Daenna hadn't said a word to her rescuers, particularly the woman who surprised her. She was still weak, light headed. Anxiously, she took the woman's hand and jumped out of the cart. She hated surprises. Wobbly on her feet, she steadied out and tried to keep her balance, though her knees wanted to buckle. Much to her objection, the woman put an arm around her waist to ease her struggle.

"Their mage is dead, Sultana, your mask proved true, we have the stones!" A man called out to them after rooting through the corpse of the Journeyman in red.

"You had such little faith in me, Basha? You disappoint." The woman helping Daenna joked back. "He still doesn't believe in magick, " the Sultana whispered to Daenna before yelling out commands to her assembly, who began to work faster looting the dead. Then they all walked towards, and gathered around the spot where the Sultana and Daenna stood. Their dark leather clothes covered in dust, their faces no longer hidden.

Daenna reluctantly kept her eyes on the ground, she knew what it could mean if the woman beside her was now the Sultana.

"It's good to see you, Al-hurra," said a younger woman, a bit older than Daenna. Which made all of them slightly bow their heads in greeting.

"I'm not -- "

"Pleasantries shall come later," the Sultana interrupted, "let me see the stones."

The man she joked with earlier stepped forward and handed over a small pouch. The Sultana made sure Daenna could stand on her own before she took the pouch, opened it and took out two smooth, oval beach stones etched in runic text. She ran her thumbs over the markings and studied them before saying "time to go."

She smacked the stones together. This produced a small gust of wind which blew everyone's garments and hair back from their faces. It coaxed Daenna to look up and watch as she slowly started rubbing the stones together in a circular motion. A blue light sparkled, then pink, then a white circle of light formed in front of them all and began to grow. It's oval shape danced like glowing fire and halted when it became large enough for them to walk through.

"After you, your Majesties." A man gestured to Daenna and the Sultana.

"Do you still have faith in me?" The Sultana turned and asked. Daenna lowered her eyes to avoid the woman's gaze, but nodded.

"Good, then let's step through together." She handed the man back the stones and wrapped her arm around Daenna's waist again for support and to lead her through the portal.

Daenna, who was feeling stronger than before, hesitated, pulled herself back. "I can't."

"Albi," endeared the Sultana, "don't let our time apart fuel your fear. All will be explained at Paderdun, the Stonelings call us home."

"I am not the same, Yrsa. I am a danger to you all." Daenna croaked as tears welled up in her eyes.

"No, no, albi. You have always been called to the flame. The nirien are in your veins, as it was meant to be. I am glad to see you've woke to them. Jaspel expected this, she told me what to do, where I might find you. Do not be afraid."

Daenna looked into the eyes of the woman who was like a big sister to her. She wanted to wrap her arms around her, cry and tell her how sorry she was for running away, how sorry she was for never accepting Paderdun as her home, but she couldn't.

"You knew this would happen to me? How? Where's Jaspel?"

Yrsa scanned the crowd around her. "Now is not the time to discuss your fate, nor Jaspel's. Come, all will be explained, I promise you." She squeezed Daenna's shoulders, ran her hands down her arms and took hold of Daenna's own and led her towards the portal.

Daenna kept both eyes on Yrsa as she walked through the shimmering light into the cold abyss of time and space. She floated through its depths and for a mere moment it felt like she would be carried away into the darkness until her feet landed on solid ground once more.

They stepped through onto orange dunes. The Jade Mountains sat a few leagues to their northeast. The group piled out of the portal behind them with a few of the Journeyman's horses. They began to hop on horseback, two by two and gallop purposely through the sand towards the setting sun. Those without horse, ran to keep up.

The last man through the portal handed Yrsa the reins to the horse he lead and the two portal stones used to get them there. She tucked them back in their pouch and into her satchel then mounted the horse.

"Come, Daenna, everyone is waiting our return." She pulled the young girl up in front of her and gently kicked the horse onward. The man ran behind them and surprisingly kept up to the horses pace.

Daenna bobbed up and down in rhythm with Yrsa. She drank the water she was offered feverishly as with each sip she felt stronger, more refreshed. Though the sun was low, it still felt hot on her face. Sage wafted through the air from the brush littering the sandy ground, though the basaltic air grew strongest near the mountains. The landscape deluged her senses as images of her childhood poured back into her mind. She shook them away. She didn't want to remember why she left, it felt to good to be back.

Yrsa held onto her sister tightly. Although she knew Daenna would return, Yrsa was still fearful to lose her again. She thought of all the ways to tell her about Jaspel, and explain to her who she was, and how to prepare her. Although they were not blood, Jaspel had been like a mother to them both. The thought of Daenna's growing power made Yrsa restless, but she knew she must go easy on the girl, and keep her safe, as Jaspel had always tried to do.

Soon the sun had set and the air cooled considerably. The mountains loomed over them as they approached a settlement set up just below the mountains pass. Fires and tents scattered the small encampment, which looked only temporary.

As Daenna watched the men and women unload and greet their family and friends by the fires, something inside her began to stir. At first she thought it was her nerves getting the better of her. She was about to face many people she thought she'd never see again. Yet, instinctively, her guard was up. Her face and hands began to tingle. 

She'd felt this before.

She was not the same.

Careful. A voice whispered in her mind.

Jaspel? Her heart began to race as the horse slowed. Her breath became shallow, she dared not take another. She closed her eyes as tight as she could, hoping it would make the voice go away, hoping nothing horrible had happened or would happened again.

"Daenna, it's ok." Yrsa said from the ground, startling her. She hadn't even realized she had dismounted. "Nothing will happen if you stay with me. Take my hand and don't let go."

Daenna's hands burned. Her fingers felt like hot coals when she wrapped them around Yrsa's. If Yrsa felt the heat she made no mention of it. They walked slowly together through the camp. People who seemed to want to come and say hello were given stern stares by their Sultana, who whispered venomously under her breath, and they backed down. The onlookers gathered the children that still ran about and stood still as stones until the two women were safely through the encampment and headed towards the largest tent set up at the base of the mountain.

Inside the tent was a small basin for washing. Yrsa led her over to it and helped Daenna step inside it. It was too small to lay in, but just big enough for her to kneel down in and submerge half her body. Yrsa placed the hand she held in the water as well and the water sizzled.

Daenna felt instant relief. She took both her hands and cupped water to her face again and again. She began to sob, more so at the fact that she had not turned to flame and flailed everyone alive, but also because she felt lost, even now so close to the home she had grown up in.

When she caught her breath, she looked up through the water and tears at the woman who promised to keep her safe, her sister.

"What am I, Yrsa?"

"You are a Light, albi, you are the stars made earth."

Daenna shook her head. "I don't understand," she whispered.

"Daenna, you are the Flame Seeker. The Phoenix. The Light made flesh. You are Primordial."