"No." Selerim reached over Gwyn's hands, slightly adjusting her grip before pulling away. "Like that."

  She'd carved three more of her own under his watchful gaze; though their surfaces were rough-hewn and their blades uneven, they fit her hands far better than the ones he had carved, and even the metal ones from the city.

  He watched as Gwyn raised her arm, then lowered it in a slow, exaggerated movement. She kept her wrist bent until the very end, flicking it to spend another knife- another she'd carved- spinning from the tips of her fingers. It flew true, striking the tree she'd been using as target practice hard enough to send a wave of white powder come shaking down.

  "Better."

  Gwyn furrowed her brow as she raised the third. "It's easier with the ones that I made."

  "They fit your hand better. It's not surprising."

  "Hm." That one, too, buried itself in the tree's trunk, dirty white blade quivering from the force of her throw. "I think I should switch targets. Muscle memory is helping out a lot."

  "Do one more round here and then switch to another tree. It doesn't matter if it's closer or further. Just make sure not to venture too far."

  She nodded silently before moving to retrieve the weapons. "Why don't the humans just use bone, too? Or the elves, for that matter."

  "I don't think their weapons are tough enough for that." The others had mentioned something along those lines- carrying spares in case their weapons broke. "They're not as durable as ours. It doesn't make as much sense, damaging a larger weapon just to make a dagger."

  Gwyn frowned at that. "You think they'd welcome the ability to make weapons from your surroundings, then."

  "I'm not sure. It can take a while. Bone is tough, but brittle. It's not suitable for larger weapons, like a sword. And they seemed to prefer larger weapons with more reach, just like us."

  She must have heard something in his voice, because her gaze found his after another throw. "You sound surprised about that."

  Selerim shook his head. "Surprised isn't really the word. I just think it's... Interesting."

  "Interesting how?"

  "Our weapons take the same shape."

  "Meaning?"

  "We both use swords."

  "So?"

  He paused, trying to find the right words to describe his thoughts. "Think of it. Even if our people had never met before, they would still be using swords. So would we. Isn't that interesting?"

  Gwyn said nothing, but he saw her arm stop just a hair higher than before. The thrown dagger struck the base of the tree's trunk, glancing off and landing in the piles of snow beneath. "I didn't think you thought about that kind of thing."

  Selerim frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "It means-" The next struck at eye-level. "- That you've never really been much of a talker." She had the third in her fingers before it even finished its course. "Don't take this the wrong way, brother, but you've always been a bit... Brooding."

  He waited for it to finish its arc before continuing. "That bad?"

  She shook her head before throwing the fourth. "Not bad. It was never bad, it just... Was." It lodged itself just below the last. "It's not like it ever made me mad or upset. I could always tell you had a lot on your mind."

  "... You can probably thank Corvus for that."

  "Oh?"

  Selerim watched as his sister threw the fifth, then stepped forward to retrieve them. Gwyn followed by his side. "He knew I wasn't very good at things like this," he said softly, pulling the first knife away amidst a hail of splinters and ice. "So he made sure I knew the importance of thinking." He retrieved the second in a similar fashion, then watched as Gwyn did the same with the other two.

  "Thinking?"

  He nodded. "Sometimes you just need to take a step back, sit down, and really think things through."

  "Are you also going to teach that to me?"

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Because," he answered, handing the two bone blades back to her "you and I are different people. I'll teach you how to calm your mind, but I think that's all you'll need."

  "And if I need more?"

  "Then I'll teach you more when you need it."

  Gwyn hefted the first knife and turned back towards her target, apparently satisfied with that answer. It was still difficult for Selerim to look her in the eye; not for guilt or any other thing, but simple shame. She'd said nothing more about the words they'd exchanged that day, no doubt making good on her promise to wait for him to be ready.

  "Gwyn."

  Selerim didn't realize he'd spoken until his sister turned back to him, an expectant look on her face.

  "I..." He trailed off uncertainly What am I trying to say here?

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  She turned back to her task. The first knife embedded itself in a tree a handful of paces away from its blade-marked predecessor. "Talk when you're ready."

  He waited until Gwyn had thrown them all and retrieved them.

  "... I killed people. The night Cress burned. I killed people."

  The knife landed short. "I know." Her voice was tight. "What about it? They were trying to kill you."

  Selerim shook his head. "That's not it."

  "Then what is it?"

  "I don't feel too bad about it," he admitted, taking a seat. Even those few words were a weight off his chest; something that occupied his thoughts for quite a bit of the time leading up to this moment. "It's like you said... They were trying to kill me. And they were part of the reason that Cress burned."

  He looked down at his hands, falling silent as the sound of another knife striking rang out. "I didn't really like killing them. And I won't relish doing it again. But... I want to." Selerim laughed. "It's odd, isn't it? I've experienced firsthand just how... How much bad it brings, yet here I am, eager to inflict it on someone else."

  "Maybe you should spend less time thinking."

  "You might be right."

  "... I was joking."

  "I know. But still."

  "Some people deserve to die."

  It took Selerim a moment to accept that- not just the brutality of Gwyn's words, but the icy steel held within them. "You might be right," he said after a moment of silence. "But everything..." He trailed off. "Everything... Every one I've met so far has been struggling in one way or another."

  "So?"

  "It makes me wonder if they had a reason. For doing what they did, I mean."

  "Does it matter?"

  "No, but..." He hesitated. "It does make me wonder whether I have the right to judge them. To want them dead."

  Gwyn's next throw missed completely. "You didn't kill their friends and try to kill them."

  "Maybe not. But I would kill all of them to protect you. If I had to choose between you or the whole city, I'd still choose you. And mom."

  "And you think that every person there was making a choice like that?"

  "Not every person," he whispered, "but maybe. I've seen people do bad things..." Selerim balled his hands into fists. "I've done bad things. But I always felt like I had a reason. A good enough reason. And so did the others. Usually they can explain their reasons, and usually I can understand." He grimaced. "I don't know what that says about me."

  "Are you worried that you can relate to them?"

  "A little," Selerim admitted. "They're still the people that destroyed our home. It's not a pleasant feeling, at the very least."

  "I think it's better to think of things like that," Gwyn said, her next throw striking true. "I know how you feel about... People, in general, but mom and I would have been in trouble without the doctor's help. And the others we've met have been good people, haven't they?"

  He nodded, recalling the struggles of Suli and the others. "They have been."

  "They're just people." She threw the last dagger particularly viciously, violently whipping her limb out to send it flying away. "Just like us. Just people trying to get by." She paused. "I've seen more of the city than you have."

  "... I know. But I saw enough of the elves in their kingdom. It's like you said... A lot of them are just people trying to get by." Selerim sighed.

  "Does it really change how you feel?"

  "No." He shook his head. "It doesn't. I'm still going to kill the people that destroyed Cress."

  "So then why worry about it?"

  "Because I don't want to go too far," Selerim said softly. "I'm going to kill these people because I want to. I can justify it all I want, but at the end of the day, that's the truth. I'm doing it because I want to. I didn't feel anything when I killed those people, and I probably won't feel anything when I kill them, either. That's why I need you to keep me in check."

  He stepped forward, keeping pace as Gwyn did the same. They retrieved the knives in silence; she didn't speak again until they both stood in their original position.

  "You think too much."

  "Probably."

  She threw the first knife. "You're spending too much time thinking about something that's not going to happen. That's different."

  Selerim stepped forward, grabbing both of her hands with his own. "Keep throwing," he said quietly, "but keep your mind focused. You might have to throw in all sorts of situations." He guided her through the second throw, correcting the small bits of her posture that were out of place.

  That one hit the tree square in the middle, and the third, just under it. "You worry about strange things."

  "Do I?"

  "I know I said you've changed ever since that night," Gwyn said quietly. "The biggest change seems to be what you spend time thinking about."

  He laughed at that, then took the third dagger from her. "I have more things to think about now." He turned it once in his fingers, then wound his arm back to throw it. The off-white blade spun slowly through the air before lodging squarely between the two she'd thrown before.

  "How do you it every time?"

  "Years of practice." Selerim watched her throw the fourth, then accepted the fifth as Gwyn offered it. He threw it with all the force he could wring out, coiling his body and unraveling it a single, fluid motion. The sound of it striking wood was notably louder than all those that came before it, and what followed was a dull crack distinctly different from that of splitting wood.

  As they stepped forward to retrieve them yet again, he realized bland and handle were both cracked. "Here." He exchanged it with one of his metal ones. Though practically brand new, its blade was already dull and chipped; he'd new ones before departing. Ones that were hopefully more durable. Should I just get something expensive and be done with it? That seemed a silly idea, considering he could just make more suitable ones, but that would be a dead giveaway to his identity.

  Selerim pushed those worried aside for later as Gwyn took the dagger. "We should find you a spear before I leave."

  "Do you have any idea where to get one?"

  "No," he admitted. "So far none of the knives I purchased have held up. I don't know if I'm expecting too much out of the blacksmiths, or if I just have no clue what to look for." He paused. "They're fairly durable, all things considered, but it seems like a bad match. Their weapons are made with the intent of being replaced, and something that breaks in their hands will break more quickly in ours."

  "The staffs have held up."

  "They have. I tested yours against Reavers too, and it felt solid."

  "I guess we just need to find a dwarven spear, then?"

  "Have you seen any other dwarven-made weapons?"

  "No."

  "I still have that ingot. From my Feast."

  Gwyn threw the third, then shook her head. "That's yours," she said firmly. "Maybe more than anything else in the world, that's yours. Use it for yourself." She threw the fourth. "Why haven't you already used it? I thought you'd be jumping to get a weapon of your own."

  "... An offhand comment."

  "Huh?"

  "... Viria made it sound like there may be some big secret behind our weapons. I never really thought about it, but it is odd that we're the only ones who use them."

  "If it was a big deal, Corvus probably would have mentioned it to you at some point."

  "That's also true." Selerim sighed. "The bigger problem is finding someone that I trust. I wouldn't trust my sword to anyone."

  "Maybe you could ask your new friends to introduce you to someone?"

  "That's... Not a bad idea."

  "You already gave them your earnings from the last commission, right? I'm sure they'd be happy to do an introduction."

  "I'll ask when I see them next time."

  "Is that soon?"

  "Probably shortly after we get back.'' He paused. "Gwyn?"

  "Yes?"

  "I know you and mom don't want me getting hurt, but if getting hurt saves someone, I think I should get hurt."

  She nodded once. "And if whatever happened to you stops working?"

  "It won't."

  "How do you know that?"

  "I just do." There was no lie in Selerim's words. "I Feasted on it. Whatever it is, it's part of me now. I can't tell you how I know, but whatever it is... It's permanent."

  "Alright." Another, singular nod. "I trust you. I knew you'd think like that."

  "For what it's worth, I don't think we'll be in any real danger. It's a long journey, but they're skilled."

  "And the journey back?"

  He shrugged. "It's just doing the same thing over again. And I think whoever organized this had something in mind."