She could barely believe it herself. Intellectually, she had always considered it a possibility that Volgs were real—or had been at some time in the past—but she had never truly believed they were. They were creatures of legend that would never emerge from the stories told about them.


    Yet one had stood before her just a few short minutes ago. It had killed countless people, had tried to kill her and her friends. Would have killed them if not for the arrival of the Isyar.


    “Just picked the inn-keeper up by his chin,” Rudiger said. “You should have seen it. Twisted his neck right round and practically ripped his jaw right off. Then just tossed him aside like he was nothing. I can still barely believe it.”


    People were gathering in the streets behind Jorvanultumn, gaping and prodding at the bloody remains of the Volg or staring at the destruction wrought on the inn. A few approached the Isyar, but a slight shake of his head as he stood up made them keep their distance. He walked into the inn and scanned the room.


    “I’m sorry,” Rudiger said. “Good friends?”


    The huge man came over to her. “What’s the big deal? I know he saved our lives and all, but if he’s got other places to be...”


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    “Almost there. Okay, we’re going to sit down on the edge and Rudiger is going to lift you down.”


    “Felit?a used a spell on you,” Rudiger said. Felit?a’s heart skipped a beat.


    “Oops,” Zandrue said. She put one hand to her forehead and wobbled a little. “Sorry.”


    People were gathering at the main doors, looking into the inn. Only a couple had actually stepped inside though. “Go get help,” Felit?a told them. “Find the Watch. They should have been here by now.” A couple people nodded and ran off.


    “It’s bad. The Volg killed a lot of people before Jorvanultumn arrived. We owe him our lives.”


    “Volg? Oh right.” Zandrue sighed and feelings of discomfort began to ebb from her. “Look, Felit?a, um...”


    When they had passed through the side door and were in the hall that led to both the office and the stables, Zandrue put a hand on Felit?a’s shoulder. “Felit?a?”


    Felit?a looked her in the eyes. “Just something about they’d found you, that it was impossible. It wasn’t very clear.”


    “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”


    She wanted to know, and it wasn’t fair that Zandrue still refused, still didn’t trust her. However, she pushed those thoughts and the anger welling with them aside. “I felt your fear, Zandrue. It’s always been there in the past, but never so...so viscerally. I won’t make you relive that fear if you’re not ready to.” But when would she be ready?


    Zandrue hugged her again. “You know how much you mean to me, right?”


    As they stood there, so close together, a thought came to Felit?a. She turned her head just a little so that her nose was against Zandrue’s cheek, and she sniffed. Zandrue had a smell, of course, though Felit?a was hard-pressed to describe exactly what it was like beyond just body odour. Certainly not something she would remember without repeated exposure, their bodies in close proximity, pressed up against each other...


    “Kind of generalised, but it’s a start, I guess.”