Eisa hurried along the path that would bring her back to the Lily Garden. Her mind was anywhere but the trail in front of her. She was focused on the papers she was holding and the hours of work she had ahead of her. In fact, she was so distracted that when she stepped into a shallow rut, she nearly fell.

“Oh,” Eisa gasped. Then she blinked when she realized that something had stopped her from falling. She looked down to find strong arms wrapped around her, keeping her upright. She adjusted her glasses and steadied herself.

“Th-thank you,” she said, looking up to see who had saved her. Her cheeks warmed. “Captain Muller!”

Leif favored her with a smile. “Good day, Guardsman Anderson,” he said, inclining his chin slightly. “You should be more careful.”

“I – I will be,” Eisa promised. Then she watched as he turned away and disappeared into the trees. She released a long breath and then smiled faintly as she turned back down the path to continue on her way.