Throughout the night, there hadn't been any sign of more shadowed beasts prowling through the trees or close to the borders. I couldn't tell if that was a good or bad sign. Considering we needed to leave the barrier one way or another, I prayed we didn't run into any more of them.

Morning arrived all too slowly, Haera's silence following us like a lone wolf searching for a pack to belong to — it wasn't too present whilst we were trying to sleep, but it was still there watching us from afar. My sister hadn't spoken a word, no matter how much I tried to apologise. All I received was a wall of quiet.

Larc didn't have much luck either. He had decided to only wear the trousers as he hadn't wanted to tear a hole in the back of the shirt to get his shredded wing through, offering it back to Haera so she could keep it safe. The Dragon-born had also been met with the same silence I had encountered.

Even throughout breakfast — which was another helping of the same rations we had for dinner — her stubborn quiet wrapped around us like a rope, pulling tighter and tighter until there wasn't much air left to breathe. It was getting too much, but I didn't know what to do. She was angry with me and Larc and it was a near-impossible task to get her to change her mind.

Once he had finished his food, eating every piece this time, Larc pulled out a book with a deep blue cover from one of the satchels and held it out for Haera to take. "This is for you."

"What is it?" Were the first words that left my sister's lips — a question filled with a snarl. "Is it laced with poison?" She poked it with a dagger, using the blade to lift up its front cover just in case,

The Dragon-born rolled his eyes. "It's a book your sister and I found in the tower yesterday. Zofia mentioned it's the sought of literature you read, so I kept it to give to you. It's not poisoned, I promise."

Haera looked over to me to confirm his confession.

"It's true. I can also promise you it's not poisoned, just maybe a little dusty." When we were searching the library and Larc had come across the book, I had been mostly joking that he could give it to her as a peace offering. Never did I think he would actually do it.

Haera cautiously took the book from his hands and inspected the front and back covers, reading the blurb with a smile I could see she attempted to hide.

"I know it won't make up for all the stress I've caused you, but I hope it can at least end the silent treatment we've been getting," he explained, watching and assessing her every reaction.

My sister pouted, a sign of her defeat. "Fine. Thanks, I guess." She tucked the book into the satchel that held all her weapons and rested her arms on her crossed legs. "We should start the blood oath as soon as possible so we can set off soon. There's precious sunlight that we're losing.

"Ah, right," Larc replied, his gaze darkening. "You finally decided that you're going to come up the mountain then?"

"It's not like I'm going to be able to change Zo's mind about helping you, so instead of dragging her all the way back to the village, I thought I would tag along to save her from her kindness." When I frowned at her words, she added, "sorry, Zo. You're too nice to soldiers who are supposed to be our enemy."

"I doubt all the Dragon-borns are murderous and horrible if Larc is like this," I pointed out. What if more people like Larc wanted to stop their queen? It didn't seem likely, but it was still a possibility.

"I doubt too many of my past comrades would share the same opinions as me," he responded with a grimace.

"Anway," Haera began, "it's time to do the blood oath."

"Who's going to do it?" I asked.

In human tradition — I wasn't sure how a blood oath was carried out in the Nusal Empire — alongside the two people creating the oath, there was always a witness or an officiator to ensure there were no loopholes in the promise being created. This person would be the only one that held the power to call someone out on breaking their oath and the only one who could dish out the punishment, deciding its severity.

"I've been thinking about that." Haera hummed in thought. "I don't want you to take the oath, but I also think that it's best if I am the witness at the same time. It's not that I don't trust your instincts, but I think I would be better suited to figuring out if he's trying to work around the oath."

"I don't mind doing it. I trust both you and Larc."

The Dragon-born shifted uncomfortably beside me. "Are blood oaths regularly done in the Kingdom of Aerla?"

"I'm not sure," I answered. "In our village, they aren't done too often as we don't have the need for them, but in the bigger cities there might be a different answer." My eyes shifted to Haera and I could tell she had picked up on his nervousness. "Are they used differently for Dragon-borns?"

"We use them mostly for marriage — when two mated souls want to bind themselves together for the rest of eternity and prove their love for one another. They aren't really used for much else, so doing this does feel a little inappropriate."

"I'm sure you'll get over the uncomfortable feeling once it's complete," Haera said, dismissing his feelings with a wave of her hand. She passed me a dagger, holding this hilt out towards me. The handle was adorned with a detailed pattern, one I would have recognised from anywhere. It had been our father's.

"So, for the oath, we need you to promise us that you have not and will never lie to us about the war and the Lyre, nor will you ever harm us. Understood?" My sister explained moving closer to me and Larc.

"Understood." He nodded in response. "What are your full names? I'm sure you would appreciate it if this was more specific to the two of you and not another random Haera and Zofia that could be sisters."

"I am Zofia Hylash and my sister is Haera Hylash. We don't have any middle names," I added. "Is that enough?"

"It is." Larc met my gaze with a warm smile. "Will you trust me after I do this, Haera?"

She shrugged. "Depends on my mood."

With nothing else to confirm or say, I pressed the dagger into the skin of my palm. Why did our ancestors decide it had to be from our hands? From one of the most used parts of our bodies that we didn't need to add extra injury to? Sure, it was the easiest way to link people as we could hold hands, but it still felt unnecessary.

Before I could make the cut, my hands shaking, causing the blade to be unsteady in my fingers, my power flared to life. My blue, glowing fingertips warned me not to hurt myself, urging me to be careful with the weapon I held.

"Here." A deep voice pulled me from my thoughts, warm hands taking the dagger from me and pressing it into my palm. "Do you trust me?"

I nodded, focusing my attention on Larc's hands and not the wound he was about to create. The Dragon-born's fingers were long and scars littered his skin, marred from previous battles. A jagged scar ran up the length of his arm, while smaller ones were scattered across the tops of his hands and in between his fingers. How did someone get so many scars like that?

My distraction worked as the next thing I knew, the sting of a cut opening made me flinch. I had to force myself to not pull my hand away.

Larc wiped the blood from the blade on the cloak he sat on, then pushed it into his own palm to draw blood. We raised our hands and linked our fingers, pressing the wounds together as much as we could.

"I, Larc Skythen, promise," the Dragon-born began, "that everything I had spoken and will say about the Lyre and my intentions are true. I have never thought about harming Haera Hylash or Zofia Hylash and I will never intentionally do so in the future." He breathed deeply, wincing at the pressure on his palm. "Is that satisfactory?"

Haera paused for a moment to think over his words. "It's good enough." She retrieved her own dagger from her pocket and held it to her hand too. As blood pooled in her palm, she stood and squeezed it over our joined hands. "If this person is to break this oath of blood, I will be made aware and have the power to punish the perpetrator however I see fit." Once enough blood had covered us, she stepped back and signalled for us to pull apart too.

Without thinking, as soon as our fingers drew apart, my magic came to life and I reached my mind out towards the wound on Larc's palm. I felt every edge of the wound, the depth, the blood rushing to the surface, and willed it to calm. Pushing the edges of the small cut together was a lot simpler than the previous injuries I had healed on him. Before the wound could seal up completely, I forced my power to pull away so there was still some evidence of the blood oath having taken place. It would leave a thin scar, but it wouldn't restrict any of his movement.

I turned to my sister and did the same, leaving enough to scar and confirm her as the witness of the oath we made.

"What about you?" Larc asked, his brow scrunching in concern.

"Ah, I can't heal myself. It doesn't work like that, unfortunately." I pulled out a gauze with my uninjured hand to secure my own injury, but it was snatched away by the soldier.

Cradling my hand gently in his own, he began to wrap the bandage around it with a perfect tightness and even layering that had me in awe at his skill. "Is that okay? Can you still move it alright?"

I tested the covering by moving my wrist around in a circle and clenching my fist, but there was no restriction at all. "Yes, thank you. How did you learn to do that?"

"I've patched up a few people on the battlefield before. When it's life or death, you learn pretty quickly how to protect a wound without restricting any needed movement." Larc seemed proud of his work as he watched my fingers move, but there was also darkness hidden underneath his gaze.

"Alright, it's time to go," Haera announced as she picked up some of the satchels. "Let's head up towards the mountain."