“How you do this to me?”

  “Adam,” Jurot said, pg a hand on his shoulder.

  “Do you wish to be se so early within the year?” Vonda asked.

  Adam couldn’t believe his brother and wife were bullying him like this so early. “It’s my birthday. If I ’t be ge today, when I be ge?”

  “Do you wish to return to the Front Iyr?” Vonda offered.

  “They’re taking the triplets too…”

  “Then you may go.”

  “Are you ing too?”

  “I would like to spend some time with Mother Florence.”

  ‘Damn.’ Adam thought about hoard it was. The triplets were having their birthday, and so was their mother. ‘If she stays here, then it’ll feel too distant. Konarot’s already awkward about their retionship. Should I just keep the triplets here? No, I’ll keep all of the children here, but what about their aunt? Lanababy’s going to go too. ’t she stay too? No, the Iyrmen already said the children have spent too long outside of the Iyr.’

  Vonda held Adam’s hands within her own. “It will be fine, Adam.”

  Seeing the look on Adam’s face, even Mother Florence felt bad. She had inteo leave quickly at the beginning of the year, as the wedding had passed, though she wished to spend more time with Vonda. However, seeing the fli the half elf’s face, regardless of how much she disliked the boy, she couldn’t refuse how he embodied muother Soza’s love, especially with his children, who were… special.

  “I will leave today too,” Mother Florence said, taking Vonda’s hands within her own, as the holy acolytes did. Teically, Vonda should have takeher’s hands in her own since she was a Ray, but Vonda refused to do so to Mother Florenbsp;

  Vonda smiled warmly towards the older woman, the pair remaining silent for a long moment. “I wish you a peaceful journey.”

  “Ray Vonda…” the Mother called out, squeezing the woman’s hands, brushing the Ray’s knuckles gently. “Do not fet, you are still a Ray of Life’s Rose. If you need any assistance, we are but a Sending away.”

  “I will send word when I .”

  Mother Florence reached up to the young woman’s face, brushing the young woman’s cheek with her thumb. She did not see the eyes of the young woman before her, but that of a young girl, who knew a deep dark secret, one whily the Mother kneerhaps now the young woman’s husband.

  “Mother’s blessings upon you, Ray Vonda.”

  “Mother’s bessings upon you, Mother Florence.”

  “We should escort the Mother and the Seventh Hope,” Amokan said, still wiping his bde from sughtering the beasts only a few minutes ago. The handsome Iyrman’s smile trasted his bronze skin, his long dark hair a mess, his eyes filled with a ferocity that had not been satiated by simple beasts.

  “Are you asking for a fight?” Adam asked. “You haven’t even spoiled Inakan enough and you’re pnning to leave.”

  “We should leave soon since we have pleted our tasks.”

  “You should rex for a little while longer. What’s the rush? You’ll be gone for a few years at least, so you should spend more time spoiling your sister.”

  “Will you not spoil her?”

  “I will, but that’s different, and this is different.”

  “We ot send the Mother ah Hope alone.”

  “Who said we’ll let them go alone? We’ve got tons of people we send. We’ve got Nobby and…” Adam thought for a long moment. ‘No, we ’t just send Nobby, he just got married too.’ “Dunes and…” ‘No, they just got married too. I fot this is the newly weds arc.’ “We send Lead Fred and Lead Jonn to escort them.”

  “What of their return? They ot return just with the pair of them.”

  “I’ll send Brittany along too, and the farmers, they go too.”

  Amokan crossed his arms. He wao leave, but Adam was making it difficult. Though they hadn’t spent much time together, Adam was Jurot’s brother, so he o take the half elf seriously with that retionship in mind. Plus, once he was Chief, he would need a good retionship with Adam to keep him in line.

  “We go,” Nirot said, too excitedly. “We escort the Mother and the Seventh Hope.”

  “You ’t,” Adam said.

  “Why not?”

  “You’re a Rot.”

  Nirot blinked. She furrowed her brows, unsure if Adam ig a fight with her. ‘No. He is too scared to pick a fight with me, even if he beat me.’ “I ot go because I am a Rot?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Okay.”

  “We send the rest of the teens I guess…”

  “They are no loeens,” Jurot corrected.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “We should hem appropriately.”

  “What was it that they wao be called?”

  “Silver Fate Squad.”

  “ht. Then I’ll leave it to the rest of the Silver Fate Squad. I’ll have Lead Fred assist you too, no, Lead Jonn.” ‘If I send Fred out, Gee will feel lonely, won’t he?’

  Adam checked up on the rest of the business, the workers all gng his way after they gathered from their m work. “I’ve got to return back to the Iyr due to some matters. You don’t have to worry though, Manager Dunes and Manager Amira will watch over you. Lead Jonn will be goo esother Florend the Seventh Hope alongside the Silver Fate Squad. I’ll also be heading out ter month to escort aeemed guest. I’ll make sure the Enter works hard this year so none of you go hungry.”

  Dunes owards the half elf, already guessing why Adam was returning back to the Iyr. ‘I will o prepare gifts too.’

  The businessfolk didn’t have much to say, sidering it retty much business as usual. The farmers wondered if they were going to be sent out to escort the members of Life’s Rose, but ohe m meeting ehey returo tend to the fields. It was the first real day of work they had sihey joihe business proper, and the strange familiarity of the work oozed through them.

  Their partners assisted them in the fields, but there was an awkwardness within the air. Rick could feel his wife’s gaze upon his back, and she knew what it said. ‘Just because we’re Experts, it doesn’t mean we ’t farm.’

  “Cobra?” Adam asked towards the young woman who had all but shaved her head, the young woman wearing fresh s around her fists and forearms.

  “Do you want us to go with the Silver Fate Squad?” Cobra asked, standing at the ready.

  “No, no, you stay here.”

  “You’d prefer us here?”

  “We still need some of our own guards at the fort. It’s awkward if too many of them are Iyrmen.” ‘I o prepare their payment too.’ Adam reached over to his chest, feeling the book against his chest. ‘I should double cheuch are in the coffers.’

  “Okay,” Cobra replied awkwardly.

  “Plus, the undead will rise up sometime ter and I’ll be occupied at the time. Dunes and the Iyrmen should be able to deal with the undead, but you’ll be oo.”

  ‘The undead?’ Cobra thought. ‘Didn’t they already raise during the Twilight Month?’

  ‘Should I really send Jonn? He’ll be so much better against the undead. Still, I ’t send Fred. Maybe…’ “Could you call Brittany for me?”

  The young woman arrived swiftly, her soft steps near silent upon the fort’s floor. She had short chestnut hair and dark eyes. The young woman was adorned in light leathers, and carried upon her back a bow made of deadwood as well as a pair of magical bdes at her side. “Executive.”

  “I nning on sending Lead Jonn ahead, but I realised it might be best for him to stay here, what with the undead raising and all. We o send someone who is reted to the business proper, though. Fred ’t go, because… you know. Nobby just got married. I ’t ask Korin or Lady Sara, they’re not really a part of the business. Cobra and the others… I want to make sure their siblings are settled properly before sending them out, and the rest of the business members, well…” Adam raised his brows.

  “You wao represent the business?”

  “You wao travel, right? The Silver Fate Squad is strong enough that you don’t have to worry about most threats, so you should be safe.”

  A fsh of fire filled Brittany’s mind. If it had been years ago, she probably would have believed Adam’s words, but after meeting that monster, she wasn’t so sure. “I’m not that strong.”

  “Your sword py might not be as good as Nirot’s, but who use a bow as good as you?”

  “Executive Kitool.”

  “Perhaps, in some ways she might be better, but I’ve seen how your arrows tear through bears twice the size of me. You’re an Expert now, trained by Iyrmen, and your arrows have struck through hydras. Last year I asked you if you wao pete against the Whirlwind Arrows, and I wasn’t doing that because I thought you’d embarrass yourself.”

  Brittany’s cheeks flushed slightly. The magical bdes at her side, gifted to her by the business, felt so heavy. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  “Mister or Executive, yeah?” Adam winked. “If you don’t want to go, that’s fine, I’ll send Jonn, but I want you to go. The Iyrmen, they might get a little crazy, but with you around, they won’t do anything too silly, and they’ll e bae safe and sound.”

  ‘You wao shepherd the Iyrmen?’ Brittany’s eyes remained cautious and incredulous.

  Adam smiled in response. “Don’t worry, you just o show your face. Leave the talking to the Iyrmen.”

  “Okay.”

  Adam bowed his head, dismissing the young womached her leave, going to prepare herself. ‘She’s got to learn to show off more.’ Adam made his way to the Silver Fate Squad.

  “Jaygak?” Adam asked, spotting the Iyrman speaking with her cousins, who had lined up before her.

  “I was just telling them they shouldn’t get themselves killed.”

  “Asking Iyrmen not to die?” Adam joked.

  “What am I meant to say to Taygak?” Jaygak asked.

  “You could tell her he died a good death, isn’t that right, Laygak?”

  “Cousin Adam is right, for once,” Laygak replied.

  “What do you mean for once?” Adam narrowed his eyes at the Iyrman, who was no doubt Jaygak’s cousin. “Anyway, your task is to escort the Mother Florend the Seventh Hope safely. You should prioritise Mother Florence’s safety while esc them, do you uand?”

  The Iyrmen exged gnces between one ahey uood the retionship between Vonda and Florehough the Mother didn’t seem too happy about Adam.

  “Okay,” the Iyrman replied.

  “I’m sending Brittany with you, she’ll be representing the busioo. Once your task is plete, you spend a short while rexing, but then you’re to escort her back to the business safely.”

  “Okay.”

  The groups gathered at the gates of the rge fortress which imposed upon the islet between split rivers. The businessfolk and all the Iyrmen gathered about to say their goodbyes to the esteemed visitors of Life’s Rose.

  “Mother’s blessings upon you Ray Vonda,” the Seventh Hope said, standing tall and proud within his full pte armour. A fellow sidered a Master, even if he was the weakest of the Seven Hopes, he still gathered respect from any oner within Aldish nds, and the surrounding nds, even the Iyr.

  “Mother’s blessings upon you, Hope Thomas.”

  “Though you may remain within the Iyr’s nd, do not fet your roots.”

  Ray Vonda smiled a polite smile towards the Hope. “I will never fet my roots.”

  “Hope Thomas,” the voice cut through the air.

  Hope Thomas’ body filled with a deep chill, which crept into his heart. His eyes slowly turo meet Adam’s, the half elf grinning wide towards the Seventh Hope. The Hope’s arm throbbed from the memory.

  “May Lord Sozain watch over your journey,” Adam’s lips said, but his eyes spoke another se. ‘You punk! How dare you talk like that to my wife? Didn’t I beat you hard enough?’

  “Mother’s blessings upon you, Brother Adam.”

  Adam slowly nodded his head. “Yeah.”

  Vonda let out a soft sigh, though allowed Adam his moment. She was gd he didn’t start any bother with the Hope while he remained with them, and she was even mrateful that the Seventh Hope had learnt to keep his mouth shut around the Iyrmen. ‘Mother Soza guide you both.’

  Adam really should have beaten him up harder.