“So ‘hen the bitch jus leff me!”

Fenn continued his intoxicated rant, his words spilling into each other as he spoke.

“Yous knows, is all ‘cuse that prick had coin an’ I didn’t. Fuck ‘er whore of a father too! Bet he put ‘er uptoit.’”

“I… I getcha, women are nothin’ but trouble.” Grey added as he swished the open bottle in his hand.

“Ha! I’ll drink to that!” Fenn bellowed with a laugh.

Grey passed him the bottle as Fenn wasted no time in swallowing down another hefty swig. When he was done he passed it back to Grey, who mimicked the action by bring the bottle to his lips and tossing back his head. But the alcohol never entered his mouth, as he made a loud audible gulp to keep up the deception. He had been playing at this game for about an hour now, and the effects were starting to pay off.

Fenn was a large stout man, and as Grey had garnered from their conversation, he had been with The Order for over six years. After his second year in the field he had received a leg injury that would see him taken out of the combat for good, since then he had been put to work in the base performing small tasks here and there. Most of these tasks included cooking, training recruits and cleaning the barracks, but tonight Fenn had a special job, tonight Fenn was put in charge of guarding the armory.

Grey’s plan had taken a bit of preparing leading up to this point. Once Zeke had fallen asleep he had snuck out of the room, taking everything that he would need with him. After making sure to leave behind a very vital note. From there he made his way back to the barracks. Creeping into the room Grey went directly to Kai’s old bed. It was already occupied by another hunter, but Grey still remembered a little secret Kai had shared with him.

Alcohol wasn’t permitted within the barracks but that hadn’t stopped Kai. Underneath a loose floorboard hidden beneath his bed, Kai had stashed away a bottle of moonshine, a bottle he distilled himself. Kai had a talent for making alcohol, having picked it up from an old member in his bandit gang, and he liked making his drinks strong. A fact Grey had learned himself when Kai felt generous enough to share. It was good Kai had such a talent, because for Grey’s plan to work he was in need of a very strong bottle of liquor.

“You know, yous ah lucky one… you get to leave this place, an’ a free man too! Most of those boys are gunna get ‘em selves killed befor’ long. Take it from me, you’re lucky to git out whiles ya still can.” Fenn said, his sentences becoming more of a slur with each passing second.

“Well then.” Grey said, trying to match Fenn’s drunken mannerisms.  “Here's to a bright future!”

Grey brought the bottle up to his lips, feigning another gulp before pulling it away slopply and holding it to Fenn.

“Finish it off.” he said with a smile.

Fenn happily obliged as he chugged down the rest of the drink.

“Heh heh. That sum good stuff. Yous got anymore?”

Grey smiling like a idiot looked up and began pondering.

“I don’t think so…”

Grey leaned forward peering down the hall behind Fenn.

“...maybe that guy has some!”

Fenn turned around in a panic, and then settled down confused. His eyes strained to see down the dimly lit corridor

“I don’t see-”

Fenn finished his statement with a silent gasp for air. Grey was on his feet, positioned behind him with his arm wrapped against Fenn throat. Fenn struggled to pry himself free from Grey’s hold, but it was useless. Normally a man of Fenn’s stature could have easily throw him off,  however he had two things working against him. Not only did Grey surprise taken him by surprise, but the alcohol was taking its toll, clouding judgement and effecting his reactions. Before long Fenn stopped struggling. Waiting a few moments longer Grey released him, having his body slump to the floor as he knelt down besides him.

Grey quickly made a check for his pulse, followed by any signs of breathing. It was hoarse and uneven, but he was alive. Grey sighed in relief, he just needed the man out for a few hours, not dead.

Lifting Fenn’s body back to his chair, Grey grabbed the empty bottle and positioned it next him. He adjusted Fenn’s body to appear more relaxed and natural. Stepping back he admired the scene he had created. Just a man falling asleep on the job, after having a little bit too much to drink.

“These night shift are just so hard after all.”

Satisfied with his work, Grey grabbed the key that hung off Fenn’s belt and used it to open the armory. Stepping inside and shutting the door behind him, Grey wasted no time in getting to work. First he made his way to the weapons rack and pulled from it a short sword with it’s sheath. Following that he took a empty quiver and filled it with thirty or so arrows, a whetstone to keep the blades sharp, and then proceeded to gather a hunter's cloak. The hunter’s cloaks held a unique design, on one end it was a mesh of faded greens that helped camouflage hunters amongst the foliage of a forest, and the other side a darkened almost bluish gray, that was used to blend into dark surroundings at night, even under the throw of moonlight. The gray color also blended well into stone, a tactic Zeke had explained was useful for Hunters that traveled into giant homes.

After finding a cloak that fit, Grey turned his attention to the armor. The Hunters utilized armor made of of leather plating that in truth only provided minimal protection, but the reality was that no set of sturdy armor could protect from the weight and power of a giant. So instead the leather was designed to maximize mobility but still be able to absorb what little shock it could from falls and other environmental hazards.

After testing a few pieces Grey found a set that would would fit. A set of bracers accompanied with a chest piece that covered his shoulders and abdomen as well as a pair of sturdy boots, which he was more than happy to trade in his old pair for. It wasn’t a full set, but since time was short it was all he needed.

Making his way back to the armory door Grey paused, pressing an ear to the door before slowly pushing it open. Things were going to be much more difficult now that he had the armor. If he were to be caught now it would be harder to pass it off as coincidence. But Grey had one more stop to make, so long as nothing went wrong he was in the clear.

Nia couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts had been a scattered mess ever since the trial. Thing had only gotten worse since then. Though it hadn’t even been a day yet, word had already spread that Grey was kicked out of The Order. Since the news reached her she didn’t know what to do with herself. She had spent the past few hours lying awake, staring up at the sealing knowing she was responsible.

Nia surrendered to the idea that she wasn’t getting any sleep tonight and decided a walk might do her some good. Getting dressed she strolled through the courtyard, walking with a limp in her step. Her injury was healing remarkably fast. One of the perks of being a hunter was access to some of the greatest medical treatment in the entire kingdom. Trinity’s elixirs and spells were the reason for that, and a resource The Order was very protective of. Even with the treatments provided to her Nia’s leg remained sore, and every step brought with it a dull pain.

Nia fought through it, she was too preoccupied thinking about the trial. Despite Zeke assuring her she wasn’t in any trouble, Nia couldn’t help but feel discouraged during it. Question after question interrogating her in order to figure out who was at fault. Nia tried to justify her answers the best she could but the council didn’t seem interested in justification. When it was over Nia was sure she was going to be sent home-but she wasn’t-instead it was Grey who was forced to leave.

Making her way towards an old oak tree in the center of the courtyard, Nia sat against the thick trunk. It was quiet. Just like she hoped. Most hunters were either asleep or headed into town, either to get drunk at the tavern or get laid in the brothel. Besides for the occasional patrol she was left mostly alone. Alone with her thoughts, and time to think.

Things were going to be much worse without Grey. During her time among the hunters she made it a point to avoid people. Afterall she was a woman in an Order comprised mostly of former criminals. The only people she allowed herself to grow close to where her teammates.

Her first instinct was to trust no one, especially not Kai. Kai liked to talk, but not just talk; he liked to boast. He was very open about his past as a bandit, the raids he took part in, the people he killed, the women he bedded. He had even tried to convince her to sleep with him on more than one occasion. She had hated him for it. He was too much like people that brought her here.

Compared to Kai and the first impressions he left, Grey was very different, yet that only made her trust him less. He seemed just as talkative as Kai, at least when they were together. Both coming from criminal backgrounds they shared a sort of chemistry that Nia was expecting from the people here. Grey had only tried to talk to her once during her first day, though she put out very blunt signs that she did not want to be spoken too. Unlike Kai, he left her alone after that.

After first glance Nia had pinned him as just another criminal, but as the weeks went by Nia began to see she couldn’t have been more wrong. While he would occasionally go out of his way to greet her or make a witty remark; he never did more than that. In fact Grey was usually quiet, always observing his surroundings. While Nia preferred Grey’s company over Kai’s, his quiet and observant nature made her skeptical of him. Afterall he had been a thief.  

Zeke was the one to convince her to give him a chance. She had learned to trust Zeke early in her training. Being her teacher he made it a point to reach out to her, and unlike the other two Nia had never used a weapon before. Zeke took it upon himself to teach her; training her to be proficient with a bow. At first Nia assumed his reasons for helping her were sexually motivated, but certain rumors about him eased that concern.

It was during her archery training that she was properly introduced to Grey. Zeke had him take over her training whenever he was busy. Grey acted cautiously around her, almost as if he were uncomfortable around her, a direct contrast to how he acted whenever Kai was there. He was a lot more careful about what he said, and often inquired if she was comfortable with what he was doing. It was due to this concern that allowed Nia to trust him and soon he became one of the few people Nia talked to outside of training. He shared a lot of stories about his life, especially his childhood. Growing up with Zeke and the other orphans outside the city, and during one late night conversation he even told her about the day he lost his parents and his motives for joining the hunters. During that night he had even asked about her reasons for joining, though Nia refused to tell him. The only thing she said was that she was brought here under false charges and he left it at that. While it seemed like Nia may have not trusted him, in truth she was the only one to trust him with even that much information. It was something she didn’t want to share with anyone, not even him.

After becoming close with Grey she learned to be comfortable with the rest of her team. Zeke as her mentor, Grey as friend, and even Kai became tolerable after Grey insisted he reel it back while speaking to her. She never put him on the same levels as the other two, but she knew that when things got tough he could be relied on. In the end that had turned out to be true, leaving Nia to regret not having gotten to know him better.

When she had first joined the hunters she had given up on life. She intended to play her part and either die in the field, or find a time to take it herself. Yet Grey, Zeke and even Kai had given her something to strive for, made her feel as if life were worth the effort of keeping. Now she was alone again. Kai had died trying to protect her because she couldn’t keep herself from getting hurt, Grey had taken the blame for the failure and was now being sent away, and with their training over Zeke would return to his duties as a member of The Trinity, soon he would be too busy to find time for her anymore.

Nia buried her face in her knees as she began to cry. It was all her fault. Once Grey was gone that would be it for her new life. Once she was back in fighting shape they would send her out again, this time without Grey or Kai to have her back. She would die. She had already gotten injured on her first mission, devoured and nearly digested, it was only going to get worse from here on out. Even if she was lucky on her next encounter or the next one after that, it would only be a matter of time until that luck ran out and she found herself either crushed under a giant's heel or dissolving within it’s stomach. She knew that was the risk of being a hunter but her team had always made her felt safer... Grey had made her felt safer. Grey, who dreamed of becoming a hunter. Who wanted to fight and protect people more than anyone. Who was more suited than her in every way to be become one. Who now couldn’t because of her testimony. She had betrayed him, and she would die knowing that she had betrayed him.

With nimble fingers Grey maneuvered the tumblers of the lock, listening for the euphoric sound of a... click!

A smile spread across lips as another cylinder fell into place. Oh how he missed this. That sound. That feeling. It was a feeling unlike any other. Every lock picked, every unheard footstep, every unseen dash, it reawakened a sensation he had not felt in years.

Living on the streets had taught Grey many hard lessons. There was always a danger of being caught and fear of that danger had kept Grey alive. But there was something enjoyable about it too. Every mark was a like a puzzle that required wit and skill in order to solve, and the thrill of pulling off a successful heist brought with it a high that was indescribable, all leading to that crescendo that was a… click!

Underneath the shroud of a hunter’s hooded cloak, Grey was as giddy as a child.

Success was probably the most dangerous aspect about being a thief. Success made a person arrogant, imbuing within them a false notion of invulnerability. Grey had witnessed too many hangings to know that wasn't true. In a single moment a thief's luck could take a turn for the worse. He had made it this far, breaking into the armory, equipping himself with hunter grade weapons and armor, and stocking up on tools he’d need for the journey but that only made things all the more difficult. Every success came with a new set of risks. But this was his last stop for the night. If he could just make it out without being caught he would be home free.

Slowly opening the door to the Mess Hall, Grey slipped inside. He made a quick check of his surroundings before continuing. As he shut the door behind him-as if to curse his luck-the door let out a low creak. Grey’s heart nearly stopped. He froze waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. Closing the door shut he sighed.

Perhaps he was being a bit too paranoid. The hunters who where patrolling the grounds had just made thier pass a few minutes ago, Grey had timed it out to be the case.

With the door safely shut, Grey made his way to the kitchen. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps the door had alerted someone, but he shook the thought from his head. He had to remind himself that he was just overthinking things. Afterall, who would be wandering the grounds this late at night?

It was late and Nia’s was no closer to calming her nerves as she had been when she stepped out. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for what happened to Grey, not matter how much she tried to justify what had happened no amount of fresh air would convince her otherwise. She needed to talk to him, that was the only thing that would help her now.

Using the trunk of the tree to support herself, Nia got back on her feet. There was nothing else she could do now, she needed to go back and sleep. First thing in the morning she’d find him and talk, until then there was nothing to do but rest.

Walking through the empty courtyard, Nia began her slow trek back to the woman’s sleeping quarters. As she walked a creaking sound caught her attention The noise was low and subtle, but it was enough make her jump regardless. Nia paused, wondering where the sound had come from. It sounded very similar to the creaking of wood. Nia wanted to just brush it off as the wind, maybe some old branches on a tree or something, but the more she thought about it the more she became convinced it wasn’t. It sounded too deliberate, like something being opened. A door or window maybe? .

Her curiosity urged her to investigate further. Walking to where she believed the source of the noise had been, Nia found herself approaching the empty Mess Hall building just as the door shut. Her sense of curiosity immediately faded and turned into a sharp sense of cation. Something wasn’t right. No one should be up at this hour, at least not somebody with access to the Mess Hall.

For the first time since she arrived Nia reminded of where she was. A keep full of convicted criminals. Nia wanted to assume the best and move on. Maybe somebody had forgotten something, or they were doing some late night inventory checks, but none of those reasons made sense to her. If there was someone here why was there no light? No candle, no lantern, nothing.

Part of Nia wanted her to just ignore it and move on. Whatever was happening didn’t concern her. The other part wanted to find out what was going on. Something was happening and she was in a position to find out what. She knew it could be dangerous, confronting someone alone in the dark with no one around, especially a lone woman like herself. Maybe she could just tell a guard, have it be someone else's problem, but she had the opportunity to do something now, why wait? She was a hunter afterall, she was trained to do better, be better. Grey didn’t wait for help to arrive when they confronted the giant, she wouldn’t either. With that thought to guide her Nia reached for the handle of the door.

Grey was already fast at work, stowing away what food he would need in order to embark on his journey. He focused on things that would last him, bread, dried meats, and some fruit he could enjoy on the first day or so. As Grey sorted through the kitchen’s provisions he was interrupted as the sound of the front door creaked open. Grey froze nearly dropping what he was holding in the process. Someone had just entered the building.

Moving quickly Grey brought himself down into a low crouch before making his way to the kitchen door. Grey had made sure not to light anything as he entered. He was used to moving around in the dark and his eyes had already adjusted to the faint moonlight that leaked in through the windows. He couldn’t help but notice that who ever had come in after him was doing the same.

From where he stood Grey couldn’t make out much as he strained to see into the dark hall, he needed to move in closer, he needed to find whoever was in here before they found him. Silently and carefully Grey pressed open the kitchen door and slid into the main room. He kept to the walls, avoid any of the light that came in through the windows. So long as he didn’t make too much movement he would be safe.

Grey heard the sound of disheveled footsteps and uneasy breathing. Whoever this stranger was it was clear that they had lost their composure. This only further begged the question of why they were here.

Grey received his answer as the stranger spoke in a voice he knew all too well.

“I know you're in here!” Nia cried out. “The mess hall is supposed to be closed so… so come out and explain yourself!”

“Why the hell is she here, tonight of all nights!” Grey thought to himself.

Grey spotted the dark silhouetted figure that was Nia as she moved about the room, wearily walking, constantly stopping to look over her shoulder in a paranoid fashion. Not that it did her much good, by the way she walked and the amount of furniture she kept stumbling into Grey was certain she couldn’t see a thing.  

“I’ll have you know, I’m armed and well trained, so I wouldn’t try anything if I were you!” she called out into the darkness, the shakiness of her tone diminishing the threat.

With Nia in the nervous state that she was Grey was certain he could sneak past her without any issue. He hadn’t collected as much as he had wanted but the situation had taken a turn for the worse. He was pushing his luck as is, staying any longer with Nia on the prowl was too risky.

Keeping low Grey began making his way towards the exit as Nia continued her frantic search in the dark. Her eyes would take some time to adjust so this was the opportune time to leave. As Grey was about halfway across the room Nia said something that made his stop.

“If you don’t come out soon i’ll alert the guards!” Nia announced.

Grey swore under his breath. He banking on the fact that if he snuck out without her noticing, Nia would just assume that whatever she thought was here was just in her head. Bringing the guards into this risked everything. Grey’s plan relied on nobody realizing he had left till morning. If the guards believed Nia’s story they might search the grounds for any suspicious. It would only be a matter of time before they stumbled upon his handy work, a knocked out guard, missing gear, from there it would be a domino effect and if he hadn’t gotten the distance he wanted before then it might undo everything. Grey didn’t know what the punishment for stealing from The Order was, but considering that he was just kicked out he doubted reinitiation would be an optional punishment.

Everything had been going so nicely too, then as usual his luck ran out. But Grey didn’t panic. Didn’t let these changes deter him. Luck was always a factor in his profession. Sometimes things went as planned and sometimes; such as instances like this, they didn’t. At least it was Nia who was here and not someone else. An idea crossed his mind, something he could attempt to keep his plan running without getting the guards involved. It was risky, but it was worth a shot. Sometimes when luck runs out, the best way to get it back was to take a gamble.

Grey stood from his crouched position, and with a deep breath he called out into the darkness.

“Nia.” He said.

Nia froze. “Did you...” she began. “how do you know my name?”

“Nia. It’s me, Grey.”

“Grey!?” she nearly shouted.

“Shhh.” Grey hushed her. “Quiet, someone will hear you.”

Nia caught on quickly and responded back in a quieter tone.

“Grey, what are you doing here?”

“Not now.” he said. “We can talk in the kitchen but not here, I don’t want anyone else finding us.”

Grey began make his way to the back. Nia, now catching a glimpse of his movement in in the moonlight. Following behind him each step she took was painstakingly apparent to Grey’s sensitive hearing. While the noise bothered him, it was not the biggest problem he faced. He had gotten Nia’s attention, she wasn’t getting the guards, but that left him at a loss on what to do next. She was expecting answers surely. Anyone would. So what would he tell her? That he was stealing? That he was leaving? Both?

Grey tried to focus. The important thing was to get her to keep this a secret. For his plan to work he needed buy as much time as he could after he left.

Now back in the kitchen Grey waited for Nia. She walked with her hands stretched out before her, feeling out her surroundings. Her movements were getting more stable, as her eyes began adjusting to the dark. She looked in his direction.

“Are you wearing gear?” she asked.

Grey bit his lip. He was hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“I am.” he responded honestly.

“Where did you that from?”

“I took it.”

Nia paused for a moment. “You mean you stole it.”

Grey shrugged, not sure it Nia could even notice the jester.

“Grey.” her voice sounding exasperated. “What are you doing?”

This was it.

“I’m leaving.” he answered. “Tonight.”

“Leaving? Leaving where?”

Another difficult question to answer.

“Away. Somewhere far away. I… I don’t belong here anymore Nia. I thought I did, but I don’t. I’ve known this for a while now, but I’m going to a place I’ve been wanting to for a long time.”

“Grey...” Nia began. “Is this about the trial. I don’t know what they said but I did my best, I told them that you only did what you thought was right, if you hadn’t been so quick on your feet I and many others would have been dead… I… I didn’t mean to...”

“Nia.” Grey interrupted, noticing her becoming more emotional. “It’s not because of the trial. This is something completely different. If anything the trial just reconfirmed it. Now i’m free to go and do as I please and I know exactly what I need to do.”

“Grey...” Nia said fighting to hold back tears.

And there it was. Grey wasn’t good in situations like this. He knew how to handle people in all sorts of situations, he even liked to think he had a knack for it, but dealing with someone crying-especially a woman crying-was something he hadn’t quite learned how to handle.

“I’m sorry... i’m so sorry.” she cried.

“Hey...” Grey said clearly unsure how to respond. “It’s... okay...”

“It isn’t.” Nia continued between heavy sobs. “Grey you were the first person here to be nice to me, the only person I trusted, and because of my testimony you now have to leave. I’ve been wanting to tell you, tell you that i’m sorry. I know it was your dream to become a hunter and I ruined that, I feel like I’ve betrayed you! Ruined your dream! I can’t live with that.”

“Nia!” Grey raised his voice. That got her to stop thankfully. “It isn’t your fault, and I don’t blame you. You have nothing to apologize for, if anything I can now leave with no reservations. You didn’t betray me, and I never once thought that you did.”

Grey felt Nia’s arms wrap around him, catching him completely by surprise. Doing the only thing he could think of Grey lightly rested a hand on her shoulder for support. The whole experience was uncomfortable. Nia was still crying gripping onto him tightly, and while he wanted to comfort her there was more pressing matters he needed to tend to. After a moment Grey tore away from the embrace and stepped back.

“Listen Nia.” he began. “I have to go. Nobody can know you saw me, okay? Especially not Zeke.”

“Won’t...” Nia said trying to stop her tears. “won’t he notice you're missing?”

“He will.” Grey agreed. “I’ve already planned for that. It should throw him and the rest of The Order off my track for a while but I need as much time as I can. Especially if they come searching for me, which I expect they will.”

“Where are you going, is it dangerous?” she asked.

“Well. It could be.” he admitted. “But that's why I have this gear, so you don’t need to worry.”

Nia looked, it was apparent she wanted to say something but couldn’t muster the strength to say it. Grey wanted to reassure her further but time was ticking, he needed to be sure that Nia wouldn’t tell anyone. So he pressed on.

“Nia.” Grey further emphasized. ”Its ‘very important’ you don’t tell anyone about this. Can your promise me-”

“Take me with you.” she said suddenly.

Grey was speechless.

“What!? Nia you have no idea-”

“I don’t care I want to go with you.”

“I… I can’t.”

“Why not? You said it could be dangerous, wouldn’t it be safer if I went too?”

“Nia you don’t understand.” Grey continued.

“I don’t need to.” she said insistent. “Grey, I care about you. If you’re going somewhere dangerous I want to be there with you.”

“Nia if you knew where I was going you wouldn’t be so keen on joining.”

“Then tell me.”  

Grey studied her for a moment. Though they were in the dark he knew he was looking right into her eyes.

Grey sighed. “I’m going into giant territory, that's why you can’t join me.”

By the silence that followed Grey could tell Nia hadn’t been expecting that answer.

“Grey... you aren’t trying to kill yourself are you?”

“W-what?” Grey stammered in surprised. ”Oh, no no. Trust me, I plan on living. It's just… well there's a lot you don’t know. A lot I can’t tell you. Just know I’ll be safe, but that's why you can’t come with me, traveling there with someone else would just be too dangerous. I can’t risk it.

Nia remained silent for a moment, before responding.

“I still want to go.”

Grey was once more surprised and even touched by her insistence to still join him, but he knew he couldn’t allow it and it was starting to get on his nerves.

“Nia.” He began, this time in a stricker tone. “I wouldn’t want to take you into giant territory even under the best conditions, let alone now. You're leg is still healing and to be blunt you’d only slow me down, and time is of the essence. So I need you to promise that you won’t tell a single soul you saw me and keep what I’m doing a secret. Can you do that for me?”

Looking dejected Nia’s gaze fell to the floor.

“Okay.”

“Good.” Grey sighed in relief. As he prepared to go Nia stopped him.

“What happens if they ask me about you?”

“I don’t know, make something up.” Grey answered sounding annoyed by the question.

“What if they use magic?”

Grey paused, he hadn’t considered that.

“What do you mean?”

“Trinity used magic when she questioned me during the trial, what if she does that again to find out where you went?”

In all of Grey’s planning he hadn’t factored in Trinity’s magic. Magic was still a relatively new concept to him, there was a lot he didn’t know about it. While it was a well known fact that Zeke and Barron’s magic had its limits, Trinity’s magic always seemed more open ended, and that worried him.

“Well...” Grey began, nervously now. “As long as you don’t give them anything to suspect you by then we shouldn’t have an issue.”

“But people already saw I was out late, on the same night you left. Wouldn’t that be suspicious?”

Grey swore out loud, surprising Nia in the process. She was right, it did seem too convenient to ignore. It would only be natural to assume that if they put the dots together they might question her. Worst of all Nia was now aware of where he was going. If she was interrogated, Trinity could easily find out the truth and it wouldn’t be long before they caught him. Once they had they would want to know where he was going and why. Trinity would get answers, answers revealing a secret Zeke and him had been hiding for over two years, answers he couldn't risk her getting. The situation had just become a lot more complicated, forcing Grey to make a hard decision.

“Alright fine.” Grey relented. “Be quick and get as much food as you can carry then we need to go.”

“But… but… what about my gear? My clothes, my belongings?” despite her previous insistence to join Nia now seemed flustered now that it was happening.

“Too risky. We’ve wasted enough time mulling about here. Patrols are still making their rounds, every second we waste is another second we could get caught or time we spend putting distance between us and The Keep. Your leg injury is already gonna set us back besides, the risk of going back to the barracks to get your things is too great. You will have to make do with what you have. Understood?”

Nia was caught in the flurry of information, try desperately to come to terms with what exactly she had just signed herself up for.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Grey snapped. “Starting gathering food, we will need it now that there are two of us.”

Nia snapped out of her confused state and went to work. Grey was putting more pressure on her now. To many factors were at play. With Nia joining there was so much more things that needed to be done. The hard truth was that she was a liability, especially while traveling in giant territory. But if she was left behind and interrogated it would be much worse than just slow travel.

Despite the potential danger Grey couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved that she was joining. As much as he made her out to be a liability, her company would definitely be appreciated. At least he would have second pair of hands to prep camp, and time would go by much faster with someone to talk to. He knew the risks in involving her, and now it wasn’t just his own life he needed to look out for, but so long as they reached their destination he was sure they’d be fine.

“Grey?” Nia asked, as she was filling a nearby sack with food.

“What is it?”

“Can you at least tell me the plan?”

“I’ll explain everything once we’ve hit the road.”

Grey knew there was a lot that needed explaining. Oddly enough though he felt almost excited. There was so much he had kept secret, things only he and Zeke had been able to discuss, and even then rarely had they out of fear of being heard. Grey trusted Nia, even after knowing where he was going she still wanted to join him. All the risks she was taking for herself by joining proved that she could be trusted. It felt good. Knowing that he had someone else to count on.

As he watched Nia pack Grey instructed her on what food to take. Foods that would last a while, not weigh them down, provided enough nutrition to last them. As she finished collecting Grey couldn’t help but give her a crucial piece of advice.

“One more thing before we head out.” he said.

“What’s that?”

“Try to be a little more quiet.”