

Vania nodded tiredly and followed T'kanna to the chairs.

"D'merdon's holed himself in his room. Wouldn't answer me when I knocked. Taric tells me he's okay, just mentally in turmoil, but... I worry." T'kanna looked at the quiet Vania. "I'm sure you must, too."

Vania just looked at her, unsure what to say.

"Going back to the place where our siblings died... when he still feels such responsibility for their deaths... is going to destroy what peace of mind he's managed to regain." T'kanna glanced up to the hawk, now standing on the back of her chair, then returned her gaze to Vania. "I don't want to lose another sibling."

"I—I don't want him to go die on the front, either," Vania managed to rasp. She swallowed thickly, clearing her throat. "But A'lei'iana said she's—"

"Yes, our mother has done everything in her power to do," T'kanna interrupted. "She cannot save him from this. But, you can."

"Me?" Vania asked. "What can I do? I'm not a noble or in any position of power. Commander Aleira said she couldn't do anything, so there's no way a simple Elite Enforcer could."

"You care about him, don't you?" T'kanna asked. "If you knew a way to save him, you'd do it, wouldn't you?"

"Well— I— Yes. But. What do you think I can do?" Vania asked, wringing her hands. "Can I go in his place or something?"

"Oh, gods, no," T'kanna said quickly. "No. If you were to even try to somehow substitute yourself, he'd probably sneak out tonight and sail to Hursa on his own, just to save you. No." She looked around the room as she said quietly, "It's an old rule. Very antiquated. From when the country was still forming and growing. But, they never removed it from the laws pertaining to military service, so they'd have to still honor it..."

"What are you talking about, T'kanna?"

T'kanna bit her lip and looked at Vania. "You... care about my brother, right? I mean... I know how he feels. And I've seen you two together... but... you do care about him, right? More than just work partners? Or friends?"

Vania blinked, then looked down at her hands, long fingers still entwined in her lap. "Yes," she replied in a whisper. She shut her eyes. "I... think I love him."

T'kanna leaned over and placed a hand over Vania's, causing the enforcer to open her eyes and look at her. T'kanna's gaze was intense as she said, "Then you can save him."

"How?"

"Marry him."