“Well, my mom already cooked it. At least come and meet my family since you’ll be here for the foreseeable future.” Pyrrha sighed and stood up. She was still full from the earlier meal. It was obvious that her stomach had shrunken even if she couldn’t see it. Normally, such a small meal wouldn’t do anything for her, but at this point, it was more than enough for her. Hearthstead Supper had several dishes that went along with the herb-roasted skylark. She really didn’t have the energy to go out and eat, let alone be around so many people, but she also didn’t have the energy to fight Blake.

  So she followed Blake out to the main kitchen area where six people sat around the table. She quelled when she saw the absolute wall of a man that sat on one side of the table. Blake squeezed her hand. “Pyrrha, it’s okay. My father is definitely strong, but he’s as gentle as they come. If you have to worry about anyone, it’s my mom.” Blake motioned over to the woman over at the hearth. The woman was shorter than Pyrrha herself, but taller than Blake without cat ears taken into account. She smiled at Pyrrha who frowned. This sweet woman was someone to fear? She looked entirely harmless. But, then again, looks could be deceiving. If anyone should know that, it was her. She was unusually tall for a pegasus knight. Most were Blake’s height (sans cat ears) or shorter. Most were perfectly pleasant, but they could be some of the fiercest warriors Illyria could offer.

  “Um, hello. My name is Pyrrha.” She offered up a polite bow to the woman then extended it to everyone else.

  She heard a huff when she looked up. A man probably around her and Blake’s age stormed off.

  Pyrrha looked down. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset him.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about him. That’s Samuel. He’s never been one to like change especially when we have guests. It’s normal,” Blake said. “You did nothing wrong, Pyrrha. It’s all him.”

  It sure didn’t feel like it. He was completely acting like she’d done something horribly wrong. It wasn’t like she’d asked Heshia to send Blake to find her. She didn’t want the gods involved in her life anymore. She could have gone to a Sanctuary of Second Blessings and to Sanctums multiple times for meals. But Heshia had refused to stand up for her. Yes, the gods could and often were distant, but to not protect a loyal pegasus knight against false allegations? Rage filled her heart again but she didn’t show it. Why send somebody to help her now?

  It just didn’t make any sense to her.

  It was then that Sunveil swooped down and landed on her shoulder, singing a warm song that somehow helped soothe her heart, if only a little bit. He bent his head down and she looked at Blake. “Go ahead and pet him.” Blake smiled at her and she hesitantly petted the bird’s head. He let out a noise that could only be described as joyful. Despite herself, she felt a small smile on her face. Based on the name and color, Sunveil was definitely associate with Rhyza. Well, hadn’t the priest said that? She couldn’t remember. So much felt fuzzy to her right now.

  “Let’s sit down.” Blake motioned to the table and Pyrrha nodded and sighed.

  They sat down and Pyrrha noticed the large man playing a game with the two children. The board lay in the middle of the table. She was silent as she studied the board, a freezing chill going through her. “What…are you playing?” she couldn’t help but ask.

  “Trial of the Winds! It’s like the pilgrimage disgraced pegasus knights go on! It’s super fun!” the youngest said.

  “Maybe we should put it up for now.” Blake suggested.

  “But why? It’s fun,” the child whined.

  “It’s best to listen to your older sister,” the mother put in. The two kids pouted but listened to the request. Pyrrha couldn’t help but feel a little bad, but she recognised the path of the pilgrimage. It was unmistakable. Who in their right made had made such a terrible board game? What could a person get out of pretending to be a disgraced pegasus knight on the lonely pilgrimage?

  “What about Realm of the Five Paths instead?” Blake suggested.

  “Dinner’s almost done, so it’s best to not get started on a new round,” the mother said. “Now, how about we introduce ourselves to Pyrrha, dears? I’m Kali.” The woman smiled warmly in a way that reminded her of the dawn. Her amber eyes were brilliant and warm in a way she had never seen anybody’s eyes be before. What she aligned with Rhyza in some way? It didn’t seem to be possible for her to be aligned with anybody else.

  “I’m Ghira,” the brick wall of a man said. His tone was gentle and warm, though not as warm as his wife’s.

  “Marina, if you somehow forgot me from this morning.” She was younger than Blake, maybe sixteen?

  “I’m Jordi! Nice to meet you!” He looked a little younger than Marina.

  “I’m Selma!” the next youngest said.

  “I’m Shae. Nice to meet you.” Her tone was softer than Jordi and Selma’s. Well, they were certainly cheerful, she could tell that much.

  “Pyrrha,” she said again.

  “You speak really quiet. Why do you talk so quietly?” Shae asked.

  Pyrrha cringed internally but a sound from Kali reprimanded SHae. “Now, what did I say about asking Pyrrha questions like that?” The older woman’s voice was stern and firm but not unkind. “Now apologise.”

  Shae’s ears went down as did her gaze. “Sorry Miss Pyrrha.”

  “It’s okay.” She raised her voice to try to get it to a normal level. She’d been without another person to speak with for so long that she didn’t know what a normal level of speaking was anymore. It’d been six? Seven? Eight months? She couldn’t remember what month Blake had said it was. But it had started getting warmer with the spring melts beginning to happen. The ground was muddy with melting snow which she was grateful for. At least it hadn’t been as a cold during the day though the nights had continued to be cold. Maybe she wouldn’t have to continue to sleep in the cold mud anymore… BLake hadn’t just dropped her off at the Sanctum…

  Kali sat the table with several large dishes, though each person got their own small skylark. Pyrrha couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with it. The Skylark would go to waste. Everything else was command so it wouldn't go to waste. The poor bird had given up its life for her and she wouldn't even be able to eat most of it. She just... All of this food was going to waste with her since she'd had so little food these past months.

  She looked down at the plate in front of her, stomach churning. The meal smelled delicious, that much was true. But at the same time, the richness of everything felt overwhelming to her. It'd been looking since she'd had a normal meal wit-herbs and spices. It almost smelled too delicious. The richness made her want to leave. She sincerely could not believe that such rich meals existed after having no herbs or spices for around half a year.

  "Go ahead and take what you want to, dear." Kali said. She smiled at Pyrrha who hesitated. She didn't want to come across as ungrateful to the woman for cooking such a wonderful meal. But she just wasn't very hungry. Even eating a whole breast of the little Skylark would probably fill up what little bit of room she had in her stomach. How could she say something without coming across as rude or ungrateful? She really felt like she was going to throw Kali's generosity back in her face. Should she just be honest or…?

  Probably the best policy, though admitting all of This in front of so many people… She really didn't want to be so vulnerable in front of so many people. But to not eat a meal so graciously prepared for her... It was really best to just be honest.

  "I... haven't eaten much the past half year or so. So I can't handle much food. Please, forgive me for not eating much." she bowed her head, barely holding the tears back. Talking so openly about her past to someone and in front of so many people... She hoped they wouldn't throw it back in her face.

  "Pyrrha, honey, look up." Kali spoke and her lip quivered.

  All that happened was she was met with a warm, radiant smile.

  "Eat whatever you can. I'm not going to sit here and demand that you eat until you get sick. We do have some tinctures that might help stimulate your appetite, but it does seem people that haven't eaten in a long time or at least not much over a long time can't eat much." Kali continued to smile and Pyrrha nodded a bit. How was this woman so nice? The Sisterhood was a community, but Pyrrha had never really seen parents so loving. She wasn't used to people outside of the Sisterhood being so kind... especially now that she'd left.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “I— Thank you. But you’re sure I’m not being rude by not eating?” Considering the knights’ position in court, manners were incredibly important. She’d had manners drilled into her from the first day she’d been sent to join the knights. She was so used to having to put propriety first. Nothing could stop her from worrying about how she was perceived. She really didn’t want to be rude to Kali after she was clearly letting her stay there.

  “You’re not rude at all, dear. Do what’s best for yourself. Eat as much or as little as you want or need to, okay? Don’t force yourself to do something that would make you unwell. We’re healers here. We don’t want you to suffer.” Kali’s smile remained warm and soft.

  Pyrrha nodded a bit. “Okay.” The food did smell wonderful and she took a bit at the ember-kissed flatbread and topped it with a little bit of the herb-roasted skylark. The flavors exploded in her mouth. It was so rich compared to what she’d gotten used to over the past months. One the rare occasion she could catch meat or fish, it was all simply roasted over a fire without much else. She hadn’t been trained in hunting or foraging as her talents had been better served elsewhere. Other knights were trained in hunting and gathering, but with her sheer talent for combat, it had been deemed a waste of her time to be taught such banal topics.

  Now she wished she had insisted on learning.

  “It’s really good.” That was all she could really muster right now. Her brain just felt so fuzzy from not sleeping and eating enough since her exiled. The freezing cold had robbed her of a lot of sleep since all she had was a tent, a bed roll, and the last of her threadbare clothing. It was hard to get much sleep when it was so utterly freezing. And not to mention the risk of bandits… She would have been more eloquent at one time, but no, she had been robbed of pretty much all of her mental and physical capabilities due to the long winter freeze.

  “By the way, has anyone seen Sterling?” Marina asked. “We didn’t really need him this morning, but I didn’t see him when we left.”

  Kali blinked. “Now that you mention it… He seems to have been missing all day.”

  “Who’s Sterling?” Pyrrha asked.

  “Our Herbwhisper. It’s a breed of dog bred specifically for scenting medicinal plants,” Blake explained. Huh, she had never heard of that breed before. It was odd to think that there was a dog specifically for fiding herbs, but it also made sense. Skybound Sentinels were used in the pegasus knights commonly for a multitude of reasons. She had never had her own, but they were highly revered in the knights for their loyalty, tenacity, and scouting abilities.

  A low boof came from the door and everyone looked at each other. "It's Sterling." Kali said. She got up and left the main living area. She came back a few moments later with two dogs behind that. One was a larger, brown dog with green splotches on it and it was long furred. It would completely blend in with a forest had it laid down and become still.

  The other dog looked different. It was short furred and had a golden-brown hue to its fur. A lot like the main bodies of the auroras wifts.it practically glowed in the lowering sunlight. This dog had to belong to Rhyza, but it wasn't like she knew anything about animals outside of Pegasi. She knew a bit about sky bound Sentinels because she worked around them, but she had never owned one of her own and trained it. She couldn't believe that people could bond so closely to dogs, but considering how closely she bonded with Nendia…

  Another boof came from Sterling and Kali spoke, obviously having a conversation with him. It felt strange to watch the back and forth between the two. Was this was what it was like when she spoke to Nendia? She could only follow half of the conversation. It was so odd. She hadn't seen anything like this before. Then again, it wasn't like she hadn't paid really any attention to how sisters had interacted with their Sentinels when she'd been in the Sisterhood.

  Eventually, Kali nodded and looked at Pyrrha who stiffened a bit. "Sterling says that this is Echo. He was told to bring her here for you."

  Pyrrha frowned. "By who?" Who would want to give her a dog? She really had no idea who would reach out to give her a dog. Not many people knew she was here. The people of Hazelmire didn't seem to want her there. Steve ally didn't know what to do about this. Why? Who?

  "Solaro apparently. Sterling felt someone call for him this morning and he met with Solaro." Pyrrha frowned at Kali's words. Why were the gods and demigods suddenly getting involved with her life all of a sudden when they'd been silent for so many months? Why couldn't they have helped her when she'd left? Why hadn't Heshia stood up for her in the first place? Nothing made any sense. The gods an their ilk made no logical sense? Rage bubbled in her heart again but she kept it silent. These people seemed devout to the gods and had never been wronged by them as she'd been. She just wanted the gods to leave her alone. Why was that so much to ask?

  Echo booted but it was a higher pitch than Sterling's. "Do you know what breed she is?" Pyrrha asked.

  "A Dawnsworn Retriever. I've seen them around the Sanctum, but they're also popular among normal families. They're gentle companions and quite loyal. They'll never leave you once you've bonded with them." Kali smiled at her. "You'll have a lovely friend once you bond."

  "I don't want this dog or this bird." Pyrrha looked looked at sun veil then Echo. She didn't want to take care of these animals. She knew how to care for Nendia and would gladly do that, but she sincerely didn't want these animals. Rhyza had pushed them on her without her consent. But she knew these animals wouldn't leave her alone. Once a God sent an animal to accompany a person, they were stuck to the person like glue. She loved Nendia, but she really didn't want to take care of these animals. She had no real choice in the matter, though. Why were the gods forcing her into things she didn't want? She just.. It was so frustrating.

  Echo looked at her as did Sunveil. Kali's ears twitched. "They're a favor from Rhyza and are meant to offer you support. Aurora Swifts and Dawn sworn retrievers are wonderful companions that can help you when you need support. That's all they're meant to be: supports for you in a dark time." Her ears twitched." How would you define you life right now?" Pyrrha sighed at that. Dark definitely described her life right now. Nothing could really change that. At one point, she would have prayed to Rhyza and maybe Solaro, but now, she wanted nothing to do with them. Heshia had betrayed her and done nothing to protect her against the sisters that had betrayed her. She hoped their pegasi refused them and they had to be subject to the Trial of the Winds. She had done nothing wrong, yet Hestia refused to stand up for her.

  "Will Rhyza expect something from me in return? Especially after I went to the Sanctuary of Second Blessings..." She was used to following Heshia's will and ordinances for the pegasus knights and not anybody else. She really had no idea if Rhyza would expect anything from her. She sincerely had nothing to give at this point. Her body was weak from the lack of food and sleep and her mind was fuzzy as well. She was having trouble remembering things from just earlier today. She wouldn't remember everybody's names for a while most likely. She had nothing to offer the gods. And she wanted nothing from them either. Everything felt so wrong.

  Kali shook her head. "Unless you're in an order directed at a deity, they really expect nothing from the common people. Though we do make offerings in small tokens and prayers! Her ears twitched again. "Would you perhaps like to speak to me after dinner about all of this? The way gods treat everyday people and monastic orders are very different."

  Pyrrha hesitated before nodding. "I'm used to a life with a very different structure." She really didn't know what to expect from commoner life. She could have probably just joined a Sanctum and taken a parole for a non-Diviner as she had no magic, but anger still burned in her heart toward Keshia. The deity she'd dedicated literally everything to had straight up abandoned her. She really didn't want anything to do with the gods any longer. She probably could have just prayed at a shrine to Fat had and waited a few days. but why pray to the child of the deity that had abandoned her? She just... People wouldn't understand. She had taken vows of celibacy when she'd become a squire. Not that it mattered much; she wasn't like a lot of her sisters where it drove her absolutely insane to not have any sort of release... She just...really didn't feel things like that.

  “We can do that then." Kati smiled warmly and Pyrrha nodded a bit. It was hard to believe this woman was so warm and kind. Almost everyone she'd met on this journey had been unkind and wary at best and outright hostile at worst. Had she gone to The Sanctums, she probably would've been treated kinder. Then again, the Sanctuary of Second Blessings earlier had proven otherwise. Maybe Diviners weren't as kind as she'd once thought. She had thought they were trained to be kind and impartial, but her earlier treatment had disproven that.

  “May…I ask a question?" She looked down. This was probably what would get her tossed out and she'd die of starvation within the next few weeks. She'd only survived because Nendia had shown her what winter-faring plants were safe to eat. It had still left her hungry, but it had been just enough to sustain her a little bit. She was still literally starving and she was so thin and light. She was past the point of wanting to survive any longer. She really just wanted to give up.

  Kali blinked but nodded. "Go ahead, dear."

  "In the months I've been wandering, I've been treated with wariness at best and hostility at worst. Why are you guys so different? You're kind and non-judgemental. Even at the Sanctuary of second Blessings, I was regarded with suspicion. Why are you so much different...?" She winced, prepared for them to turn her out and uell at her. Kali seemed kind but most people had their limits. Being compared to other people was no doubt going to rile them up and piss them off. Even if it was in a positive way, most people really didn't enjoy hearing how they were better or worse than others. If they kicked her out. she was done. She would just go back out to the wilderness and die. She couldn't bear the pain and sorrow any longer.

  "Well, my family is descended from Solaro and Ghira's family is descended from Leianis. Although, personally, Velora has chosen me despite the usual associations my family has with Rhyza.ve/ora simply saw me and wanted me for my perceptions. I'm a shadow binder and a Death sensor." Kalt smiled but the reality chilled Pyrrha to the bone. To her knowledge, Velora was the deity that most rarely intervened and took people away from their family's usual calling. Who was Kali to have been called away from the path of Rhyza to that of Velora?

  "I didn't know that," Blake said. "You never said anything about being descended from Solaro."

  “I'd rather not talk about it." Kali shrugged. Despite the deception, no tension rose between the family. How could Blake be okay with having been deceived her whole life? The world outside the pegasus Knights made no sense. Granted, her own parents hadn't raised her. She basically had no bond with them. They'd handed her care off to nurses and maids and then shipped her off to go become a pegasus knight. She hadn't seen them since she'd been six. She didn't even remember their faces anymore. It was so surreal to see a family this tight knit with so much love… She'd never gotten that before she left home. But she was the youngest and had no titles or inheritance.

  Dinner finished up relatively quietly though Pyrrha had barely touched anything. Sheaves still fill from the earlier meal Blake had given her and had really only eaten a couple of mouthfuls because of it. Marina cleaned up the table and turned the scoops to the dogs. well, at least the food wouldn't go to waste.

  Kali looked at Pyrrha who nodded. Kali led her to the door which led outside and Pyrrha sighed. Might as well get this over with…