Once outside, Kesuk takes a moment to light his lantern, and then we begin walking without another moment's hesitation. I hear Kesuk's quiet sniffles, despite his best efforts to mask them with the crunching of snow beneath his feet. I feel horrible for separating him from Siku and his home. Beside me, the large rifle Vasa carries on his back jostles with each step. It clangs against his bag, beginning to put out more noise than I'd like.

"Shouldn't you try to carry that more quietly?" I ask Vasa.

"It's a heavy weapon. It's going to make noise."

"It's fine, Fetia. The sound of our footsteps are loud as well," Kesuk says.

I nod, though I remain on high alert, afraid soldiers will be lurking in the woods nearby. When the forest remains quiet as we continue walking, I relax once more

"Is that rifle from the army, then?" I ask Vasa.

"Yes," he says. A smirk grows on his face. "They'll be furious in the morning when they learn I've taken it. We're only allowed to use their weaponry during battles and training."

"And are you trained with it?" I ask.

Vasa shrugs. "As best as I can be."

"Which means you're not," I grumble.

"It will be good to have weapons on us," Kesuk interrupts, clearly not caring for our bickering. He carries the bow and arrow on his back that he uses to hunt, but he moves with it more quietly. I am thankful he will be able to get us meat if we need it. I doubt Vasa would be able to kill anything with a rifle that he has most likely only shot a few times.

I feel in my own pockets for the knife that is there. I am sure it will not be much use if we face danger. Kesuk and Vasa carry far superior weapons, but I did not want to begin our journey empty-handed. My hand grips around the knife's hilt. Bile rises in my throat. Suddenly, the thought of actually using it to defend myself makes my stomach churn in disgust.

As the forest gives way to the summit, I glance up at the sky and gasp. The night sky, usually only ever illuminated by stars, has streaks of color glowing in it. Bright pinks and greens light up the sky in perfect harmony, creating a ripple. I freeze and stare up in awe. The beauty makes my heart swell.

"The northern lights," Kesuk says. "I imagine you two have never seen them before?"

I look at Vasa, and he appears as shocked as me. I shake my head in disbelief. "I never even knew they existed," I say.

"It only happens occasionally, when conditions are right," Kesuk says. "But it is always a spectacle when it does. It must be a good omen for our travels."

I smile and nod. Though I long to linger and stare up at the sky for a while longer, we must keep moving. I force myself to lower my gaze back down to the earth and trudge alongside Kesuk and Vasa once more. My legs are now beginning to burn, but I remind myself that there will be no snow covering the earth once we reach the mountain's base. I grow strangely excited at the prospect of stepping on dirt again.

"Remember this place, Fetia?" Kesuk asks.

I glance around, confused. "No."

"Ah, it was probably harder to see back then. This was where I found you," Kesuk explains.

I survey my surroundings, finding the summit looks much different in clear conditions compared to the day I was caught in the blizzard. I was wandering around blind then, barely able to see two feet in front of me. Now I see only clear blankets of snow, scattered trees, and some rocks and shrubs. It frightens me knowing how such a beautiful landscape could be quickly marred by a passing snowstorm.

"Let's hope the skies stay clear, then," I say.

Thankfully, they do. We travel another few hours through the pass. The snow is less soft here and rather icy. I nearly slip and fall down the mountainside at one point and am forced to keep close to Kesuk and Vasa as consequence, gripping onto them whenever I feel my balance waning. Despite the rough terrain, Kesuk leads us with ease. Even better, all is quiet under the night sky, with not a soldier in sight.

As we descend down the mountains, I begin to see the forest in the distance. Hills of dark trees, not covered in snow, are not far ahead. I let out a sigh of relief, glad to be free of this winter forest soon. Judging by how heavy Vasa is breathing as well, I am sure he feels the same, even if he will not vocalize his exhaustion.

"It should be a little less than an hour until we're at the base of the mountain," Kesuk says. "However, I am sure there will be soldiers in Sura. We'll need to pay careful attention."

"Sounds like a plan," I say.

We continue walking a few more minutes before Kesuk abruptly stops. I halt just before my face collides with his back.

"Hey, why are we—"

"Sh!" he says, and a hush falls over us. Vasa and I both stare at each other, confused. I have not heard anything akin to soldiers, but Kesuk is a hunter. His hearing is far superior to ours, so I stop and quietly stand beside him, desperately looking for whatever has caught his attention.

"There," Kesuk says at last.

I freeze, expecting to see a soldier. However, where his hand falls does not make me feel any more at ease. There is a huge mass of brown in the distance. I think it's only a rock at first, until the dark figure begins lumbering slowly through the woods, crunching branches beneath its feet.

Vasa gasps. "Is that a—"

"Bear, yes," Kesuk hisses. "We must be in its territory. We should..."

Unfortunately, the bear catches our conversation, and it stands, revealing itself to be about the same height as if I were on Vasa's shoulders. I begin to tremble in fear and glance at the others, wondering who is the fastest runner out of the three of us.

"Back up slowly," Kesuk commands.

We do as he says, though it is difficult to walk backwards with icy snow covering the ground. I grasp Vasa's arm and tremble as we move. I want to laugh to myself. How idiotic it would be to die from a bear attack when there are several soldiers down in Sura who I am sure would gladly like to be responsible for my death.

The bear lets out a loud growl that rumbles through the forest. I let out a faint shriek as it does so and watch in fear as the bear begins to charge. I turn to run, but Kesuk grasps my wrist to prevent me from doing so.

As the bear grows closer, I regrettably begin to make out the fine details of the creature, noticing its coarse fur, sharpened claws, and long teeth that I'm sure could crush my skull in a matter of seconds. I glance behind us, wondering why we cannot just make a run for it further into the forest. Kesuk's grip on me tightens, and I let out whimpers of fear. Then, I realize Vasa has grabbed his gun beside me.

I have only heard gunshots a few times. Back in Tetoa, I often heard it in the distance when the soldiers were messing around in the sea caves or a lazy worker met their untimely demise. The booms that echoed from their guns were frightening then, but I shriek as Vasa sounds a loud shot into the sky. I pull away from Kesuk's grip and kneel into the ground, covering my ears as they ring.

When the ringing in my ears finally ceases, I turn and glance at Vasa in annoyance. "You missed," I say.

"No. He knows what he's doing," Kesuk says.

I glance up, now only seeing the behind of the bear as it scurries away. I stand slowly and begin to catch my breath. Only now do I see the fear reflecting in Kesuk and Vasa's eyes too.

"Thank you," I say to Vasa.

He shrugs. "Don't mention it."

"You didn't tell me that the creatures in this forest were far more likely to kill me than the soldiers," I say to Kesuk.

"We must have gotten close to its den," Kesuk says.

"Well, hopefully it'll leave us alone now. Kesuk, do you know where we are?" Vasa asks.

Kesuk takes a few moments to assess our surroundings, then nods. "We didn't get too off course. But we need to quicken our pace. The gunshot will have alerted any soldiers nearby. Hopefully that bear can distract them for a while."

The thought of moving even more quickly through the snow after an evening of no sleep is hard for me to accept, but I agree regardless. We quicken our pace down the mountain, and thankfully, are not pursued by any more bears or soldiers. I look into the horizon, finding that the sky is beginning to light up with the rising sun.

"Perhaps the soldiers will come investigate once the sun rises, but we will be gone by then," Kesuk says.

Shortly afterwards, the blankets of snow become patches, making traversing through the forest an easier feat. The patches fade with our descent, until eventually, I am met with fresh soil for the first time in a month. Seeing some fresh mud on the ground, I pause.

"Hang on," I say to Kesuk and Vasa. They turn and stare at me in confusion.

"I need a moment to disguise myself now that we're getting closer to Sura," I explain. I kneel in the ground, smearing some fresh mud across my face. Vasa looks disgusted, but Kesuk makes an approving nod.

"Cover yourself with your hood, too," Kesuk says.

I nod and bring it over my face. "I don't know how much it will help—"

"We won't linger long," Kesuk says. "In fact, let's break here for a quick meal so we can discuss our next moves."

My stomach grumbles at the though of eating after a long night of travelling. We sit together on a log, chewing on some jerky that Kesuk packed. I glance at the distance, where I can see the scattered buildings that make up Sura. Worry begins to bubble up inside me. I almost wish we could remain fighting bears in the forest than dealing with soldiers that lurk below.

"Once we reach Sura, there's a carriage that should be able to take us to Nauja," Kesuk says. "But we'll need a convincing story. Soldiers will be wondering why two Landiani individuals and someone from Kilneu are travelling to Flumensia. We'll need false names for the paperwork."

"I always liked the name Kai," Vasa says. "What about you, Fetia?"

I shrug. My brain hurts at the prospect of choosing yet another false identity. I am overflooded with memories of arguments with my mother over my chosen name when I was preparing to go to Esterpool. I chuckle slightly, knowing there is no way I can go by Fe this time.

"I'm not sure," I admit.

"Why don't you go by my sister's name, Alea?" Vasa asks.

"Sure," I agree, although I am sure I do not match Alea's beauty, especially with the way my face and hair look right now.

"Perfect. I'll go by Chu. That's my cousin's name," Kesuk says. "As for our story..." Suddenly, he pounds his fist against his hand in excitement and points to the two of us. "You're a newly married couple enjoying your honeymoon across the Magnuvian Empire. I showed you around Kilneu, and now I am escorting you safely to Flumensia."

I want to vomit at his suggestion. I give Vasa a look of unease, and he squirms awkwardly beside me, even if I am sure he would have jumped at this opportunity months prior.

"Are you sure that's a—"

Vasa is cut off by Kesuk. "It's the easiest story to tell. Although it will require some acting on your parts," he says, directly making eye contact with me.

I groan. "I'll do my best."

"Then, let's head out again," Kesuk says.

I sulk the entire hike out of the forest. At the very least, my annoyance at having to be Vasa's wife for a day distracts my mind long enough to no longer worry about being bombarded by soldiers once we reach Sura.

When the town finally comes into view, I can see that it is busier than it was when I passed through weeks before. Though it is only just now dawn, people are already moving about. There must be only one cause – soldiers are on the lookout for me. I draw my hood over my head and keep my gaze lowered, glad at least that being in company with others may make me look less suspicious.

I nearly recoil when I feel Vasa grab for my hand. I shoot him a glare, but he gives me an apologetic look.

"We should pretend," he offers as an excuse.

"Fine," I grumble.

With his hand in mind, I compare to how it felt to hold Asteria's. The two are nothing alike. Vasa's hand is firm and strong, callused by his work as a soldier. Asteria's hands and fingers were thinner and softer, yet there was strength in them too, no doubt brought about by her magic training. Even with the warmth of someone else's hand in mind, I feel lonelier than ever. My heart aches for her. I wonder if when Asteria holds her fiance's hand, she feels this way too. Except, she cannot just put on an act for a day and be done like I can. That hurts most of all.

I keep my head low as we pass through the streets of Sura. Vasa leads me with his hand, while Kesuk strategically takes us down uncrowded streets. Thankfully, we reach the carriages unnoticed.

Vasa and I find a bench to sit on while Kesuk speaks to the man at the counter. I fidget with my fingers and scan our surroundings carefully. Vasa looks equally as distracted, no doubt keeping an eye out for soldiers.

A few minutes later, Kesuk returns with a smile on his face. "We leave in ten minutes to Nauja," he says. "It will just be us in the carriage."

I breathe a sigh of relief and lean back on the bench. We are one step closer to reaching Flumensia unharmed.

Kesuk sits down beside me. "Let Vasa or myself do any of the speaking when we are in the carriage. I think the driver will be too distracted to chat, but we need to be cautious."

I nod.

Later, we pile into the carriage. Vasa and I are seated on one bench, while Kesuk sits across from us. The driver only makes brief conversation at the beginning of the trip, asking how the journey was from the mountains. Kesuk gives him the story we came up with, and Vasa chimes in with a few creative stories about our time in Kilneu. I remain silent. The driver seems to buy our story, and afterwards, the ride begins to devolve into silence.

I lean my head against the carriage's side, soothed by the rhythmic rocking as the horses carry us across the gravel roads of Kilneu. My eyes grow droopy after a long evening of no rest, and I find myself drifting off unintentionally.

I'm shaken awake a little while later. Vasa's hand pushes against my shoulder.

"Hey, you need to wake up. We're here," he says quietly.

I grumble and sit up slowly. As I let out a loud yawn, I look out the carriage window, finding that we are far from Sura now. The blue waves of the Guildriden Gulf meet my gaze, and I am suddenly overwhelmed by joy at the sight of the ocean. It is much more of a comfort for me to see water than the high peaks of the Kilneu Mountains.

Vasa helps me down from the carriage and quickly leads me away while Kesuk pays the man and thanks him for his time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep," I say.

"We all need some rest, you especially," Vasa says.

"Did either of you sleep?" I ask.

Vasa shakes his head. At the sight of my frown, he says, "I'm sure Kesuk and I can take turns sleeping when we're on the ferry. For now, let's just focus on getting there."

I nod and turn my sights to Nauja. While it is nowhere near as populous as Magewell, it is a welcome change in energy. Buildings stretch down the streets for miles. Large boats ride waves in the distance. An array of horse-drawn carriages pass through the streets. However, with more people means that there is a higher chance of being recognized. I draw my hood a little tighter, and Vasa reaches for my hand again. I do not flinch this time and take it, knowing I need to conceal my identity now more than ever.

"Let's head to the port," Kesuk says. "Once we purchase tickets, we can secure some food."

I nod, allowing Vasa to lead me once more as we walk through the streets of Nauja. The seaside town brings me a strange sense of comfort and peace. Above me, seagulls cry, and salty air fills my lungs. It almost feels like Tetoa.

"Reminds you of home, doesn't it?" I say to Vasa.

"A little. Though it's not the same."

"Yes," I say somberly.

Once at the port, we locate the ticket counter booth. I glance out at the gulf, seeing mainly cargo ships, but in the distance, there is a smaller boat that seems to be fit at transporting passengers. I assume that is the ferry that will take us to Flumensia.

"Come up with me this time, but Fetia, stay behind me," Kesuk says quietly.

I nod and do as I am told, trying to keep my position behind Kesuk as we approach the ticket counter.

"How may I help you?" a man at the counter asks.

"Three tickets for the ferry to Fehrbridge," Kesuk says.

"And what is the purpose of your travel?" the man asks. It is a standard question, but his tone has an air of suspicion.

"My good friends, Kai and Alea, are celebrating their honeymoon and travelling across the empire. I was just showing them around Kilneu. It was quite the journey through the mountains, let me tell you..." Kesuk devolves off into meaningless stories about Kilneu, including our run-in with the bear. The man thankfully becomes so annoyed that he willingly hands Kesuk the tickets to get him to cease his talking.

"Congratulations to the married couple," the man grumbles, only briefly glancing at us. "Next!"

Kesuk snickers as he walks off with our tickets. I am glad that he is at least enjoying himself. He then hands Vasa a few coins. "Can you go out and get us some food?"

Vasa nods. Kesuk and I find a bench near the shore, and I watch the ferry draw nearer.

"Nervous?" Kesuk asks.

I nod. "I have no idea what awaits us in Flumensia, but I know it will be dangerous."

"We can deal with the dangers once we arrive. For now, let's focus on the journey," Kesuk says. He pulls out the map from his bag and lays it out on the bench. "It's an hour ferry ride to Gracesard Isle, and then we have to wait a bit for them to refuel. The ferry will dock again in Fehbridge. If all goes smoothly, we should be in Flumensia by this evening."

I nod, though I know when we land, we will have no inkling of where to go. Suddenly I miss the warmth and privacy of Kesuk's cabin in Kilaun. Out in Flumensia, we will have no allies.

"It'll work out," Kesuk says, noticing my worry. "Vasa and I will protect you from any soldiers."

"Thank you," I say, though I worry about that, too. The last thing I want is for them to be captured or killed for my sake.

Vasa returns a few minutes later with some fresh pastries from a nearby bakery. We devour them greedily. Once our stomachs are full, I feel slightly more content and optimistic thinking of the journey ahead. In the distance, I see that the ferry that will take us to Gracesard Isle has docked. It blows a whistle so loud that I cover my ears.

We stand, and Vasa reaches for my hand again. I grab it nervously. I have never been on a boat before, but I am too nervous to share that with Vasa or Kesuk. I tell myself to calm down, and I hear the wise words of Taika in my head again. I need to become Fe once more, who was used to all sorts of travel. I cannot let anyone grow suspicious of me.

The ship attendees review our tickets briefly before welcoming us aboard. I glance back one last time at land, knowing it may be the last ever time I ever step on Kilneu soil. Then, I turn my gaze ahead to the boat and ocean, ready to see what Flumensia will have to offer.