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After grabbing something to eat, they made their way up some stairs towards the highroad
Ann~I'm glad we're finally away from the city. It's too stimulating
Auron~Aren't you glad you don't have chakra? You'd probably get tinnitus
Ann~I can already feel it forming…
She rubbed her ears as they made it up the final set of steps.
Ann~Oh, that's quite the contrast
Before her was a long stretch of dirt road with tall grass on either side. She turned back around to look at Luca's tall buildings, crowded promenade, and the ocean.
Auron~Come along. We can probably make it to the inn by nightfall if we don't get interrupted
Ann~I thought you said we could ride chocobos here.
Auron~We could. I think it’s better to grab them at the inn though. This way you can run the fields like a feral gremlin instead.
Ann~Really?!
Auron~There's only fiends and the occasional bandits. I'm more concerned for bandits coming after you.
Ann~Can I run off now?!
Auron~You’re too far if you can't see my sunglasses.
Ann double checked her pack and ran off. Auron shook his head and casually followed after her.

Ann ran past the first couple outcroppings of ruins. She climbed one of the smaller debris on the side of the road to check where Auron was to decide if she wanted to run further ahead or to explore the tall grass. Seeing him only past the first crumbled building pieces, she decided to explore the current area. Ann had only gotten to the ground when a young man approached her.
Ann~Can I help you?
Teyr~My name is Teyr, of the Youth League. Am I correct that you attacked one of our recruits in Luca?
Ann~I didn’t attack anyone. That guy also didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Teyr~Jeno didn’t deserve your aggression!
Ann~And what you’re doing now isn’t aggression?
Teyr~I challenge you to a duel! You humiliated him and that needs to be rectified!
Ann~Sure, I guess. What’re the stakes? I don’t see how it’d solve me tripping a guy...
Teyr~If I win, you apologize to Jeno and you sign up with the Youth league.
Ann~Oh…Alright. If I win, the Youth League will never approach me or Sir Auron for recruitment again.
She dropped her pack and stuck her sword in the ground next to it.
Teyr~You’re not going to use a weapon? That sword is as big as her too. She must still be practicing with it.l
Ann~I don’t think I’ll need my sword. You’re welcome to use your daggers though. They’re cute compared to my knives.
She pulled out a kunai from her holster. Ann spun it a few times before taking a stance. She kept her knees bent to quickly evade, but didn’t lower herself so much to take on the offensive. She wanted him to come at her so she could just trip him when he least ex-pected it.
Teyr~You don’t know who you’re messing with!
He shouted while he ran at her, daggers drawn. He swung a couple times, and Ann evaded each one with minimal movement. With his last swing, she stepped in close to block his arm and then gave him an open-hand shove backwards
Teyr~You’re not even trying to fight!
Ann~You aren’t either. But I mean, if you want it to be unfair…
He tried slashing down at her because he had a height advantage. She stopped one blade with her kunai and caught the wrist of his other hand.
Teyr~Why isn’t she afraid? How can she hold her own?!
He tried to press down harder with the caught blade. At this point Auron had caught up with her.
Auron~You’ve never toyed with your opponents before. You’re making him think he had a chance.
Ann~I wanted to know how he’d fight.
Auron~End it now or I will.
She rolled her eye but complied. She pulled him by the wrist and made him stumble to the ground. Ann put her kunai away then went to get her things. Teyr was about to get up to attack again until he caught Auron’s eye. He was frozen in place by the glare he gave him. If looks could kill, that would be it.
Auron~Why were you two fighting?
Ann~He was butt-hurt about that recruit in Luca.
They turned to face the northern road when they heard some chocobo chirps. Two giant birds came, and two women dismounted their chocobos when they got close.
Auron~Captain. Nice seeing you again.
Lucil~A pleasure, Sir Auron. It’s Commander now. Teyr, at attention.
He quickly got to his feet, holstering his daggers.
Elma~Teyr, care to explain to us what happened? You ran off before debrief.
Ann~This kid went AWOL to pick a fight with me?
Lucil glared~Teyr, on the chocobo. Stay there.
Teyr reluctantly followed orders without a word. Lucil and Elma stepped closer to Ann and Auron.
Lucil~I apologize on behalf of Teyr. I’ll speak with him and set him straight. Then he’ll apologize to you as well, Sir Auron.
Auron~Don’t bother with me. He got into a scuffle with my daughter.
They both made a shocked noise before turning their attention to Ann. Ann gave them a formal bow.
Ann~My name is Ann. It’s nice to meet you Commander.
Lucil~Likewise. I am Commander Lucil. This is Captain Elma. And you’ve already met Teyr.
Elma~Ann, you fought against Teyr? And you floored him?
Ann~Is that bad? He challenged me because of some recruit who tripped. He insisted.
Elma~Only because he got his a** handed to him by a kid, no offense. You’re probably like, half his age. I think Teyr is about my age. And if this kid is Sir Auron's child and he's never mentioned one before, she's probably on the younger side.
Ann shrugged in agreement.
Lucil~Did he wager anything?
Ann~Recruitment into the Youth League, ma’am. If I beat him, Sir Auron and I are off the table.
Elma~Luckily this wasn’t in Luca. This’d be a bigger mess, huh Commander?
Lucil~It certainly is. And with that wager, it appears we can’t have Ann join and train our recruits now.
Auron~You wouldn’t want her anyway. She played with him first.
Lucil~I remember a guardian doing that too.
Ann~My father knows how to play games?
He gave her a smack.
Ann~Sorry…
Lucil~Will you two continue traveling north on Mi’ihen Highroad?
Auron~We will be. Will you be needing us still?
Lucil~After I’ve spoken to Teyr. Jeno, the one you encountered at Luca, is happy to have met the two of you. He didn’t want anything to escalate, but because he ‘tripped’ he still needed to make a report.
Auron~Of course. Is there anything else?
Lucil~No, that will be all. Safe travels to the both of you.
She and Elma gave a bow before turning their attention to Teyr. They instructed him to run with them as they rode their chocobos back to their post further up the road.
Ann~Did I really do too much by playing with him? I was waiting for you to get closer so it didn’t look like I was just beating up random people.
Auron~No. It’s very you, dear. Come along now.
Ann~I told you not to call me dear.

The two traveled on, Ann staying closer to Auron to avoid any further encounters with zealous recruits. After a while, a traveling cart merchant passed on the other side and flagged them down.
Ann~Can we?
Auron~Go ahead.
She trotted over to view his wares
Merchant~You’re quite a spry young lady.
Ann~I wouldn’t say spry exactly. Oh! I like this charm.
He lifted the charm Ann had been eyeing and pointed at different aspects as he spoke
Merchant~These threads have a story to their color. The black one here was dyed in thunderbug ink, and it took five years for that alchemist to stop dying long enough to collect enough.
Ann giggled and rolled her eye
Merchant~Mighty cute laugh to match the fire in you, dear. Speaking of fire, fire opals were used to dye the red thread. It took three different chants from three monks to bless it at the same time
He ran his finger over the feather at the end of it
Marchant~This charm's feather came from a Midnight chocobo that was so wild it had yielded to only one summoner in its life. And that's because the summoner was so powerful she never needed to call forth an Aeon until her battle with Sin
Ann~And the beads?
Merchant~merely decorative. The real secret is that the charm helps you do incredible feats whether you mean to or not. But because of this chocobo feather it'll play tricks if you get too cocky
Ann~You had me at the alchemist. How much for two?
Merchant~They’re 1000 gil each, but I'll give you both for 1000.
Ann~Make it 500.
Merchant~You drive a hard bargain. It's yours.
He handed Ann two of the charms and Auron reached over her to pay. As the merchant walked off, Ann pulled Auron to her level to tie the charm next to the other one on his shoulder pad.
Auron~You don’t actually believe him, do you?
Ann~Of course not, Daddy. I just…wanted us to match without it being stupid.
Auron~Our scars already match, dear.
She finished tying it then hit him
Ann~Stop calling me dear. Yeah but I think this is nicer. Now I need a spot.
Auron~I have a jacket for you
Ann~It’s too hot for a jacket though. I still don't know how you can wear that thing
Auron~It's the material. The jacket is there when you need it. You can tie it to your sword or pack for now. Or maybe we can thread it into your hair like Yuna.
Ann~Sword. I don't think I can pull of a hair accessory like her
Auron took the other charm and tied it just above the pommel. He made it secure but also easy to remove once she was ready to change its location
Ann~Where did you get the other charm?
Auron~Your mother. She put it on the same way as you
Ann~Nooo…Really?
Auron~Like I keep saying, you're just like her.

After a while of walking since the merchant, Ann paused and squinted at the sky
Ann~Daddy, what do you think of the clouds to the north?
Auron~We might have a storm. It's still some ways out, though, so there might be a chance it won't form.
Ann~Probably better to double time it then?
Auron~We could…But we don’t need to rush. We’ll be fine at this pace if we skip a few breaks.
Ann~You’re right. Too much work to run

They quickened their pace without going into a sprint. Auron kept an eye in the distance to gauge how the storm was forming while making sure Ann didn't push herself too much. He knew she's trained in harsher conditions, but he also knew she was running on pure stamina without chakra to supplement her energy.
Auron~Are you keeping up okay?
Ann~Yeah. I'm okay. We should be there soon, right?
Auron~Hm…Let's stop for just a minute.
Ann~But I'm not tired.
Auron~Yeah, but I'm old, dear.
Ann~Stop being old.
She stopped anyway, catching her breath while Auron didn't show any fatigue.
Auron~Do you need a snack?
Ann~No. Water, please?
He grabbed two bottles from her pack and gave her one.
Auron~We shouldn't be too far now. Maybe another hour or so at this pace.
Ann~You forced me stop by saying you needed to, huh?
She drank her water.
Auron~I don't know what you're talking about. I needed a breather
He drank his water. Ann nudged him and he returned it. They walked on and eventually got to the inn