Loren looked to Kaiten. “Did you know? Did you know that she killed your father? You were having drinks with this murderer!”
“I did.” Kaiten’s voice was solemn, but he stood between Loren and Seraphis. “I know what she did, and while I can’t forgive her for it, I understand.”
“What?”
Kaiten looked to Seraphis, who sat back down. The warrior princess took a swig from her stein. “You three might need to camp here. It’s a long story. We have heat and supplies.”
Seraphis laughed, and Loren’s eyes narrowed. “You have a Sagnian in the area. There will always be heat. But really, princess, come in from the cold. We have water and food to spare, and Duro should be coming back from his hunt.”
Kae perked up at the mention of a hunt. She cautiously lowered her bow. “Who is this Duro?”
Seraphis looked over at the huntress, looking her up and down. Her gaze fell to the wolf at her side, still baring his fangs at her. “Oh, you have a wolf too? You’ll get along just fine with Duro then. He’s a crossbreed of a Sagnian hound and Aldoran wolf.” She beamed with pride. “I bred him and his pack myself.”
Kae stepped closer to them and put away her bow, more curious now about this woman and her wolf than cautious about Seraphis being a murderer. Cassendir held back, his blue sword still in hand.
“You have mage markings.” He said, glancing at the swirls around Seraphis’s wrists. “So you can do magic?”
Seraphis held a hand to eye level, turning her wrist so that Cassendir can see. The skin around the dark markings were reddish from burns. “’I’m no mage, Kespian. These are brands from one who is a more powerful mage than you.”
“Brands?” Loren looked over curiously.
Seraphis nodded, offering her hand to Loren. “A mage’s markings were burned into my skin.” She smiled wryly. “I’m sure they look familiar, do they not?”
Loren’s eyes widened. She gingerly brushed the dark markings and burned skin with her fingertips. “These are the same as the messenger’s at Aldoran.”
“The one who delivered Gaturr’s hide to you. Yes.” Seraphis continued. “And I’m sure you know who put them there. I cannot say the name, she will be suspicious and turn her attention here. Her attention is the last thing you want upon you, dragon princess.”
“Will all of us be unable to speak her name?”
“No, only I cannot. You can say whatever you want.” Seraphis scoffed and leaned back in her chair. “You’re the lucky, unburnt ones. You’re free.”
Cassendir approached Seraphis and asked to inspect her markings. She gave him one hand and took a swig from her stein with the other. A soft blue light from his own mage markings began to peek from his sleeve. “These are magic shackles. I can feel magic in you, as if you are a fellow mage. I’ve never seen anything like this. Can you likewise use magic?” his tone was overeager.
Seraphis laughed and withdrew her hand. “Ever curious and eager to learn. I was right, you’re a Kespian through and through and not just wearing their silks. Yes, I’ve been lent some measure of magic. Fire magic, as per my dear sister’s forte.” She stretched her hand towards one of the copper braziers. Seraphis focused on the flickering flames and in answer, they leapt in a fierce plume towards the stone ceiling. Kae and Ma’trii yelped in shock, and Seraphis stilled the flames. She laughed, but as she returned her hand to her side, the markings on her wrists glowed with an inner light as if fire burned inside her body. The hand she stretched shook, and she held it close to her chest.
“That is amazing.” Loren said, but she noticed Seraphis trying to divert attention from her hands. “Are you alright? Did the magic hurt you?”
Seraphis chuckled. “The magic always does. The markings burn like heated metal pressed to my skin.” She shrugged. “But sometimes the magic is necessary. I had to keep me and Kaiten from freezing to death in this desolate place somehow.”
“That brings me back to the subject of you two.” Loren pointed at the lion Beastman then to Seraphis. “Why are you both here, when you killed his father?”
Seraphis sighed and took one last swig from her stein. “Do you all have bedrolls? I have a few extra from some soldiers, they won’t be needing it anymore. Let’s talk about this over dinner.”
A large white hound made its way into the outpost, dragging a dead deer by its neck. It set it down by the copper braziers and shook the snow out of its fur. When it stopped shaking, it found itself face to face with Ma’trii, the much smaller gray wolf. They stared each other down, with Ma’trii growling.
“Is that your wolf?” Kae whispered, one hand already reaching for a knife at her belt. She didn’t dare take her eyes off it.
Seraphis laughed. She approached the white hound and stood between it and Ma’trii, holding out a hand to signal the gray wolf to stand down. She affectionately scratched the hound between the ears. “This is Duro. I mentioned him earlier. Bred, raised, and trained him myself but he’s a hound, not a wolf.” She whispered a few words to Duro, and the large white hound eagerly trotted off, tail wagging, and sat beside a brazier to warm up.
Seraphis was about to draw a large knife from her belt, but Kae stood first, hunting knife in hand. She glanced at the deer with a sheepish smile. She had seen a kill come in and her hunting instincts had her on her feet ready to skin and dress the animal and prepare it for cooking and storage. The warrior princess laughed and waved Kae on.
“Excited and eager,
