The journey to the village was more pleasant than Chen had really been expecting.

He had not spoken so much as a full sentence to Rhoslyn before this, but he already could see why his brother found her so interesting.

Chen was closer to Xiumin than he was with the rest of his brothers. They all shared a great deal of course, but with Xiumin he shared the most by far. They were both good natured and sociable and he often wished that he had the opportunity to make more friends outside of his family. Rhoslyn seemed as though she would make a good friend, with her easy manner and genuine interest in others. It was also clear that she walked into potentially dangerous situations with her head held high, and that was a quality to be admired. He wondered secretly if other villagers were as accepting of his kind as she was, but didn't dare ask and show his ignorance of life outside the forest.

Nevertheless, the conversation came naturally enough, for the both of them.

“The woman who forged my weapon keeps a very consistent working routine. She should be opening the shoppe just about the time we arrive in the village.”

Chen was visibly taken aback.

“The blacksmith who forged your sword is a woman?!”

“Indeed she is, and I’m pleased to say that she’s a very close friend of mine. Best blacksmith I've ever known, to be truthful with you.”

“At the risk of sounding foolish, I’ve never heard of a woman blacksmith before.”

“Yes, well, I understand your surprise, but as it turns out, women can do a great many things."

“Yes, of course, it's just, it's not often that one hears of a female metal worker. I’m sorry, there's a great deal I still have to learn.”

Rhoslyn slapped him on the shoulder with her typical enthusiasm.

“No need for apologies! I think you’ll like her quite a bit, she’s a very fascinating woman.”

Chen hesitated.

“Are you- are you going to tell her that I’m a wolf?”

“Certainly not. If she can't tell, then that decision is entirely up to you. After I’ve introduced you, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take my leave for a while, anyway. I've some other matters to attend to while we're in Cholerny.”

“...I see.”

“Though I don’t know her opinion of wolves, I do know that she's generally a very accepting woman. But she doesn’t appreciate secrets. It's probably best to be honest, if she asks about it.”

Chen was wary of the idea of revealing himself to a stranger. Not because he was concerned for his personal safety, but because he couldn't stand the thought of someone being afraid of him. Him, of all people.

Rhoslyn noticed his expression of concern, but chose to say nothing, leaving him to wrestle with his thoughts on his own. She only smiled at him and once again clapped his shoulder warmly.

For the first time during their journey, all Chen could hear was the crunching of the leaves beneath their feet. The silence didn't last long, however, as Rhoslyn gestured ahead and they could both see the now closely guarded gates of Cholerny standing before them.

As it happens, the two of them entered Cholerny without incident. When one of the heavily armoured men guarding the gate saw Rhoslyn, he stiffened and nudged the men beside him, who immediately straightened up. Chen watched her as she looked at them sternly and nodded.