Miraculous; the only word Olpi could think of to define Elero’s near-recovery. The cape, which had shared a flash of radiant light with Elero’s back, lay lifelessly on her shoulders. Elero breathed easier.

Olpi inspected the wound again, and let out a defeated sigh. ‘Of course it’s not that easy,’ she thought. ‘Whatever that flash was, it was too weak. She still needs a fire.’

Almost as if on cue, a pair of heavy footsteps caught her attention. “Don’t worry Elero,” Olpi exclaimed. “The wait is over.”

She scrambled up the ladder, shoved the shield out of the way, and peered through the branches. Her smile faded. The man stomping around the snow was familiar, but he wasn’t Frey. If she recalled correctly, his name was Owen.

Owen trudged through the snow with only a hefty bag on his back, donning only a thin set of short-sleeved rags to cover his chubby body. He knelt down to examine the group’s tracks, unaware of Olpi’s presence.

‘Is he crazy,’ Olpi thought. ‘I know he must care about his family but he’s a chef and this is monster infested woods!’

Just as she was about to step out and wave to him, a hand wrapped around her mouth. Her feet left the ground as she was pulled back, and back down into the shelter. She fought against the grip but it was ironclad. She didn’t have the time to cast a spell. Her back hit a wall, and she came face to face with it.

The hand slid off Olpi’s mouth. “Elero?” she gasped.

A pitch black hole sat within a blue sea, which seemed to stare right through Olpi. Elero’s eyes were unblinking. Radiant, as if possessed. Her mouth stretched open, then a garbled voice spat out two words: “Thank you.”

“For what?” Olpi asked. Elero’s surge of strength faded, and she collapsed into Olpi’s arms, limp. “This day keeps getting weirder and weirder.” She laid Elero back down and grabbed the cape.

Just as the cape fluttered back onto Elero’s shoulders, a man tumbled down into the shelter; Owen.

“Are you ok?” Olpi asked as she rushed over to help him stand.

Owen accepted her help with thanks. “Yeah, it just surprised me. I didn’t expect a hole to be under this.” He displayed the shield which had covered the entrance.

“Sorry,” Olpi apologized, a force of habit. “You sure you’re ok? That wasn’t a short fall.”

“I’m tougher than I look,” Owen maintained. He reached over to his bag and, after confirming it was still safe and on his back, let the tension fade from his shoulders.

Olpi stepped back and looked him up and down. Fat covered his body, but hidden beneath were hints of muscle. “Good thing too, or that would have really hurt.”

Owen scanned the surroundings, including Olpi. “I am sorry. I do not know your name. Oh, and I also apologize for barging into…your home?”

Olpi glanced at the countless weapons within the ramshackle shelter and chuckled. “No. No. Goddess no, this is not my home.”

Owen took a large step forward and thrusted a hand out towards her, which Olpi just stared at. “Owen.”

“O-oh,” Olpi hesitated, caught off guard. She hadn’t shaken hands with anyone before, and wondered if the firmness of his grip was a good thing. “I’m Olpi.” 

“Olpi, I’ll remember that.” Owen nodded. His eyes explored the room; the weapons, the symbols upon them, and the capes along the woodpile. He lingered on the cape, and narrowed his gaze. “What exactly is this place, if not a home?” 

“F-frankly,” Olpi hesitated. “I-I can’t say.” Frey was angry enough for violating his privacy. She was hungry to know about people, as were all Demis back at the academy, but she was not a blabbermouth.

“Oh well,” Owen shrugged. He turned to leave, but paused. “Were you traveling with Frey by any chance? I also could have sworn I saw him leaving with another girl as well.”

“What of it?” Olpi asked, glancing at the cape. ‘I don’t even know what’s going on with her, but he might be in danger if he stays.’

Owen turned his back to the entrance. “I meant nothing by it. I was just surprised that a young girl like yourself would travel with him when you’re…not knightly. Is that why he left you behind?” He stepped away from the entrance and the light, which dipped into the shelter, slid off his thick bag.

Olpi made room for him to join her by the firepit. “I can fight, just not with my hands.”

Owen slid his hands against the dirt walls as he walked along the exterior. “A magic user? I’ve never met one before.”

“I was surprised that you came all this way through the woods. You are just a chef, right?”

“Just a chef,” Owen huffed. “I have been in service to the Virility family for years now, despite recent events…” He stopped in his tracks.

“Let’s talk about outside,” Olpi suggested. She fought the urge to check on Elero. Owen was within arms reach of the cape before Olpi knew it, and it made her queasy. If only Frey would come back with the firewood.

Owen didn’t hear Olpi, or he chose to ignore her. He plopped down. “With all this Fracture business, people were already in a panic. Now that lord has been poisoned, everyone is pointing fingers at the people around the food. I just want to live without people poking into the life of myself or my family. If I continue to be a chef, I would have just gotten even more of that. I can’t take much more, or I might snap.” He laughed.

“Are there supplies in your bag?”

Owen nodded. “Why the random question?”

“Aren’t you cold?”

“A tad bit, but I’m fine. I may not have to wear much, but that’s because I have this to compensate.” Owen patted the fat on his arms.

Olpi eyed Owen’s bag with a growing smile. “It’s ok. You don’t have to act tough. It’s ok if you’re cold.”

Owen finally broke his gaze away from the cape, and set it on Olpi. His lips quivered, alternating between a frown and a smile. It ended with a smile. He threw his hands up: “Yup, you caught me.”

“So, are you going to light the firewood?” Olpi insisted.

“Maybe after Frey returns,” Owen said. “Wouldn’t want to leave him out. The poor guy is already missing his nephew and sister. I wouldn’t want him to miss a warm welcome after coming back without them.”

“Without them?”

“Well, let’s be honest,” Owen explained. “They’re probably dead. No one disappears into monster infested woods for a week and returns. I accepted their deaths and moved on in peace, but Frey was stubborn. He just had to come out here to see for himself.” He took off his bag and set it in the corner furthest from Olpi. When he turned back, he had a broad smile on his face. “Frey is going to come back here, yes?”

Olpi narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, he’s coming back with more firewood, so you wouldn’t be leaving him out.”

“Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing.”