"Hey- Kiara." Raven said. The hero party was on their way to Northengard, and Northengard wasn't that far away. If they marched quickly they would reach it in a day or two. But the hero party, at Sofia's advice, wanted to just visit the village once more. Just to make sure everything was fine. 

The hero, Aman, also promised Lord Peter Errama that he would help do some pest extermination around the swamps, and also restore some of the enchantments. It would remind those trolls that the bridges are well protected. 

"Yeah?" Kiara was walking quite far behind, as Raven slowed down to walk with her. Aman, Sofia, Bianca, Nysta and Hannah walked ahead, with Wynn somewhat slightly behind. Wynn looked rather distracted, as if she was thinking, and Kiara frequently caught the dragonling taking glances at her. 

"How well do you know the Count?" Raven asked, and Kiara flushed. She was a noble so she had some training in hiding her feelings, but she wasn't as good as her mother. 

"-quite well, I guess."

"I think he's dangerous." Raven said, as if it was a warning. 

Kiara merely smiled. "Of course, he is. A man like him isn't the richest Count in the Kingdom for nothing. He's a ruthless, frightening man."

Raven was shocked. She wasn't paying much attention when Kiara spoke of the Count much earlier. After all, Raven didn't think she would ever meet the Count. But now that she did- it all made sense. "-you should be careful."

Kiara nodded, as she thought about her mother. She immediately used her mother as a shield. "I'll be fine. My mother has a lot of experience and knows how to deal with him."

Even if it just made Kiara's lower half tingle in pleasure, as the faint scenes of her mother's sultry moans and night time activities swept through her mind. 

Raven took a moment to think about how to frame the story. She didn't know how to explain it further. If she came clean, Kiara would know about the Trader, and would make things complicated for her. She'd want it as a secret. But then, she also wanted to protect Kiara. She decided to play it safe.

"What does the Count want you to do in Northengard?" 

Kiara paused and answered with feigned innocence. "I have no idea."

"No idea? Not even an inkling of what he might do to you?"

Kiara thought about sex, naturally. Her mind swirled with desire. "-it's probably something to do with his business. Probably meet some rich people or something?"

Raven looked at Kiara and frowned. Was this noble lady really so innocent? In Raven's mind, Kiara was always the prim and proper knight, because when Kiara rejoined the hero party, Kiara was already distanced from the hero. Had she been a member of the party since the very first day, she would've seen Kiara's failed attempts to seduce the hero, and would think differently. 

Hannah, naturally, just thinks of Kiara as an opportunistic noble woman trying to take advantage of the hero, and so tries her best to get in Kiara's way. Hannah once said to Aman, privately, "Aman, this woman wouldn't even give you a sliver of attention if you were not the hero. She doesn't like you. She only wants your hero status." Aman, back then, just ignored it. Kiara was beautiful, so Aman didn't really care why he was receiving attention, even if he was still laser focused on the demons. 

Raven decided to go slightly more offensive. "What if he asks you to do something- sexual? Something lewd?"

Kiara paused and stared at Raven. Kiara's mind spun, immediately wondering why Raven went with that angle. Her first instinct was that Raven somehow overheard her conversation with the Count. She decided to play it innocent, but she was already on guard. "No way. It'll be something about finances." 

"-really?"

"Yeah."

"But what if?" Raven pushed. 

"-if that happens-" Kiara thought, her mind trying to decide what was the better answer. It could just be a hypothetical question. "-I suppose I'll do what I have to do."

Raven face paled. "No. You can't, okay? Tell me and I'll shoot a few arrows in his head!"

Kiara laughed, trying to play along. "That'll be amusing, but I think there are a lot of horrible, horrible people out there in the world. The Count's hardly the worse."

But Raven decided she needed to catch the Count before anything happened.

***

On the third day of their journey, they arrived at the swamps. The roads repaired, and the guard stations were still under construction. The soldiers saluted them as they approached. A few of the soldiers even recognised Sofia.

"Commander Sofia! You're back!"

Sofia smiled at them. "Hey there. Everything alright?"

"Yeah. It's alright, so far. We spotted some trolls but they didn't attack. We're not sure what they are up to, actually."

Sofia looked at Wynn. "We're actually here to help. Mage Wynn will help restore the old defensive enchantments and lighting enchantments along the various guard posts, right?"

Wynn nodded, albeit reluctantly. The hero party rested, while Wynn soon toiled at the various magical enchantments for two full days. 

***

Wynn and Kiara were the last one to sleep that night. They were camped at one of the final guard posts along the bridges to Northengard. Northengard was just a day away from the final guard post. 

Kiara nodded at the mage. "You've worked hard, Wynn. A pity we don't have more mages in the party."

Wynn shrugged, denying her resentment. "It's a small matter. Besides, dragonling mages are better at enchantments than human mages. The fact that they decayed so quickly was because they were so poorly made in the first place!"

Kiara laughed. "True. Sloppy work is everywhere."

"Humans are generally sloppy." 

The knight laughed. "I suppose so. We are not so detailed like the elves, or the dwarves."

Wynn agreed. "Those races at least have some respect for the details of magic. Humans just treat magic like a tool, and they don't even use it properly."

"Well- we have short lives." The Knight answered. "We can't be studying magic for decades."

"Humans have short lives." Wynn answered. "But you won't."

That made Kiara pause. "I won't?"

"We won't. Those blessed by the goddesses' will remain youthful and young for far longer than the mere mortals."

"-really?" Kiara didn't know that at all. "Wouldn't that- wouldn't the temple dislike that? They've always said that mortals cannot live forever."

"You're not living forever. Just longer, and better." Wynn answered. 

"Why don't people talk about it?"

"How many of us are blessed?" Wynn answered. "Some of us don't even know. How many more would know that the goddesses' blessing would grant us youth and beauty?"

Kiara stared. "-I see. Do- do you think we'll lose our blessings after this is all over?"

Wynn shook her head. "No one knows, but I don't think so." 

The dragonling adjusted herself closer, and then, whispered.

"Are you interested in the hero, Kiara?"

Kiara paused, and then had a long sigh. "I was."

"Was." Wynn repeated. "Is there someone else on your mind?"

Kiara's mind immediately went back to Edmund. A part of her recoiled a little that the first thought in her head was Edmund. "-maybe." 

"Would you consider a woman as your companion?" Wynn asked. 

Kiara laughed, unaware of Wynn's intent. "Not as a companion, but I suppose- I suppose I do lack a sister in my life." 

Wynn twirled her hair. "I see."