Around them, wood creaked and bowed, and outside the ocean water sloshed.

They were in a cramped cabin inside a sailboat, bound westward.

“Did we really hafta leave?” Raana laid on a bed, kicking her legs as she flipped a gold coin in her hands. “I liked that town. Innkeep was nice.”

Tomori sat opposite her, arms crossed, and a somber look on her face. Her armor and sword were neatly laid out at the foot of her bed.

“I’m… afraid so.”

“I don’t like boats. My stomach’s queasy already.”

“Crossing the strait was our only option. Your family finding you would have been reason enough to leave, b-but…”

“But?” Raana tilted her head.

“W-well, you did also perform the Forbidden Incantation of a proscribed god. I would expect the Inquisition to be here within a day. And they would certainly track us down anywhere on the Continent.”

“Saved you, though.” She smirked.

“…You did, that is true. To think that you can even neutralize such a potent venom… I owe you m-more than could be repaid with a thousand deaths, my lady.”

Raana shot Tomori a displeased look. Her eyes wandered downwards.

“Does it hurt?,” she asked, pointing at Tomori’s back.

“Y-yes. It hurts a great deal, still,” Tomori answered, groaning as she shifted in her seat. “But it is nothing I cannot bear, truly.”

“Hmmm.” Raana leaned forwards, eyeing her.

“You do remind me, I must… change these bandages before the wound festers.”

Raana perked up. “I’ll help.”

“T-that is, um.” Tomori began to fidget. “Not necessary.”

“What if I wanna?”

“…Then I cannot refuse you,” she sighed.

“Hehe.”

Raana climbed onto Tomori’s bed and sat behind her. She pulled up her tunic and deftly unwound the dirty bandages wrapped around her waist.

Her eyes widened as she saw the bloody gaping hole the arrow had left behind.

“Ouch.”

“It is… q-quite bad, yes.” The weight of Raana’s gaze once again pressed in on her. “Vasil was always an excellent shot, w-was he not?”

“Dunno. Never liked him.”

“…I see.”

Raana fetched a roll of bandages from their bag, then returned to Tomori; but as she did something seemed to catch her eye.

“Tomori.”

“Y-yes?”

Raana crouched down before her. “Nice muscles.”

“I’m… s-sorry?”

She began poking at Tomori’s chiseled core with her index finger, testing its give.

“Mhm. Yeah. Nice muscles.”

“T…thanks.”

Finally, Raana skipped past her and began wrapping the fresh bandages.

“I never liked anyone in that castle. Except Grandma,” she mused. “And you,” she added, with a smile.

“M-may I ask… why that is?”

“‘Cos they’re all boring. Always going on about my birthright. About people’s place in society. All this stupid stuff.”

Her wrapping motions grew more frantic and disordered.

“Ah. T-that tickles,” Tomori whispered.

“One time I went into the farmlands with my dad. Tax collecting. Said a lord should show his face to his subjects, so they know who they’re serving.”

“T-that seems… sound.”

“One farmer didn’t have enough grain to give. Vasil beat him ’til he was on his knees. Spitting out broken teeth. And all the guy said back was I’m sorry.”

Tomori said nothing.

“Even he didn’t realize how unfair it was. Everyone’s so stupid.”

“…All of us, we only know… how to play the part w-we were given, my lady,” Tomori protested, meekly.

“If that guy was born somewhere else he could be playing music. Or doing whatever he wants. I don’t care,” Raana hissed. “Point is, he didn’t get to pick. And now he gets beat up after every harvest so my dad can buy more jewels for his throne?”

Tomori blinked. Something stirred inside her, briefly.

“It’s stupid. This whole world is stupid.”

“And you would… do something about this?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna.”

Raana finished wrapping and stood up. “I’m gonna change things, one day.”

Tomori slid her tunic back on. She took a deep breath.

“…If that is your will, t-then… I will follow you,” she said. “Wherever you would take me.”