Sword and Sovereignty {IC} {M} {MidKnight & Hannelorian}

[MidKnight]

Drepei, Meridian Kingdom's Capital City, also known as The Dream City.

King Eldric Archambeau late in his 40s, was reading a letter he had received from the Celestian Empire. He read the letter numerous times.

"Dear King Eldric de Archambeau of the Meridian Kingdom. I, Prince Gileson Blackwood, late successor of my father King Gabriel Blackwood, hereby request a humble word to be heard. Blood and tears have been shed for too long between our borders. I have watched too many young soldiers marching to a war that has been considered to be a standstill of our beloved Kingdoms.

I send this letter as in interest to a truce, peace between the Meridian Kingdom and the Celestian Empire. Of what I propose will be quite interesting as well, a marriage. Myself, the Prince of Celestian Empire and your eldest daughter, the Princess of the Meridian Kingdom. I would like to end this war as soon as possible and as for the marriage will be symbol of our alliance. I will be waiting on your reply and if you accept, please consider the wedding to be held in the Celestial Empire as a gift from us. Prince Gileson Blackwood."

He sighs softly as he looks up to see his wife, the Queen Alina standing at the door. She stood there with her arms up, hands holding together and looking at the King. "Have you considered the idea?" She asked. Knowing her husband would do anything to end the war.

"I already have." He replied with a worried expression. "Alienor was informed of the situation...as much as she doesn't like the idea of it, but it is for the best to end this war." He placed the letter on the table and stands up slowly, walking to the window and looked outside. The day was beautiful, sunny and bright. "Alienor is now on her way to the Celestial Empire and we will be following a day after." He looked to his wife with a smile on his face. "Do not worry my love, she has the best protection we could ever ask for. The Royal Guards will keep her safe." He looked out the window, still worrying for his daughter.

Somewhere on the road, a Royal Guard Captain name Brim accompanied with twenty of his best Royal Guards lined up in a formation with the carriage with the Princess inside. The Captain walked his horse by the carriage and looked inside. "Your Highness, everything okay inside?" He asked calmly. "Do we need to stop for a small break?"

[Hannelorian]

It had been a rather unassuming bordering on unimportant day when the Princess' father came to her with a letter in hand. Tearfully he made his case, the means to an end. All of the bloodshed, the meaningless loss of life could come to a sudden and unexpected end with a simple sacrifice. The sacrifice of freedom. The Princess would simply have to give her hand in marriage to Gileson Blackwood, known to those within the Kingdom simply as the Black Prince for his cruelties during the war and the black armor he wore. It was a simple offer, it needed no complicated reply. Only for one very specific Princess, Alienor the eldest daughter to see herself to the Imperial capitol.

Alienor for her part had openly wept, this was not a fate she expected nor one she had asked for. Gone were the days of her youth even if they had been less than care free. Now her freedom was gone as she had been sold like cattle. It was not an easy thing to accept, nor was it something she could say she was glad to do even if her own country was at stake. If it had not been for her country and the promise of peace she would have refused or even ran away at the prospect of being sent to the Imperial court. It was as far from home as one could go and the culture was just as foreign and to her own mind rather backward.

But what choice was to be had? There wasn't one. The lives of millions in exchange for the life of one. It was an easy choice at least on paper. It was a choice that had no wrong answer because to decline was an outrageous thought with consequences that bordered on insanity. The Princess was to marry, her King, her father had willed it and so now it was done even if with a heavy heart there was no going back, no changing the tides as they rose and fell, nor could one stop the moon from altering her phases.

As Drepei faded into the background the Princess sat in the carriage staring out of the windows toward the road, the distant trees of the forest on the well manicured King's road. The Captain of the guard had called to her and she had no sufficient answer. "I'm alright." She responded with a signature lack of enthusiasm. "We keep going, the sooner we get there the better." Perhaps she was in a rush to meet her own fate, that if it were only in hand the truth or reality would dawn upon her. There was no escape, there was nothing. If the Prince held her in his custody it would be done, over. And for now all she wanted to was to scream, to run, to break free... But freedom had a price, a price that as of this moment Alienor was not willing to pay.

[MidKnight]

The Captain leans back on his horse and looks up ahead on the road. "It'll be a week's ride to get there your highness." He said as he looked behind him, seeing the capital city nearly disappearing. "I recommend we camp at sunset, traveling at dark can be very dangerous." He looked at the carriage and can see the princess was lost, deep in thought. "Please, let me know if there is anything else I can help you with." He said before pulling his horse away and joined the others.

Hours had passed, the caravan finally had stopped when the sun had set. The Captain ordered his men to secure the perimeter and begin to make camp. The princess personal servants also began to set up a tent for her royal highness. It took minutes for the servants set up camp and prepared for whatever the princess needed. The soldiers prepared several large fires to bright the area up, some had protest to this idea since it would attract anything dangerous. The Captain had to remind them they were Royal Guards and had a duty to protect the princess.

The hunting party had returned with a large deer, the cooks had begun to skin it and cook it rather quickly. The servants prepared a dinner for the princess, everything was extravagant; silverware utensils, plates, bowls, cups. They entered tent with the food and drinks. "Your highness, everything is ready." One servant said as she prepared the meal set. "It's nearly night, would you like your bathe after dinner?" The servant asked while she was pouring a cup of whine.

The servant was about to grab a knife to cut some of the meat, she stopped when she started hearing noises coming from outside. Men hollering around outside, "Are they getting drunk?" The servant was furious has she set the knife down and walked to tent entrance. When she was about to leave, a soldier stammered in. "Are you insane?!" The servant yelled but the soldier had blood on his face and a sword impaled through his chest. Behind him was another man, not from the Royal Guards but from a group of bandits that attacked the camp.

"Run!" The servant yelled, running towards the princess and helped her escape through the tent by making another entrance with the knife she grabbed from the table. Outside the tent, the Royal Guards fought against' a large number of bandits that swarmed the camp. Fire blazed on the camps and the number of Guards were seen on the ground, dead. "Fight them off!!! Protect the princess!!!" The Captain was seen by one of the campfires defending himself as he tried to make his way to the princess's tent.

"Your highness!!!" The servant pointed towards the carriage, "Get inside!!! Quick!!" The servant quickly rushed the princess to the carriage, helping her inside. The servant attempted to man the horses, but an arrow struck her back, then another. She barely kept her grip on the carriage. "Forgive me." She said softly and reached towards the horse and slapped the rear. The horses startled and bolted immediately. The horses running with no one to control them, ran on the road non-stop and wildly in the dark.

The princess wasn't alone, a small number of bandits chased the carriage on their horses. One of them managed to catch up quickly and cut the reins between the horses and the carriage. The carriage continued straight on until one of the wheels hits a large rock and forced the carriage to crash. The bandits laughed as they watched the carriage slide and hit one of the trees. They approached slowly and surrounded the carriage, one of them hopped on to the side, forced the door to open and sees the princess unconscious. "Wakey, wakey." The bandit laughed while watching her. "Alright, get her out of there. We gotta get her to the drop off point."

[Hannelorian]

Everything had gone wrong and had done so in dramatic fashion. What was a peaceful evening had become a nightmare as the group was attacked. How were they so unprepared for this? The Princess whipped her head around to the sounds of screaming, the guard impaled at the hands of the bandits never stood a chance. Embers of flames from the fire spread as it was trampled and tossed about by either the bandits of the Royal guard, the tents were beginning to catch fire.

One of her most faithful servants had taken two arrows to the back in an attempt to carry Alienor to safety, but it would do little good as the carriage ultimately crashed without a rider to guide it. The world went black and completely faded away. When she regained consciousness she could smell the fires of the camp and see the smoke rising in the distance as the night settled upon the land. Alienor could feel the motion of a horse as she looked around. Her hands were bound with rope and the arms of a man were wrapped around her tightly as he sat behind her.

"She's awake!" The man called out to his companions upon noticing the woman begin to stir. Alienor for the moment said nothing and saved her energy for thought. She could kick the horses' side, send it galloping off, but without her hands she would be unable to control the creature, not to mention the man at her back. There was the possibility of letting herself fall off the side, but the man might catch her, she could hurt herself. Could she even run that fast? Where would she go there was nothing around in this section of country, just old farms, some of which had been fallow for generations. No, for the moment she was trapped.

But where were they going? How did the bandits know she was out here? Could it all have been coincidence or had they been tipped off somehow? "Where are you taking me?" Alienor finally asked after several uncomfortable moments of silence since her consciousness was announced.

"Don't matter does it? Not like you have a choice." The man replied as the riders at each of their sides chuckled, another small group following behind them. Another kink in any potential plan of escape. Alienor once again remained silent for a period of time composing her thoughts. Would she offer to pay them? She could. Her father could afford it, as could her fiance. Unless her betrothed was behind this all from the beginning, but even that made little sense, Alienor was after all on her way to the Imperial capitol.

"Whatever you're being paid, I can triple it." Alienor offered finally, turning slightly to look at the faces of the men just off to the sides.

"No thanks." A simple reply, from a simple man. Alienor resisted the temptation to roll her eyes and instead simply had to accept her fate for the time being. "You will regret this." She offered knowing that it made no real difference. These men were not going to change their minds lightly, and she had no weapon with which to defend herself. She began the fine work of writhing her hands attempting to slip loose from her bindings.

[MidKnight]

The bandit group stopped suddenly when someone appeared in the middle of the road, out of the dark. The Bandit leader spoke up loud and clearly for the stranger to hear. "You mind giving us the road?" He waited for an answer but the stranger did not spoke.

The stranger appeared to be wearing raggedy clothes, a simple robe covering around the hips, pants going towards the shins, a hat made of straw covering the stranger's face, and a pair of floppy sandals. One of the bandits thinks he sees a knife at the waist but couldn't tell with not enough light.

"Hey boss...I think this guy thinks he's a hero." The group chuckled. The Leader chuckled and reached for his sword. "I will not ask again, either clear the road or be cut down." drawing his blade, the stranger did not move or spoke. "Okay then...you two...take him out."

Two bandits that were ahead of the group charged forward with their swords drawn and laughing hysterically. But suddenly the horses dropped to the ground when they got near the stranger, sending the bandits flying in the air. The two bandits landed harshly and couldn't move. "What the hell?" one of the bandits said in shock. They observed the stranger who was crouching low, with the sword in their hand, blood on the blade and the horses crying in pain while flopping on the ground like fish. The leader growled and gives as another command. "Kill him!!"

Four of the group got off their horses, not attempting the same fate as their comrades. Charging with their swords in their hands, the stranger posed in a defensive formation. One of the spearmen attempted to stab the stranger, the stranger performed a parry move and slices the lower body and twirls the sword handle in their hands and stabbed the bandit in reverse. Pulling the blade out and waited for another bandit to charge with a sword. The stranger blocked the wild swings and strikes the bandit in the neck. The others charged, the strangers blocks, parries and struck each bandit with one blow.

The Leader yelled, "I SAID FUCKING KILL HIM!!!" He reached over to the other horse with the princess, grabbing her by the dress and pulled her to his horse. The remaining group charged at the stranger with their horses, the stranger managed to cut the legs, forcing the riders off their horses, leaving the leader on his own. "Wait till the rest of my guys gets here you--" his words cut off as the stranger sword impaled through his head, it was used as if it were a spear. The leader slowly falls of the horse, leaving the princess still there.

The stranger walked to the leader, crouching down and pulled the sword out of his head. Swinging with one shift strike, the blood flies off the blade, leaving the sword clean. The stranger slowly puts the sword back in the sheath and kept a hand on it. "Still alive." The stranger spoke with a feminist voice. She kneels down and started looting the body for anything valuable, mainly for coin or anything useful like tools. The stranger didn't reveal her face while looking towards the princess, able to see through partial of the straw hat. "You're not safe here." She said plainly then goes back to looting the body. She grabbed a small pouch and gives it a jiggle, the coins clinked together, she quickly pockets the pouch and stands up. "You should run." She gives another simple statement while walking around the horse, she takes out her sword and grabbed the princess's hand. Putting the blade between her hands and strikes up cutting the binding rope.

[Hannelorian]

Alienor looked at the stranger who stood in the road, silently praying that they would heed the words of the bandit leader and simply step aside but that was not to be. For the second time in mere hours blood was shed around her, blood spilling on to her hot and fresh. And in a moment, what felt like a single moment, the blink of an eye it was all over and the bandits were dead or nearly dead, their bodies looted by the raggedy figure who had relieved them of their lives. Her hands were taken and the rope sliced, and for the first time Alienor could see that she had torn the flesh of her wrists open in trying to escape from the ties that bound.

A bloody mess. The voice however was intriguing she had expected it to be male from how they used a blade but it was not, it was distinctly feminine. "Run?" Alienor asked in a state of shock. "Why should I run?" Alienor looked all around her. "If you wanted to kill me I would already be dead." Her tone was that of righteous indignation, even though her life had been saved it was abundantly clear that the Princess was in fact quite upset. "You murdered these people in cold blood. It is you who should run. Murder is still a crime an offense punishable by death if I am not mistaken and believe me, I am not mistaken." Did the Princess have pity for the bandits? No. Was she glad in part they were dead? Yes. But it was such brutal and violent action.

"Thanks to you these men will not get the trial they deserved, the very public execution they deserved for what they did to my men, my servants, my people. People under my care. You have no idea what you've done, and I suppose no idea who I am and for that... you should be grateful." Alienor swallowed hard as she gazed down at the figure. She wanted the heads of these men on a platter and in a sense she got exactly what she wanted... but it felt as though no punishment would ever be enough for what they had done. "And now you loot them like a common thief... so tell me little thief who the hell are you? And what exactly are you going to do from here?"

Alienor descended swiftly and easily from the horse, she pat it's side gently and stepped over the bodies though it made no difference her dress was already soiled with earth and blood, but it seemed at least a slightly dignified act, to not step over the corpses. "Or do you want my thanks? To which I suppose I should thank you for rescuing me? Assuming that this was a rescue and not an easy way to pick up a few loose coins?" Alienor was endearing and beloved to the people of her Kingdom. She was a light in the dark places, a voice of reason and wisdom. But here she was just angry, angry at the world and everyone in it. Angry she had been sold off to the Empire for peace, angry that bandits had killed her people who she loved, angry that she couldn't deliver justice herself. For the first time in her life she was absolutely and utterly out of control of everything.

[MidKnight]

Rei continued searching through the bodies of the dead and taking their coin while listening to the woman criticizing of she had done. She noticed a few of the bandits tried to crawl away but were slow. She walked over to one and picked up his sword, kicking him over to his back side, he began to plea for mercy. Rei did not listen and stabs the bandit in his chest and plunged it down deep into the ground. She looked at the other one who tried to crawl faster. "I am no thief." She said while walking over to the bandit, grabbing his sword and points it at the bandit. "These "men" kill the innocent people under your care and yet I have killed them because of their actions."

She looked over her shoulder. "You can call it murder if you wish, but out here it is survival." She takes one look at the woman, realizing she was from the city, no doubt she would not understand the laws outside of the walls of the city she was accustomed to. "You fight, you live, you do nothing, you die." She walked to the bandit, kicking him over and he too begged for mercy. "Besides, I did not murder these men in cold blood...they attacked me." She thrusts the sword down and killed the bandit. Then started searching his pockets. "As for their coin...they won't have use for it." She gets up slowly and walked to the woman covered in blood. "And why would I run?" She asked curiously "They were carrying you for a reason no?" She kept her face hidden with the straw hat, "Should it be you who should run?" She looked past the woman, looking at the road behind them. "The man said the others will be here soon."

Rei walked over to the horses that were still standing, she gives each one a smack on the rear and the horses bolted off on the road into the darkness. "And you are right, you would be dead already and this would not be a rescue, if that's what you want to call it." She walked to towards the woods, walking off the road. "Because I do not know who you are." She stopped and looked over her shoulder, "You can run for it on the road but the others will catch up...take you back...maybe do things to your body because they will blame you for their dead leader." Then she looked straight into the woods, "Or you can come with me, then you can be grateful you have lived safely." Rei started walking into the woods.

Time passed as Rei stood on a cliff, watching the road beneath her. They were quite far away from the road where she watched as a group of bandits were seen riding with torches. They stopped to where the onslaught had happened and continued moving on the road after stopping for a few minutes. Though it was odd to see only half the group went forward and the other half went back the way they came. She looked up to see a large bright light coming from a long distance. "I guess returning to the city will not happen." She turned around and walked to a cave where she had used as refuge.

There was a campfire surrounded with stones, to keep the bright fire from being seen and since it was dark, the smoke could not be seen. There were cooked fish by the fire, Rei had caught some earlier before the intervention with the bandits and the woman. She sits by the fire and takes her straw hat off her head, revealing her face, she looked to the woman. "My name is Rei." She introduced herself, placing her hat down next to her. "Here, if you're hungry." She offered one of the cooked fish.

[Hannelorian]

Alienor was beginning to calm down, though the patronizing tone of her rescuer was not particularly assisting in the matter. They disagreed, this woman was an outlaw, one who lived by her own code far from the rule of the Kingdom. The laws spread outward from the Royal Capital of Drampei, yet out here it seemed as though it made no difference. Perhaps if Alienor had managed to survive she would send her recommendations to her father for potential changes to increase safety along the roads leading to and from their great paradise. Much of the countryside had been marred by the scars of battles over the years, though the invading forces never actually made it as far as Drampei, it had come far too close for comfort.

In this lands there was little sense of law and order, only the chaos that followed war and open conflict. Alienor did not know if she wished to follow the woman into the woods. There was little to suggest the woman, Rei as she would later find out would harm her. But there was little evidence to suggest the contrary either. Just idle words. The threats of what the men might do her body were so easily offered. It seemed to Alienor that Rei lacked compassion, there was no real concern for what happened to Alienor now. But that made sense of the way it seemed this woman lived. Slowly but surely she had followed.

With the hat removed, Alienor first could take in Rei's visage in the crackling light of the fire. She seemed young, she could have been pretty had she not been so unkempt. But that too was life outside of the natural order, life on one's own terms left little luxury to be had. The Princess took the offered fish and in silence picked at it, tearing off small pieces of meat, ensuring it was free of bone before putting it into her mouth and chewing silently while alternating her gaze between Rei and the fire.

"If you help me, I can reward you greatly." Alienor finally offered, it seemed ironic as she had already made this offer once today, rather unsuccessfully. "You are clearly quite capable of defending yourself. I need to reach the Imperial capitol. Or if you cannot accomplish such, to be returned to Drampei, even if it means waiting for some time for the bandits who headed that way to dissipate. There are many people who pay a great deal for my safety, coin, land, whatever you want... if you can help me." Alienor did not offer her identity, not yet. It was clear from Rei's own admission she did not know who Alienor was, at least not by sight, nor by the context in which she was found. A few more moments of anonymity would be welcome.

"Thank you... for the food." Alienor finally offered as she turned her gaze downward, picking off a few more pieces of the fish.

[MidKnight]

'Can you offer death?' She thought, thinking of how to say it in words but it was so simple to say. She didn't look at the woman while eating the fish in her hands, taking small bites, feeling the bones with her teeth and gently pulling. Though she chewed slowly while thinking of the offer Alienor had made. "It would take maybe two weeks time on foot to get there." She said, "With horses it would be faster." She made it sound like she accepted her request but was still thinking it through, although it was clear the bandits would be on the trail leading back to Drepei, searching for this woman.

She finished eating the fish, the head and tail was all that remained. She gets up and walks to the dark area, placing the remains on the ground and gives a slight bow while saying a small prayer. Afterwards, she returned to the camp and sits down while placing another half log on the fire. "You should get some rest." She said to Alienor. "I'll keep watch."

Rei spent the next few hours watching the roads, as the Bandits could be seen still roaming on the roads but appear to have dwindle down on the number of patrols. She could see a few scouts with torches, tossing a few logs in the pit now and then but keeping the light low. She looked at the woman while she slept, eyeing on the dress she wore. The way she offered Rei coin, lands. Truly she was from a noble family, only reason for the bandits to kidnap her was for ransom. She looked closely at the clothing, reaching out and touching the dress, the fabric was made from rich silk. She thought about her days back in the East Kingdom, remembering the smell, the taste, the feel.

She lays on the ground, on the other side of the campfire. Looking up at the sky and remembers one evening she had with her friends. She could hear the music of the local tavern the guards would attend to. The sounds of laughter echoed in her mind.

She was sitting at one of the tables with four other guards who were tired, wearing their infantry robes with the elite guard symbols on their backs. Speaking in her native tongue, laughing and telling about their day while on duty. A bar maid arrived with a tray of drinks, each one placed a coin on the tray and grabbed a drink, enjoying their beverage and telling more gossip and stories of their training days.

"I'm telling you, you should have seen the Sergeant when sees him wearing his armor backwards."

"It was so early in the morning before the sun rise, why did we had to get up? I had a dream I was married to a woman."

Then she replied, "Well she must be blind if she married you." Then the group laughed. Their little gathering was interrupted when a certain someone entered the Tavern. It was the Lord's son, he stood there at the entrance with a few guards. Almost everybody in the room stood up and gives a bow. The young man raised his arms up and showed his hands, "Please, don't mind me." He smiled, "I'm just here like everyone else." He walked over to the table with the Elite guards, he gestured them to sit as so did he. "Please, let me join you in a round of drinks." He smiled, her friends smiled as they sat and enjoyed their next round of drinks the young lord had paid.

Hours passed, Rei was at the roads with the dead bandits. She examined each one closely and grabbed a few clothes from their dead bodies. Not too bloody, not too dirty. The smell, it was awful but nothing fancy like perfume nobles used. She looked up to see the light of the sun barely shining over the horizon. She had to find a certain pair of boots but most of the men she searched were large feet. She checked the last body, his boots were not too big, not too small. She grabbed the pair and clothes, looking around once more for anything she missed.

Returning back to camp, she sees Alienor and hands her the clothes and boots. "You'll need to wear these." She said while walking to the fire and looking at the remains. "You need to look less...conspicuous." She used a stick to move the dying embers away from the others, trying to prevent smoke from giving their position away. "We can find more clothes at a village, maybe trade." She walked inside of the cave, there was a large rock which she picked up and moved. Revealing a small bag, she placed the single strap over her shoulder and watched as the sun fully rises. "It's gonna be a long day."

[Hannelorian]

Alienor's final memories of home were fleeting at best. Everything moved so quickly, too quickly. Preparations for her departure took mere days once the decision was made and the reply sent off to the Empire. A whirlwind of events and emotions, a complete blur. The morning of the day before the Princess left home she recalled sitting outside in the gardens at a small table, the kind used by the Royal family for their more private meals despite the open space. The air was filled with the scent of wild flowers as the gentle breeze rolled through.

"So you're going along with it?" The voice of a young man, young though a few years older than Alienor. They had similar bone structure, the same color hair, it was clear to anyone , even if these two were strangers to them that they were siblings. Alienor's elder brother Martinus stared at the young woman from the seat opposite. "Just like that?" He continued as he watched his sister for every little expression that would cross her face.

"Just like that." Alienor replied though she could not summon up a smile, no matter how hard she tried. Thankfully she didn't have to try, not in front of her own flesh and blood. For them it was okay to be saddened by the state of affairs. "To end the war? It's too good of an opportunity not to do it. Father would never forgive himself if he put me before the country." Her words were sincere yet gentle. There was not a choice to be made here, not really.

"And if you hate him?" Martinus asked.

"Then I hate him. Love does not a marriage make." Alienor had always looked rather grimly at life. She was not the hopeful and optimistic child. But then again her entire purpose in life was ultimately for some kind of political marriage. After all she was not the heir, that was her brother. Nor was she the spare, that was her younger brother. Alienor stood alone in the world.

"Would you say that to Mother and Father?" He asked again this time with a heavy sigh as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, a rather concerned look upon his face. "Of course, but they are an exception. Not everyone marriage requires love, political ones only require children. Male children but children never the less." That was Alienor's duty in the world.

Coming back to reality a pile of clothing was thrust upon her. "You... want me... to wear these?" Alienor asked almost in disbelief. They were old, raggedy, dirty, sweat soaked with traces of the blood of the man who had once worn it. "But... these are not mine... these are..." Alienor did not want to finish her sentence, she did not want to contemplate too thoroughly the life of the person these rags had belonged to. "Just a moment. Does this mean you are taking me up on my offer? Escorting me to the capitol? Or to the Empire. Either one?"

Alienor sighed deeply as she moved toward an isolated and somewhat hidden space. Slowly but surely she peeled off the fine layers of her dress, allowing the silk to slide off of her skin effortlessly. She was exposed, vulnerable. It was an awful feeling. To have to do this in such conditions was morally wreckless to the Princess. Yet she did what she had to do and slowly put on the loose fitting outfit. Her fingers moving deftly to retrieve a ribbon from her former garments and without much effort she tied her hair up and into a bun. She looked more common now. The feeling of the fabric was dreadful, scratchy. The smell was ungodly but that didn't matter she supposed. Alienor returned to Rei.