Something sniffed at LaReimaja's face and sneezed.

She slowly opened her eyes to come face-to-face with a fennec fox. It's dark eyes blinked with wonder, then the animal ran away when she screamed.

"Shh, it's okay," said an old female voice. "You're safe now."

LaReimaja was lying on her back, her head pounded painfully. She looked around and could see that she was under the roof of a hut, lying in a soft bed. The woman stepped into her view, revealing an old Niloan woman with withered features and long dark hair tied into a braid behind her.

"Who are you...?" LaReimaja croaked.

"My name is Nayo, I am a healer," Nayo said.

LaReimaja sat up slowly, she could see that there were some candles that lit up the room. The fennec fox, that was Nayo's spirit animal, was watching her from afar. A dining area was placed in the center of the room, with a few bookshelves on the side of the hut's walls.

"I don't remember anything about being here," LaReimaja said.

Nayo sat down on a small chair next to LaReimaja's bed. "Right now, you are in Fort Zourtzi. This is a military fort, full of soldiers and merchants alike. A group of our tradesmen went out of the fort a few days ago to trade their silks and spices. They had found your group, as you were all trespassing onto Zourtzi's land," Nayo swallowed before lifting a glass of water to her mouth.

LaReimaja looked at her with such interest and worry. Where were her brothers?

Nayo put the glass down, offering another to LaReimaja who delightfully accepted the drink.

"It was said that after your group was spotted, the tradesmen notified our soldiers, who tracked you down. However, they had noticed that you and those other children were Niloan and your... it seems they were your captors, were foreigners. They said that you and the other two children were in chains, and that they saw a woman punch you in the head. That's when our soldiers attacked," Nayo was out of breath.

"What happened to everyone else?" LaReimaja clutched her glass tightly, afraid to hear that her brothers were lost.

"Your captors are currently in our dungeon, awaiting their trial, and the other two children are staying with a boy's family. The boy said that he knew you, and offered to shelter you until your village was safe."

"Who?" LaReimaja said, frowning a little.

"Faisel. Do you know Faisel?" Nayo leaned forward.

LaReimaja's eyes lit up with a new hope, "Yes! So he's alive too? Do you know Ahmar? Is he here as well?"

The old woman slowed LaReimaja down, "I do not know of Ahmar, but we guess that you all came from the small village that was attacked a few weeks ago."

The girl sank back into the bed slightly. She was reminded of her parents, and thought about where they were. She wondered if they had died, but she tried not to think about it.

"How long... was I out for?" She asked the woman.

"You were unconscious for four days," Nayo stood. "Do you want something to eat? I've prepared spiced pork and vegetables."

Spiced pork and vegetables.

LaReimaja had lost her appetite thinking about her parents, and she desperately wanted to see her brothers and Faisel.

"I'm sorry, but can I see Faisel first?" She asked.

"It's not a problem, come with me," Nayo walked out of LaReimaja's view, her fennec fox following.

---

Fort Zourtzi was huge. It had been surrounded by tall, smooth brick walls and cannons sitting on on top of them. It was very impressive for a military fort, possibly bigger than Greenhaven itself. LaReimaja followed Nayo through the market street, passing many different types of shops. She counted how many types of shops their were. She could remember there being clothes and armour shops, shops that sold spices, silk, carpet...

Carpet.

Memories flooded LaReimaja, after Tarik had left home to join the Greencloaks, her mother had been teaching her how to weave and make carpet. She dropped out of school to take over her parent's carpet shop. She gave up her future for her brother.

She smiled a little bit, seeing Tarik's reaction made her heart swell with love and pain. She hated being so far away from him, hated not having him around. But she was glad that she could help her brother take another step in reaching his dream. She could remember the moment when Tarik had told her what he would do if he summoned a spirit animal.

"What do you want to summon when you're older, Reima?" Child Tarik asked his little sister.

"I don't know, maybe a type of colourful bird?" LaReimaja had replied. "If you ever summoned a spirit animal, what would you do?"

Tarik paused, and then said, "Maybe I would join the Greencloaks! I've heard many cool stories about them!" Tarik's smile turned really big, and his eyes filled with happiness.

That was a memory that LaReimaja had tried not to forget. She always kept it in mind the following years after, until Tarik was finally able to have his Nectar ceremony. She remembered herself sitting in the chair, watching her brother drink the Nectar, then an otter appeared.

"We've arrived," Nayo said, snapping LaReimaja out of her thoughts.

She looked up ahead. There were two men wearing black armour guarding an open double door above a few steps. Their armour reminded her of the type that her captors wore, but to her relief the armour was slightly different. LaReimaja examined the tall palace-like building. It was definitely bigger than Greenhaven.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to go in with you, the guards will escort you to Lord Faisel," Nayo faced LaReimaja.

Lord Faisel?

"Thank you for your help," she said and smiled.

Nayo nodded and smiled back. She watched as LaReimaja walked passed the guards, they didn't stop to question her, as if they already knew who she was. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed many different types of beautiful portraits and decorations. She knew that Faisel's family was wealthy, but she didn't realise that they were this wealthy and owned a military fort.

As she walked around a corner, a guard stopped her.

"Hello," he said. "Are you LaReimaja?"

"Yes, I'm here to see Faisel," LaReimaja said.

"Right this way," the guard led her through a variety of rooms and hallways. It felt like there was no end to this palace. Although, LaReimaja wasn't even sure if 'palace' was the right word to describe the fort's main building. The guard opened two large doors, and walked into a large room.

"This is Lord Faisel's parents' dining quarters," the guard said.

LaReimaja stepped into the room, and her mouth fell open as she saw familiar faces sitting at a very large table with different types of food platters in front of them. Everyone stopped their conversations and stared at her.

There, sitting at the table, was Faisel's parents, her parents, Faisel, Chan and Marlo.

But no Ahmar.

"LaReimaja!" Her mother rushed to her feet, her father following behind with everyone else at the table, their expressions were happy.

"Mother! Father!" LaReimaja embraced her parents, tears streaked down her face. "You're all alive!"

"Sister!" Chan and Marlo too, embraced LaReimaja. They all laughed, crying tears of happiness. They were all in a group hug for a long moment until Faisel and his parents stepped forward to greet her.

LaReimaja turned to face Faisel, wiping her face when he unexpectedly wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Welcome back," Faisel said, his voice tight in his throat from grief.

---

Everyone sat around the large table. It was big enough to fit twelve people. Faisel's parents had explained so much to LaReimaja about the attack on their village. Her family had already heard the story, but they listened to it again.

The only person in the family who had not heard the news was Tarik.

"We don't know where they come from," Faisel's father said, "But it is obvious that it's not anywhere that's good."

LaReimaja hadn't told them that their enemies were after Tarik. She wasn't sure if Marlo or Chan had told them, so she gave them a look. Chan and Marlo shook their heads.

"What is it?" Her mother asked.

LaReimaja let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling, then at everyone else.

"When Chan, Marlo and I were captured, we figured out that the reason why these people came was because they were after somebody," LaReimaja sighed again.

"Who were they after?" Faisel leaned into the table.

LaReimaja looked at her parents with a sad look, "They're after Tarik."

"My baby...?" Her mother began to cry. Archi, her father, wrapped his arm around his wife and told her everything was going to be okay.

No one said anything after that, just listened to the sobs of her mother. LaReimaja picked a few cherries from the platter in front of her and ate them, trying to distract herself. Faisel was watching her, and when she caught his eye, he looked elsewhere.

"We never should have sent him to the Greencloaks," her mother finally said.

LaReimaja stood in her place, "we can't change that now, mother!"

"Write a letter to Olvan and ask him to send our son back," Archi ordered Chan.

Chan froze in his place.

"Then what? Those people will come here," LaReimaja argued, her jaw clenching.

"Did you see the letter I left for you?" Her mother said. "When you returned, were you able to read it?"

"No, we were attacked as soon as we stepped foot into our home," LaReimaja calmed down a bit, the pressure on her jaw relaxing.

Her mother looked away with terrified eyes.

"What did you write?" Chan asked.

"It was to come to Zourtzi," she said.

"Then that would mean..." LaReimaja realised, and covered her mouth.

The guards would come for them because she was unable to retrieve the letter. Soon, they would attempt to take Fort Zourtzi, and with it, her family.

Tarik, please stay where you are, she begged in her mind.