The next morning, I awoke a little later than usual. After apologizing to Shava for the consequence of my late night, and perhaps too much wine, we got straight to our regular morning training session, though Sharai had to work to keep me on task. Every time that I thought of last night, the white ribbon that I was keeping safe, Vesha, or the fact that we were to be wed, I couldn’t help but smile. Those thoughts distracted me, and I sorely lacked my usual focus when Sharai wasn’t using my body to instill muscle memory or teach my cousin.

-I realize that you are happy, Kaelyn, and you have every right to be,- Sharai pointed out at one point when my attention lapsed, -but you really must focus. This is not like you, I have had to correct you as much as I have Shava, and I believe that she has noticed your inattention as well.-

Looking toward my cousin, who was casting a look of uncertainty back at me, I sighed and gave my spirit guide a mental nod. “You are right, Sharai. I am wasting our time by being so distracted. Being happy does not change my duties and distraction would be a danger in combat. I will try to be more focused.” Then I gave my cousin a smile that showed just how happy I was inside. “Apologies, Shava, for waking late and being distracted today.”

“It’s okay, Cuz. It’s not like you and I was starting to get a bit worried though, is everything okay?” my cousin asked in concern.

“Yes, Shava, everything is fine. Better than fine, in fact,” I quickly assured her. “I had a wonderful night last night with Vesha. She… offered me this.” I slipped the long and pristine, white ribbon from one of the pouches on my sword belt to show her.

Shava’s eyes went wide in realization and then a grin promptly took over her face. “She asked you to wed her?! Did you accept?! No, wait, of course you accepted if you’re carrying that around with you like that. Eeeee! My cousin’s getting handfasted! Who else knows?!”

I was a little taken aback by her excitement and blinked in surprise. “Other than you and Sharai, we have not told anyone yet. It only happened last night, but I am certain that Master Nirlyn and a few others probably suspect something with how late Vesha and I returned to camp last night and how we were giggling all the way to our wagon. Vesha probably talked about it with Master Nirlyn beforehand, and she had to get this ribbon from somewhere,” I responded pensively.

“We have to tell everyone at breakfast! They’ll want to start planning for the ceremony!” she excitedly squealed.

My cousin seemed more excited about the prospect of me being wed than I was, which was not something I expected from her. She was not truly the feminine type, far more interested in swordplay and archery than cooking, crafts, or childcare. “I did not expect you to be so… invested,” I told her frankly.

“Of course, I am! You’re my cousin, and handfastings are always a big deal for the troupe. We haven’t had one in a long time, not since we before we broke off from our old troupe to form our own and search for you and your mother. There’s so much planning we’ll have to do,” Shava explained excitedly.

“What, can we not just get the Elders to handfast us?”

“No!” my cousin vehemently protested as her head shook rapidly. “There is so much to be done before the ceremony! At the very least, the troupe will need time to arrange suitable gifts for the start of your new life together, and you’ll need to pass Hespira’s three trials to gain Her approval for your union.”

“Trials?” I asked, realizing that I still had much to learn about Voyager customs.

“Yes, She’s the Goddess of nature, love, and compassion, so Her trials reflect that. You and Vesha will have to do a trial for each, together, to show that you’re a good match,” Shava explained.

“What do these trials entail? Does the troupe usually choose something for us?” I asked, thinking back to our Vel’Nassar when Vesha and I became adults.

My cousin shook her head again, far more sedately this time, and wore a thoughtful expression as she told me, “No, you won’t know what the trials are until after you’ve passed them. Nobody will but the Goddess Herself, and once you’ve passed a trial, you’ll receive a sign. The trials wouldn’t mean anything if you passed them only because you were told to, you have to embrace Her aspects as part of your lives together.”

“I see,” I replied with a sigh. I did see, and it even made sense to some degree, but I could not help but be disappointed. This sounded like it could take months, perhaps years before we finished these trials and could be finally wed. I supposed that we did have plenty of time since both Vesha and I were from species known for their long lifespans, but after our lovemaking session and her romantic proposal last night, I was looking so forward to our spending lives together that I did not truly consider that accepting the ribbon had only been the first step in a journey that would hopefully end with us being wed.

With my thoughts now sobered, I decided to focus on my current task rather than those yet to come. I was far more focused and diligent as we continued our lessons and practice on the third dance, while we sparred afterward, and as I put my cousin through archery practice with both our regular bows and the large, dwarven-made wheel bows. At least keeping us combat-ready was something that I could do something about.

Vesha and I shared the news with the rest of the troupe when she and Master Nirlyn finally awoke to join the rest of us for breakfast. Our announcement was met with much joy and enthusiasm, as well as coin changing hands as bets were settled. Apparently, there had been three bets going; one on when we would physically take our relationship to the next level, one for when we would get engaged, and the third for which of us would propose. Tanna, our Seer, won two of the bets, while Master Nirlyn won the other.

My cousin proved to be right regarding several things that we had talked about earlier as well. The entire troupe was of the opinion that while the news of our engagement was exciting, there was much to do before we could have the handfasting ceremony. They needed time to plan and arrange gifts, Vesha and I needed to pass Hespira’s trials, and we would need to start planning the ceremony and inviting any guests from outside the troupe that we would like to attend as well.

Even if we had already passed the trials and the other preparations were already made, we still would not have been able to get wed anytime soon. It was Master Nirlyn and Daivin who broke that news to us. Vesha and I were still apprentices, and there were rules against apprentices being wed. Even romantic involvement was frowned upon for apprentices because it could take our attention away from the lessons we were supposed to be learning from our Master. Daivin had to take the Journeyman exam before he could marry Selice, and my mother had to do the same before marrying my father.

I was not an apprentice officially yet, of course, that was part of the reason that we were heading to Derevik after all, but Master Nirlyn had sent the letter of intent by owl, along with the news of my mother’s fate and the return of Demons, and received confirmation that they were received while visiting the guild hall in Hindra. All that was needed to make it official was for me to be tested and approved by three of the Masters at the Bardic Guild headquarters when we arrived in Derevik.

Master Niryln assured us that Vesha would be ready to take the Journeyman exam by the time we arrived in Derevik though, and I would as well if I kept working as hard as I had been. It did not happen often, but I would not be the first to become an apprentice for the guild and then immediately apply for the Journeyman exam. Usually, these were great talents, but I had been learning to play from my mother since before I could walk, and music was in my blood.

Now that I could read and write properly, I had been learning much faster and Master Nirlyn said she was mostly just refining my skills now, filling the gaps in my knowledge, and preparing me to be a Spell-singer. I already played four instruments well enough to pass the practical part of the exam, and I only needed to be able to play three. As for the knowledge portion, I was well on my way to passing that as well with what she had been teaching us.

Even Korine, who was a good three years younger than me and Vesha, would probably be able to pass the exam when we arrived if she wanted to try. Like me, she had been fascinated with playing music since she was very young and she was learning many of the same things as Vesha and I were, played three instruments very well, and was beginning to learn to play a fourth. That did not even count our vocal training for spell-singing.

We would all likely have plenty of time to take the exam while we were in Derevik. Master Nirlyn was expecting that we would be facing many interviews and meetings with both the Guild Council for the Bardic Guild and the United Guild Council once we arrived, regarding the information we had about Evalis, the Church of One, and the Demons. We could be there for weeks, waiting for a decision and dealing with inter-guild politics. At least most of that would fall upon Master Nirlyn, and she did not seem to be looking forward to it. She was very happy to talk about the upcoming handfasting of her adopted daughter and apprentice instead.

Soon, discussions of our handfasting were set aside as well though, as we packed up camp so we could get on the road again. If the weather stayed nice, we could arrive at Derevik in less than a fortnight, faster if we could find a ship to ferry us along the river at Aikan’s Crossing, which we would probably reach sometime tomorrow. Our journey would begin by crossing the ancient stone and metal bridge that spanned the river, built long before the Great War by the Ancient Ones, or the Sa’vash as I now know them.

The bridge was beautiful, almost delicate looking from a distance, but it had endured for thousands of years, long past when the people who built it were lost to history in the Great War. It was a sight to see, one that Master Nirlyn insisted upon as we approached, and it was humbling. I felt so very small as I stood there, leaning against Vesha and holding Kalara while we took in the sight, and not just from the size of the structure.

It was but a brief moment of reflection before we returned to the wagon, Master Nirlyn driving while Vesha, Korine, Kalara, and I worked on finishing our Voyager pipes by adding leather shoulder straps and some personal decorations like ribbons. I added purple ribbons to mine and blue to Kalara’s while Vesha chose a bright crimson that matched her scales and Korine added yellow to hers. We also took the time to test the sound, and I was very happy with the sweet notes that they summoned when played.

After that, Kalara had a play date with Princess Saera through the enchanted mirror while we apprentices worked on our lessons and practiced with our instruments and voices. We kept hard at work until it was time to stop for the midday meal. Again, much of the conversation as we all ate centered around the handfasting to come and our final destination for this leg of our journey.

It seemed like most of us were eager to get to Derevik. I was told that it was a huge port city, even bigger than Hindra, and there was good coin to be made there and plenty to spend it on as well with so many guild artisans living there. Usually, the troupe spent the harshest of the winter months there instead of traveling, and Godan, our Wagonmaster, had his workshop there as well.

I was a little concerned about spending too much time there when we were supposed to be going to Tarin’dol, but the Fae Council now knew about the resurgence of the Demons and the potential new uses for faerie fire and were taking steps to prepare for the war to come, and that eased both my mind and Sharai’s. Arinelle also promised to keep us posted on what was happening in both Tarin’dol and Hindra. When we spoke through the enchanted mirror a few days ago, she assured me that Tarin’dol was being fortified and preparing for war and King Vergun and Queen Isante were preparing Kalidar for a possible war and securing their borders with Evalis.

They had one of the other Vos’oraik bearers in Tarin’dol and were searching for the remaining two, but Arinelle felt that for now, there was not much I could do there but sit and wait for something to do. It would take months for us to reach Tarin’dol by land and by the time we got there, we might just be ordered to turn around and head for Kalidar, or wherever the front lines would be in the war to come. Arinelle suggested that, for the moment, we would be most useful in Derevik with me and Selice using our status as ambassadors of the Fae to find support and allies for Tarin’dol.

It was disappointing that I might not be able to see Tarin’dol, Sharai had told me so much about the city and the Fae who lived there, and I was looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes. It seemed that I would have to wait, but Arinelle made sense, and the plan was still to go there when we were done in Derevik. It could be quite some time before either the Fae or the Demons were done amassing their forces and ready for war after all. In the meantime, it looked like I had much work ahead of me when we reached Haydin’s capital.