“Gavoli, why must you always use my ink, quills and parchment without asking?” Caste demanded, followed by Judd who held the flap open for Emeri who had a basket of bread and roast meat in her arms and a pouch of wine on her hip.


    “Because you never say yes.”


    “Because you never ask.”


    Giordi looked up. “May I use your ink, quills and parchment?”


    Caste folded his arms. “No!”


    Giordi threw up his hands and Caste rescued the ink well before the minstrel kicked it over, scraping back his belongings, muttering to himself.


    “It’s like having children.” Judd lamented. “Do I have to bang your heads together?”


    Caste and Giordi looked at Judd in disbelief…and a little fear.


    “Oh please do.” Verne chuckled.


    “It’s what my mother always said to my brothers and I.” Judd took off his cloak and boots, putting the latter out of the tent.


    “Back so soon from the table of Elk and Bear?” Verne sat up. “I’m surprised you’re not halfway through a barrel of ale and half a pig.”


    “Actually, they told Caste and I to go to bed.” Judd sat down, forming a vague circle with the others in the tent. “After we ate half a pig and drank far too much ale.” He looked around. “Suvau and Yolana not here?”


    “I was the first to arrive and it was empty.” Giordi said, shuffling across to make room for Emeri to sit after she set the food and wine in the centre of the circle, forcing Caste to move over, grumbling as he did so.


    “They must have found somewhere else to…you know.” Emeri shrugged.


    “Know what?” Caste asked and three cushions flew at him. “What!”


    “From the looks my mother was giving my father,” Emeri said, trying another tactful line, “they will be ‘lying together’ in the most literal sense as translated from ancient Terra texts.”


    As Caste’s face flamed into bloom and Giordi raised his eyebrows at him.


    “That’s the passage that comes before the genealogy, you know, who begat who?”


    “I know what it means.” Caste growled with gritted teeth.


    “Anyway,” Judd called, bringing attention back to him, “I was hoping they would be here but in truth…they don’t need to be.”


    “Care to elaborate?” Verne asked, pouring the wine into a bowl then dipping some bread into it.


    “Well,” Judd leaned forward, “I know we only just arrived and I’m not thinking about leaving tomorrow, but…”


    “You want to discuss your return to Astaril in order to receive your knighthood.” Aalis said softly.


    “Are you really so eager to do so?” Giordi couldn’t get the ink smears off his hands so stopped trying. “I mean, we’ve met a few by now. You really want to be one of them?”


    “I don’t want to be one like them,” Judd shook his head, “but I need to be a knight, on equal standing, with them…in order to stand against them.”


    “You’re talking about challenging Donimede’s use of Mauls as slaves?” Emeri breathed, her voice filled with tentative hope.


    “That’s where I would start,” Judd nodded, “my ultimate goal would see your people being recognised as people and not…”


    “Sub-humans, lower class humans…Maul people.” Caste rattled off.


    “Will that be the boon you ask for?”


    “Boon?” Verne looked at Emeri. “What boon?”


    “A newly appointed knight is offered a boon,” Emeri explained, “since the time of Andigre, it has been the tradition of the king to offer anything the knight requests, up to half his kingdom.”


    “Not that any of you listen to the voice of reason,” Caste spoke up, “but Judd won’t be able to overthrow the dictates of the Order of the Grail in regards to the people of Maul with his boon. It’s not reasonable.”


    “Sounds like it would be less than half of Rocheveron’s kingdom.” Giordi shrugged, sucking his fingers free of meat juice and ink.


    “It’s not possible.” Caste argued. “The ‘half the kingdom’ traditional offer is never to be taken seriously. Any knight who requested it would probably find himself on the executioner’s block.”


    “Nothing ventured…”


    “No headless nights…” Verne finished Giordi’s sing-song voice.


    “The boon is usually a personal request, for a preferred fort appointment or marriage to an appropriate noblewoman.”


    “Why would that be necessary to request to be a boon?” Emeri asked. “I thought knights could only marry noblewomen.”


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    “Most knights, despite the nobility of their name, are quite poor.” Judd explained. “Knights who request the boon of marriage are usually asking for the equivalent of a dowry or income…without coming out and actually saying, I need some coin to set my future wife up in the manner to which she has become accustomed.” He waved his hands. “We’re getting off track.”


    “Judd,” Aalis said quietly, “what is it you set out to do on this quest?”


    He swallowed. “I wanted to become a knight. I want to be a good knight and do all the things I can to stand up for those who suffer injustice and cruelty and stupidity…but first I need that knighthood so that the people in power will hear me when I speak.”


    “And you have more than earned it.” Giordi said firmly. “Then, I guess, the only real question is…when do we leave?”


    “Before when,” Judd looked around at them all, “I want to talk about who. Caste, of course, will travel to Astaril with me.”


    “Which has less to do with the knighthood and more to do with returning to his beloved Order of the Grail.” Verne remarked and Caste lifted his chin.


    “I made no pretence about the end goal of my being on this quest. I will fulfil my requirements according to my appointment and we will go our separate ways.”


    “I understand that completely.” Judd nodded. “So, Caste is coming with me as well as Aalis as I made a promise to escort her back to the village she came from.” Though he was speaking about her, no one could miss the fact that Judd would not look at her. “After that…given everything you have all been through…I didn’t want to assume you would want to make the journey.”


    “Thank you for your consideration, but I’ll be by your side to the end.” Suvau announced, pushing his large form through the flap, drawing Yolana behind him, their fingers entwined and the cohesion in the atmosphere between them so close that it was impossible to notice where one person ended and the other began. “I apologise for our delay. We were…”


    “I know!” Caste yelped before they could continue.


    Suvau blinked at the cleric, sitting next to his wife as everyone made space for them.


    “The reason for your tardy arrival has been well and truly covered.” Giordi explained in an exaggerated whisper and Suvau nodded then turned to Judd.


    “No.”


    Suvau started at Judd’s blunt tone. “No?”


    “No.” Judd shook his head.


    “I made a vow…”


    “Suvau,” Judd stopped him, “I appreciate your vow and the stubbornness to see it through. But after the torment you suffered in Mavour, the whipping and fighting monsters with your bare hands…” He stopped when Suvau gestured at him to stop talking, Yolana’s eyes wide with horror and Emeri’s fingers over her mouth. “Oh…right…you haven’t told them yet…” Judd cleared his throat. “Look…there is a time and a place to recognise that you have fulfilled your vow. You were instrumental in helping me find and kill that minotaur. You have done what you set out to do.”


    “I vowed I would stand by your side until you claimed your knighthood,” Suvau argued then paused, “unless you do not wish me to be by your side in Astaril…”


    “Which we understand.” Yolana added.


    “I would gladly have your husband with me,” Judd insisted and as Caste began to protest he held up his hand to silence him, “and damn the narrow minded people who would judge us poorly because of it. But Astaril is a long way from here and I plan to head east first, to Fort Bastil where Oster Agress is, then northward to Fort Faine and make sure the farmers are being treated well by Sir Jesa and from there we have a straight shot to Aalis’ village then west to Astaril.” He winced as he looked between them. “You have already suffered absences from each other. I don’t want to be the reason you endure another one.”


    Suvau licked his lips and paused, looking between his wife and his daughter. “Would you allow me time to talk it over with my family?” He asked gently.


    “Tomorrow is all I can give you.”


    “And whatever I decide?”


    Judd nodded, pressing his lips together. “Suvau, in my mind you are a human being with a right to make your own decisions. I am not your master and will accept your decision.”


    The mood was quiet afterwards, Yolana and Emeri both huddling close to Suvau as though sensing they might lose him again and everyone feeling the weight of the undecided decision.


    “So,” Judd cleared his throat, “Verne and Giordi?”


    “Well, of course I’ll go with you.” Giordi declared. “I need an ending to my epic lyrical masterpiece of Judd LaMogre.”


    “You just want to go to Astaril and find your mystery woman.” Judd teased. “Lydia Boris?”


    “Lyla Borelia.” Giordi correct curtly.


    “Borelia…” Aalis and Verne looked nervously at Caste who mulled the word over, his brow creased in thoughtfulness. “Borelia…nobility in Astaril?” Giordi nodded and Caste snorted. “Good fortune with that.”


    “For your edification and information, she already kissed me.” Giordi retorted.


    “I have heard of noblemen and women ‘slumming’ it before…” Caste danced his fingers in front of Giordi’s face.


    “Before they get into a hissy slapping fight,” Verne rolled his eyes, “I’m going with you too but I have to ask, what about the Mauls? I don’t feel right abandoning them.”


    “That was part of the reason our talk,” Judd clicked his fingers at Caste and Giordi, breaking up their silent fight as he gained his cleric’s attention, “with Elk and Bear went so long. They have offered to share their nomadic life with the Mauls.”


    “Truly? Both of them?”


    “Yes,” Judd nodded, taking some meat dipped in wine, “Elk was more than happy to have all the Mauls stay with him but his people trade with Mavour and stick to the western prairies. He admitted it wasn’t safe. But Chief Bear’s clan suffered several able bodied losses when the unicorns stampeded the palisade. There’s space within his clan, they live on the steppelands for three quarters of the year and while they trade with Fort Bastil and Omra, only envoys go, not the whole tribe.” Judd turned to Suvau. “I know there’s a language barrier and some of your people might want to return to Omra…”


    “Not when there’s even the remotest possibility of being recaptured and sent back to Mavour.” Suvau said firmly. “Besides, if any did, it might start questions about where the escapees really went and that could land the nomads in trouble.”


    “If envoys travel to Omra, word might be able to be given to the families of the Mauls we rescued,” Yolana looked at Emeri who nodded, “to give them some peace.”


    “I will speak with my people about the offer from Chief Bear,” Suvau promised, “the nomad clans will not separate for another two or even three months so they will have time to recover and consider their options. And should I accompany you to Astaril, the round journey would take a month perhaps. I would be back well before the clans split.”


    “Even if Judd stays in Astaril, I’ll be free to accompany you back down here.” Verne offered and Suvau nodded his thanks.


    “You don’t want to stay in Fort Faine with your people?” Caste asked, surprised.


    “I joined them as I did you. I have no family.” Verne said lightly and Aalis’ brow furrowed. “I like these nomads and I doubt the glamour of Astaril has anything in it to tempt me to stay.”


    “Maybe Lyla Borelia has a friend she can introduce you to?” Giordi teased.


    “Maybe you need to lay off the wine.” Verne groused.


    “So,” Judd said loudly and all eyes turned back to him, “the day after tomorrow is when we leave. If you’re coming, have all your belongings packed and ready to go.” Everyone nodded or acknowledged his words. “Then, without further talk…I am going to go to bed.”


    The last piece of bread soaked up the last dribble of wine in the bowl and the last piece of meat was devoured as they settled into making their sleeping spaces. Aalis lay down on her side, a fur covering her, her head resting on the crook of her arm. She could see Judd from her position, rolled the same was she was facing so that all she could see was his back.


    “Could someone blow out the lamp?”


    Aalis sat up and extinguished it with a single breath and the tent plunged into slumber.