Svernin quickly recovered after that, and Niles invested in a twenty-gallon fish tank for him. The grumpy water sprite thrived in it, and his gashes closed significantly faster than Niles was expecting. He was all healed up almost a week later and itching to leave.

"Svernin," Niles called, knocking on the fish tank one morning. "Can you come out for a second? I need you to look at this map."

The water sprite poked his head out of the water, keeping half of his face submerged as he eyed Niles suspiciously. He trusted Niles begrudgingly, but he still wasn't that big of a fan. Niles didn't take it personally, but Ashton seemed to, which Niles found odd, funny, and flattering, especially since Ashton himself was still petrified of him.

Svernin didn't like it when Niles put his hand in the tank; he always said that Niles was contaminating the water. So, Niles had hooked a ladder into the tank instead, positioning a raised platform at the top.

Svernin headed up to the platform glumly, dripping wet and climbing across the little rope bridge that led down to the desk. In addition to gardening, Niles liked to make things, and he designed all the faerie accessible systems in his home.

The sprite walked over to Niles, who had opened a map on his phone. Niles looked at him and frowned, handing him a towel. "Svernin," he chastised. "Come on. You know you shouldn't drip all over the desk like that."

Svernin frowned back but took the towel, wrapping it around himself and leaning over Niles' hand to look at his phone screen.

"What did you need me for?" he asked.

Ashton, who was watching from his hammock, bristled at the sprite's rudeness.

Niles glanced over at the fuming halfling and winked at him. It's fine, he mouthed at Ashton, and Ashton crossed his arms over his chest, still looking put out.

Niles turned back to the water sprite and pointed at the map. "You're doing a lot better," he explained. "And I'm sure you want to go home."

Svernin was oddly quiet, staring at the map, and Niles continued. "Aside from the pond in my garden, there aren't any bodies of water around here, so I can't figure out where you came from."

Alexo hadn't gained any helpful leads either, though he had been asking around for Niles over the past week. Water sprites were too secretive about their home waterways. No local faeries knew of any nearby.

Svernin squinted at Niles suspiciously. "Why on earth would I tell a human where I live?" he questioned.

"You don't have to tell me where you live," Niles said patiently. "Just give me a place to take you, where you can safely get back home on your own."

Svernin studied the map sullenly before pointing to Baker's Hub. "Here," he said. "You can take me here."

Niles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Baker's Hub was an old oak tree north of his house. It was a common place where faeries in the area often met to trade or swap tales and information. It wasn't strange for Svernin to know about Baker's Hub, but it was unusual that he would want to go there.

"Svernin, there's no water anywhere near Baker's Hub," Niles pointed out. "How are you supposed to get home from there? You're going to travel overland? How is that a good idea?"

"Yeah, well, that's where I want to go," Svernin said challengingly, and Niles raised his hands in defeat. He had learned not to push Svernin when the sprite got this defensive. 

"Ok, ok," he conceded. "I'll take you to Baker's Hub. No problem. Should we head there tomorrow?"

Svernin nodded, still looking sour, but Niles saw that he also looked tired and a bit defeated. Wonder what that's about, he thought.

***

Niles left Svernin alone for most of the day, trying to focus on helping Ashton with his physical therapy exercises instead. But even Ashton was distracted, often glancing back at the sprite instead of flinching away from Niles' hands, as he usually did during therapy.

Finally, Niles decided to try to broach the topic with Svernin again. It really didn't make sense to drop the sprite off at an oak tree. Sprites weren't meant to cover large distances overland. There was too big of a risk for them to dry out or encounter unfamiliar predators. Niles was afraid that Svernin would get hurt again if he didn't have a nearby water source to disappear into. 

Svernin was standing on the desk by the window, one taloned hand on the glass as he gazed longingly outside. Niles had yet to take the sprite out to the garden, as he worried the half-healed faerie would try to disappear on him before fully recovering.

Niles took a seat at the desk, and the sprite whipped his head around to glare at him. Ashton, who was in his hammock nearby, turned to look at him as well.

"Svernin," Niles began, trying to choose his words carefully. "I know I said I'd take you to Baker's Hub..." the sprite tensed up at that, and Niles hurried to continue. "And I will if that's where you truly want to go. But it doesn't make sense for you to go there. Is there... something you're not telling me? Do you... not have a place to go?"

Svernin wouldn't look at him. Niles thought the sprite was about to tell him off, but he let out a long sigh instead.

"You're... not wrong," he admitted. "My... home waterway got polluted. It'll take a while for the water to go back to normal, so my family members and I are all searching for a safe place to hibernate for the winter." He looked back out the window. "I came too far inland," he said. "There's no water near here. That's how I got chewed up by a fox before Alexo brought me here."

"And your other family members?" Niles wanted to know. "Have you heard from them? Are they alright?"

Svernin shot him a look, but he did answer. "How could I have heard from them?" he demanded. "I've been stuck here with you."

He leaned against the window and slid down until he was seated. "I'm supposed to meet them at our designated spot in a few days," he continued. "But I doubt they've found anything, either. It's too cold and late in the year."

Niles studied the large sprite's slouched shoulders, the defeated body language reminding him too much of Ashton.

"Well," Niles began slowly. "I know it's not ideal since it's so close to humans, but you're all welcome to stay in my pond. It's deep enough that it doesn't freeze all the way through, and there are small fish and frogs for you to eat. You'll be safe and unbothered all hibernating season."

Svernin's pointed ears twitched, his tentative vulnerability giving way to outrage at Niles' suggestion. "What do you think we are, garden pixies?" he hissed. "We're not some little pets who play neighbor with humans."

"Svernin, you don't have to stay in the pond if it bothers you so much," Niles pointed out. "I just wanted to give you the option. It's clean, and you'll be safe there until you can find a more permanent place to settle. I can even help you look if you want."

The water sprite frowned harder and hunched his shoulders up protectively. He stared at Niles until a knock at the window broke up the tense atmosphere.

***

Ashton, who had been anxiously watching the exchange from the safety of his hammock, startled and looked out the window, only to see Alexo's familiar face on the windowsill. The woodlands waved through the glass, and Niles hurried to let him in.

"Hi, Niles," Alexo greeted him, perching on Niles' extended hand. "How's the sprite?"

Niles nodded in Svernin's direction. "See for yourself."

Alexo stared down at the sprite, who made a big show of turning his head away. Alexo scoffed quietly and rolled his eyes. He opened his wings and swooped down until he was on the desk in front of the sprite.

The woodlands put his hands on his hips, looking the sprite up and down. Svernin really did look much better. His muted, greenish-gray skin still held puckered scars, but they were already smoothing out into his skin. Svernin stared back at Alexo in challenge, his wet, pitch-black eyes not leaving the woodlands' stern face.

"What do you want?" Svernin finally snapped, and Alexo shrugged.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," he said. "And to see if Niles thinks you're well enough for discharge."

"Yeah, well, I'm fine," the sprite huffed. "And he's taking me to Baker's Hub tomorrow."

Ashton winced at the hostility in his voice. He could understand Svernin's distrust of Niles, but he didn't get why he was so rude to Alexo. As far as Ashton could tell, Alexo was a perfectly respectable faerie. All he'd done this whole time was try to help Svernin.

Alexo tilted his head to the side, his long, dark hair sliding off his shoulder. "Baker's Hub?" he echoed. "What do you need at Baker's Hub?"

"None of your business," Svernin snapped, and Alexo rolled his eyes before turning to Niles.

"What's his problem?" he asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in Svernin's direction.

"He and his family are looking for a safe waterway for hibernation," Niles explained. "I suggested my pond, but he's adamant about going to Baker's instead."

Alexo whirled back around to stare at Svernin in astonishment.

"Are you stupid?" Alexo asked in amazement, and Svernin snarled at him.

"Watch your mouth, woodlands," he warned, but Alexo was having none of it.

"Niles is offering you a perfectly good, safe, and clean pond," Alexo continued, undeterred, "and you won't even consider it?"

Svernin bristled and got to his feet. Ashton saw him flex his talons out and shift his weight. This wasn't good.

"You can't possibly expect me to entrust this... this human with my entire family," Svernin spat out.

"Yes, I can, and I do," Alexo argued, unwisely deciding to get up into Svernin's face. The woodlands was a head shorter than the sprite, but he puffed his wings out to make himself look bigger.

Ashton was getting more anxious by the second, but Niles seemed unfazed. Ashton was surprised that Niles didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. Svernin's baring of his claws and Alexo's extension of his wings were clear warning signs of an imminent fight.

But then Ashton noticed Niles' hands resting on the table and the careful way he was monitoring their interaction. Of course, Ashton realized, settling down a bit. Niles isn't worried because he can easily separate them if they get violent. For the first time, Ashton found himself feeling grateful for Niles' size, and he turned his attention back to the quarreling pair.

Svernin was baring his pointed teeth in an open-mouthed hiss, but he froze as the woodlands grabbed a small pouch hanging from his belt and pushed it into his hands.

Svernin shot him a confused glare, and Alexo gestured for him to open it. The sprite did so, looking even more confused by its contents.

"It's just dirt," he complained, looking back up at Alexo.

Ashton was confused, too. Why does Alexo have a handful of dirt on him?

"It's a mixture of soil from the places I've lived," Alexo explained. He looked at Niles for a moment and turned back to Svernin. "The meadow I was raised in. Niles' garden. The woodlands clans that sometimes take me in for winters. This is the pouch of my homelands."

Understanding dawned across Svernin's face, Ashton one beat behind.

All sprites kept a pouch like this on them, including Ashton's father. It was usually made from a heavily processed frog's bladder, and sprites filled it with water from their home pond or stream. The idea behind it was that no matter where they went, they took a little piece of home with them. Sprites were territorial, and rarely ever left their water source, so over time, the pouch had taken on a new meaning: oath making.

To offer one's home pouch like Alexo was doing was the most serious oath that a water sprite could make. It was so important that even Ashton, who didn't have much knowledge of water sprite customs, knew of it.

Ashton wondered where Alexo would have picked up this very specific water sprite custom of carrying around a home pouch, but then he remembered that Alexo was a nomadic woodlands. Without a clan, he was probably always in pursuit of "home" and would've naturally encountered water sprites on his journeys. He probably liked this custom and began collecting little pieces of "home."

Svernin stared at the pouch silently. It was made of cloth, not frog leather, and filled with dirt, not water, but the meaning was clear.

Alexo took to explain anyways. "You can keep that until you and your family are restored to your home waterways," he said. "I swear on my home pouch that Niles will not harm you or your family before, during, or after your stay here. He will also let you all leave whenever you wish."

Svernin shot Niles a glance. Ashton could tell that Svernin didn't like it, but he was too honorable to not acknowledge such a sincere oath. Begrudgingly, he tied Alexo's bag to his belt, where it hung next to his own pouch.

"I accept your oath," he responded, somewhat unhappily. The sprite turned to glare at Niles next. "Well, human?" he huffed.

Niles nodded thoughtfully, looking unaffected by the sprite's rough words. "I agree to the conditions that Alexo has set in his oath," he said, and Svernin nodded, seemingly satisfied.

***

Svernin and Alexo headed out the next day to meet with Svernin's remaining family members and explain the new plan. Ashton watched them leave from his hammock by the window, still surprised that a water sprite had been convinced into trusting a human.

If even a water sprite can trust Niles, Ashton couldn't help but think to himself as he stared at the unlikely pair, then what's my excuse?

____________________________________________________________

A/N: My next book will just be a buddy-buddy road trip adventure between Svernin and Alexo. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading! What do you think of Svernin and Alexo's weird frenemy relationship? I think it's hilarious. See you in the next part!