Katerin awoke the next morning, and a feeling of dread overtook her before her eyes had even opened. A sense of betrayal clouded her dreams. How could I leave him behind? How could she do so little for him, when all he had done was for her, his only thought her safety.

Fykes was sitting next to her, a hand on her shoulder and a smile across his face. She searched his expression, looking for any hint of the sadness she felt, and frowned at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's something you're really going to want to see," he said.

"Can it wait a minute?" She asked, scrubbing a hand across her face, and fighting to keep her breathing steady. "I'm not ready to—"

"It can't," Fykes said. He pulled her gently to her feet. The smile never left his face and it only made her want to cry. "I promise you, it's worth it."

She sniffed, and gave him a small nod. She followed him to the ships deck while stifling a yawn, and taking his offered hand.

Sitting around a fire on the beach she saw a group of people with Trunk among them. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a stocky form with wild black hair, that sat with his back to them as he talked with animated movements.

Something about the way the form moved, so animated yet sure, struck a chord in her heart. Her steps stilled, and her hands knotted in Fykes shirt.

Fykes pulled her forward. "There's coffee, too."

The form had heard Fykes' voice and he spun, on his feet in an instant. He ran unceremoniously towards them, and wrapped Katerin in a hug so tight her ribs ached.

"Brazen?" She coughed, staring at him with wide eyes, his embrace was warm, and soft, and she felt his arms squeeze her with a humanity she had never dreamed of.

"Look!" he said. He released her and held out his arms, perfectly human, with a flush to his cheeks, and small dark bags under his eyes. Though, those eyes were still a blue too bright, his nose was still wider, and he was still short and stocky as he had been, but now he was flesh and blood. Breathing, and blinking, talking, and shuffling his toes in the sand.

Katerin said nothing as she stared at him, tears falling from her eyes without notice as she squeezed his hand.

"Katerin?" Brazen said, his face falling. "Are you okay?"

Katerin laughed so hard it hurt, and hugged him again, almost managing to lift him from the ground. "I... I'm fine."

"Watch this!" Brazen sucked in a large breath, chest pushing forward, and he held it until his face turned red.

"How?" Katerin turned to Trunk, with a bewildered expression. "Trunk, you said..."

The forest-folk shrugged, with a look on his face that belayed amazement, and shock. "Nature does not belay her secrets to me."

"Brazen, what happened?"

He frowned, biting his lip. "Well, I remember the fight, and I remember the explosion. I couldn't get to you, so I tried to shield Roahn." He huffed out a heavy breath, taking the cup Fykes offered him. "And then, everything was dark. I called out for you... but I couldn't find you. Later, I heard Trunk talking to someone. Her voice was. Stunning. But then he was gone, and that voice was gone, and it was dark again." Brazen bit his lip, and frowned. "I woke up under a tree, with these pretty vines around me. I was cold, and I had this... hollow feeling." He tapped his stomach. "But I found the beach, and then the ship. I tried to wake you up but you didn't listen and Fykes said we should let you sleep." His words were rushed, as if he had been holding each of them on his chest and waiting for years to tell her of it.

Katerin leaned into Fykes, staring at Brazen. Human. It seemed impossible, it was impossible, was it not? How was he living, breathing, and alive?

"Are you mad?" Brazen asked.

Katerin sniffed through her tears. "Why in the world would I be mad?"

"You're not saying much. You always have something to say. Even if you refuse because you're mad, or annoyed, or..." he trailed off, looking at his hands.

Katerin leaned forward and pulled him into another hug. "I thought you were gone."

"It was never your fault," he said, as she pulled away.

She gave him a smile. He still knew her mind, and exactly what had gone through her thoughts, and yet here he was, worried she was angry. "Have you let these terrible influences give you ale, yet?"

He nodded. "It tastes terrible."

"Taste is not its purpose," Roahn said, as Katerin shook her head.

"I've been really," Brazen looked to Fykes as if for confirmation. "Hungry."

"I'm sure," Katerin said. "That's perfectly normal."

"Does it ever go away?"

"No," Fykes told him. "It leaves for awhile, and comes right back."

Brazen offered a bewildered frown. "What if I eat all the time?"

"You will," Katerin said. She looked over his clothes, and blinked. "Where'd you get those?"

"The dwarves gave them to me. Said it was 'no time to be strutting about naked," Brazen blushed. His shirt was too short in both dimensions, and the pants he wore appeared to be so loose they resembled a skirt.

Katerin bit her lip as she opened her bag, and retrieved a set of clean, folded clothes that had been made for him. Despite the strange looks the others gave her, it seemed odd to her to have a magical bag that could hold most anything, and not keep clean clothes in it. Especially socks.

"Always prepared," Fykes said.

"I didn't think he would have to die, to be in need of them," Katerin admitted, as she handed them over to Brazen.

Magrum and a few of his crew approached them, and after Brazen returned—dressed in clothes that actually fit him—the mood around the fire was a pleasant one. Dinner came and passed, stories were shared in the fire light and Brazen was doted over.

*

Their departure was delayed, again. For, it wasn't every day that anyone witnessed a miracle, and many of the dwarves were adamant that Brazens return was to be celebrated heavily.

Though Katerin suspected they were just fond of things to celebrate, as Magrum allowed celebrations to merit extra rations of ale.

When the dwarves were retiring for the night, Magrum approached Katerin. "The ship is well enough to sail again. We can be leaving tomorrow with the sunrise."

"And the damned pirates finally left well enough alone, so by then they should be plenty far away as to not try followin' us again," one of his crew said.

"Tomorrow sounds good. I think another night of rest wouldn't hurt any of us," Katerin said.

Magrum nodded, as he clasped Katerin on the shoulder. "I'm glad your boy is alright," he said, before turning on his heel and striding away.

His phrasing caught her off guard, and by the time she thought to reply, he was well out of ear shot. She sat with her mouth open, staring after him.

"You alright?" Fykes asked.

"He... he said, 'your boy',"

Fykes gave her a curious look. "And?"

"He's... Brazen has more knowledge than—"

"He is, and everyone knows it. They've been saying as much, for months."

Katerin sighed, and gave Fykes a sharp look. "I feel like you leave important details out, on occasion."

Fykes chuckled. "I figured you knew. Everyone at home treats him as if he is our child."

Katerin snickered, trying to imagine a scene of someone treating Brazen like a child, her child, for that matter.

"We do have a rather odd little family," Fykes said.

"I'm not sure odd is the right word for it," Katerin began. "We..."

"We have been more than just friends for quite some time, Katerin," he said, giving her a small, private smile.

"I'm not talking about that," she said, smacking him on the arm. "It's just strange."

"What's strange?"

"What we are," she said, sipping her mug and watching people move about on the sand. Trunk was sitting quietly in meditation. Brazen and Roahn were sparring with salt-wood sticks, while Jon cheered them on and tried to coerce the crew into betting on their match. She thought for a moment, and could not find the words.

She had not been one to worry over others safety, preferring instead to believe them capable of making their own choices. He was more capable than most, despite all those who might tease him. What they were was not so strange, as she thought about it. Not in the scope of the world, but for her it was something she had never expected. They shared a home, a bed. They shared most everything they had, yet still their courtship was an odd one, when you added Brazen into the mix.

The long winter months had more tightly bound the three of them together. Katerin had spent her whole life, outside of most social circles, and it had taken her quite a lot of time, to find the friends she had before leaving Hearth-Home. Yet in the course of just slightly over a year, she had become so attached to these people around her, it seemed like a nightmare to imagine her life without them.

Fykes sat quietly, watching her as she thought.

She squeezed his hand. "I changed my mind. For once, you had the perfect word. Odd is an apt description."

Fykes smirked, and kissed her, taking her breath away.

"Hey!" Jon hollered. "Find a room for that!"

Fykes waved an arm at his friend, but Katerin shook her head and pulled away. "He's right."

Fykes humor faded slightly, "You're feeling better?"

"Of course I am. He's okay."

"I was worried for you. When I lost Ge'henna.... I know how dark that is. To feel as if you could've done something to stop it."

Katerin took a shaky breath. "It made me realize something."

Fykes did not speak, but instead he watched her eyes.

"What we do, what we're doing now, we could die any day. The whole world is just like this place." She gestured out with her hands. "It looks so tranquil, and soft. But it's cold, and terrifying. Balance shifts, and it won't always be in our favor." Her voice cracked, and she leaned into Fykes as his arms tightened around her.

"For the most part, I agree. We could die any day. I could die right now." He glanced up at the sky, as if in question, then nodded proudly. "But it's beautiful, warm and awe-inspiring. We are the luckiest people."

"How so?"

"Because we are alive, right now. Looking at this island, and people we love. We are warm, and fed, and hydrated, and for the moment we aren't fighting for our lives."

Katerin turned to him, and laid a hand gently on his chin. "I will never figure out that mind of yours." She kissed him quickly on the nose, and jumped to her feet. "We have things to do! Sitting around isn't making any progress." With that she was gone, jogging across the sand towards the ship.

Fykes sighed, watching Katerin as she ran across the sand, and grinning as he watched her slip and barely manage to catch herself. In the time he had spent with her, she had already begun to change, just slightly. Holding so much more composure, class, and so much more stress on her shoulders. But she still kept that clumsy, argumentative and opinionated mage in her heart, and when she laughed while falling to the sand, he could see it there. That spark of a free and determined spirit.

His father would like her, he knew. But he could not take her to meet him, just yet. He pushed himself to his feet as she faded from his sight, and smiled. He had decided to follow her, and not once had he regretted it. He wondered if she might ever tire of him, but before the thought could take root, he was interrupted.

Jon patted his shoulder as he was walking towards the open keg of ale, now dwindling. "She's gonna wear you out."

"Hmm?"

"All that running. Makes me tired just seein' it."

"Jon, you're tired before you get out of bed in the morning." Fykes shook his head.

"Aye," Jon agreed, as it he deserved sympathy.

Fykes waved him goodnight, pushed his worries away, and trailed behind the rest of the people for the ship. Tonight, they would reload the provisions, weapons and supplies, and tomorrow they would break camp, and begin sailing once again.

While they worked, he never strayed far from Brazen, watching him carefully. He seemed excited over every small thing but there was something deeper, hidden in his eyes. Suffice to say, masking his emotions was not his strong-suit, though Fykes supposed that was expected, considering he had less than twenty-four hours to experience them, so far. He said nothing about the cause of the worry in his eyes and Fykes refused to push him on the subject.

Coming back to life was surely a harrowing thing. It was a miracle. And rare as it was, there was not much Fykes could think of to offer aid. His resurrection had offered many things to think about, besides the worry.

Now, he wanted to keep Trunk nearby. He had the ability to undo something that very few did. He hated the thought of keeping someone near just for their capabilities, but he had to admit that the people he loved all had a strong penchant for dangerous situations. It was a comfort to imagine that he might not lose his loved ones for a long time, if the right gods could will it so, if Trunk was willing to repeat whatever he had just done.

He sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow, patting Brazen on the shoulder. "Come on, lets get some rest. We can finish all this in the morning."

Brazen huffed. "I'm... I'm tired."

"Welcome to being alive." Fykes smiled. "It has many advantages, and many restraints."

"Restraints?"

"You can't walk forever. You need to eat, drink, sleep, breathe. You feel, your injuries won't just disappear."

"So I have to be careful."

"You do. No more jumping in front of people."

"I... didn't know."

"Neither did we."

"I didn't keep it from hurting her... and that was all I wanted."

"She's always been stronger than she looks, and she'll have us beside her. You can't just jump in front of people anymore. It'll get you killed for good."

"We'll be careful?"

"Most of the time," Fykes said, with a wink.

Brazen was already walking for the campfire, "You said we could get some food."

As they all sat around the fire, the sound of people talking was intense. So many people, with so many different faces. But now, the strange looks they had once given him had been replaced entirely with looks of disbelief.

Brazen wondered silently if this was why Katerin avoided people. It was almost too much, trying to puzzle out everyone's thoughts and understand the way their faces contorted when they spoke. The people were like puzzles, where the pieces changed every second. Their moods alternated quickly. He noticed the way Jon bluffed at every given chance, the way only his eyes gave it away.

He noticed the way Fykes expression stayed in a perfectly trained polite and charming smile, despite the worry and alarm in his eyes. Katerin looked ever thoughtful, and that was her own tell. It was how she hid what she was thinking, kept back the words she really wanted to say. And that thoughtful look was often miles away when it was only the three of them, but out here it was solid as a wall, hiding all her doubts and worries.

Roahn seemed to hide behind her might and stern yet drunken exterior, though he could not help but assume that the brash words and sway to her step was a show. She was excellent at acting it out, hiding her nervousness behind the show of her personality.

Trunk, was the only person around the fire that he could not read. There was sadness and silence, only it was not hidden, just faint. It seemed Trunk had nothing to hide.

Brazen felt the breeze, and smelled the air. It was sharp and almost uncomfortable to his senses. Something he did not understand. He felt rough sand between his toes, cloth pulling over his skin, the cool metal of a mug in his hand, and it was overwhelming when he tried to process it all. No longer were his thoughts clear, slow and logical. There was a mess of a thousand things running through his brain, and all of them were muddled by the same emotions he watched play across his companions features. He still knew all that he knew before but now, he thought about it, and felt about it.

He closed his eyes, and remembered waking up beneath that tree, as vibrantly as he could see the fire before him now. His breathing had hurt, his skin reacted as if every vine were a needle point. The light was blinding and colors were too bright. But as he began to react to that panic that he had no name for, a soft wind had blown across him, and he would swear he could hear it whispering to him. Maybe he wasn't understanding how he had made it to the camp, and found the ship, stumbling and crying and unsure of what had happened, but he could swear that the wind had guided him, gently correcting his course until he found his companions, and found his way back to Katerin.

He looked to Katerin and Fykes as they jested with Roahn, and he felt a sudden stuttering in his heart. My place is still to protect them, isn't it?