Julian waited for him to speak. Cyril waited for Julian to speak.

It was a contest to see who could break first.

Naturally, it would be Julian.

Cyril had more years on him than he cared to count, and no matter how anyone dissected qualifications, he would have come out on top in any comparison. Cyril was the unspoken authority here. Julian knew this without it being said, and he wouldn't have contested it if it were, so now he was just rapidly losing the mental battle where he attempted to map out what he should do, what he was supposed to do..

There was no guidebook to 'speaking with a ghost', but if there were, it would have said 'don't try to win the quiet game against one'.

Cyril didn't seem uncomfortable in the silence, or maybe he was just too dead for his body to betray his emotions.

But Julian swallowed. Julian squirmed. Small, at first, brushing his thumb over the back of his hand, tugging at his sleeve. Then, he started shifting slightly on his feet. His eyes drifted from the ground to Cyril's face and back several times. He held his breath.

Cyril knew he'd won when Julian forced himself to stand up a little straighter and folded his hands in front of him, gently resting them across the lute still strapped to his chest. "Um," Julian said--predictably.

He was rewarded with silence, as if Cyril expected--commanded--him to fill the gap with his own words.

"I don't know what happens now," Julian finished, rather lamely.

"What would you like to have happen now?" Cyril asked, not unkindly, but somewhat mechanically.

Julian didn't like being put on the spot, so Cyril put him on the spot. Not out of punishment, out of necessity. Cyril had watched Julian on and off for months now--maybe years, but he had no way of telling. He knew very little of the boy. Young man? It was hard to decide. His eyes looked old but his face looked young, and he carried himself like a teenager still trying to grow into his body.

"Um," again.

Cyril tried not to be unimpressed. Out of habit, he exhaled slowly, but no breath passed from his lips.

Julian caught the disappointment and corrected quickly, "I'm sorry, there's a lot. I don't know where to start. I don't know what I'm allowed to ask for."

"That's part of what you would be asking. I won't know to say yes or no until you do. So just ask, don't think so much about it."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Julian said quickly, but his enthusiasm to apologize did not match his enthusiasm to ask. After a few more seconds of waffling over the right words, he blurted a request just when Cyril crossed his arms over his chest. Cyril looked as if he were growing bored. Or worse, disappointed.

"I'd like to be a better Knight," Julian said.

"Vague. It took you that long to come up with that?"

Julian's face heated a bit and he looked down quickly. "Sorry, I know it's a bad answer. Um, please let me try again."

"No, it's a good answer. I don't know why it took you so long to ask. You should always strive to be a better Knight. What are you having a hard time with?"

The words didn't feel reassuring, but Julian was processing so much adrenaline right now that he nodded gratefully anyway. "Everything," he answered quickly, not wanting Cyril to think he was unappreciative of this attention.

"Still vague." But faster, at least.

"I know. I'm sorry, I should have thought about this more. I just--I wasn't expecting to run into someone here."

Cyril shrugged and waited, and this time Julian did not disappoint because he answered much faster, "I'd really like to know what Dering needs, please. I have friends who have been able to do so much more for their Wonder. And I feel like I'm not doing enough, and I don't know where to start."

"Better," Cyril said, but he didn't have an answer yet.

They passed through the forest slowly, steadily. Cyril's pace had slowed, though he acted like it wasn't for Julian's benefit. Julian forced himself to stand upright, trying to match Cyril's noble demeanor. He couldn't. It felt like playing pretend.

It felt like lying.

"Dering has never needed much," Cyril began. "Less now that there's not so much to protect."

Julian tilted his head but said nothing.

Cyril continued, "There used to be a great power here. There used to be life, too. But it's been empty for a long time."

"What used to be here?" Julian asked. His tongue was heavy, numb. His mouth tingled. He was already bracing to be told how foolish his questions were.

Cyril hummed. "We used to have many unicorns here. I don't remember where they went. Or anything else, for that matter. The whole forest used to be bustling with life. I've not seen so much as a beetle in..."

When Cyril's voice trailed off, Julian didn't push for an answer. Cyril scraped his memories, looking for some concrete tether.

There were none. He shrugged. "A long time. You said other Knights saw their Wonders in such a state. Is all of Lysithea like this?"

"Yes," Julian answered quickly, eager. He wanted Cyril to see that he could answer quickly. He was trying. But the rush to answer meant he also needed to rush to clarify, and that came out far less confident. "That is, um, that I know of. Or--I mean, Princess Lysithea would have--I mean, I think she'd have said if there were any Wonders that--"

"Princess Lysithea?" Cyril repeated, not cruelly, but with such sharpness that Julian looked up worriedly.

"Yes. She--she was reborn, too. On Earth. Like the rest of us."

"You know her? You've met her?"

"Um, yes. Actually," Julian had to clear his throat. It felt like his mouth to his stomach was stuffed with cotton. "Well, I live with her. On Earth, I mean."

Cyril's cold eyes fell on him. "Is that so."

It wasn't a question, but Julian opened his mouth to answer. Before he could, Cyril interrupted, "Does she know you're here?"

"Um, she might. I mean, yes. I was going to--that is, I mean...She knows I've been coming up here. Um, to work on things. I haven't--I don't really bring anyone up here a lot, but um...She did want to visit sometime. I just, um..."

Silence fell between them. Cyril let it fester. He let the weight creep in around Julian.

It was a mercy, then, when he spoke again.

"Were you planning on telling her about me?"

Julian didn't answer immediately. His eyes darted up once, and then settled back on the ground. He still had roots and weeds to worry about. "Um. Should I not?"

"Don't," Cyril instructed. Julian tensed, as readable as an open book. Both hands curled around the lute like it could bring him some comfort. Cyril continued, "Not yet. One visitor is enough of a surprise for now. Let me get used to you, first. My manners are a bit sour. I'd hate to offend the Princess."

Julian nodded quickly, both eager to appease Cyril but eager to defend Lysithea. "She, um. She's really nice," he suggested, too meek to be a protest.

Cyril shrugged. "It isn't about her."

"Oh, right." Julian didn't argue.

They were back by familiar trees--warm, and inviting. Julian couldn't say he had a favorite, but one of the larger trees had thick, coiling roots. They rose from the ground like wooden waves, and more than once, Julian had settled into the nooks to rest. He didn't rush to it, though the tree called to him like it was promising him comfort. Instead, he walked by Cyril, perfectly in sync, as if he were afraid to draw attention to their differences.

"I don't want a lot of attention right now," Cyril clarified, perhaps having second thoughts about inadvertently offending the princess of this world to someone who lived with her. "Give me some time with you. You're good at keeping secrets, aren't you?"

Yes, Julian's mind answered quickly. His lips were slower, but said the same.

"Then let this be ours. For a little while, at least. Promise me you won't tell Princess Lysithea. Or any other Lysithean Knights. Will you do that for me?"

Julian nodded. "I can do that."

Pain flooded his head immediately, like a rubber band snapping tightly. He winced, but didn't dare reach up to massage his eyes. It was worst by his temples. The pain was consistent and his stomach twisted. He smiled, anyway. Not enthusiastic, but polite.

He could keep a secret.

Dizziness washed through him. The ground shifted slightly. He placed his hand on a tree as they passed it.

"Good," Cyril said. It didn't feel good.

Julian forced a deep breath. His stomach didn't settle, but the world righted itself.

"You want to know how to be a better Knight?" he prompted.

Julian nodded fervently.

Cyril inhaled. He held his breath, useless as it was. Maybe he was trying to wait Julian out.

Maybe he was just taking a moment to consider what he was getting himself into.

Finally, he relented. "Well, make yourself comfortable. If I'm going to help you get better, you're going to have to start at the beginning. You tell me your story so far. And then I'll tell you where we go from here."