The moment I locked eyes with my father stood still as though we had all of time to reconnect.

A heartbeat later, we were all thrust into action as our immanent future weighed down on the situation.

Nassir coughed lightly and I snapped out of my initial shock, running to his side. The horse my father rode was not so tall that I couldn't reach up and take one of Nassir's hands as Kaldor and Fandor quickly tired to ease the old fae's suffering.

"What happened to him?" I asked, my fingers already working on the small cuts of his hand and wrist. His eyes remained closed, either unconscious or in pain or both.

"We were skirting an area where DuVarick's army was pursuing something. I did not know at the time that it was Nassir," Kaldor began explaining.

Mila grunted, coming up next to me with Puko on her shoulder. "More like we were running away ourselves. But to answer your question, this one caused a landslide to escape his pursuers." 

I gasped, my eyes running over Nassir's cuts and scrapes. Many of them were already healing thanks to his fae blood, but there was such an overwhelming amount that his body must be ready to give out by now. And that was just the damage I could see on the surface.

"He did indeed evade the Winter court," Fandor added in his soft tones. "But as you can see, it was not without price."

"We pulled him free and the witches tried to patch him up as best as they could while we fled. It wasn't long ago, but he should be brought somewhere to rest," Kaldor said.

"And a better examination," Purda added. "He is fine for now, though we could do more for him in a better circumstance."

I scooted over and made room for the old healer to see Nassir, but she just shook her head. "Not here, child. Where have you set up this encampment you wrote of?"

"Yes, I just came from it." I turned to point the direction I had come from. "It's over..."

My hand fell as I saw the figures emerging from the trees. Thain and Teyber had come after me, and it looks like they just arrived. The serious look on Thain's face shouldn't have been anything unusual, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and goosebumps crawled across my arms. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure about the situation to come.

"Thainalan the Ravager," Fandor murmured. "After all this time, he yet lives."

Kaldor didn't take his eyes off of Thain. The gaunt look on his face gave way to sudden worry as my chest tightened. I had already talked to Thain about the elves, but I hadn't considered what Thain might mean to them. Baeleon's weapon would most certainly have been a force on the battlefield against them.

Fandor looked to me curiously, then to Kaldor. "Are we sure this is wise?"

Kaldor's eyes remained on Thain the whole time as the silence stretched while he chose his next words. Eventually he sighed, urging his horse to walk forward slowly.

"No, but we are already here. And..." my father turned his warm eyes to me. "If my daughter trusts him, I will too."

It helped ease my nerves a little, but I looked over my shoulder while I walked next to the horses. So many more had come. More elven children had come, now marveling at the lands that should have been their other home in the first place. The lands they know their ancestors were forced out of or slaughtered for. There were even more of them than there were witches, these numbers would bolster our forces immensely, and the magic of the witches with the element of surprise at the elven children would be a huge benefit.

But the thing that really stung about looking over the numbers of fighters from Eidelhein was that I could see myself in them. Lost. Torn in two by heritage and nature. Even if they didn't realize it on the surface, they were probably overloaded by the magical nature here. Eidelhein had a mild version of it, but there was something about the air in the Wyldes that made my blood...thrive. Did these people know it too? Did they even notice it? I had been told that few elves have magic, but I wondered if the Wyldes could awaken more like me.

We made our way down the slope to Thain and Teyber. The captain was murmuring something to Thain, but I couldn't make out what. Thain just remained still, ever watching.

"Lord Kaylor, Lord Fandor," Teyber greeted once we were close enough, then frowned. "What has happened to Nassir?"

Kaldor gave a strained smile. "A landslide of his own making."

"We need a safe place to aid him further," Mila said. "And much to discuss, I would assume."

Teyber looked to Thain, placing a hand on the big fae's shoulder. "If you have something to say, speak now."

Thain's expression was still as stone, but his silver eyes slid from Fandor to Kalor. Then, he did something I didn't expect at all as he stepped forward and put an arm across his chest as I had seen the guards in Thanantholl do for higher ranking warriors.

"The soldier does not ask his sword if it wishes to cut, he merely wields it as he wishes." Thain kept his sights on Fandor, waiting for some kind of response.

The old elf was still on his horse, watching Thain carefully. "And which way does your master point you now, Thainalan the Ravager?"

Thain's eyes closed as he spoke. "Baeleon is dead. King Eberon seeks only an end to DuVarick and Bara Khalja."

"And of the banishment?" Kalor asked. "We will not leave until the threat is gone, and our children here are not a part of the old war."

"The elves are not currently a concern of the Autumn court, beyond which way they wield their spears," Than answered.

Fandor and Kalor both relaxed their shoulders. Fandor was gentler when he next spoke. "I see. It has been...millennia. We do not have the luxury to dwell on it now, what is important is getting Nassir help and fortifying where we will stand."

"Then come," Teyber said, showing the path back. "It will be rough for the horses but it isn't far. Down the forest and across the stream."

Kalor's eyes widened. "Are you...?"

Teyber smiled. "The city is no more I'm afraid. But we did end up here for a reason."

Fandor nodded, nudging his mare into action. "Then we make haste. Nassir can be made more comfortable and we have...much to discuss."

That moved everyone into action. The witches, ever the observers they were, were content to let tensions unfold between the elves and the fae. I caught Mila's eye and smiled, Gilly was next to her waving furiously. It warmed my heart to have them back with me, and to see them on our side against the enemy. But it wasn't them I moved to as we began walking.

I looked from my father to Teyber, moving to walk close enough to the captain of the scouts to speak to him. "You knew they were coming?"

Teyber grinned sheepishly. "I did. A lot has happened in Eidelhein since you left."

"I see," I murmured. "Will it really be okay? There are a lot of Autumn fae down there, and the elven children are one thing, but Fandor and Father-"

"Will be alright," Thain asserted. I felt the warmth of him at my back even before turning my head. I had to keep an eye on the groundcover for fear of tripping in the forest, but I was glad to have a glimpse of the midnight fae behind me.

Teyber clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he spoke. "Let's get this over with then. I still have much to do."

And so, we went back to the encampment to meld two more factions into our resistance.

~

The assimilation of the witches and elves into our ranks was...loud. The Autumn court had very mixed reactions to Kalor and Fandor. Those who didn't have a problem with the banished elves instead had a problem with the witches. Suspicion and subtle accusations were flying by the time Thain waded into the fray and shut the fae up. And those that disliked both the elves and the witches were the loudest of all.

It was quite a period of cooling off, or so I was told. Instead of being in the middle of it, I was settling Nassir onto a bed we made for him. Schula was startled but jumped into action to help. Spaulder's angry presence was more than enough to scare away any fae who dared bother the witches as several of us got to work easing Nassir's pain.

"Have you any prepared salves, Wren?" Purda asked, kneeling by Nassir and running her fingers over a scrape on his neck.

"I will bring everything I have over here," I said, standing up.

"We need to make this space a better infirmary," Mila grunted, Puko looking over her shoulder. "Unless there is another space to be used. These will not the the only bodies that need treatment before this war is over."

I shivered at her words.

"We won't get anything done with all this squabbling," another witch muttered nearby.

'You are right, wise ones,' Spaulder answered, then lifted his head high.

I barely had time to cover my ears before he roared, shaking the trees close by and disrupting the arguments that had taken over the main field.

Most eyes drifted our way, and Schula took the initiative to stand up and get things done. Probably best, as the fae were weary of the witches and the elves. And I was half of each.

"We need to get a structure going here for the injured, not just Nassir but all who will need it in the coming battle!" She shouted, and a few scouts and fae looked hesitant, the rest bewildered.

"Well, go on!" Teyber barked after his people. "You heard her! Get an infirmary going now!"

Thain didn't say anything out loud, but he gave a few of his fae a sharp look that spurred them into action.

"Come, child," Mila took my elbow and steadied herself. Show me this place you've found. Show me all of it."

I shot Purda a concerned look, but the old healer just waved me off. "Go, he is not near death, just exhausted and scratched up. We have the means to ease him."

"I'm staying with Spaulder," Schula said. "But call out if anyone gives you trouble. Stars know I'll find you."

I gave her a soft smile. "Thank you, and Spaulder, thank you too. For earlier."

The great dragon acted indifferent, but his chest was already making that rumbling sound that he made when he was pleased with himself. I held back a smile and began to walk with Mila.

"The city that once stood here is long gone. The stones were scattered to the winds, either through the nature of the unclaimed Wyldes or the actions of the fae courts. But some of the lsot city still remains underground."

We reached the entrance to the room I had been staying in and I pulled open the hatch. "Cellars, rooms beneath the ground level. There is even a tomb we fear Bara Khalja is after."

Mila's eyes darkened as she stroked Puko's feathers. "Bara Khalja. You said in your letter that he was this warlock that has been aiding the winter king."

I nodded, walking down the stairs to collect my supplies to take to Purda. Coming back up the stairs with my bags in hand, Mila closed the door behind me.

"What else is here that I need to know of, child?" Mila asked.

I bit my lower lip, looking around and trying to remember. "The elves and fae have already begun setting up a safe parameter in the tree line. Wait."

I looked over to the room we used as Teyber's main office. "This way!"

Speeding up, I walked as fast as I could while still allowing Mila to keep up. I was barely to the door when a scout opened it for us to enter. "There's a mural here that you need to see. I finally found it, the last piece of the puzzle of the barrier to the Wyldes."

Mila followed me inside. There was almost no one else there as Teyber had his hands very full with the current additions to the encampment. I dropped my things on the table and rushed over to the wall.

The old witch followed my steps, her hard eyes staring at the images before her. She didn't say a word as she swept her fingers across the delicate images that had somehow survived the test of time.

"There are yet missing pieces of our history in the Wyldes, Wren," Mila murmured, sweeping her ancient eyes to mine when she was done at the mural. "We must show the others once we are settled."

"I have the books too," I said. "I can show you the entries that gave me other clues to the barrier."

Mila nodded, now looking at me with a softer expression than before. She kept one shoulder steady for Puko, but she reached out and gently took my hands in hers. "You have done well, Wren. Lark would be so proud of you. You carry yourself as a true witch, and once the dust on this war has settled, you deserve more training."

I grimaced. "What about Gelwyn?"

"Gelwyn's role is to start the witchlings of the valley on their path, but it is your masters who decide what to do with you once you've mastered your first crafts. It was all we could give you before you left us, but you have reached a crossroads where you can continue with our ways or..."

Mila went silent, and I squeezed her hands. "Or what? What is my other path?"

She sighed, dropping my hands. "I wish I could tell you, child. You are more than we could have imagined. So much more, and the paths before you seem endless. I'm afraid it will be something you need to figure out for yourself once our business here is done."

I frowned. I expected something cryptic from Mila as it was in her nature, but it still wasn't helpful.

"Come, child," she urged. "Let us join our sisters. We have preparations to make, the Winter court will not be delayed by the landslide forever."

I nodded. "You're right. Let's go, Mila."

And we went back up the stairs to prepare for battle.