‘Tell me, did your mother mention anything to you about the outlying communities?’
‘No.’ answered Rarni, meekly.
‘Did you overhear talk of them from others perhaps?’
‘I heard some of the children in the forest talking about The Blades.’
‘What did they say?’ she asked, curiously.
‘One of them talked about their brother.’
‘Does this brother serve in the Order?’
‘Yes. He is a Blade Adept. The child was sad because their brother had not returned home.’
The pieces suddenly fell into place. Rayna had tasked the Blade Adepts with protecting the outlying communities, shortly after Mirielle’s departure. The primary focus of the mission was to provide reassurance for the communities, in addition to furthering their own skills in ranged combat, whilst serving in the field. In any event,
