Ildri hid in her room for the rest of the day, although she tried not to think of it as such. She set herself to making potions to keep herself busy. She still needed the bloody starflowers to make the tester potion, too because they had been dropped on the ground when Saul had attacked Allan. She made a few ignition potions because they could be tested easily without it. Then she decided to write a letter to Maxine. The woman deserved to know that he was safe.

Dear Maxine,

I do not want to mention too much in this letter, but I am writing you to let you know that our mutual friend is well and safe. He is here at Wildwood while he recovers from his ordeal.

How are you faring? Since my return to Wildwood there have been a great many rumours of what the war is doing to the countryside. I really hope that you are safe.

I know that there is little chance that you can at this point, but I am certain that Lord Wildwood will welcome you if you wish to come to Wildwood. It would be wonderful to see you if you could make it.

Ildri

As ridiculous as she knew it was, she spent the next few days avoiding Ty. She had missed him so much, but that was before she knew it was not meant to be. And it was depressing. Depressing to see him, yet just as depressing to avoid him.

What Ildri could not avoid was more news about troop movements and battles and all manners of rumours of wars. It seemed to be all that anyone in the castle wanted to talk about. And Ildri wanted to know, too, but it became the same thing over and over, the fear and the utter helplessness of the common inhabitants. They were safe at Wildwood, but even all the preparations and magic of the lord seemed as if it would eventually be rendered futile. It was as if they all knew that they were trapped in a safe corner and there would be only one way out.

But as hopeless as the mood of the castle became, Ildri never quite lost hope. Her life had been negative and hopeless before, but things had always gotten better. And Ildri knew that Lord Wildwood would do whatever it took to keep them safe. There were still many great and capable people free and loyal to the king. She was certain; she only had to look to her own castle to see. Chef and her husband were wizards, Allan could also do some magic in the arts of war. Lady Theresa had learned much since her marriage. Ty was within the walls, and he would never stop fighting for what he believed, she was certain. And then there was Ildri.

Ildri was more capable and independent than she had ever been. She would support the fight, too, and do what she must. She had, with a larger company of soldiers, been allowed to collect the herbs and plants she needed. Sir Allan had even brought her some starflowers a couple of days after she had returned.

Wildwood was busy, but at the same time it was held in a tense stasis.

* * * * *

Ildri was walking through the great entryway with Keziah on her shoulder when she heard a familiar voice.

"Ildri. Stop avoiding me. I want to talk to you."

Ildri spun around to see Ty standing with his arms crossed. She had not even heard him come up behind her. "Ty—I mean, my lord!" Keziah shrieked. Farrel stood patiently behind Ty, watching through intent golden eyes.

"I've had enough of this 'my lord' this and 'my lord that'. Ty is fine."

"Well, yes, but..."

"No. You will listen to me. I tire of the way you keep jumping around me as you have not done since the first night when... Do you fear me now, Ildri?" he asked.

"No, of course not, but..."

"If you know who I am now, then you also know that I am no heir! I'm not even the spare son! The duchy will not come to me, so if that is what your problem is—"

"My problem! I don't have a problem, my lor—"

"Enough of this, we will go and talk somewhere quietly until we reach an understanding, Ildri," he said in such a commanding tone that she gritted her teeth. He had not the slightest idea of what concerned her and he demonstrated it with such unintended alacrity. Her seldom exercised temper suddenly flared up. Keziah shrieked again and flared her wings.

"No. You are not my lord, and you cannot command me like this, yet you try! Since I met you, you have been dragging me about without any regard for what I think. I won't have it!" she snapped and then immediately regretted it. What had gotten into her? But the words could not be recalled.

"I understand," Ty said, looking more angry than Ildri thought he had any right to look under the circumstances. She heard Farrel loose a low, frustrated growl behind Ty. He whirled around and stalked away. Farrel looked back with what almost appeared to be a disappointed expression.

Ildri fled towards her room and could feel tears threatening. She did not want anyone to see, so she turned into the library. She scurried to the back and crumpled to the floor.

After a while Ildri wiped her eyes and leaned back. She looked at Keziah, who had been watching her quietly. "Why is it always like this, Keziah? I'm tired of being alone, and that's how I always end up. I didn't think I was asking for that much."

"Pretty lady," Keziah said in a soft whistle.

And then there was the sound of the door as someone entered the library. Ildri did not want anyone to see her with her face still puffy. "Be quiet, Keziah," she whispered. The bird made no noise, so she took it as a sign of hopeful agreement.

Ildri could hear the creak of wood as someone sat in one of the armchairs. She wondered how long they would remain and wished she had just made herself known. She could not say anything now, because she would look foolish, or as if she was spying.

The person on the other side of the bookshelves was silent but for the occasional noise of a page flipping. How long would Ildri be forced to remain hidden?

Perhaps she could emerge and pretend that she had been reading. It would be a convincing story. She could pretend to be surprised another was in the library, and then say that she must have been so caught up in her reading that she had not heard them enter.

Ildri reached for a magic tome as the door opened again.

"Theresa!" squealed a high, female voice.

"Daphne! What are you doing here? You should not have come!" Ildri heard Lady Theresa reply.

"I had to come. Thomas was coming and I did not want to sit there waiting at home. I convinced him that Wildwood is safer than his parent's estate, and that was all it took," Lady Daphne said, sounding quite pleased.

"You manage him well," Lady Theresa said, and both ladies giggled together.

Lady Theresa spoke again. "But look at you! Either you've been eating more than normal—and I've never known you to do that, or Lillie is going to have a cousin!"

"Or both..." Lady Daphne said in a soft embarrassed voice. There was a flurry of movement and Ildri heard the thud of a dropped book.

"Oh, Daphne! I'm so happy for you. Look at us; we've both got everything we could want. But this bloody war..." Lady Theresa's voice fell. "Listen to me. We've got to get you settled in. Come along, Daphne. You should be comfortable. Oh, I'm going to be an aunt!"

Ildri heard the door open and close, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She waited a few more minutes, and fled to her room.

* * * * *

Ildri was in the midst of making a potion that would cloak magic in other potions when a brisk knock sounded on her outer door. She left the potion sitting and moved to answer it.

"Sir Allan?" she asked in surprise. He was hardly the type to come to talk to her in her room. He barely ever even came inside the castle.

"I've someone here who would like to see you," he said.

And then she stepped out. "Maxine!" Ildri cried and she threw herself forward and hugged her friend and mentor.

"You look well," Maxine said with a wide smile on her beautiful face. "I hear you have had many more adventures since we last saw each other."

"Hardly adventures," Ildri corrected. "But I didn't think you'd be able to come here! I didn't think you would!"

"Well, there were a fair number of good reasons in your letter, Ty not being the least of them. He's like the son I always wanted, well perhaps not. He gave his parents a few grey hairs, let me tell you. I don't need those. Bad for business. But I do care for him greatly."

"How did you get here?" Ildri asked.

Maxine's smile was both serene and enigmatic. "Let's just say that I came out of retirement."

"What?"

"Never mind that, dear. I've already had a talk with your Lord Wildwood and he has agreed that it would be beneficial for everyone concerned if I stayed for a time and helped guard this castle against outside threats."

"But what about your home?"

"It's just a house. Perhaps it was my prison, in a way. But I brought along the most important things," Maxine said, and glanced behind her. One of the rabbits poked out her head.

"Oh, Missus White is going to love this," Ildri said.

"Missus White again? I thought I heard Lord Wildwood muttering something about that name. I really must meet her."

"You don't want to do that," Ildri said, and Allan shook his head.

"Well, on that pleasant note I will leave you ladies to it," Allan said.

"I'll see you tonight," Maxine said to him.

"Until then, Maxine."

Ildri glanced between Maxine and Allan's departing back. "Have you and Allan... uh, reconciled your differences?"

Maxine smiled. "I suppose that you could say so."

Ildri grinned for Maxine, but once again she felt that slight, marring pang of what she did not have.

"Show me what you've been doing here, and we'll get to work," Maxine said, and Ildri showed the way to her workroom.

Maxine took a good look at what Ildri's work. "You've been doing well," she said, and Ildri felt a sense of accomplishment. Maxine said things kindly but generally did not say what she did not mean. "Now, what about you and Ty?"

"What about me and Ty?" Ildri asked stiffly.

"I hear you saved him."

"That's mostly an exaggeration. Really I only freed the person who freed him," Ildri protested.

"And yourself."

"It was mostly an accident."

"But still. But more importantly, have you and Ty talked about anything?"

"We've talked about many things," Ildri said with a forced smile.

Maxine rolled her eyes at Ildri in a show of exasperation. "You know what I mean. Your relationship. Your feelings."

"I really don't want to talk about that," Ildri said.

"Ildri..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Maxine."

"Very well, then," Maxine agreed although Ildri had a suspicion that the topic had not been truly laid to rest. Maxine glanced at Keziah who was perched and seemed to be pretending not to watch the intruder while staring intently. "So would this be the familiar I've already heard so much about?"

"Yes. But don't get too close or she might bite you," Ildri cautioned.

"Whatever sort of bird is she?" Maxine asked.

"A parrot. Things were rough at first, but I think she's starting to do as I ask, more."

"Bloody lady mess," Keziah announced.

"Don't feel bad, she doesn't like anyone at first. I don't think she knows what she says all the time," Ildri explained.

"Doesn't like bloody lady," Keziah repeated.

Maxine eyed the bird. "I think she has a good idea, maybe," Maxine said, although she looked amused more than anything at the insult.

Ildri shook her head helplessly. "So maybe we should start..?"

* * * * *

Ildri and Maxine began to work out a plan for what potions they were going to make, and then they had the twins help them with the work.

"I'm a wizard, not a bloody warlock," complained Damani. "I should be raining fire and lightening on their heads, not mixing potions like an old granny! These are the blokes that made Anya's life so hard and got her banished! They will taste my vengeance!"

"You're too young to fight that way, Damani." Kallie crossed her arms.

"No, I'm not!"

"That's not what Lord Wildwood said," Kallie said smugly.

Damani scowled. "Fine! You know the only reason I do what she says is so that she shuts up, right?" he muttered to Ildri. She just smiled and wondered what it might be like to have a brother.

Between the four of them potion making was more efficient than ever, and before long every soldier of Wildwood had a magical arsenal. Even the servants were given a few potions to carry on their persons just in case an attack broke through the defences.

Maxine had hinted that they might be wise to petition Ty for assistance, but Ildri ignored the pointed references. A distraction like that was the last thing she needed.