"Emory, are you all right?"

There was a faint, whining buzz in Emory's ears, and his body felt lax with shock, as if he could not shift an inch from his position on all fours in the dirt. Still, his mind was remarkably clear, and he forced his gaze up over the long bare feet and wispy, flowing gown of Midge. There was something in the air between them, a flowing pulse of energy that bathed him in warmth. He was in the sunshine. His skin, bare to the sun and unharmed.

Well, that was a first. "Many firsts, today," he mumbled, forcing himself up to one knee. He moved like a drunken man, stumbling to his feet and blinking at those who surrounded him.

Ulviir approached, her weapons still at the ready and her face tilting this way and that, scanning for danger. Rita's blonde curls waved and bobbed in the breeze and her anxious gaze darted over Emory as her healing aura enveloped him.

A firm hand clasped his shoulder, helping steady him, and he glanced up at Midge gratefully, sucking in a few deep breaths and absorbing the calm from those slate-grey eyes.

"Are you all right?" Rita repeated, tugging at Emory to get his attention.

He glanced down at her, the adrenaline slowly leaving his body. The painful burns that had started covering his scalp and face were already healed, thanks to Rita, but his mind could not accept the shock of what he had seen.

"I didn't even recognize him... Not at first," he murmured, and Rita stepped back, shaking her head.

"He's not all right," she confirmed. "We ought to fetch Rubius to make sure the Shadowfae didn't leave any nasty magic behind."

"Good idea." Midge bit her lip, and Emory would've given a lot to know what she was thinking when that intent expression crossed her face. "I have need of Rubius, too. It seems Her Majesty is far more determined to bring me home than I anticipated."

Ulviir arrived, her pointed teeth bared in a snarl though her brows were quizzical. "What is going on?"

Midge lifted her chin. "It is my fault, Ulviir."

Emory laughed, shaking his head. "It might not be about you, Midge. That was my old friend, Calum. Perhaps he simply came to claim vengeance over me for some forgotten slight, or wishes to kill all the Shadar-kel now that he has forsaken our ranks to join the Fae Queen."

"He is the Shadowfae," Midge said. "I have seen him in the court many times over the years. He is a loyal assassin of the queen."

"How would he get here without powerful magic, Emory? I assume he doesn't get any from the Raven Queen anymore, so no matter how you look at it he came here on behalf of Her Majesty. It must be Midge he came for," Rita agreed. She laid her hand upon Emory's elbow, petting it gently. "You fought well. I'm sorry you had to kill him."

Emory grimaced. He'd seen that trick before; how exactly it worked now that Calum was in Titania's pocket instead of the Raven Queen, he had no idea, but he was sure of one thing. "Calum's not dead. He's melted into the shadows and limped away to recover, like he always does. He'll be reporting all that transpired to Queen Titania."

Midge's expression hardened. "Then I must act quickly and decisively. I appreciate everything the village has done for me since I came here, but I cannot endanger people, especially you, Rita. I need to speak to Rubius."

"I'm going, I'm going," Rita said, but she did not leave Emory's side, her aura continuing to bathe him with overbearing washes of anxious healing energy.

Emory's body felt dragged down by the weight of tiredness and confusion. The sun had slowly faded from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot, and he touched the top of his scalp uneasily. Midge was doing something to protect him, but it seemed to be fading, whatever it was.

"I shall fetch Rubius," he decided. He saw both Rita and Midge open their mouths to protest, but before they could let out a single word, Emory flung himself into the embrace of the Raven Queen.

Darkness rushed into his vision and the tangle of fate's threads caught him, pillowing him in their intricate web before flinging him forward through space and time. He reached one hand forward, catching at the thread that connected him to Rubius and pulled at it to change his course, hurtling himself down, until the solid ground rocked under his feet once more, and he found himself standing in the shaded glen of Rubius' remote home.

Rubius lived on the rainy side of the mountainous island, so the soil was not as loose and sandy, but thick and rich, and the trees that surrounded the clearing grew in a deep, dark green shade that appealed to Emory.

The house itself was a sprawling single-story home, the walls and roof formed of thick glass that shone back the reflection of the wild growth all around, almost obscuring the gorgeous building as an extension of the forest itself.

Emory knew he wouldn't have to wait long with his bare feet sunk in the soft moss. Sure enough, only a moment later, a small crack appeared in the smooth glass, and the front door opened. Rubius popped his bearded face out, adjusting his spectacles and glancing this way and that, befuddled, before his eyes fell upon Emory and he grimaced.

"What is it?" he barked in that surprising voice of his.

"We come seeking your guidance, oh wise Rubius," Emory drawled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his loose sweatpants. "There's been an attack upon the village, again. Mind taking a moment out of your busy schedule to assist?"

"Another attack? Eh? The Faewild nonsense again?" Rubius grumbled, but his eyes lit with interest. "More ambassadors, is it?"

"Not an ambassador, an assassin. The Shadowfae, ever heard of him?"

Rubius' eyes widened and he emerged all the way out of the door, slamming it closed behind him and hobbling across the grass to Emory. "He's here?" Rubius whispered, clutching Emory's bare arm in a strong grip.

Emory glanced down, then back up at Rubius, lifting his brows. "The danger has passed, old man, never fear. We only require you to study the area, and I believe Midge wants your help with something."

"Oh. Well." Rubius drew back and straightened his robes. "Well that is different. Of course, I will be honored to assist. Can you transport both of us back to the place the attack transpired?"

Emory, in a rare moment, chose not to use words to respond. It was in pursuit of Midge's safety, after all, according to the Raven Queen's imperative. And it was fun to ruffle Rubius' feathers. Planting his hand upon the old wizard's shoulder, Emory focused, and pulled them both back, careening through fate's web once more until they stumbled into the side of a village house.

Turning his head to one side to regain his breath and ensure he was tucked safely into shadow, Emory saw the splintered gash where his own dagger had stabbed into the side of the wall, and winced at the reminder. That had been a killing blow, and now that he knew the Shadowfae was Calum, he felt torn. He wished he did not feel so certain that Calum would attack again, and again, but did the Shadowfae not have a reputation to uphold? And he had failed in his mission. His mission to kill Midge.

And he had tried to kill Rita.

Emory gritted his teeth and turned in time to see Ulviir, Midge and Rita approaching to join them. He could tell that Midge had not been able to maintain that protection spell she had used after he teleported away, so he was careful to keep every speck of his skin in the shade while his friends gathered around. He jabbed his thumb at Rubius.

"I fetched the wizard," he announced. "And I am fine. I'm not under some influence of Calum's magic and he didn't have time to set any traps in this area, though we ought to check Dreldar's house to be sure. For now, though, we ought to have a discussion. This was too close a call. If more attacks will be coming, we need to increase our protective measures. I believe the whole village may need to move... into Gloomshadow."

He thought he managed to suppress his shudder of disgust at that thought, but Rita smirked knowingly at him. "Midge has a plan."

"Sort of," Midge said hastily. She turned her gaze from Emory to Rubius, crossing her arms. "You made this earring that allows me to send messages to Emory across great distances. Are you able to send a message that might reach across the planes, Rubius? To the Faewild itself?"

Emory squinted at her. What was she planning to do? Ask the Queen to stop again? It clearly hadn't worked last time; in fact it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

Rubius lifted his chin and scratched beneath his beard, pondering the question. "I suppose I could. It would have to be brief, just like I told you with the earring; no longer than twenty or so words, and there's a small chance it could fail and the message will be lost to Elemental Chaos. And you would have to describe to me in vivid detail the person I shall be sending a message to. But it's certainly possible."

Midge nodded. "The fae creature Chevalier. He is the one who sent me here. These attacks are either part of his plan, or they will ruin his plan, and I need to determine what he knows of them. It's clear where the Queen herself stands. I think we need to explore other options."

"That's... a brilliant idea, Midge." Emory decided to test the waters on his only other idea. "It's either that, or you go back to the Faewild in defeat."

"Not happening," Midge said in a tone that brooked no argument, and turned the weight of her attention back to Rubius. "Chevalier is an Eladrin with long, curling red hair and eyes as clear as glass. He is mischievous and languid at the same time, and asks far too many impertinent questions. Is that enough information for you?"

Rubius cleared his throat. "Ah, well... I don't know. The other times I've done this with someone I didn't know I was able to use a picture, but let us start there, shall we? There are few enough Eladrin that it should narrow the potential targets."

"Very well. I want you to tell him..." Midge paused, collected herself, and continued. "Tell him that I'm not coming back, but whatever he is planning will fail if these attacks continue, because I will be dead."

"That's... twenty-one words... I think I can do that..." Rubius' eyes rolled up in what Emory recognized as his 'too many calculations for anyone of average intelligence to handle' expression. Then he looked forward again and spoke, clearly and concisely. "Midge won't return. Whatever you are planning will fail if attacks continue, Chevalier, because she will be dead."

Glancing at Midge, he awaited her reaction, and she gave a brief nod of approval. He grinned, an odd, boyish expression on his wizened features, before his face went slack for a moment and he blinked rapidly.

His mouth opened once more and he began to recite in monotone. "What I've been planning has already succeeded, mostly. How is Midge, looking well? Everyone survive the Shadowfae? Anything new?"

Midge's mouth opened and closed several times. "That's... Chevalier's reply?" she asked finally, glancing down at Rita.

Rita looked up at her with a simple shrug that communicated she was as mystified as Midge was, and both turned their attention back to Rubius.

"Can you do it again?" Midge demanded.

"Now that I know it works, certainly. Should be easier this time," Rubius agreed, readying himself.

"Ask him why the Shadowfae attacked. Ask him how we can stop these attacks. And ask him what his plan was, if this is success?"

Rubius nodded, relaying the message through his magical means, and waited for a moment before tensing and speaking aloud again in the same flat monotone. "Whoever this is, tell Midge to come to the place the portal opened on the island, tomorrow at gloaming."

Rita scoffed. "Right. So he can send another attack that's sure to work, or suck you right back through a portal? No. Send a message back telling him no."

"Wait." Midge tapped her finger against her chin, the sunlight filtering down over her grey arms and shoulders and granting a luminous glow to her skin, once more filling her with an alien beauty. "Ask him why. Ask him if it will be him alone. And tell him again that I don't wish to return to the Faewild. We need his promise that he won't be making mischief at this meeting."

Rubius nodded, focusing once more and repeating Midge's message, waiting for a long, tense moment before frowning and glancing back at her. "I cannot tell if there is simply no response, or the message failed."

"Damn." Midge frowned. "Can you try again?"

"There's too much uncertainty to go to the portal without some reassurance," Rita agreed.

Rubius shrugged and tried again. "We require your promise that you will be alone and no harm will come to any who attend this meeting, Chevalier. Please reply."

He waited, then looked up from Midge to Emory, shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Nothing," Midge repeated, and glanced up at Emory.

He could already tell what she was going to do, just based on that grim pinch of her lips. She wanted to go to the meeting tomorrow, and nothing he or Rita could say would change her mind.

Well, that meant he'd be attending as well, because there was no way in the Nine Hells he'd let her go alone.