Bloody Stream

“Well, you are wrong,” came her reply, apparently not being offended at all, “As I said before come try being in our shoes, even for a day!”

"I was joking, Your Highness. But I wouldn't recommend walking in my shoes either" he spoke up with a soft laugh. "They're a bit worn out."

The princess smiled. “Better worn shoes than perfectly shaped shoes outside, but filled with broken glass inside,” she ended somewhat cryptically.

She was slightly taken aback at the mention of “young lady” and was about to scold the brazen knight, before she realized that Josh was joking. Once she did, she laughed along with Josh. It was very sweet, Marianne’s laugh. It seemed that the princess had not really laughed for some time so seeing her laugh like she did right now was refreshing. When her grinned a toothy grin like now and her shoulders shook from her honest laughter, she looked like what she should have been: a happy, hopeful young woman, crisp and endearing in her laugh.

Certainly not someone who should be walking with glasses inside her shoes.

“He said that, did he? Guess Uncle Tethras has not told you the whole story of him when he was young, then?” she chuckled, wiping tears off her eyes, “I must say, though. You nailed him perfectly! You two must be quite close.”

Marianne grew up around the barracks, finding love from the veterans loyal to the her father there when she could not find any love within the castle itself. She knew many stories and military legends that someone who had been in Hyrule for a few years could not hope to know.

She listened to Josh’ explanation intently, as she usually did. Never did she dismiss any advice without first listening to it, no matter where it came from. However, the more she listened the more she looked visibly confused, though to her credit she did try her hardest to conceal it out of respect for the knight.

“It… it is a different set of logic,” she finally said when Josh finished his lecture. Clearly, the princess was at a loss of words. “Helping each other in community, working together towards a common goal; It is an important value, Sir Josh, one that both you and I know we have to foster in all kinds of environment. But it is entirely a different matter concerning sword-“

The princess exhaled. No. She could not explain things in her terms. She could not call herself understanding if she could not make it easier for her discussion partner. She had to find some way….

She cleared her throat. “Suppose, Sir Josh, that in a village there is a long-held agreement that the first man to bed a lady would be her husband. You can have all kinds of help from anyone, from wooing her to the preparation of nuptial feast and such- all the community helping each other like your example. But when it is time to first bed her- No. No.” Her cheeks blushed red. “Lets, umm, have another example. For example… cows. Yes. In a village there is a long-held agreement that whomever hold the iron stick to mark the cow with his or her initials is the rightful owner of the cow, and there can only be one owner per cow. Anyone can help anyone capturing the cow or feed it or lead it to their barns. But when it is time to mark the cow, only one person can hold the iron stick bearing his initials and he will be declared the owner. If two people hold the stick, not only the initials would be of no one’s initials, the cow will have to stay back and forth between two barns and that just won’t do….”

Pausing to drink from her glass with gratitude, the princess inhaled. “Of course, I am not saying that sword-oath and marking a cow is of similar nature. It is a gross oversimplification and really, really offensive! What I am saying is that, for most of the things everyone can help each other, but there are some things that must be done by oneself, whether it because of tradition or other things. And that is just the way it is.”

She smiled. “Indeed, I received many help for your knighting ceremony. Surely you didn’t think I climbed up and hung all the banners myself, Sir Josh?” She chuckled, in no way being offensive. “Everyone helped me, even some of the knights themselves. They were so excited to have a knighting ceremony for so long! True, I was the main organizer, but I did not do it alone. And Uncle Tethras did help as best as he could! If you noticed, he carried the sword on a pillow during the whole ceremony, didn’t he? It should have been me who held it all the time, but we made an exception, and everyone generally approved. But when it came for the oath itself, I had to do it alone as The Officiator, as it had been for generations and would be for many generations hence…. That moment was where I proved my mettle as a knight.”

Blinking, she seemed to be a little lost in the moment, before returning. “Some of the senior knights and Uncle Tethras too protested like you did. Why don’t we postpone the ceremony Your Highness, they said. For this you have to blame my stubbornness, and my eagerness to honor a hero that had been denied that honor for an unacceptably long time. That was a stain on my family’s name and I could not bear it for long.” A grin. “I was told I sounded like the queens of old when I argued my case. I took it as a compliment.”

But then her tone lowered. “But if you don’t approve what I did for you, Sir Josh, would you like to do the ceremony all over again? After all, I did it all for you....” She gulped, apparently really considering the possibility. “This time, we’ll do it your way –sword held by two people and all. Because right now it had already happened. My hand already bled. And no matter what we talked about what should have been we cannot change the fact that I have already lifted the sword alone….”

---

‘Heehee…. perhaps Sir Josh has no more shoes to fill~’

To the sentiment about Barrett Tethras, Marianne nodded with grace. “I understand. Knowing that someone cares about us is a true source of strength.”

And she really did understand, though perhaps for a different reason of loneliness. Marianne was surrounded by people almost every day, yet she could be said to have fend off for herself, alone in multitudes, one of the great irony life was always so fond of. For her it was her sister Beatrix who first made her that someone like her deserved to be cared about, and this was what kept her going. Even until all this time, she was still the one she looked up to.

She listened politely at Sir Josh’s explanation, his words fitted her perfectly since they both seemed to have a penchant for long expositions. In the end of his recitation, she smiled. Sir Josh had a good head on his shoulders, of that Marianne felt no doubt. She was glad that her first assessment of him proved right.

“Duty goes both ways, Sir Josh, as the old adage goes,” she said, her voice soft yet firm. The voice of a true Royal. “To which I ask you: What is our duty as a member of Royal Family? Isn’t it to serve our people and to embody the example to be aspired for? As a knight, would you honestly feel happy to protect a coward who shy away from his duties and run away from any sacrifice he had to make? Such as my shame of a cousin in Battle of Eldin? I think not.”

She drew her breath, as she became a little pensive. “As you said, it is the heart that goes into lifting the sword which matters, Sir Josh. You are right. It was never about the strength of the arm or the weapons, but the strength of the heart to endure what is required of the person and does not flinch in the face of responsibilities.”

A smile.

“If I cannot manage even that strength from myself, I’d be unworthy of protection from my knights, won’t you agree? That, Sir Josh, is the true meaning of the tradition of Knighting Ceremony. As you can see, it has always been a test for both the one being honored and the one who did the honoring.

So cease your thoughts of worry or helplessness. Or that you had somehow dishonored your position. Duty goes both ways, Sir Josh, and you have did yours, as I did mine. No more. No less. To think otherwise is, quite simply, an insult.”

But after that, the princess chuckled, and her tone decidedly became less solemn, back to the young woman Marianne that had went out of the castle gate instead of the Princess of Hyrule inside. “But rest assured, I am no fan of needless hurt! As I mentioned before, I asked for help if I felt I needed it. Sir Tethras understood this, and its not like my hands will stay like this forever, too. So I see no reason why you should worry very much~ Emm…. Unless you hope that I will always be injured in some way just before future ceremonies, too?” She ended in a somewhat teasing grin.

It was then that a yawn escaped her and the princess blinked, looking around the establishment and especially looking at the sky. She seemed a little startled.

“Ah, I didn’t realize we have been here for a long time,” she remarked with small smile, “Good food and good company fuels the speed of time....”

---

Marianne closed her eyes. She had yawned before, but as always the charming new knight did not pick up the little nuances, so she persevered. She had stated that she knew he might find it strange for her having such a fuss over what he thought did not really matter. She had also stated that the ceremony was not just for him, but for everyone else, too. And she had made it clear that she asked for help when necessary. So… actually what was the point he was trying to make?

Exhaling not too subtly, Marianne opened her eyes.

“Yes. Sir Josh. In the end yours is just a voice. And a very appreciated one, I assure you….” She paused for a while. The high concept of duty going both ways seemed to fly over his head, so perhaps she should try something more practical? “As you stated so aptly, there is a time and place for sacrifice. There will be time… when a King has to force himself to speak in front of the crowd and force himself to overcome his stutter. There will be a time when you have to report for duty the very next day your beloved one die. And there will be a time when you have to lift a sword even though your hand hurts very much. Are those kind of things ideal? No, Sir Josh. We do not have an ideal world. All we can do is to be realistic about it and do our part.”

Perhaps Sir Josh had misplaced tradition with ideals, which were very, very different. He had come from a very idealistic point of view, as Marianne knew he would. Someone had a character flaw? Strip him of any kind of responsibilities despite his other qualities, hoping those in charge would be all flawless people. Having difficulties in lifting a sword in a very important public spectacle? Let not even a little hurt came and lift it with others, opinions and repercussions mattered not. A loving, all perfect world where everyone who needed help got it and no one had to be hurt.

But real world did not operate like that. Real world had times when someone had to be hurt and less savory people kept as associates. In fact, Marianne found the knight's lofty beliefs rather strange. She knew Sir Josh had much experience with the world, but he sounded like someone who was still living with his parents. It seemed she had to spell it all out for him.

She continued. “I find it contradictory that you said there are many other avenues for me to pursue my strength, but when I showed strength you thought of me as foolish- which kind of hurt, actually” Though she said with a small smile, showing that she was not all serious. “Consider this for a moment, Sir Josh. Perhaps this will assuage your feeling of helplessness a little. It was the first Knight Ceremony in many years. Morale was low. I was conducting Twilight Table –and still is. I think we still need a few days. It is supposed to be an event which filled the heart of those who witness it with pride and assurance.

But then, I didn’t even lift my sword for you. Or I lifted it together in what I imagined would make a very awkward scene, not to mention in breach of all prior arrangements. The traditionalists within the knights would think I held you in lower regard, and would view you the same. The new bloods would wonder why The Officiator did not lift her sword by herself. Rumors would start to spread. Tabloids would pick it, and people would panic knowing their princess who was championing reconstruction efforts was severely injured she could not use her hands. Nobles would smell weakness. Dissidents would pounce. My brother would be called into question about me. Even my own ability to conduct Twilight Table might be called into questions. Tell me, Sir Josh, do you think it is an ideal outcome? Would that scenario  give any assurance to the people?”

Leaning back slightly, the princess kept her eyes on Sir Josh as she continued. “But think of now. The Ceremony is a success- or at least, I hope so. It was conducted properly. In this time of chaos, everyone will be assured of our unity and that the strength of the knights has returned. A new knight is born. Their royal is back with them in full force. Morale will be boosted. and none will be the wiser except some. Even you only knew my condition because I had to let you know –which I kind of regret now. When you said about honoring us knights, are you sure you were representing the knights as a whole instead of your own views?”

There. She ended up spilling it all out. Slowly, a patient smile expanded on the princess’ tired face. “All it needed, was for me to grit my teeth and realistically embrace my duty. As you said I will learn in time, Sir Josh, I, too, think you will learn in time. You came from a simple society where everything is straightforward. I understand your views. I hope you will understand mine, too. The last thing I want is for you, the main player in the Ceremony, to think that it was all a waste....

I can’t force you to think I was in the right. You have a kind heart. Now that you know what I had to go through you find yourself restless about it. Please. Don’t. Please just appreciate what has been done. Please don't feel helpless or that you somehow has stained the honor of the knights. In fact, to regret my involvement in there, by my own will, is a real dishonor. Towards me.”

Her eyes glinted with a funny expression. “And really, you sounded like a nagging mother! And my mother is not a nagging type –was not a nagging type,” she added. Her face darkened for a while. “I’ve stated many times that I asked help when I felt I needed it, that everyone helped me in organizing the ceremony, that I had Uncle Tethras carried the sword even though it was supposed to be me all the time, and that some things are just the way of tradition, and that I calculated my risks carefully. Yet, you still insist that I will do unnecessary things and endanger myself!” She let out a small laugh. “Perhaps you have no faith in me, after all?”

---

"I did," was Sir Josh single cold reply, and likewise Marianne only gave a curt nod between her words, not bothered by the slightest by his supposedly cold gaze. She knew what the man in front of her had been into and she hoped that he, too, knew what she had been into. Who was it who spearheaded reconstructive effort the very morning her mother died? Who was it who came late to her own father’s funeral because she made sure all the orphans were accounted for first? They were both two duty-bound individuals, and Marianne thought Sir Josh would not be too narrow-minded to realize this.

But there came the difference between them. And not so much in thought capacity as in ethics. Marianne, a humble person at heart, never failed to give her speaking partner attention they deserved, no matter how it bored her or how their views clashed against hers. Her attention to the endless word strings of Sir Josh earlier was a good example of her firm humility that knowledge could be gleaned from any source. The same, sadly, could not be said about the man, who clearly dulled his senses the moment something went against his point of view. Marianne hid a small smile even as she talked. A simple individual, this fellow. Almost insultingly so.

And predictably, he had no more arguments, though he was the one who started this discussion about her actions in the first place. Though to be fair, he hardly ever had what could constitute and argument in this whole afternoon. All he said was simply words born out of naivety, in no part a mistake of his for sure for it was his natural inclinations, and Marianne was all too happy to try to present and alternate world view if only he would open his mind to it.

But maybe she held her hopes too high. Kill or be killed. My view and their view. This was all Sir Josh could think about, it seemed. A fine line of thinking for a soldier, for sure, but far too inadequate for a knight, much less for a politician or a ruler. Soldiers fight battles, but it was politicians who ultimately shaped the world. The nuance of doing the grey area.... Of knowing when to sacrifice some things for other greater things.... When to do the right thing and the good thing were things Marianne knew well, though she would claim no mastery in them.

Faintly, she hoped that in time, Sir Josh would learn reality, too.

And if reality forced herself to sacrifice an arm for the unity of the kingdom, if reality forced her to hurt herself so that the kingdom’s populace was assured of the stability of the knights and the integrity of the royal family, then she would gladly do it, twice over. This selflessness of hers was the part of her knight’s, it seemed, or perhaps her priestess’ blood. One day it would kill her, as she had been repeatedly told by concerned fellows. It had cost her two arms so to speak, but she would readily go through the same excruciating pain again just to spare her people the agony of doubt.

And she hoped she had succeeded, even if she had offended a disgruntled a new knight in the process just because it was not his place nor his time to help out. That was her sacrifice, no matter what his warped mind might paint it otherwise. Upbringing had nothing to do with it, only one’s capacity to understand how the world worked, which Marianne felt the new knight still lacked. People like him, with no experience in ruling properly, only reinforced Marianne’s beliefs that a voice of reason and moderation was always needed, lest this kingdom burn down in blind honor and ignorance.

"You still have much to learn about morale" was all Sir Josh spoke on the matter, and Marianne almost groaned internally at such a weak choice of words. As in, one could say to any distinguished professor how they still have much to learn and any professor not blinded by arrogance would readily agree! 'The more one learn, the more one realize one does not know anything', as a famous thinker once said. It was such a common agreement in intellectuals it was almost a waste of words to say it out loud.

“I don’t doubt that,” she answered with an honest smile, “I still have much to learn about many things. What about you, Sir Josh?”

“And I… still need your help for the pay?” She said sheepishly, gesturing towards the rupee pouch she had placed on the table before and opening her arms in a helpless gesture.

---

Indeed yes? Indeed no? Indeed as an agreement for her statement or as an answer to her question? Marianne once again needed to stop herself from smirking. Was he trying to sound cool? One-liner cool? If so, the effect only served to hamstrung him more. “An unclear answer. But I understand.” Oh no, she should not have done that. But Marianne could be quite the gadfly, especially for someone she liked and who piqued her interest. Which Sir Josh was both, coincidentally.

The rupees were deducted. The money bag was returned to her, and Marianne stood so Josh could tie it around her waist since it was still painful for her to hold anything after that show with the sword in the ceremony. It had been quite a fulfilling afternoon, all things considered. She learned of a new place in town, took part in a new way of eating out, and she was able to personally gauge how the newest addition to The Royal Knights would fare. There was little surprise on the last part -she had done her background check thoroughly after all- but it was still nice to confirm what she had known by herself.

She bended down and let Josh put her helmet on her head. Which must had been an adorable sight, judging from the other patrons’ reaction. But right now Marianne was exhausted so the implication flew over her head.

“So, um, we can separate here, if you want,” the princess said, once they walked out of the establishment. Judging from the darkness overhead, the sun would set very soon. A lamplighter officer passed by between them on his haste to light up the lamps before night, and Marianne gave him a wide berth. “You have a farm to return to, right? And it’s… that way.” She tapped her chin. "Meanwhile I’ll return to the castle guards’ barracks…”

Her gaze then fell at the distant shadow of the castle, separated by the maze of rapidly darkening city alleys. She gulped.

The small guardswoman was visibly uneasy. That much was certain.

---

There. Marianne knew that Sir Josh still had a lot to say, and it seemed she was able to coax it out from him. After all, he had been very talkative before, even inside the restaurant so why stopped now? And of course, Marianne had been trained too well not to let her own feelings and emotions stopped her when she actually needed to talk. Which was why she was the diplomat and the one who conducted The Twilight Table, perhaps. In high-end discussions, clearing one’s head had to be done by reflex. In an instant. There would be time for hurt feelings later, as she had cruelly learned several times.

“Does that means you are also still learning about morale, Sir Josh?” she asked innocently, referring to her earlier statement of “I still have much to learn about many things. What about you, Sir Josh?” which he had not answered clearly. At least, Marianne was not ambiguous in admitting her own failings.

She obviously disagreed with his assessment of how she was worried about what she did would reflect at her as a public figure. ‘Where did that come from?’ She had made it clear that her reason for enduring the pain herself and refused to ask for help was all to keep her own people reassured, not because she wanted it herself. Unlike the knight before though, Marianne was open-minded enough to give her full attention to another’s opinion, instead of dulling her eyes and faded her light the moment something slighted her. He tussled her hair a little bit and Marianne returned his smile with a sweet smile of her own.

And, well, he was saying things Marianne had known too well, but she did not have the heart to interrupt him as he was giving her “lessons.”. All the things about appealing to people’s hearts and to treat them fairly. Ask any castle guards or her maidservants or anyone in her employ, and they would all happily tell how attentive the princess was to their well-being ; how she treated them well and remembered them each as a uinque person. And of course she knew that, however sensitive Leon was to other’s feelings, he would not hesitate to remind anyone if they stepped out of the line or disrespect his own feelings. For instance, if a noble he barely knew shouted at him “Leon!” instead of “King Leon” or “Your Majesty” as he should, Marianne had no doubt that her brother would remind him of his place.

And that, is what separated a leader from a mere figurehead. A leader knows when to exert his authority and when he shouldn’t, while a figurehead merely walks around pleasing people left and right.

“I am ecstatic that you speak so highly of my brother, Sir Josh,” she said empathically, deciding that agreeing with him would make him happy. After all, she had already had a good picture of his intentions and mental capacity from their earlier talks, so there was no need to seek more. “I can assure you that he is all you said, and more. I just hope I can be useful to him. Perhaps not by following him into battle, but by making sure that, whomever followed him would be best equipped and well-supplied, so all that morale will not go to waste. Battle of Eldin was too close a call, even though we managed to turn things around thanks to you.” She smiled. None of the Royal Siblings were there so she gave credit where it was due, “However, I’d prefer to see our defenses and organization strengthened in the future so that we don’t have to go through another close call, if we can. I am sure that will keep our morale from falling in the first place.”

Anyone who ever studied military history would know that ninety percent of battles were won by those more organized and well-equipped *, though it was the ten percent which were given most attention in popular mind. Winning the hearts and such were the idealized view of morale. Realistically, all those won hearts would not be able to work so efficiently without arrows to back them up. Marianne knew this all too well.

And that was Marianne was for. From the start she never dreamed to be the glorious leader who fought in the front line, winning the hearts of friends and foes. No. That was his brother’s shtick. Her role was and had always been to provide the solid foundation from which her brother could sprang into action, to handle the administrative and economical affairs and delicate foreign relations; the more boring part of rulership which was simply not her brother’s greatest strength. Marianne’s part was a thankless job full of nuanced debates and careful machinations; of intricate politics and soft diplomacy that a simple knight would not be able to wrap his head around -but someone had to do it. We could not all be the glorious leader.

Soon, Sir Josh motioned her to follow him as he head towards the castle and Marianne happily obliged, delighted on how easy it was. She listened to him telling her to sneak out of castle more often and had to restrain herself from giggling. He knew that a soldier even mistook her for an actual soldier, and anyone who gave a thought and why on earth a princess needed such disguise would suspect that she made a lot of trips outside the castle. Marianne would not correct him though. The less people knew about her escapades, the better.

“I like being in disguise,” she admitted plainly, “It helps me know things people will not tell if they know my station. They get to regard me as someone of their own, not as their princess. You know, I noticed how people interacted with Leon knowing that he is their king.” She smirked, “You will be surprised by how much they didn’t say. But thank you. I’ll keep your advice in mind.” Not many people have the courage to be forthright with a figure of authority, no matter how permissive the figure of authority was.

Their journey back to the castle was uneventful. They arrived at the castle gates a little late. Some of the guards who were in duty and some who were resting outside the barracks noticed Sir Josh escorting a cute guardswoman, and a few of them laughed and gave approving whistles.

“Say, Sir Josh,” Marianne said, quietly turning towards Josh “Can I tell you something?” And she cupped a hand and leaned towards Josh, tiptoeing because he was too tall for her too close in for a whisper.

---

The difference of the two was merely in the speed of which one could recover their speech and control their hearts and minds. One had to fortitude to always keep at her best, the other not so much. She was able to keep a consistent tone throughout their earlier discussion, while Josh’s was all over the place, wavering from being idealistic to realistic and everything in between, delving to his own history and even the proposed set of logic was a different set of logic. Then again, she would not hold it against him. Not everyone could keep to themselves like she did, and there was a certain charm on being simple.

There was a hidden smile as the knight answered in the affirmative to her question. Wasn’t so hard to admit it unambiguously like she did, right? Then, why must he went through the roundabout way? And of course he had to couple it with a set of information no one was asking for, although Marianne had to appreciate it. He volunteered to teach her about morale so Marianne understood he had to scramble to find some kind of backup to make his position as a teacher adequate. For her part, Marianne could have easily told him her own dealings with people, perhaps people far more difficult to appease and to keep their morale high, and she had been forced to do it ever since she could talk. But right now she did not feel like validating herself like he did, so she simply nodded and expressed an interest at Josh’s life story.

Something, though, made her intelligent silver eyes perked up.

“I see. I find it interesting that you stated my brother was a leader and not a politician before? ‘That is what separates a leader from a politician’ you said, right? So of course he would be politician second. Perhaps tenth even.” She chuckled. It would be like saying Sir Josh was a man first and a carpenter second, when no one even stated he was a carpenter before. “Perhaps you had meant 'he is a man first and leader or king second'? Which is also interesting. Because I believe he thought of himself as a king first and a man second, the same way I had been taught to consider myself a princess first and a woman second.“

She had her needs, as a human being. She had her feelings and frustrations and there were times when she simply did not want to do anything. But she had been taught to consider her duties as the princess of the realm first, and her human needs second. That was the weight of duty.

When she turned towards Sir Josh, she was genuinely interested. “And you, Sir Josh? Do you also consider yourself a man first and a knight second or is it the other way around?” She had stated in no uncertain terms about what being a knight actually meant, so she was very interested in knowing what the new knight thought of it. Affirming he considered himself a man first before a knight would show where his priorities lay, while admitting the reverse would undermine the very thing he just said. Being a human first and knight second in certain circumstances while having the reverse on other circumstances? That would just be cherry-picking, and showed his inconsistencies.

And how fast he changed from pushing her to let others know her as her to pushing her to mix it up with disguise by a simple statement from her. She knew he had to do it to save face, though, so she decided to appreciate it and refrained from poking the man further. After all, they were in the same wavelength.

“I’ll think about your advice,” she replied, smiling, “Thank you, Sir Josh.” In all honesty, she found him likable and true and knew that his heart was in the right place. And the more people loyal to her king and her kingdom, the better it would be for her.

They had already passed the outer castle gate when Marianne turned towards him and tiptoed to his face. She extended her neck towards his ear, leaned closer…

…. and firmly planted a kiss on his cheek.

The few guards watching, well, they exploded in whistles and congratulatory shouts, applauding Sir Josh’ latest conquest. And a damn good catch it was too! Even under her helmet there was no denying that the lithe guardswoman was a very pretty lass. Marianne, for her part, looked a little bashful as she stepped away from the knight.

“The ceremony was a thanks from the Royal Family,” she whispered, so that only Sir Josh could hear her, “And that, was from me. Thank you for being there for my people when I could not.” Then, without further ado, she turned her heels she hurriedly ran towards the barracks waving happily as she did so. “See you again sometime, Sir Josh!” Everyone could hear the last sentence, and they overwhelmingly approved.

And seeing her little figure rapidly disappearing, it was strange how much the teenager had done, and it had only been a few weeks. Problems were addressed. New taxes discussed. Military was re-organized. True, no problems could magically be solved in an instant, and there would still be problems in the slums and other parts that would need years to be addressed.

But she was here, someone who would rather have her wounds opened up again and withstood the pain without assistance just to be one more leaders that could make the people feel just a little better about their safety in the coming war, which meant that her view on their previous discussion was correct from the start. A few months later she would lost her beloved mentor in Forest Temple and it would be rare to see her running so cheerfully again. But it was for another time. She still had miles to go before she slept.

And she was just getting started.

---