We only come out at night.

There was a morning dawning, the four Moons of Day waking in a pale sky that shined so much brighter now, without the hindrance of ceilings or walls. There was just the open air and moonlight, a brisk breath across his face, fresh in his lungs. Tic let the cold air enter his mouth. Was it the taste of freedom? It was a new sensation now, but he couldn't help but feel it was bittersweet.

The leaves cracked beneath their footsteps, and Tic followed the girl through the trees that yawned in the daylight. He didn't know where she was leading them, but knew that he would eventually need to bring them to The Sink. He was familiar with the networks of the underground, the secret entrances and tunnels that lied beneath the surfaces of the Dark World. The forests hid them, doors buried beneath branches and trunks; passageways that lead to the underground cities. He could easily find one from any location. And he would bring them to one, if Miraye chose to go along.

Tic listened to the forest as they walked, only slightly stung by the last exchange of words. The retreats of small animals were distant, and Tic could only hear their own footsteps. But he sensed the sound of something else, and raised his head. Miraye was still ahead of him, her face looking to something further ahead, but she didn't turn to see. Instead, the sight of small houses caught his eye, and he dismissed the sound as a noise of the village ahead.

The dirt path they followed soon turned to a gravel road, and they entered the small town, still costumed in fabrics of elegance and blood. The buildings were small, quaint-looking houses of dark wood that lined the road, their windows only beginning to open to the dawn's light. His first home was in a village much like this, but he didn't dare to think back to it. The few people that were outside cast glances to the strangers, questioning them silently, then returning to their work. The occasionally chatter took Tic's attention, but he ignored the stares, trusting that Miraye knew where she was going.

They were coming to the entrance of a tavern, when Tic heard it. A heavy clopping making its way over the sounds of the village; the sound of a horse's walk against the gravel. Tic lifted his eyes, turning his head in the direction of the plod. At a distance, he could see the man atop the black stallion, and immediately recognized the uniform. A Guardian.

The man looked out over the village, his eyes stern as they surveyed the town. He stopped a man beside him, talking down to him from his horse. Tic didn't know whether to hide or flee, but when the man pointed in their direction, Tic took Miraye's arm, pulling them both into the tavern.

"It's one of Larkin's men," he whispered.