"Boss?"

Looking up from my desk, I frowned at Klime as he walked into my tent. He was followed by a hooded figure, who at first I didn't recognize… but then I saw the familiar necklace that was partly hidden by a scarf.

"Ponli!" I smiled as I stood, greeting the Society messenger.

Klime's obvious shock at my recognizing the young man was ignored as I reached out and took the messenger's hand.

"Branches. I'm glad I found you, your band like always is scattered all over again. Was worried I'd spend the whole winter looking for you," Ponli said with a cockeyed grin. He had a small scar on his face that had come from a boot.

My boot. From when he had been first set out on the road, on his first mission for the Society delivering letters.

"Klime, let everyone know not to disturb me," I said as our hands separated.

"Oh…? Sure Boss…" Klime looked a little hurt, but obeyed. He stepped away, ducking as he left my tent thanks to being taller than the flap openings.

Ponli and I watched him leave for a moment, and then I gestured for him to sit with me at my desk. I only had a small stool for him, but he wasn't a very big man so he easily took it.

"How've you been Ponli?" I asked as I went to start the fire. I could have asked Klime to do the little tasks, but I knew better than to do so.

Even if I wanted to trust him to such a degree… and even if he likely deserved it, having been so loyal all these years, I wasn't going to risk it.

I didn't mind having human friends, or comrades.

But I had learned my lesson. Harshly.

I'd not get hurt again.

No more Slip ups.

"Honestly rather good. I think I've found myself a wife. One of the reasons I'm glad to have found you so early, now I can return to her before she forgets all about me," Ponli said with a small laugh as I got the fireplace going. I added a few logs to it, and then put the metal cook top over it. I stood, stepping away from the fire as I smirked at him.

"Did you now? That's great. What's her name?" I asked.

"Nessa. She recently got promoted to head clerk of the mail room in Telmik," Ponli proudly bragged.

I frowned at that as I went to get tea ready. Clerk…? Of the mail room?

Gosh the world was still so big, even after all these years. Whenever you think you knew it all, you were slapped in the face with the revelation that there were parts of the world you didn't comprehend.

I had never really thought about it, but it was obvious. Of course the letter system of the Society would need such things. Even the most basic of communication logistics needed record keeping… and the Society was far from basic.

"In other words someone well connected. Hopefully you impressed her good; I've come to fear women that are well-traveled and worldly. They always know better than me," I said, thinking of Slip.

Ponli chuckled as I placed the now ready teapot onto the fire. As the water prepared I gathered up some clean cups from a chest, handing him one as we waited for the water to heat enough.

Although I had joked, I had been serious. I liked this human. He had earned my trust, and not just because of the scar I'd kicked into his face.

I hoped he was happy. And would be happy. Not just because he was a member of the Society, either.

"I have three letters for you. And a message," Ponli said as he went to shuffle a bag at his side.

He put the empty cup down, and dug out the letters. I took them happily, immediately noticing not just my father's envelope on top.

Although I wanted to hear more about this clerk of his, I knew better than to waste his time. I placed the other two letters I didn't recognize down and went to opening my father's.

It like usual was many pages long. Telling me in detail about the family, the forest, mother's latest antics… such as some trip she and Vim had gone off on for months without warning, and finally a small request to come home. Which likely meant, even though he didn't say so, that I had a new sibling to come see.

That was really the only reason they ever asked me to come home nowadays. They knew I still hadn't found what I was looking for, and respected me for it. But I knew better than to not indulge such a request.

Family was important. Maybe I'll get lucky and this one will be a sibling I can actually get along with.

While still studying my father's writing, the pot on the fire started to make the familiar noise that told me it was ready. Before I could grab it though, Ponli was already moving. He went to finish making us tea, making me feel like a poor host. But I let it be as I sat back down in my chair behind my desk, and went to opening the other letters.

"Your group looks good. Lots of new faces," Ponli said as he made me a cup of tea.

"The Silken Band has been recruiting a lot lately. We've done well the last few jobs, so we got a healthy batch of them. Honestly I'd have preferred less, but… you know," I said with a shrug.

"No. I don't. Why would you want fewer members…?" Ponli asked as he frowned at me.

"Because if you grow too big too fast, you lose trust. We just got as many new recruits as we have veterans… since I just lost a good handful to the call of retirement. That means for every trusted member I got, I have one that hasn't been tried and true. Makes it hard for all of us, since now there will be doubts and concerns. Basically it's an emotional thing," I said.

"Hm… I wouldn't really know. The only new recruits we get are those already in the Society, from the orphanages, so we don't need to worry about such things. In a sense we already have that trust, I guess," Ponli said as he finished making himself a cup of tea too.

Oh… hm… I nodded a little, realizing that was likely correct.

Another aspect of his life I'd never considered.

"Honestly I'd prefer it your way. Not like we can though. Mercenaries don't really just… grow up out of nowhere, you know?" I said.

"I suppose," he said with a chuckle.

Smiling at that I went ahead and read my next letter. It was only a page long, and surprisingly was from a name I didn't know.

"Who is this…? Cathrine?" I asked him as I read the letter asking to meet. She lived near Telmik, and wanted me to visit her next time I was in her region.

"A newer member. She's a bird like you, she's looking for a mate," Ponli said simply as he sat back down, sighing as he took a drink of his hot tea in relief.

"Oh."

Feeling strange all of a sudden, I slowly put the letter down.

I'd heard about this. Never thought I'd get one though, being not just who I am… but whose son I was.

Either this Cathrine was eccentric, or desperate. Maybe both.

I knew I needed to respond, since it was the honorable thing to do… but I wanted to ignore it for a moment as I went to open my last letter.

This one was at least from someone I knew. One of the people that lived in Telmik. Link.

He was asking about the latest news, of the wars up here and whatnot. Like usual. I didn't get a letter from him every year, but it wasn't shocking or new.

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"What was the message?" I asked as I went to grab some paper, as to write responses.

"A prophecy. I've been told by the lady of flowers to warn you."

I sat up straighter.

Ponli nodded as he lowered his cup. "A pair of metal tongs will hit you in the head."

I blinked… and wondered what to make of that. "Wait… what? Is that it?" I asked.

He nodded and shrugged. "Yeah?"

"How's that supposed to help with anything!?"

I had shouted too loudly. I flinched as the tent flap opened up, and Klime's big head peaked in. "Boss?" he asked worriedly.

"We're fine!" I shouted.

He flinched and ducked back out, and I sighed and forcefully remembered that I should keep my voice down. Blasted man was loyal, but too loyal… if such a thing was possible.

Ponli chuckled at me. "That's all I was told. Not often I get to deliver a prophecy, but I've heard most are like that. Almost useless. Though it'll likely make sense to you when you need it to," he said.

Sure… pair of tongs… "Like… the metal pincher things?" I wondered.

Ponli shrugged. "Don't know."

Great.

Well, when the day comes I'm standing against a foe with a pair of metal tongs I'll know, I guess.

Maybe Vim and mother were right about prophecies, after all.

Sighing, I went ahead and started on my responses. I began with the one for Link, since it was the easiest. In fact it was what I had been doing, before Ponli showed up. I had been writing my reports for those greedy captains of the Silken Band.

"I delivered letters to your siblings too, by the way. On my way up here."

"Hm? Which ones?" I asked as I continued writing.

"Trunk and Seed. They joined up with a few other members and are traveling the Nation of the Blind and the coast, being merchants," Ponli said.

Oh…? "They had said they wanted to do that," I said. Last time I'd been home they had brought it up, surprised it took this long for them to do so.

"Kind of odd, your siblings. Trunk wouldn't even talk to me," Ponli said.

"He's shy. Like my father."

"Yet a traveling merchant," he said with a small laugh.

Right?

"All my siblings are weird. The only one that hadn't been is gone now," I said.

Poor Leaf.

"Hm… including yourself in that, are you? Most of the Society does find your mercenary life a hot topic you know," he said.

"I'm sure they do," I said as I finished Link's letter and went to respond to my father next. I planned to head home, but wouldn't be able to do so right away. It might take a year or two before I could do so, since I was responsible for this group in the band. Ponli would get him the letter before I'd see him.

Ponli sipped his tea as I wrote, and I heard a wagon pass nearby. The sound of Klime's voice as he barked orders to unload it told me it was the shipment of food we'd ordered from the nearby town.

While I wrote, Ponli listened to the sounds outside and hummed. "You're going up in the world, aren't you? Won't be long until you run the whole Silken Band, huh?" he wondered.

"Let's hope not," I said.

I didn't want to admit it, but I knew soon I'd have to deal with that problem. Several of the captains were starting to voice their desire to make me one too. To join them on their little council.

One did not turn that down for long before issues became serious. If you didn't accept promotions in mercenary bands, the leaders began to worry that you were planning on leaving. To take those who wanted to serve under you elsewhere, separating the band.

Which meant becoming an enemy. A threat. Because not only did you just take a bunch of qualified mercenaries with you, there was now a good chance you'd meet on the battlefield one day.

So far they'd only hinted at the desire to make me captain… but I knew in a few years that desire will turn into a demand.

Which meant I'd either have to become said captain, or leave.

"How long have you been bringing me letters, Ponli?" I asked as I thought about it.

"About twenty years now."

Hm… and it wasn't long after he brought me that first letter that I had been given my own group. Ten men to give orders to, under Thomas.

Now Thomas was dead, and I had nearly two hundred that I commanded. Not just a group, but a company.

Pausing in my writing, I tapped my feathered pen a bit as I realized my life as a mercenary was likely coming to an end. Maybe not in the next few years, but definitely in the next decade or two. For me though that was just right around the corner.

"Branches?" Ponli frowned at me, liking wondering what was bothering me.

I shook my head, deciding to keep my worries to myself. "Are you heading straight back to Telmik?" I asked as I went to finish my father's letter.

"No. I'll be heading eastward a bit, passing through Twin Hills. Vim recently took a family there, we're supposed to keep tabs on them in case they don't like it there," he said.

"A family…?" I asked.

"Of foxes, I guess," Ponli said with a shrug.

Huh… foxes and snakes. Funny. Wonder what those old snakes thought of that. They were kind people, but I had not thought them willing to let others live with them like that.

"You know them well, don't you? They're near your home after all," Ponli said with a knowing nod.

"Kind of. I spent some time there when younger, to be taught how to live amongst humans," I said.

"Huh… so you guys actually do that. Makes me wonder what those who don't associate with humans are like, for you to need such training," Ponli said with a chuckle.

"It's better if you don't know," I said simply. There were plenty of those types still left in the Society, though not as numerous as before.

They'd kill him on sight, member of the Society or no.

Finishing up the letter for my father, I sighed as I folded it up properly… and glared at the last one. The one from that woman.

"Did you meet her?" I asked.

"Who?"

"This woman. Cathrine?" I asked.

"Oh. Yes? She's pretty. She has feathers in her hair, they're this silver color," he said with a point to his head.

Silver…?

For a moment I wondered what to think or say. I mean… I wasn't going to lie. I was interested.

Not only was this the first letter like this I've ever gotten, I couldn't deny the fact that I too had the desire to find someone. After Slip's death, I've realized that I missed the relationship we had built. I had always considered her a friend, being a human as she was I'd not indulge any further than that, but today I realize we had something more than that.

I'd not told anyone else here that I wasn't human. Only Slip had ever known. But even if she hadn't known, we had been closer than I was with anyone else today. Klime and the rest were wonderful people, utterly loyal beyond belief, and I did see them as friends not just comrades of arms… but… well…

There was no comparing the two types of relationships. What I had been with Slip was far more important than what I had with the rest.

I missed it. That strange feeling. I had felt calm around her. Comfortable. Even when she had been teasing me and annoying.

To the point I almost didn't want to even think about her. It hurt to do so, even though she had died years ago.

Though… would I be able to have such a relationship with this bird…? She was just looking for a mate, wasn't she? Sometimes that meant all they wanted was children. And once that was accomplished we went our separate ways.

That wasn't what I wanted. Was it?

I groaned as I realized I needed time to think about this. To debate it, and weigh my own desires. I'd thought of it, of course, but rarely and never too deeply. I was too busy half the time to even think about such things.

But I didn't have time to think about it. Ponli had to go. He had duties. Important ones. I might be able to get him to stay the night though…

"Do you want to rest, Ponli? The night?" I asked, kind of hopeful he would.

He though shook his head. "I'd like to get on the road if I can. Like I said, if I don't hurry home I might miss out on getting the love of my life," he said, rather seriously.

Although not happy to hear so… at the same time I was.

I was jealous. He was being serious. He had that look on his face, the same one he had back when I had kicked him. The look of a man willing to die for his desires.

Wished I knew what that felt like.

"Alright. Let me just finish this real quick then…" I said, deciding to just wing it.

I'd meet her. Was no harm in not, really. Mother would be happy if I did too. She's always asked why none of us have had any children yet for her to dote on.

Plus…

While I wrote a response to this Cathrine, I thought of my parents.

The demure and shy father, and the headstrong mother who was stronger than anyone I've ever met. Other than Vim, of course.

I wasn't sure if I wanted what they had yet, but… I had to admit…

It was close. Probably closer than I wanted to admit.

Plus… for a bird, creatures that were more like father than not, to reach out to me like this…? Maybe, just maybe, she'd be someone I can put up with. After all she had sent a letter to me, not one of my brothers. Or any of the other birds in the Society. There were even a few at Telmik, like Karma. Why pick me over him? Or any of them? Maybe she was more like me than not?

A little excited as I wrote, I tried to not get my hopes up.

"Going to meet her?" Ponli asked as I wrote.

"May as well."

"Hm…" he made a noise, but I didn't ask why or what it had meant.

Once done, I bundled up the letters and handed them off. Ponli accepted them with surety and confidence, putting them into his pack… and then we shook hands once more.

"Safe travels," I said.

"For the Society," he responded.

I nodded gently. "For the Society."

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