Tales of Cadence/Chapter III

“Here we are!” Grenville exclaimed, clearly relieved to be in the safety of a city again. “Thank goodness we made it all right.”

Raven suppressed a sigh and turned to the farmer. “I’ve brought you safely to Estershore. My work is done.”

Grenville nodded and pulled a pouch from his pocket. He placed it in Raven’s outstretched hand, still grinning. “Thank you both for helping me get here. If I had run into those dragonlings by myself...” he shuddered at the thought.

“It’s not a problem,” Raven continued, briefly touching his arm. The skin was beginning to burn, and he wondered if there was a wound there he had neglected to treat while they made camp the evening before.

“Send Joseph my thanks!” Grenville said before leaving with his carriage. Raven turned to Elsynne, who was admiring the city with wide eyes. He looked at her strangely for a moment, until she turned and saw him staring.

“...What?” she asked nervously, shrinking back beneath Raven’s glare.

 “Nothing. You just seem... I don’t know, you’ve been unusually happy ever since I told that farmer I didn’t believe in Baldur,” he said uneasily.

Elsynne bit her lip and lowered her head again. Raven already knew her answer, so he held up his hand.

“Never mind, I know what you’re going to say. You can’t tell me anything, right?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I don’t believe in Baldur either, you see...”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “You don’t?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, really. The people of this continent are pretty religious,” Raven replied. “I mean, not overly religious, but... Well, you know what I mean.”

She nodded. “I understand. I guess I was surprised, then, when I found out you don’t worship...that god,” she said, emphasizing the last two words.

“What do you mean, ‘that god’? Besides Albasta, there aren’t any other gods.”

Elsynne winced. “We don’t call her that...”

“Wait, ‘we’?”

“Never mind, it’s not important!” she said quickly, shaking her head. “Never mind...”

Raven sighed again, clenching his fists at his sides. “Listen, I have to go to the restaurant meet with Joseph – he’s the guy who gives me all my assignments. Don’t follow me around anymore, okay? I got you all the way from Adair to Estershore, that should be far enough.”

Elsynne looked uncomfortable. “Are there...any cities past here?”

“Not one,” he said quickly. “There are only elven clans on the plains past here. And they don’t take kindly to humans, you know.”

“I see...” Elsynne paused, then said in a low voice, “Please let me come with you, Raven.”

His eyes widened, surprised by her words. “Come...with me? Why?”

She looked up at him, her words pleading. “It’s important! I can’t tell you yet-“

“You can’t just say you’re going to follow someone and then not give them a reason!” Raven said, taking a few steps back. “Listen, I have to go.”

“Raven-“

He turned and ran, still stunned by her proposition. Why did she want to follow him? Was he like some kind of magnet to her?

Raven picked up his pace, not looking back as he ran down the wide streets. He didn’t stop until he felt that he was a good distance away from the city entrance, deep in the dark alleyways of Estershore. He put his hands to his knees, trying to catch his breath after running so far.

Why did Elsynne insist on following him all over Austror? What had he done to catch her interest? His mind was racing as he leaned back against the wall of the alley, putting his hands to his face and groaning. He was tired and hungry; he didn’t feel like sitting and brooding over some girl who had decided to attach herself to him.

Raven stood up again and looked down the alleyway. The brief, narrow passage lead directly to Estershore’s main square. From there, he could walk to the restaurant where he was supposed to meet with Joseph and turn in a portion of his pay. He pulled the bag of gald from his pocket – this was the only time it would be full, since he had a feeling the meal would be paid with his own money.

The main square was brimming with people, mostly farmers like Grenville who were selling their goods from small stands. It reminded Raven of Adair, where the few farmers in the village sold their produce in the small plaza to tourists or business owners without a farm. The smell of cooking meat and fresh food made his stomach growl again and he walked a little faster.

The buildings of the city seemed to tower high over his head, although they were all made from stone and brick. Some were businesses, others were tenant-housing units, and the rest were either abandoned or used for other purposes. The district of the city were people lived was farther away – the area had a sort of ‘exclusive’ feel that Raven detested, as if the middle and upper class families living there felt as if they were higher up than the regular tourists and travelers passing through.

The restaurant he was set to meet Joseph at was close to the city square. Raven would have preferred to meet in a quieter place farther from the public eye, but Joseph had refused to “sit down in a rat hole”. Raven pushed open the heavy door of the store, wincing as a light bell signaled his arrival.

“Raven!” Joseph called from one of the tables in the middle of the room. Raven quickly joined him and sat down, tossing the bag of gald in the middle of the table.

“There, now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Joseph asked, smiling as he took the pouch and counted the gold coins inside. “Ah, very good, very good...”

“Yeah, yeah,” Raven replied, picking up the mug of water that Joseph had shoved across the table. “You’d better have a more exciting job for me this time.”

“Oh, but I heard you had a fairly exciting journey here.”

Raven choked on the water he had been drinking. “Where did you hear that?!”

Joseph winked. “A girl came here looking for you. She was a pretty little thing, but a little odd-looking, you know? White-purple hair, these kind of blue eyes...but she was very nice.”

“Elsynne!” Raven hissed through his teeth.

“She said she traveled with you here,” Joseph said, grinning. “Is there something you’ve been meaning to tell me?...”

“She’s been following me around! It’s not my fault!”

“Calm down, calm down. She obviously meant no harm – she said she was just looking for a companion while she traveled through Austror. She was attacked by bandits on the way to Adair, and apparently a group of dragonlings found the two of you while you were coming to the city.”

“Yeah, but it was nothing. I handled it myself,” Raven said confidently.

Joseph arched an eyebrow. “Oh? She told me you were helped out by a dragon and its Keeper.”

“...*Maybe* the dragon helped. A little,” Raven said quietly, sulking. “Where is she, anyway?”

“Elsynne left to reserve a room at the hotel up a few blocks. She said she’d be back when I told her you were coming.”

“Dammit! Why does this girl insist on stalking me? It’s creepy!” Raven demanded, pounding his fist on the table. Water sloshed over the rim of his mug and spilled on the wood.

“That’s enough,” Joseph said calmly. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to Raven’s frequent temper fits. “You’re not getting anywhere by just yelling.”

“Well, what do you expect me to do? Some random, weird-looking girl comes up to me and starts demanding that I drag her all over the continent with me! What do you-“

Joseph cleared his throat loudly. Raven paused in mid-sentence, following Joseph’s gaze over his shoulder. He muttered a curse under his breath; Elsynne was standing behind him, watching him with sad, muted eyes.

“Ah...uh...” Raven stumbled over his words, uncharacteristically embarrassed.

“You’ll have to forgive him. Raven isn’t too eloquent...or mature,” Joseph said, giving her a composed smile.

“H-Hey!”

Elsynne shook her head. “It’s all right,” she responded in an almost inaudible voice.

Raven didn’t speak for a moment, waiting for her to say more. “...So you’re still going to follow me around?”

Joseph sighed and leaned forward to punch Raven’s shoulder. “That’s enough from you. If you insist on continuing that attitude, I won’t give you your next assignment...or pay for this meal,” he added, watching with satisfaction as Raven’s mouth became a tight line.

“Fine, fine,” Raven grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest sullenly. “I’m sorry.”

“Very good,” Joseph said, then motioned for Elsynne to join them. “People gifted with the healing arts are very, very difficult to come by, Raven. You’d best be thankful that Elsynne is willing to travel with a grouch like you.”

Raven muttered something under his breath and rolled his eyes. Joseph ignored him and pulled a file from his suitcase. “You’re not going to be too happy with this assignment, but I have a feeling that you’re really my only mercenary that will go through with it.”

“You say that every time you give me a job,” Raven complained, leaning back in his chair, “so what is it already?”

“The royal guard of Itona are requesting backup in the kingdom because of the recent influx of dragonlings spotted throughout the countryside. They’re willing to pay a good sum of money for your work, and-“

Raven’s fists were already clenched and his face was set. “No way.”

“Now-“

“I can’t go back there! And you know why!”

“Is it because of your father?” Elsynne asked tentatively.

Raven rounded on her angrily. “There’s more to it than that! If my father was the only problem, I’d have no issue with going back to Itona for a simple job like that!”

Elsynne nodded evenly and fell silent as Raven continued to vent his anger on Joseph. She stared quietly at her folded hands in her lap, quietly brooding over her own situation.

“Don’t you have any other jobs I can take care of?” Raven demanded, finally settling back into his seat. A few patrons of the restaurant watched him cautiously and moved their seats farther away.

“Well,” Joseph shoved the papers back in his suitcase and pulled out a much smaller packet. “The elves from a nearby community are requesting some assistance. The order just came in this morning, actually.” He placed the papers in the middle of the table.

Raven picked them up and skimmed over the elegant, handwritten text. “The Evala clan?” he repeated. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“They’re not a well-known clan in Austror,” Joseph said. “Their issue is only minor – wild monsters have been attacking their community as well as stealing their food supplies. They need an extra hand in fending them off.”

“It sounds boring...”

“Like I said before, you can’t afford to just pass up jobs when it feels convenient.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got gald from the last job!”

“For now, at least. Baldur knows you go through gald quicker than a noble with an unlimited store!”

Raven stared down at his pouch of gold coins; it already looked half-empty even though he hadn’t bought anything yet.

“I know you’ve put your aristocratic life behind you, but you’ve still got royal blood. I’ve seen you spend money like there’s no tomorrow,” Joseph continued despite Raven’s silence. “I used to think that if you only had a limited amount of spending money, you’d eventually stem your habits and get used to living on small change. But I was wrong – you just spend and spend.”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Stop pressuring me into everything,” Raven said, picking up the pouch of gald and the job papers. “I’ll take the damn job.”

“Good! I’ll send word ahead to the clan that you’ll be helping them,” Joseph said, clearly pleased.

“How do you get everything around so fast?” Raven questioned. “I mean, you got here before me, and you’ll apparently have this letter get ahead of me...”

“Oh, you’d be surprised what kind of connections I have.”

“...You know, I’m not even going to ask for the answer to that one.”

Joseph laughed. “You’re best off in the dark, anyway. I’ll be seeing you, Raven. Come back here to Estershore once you’ve completed the job. And take good care of Elsynne, all right?”

“I’m not her damn babysitter!” Raven snapped, grimacing.

“I know, I know. Just don’t get yourself in trouble. You know I don’t trust you.”

“Very funny, old man.”

The conversation began to wind down as Raven started to sulk, keeping his angry eyes focused on the papers Joseph had given him. Elsynne picked nervously at her food, only bothering to take a few small bites of what she had been given. Joseph supplied most of the conversation, although it looked as if he was talking to himself most of the time.

“Where is this Evala clan, anyway?” Raven asked when Joseph finally paused to take a drink. “Out to the south?”

“Yes, yes. It’s a small community, but you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it. But just to be sure, I’ll ask that the clan sends out a few of their men to meet you on the main road.”

“Sure, fine.”

Joseph finally stood, picking up his suitcase. “I’ll send word ahead, Raven. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“I know, I know...”

Joseph gave him a meaningful look and turned to leave. Raven sighed again, putting his head in his hands.

“Uh...” Elsynne spoke nervously, still keeping her eyes downward. “I used some of my money to get a room at the hotel a few blocks away.”

Raven muttered a curse under his breath. “You should’ve told me beforehand so I could find a cheaper place. I don’t have money to flaunt around, you know.”

She avoided his piercing gaze. “I used my own money to rent a room...”

“Oh.” He had to admit, he was surprised. “I see. Thanks, I guess.”

Elsynne didn’t reply. She continued to stare at her hands in her lap. Raven sighed, knowing he would have to get used to these silences if he was still going to travel with her.

“Listen, it’s going to be a while until nightfall, and I doubt we’ll have to get up too early tomorrow to get to the elven clan,” Raven began, trying as best he could to sound cordial. “I’m going to go take a look around the city.”

She looked up, a gentle smile finally gracing her face. “Really?... Is it all right if I join you?”

He shrugged. “Sure, I don’t care. Just don’t slow me down too much,” he warned as he stood up, folding the papers and stuffing them in his pack. Elsynne stood as well, smoothing out her clothing as she followed him out into the city.

Raven felt disconcerted by the tall buildings and masses of people – he definitely preferred the solitude and openness of the plains in favor of the “hustle and bustle” of a city. Elsynne, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease in the busy environment.

“What’s with you?” he asked, frowning at the wide smile on her face.

“I grew up in a city,” she replied, still grinning, “so I feel comfortable here. It reminds me of home...sort of. My home’s actually a lot different than Estershore, to be honest.”

They were walking through the busy city square when a group of people pushed through, separating them.

“Ah! Raven!” Elsynne called out, reaching for his arm. She finally broke through the throng and grabbed his elbow.

Raven suddenly stopped. A strange, burning sensation flared in his arm where her hand touched – it was as if his skin was literally on fire. It began slowly, only a very faint feeling, but quickly burst into intense, searing pain.

“Ow, ow, ow! Let go of me! Let go!” he demanded, pulling his arm away. Her fingers traced down to his wrist, burning wherever they touched. Raven grabbed his arm, squeezing it until the feeling finally began to fade.

“I’m sorry!” Elsynne said, waving her hands as she jumped backwards. “Wh-What happened?”

“My arm...” he murmured, taking his hands away. The skin looked untouched, as if nothing had happened. “I just thought I hurt something...”

“Did I accidentally reopen your wounds?” she asked hesitantly.

“No, I don’t think so,” Raven said, thinking of a way to change the subject. The burning had finally faded into an almost nonexistent stinging on the surface of his skin; he didn’t want to say anything about it to Elsynne in case he was just imaging things.

But why would he imagine his skin being burned where she touched him? He quickly dismissed the idea of telling Joseph – he’d dismiss it as typical teenage hormones acting up, no doubt. Raven knew it wasn’t that. He was absolutely sure; no ‘hormones’ could produce a feeling so real and painful that it felt as if someone had lit a match to the exposed skin on his arm.

*‘Maybe it was nothing...’* he decided. *‘She might look weird, but it’s not like she has some secret power that kills you...’*

“Is something wrong?” Elsynne asked as Raven began to space out. He shook his head quickly.

“No, it’s nothing. But I was going to ask if you wanted to get some kind of weapon since you’ll be traveling. I’m not going to tote around some deadweight across the continent,” he said after a brief pause.

Elsynne nodded eagerly. “All right!... But I don’t have any gald left, I used up the last of what I had to get a place in the hotel...”

Raven sighed, placing a hand on his waist. “I have some money from the last job. Since I’ll be working tomorrow anyway, I can use some of this to buy you a weapon.”

Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Yeah, really,” he replied dryly, his tone sarcastic. “Come on, let’s go to the weapon shop. There’s one around here, in the square.”

Raven paused and instinctively ducked as a group of soldiers moved by. He forced himself to relax when he realized they were only members of Estershore’s small but formidable militia group, a mix of both elves and humans.

“What was that for?” Elsynne asked.

“Just a reflex. Thank the Itonian soldiers for that.”

“Oh...” she said, though her mind was already elsewhere. “Why where there elves and humans in that group of soldiers?”

“Estershore is a sort of ‘borderline’ city,” Raven explained. “It’s like a divide between the human’s territory and the elves’.”

“But I thought there wasn’t a defined territory between the races.”

“There isn’t, but it used to be, back before the civil war,” he said. When Elsynne still looked confused, he sighed and continued. “It was a war between the elves and the humans, but it took place about eight hundred years ago. I doubt that there are any elves alive from that time, that’s how long ago it was.”

“Oh, I see...” she said, although she still appeared to be confused. “So both humans and elves live here?”

He nodded. “That’s right. It’s a great place for trade because it’s between the humans’ and elven towns and communities. It also shows that multiple races can live together peacefully, I guess.”

Elsynne gave a half nod; she still looked puzzled, but Raven didn’t feel like he had the patience to explain anymore.

The small weapon shop was empty, save for several patrons browsing the racks of swords and other weapons. Raven lead Elsynne directly to the stand displaying staves.

“You’re a healer, right? These are really the only things that will come in handy,” he told her.

Elsynne shied away from the pole-arms and picked up a lightweight, off-white staff. “Do you think this would work for me?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Try it out for yourself and see how you like it,” Raven replied, silently inching closer to the swords.

Elsynne held up the staff, experimentally holding it in her hands, testing the weight of the weapon. She could easily heal and execute her limited light magic without the help of a staff, but she knew Raven was right: it would be much easier to defend herself if she had a tangible weapon at her disposal.

“I think I like this one,” she announced, gripping the staff tighter in her hands. “But how will I carry it without it getting in the way?”

Raven looked over his shoulder. He had been looking through swords, debating on whether he should buy a new one or not. “Try strapping it to your back. You can get something for that, I think...” he said absentmindedly.

As it turned out, Elsynne’s weapon used up most of Raven’s pay. He decided to buy himself a new sword after completing his task in the elven clan – besides, why replace the one he had now? Besides the rust, it still worked fairly well. It was almost as sharp as it had been the day he picked it up...almost.

The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, but it was invisible from outside in the square. Tall buildings surrounded them, making Raven feel that creeping sense of claustrophobia again. He suppressed an uncomfortable shiver and turned to Elsynne.

“Now what?” he asked as she adjusted the strap on her shoulder, getting the staff in a position that wouldn’t hinder her movements.

“Oh...I suppose we could go back to the hotel if there’s nothing left you need to take care of.”

For once, Raven had no objections. His limbs felt sore after two days of traveling, and even Elsynne looked exhausted. He had a feeling that she wasn’t accustomed to such strenuous activities.

“I’ll make sure you don’t oversleep again,” she said teasingly, interrupting his reverie.

Raven only glared in response.

The road into Austror’s backcountry wasn’t well worn and, after some traveling, Raven found it difficult to tell which direction he was going in. He had never been in the backcountry before, although he had always had the intention to go because of the vast, open space. Little was known about the southern region of the continent – besides the fact that the elven communities made their homes there – making it all the more alluring to young hunters.

 Elsynne had been almost completely silent the entire walk, save for the few times she had been asked various questions. And, as usual, she refused to answer if the questions had anything to do with her past, her homeland, or her personal life.

“Do you know how far away the clan is?” she asked, obviously trying to switch the topic of conversation.

“No. I’ve never been this far into the continent before,” Raven replied, frustrated. After all, he had told her about his family, his past...not all of it, but the semi-important parts. “Besides, Joseph said some elves would be waiting for us on the main road, remember?”

“But he said that the walk wasn’t too far...”

“By that he meant about half a day’s travel.”

Elsynne sighed deeply.

“...Are you not used to traveling long distances?” Raven asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow. “You’ve been doing pretty well the past few days.”

“It’s not that. I’m sorry,” she said, giving him a quick smile. “I guess I’m still a little tired after the fight against those dragonlings.”

“Where you that badly hurt?”

“Not really,” she absently gripped her upper arm and winced. “It might be something else...”

Raven shrugged again. She was too difficult to figure out. He returned his focus to the road ahead, starting with surprise as he saw several figures in the distance.

“Those must be the elves. We’re almost there,” He said, smirking. “Think you can make it that far?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Raven reached into his pack and produced a red gummy. “This should help,” he offered, ignoring her skeptical look.

“Why will this...sweet help?” Elsynne questioned, taking the gummy in her hands.

“You’ve never had a gel before?” He looked at her incredulously. He remembered giving her a gummy when they first met, but she had been unconscious at the time.

“N-No...”

Raven felt his jaw drop. “They’re a kind of medicine! I thought everyone used them!”

“We use a different kind of medicine for healing where I’m from,” Elsynne replied as she hesitantly ate the gummy. “Our medicine is a lot more potent, I think.”

He rolled his eyes. “You come from a weird place, you know that? No gels, different appearances...”

“That’s not fair! All of you humans look strange to me, too!” she said, uncharacteristically angry and frustrated.

“I know-“ he suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence. “Did you just say ‘you humans’? You’re not an elf because of your ears, so I thought you were human, but...”

“I’m sorry, that was a slip of the tongue,” Elsynne said quickly. “Please, let’s just get to the elven clan. They’re waiting for us up ahead.”

“But-“

Elsynne was already several paces ahead of him. Raven sighed and followed, moving quicker in order to catch up with her.

“Why won’t you answer any of my questions?” he demanded. “Elsynne, what are you hiding?”

She didn’t reply; her eyes were locked on the two elves ahead, waiting for them in the middle of the road.

“I know you don’t want to answer, but if your presence is going to put me in danger, than I can’t have you around me anymore,” Raven said harshly. Elsynne suddenly stopped, turning slowly to meet his eyes.

“Do you mean that?” she asked in an almost inaudible mumble.

Raven spoke quickly now that he had her undivided attention. “You’re obviously hiding an awful lot of information from me. I don’t know why you’re here, where you’re from... I don’t even know what you are,” he added coldly. Elsynne flinched, visibly hurt by his words.

He continued, ignoring her protests now. “If you keep things from me like this, I’m going to have to leave you behind. I hate deadweights and I hate liars.”

“Raven...” he murmured, her eyes downcast again.

“Is everything all right?”

He looked over Elsynne’s shoulder and saw the two elves coming to meet them. Both looked either nervous or agitated – Raven wasn’t able to tell from his vantage point.

“We’re fine,” he replied coolly. “You’re from the Evala clan, right?”

“Yes. Raven Sendemere, I presume?”

Raven winced inwardly, silently cursing Joseph for having given the elves his surname. “Yeah, that’s right.”

The elf raised an eyebrow, obviously curious about Raven’s possible connection to the Itonian royalty through his last name. “Very well. We were asked to lead you to the clan since this is your first time in the area.”

“That would be helpful.”

The elf gave him a curt nod and motioned for them to follow. Despite Raven’s outburst, Elsynne still accompanied him down the road and towards the Evala clan.

The elven community was fairly small – Raven guessed that there were only about twenty or so denizens. The small houses were constructed primarily of wood and looked as if they could be easily dismantled at a moment’s notice. Some of the elves – those who lived alone or spent most of their time abroad – lived in pale, tattered tents.

Raven quietly looked over the clan, taking in the scenery. There were several vegetable and fruit gardens on the outskirts of the community where the elves grew their primary source of food. Children played in the long, waving blades of grass while their parents worked nearby, watching them with careful eyes.

A familiar elf was walked up to them, waving and smiling. “Hey! It’s you two again!”

“Skylar!” Elsynne said excitedly.

“I wasn’t expecting to see either of you here,” Skylar said, still grinning. “I never caught your names when we met outside of Estershore the other day.”

“My name is Elsynne Neott.”

“...Raven.”

“Elsynne and Raven, eh? It’s good to see you again,” Skylar said, inclining his head slightly. “What brings you all the way out here to our clan?”

“I was employed by somewhere here to help get rid of some monsters.” Raven replied, already growing tired of Skylar’s enthusiastic demeanor.

“Oh, really? Excellent. A small group is going out to exterminate them, but we didn’t know how bad it would be, so we decided to hire some extra hands,” Skylar admitted. “Needless to say, not everyone’s very pleased about that...well, you’ll find out why soon enough.”

Raven narrowed his eyes. “Really?”

Skylar motioned towards a small group of elven men. “They don’t like having to...you know, ask others for help, you see. Especially a human, or half-elf.”

“Great...”

“Don’t worry too much about it. Just prove you’re competent and you’ll be just fine.”

Elsynne turned to Raven, smiling again. She had clearly recovered from his minor fit earlier. “I can wait here, if you’d like...if you think I’ll be a deadweight.”

Raven felt his stomach twist uncomfortably as he found the hidden meaning behind her words. “A...All right, if you’d like.”

“Are you sure, Elsynne? You can come with us,” Skylar offered generously.

“All I can really do is use some limited light magic and heal. I’m afraid I won’t be too helpful since elves can use magic and heal, anyway,” she replied uneasily, fidgeting with the hem of her long shirt.

“Like I said, we’re looking for extra help since we don’t really know the situation. Who knows? Your healing could be pretty useful.”

Elsynne shook her head. “No... I have a feeling I’d just be a burden anyway. My wounds from the fight with the dragonlings are still a little sore.”

“In that case, I guess it will just be me and Raven!”

Raven gagged inwardly, this time at the thought of having to put up with Skylar’s overzealous excitement.

“Good luck!” Elsynne said, still smiling. “Be careful, Raven.”

He frowned. “It’s not like we’re going out on this massive assignment. I’m pretty sure I can handle a few monsters.”

“Don’t be so rude, Raven,” Skylar reprimanded, shaking his head hopelessly as he turned to Elsynne, “I’ll make sure he comes back in one piece, okay?”

She nodded, giving them a half wave as they turned to leave. Raven clenched his fist, ignoring the twinge of guilt he felt gnawing at the back of his mind.