Chapter 40: An Old ‘Friend’

“You brought Morph some water?” Lady Sage turned her head toward us. She balanced herself and leaned forward, holding herself up with her arms, while Morph, in the shape of a seven-foot-tall man made entirely of shifting, intertwined branches, scrubbed the windows of the keep with a rag.

They weren’t big windows, and they had previously been arrow slits, but someone had put lattice panes in them recently—probably due to the keep’s conversion into offices for the Drillmaster and the higher up staff of the sappers.

I set my buckets down on the temporary scaffolding that ran around the back edge of the keep, and said, “Precisely. Lady Sage.”

“You know my name?” She tilted her head.

Morph, the forest golem, flicked his head toward me. His two amber eyes bored into my forehead.

“Yeah,” I said. “I suppose you wouldn’t remember me.”

“I don’t remember any Duplicates’ names. And I have seen your face a thousand times. Why should I remember you?”

“It also sounds like you don’t have a team,” I replied dryly. I can’t imagine why.

“Well, leave the buckets here and go,” Lady Sage said. “I don’t need an offer to join a team from a bottom ranker.”

“Because you have other teams lined up?” I asked.

“Y—yes.”

“She does not,” Brawl said.

“I’ll find something else. I always do. Now leave me, Duplicates.”

I rolled my eyes. “Alright, we don’t need her. We can find someone else.”

“All the other druids are spoken for.” Brawl told me. “There is no one else. And she is lying when she says she will find a squad. Either we end this little alliance between you and me right here and try to fit into another group individually, or we convince her.”

“I don’t want to be convinced,” Lady Sage said.

“And I don’t want a rude, reluctant healer on my team. So—”

“Alas, I don’t want your help either. Someone who dares to speak to a Lady like that deserves no help at all.”

“So we’re in consensus.”

Neither of us moved.

“I do not know what either of your strategies are,” Brawl said, crossing his arms. “But let us stop with the untruths. Levi, we have no other choice. Sage, you have no other choice either—”

“Lady Sage,” she stressed.

“I will call you a Lady when you act like one,” said Brawl.

She pressed her palms down on the wooden scaffolding below her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“A lord or lady is gracious, honourable, and kind to those who are willing to help her—I would expect the same from your father.” Brawl narrowed his eyes.

“I am the daughter of Lord Ceonwin, and you will treat me as such. And soon, I will fail this exam.” She hung her head. “I…will be on my way home, never to see or speak to you again.”

I sighed, recognizing the futility of my situation. “Look, Sage. Lady Sage, whatever it is. You need us, and regrettably, I don’t have time to find someone else. Do you want to get kicked out? Because—actually, you know what, fuck you.” I scowled, tightening my fists. “You know how you got here? Your little wagon ride? I was in the squad that was guarding you. One of my squadmates died to protect you. And you’re just going to get yourself kicked out? Because why? What a way to honour Trench’s sacrifice, huh? Just get yourself kicked out because you didn’t even try to get into a squad? Did you even want to be here? I mean, obviously they saw something in you.” I paused. “Or maybe they just want Morph.”

Sage stared at me, and I found myself agreeing with Brawl’s earlier sentiment. I’d treat her like nobility when she deserved it—from now on, I was just gonna call her Sage.

“What do you want?” she finally asked. Her face softened slightly.

“We need a druid, and you need a squad,” I said. “We only have one and a half days left, and I don’t have time to argue with you. Either you join us, or you get kicked out.”

“I only see two of you. That’s no squad.”

“We are working on it,” Brawl said.

“We’re the best shot you’ll get,” I said.

She chewed her lip and glanced at Morph. He shrugged and opened a hole in his face close to where his mouth would be, then let out a warble that sounded like groaning wood and a shifting house.

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Finally, Sage said, “Fine. I’ll join your little squad.”

“Why?” I narrowed my eyes, suddenly suspicious. “I thought you wanted to go home or whatever.”

“I never said that,” she grumbled. “I simply said I would fail soon. I have accepted my fate. As always.” She paused. “Besides, I thought you wanted me to join.”

“We must take her, Levi,” Brawl said.

I shook my head, then turned to Sage and knelt in front of her. “Find us after lunch.”

“You still need a fourth member,” she muttered.

“After lunch, we’ll go looking. Maybe we’ll find someone in need of help.”

“Yeah. Helping people gets you so far.” She glanced down at her legs. “Helping people lands you in a chair for the rest of your life, and it gets you nothing in return.”

I snorted. “Maybe I’m not looking for anything in return.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You haven’t sacrificed anything.”