Through the Curtain of Rain

Plip plop plip plop, it had been a while, but the sound of raindrops falling can still be heard clearly to those in the quiet tent. Just as the outside noise was loud enough to be heard, an audible gulp from inside was also really apparent.

The muffled cry filled with anxiety came from the young witch recently hailed as the saviour of pain in the camp. Nana who had been bothered by such a strange title originally wanted to talk with others regarding the issue, but it had flown entirely out of her mind, and instead, she hurriedly asked the other left behind girls about what just happened.

"What do you think going to happen?"

Three young girls exchanged looks with each other and ended up only staring back at her while shaking their heads. It was not they didn't want to give advise, but the issue was a bit abrupt, and nothing came up in their mind yet. Unlike Nana who was mulling over it, they were slightly moved around their positions in the room since two people had left, making the tent a bit more spacious.

They were Nana's most recent new friends: Lightning, Abby, and Airy. There were also some others, same-aged girls that she got along well but since they were not strictly on the same side yet, she couldn't casually call for them to the tent.

In the tent where Nightingale and Tyre talked, they were also inside. The tent was only so big, and they didn't speak secretly, naturally, as the other people in the room the girls would end up hearing everything since they were not sleeping.

Though she didn't say anything during the conversation and a bit of an airhead, even Nana could understand the severity of the situation. If the witches were to move, then their time in the camp was running out fast. It's not because they couldn't just follow them, but one of the few things the prince urged them, again and again, was exactly that.

The impassable mountain was dangerous, very perilous.

The witch association was already pushing their luck making a base camp in the vicinity, and the deeper region was undoubtedly something not a disorder and an inexperienced group could venture across.

She didn't know the detail, and she forgot whether it was because she didn't hear it in the first place or she was daydreaming when the prince said it, but anyway it was prohibited.

It seemed at least for a part, the reason for the camp wanting to move was because of her healing ability, or so Tyre said. Nana who felt responsible wanted to help Nightingale and Tyre to resolve the problem at hand somehow. She was very nervous, and if things were to crumbling down because of her carelessness in not regulating the usage of her ability, she would feel guilty.

"If they gained confidence because of your presence, can't Nightingale escort you away? I don't mind helping out too." Lighting said as she chewed on some roasted mushroom she made as a snack.

Unlike Nana who was anxious, Lighting was the same as ever. It's not because she had the nerve of the steel, it simply had to do with how she didn't know a lick about the danger ahead and just as she suggested, it wasn't that big of a deal if they knew how to prevent it.

And her suggestion indeed wasn't bad, at least Nana immediately considered it possible. With Nightingale ability to enter the mist, not only they became invisible, but obstacles also posed little problem. Added with Lighting and her ability to fly, they probably could escape in a day or less to where her father waited.

"Is sister Nightingale doesn't want to stay in the witch camp anymore?" Abby asked, she sat on top of a straw bed, her chin rested on top of her knees.

"Either way, I'm going to follow her." Airy chimed next to her, unlike her sister she was hugging her knees and squishing her cheek on the caps while looking at Nana.

"Don't forget about me~" Abby hurriedly said as she leaned towards her sister.

After training until feeling exhausted, the twins naturally grew tired. But it was not to the point of getting sleepy when it was still in the morning, so they followed Nightingale that had accompanied them and came to chat with Nana and Lightning.

The twins also had heard about the plan to bring the witches away from Cara personally from Nightingale, but they didn't think it's possible. Mainly because it seemed the idea was going to be executed hurriedly. At most, they probably could only bring a handful of witches like them who had agreed beforehand.

"Still, why did I felt it's really strange..." Nana said absentmindedly.

Responding to it, Lightning merely shrugged her shoulder as she chewed on her last mushroom snack in hand, completely obvious to the envious gaze from the tired and hungry twins.

Tyre had all sorts of things done in the witch camp, be it by crook or hook; she was making her name known as well as showing others her presence. So far, her various approaches worked well, and besides the few that kept their suspicion up regardless of the actions she took, everyone else had a fairly good impression towards her.

Considering Tyre's moves were indeed calculated, it's probably can't be helped that a couple of witches with intuition refined by their harsh and bitter days became wary from whatever she did. Needless to say, Cara, the leader of the witch camp was one of them. Still, Tyre could only keep doing that as it was effective against the majority of the witches and especially so for those younger ones that just recently added to the camp.

But regarding Wendy, the mature woman with considerable assets, the witch can be said only took a neutral stance. Even without a given description from Nightingale, Tyre could see that she was a soft person yet at the same time was not an easy person to fool. Although Wendy was welcoming them warmly, her guard was up all the time.

In her opinion, having a conversation with Wendy was not hard; convincing her was.

Nightingale already had a quick check earlier with her mist that Wendy was inside her camp, alone and idling. Tyre naturally won't pass up the opportunity.

The tents didn't have a door, but there was still a big curtain that can be said to act like one. As Tyre was a step away, she casually asked Wendy permission to enter. The witch inside had no reason to refuse and greeted Tyre who came in with a smile.

Seeing her, Tyre felt Nightingale saying Wendy being idle was not quite right. The witch in front of her was patching holes from a ragged shirt, moving her needle slowly. Since it was dark both outside and inside, Wendy had opened the ventilation in her tent and started a small bonfire to illuminate the place. The dim source of light was enough to make Tyre figured out with a glance that Wendy was not proficient in it. Besides that, she could also tell that the witch was kind.

Tyre had done the same thing recently, but in her part, it was to win favours. Wendy was already among the most famous person around, so she was probably doing the shirt a size smaller than her just because of her personality. As for there was even a necessity to do this kind of work, it was because the witches that had to go around the mountain and often came back with scratches.

Going through bushes for berries and trees for fruit there were many sharp spikes and branches the witches had to go through. As those witches that doing the hard labour were what the camp deemed to not have that useful of ability in the first place, they were no different than village girls picking things in a difficult spot. And like Abby and Airy, those girls were usually young and inexperienced.

Regardless of their previous livelihood like, whether they were commoners or once princesses from some noble houses, in the witch camp they had no status to speak of unless they were useful.

Tyre was actually one of the gatherers herself, but considering what she could offer with her many skills, the position was probably due to the lack of trust. As for whom that made it so, she didn't even need to guess to know.

If Tyre had to speak honestly, she understood the iron rule of the camp. Being blunt, with no particular useful abilities they were indeed nothing but deadweight. She also realised that a new witch that had no magical-like ability like her was very, very suspicious. Her presence was barely allowed due to their trust in Nightingale.

In any case, the prince had decreed to save all possible. He also supplemented that there were no useless ability as if already guessing what she would think. It was not like Tyre going to leave them alone though, that's why she was trying to win their favour.

Wendy was rarely alone, and there was also the fact the time was tight, so Tyre took it as her last chance to speak privately.

"I want to ask you something."

Wendy slowly put down her handiwork to the side and looked at her guest directly in the eyes. For some reason, Tyre was reminded of Prince Roland.

"What is it?" The witch asked, her spoken words were soft as usual.

"Nightingale, she talked about Border Town a few days ago, right?"

Nightingale had gone to Wendy and talked about her experiences during the first night she came back. Nana and Tyre both had heard about it, though not the details.

"...Yes."

Wendy had a short pause; it was unknown what she thought at the moment before she gave a simple reply. Tyre didn't know what kind of conversation she had with Nightingale, but she knew she had to be direct with Wendy.

"I used to be a spy and assassin that was ordered to kill the prince."

Tyre spoke casually, so plainly as if the topic had nothing to do with her.

"W-what?"

"For some unknown reason, my attempt ended with failure. I'm troubled, but following the order, I was to wait for another opportunity."

Wendy widened her eyes; she didn't bother trying to hide her shock and confusion. Looking at the bewildered her like that, Tyre felt the witch looked younger that way.

"It turned out that the prince already realized my true identity... I wonder when he knew about it. Ah, do you know what he said to me?"

Wendy's pale cherry lips opened a bit, and perhaps she wanted to say something. But since nothing came out, Tyre continued.

"He said that he sympathised with me, and wanted to help me. Help me, an assassin that had tried to kill him?"

The question filled with a mocking tone, to Wendy; however, it was not the prince Tyre that was being mocked. Then just to whom it directed?

"I greatly underestimated him, but what surprised me the most was that he was trying to preserve my life. I had a poison pill stuck between my teeth, and I was ready to take it anytime... But he made me remember that there was still more to my life."

Like seeing my little sister, but Tyre decided to keep quiet about it.

It was in her mind for some time now, but Prince Roland sure was mysterious. Even without evidence or some proof, she could place the time she poisoned him was when he realised her identity. But as for to know about her, even when limited only to the letter content and actually understanding the presence of hidden poison genuinely surprised her.

"And what about that prince?" Wendy interrupted Tyre's wandering thought. The witch expression had since turned to wary from shock as she said that. No, it was quite evident that she was asking her intention despite the words.

Her intention? Hearing that made Tyre's face unintentionally broke to a smile. She wanted to mull over it first as usual, but words already came out.

"I don't believe him."

'Him' in her words naturally referred to Prince Roland.

"Huh?" Wendy's face was a sight to behold.

"I can't believe him."