Hanetsuno:
A Matter of Honor

A thousand arrows arched over the great wooden walls of Alfheimana. Himeki kept her eyes trained on just one of them, but even before it sunk into its target’s flesh, she was placing another arrow against her bow. She scanned the swarm of orcs, goblins, and ogres during the next arrow’s flight. There seemed to be more of them toward the eastern side of the city. Another arrow. Hadn’t they come more from the southwest? Another arrow. What was so interesting about the east side of the city?

"Crap, out of arrows," the archer next to Himeki muttered.

"Here," she said, shoving her quiver at him and taking his before he could object. She jumped down from the ramparts with the intention of getting more arrows from the fletcher.

The east.

She stopped.

The fletcher looked at her questioningly, and then frowned in confusion as she ran down a side street to the northwest.

* * *

Mrawly got up when he heard the front door of the shop open and slam shut. Fluet and the others in the room went silent. Fluet was about to tell Mrawly to be careful, but he saw his younger brother pick up a dagger on the way out.

"Himeki?" Mrawly asked, not positive it was her at first glance. She was hard to recognize clothed in the standard gear of the elven army’s bowmen. "What are you doing here? I figured you’d have to stay at the castle."

"Nope," Himkei said as Fluet and the others came in behind Mrawly. "Uh, my father needs a small team of brave warriors to do a special mission, and I’m in charge of collecting ‘em."

"What’re you doing here then?" Fluet asked.

"Tsk, slacking off at a time like this, Himeki?" Silva demanded. When the younger girl shook her head, her curled cyan pigtails smacked against her cheeks.

"Um, yeah, about that..." Himeki muttered. "I was kind of hoping I could count on you guys."

Five pairs of eyes stared at her blankly. After a few seconds, Oren snickered.

"Come on!" Himkei complained. "All the braver warriors are busy!"

"Or dead," Melia added.

"Yeah, sure," Himeki said hastily. "This is just a preventive ‘just-in-case’ mission. Probably not even dangerous at all. But I think it’s important."

"Does it involve going out of the city?" Fluet asked.

"Yes."

"Sorry, we’ll stay here making bread for the army."

"B-bread?!" Himeki demanded. "They don’t need bread! There’s bread everywhere out there. Piles and piles of bread loaves that no one has time to eat."

Oren munched the loaf of bread that he happened to have in his hand.

Himeki drooped in exasperation. "Fine! Fine! I’ll go alone. At least let me use your back exit from the city."

"Again?" Fluet demanded.

"Yes, again. I still have to get ready, so I’ll be back in a half-hour." She was out the door without another word.

Mrawly, Fluet, Oren, Silva, and Melia all sighed in unison.

When Himeki returned later, she found them standing in about the same place with about the same facial expressions, but they were armed and dressed like they were going to be sneaking through the forest.

"Thanks, guys," she said with a grateful smile. Likewise, she was wearing her two-piece brown and green clothes and some enchanted jewelry.

She led them out of the small door in the wall, around the edge of the city, and into the forest to the east. They passed scores of goblins who vaguely noticed that something was amiss but couldn’t quite tell what. The masses of enemies thinned after awhile of traveling, but then they became more frequent again about the time that the sounds of the eastern ocean became audible to the group of elves.

Finally, Himeki paused on a forked branch and looked around to make sure the others were in the tree with her. They didn’t look back; they were too busy gazing at the only structure any elf had ever built out of stone.

"Arxedia’s Tomb?" Silva whimpered.

Ten orcs were off to the side, supervising the four ogres who were lined up using a fifth as a battering ram against the gold-lined wooden door of the building. The door opened with a crack.

Himeki released her bowstring. One of the four standing ogres grunted and fell as he was struck in the neck. The other three dropped their comrade out of start. She jumped out of the tree and drew her dagger. She ripped her necklace off and flung it at the ogres; the beads exploded, causing only minor harm but kicking up dust.

They were too startled to move at first, but finally Mrawly and Silva drew their weapons and jumped down after her, and Oren, Fluet, and Melia drew their bows.

Before the orcs could compose themselves and reach the fighting, all the ogres were dead and the elves were gathered at the door. Not wanting to give up the doorway’s protection, they had a hard time killing the orcs, though they injured them frequently.

Fluet noticed that Himeki kept glancing back away from the door. The building’s entry room was small and unimpressive, but there was a staircase leading downward.

One of the orcs fell dead and one of the others finally had the sense to blow a signal horn.

"Damn it!" Himeki cursed, cracking her whip in vain at the orc with the horn. "It’ll take a minute for reinforcements to come, but...." She glanced back again. The orcs, still fighting, laughed at her.

"Himeki...ugh!" Fluet held a fragment of the door in front of himself as a shield against a scimitar. "Was there something you came here to get?"

"Y-yeah."

"Well, go get it now!"

"B-but..."

"We’ll be fine as long as we can get out of here before more of these bastards get here!" Silva muttered.

"B-be careful!" Himeki told them. As she backed away, she fired one more arrow past her friends’ heads and struck an orc in the eye. Then she leapt down the staircase.

Some of the magic cast by some ancient wizard was still active; as she descended the stairs two at a time, periodically placed torches flared up and lit her path. They didn’t light far enough ahead for her to see all the way to the bottom of the stairs, and she wondered how much farther it was. She was already getting tired of stairs, but going back up would be harder.

Finally she reached a solid wall of gold at the end. The writing carved into the surface was ancient elven script, so ancient only the most dedicated elven historians--and, of course, the royal family--could read it. The dim flickering light combined with her imperfect study habits in the past made it hard for Himeki, but she managed to decipher it after rereading it a few times..

Here lies Arxedia,
Who shall be made a goddess--
If not by the will of the gods then
By the will of the elves.

"Arxedia..." Himeki mumbled.

Once elves had been weak, dirty, primitive creatures that lived in small clans and always fought with each other and with other races. But one little elven girl who was disowned by her clan found herself a lonely home in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Other elves came and went and died. The girl planted a tree and lived a happy peaceful life, so healthy that she outlived all the other elves. Seeing the same young woman look the same age every time they passed the clearing made the other elves look upon her with awe.

When a great monster attacked the lands that were home to many elven clans, the elves fled in terror, except the girl. She took up the bow she used for hunting and climbed to the top of the tree she had planted in her childhood and shot the monster in the eye, causing it to retreat. The other elves returned and hailed the girl, but she warned them the monster would return. They learned how to make bows and armed themselves, and when the monster returned, it was pierced by ten thousand arrows.

So again the elves hailed Arxedia, and she became the first Queen of the Elven Nation. When she finally died, the elves placed her in their hearts above the gods. She... who shall be made a goddess... by the will of the elves.

Himeki placed her hand helplessly against the gold and was surprised to see it split easily down the middle where she hadn’t seen a crack. A clean white light poured onto her, so bright she had to cover her eyes. Even after her eyes should have adjusted, it was still too bright. She walked forth blindly.

The light seemed to come from a dais in the middle of the next room. She tried to ascend a short flight of stairs, but a wave of heat kept her back. She looked up again, trying to see through the radiance. She could make one thing out vaguely: something long and slightly curved.

She forced herself onto the first step, then the second. She gasped for air and seared her lungs, so she tried to hold her breath the rest of the way. A third step, fourth. Between the light and the heat, she had to squeeze her eyes shut and hide them in the crook of her arm. Fifth step. She could feel her skin burning, maybe melting. Sixth. She reached her free arm out to try to touch anything that might be there, but she couldn’t feel her fingers. She hoped she still had fingers. Seventh. Her fingertips grazed something. She lunged and reached with both hands.

For a split second as her hands closed around something, the heat was gone, and she could see through the light. Her mind was two numb to register the object she had grabbed, but she looked down and saw that it was suspended in the air over an even pool of water that began right after the last step. There was a young elf woman lying in the pool with her hands crossed over her chest. Bits of her simple leather clothing and golden hair swayed in the water’s current. Her head was turned slightly to the side, and there was a light smile on her face.

Then a flash--the brightest light and the hottest blaze yet--blew Himeki off the dais with enough force to send her flying back through the golden door. She let out a scream of pain but never felt herself hit the floor.

* * *

"Himeki! Himeki!"

"Ungh...?"

"Are you okay?!" Fluet demanded from above her.

"Uh... yeah?" Himeki mumbled dizzily.

"Then come on!" Fluet said as he and Silva both grabbed one of her arms and hauled her to her feet. She still had both her hands around a bow. As her friends practically dragged her up the stairs, she glanced back at the golden wall and couldn’t see a crack in it.

They reached the top of the stairs just as an orc lunged at Melia. She squealed in start as she tripped over a chunk of the door and fell back, missing the blow that was aimed at her. Mrawly plunged his dagger into the orc’s arm, and Oren shot it in the eye. It fell, and that was the last one.

"The others haven’t come yet, but we have to hurry," Melia said.

"Thank goodness you’re in one piece, Himeki," Mrawly said as they scurried through the door. "But are you really okay?"

"Y-yeah," Himeki said unsteadily. She strapped the gold-finished bow to her back with her own plain one.

* * *

The next day, Himeki climbed to the top of the tree in the courtyard.

"Yes?" Wealden asked. Unless he was required below, he was always standing up here when there was fighting going on, watching over the city and the adjacent lands like a lion watches his pride.

"Nothing," Himeki mumbled, sitting on a branch. "I just wanted to come up here to think."

Wealden said nothing in response at first, but after a while, he chuckled and said, "I remember a couple years ago; you couldn’t get up here at all, but now, even though most of our rulers only climb up once to prove they can, you do it all the time because you want to."

"You always used to come up here a lot, and I heard stories about how Mother surprised everyone who thought she couldn’t do it to prove she was worthy of marrying you," Himeki said. "I guess it made me jealous. Plus there was Alewar, the guard captain, and lots of others who were strong, even if they didn’t climb this tree. I felt really weak next to all of you." She sighed. "I tried to climb up after you one day and didn’t even get a good start. Everyone laughed at me and said I was sooo cute." She said it snidely, but tears of anger welled up in her eyes. "They didn’t take me seriously."

Wealden looked down at her for the first time. "Th-they didn’t... mean it like that...."

"You did it too!" Himeki screamed at him. "You laughed and said, ‘Try again in eighty years, sweetie’!" She looked back downward, choking on a sob, and mumbled. "You were the worst one, because at least everyone else was on the ground with me."

He looked at her helplessly.

"After that... I... I ran a mile every day, I lifted weights, I got the weapons masters to train me... I... tried to climb at night so no one would see me. I wore my clothes and hair so that they would hide the scrapes on my skin." She sniffled. "And it’s not just the tree! Everything I’ve ever done since was because I feel weak!" She clawed at her hair.

Wealden just stuttered uselessly as she sobbed before he could say, "Y-you, you’re... not... weak.... Er, w-what is this, all of a sudden...?"

Himeki cried out in frustration, then demanded of him, "What’s the point of being strong if you’re useless?! I agreed to stay here when my comrades left because you said I had a purpose here!"

"You do have a purpose here!" Wealden shouted angrily. "Your purpose is to be the princess of the elves!"

"What the hell is a princess?!" Himeki stood up and faced him as she yelled. "Is it some little girl who hides in lace and jewels while her father’s pawns throw their lives away in her name?! That sounds like a human princess to me! If I’m an elf, why shouldn’t I act like one?! I’ve lined up with the others to shoot a bow at one in a million goblins! I’ve given motivational speeches! But the only good thing I’ve done in the last week I did without you’re permission!"

Wealden gripped her face in one hand. "You know what? Your comrades didn’t leave this city. You don’t act like an elf just by not acting like any other creature. You act like an elf by standing by and standing up for elves. The people of this city are your comrades; you belong here with them."

"So I can watch them die and with my final breath moan about how I could’ve done something...?" she asked in a hoarse whisper. His fingers were still digging into her cheeks.

Wealden stared at her sternly and finally said, "I understand that you only want to do what you think is best, but it’s dangerous out there. You’re strong, but you’re not that strong."

Himeki hung her head as he released her. "I’m... not... strong enough...?"

"I..."

"But...." With the angle of her face, he could just barely see the corners of her lips turn up, "you’re right that I’m an elf." Her shoulders shook, and then she let out a quiet laugh. "I’ll keep that in mind."

"Ah...!" he stuttered, snatching at her as she spun around and stepped off the branch. She landed nimbly on another branch twenty feet below and continued to travel that way until she was on the ground. Some people in the courtyard who had heard the king and princess shouting looked at her curiously.

* * *

The topmost floor in the center of the castle acted as a main temple of the city. Normally people only came in during the ceremonies that occurred weekly or on holidays, so the priest was surprised to see someone kneeling in the patch of sunlight created by the great arched window behind the podium. Though he knew he shouldn’t, his curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t help but listen to her.

"I saved your treasure from the enemy," she said. "I guess it should be enough of a reward if I’m allowed to use it, but I’d like to ask one more thing.

"I’m planning something. I’m sure you already know what it is. I’m not asking you to grant me success; that’s up to me.

"I just want you to use this to give me a sign. I want to know what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

"Thank you."

The priest quickly scurried behind a pillar as she left, so he wouldn’t be caught eavesdropping.

* * *

Wealden looked over the nobles lining either side of the throne room and hoped none of them noticed how tired he looked. His wife, sitting next to him, knew, but she also knew to hide her worried look.

So long as anyone wanted an audience, he had to spare an hour a day to provide it, but he hated this. Enough people were coming in today that it was stretching into two hours--far too long considering the war situation.

Just call the next person in so we can get this over with, he silently willed the steward. He considered making up an emergency so he could get back to overseeing the troops.

"N-now, um, presenting P-princess Himeki," the steward bellowed with a stutter.

"What?" Wealden mumbled. She never entered like this.

Himeki walked confidently through the front entrance, dressed elegantly, as she always was on the rare occasions when she’d enter then throne room while it was full of people.

"Greetings, your Majesty," she said, curtseying.

"Greetings..." he mumbled suspiciously. He noticed a mischievous smile trying to creep its way onto her calm face.

"As you know, you Majesty," she said, "in the scriptures left by Arxedia, first queen and last goddess of the elves, it bids, ‘Allow not thyself to be dishonored. Take not any insult which thou hast not earned.’"

"Yes..."

"And in Volume One, Chapter Two, Section One, Article Nine of the laws of the Elven Nation, it states that any warrior whose prowess is in question may challenge the doubter to a duel of honor in the national arena," Himeki said boldly. "May I ask you, your Majesty, who is the strongest individual warrior in our entire kingdom?"

"You know the answer to that as well as I," Wealden answered tensely.

"Please answer me, your Majesty," said Himeki, "for the benefit of anyone in this room who may have... forgotten." The slight smile grew.

"I am the strongest individual warrior in the kingdom," Wealden said, sitting forward and gripping the arms of the thrown. He felt his wife’s hand rest uneasily on his wrist.

The small mischievous smile on Himeki’s face grew to a full grin. "Then it is doubly appropriate to settle our dispute this way. As the challenged, you have the privilege of deciding the time... or forfeiting."

"You’re joking," Wealden growled. "I can see it in your face. You should be ashamed of wasting my time like this when I’m busy with my duty as king!"

"‘Ashamed,’" Himeki repeated more softly. "Funny you should use that word." She projected her voice again as she said, "I await your decision, your Majesty."

She spun about and walked out with the same air of confidence she had walked in with. After the door was shut, Wealden roared in frustration and stomped out the side door with the queen chasing after him. The nobles and attendants glanced back and forth between the two exits in confusion.

* * *

Duels of honor weren’t very common in these days, but many people showed up for the ones that did happen. It was free entertainment. This time the stands were more packed than ever, but there was still far less noise, for everyone was hushed by tension.

"Ch-challenger!" the official standing in the arena between Himeki and Wealden stuttered, trying to project his voice as he addressed Himeki so the crowd could hear. "W-what are the gains of this battle?"

"I believe I can be more helpful to the war effort elsewhere," Himeki said. She spoke at her normal volume, so the people in the stands were straining to hear her but couldn’t. "I wish to prove I’m strong enough. If I lose, I’ll concede that I was mistaken, and... stay here without complaint until I have permission to do otherwise." She looked across at Wealden the entire time.

"D-does the challenged one accept th-this?" the official asked.

Wealden stared quietly at Himeki, trying to find some hint of uncertainty, something that meant she wasn’t completely resolved. "Yes," he finally said, just before the official was about to repeat the question.

"T-take your places please," the official commanded.

The two of them strode to opposite sides of the massive grass-covered circle. The official raised a shaking hand... and brought it down.

Himeki shoved herself off the wall and broke into a run toward the other side. Wealden approached more slowly. She skidded to a stop a whole ten feet from him and missed the ring of magical energy that exploded from around him. She grinned at him, knowing he’d expected her to get closer sooner. He lunged and punched. She blocked the first strike and hopped back from the second. When she kicked at his head, he grabbed her ankle, spun around, and tried to toss her over. She grabbed a handful of his hair and kicked madly. She landed on his upper back and quickly wrapped her legs around his neck. He leaned back to dump her off, but she grabbed hold of the grass and used her legs to pull him with her.

She escaped the tangle and pranced away. By the time she was able to turn back around, she just barely had time to block his next attack. Her forearms arms were already starting to ache and even be discolored by bruises. She ignored the pain and tried to concentrate on two things at once.

"Chizanchuu!" she shouted, throwing her arms out. He jumped back quickly as sharp rocks burst from the ground, but he stumbled and landed on his back. One of the smaller stones tore at his lower leg.

The official and the spectators cringed. There would normally be an announcement congratulating Himeki for the first flesh wound, but now everyone was silent.

The rocks quickly dissolved into dust as Himeki jumped over them and landed roughly on his chest. She bounced away. As soon as he was up, Wealden jumped and kicked her. She ducked and rolled under him, jumping to avoid his next kick as he spun around. He punched, his hand wrapped in magical energy, and hit her in the chest. She flew back, landed roughly on the ground, and rolled lengthwise until she was flat on her belly.

"Seyeney.... Suichanuu!"

"Yahh!" Himeki shrieked as water surged up from the ground beneath her and pushed her into the air. She landed roughly and tried to cough the water out of her lungs as she forced herself up and stumbled back. She dodged his kick clumsily and finally composed herself.

Using his magic to strengthen his body... Himeki pondered as she spent the next several minutes doing nothing but dodging. I’ve made that mistake before.

She continued to dodge or block, but when she finally tried to punch, he grabbed her wrist and threw her over his shoulder. He twisted his wrist before she landed, and she cried out in pain. She retreated to the far side of the arena, the first few steps dizzying until she was near where she had cast her earth spell before. The space was mostly just disrupted grass now, but there was a natural fist-sized rock that the magic-induced rocks had tossed up to the surface. It was sharp edged, so Himeki picked it up. She could tell that the official was about to protest, but she used it to cut two vertical slits in her shirt on either side of her belly. She winced as she slid her left arm through the slits to rest it there.

Wealden hadn’t bothered to follow her when she moved away. Now he had the official by the neck of his shirt, still looking at Himeki. Between their distance and the volume, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could tell by their lips and gestures.

What do the rules say about broken limbs?

N-no-nothing, y-your m-Majesty! Flipping through pages of the rule book. O-only whether the opponent is, is, is still willing and able to fight.

How can someone fight with a broken arm?!

Maybe you should ask her that, your m-Majesty. The official was tossed aside.

Having caught her breath now, Himeki ran forward. Once again she skidded to a stop just before his defensive magic hit her. She jumped forward and kicked at his face. He leaned back to dodge, but she spun and hit him with the other foot. She lost her balance and fell to her knees, but she used her momentum to get back up quickly.

She hopped away and continued to dodge. He stopped and stayed away, trying to force her into making the next move. She grinned, took a quick step forward, baiting him to strike at her, and jumped away. She saw him close his eyes and rushed to get out of the range of his defensive magic--clearly his favorite spell. He looked irritated that it had failed to hit her once again.

And suddenly he wobbled.

Himeki started to jump forward to kick him while he was defenseless, but he regained his composure to soon. She retreated without scoring a hit. He lunged at her, but she ducked and rammed his legs. He lost his balance and tumbled over her. She got up and moved away. Once he was up, it was back to dodging.

After a while, he stopped and coughed, but she kept hopping away. Once she was by the wall, he was still in the center trying to steady himself.

She concentrated on something deep within her, deeper than the sore lungs, deeper than the pain of her injuries. She finally grasped it and started to pull it up. What little bit of attention she spared from this task noticed that Wealden was ready. He frowned at her, then began to run toward her. She held her hand forth as a channel for the energy and released it through her mouth:

"Hiyarka!"

A flash of light blinded her and all the spectators, although the light didn't carry nearly the power it could. As it faded, Wealden landed on his feet, but he immediately fell forward.

The official rushed toward him; Himeki approached more slowly. He made an attempt to push himself up, but he went limp without getting close. Himeki sped up and dropped to her knees next to him.

"Y-you're the winner!" the official squeaked.

"Is he okay?" Himeki demanded.

"Y-yes," the official mumbled. "H-he'll be fine after proper recuperation time. Y-you need it too, princess."

* * *

A servant walked by to pour another bucket of hot strange-colored liquid into the bath water. Between the steam and the cloud coming from the water's medicinal herbal mixture, it was hard to see in the entire room, but Himeki could see Wealden a few feet away. He hadn't looked in her direction, but he hadn't looked at much else either. She couldn't tell whether he was deliberately ignoring her out of anger or whether he had yet to recover mentally.

They both just sat and soaked in the water like the healers told them too. Himeki's broken wrist had been properly set, and after a few days of having this twice a day, the bones would be properly fixed.

Royal privilege. She felt guilty having access to high-quality magical healing because she'd been hurt by her own trivial desire to prove herself while it was unavailable to the soldiers doing important things.

The healers finally allowed them to leave, telling them to go rest, so they got out and dressed. Wealden headed toward his room, and though Himeki should have headed to hers, she followed him quietly.

"Father," she mumbled once they turned down the hallway where the door to his chambers was. He didn't answer, and she was at a loss for what to say. She just wanted to make it so he wasn't angry at her. "I... I'm sorry I hurt you."

He only shook his head. Normally that meant something like no, it's okay or no need to apologize, but she wasn't sure this time. Once they reached his door, he put a hand on the handle but didn't turn it. "When will you be leaving?" he asked quietly.

"In about a week, I think."

Wealden nodded slowly, still not looking at her. "I still don't think you're strong enough. You only proved that you're stronger than I am. That doesn't mean anything, because I'm not strong enough for what you want to do either."

"I know," Himeki said hoarsely, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't believe I'm invincible. I know what I'm risking. I just think it's worth the risk."

Wealden nodded again and slipped into his room, closing the door behind him. Himeki stared helplessly at the door for a few seconds before she turned and trudged to her own room.

"Oh, hello, princess," the chambermaid said when Himeki entered. She was doing her usual job of cleaning some mess Himeki couldn't see.

"Hello, Rondri."

"Where did you get this lovely bow, princess?" Rondri asked conversationally as she continued her work. She dusted the top of dresser where Himeki had left the bow she'd retrieved from the tomb.

Himeki lowered herself onto her bed with a wince of pain. "That's the Bow of Arxedia."

Rondri gasped and dropped the vase she had lifted to dust. The vase thumped onto the carpet and began to roll. "What?" Rondri demanded as she chased it. "Ar... Arxedia?"

"Yes."

"That's... sacred."

"All the more reason that I should have it instead of leaving it too the orcs."

"O-of course," Rondri agreed reluctantly.

"If you don't mind," Himeki said, "I'm tired."

"My apologies, princess." Rondri retreated from the room.

* * *

After a returning from a short visit to Fluet and Mrawly's house, Himeki spent a few moments in the castle's temple. Then she went to her room, gathered what she'd be taking with her, and went to the rampart of the wall along the city's backside.

She was early, but Wealden was already standing there. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and didn't look at her.

"This isn't a good place to hang out." She tried to sound nonchalant, but the words came out sounding quiet and concerned. "Some of those brutes know how to use bows."

Wealden sighed in response.

Himeki sensed exasperation in that sigh and felt it was a reproach. She turned away uncomfortably, placed her hands on the top of the wall, and looked out over it.

"Don't leave without saying goodbye to your mother," Wealden said quietly but sternly.

"I'm not leaving yet," Himeki grumbled. "I haven't even said goodbye to you yet." When he didn't respond, she shuffled closer to him and said, "I'm sorry." She sighed. "I want you to know that I'm not leaving just to prove myself." She felt tears in her eyes again as he finally looked toward her. "Remember I said that everything I've ever done since I was little was because I feel weak? That was true... and it means that everything I've ever done since I was little was for me." She gulped and took one of his hands in both of hers. "But I feel I've proven my worth... to everyone, including myself... and as soon as I leave here today, everything I ever do for the rest of my life will be for others."

He pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you so much," she sobbed.

"For what?"

"For... everything. Everything good about me came from you one way or another."

She saw her mother come up the ladder with a look of profound relief on her face at the sight of her husband and daughter hugging. Himeki backed up so she could take both of her parents' hands.

"Thank you both for understanding me--or at least trying to," she said.

"Please, dear, be careful," her mother said.

"I will. I promise I'll come back one way or another."

"One way or another," Wealden echoed. "That's not very comforting."

"I promise I'll come back in one piece," Himeki specified. She laughed. "Or at least few enough pieces that I can fulfill my duty here." She sighed again. "It's time for me to go."

"Where are you headed?" Wealden asked. "You can't just run after your friends; they're across the ocean."

"I'll head to Nalya Troop," Himeki said. "They'll probably be back by the time I get there."

"Goodbye," her mother said.

"Goodbye." Himeki hugged them both and jumped down the great wooden wall of Alfheimana. After she landed and stood up, she looked up and waved at them, then began on her way southward.