They left the inn the second after morning prayer. Nerin kept his quick, begging Sol and Lune and whoever else was listening to keep them away from Harudan. They couldn't get caught, not when they were so close to the coast. They only had another day or two left of travel before they finally reached the Neverending Sea.

Emrick still had the map open on the bed he'd shared with Isiah when Nerin and Rina finished praying. He scoured over it, even though Nerin still hadn't figured out where exactly there were supposed to go, but as long as they got out of Reed, it didn't matter too much. He could figure it out later when he wasn't panicking.

Just the idea that Harudan might find him made his stomach ache with nervousness. His palms were sweaty and his lip was sore from how much he had been chewing on it. He didn't want to go back, he wasn't ready to face him yet. And if he did, he didn't know what he would say to him.

He was so angry with him, but he still loved him. Harudan was his big brother, the person who looked after him for the majority of his life. After he was coronated, they had spent less time together, which was understandable, but Nerin had just thought it was because he was busy looking after the country, not planning a war with their only neighbours.

Being anywhere near his brother terrified him. He didn't know the man anymore, didn't know what he would do if they saw each other. And if they were caught, Jonin would murder all of the friends he had made. None of them deserved it, but it was what Harudan had ordered. Jonin wouldn't stop until the job was done.

What had Harudan done when he found out that Jonin had killed their uncle? Had he been angry or hadn't he cared? Part of Nerin was convinced that it was the latter but he didn't want to believe it. Turian was a kind soul but even so, Harudan never really got along with him, probably out of some strange sense of duty to their father. That was what it was, wasn't it? He was following in their father's footsteps, but he was so much worse.

"Nerin, come on," Isiah said and placed a gentle hand on his wrist. "Are you alright?"

He gulped, feeling like there was a rock in his throat, and shook his head. "I don't... I don't want to see him," he whispered. He couldn't look at any of them, his fingers playing with the edge of his shirt.

"You're not going to," Isiah replied. His hand was still on his wrist, his thumb rubbing circles into the bare skin. It was comforting. "We're going to leave now and everything will be alright."

It was obvious that he was saying it more to comfort himself than to comfort Nerin, but it didn't matter, at least he was trying. He nodded and wrapped his arms around his stomach. They would need to find some way to hide him while they left. If Harudan was there, that meant that his Guard would be as well, and they would all recognise him.

Rina frowned when he mentioned it and pulled a coat from one of their many bags. "It's a little big, but I suppose that's better for hiding your face," she said and placed it around his shoulders. He pulled it tight around him, flipping the hood up. It felt good wearing something a little too big like he could hide away from the world in it.

"Are we ready to go?" Emrick asked as he rolled up the map.

Nerin nodded and made for the door. He tried to ignore the shake of his hands and the nervous pain in his stomach. Rina and Isiah stood on either side of him, both wearing expressions of fear. No one would think it strange, them leaving so early in the morning. Emrick had told the innkeeper that they were travellers after all.

Emrick walked past them, giving them an amused look. "Well? Come on, then," he said, a smile on his face. It could have been faked, but it looked so genuine. One of them should be smiling though, they couldn't exactly walk the streets looking worried and scared. It was too suspicious.

Down the stairs they went, four sets of shoes pounding against the creaky wood. The bottom floor was as empty as it had been the day before, even the innkeeper was gone from their post. Nerin frowned and took a deep breath. If there was no one to watch them go, then no one would know they had left. It was a good thing, but he couldn't stop the awful feeling in his stomach.

The cool wind outside made his burns sting. They were getting better with each passing day and every application of the burn medicine. In another week or so, it would be mostly healed up, if Emrick's word was anything to go by. It should be, the man was smarter than Nerin wanted to admit.

The streets were mostly empty, most people probably still praying to Sol and Lune. Those who were out didn't spare them a glance, something Nerin thanked the Gods for. There was no suspicion, not so far. Even so, he pulled the coat tighter around him, plucking at a loose thread where a button should have been.

It would have been easier to go all the way around Reed, but it was slower. Going all the way through, while busy, was the fastest way to go north. All four of them had hoods on, but it still seemed normal in the cold of the winter morning. It was their way of hiding in plain sight, he just wasn't completely sure if it would work.

The sun rose behind the double-towered stronghold, casting long shadows of buildings over the snowy streets. People stood outside their shops with shovels, muttering to themselves in irritation as they made rough paths on the dirt road. Nerin tried not to stare too much, not wanting to get anyone's attention. He kept his eyes trained in front of him as they turned down the unfamiliar streets, hoping that eventually, they would find a way out.

The town was more grid-like than maze-like, but it was still new to them. The closer they got to the grey stronghold, the more guards they saw patrolling the streets. There would be more than usual with the arrival of Harudan. With a war on, there was more chance of assassination. If he had stayed with his brother, he too would have more protection than normal. Instead, all he had was Rina and Emrick, but he could trust them with his life.

"Gods, there are so many of them," Emrick muttered behind him, his footsteps loud in the snow.

"Don't blaspheme," Isiah replied distractedly. Nerin chuckled and shook his head at his friend. Somethings didn't change, even after everything they had been through. Even though he had killed, Isiah was still the servant of the Old Gods.

Even Emrick laughed. "That's a habit by now, isn't it?" he asked.

"It's also respect," Isiah said next to him, looking back over his shoulder.

"I'm respectful!" the eldest of them exclaimed, way too cheerful for the situation.

Rina, who had been silent since they left, shrugged when she looked at him. She was masquerading as an Ishini again. It didn't look right, not to him anyway. Her features had the same shape, small eyes and thin lips, but it didn't look right with dark hair and pale skin. She looked like she could be Isiah's sister, not the Princess of another country.

"We had better be close," she whispered to him. "I don't like how happy they are."

"I think they're just keeping up appearances," he replied, but he couldn't be sure if it was the truth. They did seem far too calm for what was going on, but that was probably because there hadn't been any issues.

The sound of voices drifted towards them as they walked closer and closer to the stronghold at the centre of the town. Emrick and Isiah's conversation faded away and the frown on Nerin's face felt as though it would be permanent. It wasn't just a small group having a conversation, but a great many people whose voices mixed into a cacophony of noise.

Nerin's heart leapt into his throat when they turned the corner. A massive crowd of people stood in the street, filling it to the brim. Most talked to those around them, mixtures of curiosity and excitement on their faces, but all Nerin felt was uneasiness.

"What's going on?" he asked. They should have just gone around the town, even if it took longer.

"I'm not sure," Emrick whispered in response, the cheerful tone replaced with worry. "We should find another way."

But when they turned around, others had come up behind them, their chatter so loud that it hurt Nerin's ears. They tried to push through the crowd, but it grew thicker and thicker as people called for friends and neighbours to join them. Moving against them became almost impossible and people yelled when they were shoved out of the way. They were gaining too much attention, someone would catch them if they kept going.

He went to get Emrick's attention, but Rina bet him to it. "Emrick!" she hissed, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder. "We need to get somewhere out of the way!"

The illusion was failing, if the tiny spots of blue on her face were anything to go by. They had taken too long. They had all known that they would need to stop occasionally to let Rina rest and redo her illusion, but they had expected to get further than a few streets. She hastily pulled the hood over her head to hide to blue slowly washing down from her hairline.

A hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him off to the side. "There's an alley over here," Isiah said, pointing off somewhere Nerin couldn't see.

He stumbled when he finally burst from the busy crowd and tripped over the corner of a crate. "What is going on?" he asked as Rina and Emrick shuffled into the dirty alleyway.

"Probably something to do with your dear brother," Emrick answered, scowling at the crowd behind them.

"Do you think we can get out through the alleyways?" Rina asked, her face completely blue again. "Because getting through the town like this is going to be impossible." If they had known the streets would be so busy, they never would have tried going through the town.

Emrick shrugged, his forehead creased with worry. "All we can do is walk and find out. There aren't as many people here, but keep your face hidden anyway, Rina," he said.

She scoffed at him. "You don't have to tell me twice."

The alleyways were abandoned, despite the number of people crowded in the streets beyond. With every turn, they were met with unshoveled snow, piled-up crates, and rats that scampered across their feet. Nerin shivered in disgust as one burrowed into a hole in a nearby building as he trudged through the thick snow.

Ahead of him was the top of one of the stronghold's towers, the goings-on within completely unknown to him, but somewhere within the stone walls was his elder brother. Closer and closer they got to the stronghold, closer to Harudan when they were meant to be getting away. The entire time, the voices of the crowds followed them, their words unintelligible, but their excitement obvious.

One voice carried out over the rest, silencing them. "People of Reed," it said and Nerin stopped in his tracks.

The alley opened back up into the main streets ahead of them, straight into the backs of the waiting crowd. They stood in front of the stronghold's tall walls, watching the familiar man that watched from atop them. His face was barely visible from the distance, but Nerin could still picture the smug grin.

"Nerin," Isiah said at his side, just as frozen as he was. The last time any of them had seen Harudan, it had been when he tried to kill Rina.

Once again, his heart leapt into his throat, threatening to spill out of his mouth. "I know. We should go back," he whispered, catching the attention of the two ahead of them.

"And go where?" Emrick asked, gesturing around them. "There are people everywhere and we are with an Askari. We should hide here until the crowd is gone and Rina can cast another illusion."

"But Harudan is right there!" Nerin hissed and pointed at the black and blue-clad figure of his brother.

As if seeing him there for the first time, Rina gasped and brought a hand to the sword at her side. Nerin bristled at the sight, but still, he could not move a muscle. Harudan hadn't seen them yet, there were far too many people around for him to focus on the one face he was actually looking for.

"People of Reed," he said again, gaze flicking over the crowd that had formed in front of the gates. His voice wouldn't carry across the town, but the whispers from the people would. "I am sorry to have gotten you all up so early for this, but I have an important announcement."

As Nerin and his companions stepped towards the mouth of the alleyway, Harudan gestured to those standing behind him. One of them was Jonin, dressed in his silver armour and towering over his charge, the other was an unfamiliar woman, standing straight and proud.

He should have known that they would run into him. How could they not have? Even if it was through a speech, there was no way they would have been able to leave Reed without seeing Harudan. As if it could hide her perfectly, Rina leaned against the wall of the building, her hood over her head and her short hair tied back in it.

"It pains me to tell you all that dear Lord Sedon has fallen quite ill," Harudan called, his voice carrying even over the wind and the distance, almost as though he were yelling the words in Nerin's ear. Whispers filled the pause he made, washing over the crowd like a wave. Most sounded sad, even though he couldn't make out any of the words. "It does not look like he will recover any time soon. In his stead, his daughter, Lady Cira, has become acting Lady of Reed until Lord's Sedon's recovery or passing."

From the glances Isiah and Emrick shared, they knew the truth as much as he did. The Lord of Reed wasn't sick, he was dead. There would be no recovery for him, Harudan had killed him. The only thing he couldn't figure out was why he'd done it, but the answers would come soon enough, he was sure.

Too many people had died by Harudan's hand. The Mother and the Sanctum of Ishin were both gone, and now a Lord who had probably done nothing. That wouldn't be all, not with the war. Thousands of people would die and it would be Harudan's fault. He had chosen to trick the Askari, to go to war with them when he had originally offered peace.

The woman, Lady Cira, stepped forward. "My father's sickness has been devastating for our family," she said. There was no hint of remorse in her voice, just professionalism and duty. "My mother will be by his side until the situation changes. You will not be seeing much of her for some time.

"With my father's permission, my first act as Lady of Reed is to devote our army to His Majesty's, war effort. Those already in the army will be sent to the border in two days time. I ask those of you who haven't joined, to do so. We need as many people as possible if we want to rid the realm of the threat of the Askari."

Rina made an offended noise. "What?" she exclaimed, moving away from the wall. "That's not-"

Nerin grabbed her hand. "Don't. Stay silent. I know he's wrong, but we need to be quiet," he told her. They couldn't give themselves away, not when they were trapped in the middle of the town.

He tuned out the words of the Lady above them, they were no longer important. Harudan had the Lord of Reed killed to get his men, that was the only possible explanation he could think of. He didn't want to believe it, not really, but after everything he had seen, part of him was no longer surprised.

His brother scanned the ground, Jonin at his back as he always was. It felt like forever since Nerin had seen him and even at such a distance, he wasn't ready for it. There were so many things he wanted to say, but couldn't think of the right way to say them. Hopefully, he wouldn't get a chance for a while. He'd rather stay as far from Harudan as possible.

He gasped when he met the yellow eyes of Harudan. It was as though he were the only person between the alley and the gate. He froze, his body turning to ice despite the heat of Isiah's stone. Harudan had seen him; it would only take a moment for him to order Jonin to come down and get him.

Jonin would kill them all, plastering them around the realm as traitors to the crown. Nerin would go back to Ishmar, where he would watch the war play out until Harudan eventually won. Because he would, he was ambitious and would stop at nothing until he got what he wanted. Nerin didn't want to be trapped there, he wanted to run.

But nothing happened. Harudan looked away, a bored expression on his face as Lady Cira finished her little speech. He hadn't seen them, somehow, they were still hidden in the shadowed alleyway. Nerin let out a loud sigh of relief and rested his hands on his knees. Someone placed a hand on his back but he had no idea who it was.

The crowd began to thin out as Harudan stalked down the stairs towards the stronghold, Lady Cira and Jonin following after him. "We should go with the crowd," Emrick said, his voice quiet.

Rina's face was orange again, but not even an illusion could hide the tears in her eyes. Nerin's eyes stung too, but he didn't want to cry. He rubbed at them and stepped out into the street, his mind blank. Nothing registered properly. His brother hadn't seen them, they weren't going to be caught. All they needed to do was get out of Reed.

"Come," Rina said as she wiped at her tears and strode ahead of him. "We should get out of here before my illusion drops again."