That night, the carriage parked on the side of the road at a place that wasn't so steeply inclined. While it wasn't an ideal location to camp, it was sheltered from the rain and the wind by a group of nearby pine trees. Stella had gone to scout around the area for any signs of predators.
Robin stared into the campfire, listening to the crackle and pop of the branches as the flames flickered, in a daze. The cheery fire danced with glowing tendrils atop the blackening bark. She didn't even look up when Keith came over to sit down next to her.
"Thinking?" He asked.
"Mhn." Robin made a noise to affirm.
"Homesick?" Keith asked.
Robin sighed.
"It's complicated, huh." Keith chuckled. "You know, your mother used to stare into the flames like that, when she was thinking about something."
"...Wait, you knew my mother?" Robin asked, in surprise.
"Of course I did. We were cousins, after all. We also went to the same school, so I took care of her during that time." Keith chuckled. "She always did have a mind of her own though. If I so much as turned my back, she would be out there climbing trees…aish…I was troubled back then, but for some reason, I now treasure those days we spent together."
Robin listened quietly as he told about the things that happened. “...and now she's dead.” Robin muttered, staring into the flames.
“She isn't.” Keith said, a calm light flickering through his green eyes.
“...” Robin’s jaw set stubbornly as she held herself back from lashing out at one of the only family members she had left. She turned her head away. But was surprised when Keith patted her on the head.
“I see her living on in you.” He said. “You resemble her so much, it's almost like she's still here with me.”
“...Well… I'm not her. Sorry, Uncle.” Robin sighed, and rested her head on her arms as she looked back down into the flames.
“I know. You are Robin, whether Hero, adventurer, noble, commoner, or even my cousin's child. What made Bluebell herself is not lost in you.” Keith patter her on the back, stood up, and stretched. “Well, I’m going to go wake up Christian. It's his turn for the next watch, unlike you, who seems to just want to watch the fire for fun~.”
Robin quietly stared into the fire as Keith walked away. She heard the tamp of boots as Christian came out to keep watch. There was a pause, before they approached behind her.
“... Can't sleep?” He asked. He hadn't even seen Robin's face. He could just tell from the back view that Robin looked particularly lonely today.
“...Thinking.” Robin replied.
“...A penny for your thoughts?” Christian sat down next to Robin.
“...You don't want to know my thoughts…” Robin turned her head away. She didn't want Christian to know what dark thoughts had been running through her head.
“I believe I asked because I did though.” Christian chuckled. He had a feeling that he knew what Robin might say. Or…rather..he was hoping to hear it.
“I'm thinking…I’m going to miss this place.” Robin summarized it into one sentence.
“...Just this place?” Christian asked, looking around.
“Not specifically this location, mind you. I meant…this world.” Robin raised a hand up as if to grasp at the moon that had come up over the horizon.
“Oh, so…just the world, and not the people?” Christian prompted.
“Well…not everyone. But I will miss them.” Robin looked back at the tents that had been set up.
“I see…” The silence hung heavily in the air.
Robin sighed softly to herself as she returned to staring into the fire. She wasn't looking forward to missing them. But her father had returned home, and so, she also must be able to return as well. Unless….it required divine intervention….Robin hid her face in her arms which were resting on her knees.
…And what about me?” Christian asked. “...will you miss me?”
Robin lifted her head up to look at Christian, and her heart felt as if it had been pricked open by a blade. She would miss him most of all. Robin smiled through the pain.
“Yeah.”
Christian’s eyes widened. He saw the pain in Robin's eyes, and recognized it. Because it was the same pain he had felt at the thought of Robin leaving. Robin was going to miss him…He didn't like it. He didn't want Robin to feel pained at his absence.
“Then…Why don't you just stay here, with all of us?” Christian surprised himself by asking.
Robin blinked, then smiled and puffed a laughed.
“That would be nice, wouldn't it?” She asked, leaning back to look up at the stars. “But…I can't do that.” Robin silently put her mask upon her face, seeking to hide her expression.
Christian sighed to himself. ‘You’ve gone and done it now, Christian, why did you have to ask him that…it’ll just make him feel worse.’
Suddenly, a glow like a shield lit up before dissipating around Robin. Robin blinked. What had just happened?
Robin suddenly felt that something was not right. She looked beyond the light of the camp, and the hair along the back of her neck rose. There was a ghostly figure at the edge of the light beyond the bonfire.
She tried to call Christian, but she suddenly found she couldn't speak. Then all of a sudden, the world turned sideways as she fell straight into those ghostly arms. But the arms were solid.
‘Not a ghost…’ Robing noted before falling unconscious. ‘Christian…help.’
Perhaps Robin was being too quiet. Because it was that exact moment where Christian turned to look at Robin, and saw the ghostly assailant. The two looked at each other for a moment before Christian bolted to his feet.
“Tsk!” The assailant’s hands were full, so he took the opportunity to run away, carrying Robin over his shoulder. Despite carrying someone, his footsteps were completely silent as he fled the scene.
“ROBIN! Wake up! Someone's abducting Robin!” Christian roared as he dashed off after the silent -stepped kidnapper. While the party soon set off after him, the mountain was steep and treacherous. If it weren't for the quick reflexes and thinking of Keith and Briar, as well as Stella pointing the way for the group, they might have lost the trail, or fallen to their deaths along the way.
The kidnapper finally reached the clearing near the top of the mountain. Another man stood there in dark robes edged with glowing words of blessing.
“It took you long enough, you had to go ahead and alert the whole party, didn't you?” The second man scoffed.
“Save your niceties for later. I got the hero, didn't I? Let's hurry before they get here.” The kidnapper grumbled.
“ROBIN!” Christian's voice called out from down below, as the party caught sight of the two.
“Tch! You never mentioned Jasmine was with them. Stall for time. I need ten seconds to activate this.” The second man took out a transportation scroll and imbued authority into it.
The kidnapper kicked the bracer stick out from under a large boulder he had set up earlier. The boulder began crashing down the mountainside, knocking more rocks loose, creating an avalanche.
As the rocks poured down upon the group, Jasmine took a good look at the man who was channelling the runes, and her eyes widened. She recognized that face. The kidnappers and Robin vanished in a pillar of blue light when he tore the scroll in two.
Briar stood in between the group and the boulders, and threw her staff straight and true to the spot those two had stood.
“Grab ahold!” She yelled.
Everyone placed a hand on her, as the first of the boulders ran into a magic shield which sputtered and fizzled out. Then suddenly, everyone was standing above the avalanche. They looked down upon the place where they had been standing with wide eyes.
Christian fell on his knees. “We were too late! There's no telling where he's been whisked off to now!”
Briar recovered her staff, placing it upon her back again. “There's always a way, Christian.”
“...know..I know.” Jasmine said quietly.
“What? Come again?” Christian asked, looking to Jasmine, almost not believing what he had heard.
“I know where they took Robin…because one of them is a researcher of the Magi Council.” Jasmine said, slowly, almost
as if she herself didn't believe what she was saying.
“Magi…Council, you say?” Briar asked, pondering something.