Amends

Chapter 10: Rewrite

Still searching for their Master, Nakiri and Jerome find themselves in the woodlands along the border between Nestoria and Sendaria, retracing Ingressus' steps as best they can

But when they start to uncover evidence to suggest that someone is nearby, they fear the worst; and investigating for reason to believe they are being targeted by the Tidesinger, they find themselves uncovering much more than just what's around them

Author's note: so we do be touching on some more of what happened in "Unbroken" since it won't take a genius to work out where our Voltaris sleuths be in their search, but nothing in particular is explicitly referred to - and all of their assumptions are strategically inferred and nothing more

this is more than just a search for Ingressus, but a search *about* Ingressus - they are gonna have to come across this stuff sooner rather than later

also don't be confused by the chapter name. it isn't a rewrite or anything. I am merely using synonyms for "change" as my chapter titles and this one just seemed to fit in an ironic way

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In the time that it had taken them to explain to the remainder of the clan that they were not going to rest until they found and brought Ingressus back to them, and then walked the distance through the mountain pass and into Nestoris territory, Nakiri and Jerome had not uttered a single word to one another. Between them, they each had a thousand of their own questions, none with answers; only speculations and nothing more. They were too afraid to ask them for fear that their comforting speculations were wrong, and they would uncover something worse than they had feared.

They couldn't explain what had brought them into Nestoria short of the obvious answer that the Tidesinger was Achillean Nestoris. Although, if they were being honest with themselves, it was a folly decision, for everyone knew by now that the reason the Voltaris were no longer being attacked every waking hour was because efforts had turned on the once Ardoni legend for his outrage against members of the other clans – his own Aegus Nestoris included. They knew not for certain what he had done to Ingressus over his ten-year absence; only that they had inferred that his mental and physical scarring had come from him, and him only.

But that would surely mean that both legends would be foolish to step foot in Nestoria. Either way, neither Jerome nor Nakiri really knew what they were doing – only that they needed to find Ingressus before someone else found him.

They hadn't bothered with disguises after leaving Northwind, although that was quickly a regret when they saw that much of the pathway through the woods was laid bare, with little shrubbery to conceal their glow, should the time come. Neither had bothered with weapons either, for Jerome was exceptionally competent at hand-to-hand combat and could outwit a weapon with his bare hands, and Nakiri knew how to throw a punch when she needed to. Of course, in making this walk into uncharted territories, they had hoped – and only hoped – that they would not be of concern to anyone else between the two of them, empty-handed and unarmed.

When they'd made it into the densest part of the woods, they paused to look around, as if they were lost – which, ultimately, they were, and had been since they left the camp. They were looking for signs of their Voltaris Master. Any signs at all; but they were following a very dead trail – nothing but an idea to go along with their very sceptical concern for Ingressus' wellbeing. Several times, Jerome looked as though he had wanted to say something, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he could only lightly grunt as he tried to word his thoughts carefully, bailing after a few seconds of mental kerfuffle.

In the end, after an hour of looking lost and glancing behind every tree, Nakiri was the first to break the silence. She perked up from a bush a little out of the way of Jerome and quietly called him over.

"The grass has been weighted..." she said, pointing at the slightly flattened section of brittle grass, only slightly noticeably flatter than the surrounding layout.