Outpost duty…

  …Every Voyager despised outpost duty. The sort of drab, menial work many join the guild explicitly to get away from was still inevitable. And I chose this month to be my unlucky month.

  Every Voyager was expected to do this at least during three times a cycle. Out of the twelve months, that was a quarter. Unless extenuating circumstances called for otherwise, everyone needed to do it.

  The only way to get out of it was to get to Palladium.

  And I was, unfortunately, Bronze.

  There were benefits. A Voyager is not only compensated with weekly pay for doing their due diligence, we all get free food and board for the time. But it certainly wasn’t what I wanted to be doing when I became a Voyager.

  And as much as many despised the outposts conceptually, their make wasn’t solely for function. The comfort of Voyagers and guests alike were taken into consideration.

  The large walls ensured excellent protection from outside threats, Voyagers were constantly on guard, and the indoors were comforting. This one, being so far north, offered nice reprieves from the cold. Heating systems and fireplaces kept us all going through the harsh Peritide climate.

  I awoke as I had already done for roughly a week, now, and got myself dressed and prepared for the day. While I wasn’t going anywhere, it was best to at least look presentable.

  I performed my routine inspections for the outpost, took my headcount of the quarters I oversaw, and then sat myself inside for a little while. I decided to brush up on my cartography study while in the canteen, listening to the sound of others around me regale each other with stories of their recent exploits.

  Jealous though I was, I’d become accustomed to it, and began to look forward to some of the ridiculous embellishments people placed on top. I heard one group tell that they managed to drive off an entire pack of massive Clawbestials, all six feet tall on their own. I already knew from the records that not one of them was above Silver.

  Another told of how they heard a little Iron Voyager managed to fell a large beast all on her own down in Miriamsburg. That was also assuredly unlikely. Most Irons didn’t know left from right, and she probably had help if it were true.

  Another, still, focused on the time that they were working directly with a Palladium Voyager. An honor, indeed, one not often given considering their rarity. I recalled the statistic that there were more Voyagers in Bronze alone than in Palladium and higher combined. They said during their Commission together that it looked like the Palladium Mercenary in question seemed to dart around the field with inhuman alacrity, and cut a Draconid’s tail clean off.

  And the most ridiculous of them all, someone claimed to see a legendary Carbonado at work. They’d chanced upon them in the field, going up against an entire pack of various wildlife, but it seemed like in one fell swoop, they were all knocked down and forced to retreat. And without a word, they disappeared into the forest.

  These stories were far-fetched, but it wasn’t my place to judge them. The laughs and jeers already fulfilled that purpose between each other, and it at least made my mornings more entertaining. Considering the weather outside, there were many more to pick up on than usual.

  Snow obscured the normally green Chayim Meadows. Being so far north, and already a week deep into Peritide ensured that snowstorms were going to be common. While it wasn’t the first time I’d experienced circumstances like this, my mind always wandered to how bad a storm would have to be to evacuate an outpost.

  Certainly worse than anything my family’s settlement would’ve had to deal with.

  But just as I wandered in thought for a brief moment, I attempted to refocus myself into my studies. Unfortunately, I was once more interrupted by the audible sound of someone seating themselves next to me.

  A meal tray in hand, a somewhat familiar face nodded. “Working hard, Sivoy?”

  “Not that it’s much use, I’m not gonna go anywhere near these places anytime soon.” Arin Yun, a fellow Voyager assigned to outpost duty this month, was also usually the one to transition watch duties with me. He took the midnight shift, going until roughly eight in the morning, to which I’d take over his position. It was getting about time for us to swap.

  “I’m sure you can figure it out. Here—” He slid me a bowl of what looked to be stew, and set down a hot drink before me. “—your breakfast.”

  I nodded in gratitude, as I took a brief sip of what he gave me, and set my map back into my pack. “Anything unusual?”

  He almost scoffed at the response, and I couldn’t help but chuckle in return. “If there was, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

  He was a man of little armor, but dignified posture. He had black hair, captivating golden irises, and always wore what appeared to be almost officer attire. A flat cap with a brim, a long coat, the only addition he’d give his outfit was often due to colder weather, such as outside today. I hadn’t met him until we both until this past week, but we began to naturally talk more as the time flew by.

  “Be sure you get to it after you eat,” he said, trying to be certain I wasn’t slacking off.

  I shrugged. I was going to try and maximize my time inside. I placed my elbow on the table, and my chin in my hand. “After this, it’s business as usual, huh?”

  My compatriot nodded, before tilting his head. “Are you looking to change things up?”

  “Ehh… hard to say?” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Most of what I’ve been up to has been in the meadows and Bisitan. I know I’m only Bronze, but I feel like I can handle more, you know?” What I really struggled to put out there for fear of seeming arrogant was I wished to spend time in the more dangerous locales.

  I’d kept hearing of how they felt, how they looked, how it all seemed so new and strange to people for the first time. I wanted to experience that, too, and prove that I was capable enough to brave them. Perhaps, even, capable enough to ascend to Silver.

  But my dream was still a ways away. And my new companion unfortunately confirmed that. “It’s unfortunate, but it’ll just take some patience.”

  I let out a deep, wistful sigh. I imagined what it must be like beyond the Celestial Line. Seeing the sky light up with an array of colors, resplendent as the stars stare down at me. Feeling the snow crunch beneath my feet, I just wanted to rush and experience it already.

  But I knew he was right. In spite of my frustrations, I couldn’t just rush headlong into something I had no business with, and certainly not alone. Just making the journey to Old Yugon would require me to have a group.

  And so, I sat there, awaiting my inevitable time when I could begin my own rise…

  …or so I thought would be the case for quite some time.

  Until I suddenly noticed two unfamiliar faces enter into the outpost’s canteen and reception area, and perked up. It wasn’t unheard of for people to pass through outposts. It was half their function.

  But these people clearly were having an urgent matter. I tapped Arin on the shoulder, and pointed them out, before whispering. “You wanna go see what’s going on?”

  “It could be private business, let’s not interfere—” But I didn’t let him finish.

  I inched closer, and continued my eager temptations, “But if it’s a commission~ we can get out of here, right?” I tried to get him on my side.

  There were always reserves of other Voyagers to take our place. Surely, we could go on one little job, and take our work at an outpost elsewhere.

  At first, he seemed ready to repel my advances, before relenting. “Alright, let’s go see the fuss, but we’re not going without a third.”

  I was still ecstatic. Any opportunity to do anything was its own reward. Happily, I sauntered over, and Arin followed me, straight-laced as usual.

  The two of us simply listened in on the conversation the two new faces were having with our guild receptionist. He seemed to be receiving the two well, but they were in quite the hurry.

  The first spoke, a stouter man with a large build. “We’re serious! It’s a big deal, you’ve got to help us! We’ll make it worth your while, we’ve got copper, gold, anything!”

  And the second was swift to follow, a stockier woman. “This was the closest outpost we could find, we even have it marked on our own maps, won’t you please help us?”

  The guild receptionist had to calm the two down briefly. “Settle, settle!” He took a deep breath, before clearing his throat. “Could one of you explain the problem, please?” His eyes darted between the two briefly, as they wordlessly determined who got the talking stick today.

  It seemed to be the woman, who began to try and explain as best as she could. “The two of us are from the Electronics Division of Old Yugon, and we decided to do some scavenging further west than usual.” She took out a map, and set it on the desk before the receptionist. “We found a pretty sizable set of ruins right around here, and we found loads of stuff!”

  In spite of the receptionist only wanting one to speak, the man couldn’t contain his own excitement. “Batteries, circuit boards, and even an intact device!” In spite of the frustration of the receptionist, he perked up at hearing the last item in question.

  He seemed far more receptive, now. “So, what do you need our help with, then?”

  “We need someone to extract them for us…” The woman seemed embarrassed to admit it. “...We’d gotten caught in the midst of a snowstorm and a huge influx of nearby animals, and had to leave a good chunk of stuff behind. Is there anything you can do to help?”

  The receptionist, at first, sighed, but perked himself back up to continue the order of operations. “I’ll give you some paperwork, and the commission fee after some discussion with command, here, alright?”

  Now was my time to shine. I slid from the background, and made my presence known. “I’d be more than willing to take the commission, myself.” I tried to sweet talk the receptionist a touch, acting as if I could make their job easier by simply accepting it.

  But of course, I’d forgotten the order of operations, and Arin made sure I knew it. “I’m afraid not, Sivoy. This sounds like a fairly high risk job, no?”

  The receptionist nodded to him, and I looked a touch miffed at the revelation. Inevitably, I sighed, and ran my hand through my hair.

  But to my surprise, the desk worker still spoke to my friend and I. “It’d just take a Gold Voyager, but I’d be willing to let you take it. I just can’t let you do it alone considering the circumstances.”

  Just take a Gold Voyager, huh? “You’re only Silver, right, Arin?”

  He nodded. Was that to be our nail in the coffin? That we needed a Gold Voyager to take a spot? What a lousy way to get stuck with outpost duty, and not be able to branch out my repertoire and resume.

  But that was when the man from the Electronics Division finally gave his input once more. “We actually met a Voyager along the way? She said she’d be in soon.”

  When the door opened behind us, each of us turned to see the one who entered.

  A woman towering above mine, and even Arin’s height, with shoulder-length burgundy hair, and a notable cowl above a sophisticated winter coat. Most obviously was a rifle strapped to her shoulder, which she carried with great care.

  “Good timing, Miss!” the Electronics Division woman called to their supposed savior.

  She moved over, almost seeming to glide over the hardwood floor of the canteen, before coming to the receptionist area, and speaking to the three. “Had to take care of some things. I assume they came to submit a Commission?” The receptionist nodded.

  Her voice carried a hefty accent, and weight with every word. More importantly than that, though, was when the receptionist confirmed her suspicions, she removed her license from her coat, and placed it onto the counter. A stamp resided on her guild card.

  As bright as day, there was no doubt about it. The magic color.

  Gold.

  The receptionist took a deep breath, before handing back the woman her guild card. “I’ll leave the rest to your discretion and just take care of the filing. Go ahead and get prepped while I get these two to take care of paperwork.” The receptionist proceeded to take the duo from the Electronics Division to the back to take care of much-needed due process, while the woman looked to Arin and I.

  “Elfa. Good to meet you.” She held out a hand to both of us, and I was the first to take it.

  Her grip was firm, secure. “Sivoy.”

  She responded with a nod before giving the same to my fellow. “Arin. Hope the Commission goes well—”

  Before he could finish, I interjected, “Especially since we’ll be coming along, right~?” My enthusiasm was obvious. So obvious, I felt it might look desperate. Arin seemed embarrassed at my display, but for her part, Elfa seemed unflinching.

  Arin followed after me, “Please excuse their antics, they’re a little… antsy.” He tried to pull me away from our newly introduced ally, but she still didn’t seem bothered.

  In fact, she shrugged. “As long as I’m not having to babysit, I don’t mind.” She looked between both of us, and placed her hands on her hips. “Rank and occupation, then? Need to know who I’m working with.”

  “Silver Advisor, ma’am.” He was as straight-laced as ever. He even straightened his posture when saying it.

  She turned her gaze to me, and I replied, “Uh… Bronze Explorer… miss.” I was never proud to admit it. I knew I had the skills to be higher, but I just hadn’t been able to make that breakthrough.

  “Have either of you been to the Wyrdwud?” she asked, likely just attempting to gauge our experience.

  As quick as I was to lie, I figured it was best to not place false pretenses at this point. While I shook my head, Arin replied verbally. “Only twice, and not past the Celestial Line.”

  “Then I’d recommend the two of you strap yourselves in for a long road ahead.” She immediately began to move out from the canteen, and while I stood there confused for a moment, her and Arin gestured for me to follow. She even reinforced this demand by saying, “I’m not packing your bags for you, little one, let’s go.”

  And so, I rushed to follow them out into the courtyard.

  Elfa began to give us a brief rundown as we made our way across the outpost. “We’ll need to pack heavy, not sure how much food we’re going to get during the Lunar season.” She looked at me, and held a hand out. “Hand me your map for a moment.”

  I removed it from my belt pouch, and handed it off. She removed a pencil from one of her pockets. Before she did anything, however, she looked to me for a brief confirmation. Upon realizing what she was likely up to, I gave her my own approval, not expecting to even be asked.

  She left a fairly wide circle around an area near the northern Wyrdwud, and gave it back. She then said, “That’s around where they said they were, and we’re going to need a route. We can either take the cliffs, or the forest.”

  Arin replied, “Forest sounds easier, no? More shelter, more likely food, I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”

  I quickly piped up, however. “We could get lost in the forest easier, and the cliffs are probably faster.” I scratched my cheek, though. “But a lot more dangerous, considering… it’s likely dark out, and the equipment might be expensive.”

  Elfa continued to give us some guidance on the situation. “I’d recommend the forest, since you’re both inexperienced. Focus on the safer route.” She turned her gaze to me for a brief moment, and I felt a strange sense of pressure. “You’re an Explorer, I’m sure you can handle navigating.”

  In spite of carrying no malice or mockery, there was a hint of expectation. I rubbed the back of my neck again, a bad tell of mine. “I can… try.”

  Arin seemed to struggle to contain his laughter, but she didn’t even offer me a glance. I even gave my supposed friend a quick elbow in the ribs as a swift way to get him to shut up.

  Being in the presence of someone more experienced than I wasn’t often a big deal, but it was difficult to not find her presence intimidating. She’d clearly been through quite a bit, her face underneath the cloak scarred and worn.

  But I’d never had an issue before, and I shouldn’t be having issues now. In fact, now was the time to be active and play to my strengths. I took a few deep breaths to work myself back up.

  We made it inside of the warehouse, and immediately Elfa took command again of the situation. She began to work through what we had access to. Obviously, we weren’t allowed to take too much without paying, but I offered up my own Copper alongside Arin in case it was needed.

  The quartermaster let us pay for two and a half weeks’ worth of supplies, alongside heavier winter clothes, knowing we had a Commission. At twenty-five copper, it wasn’t cheap, but better than some places. Arin and I paid fifteen between each other, and Elfa paid the other ten from her own pocket.

  However, we still needed more. Things to keep us alive weren’t just food and water. I looked to the quartermaster after Elfa and Arin began to pack our provisions. “If I’m not being too imposing, d’ya mind if I take some rope?” I continued looking. “And maybe a hook or two? Also an icepick if you have one. And—” I continued to list off more and more, until the quartermaster waved his hand.

  “Just gimme ten copper for the icepick, and ye can keep the rest, how’s that sound?” Even if he was just annoyed at me, I knew it was a perfect opportunity. I paid the ten copper gladly, especially since this Commission would make us that tenfold.

  I secured about thirty meters of rope on top of my existing sixty that I’d brought with me. We never knew when we may need it, and it was best to keep it on hand. On one of the ends, I tied one of the hooks, and kept the other hanging off the pouch for safekeeping. No reason to separate the rope yet before we’d even used it.

  Next, I ensured the lead glands were safe inside my bandolier. My sling was sure to be useful given the right circumstance.

  And finally, I secured the icepick to my belt.

  Arin also requested a few things from the quartermaster, namely an updated bestiary encyclopedia if they had access to one for the Wyrdwud. It ran him a hefty fifty copper, but he was more than willing to oblige. Besides, it was future proofing.

  For her part, Elfa wanted for nothing. It was likely she was already prepared to brave the cold, so aside from food and other supplies, she needed little.

  Just before we finished packing our things for the journey, someone opened the door to the warehouse, and looked at us three. He called us over with a finger, and we obligated his request.

  He handed us three a slip of paper, with the notable guild stamp of approval, and said, “Proof of commission for the three of you. Sivoy—” he looked to me, “Arin Yun—” he obviously turned to my friend, "And Elfa Hlynursson—” and finally his attention turned to our newly found Survivalist, before addressing all three of us at once. “You three have been tasked with heading beyond the Celestial Line into the Wyrdwud to secure items requested by two individuals from the Electronics Division of Old Yugon.” We nodded to confirm what we’d already heard. “The ones who filed it with us are also offering double the pay if you’re able to transport it back to Old Yugon directly, as opposed to back here.”

  I turned to Arin, “We can totally do that, right?”

  Arin was about to vehemently disagree, but it was Elfa who interrupted. “We’ll see it done, thank you. Is there anything else?”

  The man nodded, and now addressed solely Arin and I. “You two are being compensated for the next week for taking this Commission, and will receive your due upon showing the Commission slip to another outpost, both in time, and pay.”

  “We’re grateful that you’d extend this to us.” Arin almost seemed ready to give a bow, but refrained.

  The man gave us all a nod and let us on our way, before I turned to Arin and gave him a light smack on the shoulder. “See~? I told you we’d be able to get out of outpost duty, eh?” I was unable to contain a grin. Not only doing a Commission out in the Wyrdwud, but being able to see the sights in Old Yugon after, too? It was a dream come true.

  Arin frustratedly pushed me off, shaking his head. “Don’t think this is going to be any easier, you dolt. At least try to take it seriously?”

  “I am taking it seriously, do you not see how serious I am?” I was ecstatic. There was no way I couldn’t be taking it as seriously as possible, considering it was all I wanted to do while sitting there, whiling away the next month.

  Elfa cut in, however, this time agreeing with Arin. “You’d best temper yourself, little one. Arin is right, it won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. In fact,” it was almost like she thought of a joke, but the way she spoke certainly didn’t make it sound like one. “We won’t be seeing any sunshine after a point, so you’d best be prepared.”

  “Right, right, sorry.” I stuck my tongue out at my friend, who promptly smacked me upside the head. I didn’t really have the ability to retort at the moment, as clearly the both of them were right.

  We began to walk back to the canteen to better formulate a strategy on how to approach the situation. As we did, however, Elfa addressed Arin. “What kind of Advisor are you?”

  “Mm? Ah—” The question seemed to almost catch him off-guard for a second, though he quickly composed himself. “I’m nothing special, but I do have a penchant for biology, Miss.”

  “You didn’t strike me as one of the loud ones, so I’m glad my intuition hasn’t rusted,” she replied, giving a firm nod.

  It wasn’t uncommon for people of the same occupation to be trained very differently. When it came to nebulous titles like Advisors, especially, there were multiple ways to upkeep morale and guide the team.

  It just so happened Arin’s way of doing it was being a stuck up know-it-all, and turning it into a career path. And unfortunately, I couldn’t quite blame him. I also didn’t hate him for it.

  I waited for her to ask me the same question, but it never came. Perhaps she just assumed my area of expertise, or would better gain a grasp of it in the moment. Maybe the fact that I carried several copies of various maps tipped her off, in case one got lost or damaged, or I otherwise marked one too heavily.

  When back within the warmth of the canteen, Elfa sat down at a table, and ushered us to seat ourselves, too. She motioned to my maps, and I promptly removed one and laid it flat onto the table.

  However, Arin spoke before either of us. “If it’s not too much trouble, I was expecting to be asleep around this time. Are we able to delay our departure by a day?” That’s right. His guard duty was supposed to rotate out with mine, and his sleep was probably shot.

  Our new companion considered it for a second, but eventually nodded. “We’ll leave early tomorrow, is that fine?” She turned to me.

  “Do you really need another day?” I was already prepared to get out of here, but Arin sighed.

  “I’d prefer not to travel on no sleep and hold us up.” His answer was too logical.

  And unfortunately, it was logic I couldn’t retort. I returned an exasperated sigh, but agreed with Elfa. “Fine. Not that it was really my choice, anyways.”

  Arin took his stuff and went up to his room. He likely wasn’t going to do much else other than rest for the day, while the two of us sat around doing nothing.

  But Elfa still looked prepared to go over the situation. She immediately removed her pencil again from her coat, and ushered me forth with her hand.

  “This isn’t the most robust map, but considering this outpost, I’m not sure we’ll find better,” Elfa said, pointing at the fact that this was a current continental map. It was missing several key details, such as more particular topography and landmarks.

  “To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be going to the Wyrdwud anytime soon.” Today wasn’t necessarily going to be the day I chose to go. When things lined up, I couldn’t resist the opportunity.

  But she saw right through me. “Yet you took the chance swiftly. And seemed rather eager.” She tapped her pencil to her cheek, not making eye contact with me.

  I couldn’t fully tell if that was an insult or not, but unlike Arin scolding me, her words carried with them more gravitas. “Listen, I just—”

  She cut me off, “Want to go above menial work?” She raised her gaze, and an eyebrow. “I understand the eagerness to get to Silver, but most don’t do all of that just to get there.” She was definitely judging me.

  “Is it a crime to want to get to Silver faster?” I leaned forward, frustrated with her accusations. A judgement that I wasn’t prepared for.

  That was when she placed it all in my hands. She turned the map directly toward me, set her pencil down, and looked me in the eyes. “Map our route.”

  I couldn’t even pick it up. “Well, I mean, you’re putting me on the spot, here—”

  “Map our route,” she repeated. No longer content with just turning it toward me, she slid it closer.

  I sighed, and replied, “And if I get it wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No such thing as a wrong route, just dangerous and safe ones. Now map it.”

  I tried to think of all the things that could come from a route. Obviously it wouldn’t just be a straight line, but with the lack of detail on the map, I was completely stumped. I couldn’t even put anything down, everything I could do would be scrutinized. Doubly so, since I often worked best out in the field. This was entirely hopeless.

  As soon as it looked like I’d given up, Elfa nodded. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Doing something you’ve never done before.” She pulled the map back towards the center of our table, and kept her gaze fixated on me. “You need to learn to take it slowly, and not rush into things you’re not quite sure of.” She held her hand out to take her pencil back. As soon as she grabbed it again, she started to add new landmarks.

  However, notably, she wasn’t mapping anything. Instead, she began to speak once more. “The southern reaches of the Wyrdwud are mostly grassland, it only starts to become a forest a little before the Celestial Line…”

  The Celestial Line was already marked. The technical limit between the temperate seasons, and the polar seasons. Where the Chayim Meadows and most places along the central locales of Delkhii used Peritide, Stormtide, Lifetide, and Halftide, the polar seasonal cycle was derived from three seasons.

  The Lunar season, where the northern reaches are engulfed in an everlasting night, the Solar season, where they’re trapped in eternal day, and the transitory periods in between. Only ever having lived further south, it sounded completely foreign.

  “You said it was Lunar season, right?” I recalled from our prior conversations. She nodded as she continued marking a few other notable places she could gather from memory. “Means it’ll probably be dark out, so we should probably try and stick between landmarks?”

  “Why do you say that?” she replied. She seemed nearly finished with all she could recall, otherwise making any touch-ups she felt necessary.

  I quickly followed up to try and justify my stance. “Well, if we’re in the forest, all we’re catching is trees. Even with a compass, we need something to ensure we’re going the right way.” Even just heading straight in a direction wasn’t often good enough. Forgetting for even a moment could send us straight into a spiral we can’t escape from.

  And she agreed. “Sounds logical to me. What do you say, then, little one?” She handed me the pen, and let me see the map once more.

  First to catch my attention was a new line, separating the Wyrdwud and the Meadows. She didn’t give it a moniker, but I decided to inquire, “What’s this?”

  She pointed her finger to where mine was. “Between the Meadows and the Wyrdwud, storms are common, blizzards especially. We should expect to see one as we travel in.”

  That would make things more difficult, but as long as we found a notable landmark near straight north from the outpost, we’d be fine. First to catch my eye was a lake. However, it was more than a few miles out from the supposed ‘blizzard zone’ that she placed and I now named.

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  Next was a set of ruins, somewhat northwest. A bit more complicated, but plausible to see, most likely. It was right in the midst of the risky area. “Do these cover a lot of ground?”

  She nodded. “More importantly, they’re a bit tall. Should be able to see it over the horizon by a few miles.”

  It gave us a margin of error. I started to form ideas. Starting at the ruins initially and heading to the lake would be the best bet. Following that came a ravine. “Stable?” All I needed to do was point it out for her to figure out the rest.

  “Stable,” she replied, grasping my own ideas as they came. “Doing that would take us out of the forest, though.”

  “Would it?” It was hard to tell, considering the map wasn’t fine enough to give that info, and she wasn’t going to go through and give detailed topography. Considering her skills as a Survivalist, she may not even be properly trained in cartography, the things she listed down likely being more from memory.

  “If we wanted to stay in the forest, we could try heading here—” A crude illustration of what looked to be a statue lay where her index finger rested. “—but it’s further than the ravine.”

  I placed my hand on my chin. Carefully rubbed it. Scrunched my face and squinted. “Hrm…” The reason we needed to stay in the forest was due to food storage. If we made good time, we could easily spend some time out of it, and weave back in afterwards. We’d also have a good view of the horizon coming out. “We can give it a whirl, but if we get stuck here for more than a full week, we’ll take a detour here.”

  “I can agree to that.” Having backup plans was never bad. In the event the main strategy went wrong, you could never be too prepared with additional ideas.

  Slowly, but assuredly, Elfa and I worked our way through the landmarks we had access to. This was to say nothing of the ones she didn’t list, which was certain to be many. It wasn’t perfect, far from it. Considering the conditions we were walking into, the situation wasn’t going to be in our favor. However, this looked even more robust than some routes through the Meadows.

  The Survivalist looked at me and held her hand out to be given back her pencil. However, she encouraged me as she did so, “This should go just fine, so long as we don’t run into anything unexpected.”

  I placed her pencil into her palm, taking a moment to review what we’d written down. It wasn’t the most complex in the world, and rarely did it need to be. But the unexpected was always a danger. “Can’t be too sure.”

  Elfa placed an elbow on the table, and twirled the pencil between her fingers. “Hardly surprising, though, is it?” I looked confused as she continued, “You’ve always got to expect things to go bad, especially in places like these.”

  “Well, I know that, but it doesn’t bear repeating,” I frustratedly retorted. Being in the Meadows and having to get lectures about its own problems was annoying enough.

  She looked calm, though, even after my ruder tone. “Even an ideal situation is far from it, little one.” She was lecturing me, and I didn’t even get a chance to rebuke. “You can’t get cocky just because you accounted for it once, and made us a route.”

  I sighed, and couldn’t find a proper rebuttal. “Feels like I’m getting beaten down with the same shit…”

  “And you want to reach Silver?” That same cocked eyebrow. It interrogated me with nothing more than a glance.

  I plopped my head onto the table. “So what are you saying?” At this point, it was so agonizing to spell it out that I couldn’t follow. Something about it didn’t make sense in my head, and I just needed an explanation.

  “Even in bad situations, you have to keep a level head,” she began. “You can’t hesitate. Deliberation isn’t the same as confusion.” I peeked my eyes above my arm to be sure she knew I was listening. “If you make a choice, you’re going to have to stick to it. If the situation changes, you have to react.”

  I sighed. “Seems like a lot of responsibility…” I pouted from pursed lips.

  She smirked in response, though, which immediately stopped my childish streak, and embarrassed me. She responded, “Being Silver, and going above, is going to feel like that. You’ll have to lead, and make hard choices, little one. Best to get used to that early, aye?”

  To make decisions based solely on instinct and experience… Whether on the fly, or before the journey had even begun, my mind raced, wondering if things were okay as they were. I’d never been this concerned before, but all of a sudden, I felt trapped by the weight of what we were doing.

  This wasn’t to be easy. Quite the opposite.

  Inevitably, Elfa left me in my contemplation alone, stating that she was going to keep sharp and get her own rest. I chose to do the same in the canteen. I wasn’t going to need to do guard work today, and was probably exempt from maintenance.

  So, I simply had all day to myself.

  At first, it was relaxing. I napped in the canteen, watched the horizon, read in my quarters, but eventually boredom caught up to me, and I needed to do something. But we’d already planned our route, and there was little else to grab. I couldn’t think of other tools.

  As I sat there, however, a few other Voyagers caught sight of the map, still left on the table as I deliberated over its intricacies. Every once in a while, one of them would feel the need to make a comment. A new landmark to add, a slight specificity to draw out, anything to make the journey smoother.

  Making the borders of the forests a touch clearer through some estimations, a good place to camp out midway through a piece of the journey, it was all readily available. Even though I didn’t ask for it, I felt it best for me to listen. Frustrating, just like it was with Elfa beforehand, but not unwanted.

  I spent the rest of my day discussing with nearby Voyagers. Some were patronizing, others were rather ecstatic, but generally everyone that came by seemed willing to help.

  After having our efforts peer reviewed, the plan seemed solid. A few more landmarks were added to the map to help us along our route, but it was unlikely for us to stop at them unless absolutely necessary.

  We’d done all we could at this point. Anything else could be figured out along the way.

  First, we’d leave the outpost, and go northwest to a set of ruins near the border of the Meadows and the Wyrdwud. Then, we’d try to cross that initial barrier by finding a lake nearly directly north. Those were the easy parts.

  Depending on how much we get held up in the transition, though, decides the course after. If the journey through the border becomes a problem, we’d continue through the forest to make up for the food we lost along the way. However, if all goes smoothly, we could head to the ravine a touch northeast.

  No matter what, the rest of the route continued on one path. A notable waterfall, followed by a spire formation directly north, an abandoned outpost, and then the final stop before the end was intended to be a spire formation where we could see the destination over the horizon, hopefully.

  The problem would come down to all the distance in between. We had our clothes, two and a half weeks of supplies, a good chunk of rope, and we each had our own ways to defend ourselves. Arin was great with helping others target the right spots, Elfa had an excellent rifle, and I kept a nice sling on me.

  However, we had to keep in mind that at the end of the day, our true powerhouse was always Elfa. The most experienced, with the strongest munitions.

  And just like everything else, there was no way for us to fully know where we’d be, the situation to prepare for. Just had to keep on our toes.

  I went to sleep contemplating the reality of our situation. Our journey wasn't going to be easy…

  …

  Bright and early the next morning. I got out of bed quickly, and made my way down to the canteen like normal. Just as I was coming down to grab breakfast, I noticed Elfa and Arin already awake and reviewing information between the two of them. Similar to what we did yesterday, it seemed Arin had his own queries.

  I sat myself down, and Arin passed over my usual faire. I overheard them discussing some of the biology further north. I wasn’t the studious type when it came to that field, so I gave them their time. They were already dressed and packed, as was I.

  Elfa looked effectively the same as when she walked in. A massive winter coat, a rifle strapped to her shoulder, a cloak draped over her shoulders. She did have a notably larger bag, however, carried on her shoulders. It was probable she also had some armor underneath all of that.

  Arin was in his standard faire, though with a tacked-on overcoat and a scarf. A cap adorned his head, and while he didn’t have any obvious weapons, the staff he often carried with him acted as a nice option in a pinch, I thought. He also appeared lightly armored, probably just padding underneath.

  I was the same, for the most part. As much as I had more pockets and straps, at the end of the day, none of us could afford to wear anything heavier. I wasn’t entirely sure what our Survivalist had underneath all of those layers, but it was certain to be better than what Arin and I could get.

  The three of us ate, and I occasionally overheard their conversations. Notably, it appeared Arin was focused on the more docile fauna as opposed to anything properly aggressive. It prompted me to inquire, “Why not just ask for the ones that’re dangerous?”

  Arin scratched at his cheek briefly, but Elfa answered before he could. “It’s faster to say what isn’t than what is. Also better for him to know what we don’t have to waste our time on.”

  Arin piped up immediately after, “You should be sure to listen, too. This isn’t just for me.”

  I gave an exasperated sigh, but reluctantly began to pay attention. Some of their words were foreign, especially Arin’s. While Elfa was clearly approaching it from a perspective of experience, Arin tackled the conversation from a scientific standpoint. Where she said something vague and from feeling, he would rationalize it in scientific terms.

  I tried to keep up, but unlike the maps and routes and landmarks, I simply didn’t have the background necessary to. In desiring to pay attention, I only retained less, trying to skim over the details.

  Their physiology, the frequented environments, hunting patterns, in a vacuum I was sure I could grasp one or two of these, but altogether, it was just too much. I gave up halfway through, and thankfully, neither of them seemed to notice.

  The three of us finished our breakfast and early talks, and I explained the route to Arin. To estimations, both from myself and Elfa, we were shooting for roughly three weeks of straight travel. One or two of those were supposed to be spent primarily in the forest, meaning we could hopefully save on a week’s worth, and use the other chunk to make it to Old Yugon. After all, if we could get all the way there, the pay was through the roof, and we’d be out of outpost duty.

  We reviewed our provisions one last time, and tidied ourselves up for the journey ahead. The one standing at the gate approved our exit, opened it up for us, and out we walked to brave the wilds ahead of us.

  The first day or so of the trek wasn’t anything special. It was still firmly in the Meadows, and in spite of the snow turning the landscape white instead of its expected green, it was shallow. We trudged along like little had changed.

  The Meadows rarely needed to be approached differently. There were always critters running about, the horizon constantly in view, and the breeze in tow. In fact, it was little wonder that the border between these locales saw frequent snowstorms, considering the Meadows’ penchant for winds.

  As soon as night hit, the three of us began our preparations for camp. I decided to try and get a good read of our forecast, since I’d hoped that blizzards were able to be identified similarly to rain and thunderstorms. It wouldn’t be perfect, but we’d get an inkling.

  I turned my gaze to the far distance, the sky itself, seeking the truths hidden in the clouds. I pondered for a little while, ruminating. A snowstorm needed intense winds, first and foremost. It also probably needed precipitation.

  I got a fair amount of information, but none of it was concrete. If we got trapped in one already, we’d be burning through supplies, and time, just to make it past the border. If one came before our first checkpoint, even more so.

  Just as I felt it was impossible to predict, I overheard Arin questioning Elfa. “Quiet day, wasn’t it?”

  “Mm. I wasn’t able to catch much running around, probably going to spend my watch foraging,” she replied.

  The animals being quieter… was usually a sign of something coming. The clouds in the distance looked ominous, and the winds, while not intense, had been ramping up all day.

  It wasn’t in the next twenty-four hours, but I could feel it in my bones. We were definitely going to have problems going north.

  The camp was eventually finished up. Two tents, three people. We decided on rotation of watches, and Elfa chose to take the second. It was the darkest out, and she felt confident she had the best eyesight. I’d no complaints. Arin was initially going to take the last watch, but I promptly squinted.

  “Wanting to sleep early, huh?” I said, giving him daggers from my gaze.

  He raised an eyebrow. “I mean… yes, I’ve been sleeping late for the past week or so.”

  “Exactly, you’re better at first watch, I should get last.” I nodded to get the point across, but he seemed unamused.

  He sighed, “This isn’t a game, Sivoy. Let’s just keep it simple and not argue?”

  I rubbed my chin. “Heads or tails, then.” I promptly pulled a copper coin from my pocket.

  “Seriously?” His look of flabbergastation didn’t deter me. I was going to win my right to the last watch. As soon as he realized I wasn’t backing down, he declared, “Heads.”

  I flipped the coin. One spin, two, three, four, ten, twenty, until it plopped into my palm. I closed my hand, and slapped it onto the back of my other. And finally, I revealed my—…

  “Damnit!” I cried. Despair washed over me. Struck down by my own game.

  Arin gave a grin. “Seems you’re the unlucky one today.” He gave me a firm pat on the shoulder, trying to reassure me. I pouted briefly as he continued. “It won’t be that bad.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I rebutted, but he was just as swift to fire back.

  “It is, I’ve been doing it the past week.” Before I could even get another word out, he’d already holed himself up in his tent. Elfa had done the same, while I was stuck out in the cold.

  The fireplace was all that would keep me company throughout the sunset. The light passed beyond the distant horizon, and the only things left in the sky were the twin moons, and the stars.

  It was quiet. The wind occasionally picked up, but not enough to put out our flame. We’d taken along a chunk of firewood just to be safe, considering we’d have to go through some sparsely wooded areas initially. The ravine, too, alongside other cliffsides.

  But feeling that the weather was already this harsh this far south, thinking about what it’d be like beyond the Celestial Line was humbling. I was already struggling not to shiver occasionally, choosing to wrap myself in my blanket next to the open flame. This was to be our struggle.

  Beyond any notion of fauna, flora, how heavy the haul was to be, the first and foremost threat to most, if not all Voyagers was the elements.

  I kept my gaze affixed to the far distance. There certainly wasn’t a lot to see, and I didn’t expect there to be. Especially with the notion of the fauna being quiet.

  However, other than my own mental thinking of the future, I sat within silence. The wind beat on our campsite every once in a while, causing the fire to lap against the frozen grass, but nothing happened. No bandits came to bother us. No animals came to swipe our bags.

  Before I knew it, I’d grabbed one of the many books I’d had on hand and began to do as I had back at the outpost. And I idled away the next several hours, before Elfa stirred from her tent.

  I hadn’t even checked the time. By the time she stirred, I realized it was right on the dot of when I was supposed to grab her. Seemed she beat me to the punch. She waltzed outside of her tent, and sat herself in front of the fireplace. Then, she looked at me, and cocked her head to the tent. “Get your rest, little one.”

  “Right…” I was just about to, but suddenly I remembered that I hadn’t told them about the weather. “...By the by, we should expect a blizzard in the next two days?”

  She cocked an eyebrow inquisitively. “And what makes you say that?”

  I began to try and run through it again in my head. I never kept notes on that sort of stuff. “I saw some clouds in the distance, and the winds were getting more intense over the day, but not really cause for concern…” I stood myself up to start getting my sleeping pack together for my slumber. “But if what you two were talking about earlier is true, the critters around here probably see it comin’, too.”

  I noticed a smile form upon her lips as she replied, “We’d best be sure to make good time tomorrow, then. Which means we might be pushing through the night.”

  “Seems like a tall ask…” As much as I jokingly meant it for Arin, I truthfully meant it for all of us. It wouldn’t be easy for me to navigate, and getting caught while tired was a death sentence.

  But she seemed unbothered. “Since a blizzard is on the way, we probably don’t have to worry too much about the wildlife. As long as you can navigate us through the night.”

  There it was again. A lot of pressure riding on my shoulders to navigate us correctly. I scratched at my head, nervous to even make the call on my own.

  She quickly snapped me out of it, however, pressuring me further for an answer. “Can you?”

  “Yes, I can,” I blurted out, almost without thinking. And as I said that, she seemed satisfied with my response, and went back to the firepit. A pot of water was put over the heat, and she seemed to be making tea. No doubt to help her stay awake.

  “Go on, little one.” She gestured to the tent, and I promptly took my things and moved over to the tent.

  As soon as I found myself within the comfort of my sleeping bag, my body began to shut itself off. I drifted off into slumber.

  …

  I was shaken awake by a familiar voice. Arin was calling my name to get me up, and after I groaned a few times and became properly conscious again, I remembered where I was. “Yeah, yeah, I’m gettin’ up…” I tore myself from the comfort of my sack.

  Arin seemed ready to do the same to Elfa, but by the time he’d turned back, she’d already found her way to the fire pit. She was checking her rifle, and seemed to already have food cooking.

  Arin and I seated ourselves alongside her, fastening our cloaks and outerwear together again. I checked my pack for what we had left. Luckily, we didn’t have to use our rations today, but I didn’t expect that luck to last much longer.

  While a simple meal, what was effectively just a rabbit stew still was rather filling. Hearty in its own right, it was still reminiscent of the canteen food. Much better than the hyper-specialized nutrition bars that were our rations.

  “Pushing through the night…” I said, bringing up that uncomfortable topic again.

  Arin and Elfa looked at me, to which the advisor sighed and replied, “Indeed, it’s going to be a tough trek, but we need to make it to our first landmark before the storm hits.”

  Our survivalist nodded, taking a large bite from her meal. “You can’t afford to have cold feet, now, little one.”

  I smirked. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke, but the comment still forced a chuckle. “Bit late for that one, but…” I took a deep breath, the cold air stinging my lungs. “...you two really trust me?”

  Arin was the first to try and reassure me, “You made it past the aptitude exam, you’re at least competent. I’m not sure how she feels, but we’ll be alright.”

  My gaze turned to Elfa. She took a moment to formulate her words. Slowly eating another bite, finishing her dish. Cleaning it off. “If I had reason to doubt you, I’d go back and get another Voyager to do your job.”

  It was an answer from pure practicality. And Arin felt the need to continue, “You’re a bit of a troublemaker, and you’ve a knack for slacking, but she knows better than both of us. What was it—” He snapped his fingers, before finding the right words, “Your intuition hasn’t rusted, yes?”

  Elfa acknowledged those words with a nod. “You’re not the only one here, little one. Keep us on course, and don’t hesitate.”

  I breathed out, letting those worries disappear as best as I could. All I had to do was get us to that landmark. Those first ruins. Everything after that was to be a cakewalk. Everything after that was simple. Everything after that…

  …lied in the Wyrdwud.

  We all finished our meals, and set off for the day. I took out my map, and checked my map and compass. Northwest, to the first set of ruins set directly at the border.

  Our feet crunched snow, the sky had begun to turn gray from the incoming storm, and the wind continued to howl in our ears. The air stung to breathe more than even the prior night, and it felt like at any second the situation was going to be upended.

  But we nonetheless pressed on into the wilds, not one of us fearless. In spite of their confidence, I noticed Arin and Elfa both staying on their toes. Paying attention to each and every movement, trying to keep track of what they could as we moved.

  I couldn’t recall a single animal as we traversed the second day. Empty grasslands, fields of pure white snow, and nothing more.

  The day was just as before, but I saw the sun moving across the sky. Later and later into the day, colder and colder. And suddenly, before I realized, it was close to sunset. I wasn’t sure if my forecast had been correct or not anymore, as the clouds had moved in closer than I expected. The winds continued to worsen.

  But just as I was about to feel as though the situation might be okay, just as the sun began to dip over the horizon, and turn the sky beyond the clouds to a red glow, I felt something upon my face.

  Snowfall.

  Trickling down from far above, carried by the winds to the west.

  Perhaps not today, but certainly closer than I anticipated. “We’ve got to hurry if we’re gonna make it,” I said, trying to urge us to move quicker.

  They were right to make the call to travel through the night, but now I wasn’t sure if we were going to hold out for that long. And I didn’t account for the rumblings of it beforehand hindering us.

  At this point, Elfa and Arin completely forewent foraging as we walked. There was simply no time. We had to take a straight path to attempt to hunker down and rest. But the snow was continuing to pick up, and soon enough, the sun dipped over the horizon.

  “Lanterns, now,” Arin commanded, and the two of us obliged. As much as our fuel was limited, there wasn't a better time. Unlike the prior night, it was nearly pitch black. Our hooded lanterns helped with visibility, but we still needed to keep close.

  At first it was just me shivering and chattering as we continued, but soon, I heard Arin, too. His arms became bundled up, warming himself as best he could. And to my surprise, even Elfa began to breathe upon her palms to help stave off the elements.

  It was a grueling journey forward, I tripped multiple times, almost falling over due to exhaustion. I felt my knees become weary, my legs begging to sit down. But even ten minutes was too much.

  Arin at first helped me up, before inevitably Elfa had to do so. In spite of her saying she wouldn’t babysit, she seemed keen on taking us across the finish line.

  Our breath was ragged, but Elfa soon called to the rest of us as the winds began to truly pick up, and the sun peeked over the horizon, “There! We’re almost there!”

  We tried to take a mad dash, but the only one truly in a condition to sprint was our ever-hardy Survivalist. Arin and I were beaten, but we trudged on. And the moment we made it to the edge of those ruins, and saw shelter for the first time, we wasted no time in hunkering underneath it.

  Being the only one with stamina to spare, Elfa checked our little hideout for how secure it was, and set up a firepit immediately. Arin tried to help with the firewood, but she shook her head, and sat him back down. Before we knew it, we had a comfortable flame to seat ourselves with, and a moment of respite just as the wind outside began to continue to pick up.

  “We won’t be seeing the sun for a little while longer,” said Elfa, peeking out. I saw past her for a brief moment, and an endless cascade of white was all I could make out. “You two alright?”

  Even she seemed winded. But as much as I felt exhausted, we were all alive and safe. I eked out a thumbs up, and Arin gave a nod. However, a burning question remained on my mind. “What now…?”

  Arin shook his head, “We’ll have to wait here for the day, recuperate. Would be no good to take a journey through the night again, especially not in this weather.”

  “It’s a risk, but we have to be patient for now,” Elfa added, placing a few more bits of firewood into our pit.

  “Are we sure we can… wait that long? We’re gonna need this firewood for the rest of the journey.” We couldn’t just go looking for firewood, and the next landmark was more than a day’s travel. What we had was all we got.

  Arin rebuked, “Do you propose we just freeze to death, then?” The nightly weather was unbearable.

  “Settle down,” came from Elfa, however, as Arin recoiled. He gave me a look of apology, and I waved him off. I didn’t think anything of it. “How long would it take until the lake under normal conditions?”

  The lake, just beyond the initial border, and then the ravine. “Poor conditions… Five days? Good conditions, maybe three.” They were the best estimates I had. I was somewhat winging them, but we did make excellent progress just today. But we couldn’t push ourselves more. “If we pushed it again, we could make it to the lake tomorrow evening, but…” I looked between Arin and myself. I wasn’t sure we could handle another run like that.

  “Camping out there is going to be a difficulty regardless,” replied Elfa, now seating herself by the fire with the two of us. “A tent isn’t easy to make in a blizzard, and we’ll be burning through our rations soon.” Only seventeen days of rations meant that the more time we were held up here, the worse it’d be out in the forest and on the return trip.

  “But we can’t just wait out this storm, either, can we?” inquired Arin. Elfa solemnly shook her head. “Then our safest course is to not risk it by travelling at night.”

  “Maybe we should?” I proposed, somewhat unsure of my idea.

  But Arin wasn’t having any of it. “We almost just collapsed from exhaustion, what happens, then?”

  “We almost collapsed from cold and exhaustion, and if we rest at night, it won’t be as bad.” The time we rested was far more important than the time we walked. We had a path laid out.

  Elfa considered our words for a brief moment. “It will be warmer during the day for the blizzard, even if only a small bit. But how are we going to avoid getting lost?”

  That’s when I remembered all the rope I’d bought, and promptly pulled it from my pack. “We could tie ourselves to each other.” I didn’t receive a proper reaction for a second, so I continued, “So if someone starts to go too far off the path, the others can tug, and let ‘em know, right?”

  “I’ve done something like that before.” Our riflewoman and wilderness survival extraordinaire continued on to detail a time when she was escorting a few people back to Old Yugon through a storm during the Lunar season, and used a very similar strategy.

  Arin scratched his chin, before looking at the both of us, “How long do we make the rope, then? Can’t use too much.”

  “Maybe ten meters?” I shrugged. I had a total of ninety. Using twenty between each of us didn’t seem like the poorest investment, maybe twenty-five considering they needed to be wrapped around.

  We inevitably settled on the plan. We’d head out after taking some time to sleep and recuperate, and continue through the night. While the conditions would be dark, we hoped that the time spent resting would make up for what we’d lose. We’d make less progress in favor of more safety.

  Unlike the last time where we’d set up three watches, Elfa stayed awake for the first eight hours on her own. She seemed to need just a little less than Arin and I to stay ready and raring to go.

  After our eight hour sleep, and Elfa’s four hour power nap, we took stock of our situation. A day’s rations were used, and we cut through three nights’ worth of firewood for this, but we had to press on as best as we could.

  Our food didn’t taste wonderful, but it could’ve been worse. I felt invigorated again to continue our path forward. However, hearing the howling winds outside still gave me the shivers.

  But before we could leave, Arin had more words of wisdom for us. “If any of us start to feel strange, or sick, we try to figure out a way to rest.” That was going to be a complicated problem to solve…

  We didn’t have a way to keep a fire properly lit in those intense winds, unless we kept an eye out for anything nearby. Cliffs and rocks weren’t going to be easy to come across, though, and we couldn’t just pull one with us.

  But the two of them agreed with the idea, not only were they trusting my judgement, I had to trust theirs. If they felt something was truly off, they would’ve stopped it.

  But I had to be certain. “We’re really doing this?” I asked.

  And when our gaze met each other’s, they both collectively agreed. We had to commit, now. The more time we wasted, the more our supplies dwindled, and the more opportunities things could go wrong.

  If we couldn’t rest, we’d simply have to tough it out.

  Thus, we finished our food, and got ourselves prepared. Lit our lanterns for the road ahead, burning through our fuel, tied the rope around each other, checked our condition one last time. All of us were in as good of shape as we could afford to be at this moment.

  “Stick as close as possible,” decreed our Gold beacon, as the three of us put out the flame, recovered as much of our firewood as possible, and moved from our hideout.

  Immediately, the winds were biting, the cold nearly unbearable, and yet, we had no other choice.

  The three of us began our grueling trek once more into the wilds, and to break into the Wyrdwud.

  The winds pierced through our skin like needles, the air that filled my lungs stung to just breathe. Every moment felt like another moment I could pass out. Our lanterns were on, guiding our path toward each other, alongside the rope, but it wasn’t pretty.

  But we had no time to rest. We had to make as much progress as we could, and so we trudged through the ever-thickening layers of snow and rime. Once in a while, I’d feel the rope tug, Elfa or Arin tripping over something. Occasionally, I’d be the one sharing in their pain, tripping and holding the two of them back. But thankfully, we never lost each other.

  It kept us on track, as I continued calling out our directions. I tried to keep track of when we’d get turned around, having to squint at my compass, bring it directly to my face just to see. As much as walking a straight line feels like an easy task, only a little bit of deviation, and it could very quickly change.

  We pressed onward. Each night we travelled through the grueling blizzard, we had to find some sort of shelter for the day after. A cliffside, a rock, something nearby. I always had to be sure to reorient my compass after each and every deviation, keeping us on track.

  Those winds howled relentlessly. There wasn’t a single animal in sight. None dared trudge through this weather, except for us. And it was taking its toll. Every grueling second, every subpar ration just to keep us alive. A fire was only barely possible, and it just barely kept us alive.

  But we pressed on, and soon, our leading Voyager called, “We’re close! The forest is just up ahead!”

  The treeline had begun to surface. The blizzard slowly began to weaken, and once we were past the trees, it’d quiet down much more. We wouldn’t be safe from the blizzard’s jaws, but could perhaps get a better day’s rest.

  Something I noticed, however, as we trekked north, is how quickly our daylight seemed to dwindle. As soon as we’d made it to the forest, half of our entire day was drenched instead in night.

  We were nearing the Celestial Line. And it wouldn’t be much longer until our sunlight was stuck purely behind the horizon. Our lanterns were burning through fuel, even though we stocked on so much.

  And yet, once we’d finally made it into the forest proper, I felt some small reprieve. We only travelled for a touch longer before we inevitably stopped, our bodies once more needing rest.

  We found ourselves a small alcove to seat ourselves in, safe from the outside storm to some extent. As soon as the winds stopped striking our bodies, it felt as though we began to melt immediately. Only exacerbated as soon as a proper fire was placed.

  The worst of our weather, barring any new problems, was behind us. We just needed to continue to brave the rest of the storm, and we’d make it past the border and to the nearby lake.

  Unfortunately, our firewood stocks were shot. Our journey through the blizzard wasn’t easy, and took far more than we would’ve liked just to keep it going under those conditions. Five night’s worth for a three day trip…

  That was already a week down the drain. Hopefully, we wouldn’t have to use as much moving forward just to keep ourselves warm.

  Our lantern fuel was also struggling. That trip wasn’t easy on our reserves, but we had to push on. We still took our time to rest. There was no point in heading out exhausted, but it’d become routine by this point. Not a moment was wasted.

  Sleep, awaken, eat, pack, and head out once more.

  The trees blocked a large chunk of the incoming winds from the west, but it remained a difficult trek. Weaving through the trees offered little in the way of direction, and even less in the way of sightseeing. In spite of this, I could feel we were making much better time.

  Slowly, but assuredly, the snow became easier to tread. The winds beat us down a little less. And before we knew it, the frozen lake before us stood as a landmark. A testament to our full crossing of the Wyrdwud border.

  It was barely visible, we had to watch our step, but it was just as good of an assertion as any that we weathered the worst of it for now.

  We found somewhere else to hunker down for the night to grab our bearings. As much as the blizzard took a lot out of us, the journey across went more smoothly than anticipated…

  Five full days of grueling travel.

  Once more we set up camp, but this time, with triumph fresh on our minds.

  As we warmed ourselves by the fire, I uttered, “Next goal is the Celestial Line…”

  I looked at my map as I eked out those words. We truthfully weren’t far. Only a few more days, and hopefully nowhere near as grueling as the last stretch.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Arin, attempting to temper us. “As awful as that escapade was, there’s no guarantee that what we run into beyond the Line is any better.”

  Elfa nodded in agreement, inspecting her rifle before we turned in for the night. “It’s back to three watches, aye?” she commanded, as Arin and I seemed more than ready to accept that burden again.

  Arin turned his attention toward me. “Are you going to fight for the last watch again?” He raised an eyebrow accusingly.

  “If you’re offering, gladly.” He was clearly taunting me, but I wasn’t going to turn it down. I pulled out a coin, and waited for him to call.

  “Heads,” he said, and the coin flew into the air once more. It spun again and again, until it landed in my hand, and…

  I stuck my tongue out to celebrate my victory. “I win this time!”

  Arin shrugged his shoulders with a sigh, and moved nearer to the fireplace. “You won, now get some rest.”

  I figured he was going to be much more of a sore loser, but he was surprisingly calm. It was probably just from him being the straight-laced type, but I figured there had to be more under the hood.

  But I didn’t want to pry. Especially not at this hour. I took myself to my sleeping sack, and curled up within the tent for another night’s rest.

  …

  I felt myself being jostled from slumber once again. This time, from Elfa, towering over me in spite of the horizon not having a lick of color upon it. My tired eyes forced themselves open, and I stared up at my new compatriot. “Is it really morning…?”

  “Mm,” was the only acknowledgement she gave, and it was all I needed. I cracked my neck, stretched my body for a few moments, and forced myself from the comfort of my sleeping bag. Without needing to be told or directed, I plopped myself next to our humble fire pit.

  Elfa went to sleep without a word, leaving me once again alone in the darkness. Ironic as it was, nothing had changed since the first night. Still dark, cloudy, and windy…

  The endless fields of white all around us, the light barely bouncing off of each of the trees… The more I looked outside of the comfort of our camp, the more I realized I didn’t know what rested behind the shadows.

  Much like a night in Bisitan, there always rested a fear that something could jump out at any time. It was rare, but rare just means unlikely.

  Not impossible.

  Here, it was partially exacerbated. While outside in the fields before gave fairer visibility, in spite of the constant snowstorm that we’d recently passed under, each and every trunk was another ambush.

  I tried not to let it get to me. Attempted not to let it sour my mood. I wasn’t jumping with joy like I thought I would be, I wasn’t screaming to the stars above about how great our journey was and how excellent we did.

  It was a quiet triumph that only we would truly hear. A victory that spurred me forward. I didn’t have a clue of the difficulties that the Wyrdwud held, but with just a taste, it was unlike anything I’d experienced before.

  And yet, here I stood. Alongside Arin and Elfa, two excellent Voyagers in their own right, who placed their faith into me as I did them. Maybe I wouldn’t make it to Silver upon going home. There was still a chance I failed my next aptitude exam, like so many others had gone.

  But if I kept pushing, I’d break through that barrier. Burst down that wall, and end up on the other side to a brighter future.

  My hands rested over the fire, the warmth seeping through my body, fighting the endless cold around us. And for the first time, I truly knew the comfort that struggle afforded.

  Inevitably, it was time for my companions to awaken. I only had to rustle Arin up from bed, Elfa having already pulled herself up.

  And after yet another hearty meal of rations, a fourth day of our food stocks gone, we got ourselves up and prepared our trek to cross the Celestial Line.

  TO BE CONTINUED.

  three parts to this Commission, though if it turns out that this one needs a touch less, I'll just condense it a tad into two.

  Also I apologize for any errors that may crop up, I'm a bit sloppier than I would like to be at the moment. Next part, I hope to introduce the Wyrdwud properly. I hope you enjoyed!