Two days had passed since the meeting at Tania’s house. At last, the day had come to depart for Normandy.

  Anpiel and Epona rang the small bell at the entrance of Tania’s cavern early that morning. Inside, Ana, Tania, and Rodrigo were already prepared.

  “We’ll take only what’s necessary,” Tania said as she adjusted her cloak. “We’ll restock in Barcelona before our six-day journey to Caen, the capital of Normandy.”

  “In Caen, we’ll board a ship that will take us to Jutland,” she continued. “That part of the voyage will take another seven days at sea.”

  Ana sighed, resting her chin on her hand. “If only we could fly… we’d be there in seconds,” she said, clearly unimpressed by the long travel plan.

  “Will we join a merchant caravan in Barcelona for the road?” asked Anpiel.

  “No. They’d only slow us down,” Tania replied. “If bandits attack, we’ll defend ourselves. And if our supplies run out, we’ll hunt.”

  Epona crossed her arms. “And what about the border between the County of Barcelona and the Frankish Kingdom? Aren’t they enemies?”

  Tania nodded slightly. “We’ll cross through the town of Andorra. It serves as the gateway between the Frankish and Barcelona territories—and even the Caliphate of Córdoba. It’s just a matter of convincing the guards that we’re pilgrims.”

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  “With that Berber-Muslim look you’ve got, I doubt they’ll buy it,” Epona said with her usual sarcasm.

  Tania smirked faintly. “Don’t worry. Once we reach Barcelona, I’ll change and get rid of these facial markings,” she said, touching her cheek.

  “But there’s something that worries me,” Ana added. “Barcelona was razed last year, wasn’t it? From what I’ve heard, it still hasn’t recovered. Half its people were executed or enslaved. Are you sure we can even sail there?”

  “Incredibly, yes,” Tania replied. “I looked into it yesterday—Barcelona has just reopened its ports, though only partially.”

  “Even so,” she continued, “we’ll tell the soldiers we’re merchants, to avoid trouble. That’s why we’re carrying a few extra supplies from here—to ‘sell.’” Tania smiled cunningly.

  “Well then, let’s go,” Ana said.

  Leaving Tania’s home, the group made their way to the port of Ibiza, where their ship was already waiting to depart for Barcelona.

  After an hour-long voyage, they reached the Catalan coast. The moment they stepped off the ship, Rodrigo couldn’t help but stare—Tania looked completely different. She had removed her facial tattoos and now wore a stunning white dress. A golden belt encircled her waist, and a delicate headband crowned her hair. Her figure, accentuated by the new outfit, left him momentarily speechless.

  “It’s rude to stare at a woman like that, Rui,” Ana scolded, tugging sharply on his ear.

  “But didn’t you say those were stupid human customs?” Rodrigo protested, wincing in pain.

  “They’re universal customs!” Ana snapped, fuming—though she couldn’t help but notice that Tania was quietly laughing at the scene.