Lily May Illwind took the Elves, Bridget and Clio, to the location the Oracle provided months ago. She wondered if they would meet with the Oracle there, or if a message would be left that they would meet somewhere else. One thing everyone knew about prophecies was that the very act of making a prophecy could render it moot. There was more than one minstrel tale to that effect. It was also the point of casting for visions of the future: so it could be altered if the one receiving the vision didn't like what they saw. Most prophecies, provided by charlatans or those with minor divination techniques, came with charms or advice for making it come true… or foiling it.

  They traveled using May's technique. Bridget, having a similar technique, was fine, but Clio needed frequent breaks to let her body rest from the stress of becoming the wind. They did not use her ability to travel through the netherworld, so they were traveling much slower than they could. She had tried the technique with a volunteer from the Immortal Legion. The man suffered from hallucinations and night terrors, but Healer Franklin assured them they would pass. Anya seconded his opinion when Biyu asked.

  Clio was unexpectedly anxious as they reached the meeting point. She had asked if she was being returned to the Temple. When May denied it, she didn't look convinced. Her eyes kept flicking to Bridget, who carried their possessions, including the paints and unused canvases Allie had bought for Clio. May was growing concerned for the nervous woman as she ushered them to a waiting group of Elves.

  May was unsurprised to find a familiar tall, lanky man in an autumn cloak. "Greetings, Tanfallon," she greeted while noting Bridget's open stare.

  The man's gaze remained on Bridget as he addressed her. "Greetings, Human. Going to stay dressed this time?"

  May snorted, while Bridget scowled. Clio stood aside deferentially, with her head lowered and hands clasped. She was nervously rubbing her palms with her thumbs. "Yeah, unless you ask real nice." She waved a hand vaguely. "But, just so you know, I died recently."

  "You're lively for a dead woman," Tanfallon commented. He finally turned his eyes from Bridget to Clio, looking her over and dismissing her. Before May could reply, he took a [Wind Walk] step to beside Bridget and hugged her tightly. "It's so good to see you alive, Sister! I barely believed it when the Oracle told me you lived."

  Bridget squawked and shoved the man, trying to pry him free.

  May looked on, uncertain how to react. Deciding to leave them to deal with each other, she turned her attention to the other Elves. "We've upheld our end of the bargain."

  One of the Elves, an older woman who watched Tanfallon and Bridget bickering with fondness, answered May. "You have. You desired a technique from the Oracle." She drew out a gem and offered it to May. "This will allow you to find those that your Master would consider 'wrong'."

  May frowned at the gem. She reached out to take it, but after a moment's hesitation her hand dropped. "I… we… don't need that anymore."

  "This is a divination technique. A rare technique few Humans discover, and those who do never share. You should take it."

  May considered the gem pensively. "The Oracle told you we wouldn't want it anymore, didn't he?"

  The Elf shook her head. "She said it was fifty-fifty. I'm out a nice knife."

  May nodded while the woman tucked away the technique gem. Bridget's squabble with her brother wound down. Now Bridget and Clio were looking at her. It took her a moment to realize they were awaiting instructions. Her instructions. "You two are free to go with'm."

  "Am I free not to?" Bridget asked.

  Tanfallon's face fell. "You want to stay with them? Humans?"

  "I'm a Marshal of an Order of Knights. They named it after me. I guess I feel… responsible… huh." She colored under the stares of the other Elves. Embarrassment became anger. "They look up to me. Respect me. They asked me to train them!"

  The Elves shook their heads, disappointed by her na?veté. Her brother was the one to voice their displeasure. "It's a trick. They are fooling you so you'll give away our techniques." His brows furrowed. "You're… a traitor."

  Bridget's anger increased. "I am not. Lady Bringer and Lady Alison would never attack Elves without reason." At their disbelief, her anger cooled to a flat expression. "I still have duties to attend to. I'm staying, Lady Illwind."

  May turned to Clio. "You'll go, right? I know Allie was hoping you would."

  Clio's expression changed, for just a moment, to what May thought might be shock. Or maybe it was panic. It was too quick a shift for her to be sure. Clio shook her head. "I want to stay with Lady Alison." There was a pause, and in a tiny voice Clio asked, "Am I not allowed to?"

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  "You are, but Allie thought you would be happier away from Humans. Why do ya wanna stay?"

  "Because… I have to. It's the task I was given." She looked at the Elves. Her face scrunched up with the effort of speaking out. "I am a Human to them. Lady Bringer tells stories of her time with the Elves. I do not want that."

  May gave a slight nod. It was strange to see Clio make a choice, but weirder for her to be this pushy.

  The Elf woman who spoke before frowned at Clio. "We won't abuse you," she assured her. "We're kind to former slaves. Even the Human ones. We let them go, when we capture them."

  "To be hunted down and killed?" May asked.

  The Elf woman shook her head. "We know of a few hidden villages. One's even a village of Humans and Elves living together. We can take her there."

  "Ah. Well, Clio here was a Temple Girl."

  All the Elves winced.

  "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy," one of the men said.

  There was a round of agreeing nods.

  The Elf woman spoke again, this time much more kindly. "We'll take good care of you."

  Bridget looked put out as the Elves fussed over Clio. "You're trying a lot harder to convince her than you did me."

  May rolled her eyes at the woman's pouting. She let the Elves try to convince Clio to go with them. She also watched as Clio's nervousness melted into her usual empty expression.

  "You might be happier with them," May prodded.

  Clio shook her head. "I want to stay with Lady Alison," she said. Her expression was flat, but her voice quavered.

  "I'm going with you," Tanfallon announced.

  Bridget let out a derisive snort. "You can't come with us… Tanfallon? Really?"

  He shrugged. "I thought she'd forget it."

  "Right," Bridget shook her head at her brother. "Well, I'm not calling you that. Fal. I'll call you Fal. You can't come with us, Fal. You'll pick fights with my Knights, and I don't need that."

  "What's your Order called?" asked the Elf woman, heading off another squabble between the siblings.

  "It's the Order of the Sweepers. Named for me, Bridget Broomknight."

  The dignified older Elf, who had stood watching over the proceedings with an imperious expression, burst out into hearty laughter. The others gave strained smiles.

  Fal was aghast. "Bridget Broomknight. They mock you!"

  "They call her that because she fought off demons with a broom," May said. "The Minstrels have written ballads about her."

  "They have?" the male Elf asked.

  "It's a bit of a story…" May couldn't sing a ballad, but she could tell the story. The Elves listened raptly. Once the story was told, and the Elves looked suitably impressed with Bridget, May asked, "There something special about the name? Tanfallon, I mean."

  The Elf woman frowned at her disapprovingly. "It's the name of one of our Heroes. Even Humans have heard of him. I've snuck into Human villages just to hear the bards sing his epic!"

  "I'm not that educated," May said. She scratched the back of her head. "My job's pretty much… oh, Lady Biyu's heard of'm."

  The Elves shifted nervously. "Your god is here?"

  "I'm her herald. She's wherever I am. And other places, too."

  "A herald? As in the servant of a god? The one who comes before?" asked an older Elf who had remained silent until now.

  "Yeah. Did you want to talk to Master?"

  The Elves looked at each other. "That's alright," Tanfallon said.

  "Right. So, neither of you two are going? You're sure?"

  Both women shook their heads.

  "Then… what was the point of coming here?"

  "To keep the bargain, Lady Illwind. You have delivered them here, so we can see with our own eyes that you have kept your promise," the Elf woman said. "Ah, but in all the excitement, I forgot to offer you this." She held out a different gem.

  "What is it?" May asked as she looked it over. She didn't reach out to take it yet.

  "Our Shamans know things about souls that you 'civilized' folk do not," Tanfallon said. "One of them is how to find Lost Souls. This technique will allow you to track Lost Souls. It… how to say it?"

  Bridget was the one to explain. "You know wolves hunt by scent?"

  May nodded. She'd heard that.

  "This is one that reveals 'tracks' so you can follow Lost Souls, right?" The Elf woman nodded, her lips pursed. Tanfallon scowled at his sister.

  May accepted this stone with a deep bow to the Elf woman. It was given to her, as the agent of the Oracle who had gifted them the technique. "My Master thanks you. Should you need her help, call upon her. She is open to future bargains."

  The Elf woman smiled politely. May could read the disapproval in her eyes. The Elves made their last pleas that Bridget and Clio reconsider returning to the grasp of Humans.

  Neither agreed, but they both offered their thanks for the consideration in their own way. Bridget gave them a wave. Clio bowed deeply to them. Business complete, the three left in a puff of wind.

  "I kinda get why Clio wants to stay, but I don't really get you," May said during a break to take a quick meal. "I've seen the way people look at you. Hells, I've seen kids lookin' at you with murder in their eyes. Why'd you wanna go back to that?"

  Bridget gave a shrug. "Miss Iris is negotiating trade with the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent. It'd be good for Lady Alison to have an Elf around to represent her." When May lifted an eye, her shoulders drooped.

  "Right. So, I was a warrior back with my people." She considered May for a moment, and puffed out another breath. "I was the leader of our scouts. Thankless job, I'll tell you. I worked hard. Never had time kids or a family. Spent most of my time-out in the field.

  "When the village got sacked, and we're fighting and dying so the people can flee, they accused me of not taking my duties seriously enough." She shook her head. "Imagine it, will you? My people a dying in a rearguard action against fucking Knights, and they have the gall to tell me I ain't done enough."

  She looked at May, giving a hopeful smile that she'd understand. May kinda did. When the bandits attacked, it was their fault if someone got hurt. A few merchants even withheld their pay because of it. Not many, because it gets around when merchants don't pay guards, but some did. Nothing worse than to end a trip with injuries and half pay.

  She noticed that Clio had returned to her usual calm self. Only the paleness of her skin, from the strain of traveling with [Wind Walk]. It was strangely relaxing seeing her return to being herself.