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Tidas was instantly weary of Murdoc’s offer. The Highlanders’ base was a very well-kept secret, and not one that he had ever expected to be privy to; treaty or not..

‘We just learned this past year that they have a centralized government structure. For generations, we’ve thought them primitive because of how they fight and raid, but their supplies are on par, if not beyond our own..’

When he and Skye had walked through the camp, Tidas made it a point to look around. Everything from their cots, to their medical supplies, to their tents were made of materials that he wasn’t familiar with. He wanted to agree, but couldn’t help but wonder if it was a trap..

Before Tidas could voice his objections, Skye replied; “Hell yeah! I wanna see yer secret base!”

Tidas sighed deeply as put his palm to his face. Murdoc noticed and laughed loudly as Skye looked at him and said; “Are ye alright, husband? Ye don’t have to go if ye don’t wanna.”

Tidas huffed; “Oh, I’ll go, but I think you should stay here...Trust takes time to build, and I don’t trust him around you yet.”

Skye narrowed her vision at him; “But ye trust me, right?”

“Of course I do. I just don’t trust him,” Tidas said as he gestured to Murdoc.

.....

“Then there’s no problem. I just need to eat, then heal a few that need it, then we can go,” Skye stated before getting up, and going after a small plate of food.

When she’d left, Murdoc smirked at his rival; “That was a stupid thing ta say.”

Tidas ran his hand through his hair; “That I don’t trust you? How is that stupid?”

“The insinuation that she canna handle herself was stupid,” Murdoc replied in a know-it-all tone.

“I didn’t.. Yeah, I guess she would see it that way. I didn’t mean it like that!”

Murdoc chuckled at Tidas as he flustered; “I think she knows that from yer instant reply before, but she’s a woman! She’ll hold it against ye regardless.”

Tidas shook his head; “Skye’s not like that. I think she’s just surly because she needs to eat. Skye knows me, and I know my Wife..”

They both looked over to see Skye shoveling some kind of stew poured over mashed potatoes. She had a half-smile on her face as she ate, making Tidas more sure of his assumption.

Murdoc smiled; “Bet ye a bottle of whiskey that she’s still crabbit when she comes back.”

Tidas looked at Murdoc with obvious confusion; “She’s still what?”

Murdoc looked at the Alconian prince like he was stupid; “Crabbit! Ye Southerners have no culture.. It means pissed, or annoyed.”

Tidas nodded; “Aye, but that’s not Skye. She knows me, you’ll see..”

After she finished eating in record time, Skye immediately got to work healing the worst of the injured. One man was literally holdin his gut closed to stop his intestines from spilling out. The Highland Shamans had left him for dead because none of them could heal him.

His small intestine had been nicked, making him septic. Skye had barely reached him in time, but he lived, and would make a full recovery after some rest. Murdoc was particularly happy that he had lived, since he was the oldest son of one of their elders, and important to their government functions...

The rest of her patients weren’t as bad, and most that had been carried off of the battlefield that weren’t already dead, survived. From what Murdoc could tell; it was the least amount of casualties that they’d ever had after a scuffle with the Southerners.

Aside from a few, most of the RMC Members had tried not to kill the Highlanders. Tidas had made it clear that they were attempting peace, not war. Even though the Highlanders wouldn’t hold back against them, he’d requested that they’d take the situation into account.

Most held back, but there was always a few that just wanted to fight; just like the Highlanders. There were a few groups here and there that were strictly just Highlanders or RMC mages. But most mixed and talked amongst themselves in jovial attitudes.

As Skye walked towards the two commanders, she smiled to herself as she looked around the camp. Seeing everyone getting along so well made her believe that the future held hope for their kingdoms..

“Ye ready ta go?” Murdoc asked as she walked up and stood by her husband’s side.

After nodding in agreement, Skye looked to Tidas and said; “Ima sorry I was pissy earlier. I think I was just Really hungry..”

Tidas beamed at her; “I figured, but you do know that I trust you, right? Not just your intentions, but your strength as well?”

Skye kissed his cheek; “Of course I know that! I beat ye, didn’t I?”

Tidas half-sighed, half-laughed as she walked towards Thoth and replied; “Aye, you did..”

As she mounted Thoth, Tidas looked at Murdoc with a cocky smile; “I believe that’s one bottle of whiskey that you owe me now. And it better not be some cheap swill, either.”

Murdoc laughed boisterously in response; “Oh, aye! I’ll get the bottle, but yer providin’ the tale.. What did yer wee wifey beat ye at, exactly?”

As the two mounted their own horses, Tidas commented; “You didn’t hear? My wife won the Mage Trials this year.. I was the final obstacle.”

Murdoc’s face dropped in utter shock as he looked over at the woman who was barely over five feet tall. She was on top of her beast of a horse, petting and talking to her dragon. As Murdoc watched her; an odd, warm feeling spread out throughout his chest.

At first, he’d written the strange feeling off as attraction. Skye was a gorgeous woman, and only a fool would say otherwise. But there was something else about her that drew people to her; something he’d only experienced from a handful of other people..

‘The lass is truly kind. Friend or foe, she just wants ta help.. Just like her mother. She does her Warrick kin proud..’

“So which way we goin Murdoc?” Skye asked when she noticed the weird look he was giving her.

After shaking his head lightly, Murdoc trotted over to them, then said; “We’re Highlanders! We ride north!”

************

The light snow that had been falling for the past day or so, was starting to clump and grow heavier. They weren’t riding as fast as the RMC had before, but it still stung slightly as the flakes pelted their faces.

Since Murdoc had a trimmed beard, it wasn’t hitting him as bad. The wool-like texture of his facial hair was akin to wearing a scarf. He held his chin high as he stared off into the distance. All too familiar with the sting on his forehead from the snow, it didn’t even register with him as he drove his horse.

Skye and Tidas were having a hard time keeping their hoods pulled up to protect themselves, and seeing where they were riding. Murdoc had to call out to them twice to stop them from crashing into rocky outcrops along the way.

After about forty minutes of riding, Murdoc finally slowed his pace. As they trotted along, Skye and Tidas expected to see a castle, or building of some kind...There was nothing there but an oddly-placed, overgrown tree.

The evergreen reached so high that Skye was surprised that it didn’t touch the clouds. It was at least ten feet across, and three-hundred feet tall. As she leaned back to look at it, a silly thought occurred to her..

‘I bet that would be the best lookin’ Yuletide tree ever! Outdoors, of course..’

When Murdoc came to a stop in front of it and dismounted, Skye and Tidas shared a look, then did the same. As he walked around to the other side of the tree, they saw a man sleeping against the trunk.

Murdoc kicked him, then screamed; “What the Hell are ye doin’ sleepin’ on the job, Knox?!”

The man shot up to his feet, and turned on the lantern in his hand; “Ima sorry, sir! But.. Tis not like we be at war anymore..”

Murdoc smacked the back of his head; “Removin’ one enemy doesna do shit for the rest! What if the Beast caught ye nappin’?”

Knox swallowed hard; “Ima sorry, sir! Willna happen again.”

Murdoc scoffed; “Aye, it will.. That’s why Qin is always paired wit ye..”

Upon hearing his name, a covered figure dropped from the tree, revealing himself. Skye and Tidas put their hands on the hilts of their swords, but removed them when the man waved at them.

“Yer lucky that Qin doesna mind dealin’ wit yer sorry arse all the time,” Murdoc chided him as Qin walked over to Skye and Tidas.

“You must be the heroes I have been hearing about. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Qin Ye Hun, but everyone here calls me Qin.”

Skye beamed; “Do ye come from Sai?”

“How can you tell? My features are covered.”

Chuckling lightly, Skye replied; “Because there’s no ninja in Alcon, and ye speak like a friend of mine.”

Skye couldn’t really tell, but Qin was grinning at her; “Oh, you must be Skye Moonstone then. Jin Laos told be about you and the princess here a little, on my way here. I am the Sai Representative assigned to the Highlands.”

Tidas took a step forward; “Sai sent a diplomat here, too? Why? The Highlands are a part of Alcon!”

Qin shrugged; “A kingdom is a kingdom when it is acknowledged by others, dear prince. Sync, Ital, and now Sai, recognize it as being it’s own entity. We cannot afford to allow our enemies to create alliances that could be detrimental to our own security.. So, here I am.”

Catching part of their conversation, Murdoc commented; “Those dobbers! Qin was the only decent man sent our way! We share the work around here, but those pansies didna wanna hold their own, so they got a swift boot!”

As Murdoc chuckled, Qin shrugged, then asked; “Is it wise to allow these two inside? Princess Moonstone, I understand, but..”

Qin looked Tidas straight in his eyes as he asked; “Do you trust the Alconian Prince?”

Murdoc grinned; “Aye, I trust him. He saved me life on the battlefield when he wasna honor-bound to do so. I trust both of ’em.”

Qin removed his face mask to reveal a handsome young man in his late twenties. His hair was jet-black, and his skin tone was pale, like most of the Highlanders. He smiled broadly at them, then said; “In that case: welcome to Homestead..”

Reaching along a root to the trunk, a hidden door in the ground slid open...