Lena was once again waist deep in politics of the world she was in, regardless of how much she disliked to be mixed up in politics. She was being called upon to perform all sorts of “duties” to the “people of such and such kingdom” from thwarting regicide to abating rebellion to thwarting said rebellion…

“How can all of it be for the good of the people?” Lena looked at her pawns in turn when once again they were camping in the desert of Battahl. “Surely, most of these tasks have conflicting interests?”

“Well, they all serve at least some of the people,” Rook chuckled. “Just not necessarily the same ones. You’re the Arisen, you get called everywhere. You don’t have to accept each request, you know.”

“I cannot not accept,” Lena sighed. “If I am to understand what is going on, I have to get into all of it. How else am I to track down that damnable dragon? No one knows where it is!”

“Or no one is telling you – yet,” Scorpio looked at her with significance. “Remember how it was in Gransys? Someone knows, but won’t tell until much later. I bet it’s the same here. First they’ll try to get you killed, until they eventually give up and tell you about the dragon in the hope that the dragon would finish the job. I don’t know for sure, but it seems a logical course of action.”

Lena was getting frustrated with the tasks, with the negative attitude and derisive stares of people of Battahl towards her pawns, she was getting tired of the incessant fights with bandits, of goblin packs appearing from nowhere, of cyclopi and golems hiding behind every cliff… But most of all she was frustrated with Scorpio behaving like an exemplary pawn. The wall around his heart was thickening, without a sign of it breaking down.

One day they were crossing a ravine over a rope bridge when they got attacked by harpies, and even though Lena tried to urge her pawns to cross quickly and fight afterwards, the harpies were too fast for that. They hit the bridge and it collapsed, sending Rook and Scorpio into the river below and to certain death. One harpy also grabbed Fairy, their fighter, who had crossed the bridge with Lena. A moment longer, and Fairy too would be dropped into the river… It was luck more than anything that Lena managed to shoot down that harpy before it reached the ravine, and Fairy was saved. Together they brought down the entire flock, but that of course could not save Rook and Scorpio. Lena stood on the cliff edge looking down into the waters far below.

“It’s dangerous to stand so close to the cliff edge, master,” Fairy said quietly. “They are not permanently perished, you know that, right?”

“I know,” Lena answered in a low voice. “I’ve been around the block a few times before…” Her voice trailed off as she was trying to stop tears running down her face. “I still can’t bear it…”

Fairy put her arm around Lena’s shoulders and gently moved her away from the cliff edge. They sat down on a rock a few paces away.

“These things happen,” Fairy said quietly. “They didn’t even fall in battle… It was an accident. There was nothing you could have done…”

“Yes, there was!” Lena suddenly cried out. “I could have told you all to wait before the bridge, I could have shot down most of those harpies from a distance, or else ran over the bridge myself and dealt with them… I could have…” Her sobs interrupted her outburst.

“But why, master?” Fairy was perplexed. “We are immortal… No pawn perished in a harpy attack as yet… Not these harpies, anyway… These don’t petrify… You’ll get your pawn back at the next riftstone… and even if you don’t, you can always have another. It’s not like he’s got a piece of your soul…”

Lena didn’t say anything, she was silently crying, her chest filled with grief. Yes, she would get Scorpio back at the next riftstone. Scorpio, her pawn, not Scorpio, her friend. She had tried everything she could think of to change his attitude, but her efforts had so far been in vain. Rook thought she should keep trying, as their Arisen’s Bond still held, not showing any signs of fading. So what was she doing wrong?

“Scorpio is not just another pawn,” Lena finally said. “Rook isn’t either. But I am not worried about Rook – I know I can call on him again. But Scorpio… I don’t know what to do with him, see. He’s changed.”

“Do you not wish him as your pawn any longer?” Fairy’s voice fell. To be abandoned by your master was the worst fate any pawn could suffer.

“No,” Lena shook her head. “I want him back as my friend.” She turned to look at Fairy who was even more perplexed than before. “He does have a piece of my soul.”

They sat in silence for a while, then Fairy suddenly got up and said in a decisive tone: “Come, master. There is a riftstone not far from here. Sitting here sobbing will not do anyone any good.” She took Lena by the elbow and lifted her up. “Follow me.”

Somewhat bewildered, Lena followed. Weren’t pawns supposed to follow their master instead..?

Arriving at the riftstone, Lena again followed Fairy’s urges and touched it, and Scorpio stepped out of the Rift.

“Here I am again, master,” he said quite dispassionately. Lena turned away.

“Why don’t you go and fetch Rook, master,” Fairy said matter-of-factly. “We’ll wait here.”

As Lena stepped into the Rift to look for Rook, Fairy turned to Scorpio.

“You are the biggest dunderhead I’ve ever met!” She hissed at him. “And I’ve met a few in my day, pawns and Arisen both! What’s that around your finger?” She pointed at the Arisen’s Bond, glowing in the dark. “How many pawns do you know that got that from their Arisen? One or two, perhaps. But you’ve got something else as well, I hear – a piece of her soul! So what’s your problem? Playing hard to get?!”

If there ever was a scorned fury, she was now glaring at Scorpio. Stunned, he took a step back.

“How did you..?” He was too surprised to say anything sensible. What business was it of hers, anyway? “That’s none of your business!” He finally caught himself. “That’s between my Arisen and me!”

“And have you seen what that does to your Arisen?” Fairy wasn’t giving up. “What happens to her when you fall to your death? Well? You can see into her soul, so do it!”

Fairy’s tone was commanding, but Scorpio was having none of it.

“Is this some sort of female solidarity or something?” He squinted at Fairy. “She made her choice – she married another man. I’ve been set aside. I am her pawn still, but that’s as far as it goes.”

“Idiot!!” That was all that Fairy could say before Lena emerged from the Rift with Rook. Rook took one look around and understood what was going on.

“Shush, everyone, I need to focus,” he took out his staff and started incanting a spell. “Wolf and Fairy require healing.”

…

“I want to stay in this world until the end of time, provided you stay with me.”

They were back in town and Lena was sorting through herbs, fruit, bits of horn, bone and ore that they collected on the road. Scorpio stood behind her holding more bags of bits to sort. He spoke softly, as if to himself.

“I miss you too.”

Lena remained silent, taking the next bag he handed to her and resuming sorting.

“My heart is slowly dying behind the wall I built to keep you out.”

Lena stopped sorting and stood up to face him.

“And my soul hurts every time I run up against that wall.”

“I know, I can feel it too.”

“But?”

“But…” Scorpio sighed, taking her hand and touching the wedding ring on Lena’s finger. “I cannot figure it out, Wolf. Your first bond was with you since before we met. I always knew it… Why did you give a piece of your soul for me when I perished? Why did you forge the second bond when you already had the first?”

“I could not face losing you…” Lena shuddered, instantly transported to that moment in her mind. “My bond to you had already been forged before that… and I didn’t know what I was doing to you by giving a piece of my soul. I should have let you go and dealt with my loss… but instead… I was selfish.”

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, pulled out her hand and resumed sorting materials.

“Is the Arisen at home?” A voice spoke outside the window.

“She’s inside, sorting materials, I think,” Rook replied. “She’ll be out soon enough.” He said something else, keeping the visitor from entering the house.

“Your young elven admirer is seeking your company again,” Scorpio looked out the window. “Why are you leading him on?”

“I like him,” Lena grinned. “He’s polite and he blushes easily… Didn’t he just have his adulthood ceremony or something? He’s too young for me, I’m sure he realises that.”

“He’s an elf,” Scorpio shook his head. “This makes him well over a hundred years old. Hardly a child any longer…”

“In which case he should know not to fall for older women,” Lena shrugged. “Or women who already have previous bonds.”

She stood up facing Scorpio again.

“Life is not meant to make any sense.” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, ignoring the icy response at first, then feeling the ice melt away. The young elf outside glanced into the open window.

“Isn’t that… her pawn?” He turned to Rook with a look of incomprehension.

“This Arisen makes unusual choices,” Rook smiled. “Defies convention… a bit like yourself, keeping company with humans and all. I think that’s why she likes you. Give them a moment. She’ll come out and grant your request, I’m certain.”