The artwork above is not mine.

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    The sun was sinking low in the sky by the time Rowan announced they'd be making camp. Nascha practically fell off the horse. Her entire body ached from the constant jolting of the past several hours. Lysandra shifted back into herself and swiped a satchel from Aedion's mount. She linked her arm through Nascha's, tugging her away from the males.

    "Where are you going?" Aedion called.

    "To clean ourselves up," Lysandra replied.

    "You're going with her alone? I don't think that's a good idea."

    "Yes, alone. I haven't had a moment of privacy since we left Wendlyn, and I doubt Nascha fancies the idea of one of you watching us."

    Nascha bared her teeth with a growl. "Absolutely not."

    "Modest?" Fenrys teased, onyx eyes glittering.

    "You have half an hour, or we'll come looking for you," Rowan interrupted, before Nascha could reply. He fixed his gaze on her. "You won't make it back to Suria in half an hour, no matter how fast you fly."

    Nascha merely lifted her chin proudly and followed Lysandra into the surrounding thicket. She let out a sigh of relief once the males were out of sight. "I'm glad I escaped when Maeve sent them after me. I don't think I could have survived being around them for the past nine years."

    "They're not so bad once you get used to them," Lysandra replied. Nascha flashed her a disbelieving look. "They're infuriating, but they're good males. They just don't trust you."

    "And you do?"

    "No. Not yet, but I trust myself."

    "I only trusted my family."

    "What happened to you after Adarlan conquered Terrasen? We were only given a brief history about your family."

    Nascha pursed her lips, debating how much to reveal to the Lady. Presently, the burble of a stream filled the air. Nascha could barely see it through the spreading darkness. She reached into her well of magic, grasping a tendril of starlight. Lysandra tensed instantly.

    "Relax," Nascha said, rolling her eyes. She waved her hand, casting starlight over a small portion of the stream, illuminating it in a soft silver glow. "I'm just making it easier for us to see what we're doing. And, if the males come looking for us, I suppose it will help them too."

    Lysandra set her satchel down and pulled out a few items. "Use whatever you like." She unbraided her long brown hair and shucked off her clothes before wading into the stream.

    Nascha followed suit. However, she took her soiled clothes and cleaned them as best as she could, spreading them out to dry before jumping into the stream. She ducked her head below the cold water and smoothed it back. Nascha approached the rock where Lysandra had set her comb and soaps.

    She took her time sniffing the different scents and finally decided on pomegranate. She combed her fingers through her hair, working up a thick lather. "Zeno and I only stayed in Arcelia a few months after Mother, Father, and Van left to fight Adarlan's forces," Nascha said at last.

    "After we received word of their deaths and reports on Adarlan's location, we fled from Arcelia along with hundreds of our people. I don't know where the people went. Most of them intended to resettle Arcelia once the danger was gone. Zeno knew we wouldn't have that opportunity. Adarlan's forces would have killed us or forced us to swear allegiance to them. Zeno and I hurried to a port and boarded a ship to Wendlyn. We hid in Aklease for two years."

    "Towards the end of our second year in Aklease, Maeve sent her blood-sworn after us. Zeno tried to give me time to escape, but Fenrys' brother killed him. Fenrys was chasing after me while the others dealt with Zeno. Fenrys caught up to me and..."

    Nascha trailed off, lifting her left leg out of the water. Lysandra tilted her head, studying the brutal scar left behind by Fenrys' teeth. "I fought him off and stowed away on a ship bound for the Southern Continent. I've been there for the past nine years, freeing slaves and sharpening my skills."

    She rinsed her hair swiftly and scrubbed the dirt and grime off her skin. "I heard about the war. I knew Aelin was coronated. I knew someone would eventually come looking for me. Still, I suppose I hoped you'd all think I was dead and leave me alone."

    "Why?" Lysandra asked.

    "I returned to Wendlyn and went to Doranelle to see for myself if it was true," Nascha continued, not answering her question. "I meant to go back to the Southern Continent, but when I went through Aklease and saw what all was going on there, I had to stay and do something."

    "Vaughan also returned to Doranelle after the war. He said he heard rumors of someone matching your description wandering around the ports of  Wendlyn. He decided to investigate and found you. He's had spies on your trail ever since, which was how we know where to find you," Lysandra explained.

    Nascha blinked in surprise. "Vaughan has been spying on me? Who did he hire? They must've been good if I didn't notice them."

    "I have no idea. We spoke to a Human man in Aklease, but I didn't get a good look at his face or learn his name."

    "Was Vaughan Maeve's spymaster?"

    Lysandra shrugged, returning to the shore. She crossed her arms and waited a few minutes before pulling her clothes on. "I don't really know anything about Vaughan. Rowan, Fenrys, and Lorcan tracked him down after the war. He lives in a cabin in the mountains somewhere and hardly comes around. When he does, he only talks to Rowan. Sometimes Lorcan. Occasionally, Fenrys. This is the first time he's gone on an assignment for Aelin."

    "And none of them have spoken about him?"

    "They've told a few stories, but no one told me anything about him and what he did while blood-sworn to Maeve, or how he came to be one of her blood-sworn in the first place."

    Nascha joined her on the bank and twisted her hair, squeezing water from the crimson locks. She shrugged into her slightly damp clothes while Lysandra gathered up her soaps and comb.

    "What about Gavriel and Connall? What happened to them?" Nascha asked.

    "Gavriel died during the war," Lysandra answered, leading the way back through the thicket. Nascha let her starlight follow, lighting their path. "As for Connall..."

    Brush snapped up ahead. Nascha's nails shifted into talons and Lysandra stiffened. White fur glistened under Nascha's starlight as Fenrys emerged from the shadows. Lysandra relaxed and Nascha allowed her talons to recede. Fenrys blinked, baring his teeth in a slight warning. He fell in step with Lysandra and she let her hand rest on his bristling scruff. They made their way back to camp in silence.

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    Fenrys lurched awake, panting as a cold sweat ran down his back. He rested his forehead in his palm, forcing himself to draw deep breaths. Loose golden hair tumbled over his shoulders. He swiped it aside in annoyance.

    He'd only had one nightmare since they left Orynth. This made two. At least he no longer woke screaming like he used to. It was some small relief, knowing his companions would wake up unaware of his struggles. He couldn't wait to get home, where he could go out and train after waking from a nightmare without worrying about disturbing others in the process.

    Fenrys stood and left the camp, shifting into his wolf when he was past the horses. He bounded into the thicket on silent paws. A cool breeze ruffled his fur as he ran. He caught glimpses of the moon among the treetops. The urge to howl was overwhelming, but he didn't want the others to think he was trying to warn them about something. That would put them all in bad moods the following day.

    He reached the bank of a stream presently. Fenrys sat, watching the shimmering water ripple over large stones. A quiet chirp sounded behind him. He lifted his nose and caught a familiar osprey's scent. Vaughan flew down from a tree and shifted into himself, sitting on a rock beside Fenrys. Fenrys remained in his wolf form, feeling no desire to explain what he was doing or why he was awake.

    "I'm not going back to Orynth with all of you," Vaughan said.

    That piqued his curiosity. Fenrys shifted, drawing his knees up and letting his arms dangle over them. "Why? Don't you want to be there when Nascha and Aelin meet? I wonder if Nascha will walk out of the palace alive, no matter how badly Aelin needs her."

    Vaughan chuckled, shaking his head. "When the city is in view, I'll leave. I'm ready to be home. I want to be alone again for a little while."

    "Well, on behalf of the Queen's Court, thank you for your assistance."

    "You're welcome." Silence settled over the area once more, save for the gurgles of the stream. Just as Fenrys decided to return to camp, Vaughan spoke. "Do you know what I found when I returned to Doranelle after the war?"

    "What?" Fenrys asked.

    Slowly, Vaughan's dark gaze slid to his. "She never even buried Connall." Fenrys swallowed, fierce pain gripping his heart. "I found what was left of him on the floor of his old room. I couldn't bring myself to bury him. Not in that cursed land."

    "I built a pyre instead, and burned him to ash. The winds scattered him. But I...I couldn't wash the smell off my skin for days afterwards. And now..." Vaughan heaved a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "It reminded me of what I found when Maeve finally let me return home after I took the blood-oath."

    "You never told us why you swore it in the first place," Fenrys said. "If Lorcan, Rowan, and Gavriel knew, they said nothing."

    "Lorcan knew, but I think he's the only one," Vaughan replied. "I swore it because she threatened to destroy my home and everyone in it if I refused."

    "And she destroyed it anyway, even after you took the oath?"

    Vaughan nodded. "I resisted her for months. She let Cairn torture my parents and my little sister because of that. I never knew. Not until I went home and found their broken bodies atop a pile of others. There were so many of them. I never could have buried them all."

    "I just lit them on fire and watched them burn. I watched the city burn." Vaughan faced him once more. "I wish I would've been there to watch you drive Goldryn through her heart. I wish I could've seen her crumble to ash."

    "You missed a lot," Fenrys murmured with a hint of amusement. "You'll miss a lot more if you leave now." He stood, touching Vaughan's shoulder. "Go home if you must, but come back someday. It's been nice, having you around again." A smile flickered across Vaughan's lips as Fenrys returned to the camp.