Finally alone with her thoughts in a private chamber, Cecilia paced anxiously, chewing her thumb. She was trying to plot out what to tell everyone upon returning. They would want to know what she learned and Cecilia already knew she was a poor liar.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Hesitantly, Antoine poked his head in after Cecilia allowed him entrance. He held out a set of clothes for Cecilia and smiled.

“These should be a bit warmer to travel in,” he said with a small cough.

Cecilia accepted the clothes and held them against her chest, muttering a soft thanks.

“Do you mind if we talk a little?” Antoine ask.

Cecilia paused for a moment, observing Antoine. He was different now than how she remembered him a few days ago. She almost wished he would do something obnoxious to upset her. His expression was so severe and serious, it did not fit him. She held the clothes tighter against herself.

“I apologize. You must be tired and you should rest. It will be a long ride tomorrow,” Antoine said after Cecilia’s long pause. He began to leave.

“Wait,” Cecilia exclaimed softly. “Don’t go. We can talk.”

Antoine shivered a little. The tone of her voice was not what he expected to hear. Cecilia was always so rough and unlady-like when she spoke. He almost hated seeing her so vulnerable and defenseless. And to think it was Aidern that made her like this, boiled his blood. He would make that elf pay.

He moved carefully, trying not to seem threatening and took a seat across from Cecilia.

“Where are we going?” Cecilia asked.

“We will be traveling to Twynd to meet up with Brianna, my brother, and Lucifer and his family,” Antoine answered.

Cecilia nodded, “What do you want to know?”

Antoine pressed his palms together and tapped his nose.

“I want to know what Aidern’s plans are or any information about Ignac’s actions.”

Cecilia glanced at her feet and bit her lip.

“He…he told me a bit about Ferrium. It’s in Telras for repairs. It will be several days before it can be properly used.”

“Ferrium! Is it broken? Perhaps we could sabotage it.”

“No. It’s not broken. It was sabotaged when it was first built by Lucior and Pravignon. We already have the advantage.”

Antoine rubbed his chin, “What can we do?”

“Lucifer may have a better plan. He was involved in the first war with the Dragon.”

“Did Aidern tell you anything about attack targets?”

Cecilia shook her head, “Only the High General knows that and Aidern’s plans for Ferrium are different. Aidern is interested in overthrowing his own father.”

Antoine raised an eyebrow. Cecilia clamped her mouth shut before she said too much.

“He still seems pretty keen on destroying Pravignon despite his intentions,” Antoine commented.

Cecilia remained silent.

“I’m getting tired,” she said after a long pause.

Antoine nodded, “Sorry. And thank you. I promise I won’t let anyone else bother you about this. I don’t want you to live through those memories more than you have to.”

Cecilia turned pink and hugged the clothes closer. Antoine shut the door behind him leaving Cecilia once more. She released a long breath of relief. Antoine could tell Lucifer what she told him. She did not have to dream up a lie. Cecilia changed into the clothes Antoine provided. They were the clothes of a young squire and were much warmer than the scant dress she had worn before.

Finally feeling exhausted, Cecilia collapsed onto the cot and fell asleep.

The next day, Cecilia was outfitted with her own mount with which to travel. Antoine had passed on Cecilia’s information to the commanding officer. The news would spread quickly throughout Pravignon which gave them time to prepare. Antoine was smiling again but it was not the goofy grin which Cecilia had come to know. It was a grim smile, like one who had won a sure victory over a foe.

They traveled onwards towards their destination, which had changed during the course of the night. Antoine explained that it might be best to join his father in Pravignon’s castle. Sebastien and the others would surely meet them there. Cecilia had no argument, her thoughts were scattered to all corners of the globe.

She kept her eyes on her hands holding the horse’s reins. Wondering to herself, what she was going to do next. It was certain that Ferrium would eventually attack Pravignon, but how many targets would there be before Pravignon? Would Aidern contact her somehow? She wanted to speak with Lucifer he had important information about that elf-stone. The plan she had concocted with Aidern was in need of some serious revision. There were too many dead-ends right now. The stone was the key element.

Antoine was growing uncomfortable with this silence. He could not think of anything proper to say to Cecilia, but then again, he had not expected her to have been ravaged by the Prince of Ignac. Nali had confidence that Cecilia was relatively safe, unless she was some part of a complex plot. Antoine growled to himself. He was never any good at figuring schemes, especially from women. Maybe it was a bad idea to have left her behind. However, Silvia and Lucifer both seemed to have trusted her. Could she have fooled the both of them? It was becoming far too much for him to think about right now. He needed a distraction. He growled and spurred his horse into a flat out run.
Cecilia yelped when her horse suddenly lurched forward after Antoine’s. She panicked for a moment fearing she would fall off. Seizing the reins tightly, she wheeled her horse into small circles until it had no choice but to slow down. Antoine halted his mount and shouted his apologies.
She glowered at him when he approached, “What were you thinking?”

“Sorry, I was getting antsy. I’ve been wondering about Nali. I feel like she may be working for Aidern.”

Cecilia sighed hotly, “Well, she is…in a way…they are disjointed. Their goal is the same but their method is different. Most likely she is trying to protect you”.

“How do you know that? She told me you’d be safe.”

“I was safe. I was hidden. Now that I’m out in the open I could be in danger.”

“Was that worth the price?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Antoine’s face went red, “I mean…you were…ah…his mistress against your will”.

Cecilia blinked dumbly. She had forgotten that Antoine still thought that. It was such a nice way to put it too. To Antoine’s surprise, Cecilia laughed.

“He did no such thing. I was a guest of honor in his house. He protected me however he saw fit for the moment. There is no taint to my honor.”

“But…wait a minute…back at the villa. You said he…”

“I lied,” Cecilia replied bluntly. “I thought you were going to rough me until you got what you wanted so I faked it.”

Antoine felt both relieved and furious that she would take advantage like that.

“You pretended the whole time…just so you could get your way?”

“You just seemed more willing to protect me. I’m just the Viper to you otherwise,” Cecilia accused and trotted on ahead.

Antoine urged his horse to follow closely.

“I can see you have not lost your bite,” Antoine snapped, trying to hide the relief in his voice.

Cecilia smirked in reply.

“Still, why go with Aidern anyway?”

“Why not? He offered me pain relievers for my aches and left me with some questions that Lucifer would never be able to answer honestly. It was certainly not my best choice but I did choose to go with him to discover what I could. Aidern was very honest and did not withhold information from me. Not to mention he gave me a lovely place to stay and good company.”

Antoine snorted and rolled his eyes, “So you were happy to be his mistress I see.”

“How dare you,” Cecilia snarled viciously. She spurred her horse into a run, although she did not know where they were going. Antoine kept on her. He herded her horse back onto the road and slowed it down. Cecilia kept her eyes away from Antoine.

“Get away from me, asshole. Leave me alone,” she demanded.

“Cecilia, stop it! Why do you always do this to me?”

“You don’t like me and I don’t like you! Plain and simple.”

Antoine did not like Cecilia, but he was hesitant to agree with her when she had her fangs bared.

“Despite my dislike, I still came to rescue you and protect you,” Antoine claimed, hoping that this would turn the conversation to his favor.

“Accusing me of frolicking with an elf is protection I could do without. I am not like you snogging bar mistresses and God knows who else.”

“That’s just rude.”

“Isn’t it? I have feelings too,” Cecilia snapped. She was starting to cry she was so furious. “You wouldn’t have come for me on your own. I know it. You would not have come unless someone made you or for the sake of your country. You only treated me with a hint of kindness when you thought I was vulnerable.”

“If you didn’t bite so often maybe I would not be so hesitant to approach,” Antoine replied without feeling. “You have never once given me a reason to help you. You only bite and bark.”

Antoine went on ahead leaving Cecilia in a state of shock. How could he say such awful things? He was such a cad! Yet why did she believe what he said? Cecilia bit on her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. She was too proud to admit Antoine might be right. She was cruel to him. It was a tribute to his honor and dignity that he had come for her. She began to wonder if it was too late for her. She had always been like that. She thought she was protecting herself. Perhaps she had only been hurting herself all along. Cecilia began to feel a deep sorrow and guilt for a wasted past. She wanted to go home more than ever.

“It will take us another day to reach my home,” Antoine announced when evening fell. “There’s a little settlement nearby where we can take shelter.”

Cecilia nodded apathetically. Antoine could think of nothing else to say so he pressed onwards. He felt only slightly guilty for upsetting her. He did not think she would take it to heart, but at least she did.

By the time they reached the settlement it was empty. Doors were open but there was no one to be found. Antoine grew uneasy, but there was nothing to be done now. Cecilia looked ill, although she did not complain.

Antoine dismounted and motioned for Cecilia to stay put. He entered a house and came back out with a perplexed expression.

“This village has been abandoned recently,” he mentioned.

“So what are we going to do?”

Antoine sighed and rubbed his head. There had to be a reason why this settlement was empty.

“Do you think it was an attack?”

“It couldn’t be,” Antoine replied. “Nothing has been looted and there is no damage.”

“Could it have been an evacuation?”

“Possibly. If that’s the case I wonder why.”

“Are we going to stay here or not?” Cecilia muttered somewhat impatiently.

Antoine shrugged, “I suppose there’s no harm. Let’s find a stable for the horses and snag some leftovers to eat.”

Cecilia complied as she tried to figure all the reasons why a village would be evacuated on short notice. Natural disaster was out. Disease? Perhaps there was a warning of an impending attack.

“Antoine, how far is your home from here?”

“Several miles. Another half day’s ride from here.”

Cecilia nodded.

They found suitable shelter in an abandoned home near the stable. Cecilia took what food she wanted and locked herself in a room. She wanted to be alone. For the time being, Antoine gave her some space. After eating, he took a walk outside as night settled. There was a low rumbling of a storm off in the distance. Antoine scowled and hoped it would not rain. Muddy trails would make travel difficult and he was certain that Cecilia would be opposed to traveling in the rain.

Antoine ruffled his own hair and growled. This whole rescue was one huge disaster. What was his brother doing now? What had he been up to with Brianna while he had been running through all of Pravignon with the Viper? This adventure would not change Brianna’s mind or feelings. It was all in vain. Chivalry was not a satisfying reason for this suffering. As a knight, it was his sworn duty, but that hardly made things easier.

“I suppose then some of my debt to her is repaid,” he sighed. There was some amount of comfort in that. If anything, he was free from his debt to the Viper.

“God, Antoine she has a name,” he scolded himself. He vaguely recalled times when Cecilia had shown kindness or resourcefulness. She was certainly an asset back at Mount Carmel. Even now, she held information about the enemy.

Antoine snapped his fingers as he realized something. Now that he knew Cecilia had not been abused, he could fish more information from her. He just needed to be persuasive. The problem was how to do that with Cecilia. She was stubborn and violent, although, at the moment she was probably emotionally weak.

Cecilia heard Antoine’s heavy footfalls long before he knocked on her door.

“What do you want?” she demanded gruffly.

“Are you going to be civilized? I am just checking to see if you are all right,” Antoine replied through the door.

Cecilia sighed and unbolted the door, “I’m fine. You don’t have to bother about me, I can take care of myself.”

“You have been terribly high strung. And I don’t know if you’ve looked at yourself recently?”

“What are you saying?” Cecilia snapped. “What’s wrong with how I look?”

“Calm down, you’re getting worked up over nothing. You look haggard.”

“Haggard? I look haggard you say?”

“Cecilia, stop it. You’re making yourself sick.”

“Why did you come in here? What do you want?”

“You know, it’s amazing that anyone tolerates you. Why don’t you just “chill” for a moment. What is it that you have against me anyway?”

Cecilia sat down on a cot and stared hotly at Antoine, but said nothing. She was not in the mood for this. Antoine had a smiling glint in his eye that she did not trust. He was scheming something, she could tell. Usually she had a hard time reading people but she was certain that Antoine had ulterior motives.

“Are you not going to talk to me now?”

“If you can’t say something nice,” Cecilia replied.

Antoine scoffed and tried a different angle.

“So you do have something against me, don’t you?”

“You know…it’s amazing your brother puts up with you,” Cecilia shot back.

Antoine growled, “Leave my brother out of this.”

“They’re waiting for us in Pravignon, aren’t they?” Cecilia asked.

“They will meet us there. Seb and Brianna were in Twynd with Lucifer.”

“Well, I will need my strength for tomorrow. Please leave, so I can get some sleep,” Cecilia wearily ordered.

“You are sleeping now?”

“You said yourself that I looked haggard. Logically the best thing for me to do is to stop arguing pointlessly with you and go to bed. Wouldn’t you agree, Sir Antoine?”

Antoine sighed in defeat. That mischievous glint left his eyes. Cecilia smirked victoriously as if she had seen through his plot. Hopefully there would be time tomorrow.

“Very well. I will rouse you in the morning…early.”

“Good night then, Antoine.”

“Good night…Cecilia.”

“He is so intolerable,” Cecilia grumbled, fluffing roll of blanket on the cot. She did not feel so enthused about tomorrow’s journey.

It was not Antoine that woke Cecilia from sleep but a loud crash and the snapping of flames. Immediately, she looked out the window to see most of the village in flames. Without much thought, Cecilia pulled on some shoes and jacket before running out the door.

The door to Antoine’s room was ajar already. Why had he not awakened her? There wasn’t time to fume about it. Cecilia escaped the hut moments before it caught fire as well. The horses were missing and there was a distinct sound of shouting nearby. There wasn’t much to think about now, there was only instinct. Cecilia followed the main road through the village that was now growing thick with smoke and fumes. She kept her sleeve over her mouth and nose trying not to breathe too much.

The heat was increasing and making her eyes water. She could see the gates just ahead, but they were closed and set aflame. It figures they’d make a gate out of wood, Cecilia scoffed to herself. There would be no other exits now. Cecilia kept herself calm. It wouldn’t burn forever and eventually it would crumble.

Cecilia coughed and choked a bit. The fumes were irritating her throat. She dropped to her knees to see if it would bring any relief.

All it did was clear her vision a bit. Antoine was collapsed near the gates, dangerously close to the flames. Groaning to herself, Cecilia started crawling closer to him. She managed to pull him a safe distance from the flaming gate. Moments later it finally collapsed.

“My dear, it has been too long since we last met.”

Cecilia’s eyes shot upward to meet a familiar golden stare.

Aidern smirked down at her, “You are hardy at least. I was a bit concerned.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Not here, not now. Come quickly. Leave him. He won’t be harmed,” Aidern said quickly, seizing Cecilia’s arm.

He dragged her to a group of three horses which she recognized two as the mounts she and Antoine had taken.

“Let go of me! What is the meaning of this?”

“I don’t have time to explain. I was hoping to find you again after you left. But things started moving again. Ferrium has already passed through here and destroyed Pravignon.”

“What? Are we too late then?”

“No…my wife was able to warn Silvia and told me where to find you. Before you left I meant to give you this. Nali found it for me. It’s exactly what we needed.”

“Then this is…the missing piece?”

“That’s right. I’ve told you what you need to do with it. And if things should go wrong, there are some back up weapons to use. Nali also meant to give this to Antoine. We got too excited to remember.”

Aidern handed over a broadsword which Cecilia struggled to hold.

“Silvia should have given Sebastien the other half of the weapons. Wind and Water allied will destroy the dragon. Remember that.”

Aidern swiftly mounted Cecilia’s mount.

“Take Rosey…as a gift for your troubles. I have to catch up with the army. We have gathered to strike down Lucifer’s army and destroy his allies. There’s a bit of trouble with our weapon so there might be some delays. Don’t waste time here. You must move on and find your friends,” Aidern ordered. “Good luck, Cecilia, I am counting on you”.

“Lord Aidern…”

Aidern had spurred the horse onward.

“Thank you…” Cecilia muttered softly.

Her mind whirred with questions she had wanted to ask Aidern. There would be no chance now. Who knows what he risked to stay behind. Cecilia went back to the village now that the fires were dying out. Antoine was still propped against the stone wall where she left him.

“There’s no way I’m going to be able to lift him onto a horse,” she muttered. Cecilia set the sword down and pulled one of the water skins off of the horses. It was fresh and cold. Aidern must have restocked them. After cooling her own throat, she helped Antoine drink. He started coughing which was a relief. His consciousness was returning.

Antoine drank in air once more and looked about himself frantically.

“It’s about time you got up,” Cecilia smirked. “We’d better get a move on.”

“Cecilia! Oh thank God you’re alive. We were attacked. Ignac was here. They stole the horses and sealed us in to burn. That bastard Aidern.”

“Yeah you can whine about him later, now let’s get out of here. Pravignon has already been attacked.”

“What! When? How?”

Cecilia handed the sword to Antoine, “I think that’s why this village was evacuated. The Luciorians must have gotten here in time to warn everyone. But we need to find them before the army does.”

“What’s all this? Cecilia…what do you know?”

“I know how we can stop these battles. Do you know where to find everyone?”

Antoine nodded, “Just give me a minute. I need to catch my breath.”

Cecilia turned to the horses and mounted onto the horse Aidern gave her. Antoine slowly got to his feet and mounted himself. Urging his horse forward he guided Cecilia around the village ruins and back onto the trail. He turned them off the trail and into the woods where there was no road to follow.

“It shouldn’t be too far. The army would have passed it up on the way to Pravignon. This village was my Aunt’s. Her Fortress will be in these woods.”

“With a Flame shooting weapon against us, the woods are a poor choice,” Cecilia commented.

“You’d be surprised where trees grow sometimes. It’s pretty tough to get into a ravine,” Antoine smirked. “You’ll see. Where’d you get this sword by the way?”

“Raided it off this horse. One of the soldiers was waiting outside the walls and I got the best of him. He was probably there to make sure we both didn’t survive.”

Antoine raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Cecilia continued to smirk smugly at her obvious tall-tale.

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