The world was getting odder again.

Watching the caravan pass by from above, I chewed on my strip of dried meat.

More people. More money. More mercenaries.

The town was growing quickly. How was it the humans knew this was going to be a place of importance…? I mean sure, they found silver and gold or whatever… but weren't there lots of such mines throughout the world? Most of them didn't have huge towns nearby. Why was this one going to be so special…?

No matter.

Studying the people guarding the wagons of resources, I tried to tell if I recognized any of them.

I didn't, but knew it would only be a matter of time. It's only been a few years since I left the Silken Band, so I knew there was a high chance I'd eventually run into those I knew. I wasn't sure yet what I'd do when it happened, but was hoping it never did.

Swallowing the piece of meat I'd been chewing for longer than I should have, I glanced at what was left of the stick of dried meat.

Was it bad…? It didn't taste wrong, but it was way too firm. Unnaturally so.

I shrugged, and plopped the rest into my mouth. Oh well.

"Watch it!" a man in armor shouted at a pair of churchmen. They had drawn too close to the wagon he was walking next to. He thunked one of the church-robe wearers with the butt of his spear, forcing them away from the wagon and sending the one he hit to the ground in pain.

He scoffed at them and continued walking. The churchman got to his feet, wobbly, and went back to walking too. It was clear he was hurt, but he'd be fine.

I studied the man, dedicating his face to memory. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll pick a fight with me later. I didn't like the way he had done that.

Men of power should never abuse it. If I had been in charge of these men, I'd have punished him severely for that.

Who were they anyway…? I didn't see any band insignia yet. No flags were flying; no emblem on any of the armor or clothes… not even the horses had colors on them.

Were they trying to hide who they were? Maybe they weren't a band at all, but bandits or something? If so they were rather well equipped for being so.

I doubted they were a part of the church at all, what with that earlier display, at least.

Sighing at them, I leaned away from the windowsill. I stepped back into my room, and wondered if I should hide up here until they passed or head on down.

A part of me wanted to find out who they were. It was not just interest either. My job was to guard the noble's mine here, and keeping an eye out for such threats was one of the things I was paid to do.

But did I want to get involved…?

"Maybe I'm just bored," I whispered as I decided to go get something to eat. I had eyeballed another strip of this weird meat, and realized it was because I was hungry. For more than just a snack.

Getting my shoes on, I got ready and then left my room. I lived on the second floor of a smaller building. The first floor was a storeroom for a nearby barracks, so I didn't have any neighbors… and I liked that. It was why I paid extra for it.

I'd arrived in this town not long ago, having accepted the job to be a guard for a nobleman. Somehow or another he found me likable, and now I was basically the guard of everything. I wasn't in charge of the guards themselves, there were others for that, but he wanted me to watch over not just his house anymore but the whole town. His mine especially.

That was fine. I didn't mind this. This job, this town, this lifestyle… it was somewhat similar to my life as a mercenary, but far enough from it that I didn't feel like I was doing the same thing again. I think it was the fact I was staying in one location, and not traveling around, that really made it feel different though.

"Aye Branch! We're having a drinking competition tonight, you in?" a loud voice asked as I passed a small eatery. The men sitting at one of the few outside tables waved at me to join them, as I waved them away.

"Not tonight," I said as I left, before they could bug me further.

Yes. That was one of the problems here. People were too familiar with each other.

This was a new town. Not just in my eyes, but the human's too. It had been settled a year or so ago, and so most of the residents… well, all of them really, were newcomers.

Most weren't even working the mines, which brought this town here in the first place. Most worked for all the supporting businesses that relished on the mine's wealth that it spewed. Restaurants, clothes, craftsmen, and so much more. Thanks to nobles moving here, there was even a growing market for the finer luxuries one usually didn't find in distant towns such as this. There was a statue carver that recently arrived, not far from my house. The man chiseled statues for a living.

And they were expensive too. I had gone to find out how much they cost, thinking of sending one home as a gift to my mother, and was sickened by how much he wanted for one. It would have taken me months of pay to afford it.

"If I took that stupid stipend, I could," I whispered angrily.

Really, why was my pride so annoying? Everyone else took money from the Society. No one found it odd, or weird. It was why it existed, after all.

Hell, recently one of those traveling merchants came here. They had the Society's emblem. That guild in Lumen. I could have asked them for money, using my password. I had nearly done it, but was glad I hadn't.

It'd make life easier, sure. But then what was the point…?

At least, that was what I told myself.

I rounded a corner, stepping onto the street that my house overlooked. The caravan was farther down the road, heading deeper into town. I studied them for a moment, debating if my hunger was more important or they were.

Before I could decide, my feet were taking me towards them.

I glanced around for the churchmen that the man earlier had hit with a spear, and didn't find them. But as I walked through the street after them, I heard people whispering about the newcomers.

"Another nobleman," someone said with a hush.

"Rude one, at that," their friend responded.

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Hm. Someone had recognized something to have made such a connection, maybe.

I didn't know nobles. Although they were the ones that typically hired mercenaries, I myself hadn't ever dealt with them. We dealt with their servants. The people they sent to deal and negotiate with us. They rarely, if ever, came themselves.

Supposedly during the wars the nobles had hired mercenaries directly. Something to do with mercenaries judging their chances of survival on the noble who hired them. But that practice was long gone. Or well, likely abolished. On purpose. By those very nobles we used to judge.

I couldn't imagine a noble being awe inspiring enough to rely on. But mercenaries were a superstitious lot, so it had likely just been pure fallacy. Not something actually reliant on reality.

It didn't take long for me to catch up to the caravan, what with them traveling slowly through town thanks to the wagons.

Following them for a bit, studying them and listening to the conversations coming from them, I decided the gossip was right. They were just servants of some noble.

Explained their haughty rudeness.

Oh well. Even if rude it wasn't like I could do anything about it then. Another con of working for a noble, was that you were expected to play their games. Stupid games. The type that made even me regret partaking in them.

And one of those games was to not interfere in another noble's business. Not until given orders to, at least.

Since my interest in them was gone, I went ahead and got food. I ate, walked around a bit, checked on a few places in town that I frequented, and then ended up checking the mine.

It was busy, like always, but by the time I reached it the place was quieting down. They stopped working once the sun went down, which I never understood.

They mined underground. Into the earth. Where it was dark as can be… why did it matter if the sun went down up here, then?

But no matter. Once I verified the town was fine I went ahead and headed back home.

Maybe I should partake in that drinking competition. I was trying to not stand out too much, as to not replicate my earlier mistake… but at the same time I also had another goal while here.

I wanted more than just a new job. I was looking for whatever I felt like I was missing.

Father thought it was my desire for a wife. Mother hadn't really told me what she thought of my strangeness, but she supported me all the same. I'd not seen Vim recently, he's been busy. Supposedly he had some predator following him around, trying to woe him. I was jealous.

Walking through the streets of the town that was quickly becoming noisy, as people stopped working and began to prepare for dinner and drinking, I wondered how my siblings were doing.

How was Crown, I wonder? Last I heard she still hadn't gone home, even though still depressed over her recent loss.

I wonder how that felt. To have loved someone, cherished them so much, that even years later you couldn't get over it…?

When Slip had died… I'll not deny I had acted oddly. But I don't think it had bothered me for that long, or that deeply. Though I suppose I still did think of her, didn't I? That meant something, didn't it?

"Branches!"

Slowing, I paused and turned to see who had shouted my name. I didn't recognize the voice, nor the face that approached.

Frowning at the woman, I tried to not get too excited. What was this…? Was she going to flirt with me?

But no. Once she was near, I realized who she was. She had the necklace of the letter carriers.

"You are Branches, right? You look just like Bark!" the woman said with a grin.

"No I don't," I grumbled. Did I really? Please tell me I didn't.

She giggled at that as she waved at me. "I'm kidding. You do look alike though. I'm Sierra, I work for Oplar," she said.

I nodded. "Figured. How are you?" I asked.

She tilted her head at me, and I wondered if my question had been weird. "I'm fine! I'm glad I found you, I was told you set up camp here but wasn't sure how to find you. I'm glad I saw you just now," she said happily.

Right… "Surprised you recognized me," I said. I'd never met her before. Even if I did look like my brothers, it was quite a feat to have recognized me from a distance like that. No wonder she… wait…

I frowned at her. "You the one who can smell us?" I asked.

Sierra grinned happily. "Yep! Your sister took good care of me, I'm really thankful for her. I um… well…" she hesitated, and I wondered what was wrong. She then shrugged softly. "Sorry. I just felt bad for her. I heard what happened… I've been meaning to visit her, but haven't had the opportunity lately. They've been having us work like crazy for some reason, not sure what's going on, but yeah," Sierra said as she sighed.

Right… Crown had said she had found her in the orphanage… I found myself smiling at that. I glanced around, realizing we were outside. Although no one was nearby, and listening, I knew how well sound carried.

Still… busy? The ones who delivered mail, or well everyone in the Society, did seem busy often. But not so badly as that… maybe something was happening? Was that why I'd not seen Vim lately?

"Um… are you alone?" I asked, trying to not sound too odd as I did.

"Nope. I travel with a friend. We're staying at an inn, the one near the center? Near that fountain?" she said with a point down the street.

Right. The main inn. One that cost more than I could afford.

Damn. Even the humans got to enjoy such things, thanks to being a part of the Society. Really, why didn't I just indulge in it too?

Still… a friend? Of course. That's too bad. She was cute.

"Want to have dinner with us? I got a letter for you, from Windle," she said as she went to digging at her bag at her waist.

Oh…? Neat. "Sure. I'll have dinner," I said as I took the letter she gave me. Even if she wasn't available, it'd be fun to hang out with her. If even just over dinner.

"Cool! I've been trying to meet all of you, so after you I only need to meet Seed. I met Trunk once, but he had been alone so I never got the chance to meet her," she said with a laugh.

Oh…? "You've met Sap…?" I asked. That was crazy.

"Yeah…? Just recently. She didn't really talk to me though," Sierra said with a small smile.

I nodded at that as I opened father's letter. Sap didn't like humans. At all. Like mother. So that was no surprise. At least, not as surprising as the fact she had met her in the first place.

Glancing at my father's, somehow shorter than normal letter, I paused before reading it.

Looking back at the mail girl, I found her happily staring at me. As if glad to see me read the letter she had brought all the way here, protecting and cherishing it as she did. She looked adorable with that smile.

"You married?" I asked.

Sierra shifted, and then grinned at me. "No? Wait… are you asking for real…?"

I nodded.

Sierra's smile turned into an odd one as she blushed. "Thank you… really. But I joined the convent. I'm basically a nun, I um… we're not allowed to get married, or have relations. Not like that. Sorry."

Although saddened by the response, I wasn't hurt or surprised. I had expected her to turn me down, after all. Everyone did.

The only reason I had asked was because she could smell us. It was why she had realized I was who I am. A non-human.

That meant she had our blood in her veins… even if it was very thin. I could have been okay with that though. Plus she was cute, and I kind of liked the idea of traveling around with her and delivering letters. That might have been a fun life.

Plus… I mean… well…

My sister had chosen her. Picked her out of hundreds of children, in that orphanage. To join the Society. That meant she was a good person. A worthy person.

Oh well.

"I see. That's too bad," I said simply.

"Mhm…" she didn't say anything as I went to read my father's letter.

Reading father's letter in full… I frowned as I read it again.

Did I just read what I thought I did…?

As I read again, I confirmed it.

"Time to come home, son. A vote has been called, denouncing Vim, and your mother has possibly found you a wife. The parliament has been summoned."

The knowledge of a vote to denounce Vim was startling, for many reasons, but my eyes couldn't help but read the last bit again. And again.

A wife…?

Mother has?

Strangely giddy, I decided to turn down the invitation for dinner as to go pack my bags.

Time to go home.

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