The morning sun was struggling to peer through the storm clouds. There was no thunder or heavy rain here around us, but off in the horizon behind us were constant flashes of lightning. We had passed through the storm during the night, though it looked like it wasn’t over. More dark clouds were ahead of us, rolling overhead.

  Lilly and I were walking at a rather nice pace, but not so quickly I felt as if we were hurrying. We were about halfway back to her home, having left Cat’s village yesterday. Unlike when we had traveled with Cat, Lilly and I had not needed to stop as to rest so we were making great time.

  She traveled like Vim did. At a constantly steady pace without any rest or stops.

  “Windle would not have been my first choice, but today I’m glad he’s the one I chose. I’d not trade him for anyone, not even Vim,” Lilly said.

  I smiled at that. “It’s hard not to love and cherish such loyalty and devotion,” I agreed. Lilly had told me most of their past. How they had met, the years where he tried to court her and the moment of pure devotion that had finally earned her eternal love… even if she had several things she liked to complain about him, even now, there was no doubt she loved the man deeply.

  Lilly nodded, her hood making an odd noise as she did. It was made of some kind of leather that was strangely quiet, likely thanks to how heavy it was. It almost reminded me of…

  “Not to change topics… but is your cloak made of monarch leather?” I asked.

  Lilly turned a little, to look at me. From beneath her hood I saw her grin. “Yes. How could you tell?” she asked.

  “It seems heavy, yet moves as if light. Plus it makes an odd sound when you shake your head or move quickly. It’s a similar sound to some of the bags Vim and I have,” I said.

  Lilly hummed. “I’m surprised he hasn’t outfitted you in the stuff yet. Though maybe he simply hasn’t had a chance to,” Lilly said.

  Frowning at that, I wondered if that was true. “It was only recently he had given me these bags,” I pointed at one at my waist. Unlike others I didn’t mind Lilly knowing where they were, or what they were. Odds are she knew about them already anyway, having traveled so often before with Vim.

  “He’s an odd man. But if he gave you those it’s proof how much he thinks of you. As far as I know he’s only ever given a few of us such gifts. A handful of us at best,” Lilly said.

  “Others have gotten some?” I asked. Somehow it wasn’t surprising, since there were a few people Vim liked in the Society… but it made me wonder if I’d seen any of them, and if I had who had possessed them?

  “As far as I know… Nebl, Berri, Lawrence’s brother…” Lilly began to list names, and I slowed a little in shock as Lilly went silent, searching her memories for more.

  “So those he considers friends,” I said, comprehending quickly as Lilly walked past me. My slowing down had allowed her to gain ground on me. I had to hurry a little to get back to her side, since unlike Vim she didn’t slow to match my own pace.

  “Well… maybe. He hadn’t given Celine any, as far as I’m aware. And although the two were weird, and as much as I hated her I still think he saw her as a friend,” Lilly said as she thought about it.

  Hm…? That was interesting.

  “You know… now that I think about it, he’s only given a few people such things. I mean, I probably don’t know about all of them of course. A few of the people Vim considers friends are the secluded types. I know there’s a few I’ve never met before or even know the names of,” Lilly said as we neared a road.

  It was empty, and a dirt one, but it was one I remembered. We had crossed over it on the way here, though I think we had done so a little north of here. We had seen a human settlement from a distance along this road, and Cat had recognized it which led us back south.

  “Secluded types?” I asked. Did she mean those who didn’t participate directly with the Society?

  “There’s someone near the Nation of Stone, for example. I don’t know who it is, but they live out in the wild. Vim sometimes stops there when he heads out that way,” Lilly said, giving me an example.

  I blinked at the sudden mention of, what I assumed, Miss Beak.

  “Honestly Renn, you may already know more about Vim than I do. At least within reason. I’ve known him for hundreds of years, but I’m not someone he really opens up to. In his eyes I’ve always been a reckless kid, I think,” Lilly said with a smile to me. She didn’t seem offended or ashamed to admit it, it seemed.

  “He thinks very highly of you Lilly. He’s always spoken kindly of you,” I said, not hesitating either to admit it.

  It was the truth, after all. Even when everyone else spoke unkindly about her, or used her as a warning for me to not become like her, Vim has never said such things about her.

  “He speaks kindly of everyone. In the Society at least,” Lilly said with a chuckle.

  Well…

  I hesitated this time, since I wasn’t sure if I should tell her that he did indeed speak ill of members of the Society. At least to me.

  He complained about them often… in his own way, at least.

  Maybe he didn’t do that with others…?

  For a small moment I thought of all the times I’d heard Vim speak of other members in front of others. Or with others.

  Yes. Although occasionally he’d make a small joke or something, he basically never spoke ill of anyone. At least not within earshot of anyone else.

  As far as I was aware of, at least.

  “The only time I’ve ever heard him speak ill of anyone, openly and seriously, is when our members break their allegiance. Though he usually acts before speaking, in such situations,” Lilly then said.

  “Break their allegiance?” I asked for her to explain her meaning.

  “When someone betrays the Society. Either killing one of our own, or breaking a serious rule. Basically when Vim has to execute one of us for doing something stupid,” Lilly said.

  Ah. I nodded. “He’s had to do that in front of me too. Well… two times now, I guess,” I said. I’d told her mostly about my journey so far with Vim, barring a few things. We’ve had plenty of time to talk about them, and she had been very interested in hearing about all the things I’d seen and done with Vim.

  I think she used my own experiences, my own stories, as a way to reminisce. For back when she had been traveling with him.

  “You mentioned that. You said one of them was at the Crypt right?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Sharp is still there, right?” she asked.

  Oh…? She hadn’t asked about her last time we’d spoken of them. “Yes. She is.”

  Lilly hummed as we neared some dense trees. The type that would make us have to pay attention where we walked.

  “I got along well with Sharp… at least until I brought up Rapti with her,” I said as I remembered the small woman’s face upon mentioning Rapti. She had looked as if I’d slapped her.

  Lilly chuckled. “I’ve no doubt about that. Those two have history.”

  “I’ve heard… or well, I’ve heard that they have a past, but not the specifics,” I said carefully, hoping Lilly would hear my own interest and inform me about them.

  She glanced up at the trees we began to walk under, as if to study their branches. “Sharp tried to marry her brother. It didn’t go very well, at all. I think Rapti blames Sharp for his death, at least indirectly. It’s stupid because the only reason Sharp even tried to like him was because of who he was,” Lilly said.

  I slowed a little and then came to a stop near a tree. I flinched a little as I quickly understood what Lilly had just revealed to me.

  Rapti blamed Sharp for her brother’s death. A brother that Sharp had tried to have a relationship with. “You mean she only tried to do so because he was Rapti’s brother,” I said, noticing the finer detail.

  Lilly noticed I had stopped and stopped walking as well. She turned and nodded at me. “Yes. Sharp and Rapti were closer than sisters. I don’t know the whole story, it happened during the wars, but I think the only reason Sharp even tried to be with him is because of Rapti.”

  “Was his death actually related to Sharp somehow?” I asked as I returned to walking. My owl friend giggled at me, which made me stop next to her. “What?”

  “I like you. You’re a gentle one, but not afraid to admit and face the harsh realities that our cruel world forces upon us,” Lilly said.

  I frowned at that, and wondered if she had just complimented me or teased me.

  Lilly then nodded. “Yes, Renn. I don’t know the whole story, but Rapti’s hate has ground to stand on. Enough so that even Vim and Sharp herself don’t fault her for it. So I’ve always assumed so. I never got along well with Sharp. I saved her once and she was rude about it,” Lilly said.

  “Rude…?” I asked. Sharp was sharp tongued, but I didn’t realize she’d be rude even to someone who had saved her.

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  Lilly nodded as we both returned to walking. “It had been not long after all the drama. Rapti’s and hers. I think she had wanted to die, and I saved her at the wrong moment. So I don’t really fault her, but ever since she’s been rude to me,” Lilly said.

  Oh… “That’s sad,” I said softly.

  She shrugged, not seemingly caring about it.

  It made me wonder if maybe the reason Lilly was seen so lowly by most of the Society was for similar reasons. It’d not surprise me, honestly, since so many of our people were so weird sometimes.

  Though… why was she compared so often to Yangli? Her name and his were usually used together when giving me warnings, or when people spoke of outcasts and failures of the Society. I knew Lilly had participated in the wars, hundreds of years ago, but from what I could tell she hadn’t done something as terrible as Yangli had, right?

  If she had, I would assume Vim would have banished her or killed her… so…

  “You know Renn… since we have a moment alone, mind if I ask something personal?” Lilly then asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

  I nodded quickly, and kept the fact that she and I have been talking rather personally for some time now. Ever since she and Windle had declared me a member of their family, I’ve been rather open with her. And I had thought she had been doing the same, honestly.

  Lilly glanced at me as we walked around a cluster of trees, and she gestured lightly in front of us. “Vim. He’s… special,” she said, speaking slowly… as if unsure of what to say.

  I nodded slowly and felt oddly anxious. What was she about to ask?

  “I don’t even know what he is. I barely know anything about his past, where he came from or anything like that. But what I do know, rather surely, is Vim’s rules,” she continued.

  I slowed again, and suddenly felt worried. His rules? She was bringing them up here, and in this way? I wonder what was wrong.

  Lilly slowed as well and we paused near a group of bushes with lots of little bugs flying around them. Some kind of colorful things, likely the types that hung around flowers. She looked me in the eye, and I noticed a strange look of worry on her face. Was she struggling to ask the question…? It sure did look like it.

  After a moment Lilly sighed and nodded. “He once told me, a long time ago, that the reason he so dutifully protects us, the Society, is because of something he did once. That everything he does today is his way of paying off a debt. One so large he had said at the time that it might take thousands of years of service to even pay the interest,” she said.

  I gulped. Yes. He had said similar to me. I was rather shocked to hear he had told others about it, since he seemed to keep it so secret.

  Though this was Lilly. Someone he obviously trusted.

  Vim’s owl friend shifted and reached up to scratch under her hood. I heard her hair as she itched at it. “Well… I was wondering if you knew what he did? What was his mistake? To make him so weird?” she asked.

  Oh.

  My anxiety ended rather quickly, and was replaced by a strange feeling of defeat. “I don’t know. I know about his mistake, that he made one at least, but I don’t know the details. Vim… doesn’t like talking about himself. It was only recently he’s even been willing to talk to me about simple stuff like his parent,” I said.

  Lilly perked up. “His parents!”

  Woops. I nodded quickly. “Honestly Lilly you might know as much as I do, if not even more about Vim at least concerning certain things. You’ve known him so long, after all,” I said quickly, hoping she didn’t focus too deeply on what I’d just revealed.

  She shook her head. “What were his parents like? Are they still alive?” she asked, uncaring at all about how foolish I felt.

  I took a small breath and shook my head. “No… they’re dead. And I don’t really know much about them. I don’t even know their names. I was just trying to say he’s only very recently started to even talk to me about things such as that. Little personal things that most people wouldn’t even hesitate to tell anyone about,” I said, explaining a little.

  Lilly sighed and nodded. “Right. He’s like that. It’s so weird, isn’t it? He’d willing teach us anything we asked. How to build something, or make certain materials, but the even a simple question like where he’s from or whatever makes him go all quiet,” Lilly complained as she returned to walking.

  I followed after her, keeping pace with her as I nodded. “Right! Half the time he just outright tries to change the topic of the conversation, not even saying why or what he’s trying to avoid to talk about! Makes it a pain sometimes, he’s lucky we love him so much!” I said, agreeing.

  Lilly laughed. “More like he’s lucky how much I love not having a headache! But yes… hm…” She paused a moment, to ponder something, and then nodded. “You’ve obviously learned things about him that I don’t know. Maybe I just need to wait a little longer then. You are right, it’s only been a couple years. A blink of an eye,” she mumbled to herself.

  I smiled at the woman who was acting exactly how I would had our positions been reversed. I too wanted to know more about Vim, after all.

  “To be honest there’s a few things I want to ask you about him,” I said.

  “Like what?”

  Blinking at her openness to being asked, I hesitated.

  What did I want to ask…?

  Rather what could I ask about that wouldn’t cause issues?

  I wanted to ask if she’s ever seen one of his wounds reopen, after healing.

  But if she hadn’t then my asking of it might cause problems. Same with his exhaustion, and his inability to sleep without great effort.

  Did I want to ask about Celine? Or any other women he may have had a fling with? Or should I ask something more simple?

  Although many questions came and went… there was one I really wanted to ask, now that we were alone. Cat had stopped me from asking it, even though I trusted her to a point.

  “Do you think he’ll actually step down? If they vote against him?” I asked.

  Lilly hummed and nodded. “That is a question indeed, isn’t it?”

  “You don’t have any idea?” I asked. Surely she had at least an assumption?

  She shrugged. “Vim’s weird, Renn. He’s got a bunch of rules. And not just the ones he agreed to abide by with Celine in their stupid contract. A part of me wants to say he’d ignore their vote, and keep helping anyone who asks for his help. While there’s another side to Vim that… well… yes. He’d see the vote, no matter how it goes, as law. As something almost holy and divine. So yes, if they vote against him there is a chance that Vim will just… leave the Society. No longer helping anyone. As stupid as it would be for that to happen, I can see it happening indeed,” Lilly said, speaking rather calmly. She didn’t seem to have to ponder it very long, which told me she’d long thought about it already.

  “That was my same conclusion. He’ll either obey the result completely, or he’ll just start only helping those who ask for his assistance,” I said, nodding in agreement.

  “Regrettable… but to be honest it was bound to happen eventually. Though I always figured it’d happen because of dilution,” she said.

  “Dilution?” I asked. Did she mean the same thing Vim did? When he spoke of bloodlines?

  Lilly nodded as she raised a hand to point at me. “I’ve always figured the whole of the Society would die out. From not just chaos but our children. So many of us being born, even between two non-humans, are less so than their parents. I’ve even had children, most of them, that are more human than not. Lacking wings, feathers, or our strength,” Lilly said.

  Huh. “Where are your other children anyway? I know one is a part of that mercenary band, but what of the others?” I asked. As far as I was aware she had at least seven other children, not including Root who was at home.

  “All over. Windle has requested them home, so you may see them here soon. Most don’t travel too far from us. The one who flies farthest from the nest is Sap. She’s a loner, I may have to go get her myself,” Lilly said with an annoyed sigh.

  I smiled happily. “Want me to go get her?” I asked.

  Lilly chuckled at me. “You probably would be able to find her. She lives in a forest far to the north. Where there’s permanent snow. But no, I’ll do it. It can take a month or so to go there and back, and knowing Vim he’d be upset if I sent you on such a quest,” she said.

  “He’s been busy lately,” I said.

  “Still. The closest is Crown. If you’re asking for something to do, since it might be weeks before Vim shows up, then you can go get her if you want. She lives in a town nearby, a small fishing village,” Lilly said.

  “Oh…? Sure. I’d be happy to,” I offered my services without hesitation.

  Lilly nodded as we left the dense trees and entered another field. This one was full of thin grass that was tall and wet. Off in the distance I saw some hills, and beyond them were obvious signs of a settlement of some kind. There were small stacks of smoke, the gray types that told me there were fireplaces that way.

  “Honestly Renn… there’s a chance the world may become chaotic for us soon. So maybe you’re right. Maybe we should gather the parliament while we can,” Lilly said softly as she thought about it.

  “Parliament?” I asked.

  “It’s what a group of owls are called. Vim told me. He says it means a group of people who represent the authority of a nation, or a group of peoples. Something like ministers and nobles,” she explained.

  Ah… I nodded, unsure of what to say about that. Why was such a thing used for owls? When I thought of a group of nobles or rulers, I didn’t think of a bunch of strong people or great hunters.

  “Do you have any family Renn?” Lilly then asked.

  I blinked, and wondered why she had just asked me that. I had told her my story before, when we had first met. Back when I had been just banished from Ruvindale.

  Shaking my head lightly, I pointed at her. “Just you and your family. And Vim… and maybe Cat and Elaine, I guess? Indirectly? Though rather than family I’d more so say I feel responsible for them. And if that’s the case I’d probably include others too… like Merit?” I said as I thought about it.

  Honestly I had many people I now cherished. Even those like Landi, as odd as she were, was now someone I considered special and important. Though, just like with Cat and the rest of Witch’s descendants, I wasn’t entirely sure if my affection and care for them was anything more than the strange sense of responsibility I had for them.

  I had affected their lives. Drastically… so I felt as if I should care for them. Just as Vim did, in his own way, to the Society I too saw it the same way.

  “Yes… I guess in a way I do have more than just your family and Vim. But I’ll be honest many of them are those I simply care about, or feel a desire to help and protect. Like Lomi, or Fly,” I said, explaining it better not just for Lilly but myself.

  Lilly chuckled at me. “So the letters are true. You’re as bad as Vim,” she said, teasing me.

  I smiled at that, feeling rather good over getting such a lovely compliment. “Yes. In a way I do see the whole of the Society as family… but I mean what I said. Right now, other than Vim, you and yours are my only true family. And maybe Merit, if she’ll allow it. She’s so touchy about such things, after all,” I said.

  “You have no idea,” Lilly said softly… and then tilted her head. “Well, maybe you do,” she corrected herself.

  Yes. I thought I did, at least.

  “Still, my little parliament is definitely growing. What with Root and you now… what is that? Twelve people? Though you included Merit and the rest too… I wonder if that means I have to too,” Lilly wondered as she crossed her arms and sighed.

  I grinned at her. She really was including me in her family! How wondrous. Hopefully I could genuinely earn my right to be a part of it, and not just be considered a member simply because of my relationship with Vim.

  “We don’t really have to gather everyone do we…? Something tells me most of them wouldn’t come even if we asked them to anyway,” I said, hoping to not make it awkward. I wasn’t sure what many of them would think if we asked them to join us. Merit wasn’t the only one who was prickly and stubborn.

  “Right…? Though it’s good you don’t have any real family left, though. Or well, it’s not. It’s sad you have no other family, Renn… but it’s common amongst our kind nowadays. Though this does mean we won’t have to gather them all up too. Less work for us,” she said after a moment.

  Oh… that’s why she had asked.

  She planned to gather her own children as to keep them safe during this vote. For when she leaves, likely with Vim, to head back to Telmik. To possibly side with Randle against the Chronicler and her people.

  Because the Society might splinter and break. Because the Society might end up fracturing and members may actually go to war over it.

  Right…

  “Do you actually think it can come to that, Lilly? That this vote can result in more than just words and rule changes?” I asked.

  She glanced at me, and I didn’t like the look in her eyes.

  I held them for a moment until I had to look away. They hurt my soul, somehow.

  “Yes, Renn. I fear blood will be shed over this vote… let’s just hope Vim’s not the one who does the deed,” she said.

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