The citadel looked exactly as they'd left it.
Busy and loud with the particular organised chaos of a settlement that had its own rhythm and kept it regardless of who came and left.
It didn't take long for Damon and Ning Xiaoyu to stumble upon a familiar person.
Ivy stood in the courtyard as they entered.
She looked up from the supply manifest in her hands the moment they stepped through the gate, her eyes finding Damon first with the focused relief of someone who had been tracking time since his departure.
Then her gaze moved toward Ning Xiaoyu, who walked a little differently than she did when she was last here. This time, she was no longer a prisoner but walked with her sword still on her back and walked right beside Damon, not in front of him like a prisoner.
"How did it go?" she asked the moment they got close enough to her.
