Vaener, Ausicaa

A sprawling web of cadaverous, gnarled branches hung overhead. Trees merged into shadows, and shadows became trees. On occasion, faint trickles of moonlight managed to slip through the cracks of the thick canopy. Mostly, though, Brenna and her two companions were forced to navigate through the forest in winding, stumbling darkness.

Brenna could barely see more than a few feet in front of her, but the forest didn't frighten her. If anything, the rustling leaves and whistling winds reminded her of home, of Lachsea, of the Sinea Forest where Sorcha was patiently waiting for them.

No, the strangeness and unseen hazards that loomed within this unfamiliar realm didn't scare her—not when there were far more weighty matters on her mind.

Through the creaking trees and prickly brush, Brenna moved quietly, cautiously, daring not to venture too far away from Roshe and Squadron Leader Ariss. She hadn't understood the full extent of the danger they had just escaped until she saw their train go up in flames. Her nerves were still badly shaken. Her mind could barely process the possibility that the three of them might have become burnt piles of ash if not for Squadron Leader Ariss' heroics.

She released an uneasy sigh. The Zan's chilling warning about the House of Givenue echoed over and over again in her head. To think that, once upon a time, she almost married into that treacherous House. She contemplated the possibility that the Givenue family might have played a hand in her mother's death. The thought sickened Brenna as much as it enraged her.

With a heavy heart and a troubled mind, Brenna trudged through the shadowy thicket of the forest. She couldn't see Squadron Leader Ariss' face in the dark, but she could sense him walking beside her and hear the faint crunch of his footsteps on the forest ground. His presence comforted her. She trusted him with her life, and he, in turn, saved her from a most violent and sudden death. Shortly after their train came under attack, Squadron Leader Ariss had then insisted that they needed to find a place to hide from the suspicious-looking men who were encircling the flaming debris.

She agreed with him in full. Brenna suspected that she might very well follow this brave, brilliant boy off a cliff's edge if he believed it would increase their chances for survival. She let him guide them deeper and deeper into the wood. Eventually, they reached a point where only pitch blackness reigned. Brenna couldn't even make out her hand when she held it up to her face. An idea flitted across her mind. Human eyes were as good as blind amidst the absence of light, but a wolf's night vision, on the other hand...

Brenna turned to Roshe and commanded, "Roshe! Come here!"

Obediently, he trotted over to Brenna.

There had been no time to stop when they had been on the run earlier—now, though, appeared to be the perfect opportunity to return the poor creature to his rightful form. In the murk and shadow, Brenna stood upon her tiptoes and used her hands to feel around for Roshe's chest and shoulders and, more specifically, the magical amulet around his neck. Brenna unclasped Sorcha's enchanted relic from his person and slipped the necklace inside her pocket.

The very moment the amulet was removed, a shockingly strong gust of wind burst forth from the ground around Roshe. It was far too dark to see his transformation from man to beast, but, after hearing a sharp yelp and a very distinct lupine howl, Brenna's fingertips made contact with thick, coarse fur, a protruding snout, and a pair of large, pointed ears.

Squadron Leader Ariss' voice cut through the darkness. "What... what are you two doing, Miss Catannach? What is going on over there?"

Roshe barked.

"I removed Roshe's amulet," Brenna explained simply. "He is now a wolf once more."

Squadron Leader Ariss' voice was laced with disbelief. "What!"

"Do not be alarmed, Squadron Leader Ariss. Here. Let me show you!"

The darkness emboldened her. Brenna reached around until she found Squadron Leader Ariss' much larger hand. The surfaces of his palm and fingertips were roughened from military training, but they were nowhere near as scarred or broken as her own mangled appendages. His skin felt warm and soothing to her touch. She guided his hand towards Roshe's furry head. She moved his hand over Roshe's neck and body and bushy tail...

"What in the..."

Squadron Leader Ariss gasped and snatched his hand away.

"Devas take me! Was that... is that a wolf? Did... did Diennae really..."

"Of course it is a wolf! I have told you this many times before. Roshe's amulet was the only reason he appeared human in your eyes. Now, without the spell around his neck, he can be himself once more. My poor pup. He has been so grossly mistreated and misunderstood by everyone these past few months..."

"The amulet... the magic... all of that... is fact? Not... fiction?"

Squadron Leader Ariss sounded deeply perturbed.

Brenna sighed as though talking to a daft child. "It is indeed all factual and not at all fictional."

"Oh, Devas take me..."

He fell silent for a good long while.

Roshe snorted.

Brenna coughed. "Are you... alright, Squadron Leader Ariss?"

He grunted noncommittally. "I..."

"Yes?"

Squadron Leader Ariss seemed to have recovered from his stupor when he, at last, spoke up again, "I think... we need to find a secure location to stay the night. To rest and recuperate. Until the men waiting for us beyond this forest are gone. Then, we must find a way to the nearest town—not Vaener, for our enemies know that we were headed in that direction—so I can try to gain a better understanding of our current predicament. I had hoped it would not come to this, but I may need to reach out to my mother for assistance. Clearly, after what I have seen and heard from a night like this one, it would seem that the scope of our troubles are far too great for you or I to handle on our own."

Brenna nodded even though he couldn see her. "I see. Your plan sounds reasonable enough. Very well. Roshe should be able to help us find a cozy spot somewhere in this forest to rest our eyes for the night..."

Without any warning, Brenna felt Squadron Leader Ariss' hand reach over and close around hers. Her heart fluttered even though, moments ago, she had been the one to grab his hand first. The difference was: Her intent had been for pure and practical purposes—to show him that Roshe had indeed become a wolf again. The manner, however, that Squadron Leader Ariss had interlocked his fingers in between hers didn't feel pure or practical at all. His touch felt intimate.

Perhaps... too intimate?

Brenna blushed wildly, thankful that her embarrassment was cloaked in darkness, as she questioned his intent in halting tones, "Squadron... Leader... Ariss?"

He seemed to know exactly what she was referring to.

Squadron Leader Ariss gave her hand a gentle squeeze and replied, "I do not wish to lose you in the dark, Miss Catannach."

"Ah, y-yes. Of course," she stammered quietly—as though this reason alone would suffice in calming the torrent of butterflies in her stomach.

Roshe set off. They trailed after him. Brenna tried to stay calm, tried not to fixate on her handsome squadron leader, as she walked, hand in hand, alongside him.

Eventually, Roshe guided them to a small clearing in the woods. The overgrown wolf froze in place as his ears perked up to full attention, twitching this and that-a-way, as though listening for threats. Then, he began to sniff around. He surveyed the perimeter for quite some time before finally settling down onto the damp forest floor in a curled up heap, seemingly content with this spot he had chosen for them.

Suddenly, something warm and heavy draped over Brenna's shoulders.

"Please, Miss Catannach, take my blazer," Squadron Leader Ariss offered. "It is cold out tonight. You will not sleep well if you feel chilled."

Brenna felt her cheeks burn even while her insides bubbled with delight. Feeling flustered, she tried to return the article of clothing to him. The last thing she wanted was to become even more of a burden to him.

"No, no! There is no need for you to be so kind, Squadron Leader Ariss, not on my account, and certainly not after everything you have already done for us tonight! May I suggest, instead, for you and I to sleep snugly on either side of Roshe? I assure you, I have dozed beside him many times before in our forest back in Lachsea. He is like a giant blanketed furnace!"

Try as she might, however, Squadron Leader Ariss refused to take back the blazer.

"I must insist. Keep the blazer, Miss Catannach. I was raised to be a gentleman, and I shall not be able to fully rest unless you let me fulfill my duty. I am sure your wolf will keep me warm enough. Let us try to get some rest, then. The challenges awaiting us tomorrow morning will surely require well-rested minds and bodies."

Despite the obvious exhaustion in the boy's voice, there had been a touch of amusement in his tone.

"Thank you, Squadron Leader Ariss."

"You are most welcome, Miss Catannach."

With her head feeling a bit thick and muddled, Brenna withdrew her hand shyly from her squadron leader's grasp and suggested, "I-In that case, why don't we get more, ah... comfortable, then?"

Squadron Leader Ariss chuckled quietly at her comment. "Nothing would please me more than to get more comfortable with you, Miss Catannach."

Brenna's breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat sped up. Word for word, there didn't appear to be anything terribly inappropriate about Squadron Leader Ariss' response, but something about his delivery seemed to insinuate...

Otherwise?

If the act of holding hands with her squadron leader had cast Brenna in a flurry, then the idea of sleeping beside the green-eyed boy was now sending her into a state of complete disarray. She took in a deep breath, gulped, and forced herself to relax. To be more at ease. It was time to stop thinking like a ninny and go to sleep. Squadron Leader Ariss was right. Tomorrow's trials and tribulations would surely test their stamina and resolve.

She laid down next to Roshe. Squadron Leader Ariss attempted to do the same. However, every time the boy approached Roshe, he would be met with snarling, snapping jaws full of sharp teeth and fangs. In the end, Brenna was forced to lie between the two males as a peacekeeping barrier, with her front facing Roshe and back to her squadron leader. With Squadron Leader Ariss' blazer wrapped around her, Brenna snuggled close to Roshe's warm, furry form and was careful to not make any bodily contact with her squadron leader. As the minutes passed, she heard Squadron Leader Ariss's teeth chattering slightly.

He must be freezing, Brenna thought to herself in dismay.

Almost inaudibly, she whispered, "If you... if you want to come closer... I would not mind."

"Are you sure, Miss Catannach?"

"Yes."

Immediately, she felt a hard male body press up behind her back. His arm draped loosely over her torso as he sidled up to her for warmth. At first, Brenna grew tense. He was so very close to her. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her back. More minutes passed. She began to unwind. Contrary to her earlier anxieties, it actually wasn't awkward or uncomfortable to be sandwiched between two warm male bodies on a night as chilly as this one. To blazes with propriety! It wasn't like anyone could see them right now, anway.

The day's brutal events had indeed worn on Brenna. A bone-weary slumber overtook her the moment she closed her eyes.