Polished white breastplates, red silks, light packing of only the most essential supplies one would need for battle.

Other equipment would be taken with the marching force to the unclaimed Wyldes and beyond. Wherever Baeleon could encounter DuVarick's soldiers.

Thain helped me buckle my armor securely in front of the mirror in my room. Spaudler leaned against a wall, talking softly to Nassir. Puko watched the room from the balcony where he could perch and preen his feathers. Schula sprawled on my bed, going through each item I would bring with me and surprisingly uninhibited by her armor.

"Do you need the jars with the black tops?" Schula asked.

"Those are salvs for burns. I know you fae heal quickly, but-"

"But still good to have. Got it." Schula rifled around a few more of my tings, the light clink of glasses and ceramics bumping each other as she looked.

"I did have that packed you know." I looked at her reflection in the mirror and she gave me a sly wink.

"I'll put it back, I'm just curious." And she started doing just that, her swift fingers wrapping each item in the cloth pouches and bags they belong in.

"Bored, more like it," Spaulder chuckled. "The younglings always fidget before a battle."

"I am over five hundred years old thank you," Schula huffed.

That only made Nassir, Spaulder, and Thain chuckle harder. Schula rolled her eyes and latched the buckle on my bag.

"You're all packed, Wren. I'm going downstairs to see if Wairen has anything tasty to eat." Schula flicked her long white hair over her shoulder and left, shooting me and only me a warm smile as she did.

"She doesn't take to teasing well," Thain said.

"I had noticed on our travels," Nassir mused.

Spaulder shrugged. "I cannot help it. She makes it too easy and her expressions are amusing."

I sighed and Thian fixed the last piece of armor over my bright red silks

"There," his low voice rumbled in my ear. "You're all ready."

He patted my back, and his thumb brushed against the chain on the back of my neck. He met my eyes in the mirror and gave me the slightest smile as I blushed.

I walked to the bed to grab my small bag, still larger than any of the others here. Spaulder didn't even carry anything with him. He wore a scarleet tunic that Schula had found him on Pearl street and the loose pants in the Sulls style that we had brought with us.

"How far before we find conflict?" I asked.

"I would be surprised if we go more than a few days without it," Thain answered.

"What of the chain of command?" Spaulder asked. "Do we fight as warriors or do we fight as soldiers the way the humans do?"

Thain's eyes narrowed slightly at Spaulder. "If I knew what you truly were, Spaulder, I would have an answer for you."

That amused Spaulder greatly, and he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest. "Soon, dark one."

Nassir cleared his throat, hiding his amusement. "Unless the tactics of fae warfare have deviated greatly in my... time away from court, I believe the king will call only general commands to us. He will likely have a small number of directly commanded units, but the greater bulk of a fae army is typically as chaotic as we are."

Spaulder cracked a toothy grin. "Good."

Footsteps racing up the stairs had all of us turning to the door as Schula burst in.

"Eberon is here!" she announced. "It's time to meet the march."

We slipped through the doorway one at a time, Puko swooping from his perch on the balcony and landing on myshoulder. I reached up and absently scratched the feathers on his chest. To calm him or to calm me I couldn't say.

Wairen waved us off, appearing feminine today as they did so. Thain stopped to whisper something to them, and then we left.

Outside Thain's front gate was a stallion. A roan coat with white around the hooves, tail, and nose. It stood unbothered by the flood of strangers coming toward it, and it's sides were flagged in scarlet banners.

Eberon sat on top in clothes that matched Thain's perfectly, and I wondered if Eberon or lady Yevaron were the ones to have them made in the first place.

"Eberon," Thain smiled and clasped hands with his triquetram on the horse. "I see Hellwind is coming with us."

Eberon smiled fondly and patted the horse on the neck. "He is. After his great grandsire died I had doubts that I'd see another like him from the line."

Spaulder had kept to the back of our group, but when Hellwind caught scent of him the horse edged away slightly, eyes rolling to see what preditor was near.

Thain and Eberon shared a look, then looked to Spaulder in unison.

"What could a fae bread horse possibly smell on you to turn skiddish?" Eberon murmured.

Spaulder just smiled, shrugging.

Thain sighed, walking to one of Eberon's saddle bags and pulling out an apple, tossing it to Spaulder.

"You had best make friends now, because we have a long way to go for you to be scaring off the horses," Thain said.

Spaulder took the apple and offered it to Hellwind, amused more than anything else. But the horse finally accepted the treat, sniffing at Spaulder's hand and quickly nabbing it before either of them changed their minds.

"Alright then," Eberon sighed. "Let's go, we're expected at the gate."

We walked as a group, Thain in front and Eberon in back. I held near the back with Eberon to satisfy my curiosity.

"Eberon," I started, "Do the fae bring horses into battle? I know humans do, and for good reasons, but I can't see the advantage for a fae."

Eberon gave me a wink. "To battle? No. To camp? Yes. We breed them with a sensitivity to many of the unseely things the Wyldes have to offer, they make alert sentinals and hearty supply carriers on a campaign. We do not take them to battle though."

"Mm." We walked in peaceful quiet the rest of the way down the street, but when the quiet road spilled onto a busy branch of Thanantholl's main paths, the noise began.

Other fae dawning armor and bold scarlet attire were making their way to the main gate as well. Some eyes wandered to our group, lingering on me, Schula, Nassir, and Spaulder.

I ignored the stares and whispers as best as I could as we merged with the rest of the scarlet clad bodies heading to the gate.

The sun hadn't been up long at all when we reached the front of the city. A crowd was already gathered. Groups of horses and carts and armored fae stood in clusters. The more official guards of the Autumn lands were in order around Baeleon. I spotted Uldur and his unit, including Yaz and Heyra.

Baeleon was dressed as wildly as he had been before in his armored war skirt and little else. His polished trident glinting against the morning sun. When he saw our party in the crowd, he beconed us over.

"So much for a casual march with friends," Schula murmured. "We'll have to be on our best behavior now."

"I think I will remain back here," Spaulder said. "Until I am needed."

"I will join you," Nassir said. 

"Caw!" Puko flapped himself off of my shoulder and into Nassir's arms.

"Traitor," I grumbled to the bird as Nassir chuckled.

"Let's go," Eberon said, urging Hellwind forward. 

Thain, Eberon, Schula, and I earned a wide berth from the crowd. They were happy to part, and stare, and allow us to approach the king and his circle of fae. 

I recognized many of the fae who were advising him over maps and reports when we first arrived in Thanantholl. More than a few of them were assessing me and Schula, and a few of them looked openly resentful of us. For being in the position opposite DuVarick? For bringing war to the Wyldes? For being honored next to the king? It was hard to say.

Thain and Eberon were the first to reach him. Eberon dismounted and led his horse on foot rather than approach a king from horseback. 

"Thinalan, Eberon." Baeleon grinned, a feral gleam in his eye as he clapped a hand on each of his warriors's shoulders. "My champions of battle. I need you once again."

"It will be our honor to put a stop to DuVarick's disruptions in the Wyldes," Eberon said diplomatically.

"And, our pleasure." Thain bared his fangs in a sharp grin as wild as Baeleon's. 

The king chuckled, his eyes moving over Thain's broad shoulders to spot Schula and I joining them.

"And you two, the Autumn court's newest Triquetram," Baeleon said. Thain and Eberon parted, looking over their shoulders to see us. 

"Thank you for your support, my king," Schula said, bowing her head slightly. "It makes our quest to stop DuVarick all the more likely to succeed." 

Baeleon's rumbling laugh echoed in the trees around the group of fae. 

"I have no doubt in my mind you and the Wylde witch would have taken him on with or without my help," Baeleon said, then his face turned serious. "But he cannot be allowed to treat my people as he did. To treat his own triquetram that way is..."

Baeleon shook his head, and I noticed the slight motion of his hands, his long fingers gently stroking each of his obsidian thumb rings. 

"His poorest people live in conditions nearly as bad as mine when I was in his dungeons," I said quietly. "Only his soldiers seemed to live well. Even his nobility were suspiciously cautious around him."

Baeleon nodded darkly. "Enough reflection, Wylde witch. It is time we moved out." Baeleon lifted his head and roared into the woods around us. "Warriors of Thanantholl, hear your king's cry!"

Schula quickly slipped her hand in mine, knowing what was about to happen as I looked around wide-eyed.

The fae around us lifted what they had. Weapons, hands, staves, and roared their answer. My heart drummed with the unexpected shouting. Fangs, thorns, scales, glowing fae, fae with feathers, fae with devilish laughter.

But quickly the shouts were replaced by thumping. Deep, rhythmic thumping. A few drums scattered through the crowd added to it, and Baeleon cackled wickedly as he turned and began marching to the beat. 

A hoard. There was no other description for it as I stared wide-eyed at the fae around us. Glamours falling away, the most feral and beastial forms of Thanantholl marching, stomping, banging weapons. A revalrie of war.

I was swept up in the marching with little chance to even look back through the stretch of fae to where I might find comfort from Spaulder, my third. And Nassir still carried Puko with him, hopefully keeping the poor fat bird from being squashed.

My eyes drifted to Thain and Eberon. Even their glamour was fading and I once again saw the sharp beast that was Thain's viscious war form as we marched along.

To the beat of Baeleon's court, and into the thrall.