Nick had watched the ships return from sea, seen the dark wings take off from the deck of the Clairvalan admiral's massive ship and, soaring towards the forest. Injured as he still was, he had waited a few more days before word made its way into his room. The Lady was safe. He wasn't sure what it would mean if she had not have been, for his future anyways. If she had been still missing, he and his men would search the world for her and bring her back, even bringing war to his own King if necessary. But if she had been killed, he only knew that it would have left them in some limbo that would take better a better man than him to solve.

It seemed like his father was writing back home every day now. He did not know all that was written but his father had confessed to him that the King of Clairval may not return their prisoner to them.

He felt a mixture of awe and fear when he saw the shadows of dark wings flashing overhead on a nearly daily basis and after three weeks, when the Lady Veranandein had returned to the city, she had been flanked by three more of the Winged Ones. Those guards were larger, armed and dark, brooding forms that looked ready to give violence to anyone who stepped out of place.

Nick had been well enough to be on the docks when she had landed in front of the two remaining Irlen ships, with her eyes on the figure heads. His father had ordered their men to stand down, not that the sailors and warriors had needed any convincing with four of those powerful creatures in the flesh. He wasn't sure if they were Gods as their priests claimed but he knew that Irlen people would revere them as warriors for as long as the country survived. Watching them he felt an odd settling of faith. Something had moved him into her path and she had also brought them back down to Earth, there was meaning behind that.

Then without so much as a glance in their direction Lady Verana had undone in that one afternoon what it had taken ten of their Shaman priests to do in a week of ceremony and prayer. The blessed boats let out frightful screams as she released the Feysha from their prisons and as he saw the creatures, small and frightened as children, Nick felt the burden of guilt grow heavier. What monsters his people had been, to do something so cruel to such innocent, helpless creatures.

Another letter was sent to the council by his father and still none came back.

The next time she returned to the city, they had been called out to an open pavilion outside of the walls along with most of the Clairval court and an array of ambassadors as the Winged ones, six in all, held court. Their languages were similar enough that it didn't take long for any of the Irlen, whose presence had all been formerly requested, to understand that it was the Winged Ones who were judging Wulfshen.

Not merely representatives from the Vayan court but the Prince heir himself, stood over the proceedings, his wings shimmering colours in the sunlight, expression dark with fury. It turns out, Lady Veranandein was their Princess. Even if his father had sent word to bargain for his release into Irlen custody, Clairval would have had no power to help as Wulfshen had attacked Vayan royalty.

It was the first time since the incident that he had been asked to explain what he had witnessed and there was a brief moment when Wulfshen looked at him, imploring him for help. But Nick had turned away, gone down to one knee in front of the Prince and Princess and recounted what he knew. He murmured Wulfshen's musings about the value of a captive Winged One to the man's actions in the harbour.

Wulfshen had been executed that afternoon, his head given to Nick's father to deliver to the Irlen people with hard looks of warning from the Vayans. Judgement and punishment for betrayal was the message with far less words than would be needed to fully explain what had happened on this island they had once thought an easy place to declare their new home.

Nick watched his father put Wulfshen's head in a bag and bow low, recognizing the hard, unreadable look on his features as he swore to pass the message along. And, overwhelmed by the weight of the day, he had almost remained silent as the crowd began breaking up, the Feyshan warriors who had come to watch fading into the woods, the Humans beginning their way back down to the City.

Almost.

But just as his Lady was opening her wings to take to the air, he took three steps forwards and went to one knee, pulling his sword out and putting it down on the ground, hilt towards her. He knew from the sounds around him that he had been surrounded by men who very much wanted him dead merely for being Irlen but he didn't flinch in bowing his head and accepting his fate.

"Lady Veranandein."

There was a deep, rumbling voice to his left. "Nama Veranandein."

He cursed himself and nodded, pressing one hand into the dirt. "Nama Veranandein. I owe you a Blood Debt. My life is forfeit to you."

Her movements were so silent that the nearness of her voice surprised him, placing her directly in front of him when she finally spoke. "Your people have done such horrible things to those I care deeply for. Terrible, selfish, things that have hurt the very Earth that sustains us."

"I have. I am forfeit, if that is what you require." He said softly, closing his eyes and bracing for a killing blow. When none came and silence stretched, he offered. "But as your sworn sword and shield, I go where you tell me and know only loyalty to you."

"Your men kneel behind you. What does that mean?" She asked thoughtfully, her voice losing its iron fury for a gently contemplation.

Nick let out a slow breath but didn't dare move to look at what she referred to. "Every man you saved, at peril to your own safety, owes you the same debt. They were my shield brothers, but now we are all your men."

Long silence again, before she nodded. "Stand. Walk with me."

She had his sword in her hand when he glanced up. She met his eyes briefly before turning away and striding across the field, leaving him scrambling to his feet to catch up, very cognizant of the fact that they were followed and flanked on both sides by her protectors. Nick walked a step behind her on her right side, watching her profile, her features showing her deep in thought, until she turned to face him, blue eyes fiercely locked with his. "Why do you wish to invade this island?"

"We have no place to go... We've been chased to the coast by the darkness that we can't fight." He watched her for a long moment, knowing that it was not a very succinct explanation but it was all he had "No one who sees it lives to tell us what it is. We find destroyed villages, awash with blood, our people are being slaughtered."

"Why have you made war with the Feysha? Why do you kill them, torture them, imprison them on your boats? Why do you destroy the Wild of your land?" She laid his sword tip on his chest, allowing it to press in, but not so hard as to cut through his clothing or skin.

Nick fought the fear and the certainty that he was not going to live to see another sunset, letting out a slow breath. "The King and his shaman priests told us it was the Feysha that was killing us, it was them that was preying on the villages. So, we made war on the Feysha. But they do not have your metal weapons, nor do they know how to fight very well. By the time we had destroyed a great deal lives, we realized that it could not be them that were our enemies. The Shaman then told us that if we adorned our ships with them, their magic would see us through to safety. We... sold our humanity, our decency, out of fear of what is destroying us."

She thought about his words for a long while before she nodded and lowered his sword, pointing the tip toward the ground. "I do not know if I have it within myself to forgive you. Or if I ever will."

Nick swallowed and nodded. "I am not so stupid as to ask for that."

"Where I am going next, you cannot follow. But if you would be of use to me, go home. Do what you can to dissuade your people from further violence and if you can do nothing else, you will find the Shamans and you will have them free the Feysha."

"And what will I tell my people about the darkness that is killing us, village by village?" He asked desperately.

She gave him a hard look before rolling her shoulders in a shrug. "The Feysha can see and hear things you cannot. Perhaps if there is enough of them remaining, you will not have to fight this darkness alone. I will see you in Irlen, for it is my path to fight the darkness. And we will see if you really do honour your Oaths."

Verana then pushed his sword blade first into the dirt, before her wings spread and she lifted herself into the air. The Winged Ones around them followed suit without a backward glance. Nick then watched the winged forms disappear over the forest before he turned and started back to where his men and the rest of his people were waiting.

He had a purpose once more.