"Andor!" A familiar voice broke through his slumber—again. No, this wasn't going to happen. He was just having the most vivid dream where a certain blue-eyed girl was showing him her gratitude for being freed from her enchantment in the most pleasant way.

"Wake up!" Nebula was nibbling at the sheets, but Andor pulled them over his head, determined to defy reality. Now, if he could just drift back to the feeling of Rose's petal soft lips...

"Ouch!" Andor winced in pain, his hands shooting to his groin. Sharp claws were digging through the sheets, tearing the blissful haze of his dream to shreds.

"Don't land on me like that!" Andor hissed, lowering the sheets to glower at Nebula as she stalked upwards to sit on his chest instead. She casually ruffled her pearly white feathers as if this was the most normal way for her to wake him up.

This was it. He'd had enough of this stupid bird. He would make a point of studying the book he had gotten from the library and show her who was in charge.

"I have told you not to sleep nude," Nebula remarked, puffing up her chest.

"I can sleep however I want," he grumbled. This was ridiculous. The cheekiness of this owl was soaring to new heights on a daily basis. Didn't he deserve a little bit of privacy and a beautiful dream for once? Wasn't reality harsh enough to him?

He had made it home late last night, peeled out of his clothes that were in desperate need of a wash. Then he had made sure to store his mother's pastries out of Nebula's reach and dropped the arrows into his floor quiver. Unfortunately the book had suffered quite a bit. It was thoroughly warped and many of the pages were sticking together because of the humidity.

Antelisse would kill him, if Serande hadn't gotten to do so first, or perhaps both of them, after they found out that he wasn't good at keeping secrets. Sadly even Rose's drawing had gotten wet, but he had carefully flattened it and then laid it out to dry, hoping it might still be salvaged.

He groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes, as the golden thread of his dream irretrievably slipped from his mind, to be replaced by the gloomy reality of what awaited him today. Another meeting with Xanthos.

"I have a message from Serande," Nebula said, turning her head until her yellow eyes stood in a near vertical line. "She says you are to meet her at the eastern bank of the Oros, right where the river flows out from under Atunar. And she says you are not to tarry."

He peered at Nebula through one eye, his mind still reluctant to work. "Why does she want to meet me there?"

Nebula flapped her wings and flew towards the foot-end of the bed. Her plumage gradually turned brown as she stalked across the footboard.

"Oh, and she said to bring some spare clothes, females' clothes to be exact." She clicked her beak to underline the importance of her statement.

"What? Why is that? Does she want me to—?"

"Those aren't for you, silly, but for a certain someone who will be needing them once she is released from her enchantment."

"What?" Realisation dawned on his face when Nebula's words sunk in. "Oh, so it is happening today?"

Andor tossed away the sheets, throwing them over Nebula in the process. He shot out of bed, the owl's indignant shriek giving him a grim feeling of satisfaction, and sped towards his closet to grope for a fresh pair of undergarments, dark green trousers and a matching tunic.

Nebula freed herself from the tangle of sheets and flew to sit on the table. She looked like an exploded ball of feathers, her plumage a disarrayed mess of white and brown, and she was glaring daggers at him, but Andor ignored her while getting dressed as fast as possible. He couldn't risk to make Serande wait. What if she got bored of waiting and changed her mind about lifting Rose's enchantment? When he had finished tying up the drawstring of his tunic, making sure to keep the  silver chain with the key concealed beneath it, a thought crossed his mind.

"Doesn't Serande have clothes for females? Why do I need to bring them?"

"Don't ask me. I'm only the messenger." Nebula didn't even spare him a glance as she carefully rearranged her now uniformly dark brown feathers.

Great, now he would need to find clothes. He scratched his head and ran his hands through his hair as he paced around the tree trunk that made up the middle of his house. Asking his mother was out of the question. She would probably doubt his sanity, and he definitely could not let her in on the secret of Rose. And since he neither had the time nor the means to purchase clothes in Valantes, there was only one more option: Elia.

He quickly reached for his bow and quiver and stormed out the door before Nebula could so much as click her beak.

If he was fast, he could make it to where Elia lived with her mother and her younger sister in less than half an hour. Their spacious tree-house stood in close proximity to the pathway towards Valantes. He only hoped he would find her there, preferably alone to avoid raising any suspicion. It would definitely look awkward if he showed up asking to borrow a dress from Elia in the presence of her family.

Luck appeared to be with him. Elia was indeed at home and she was alone. Her mother and sister had supposedly gone to the city to purchase new cloaks for the upcoming winter. For once he went directly to the point, explaining to Elia what he needed and why. To his surprise she didn't so much as frown at his request. Perhaps she didn't dare to defy an order issued by Serande?

"What size is she?" Elia threw him a quizzical glance, tapping one foot on the floor as they stood in front of two large closets.

"I don't know, small?" Andor shrugged. That was not a question he thought he'd ever need to answer.

"That's not very helpful," Elia sighed. "Can't you be more specific? Remember you were the only one who saw her."

"She's slender and not very tall." He held his outstretched hand at his shoulder's level. "About this height, I think?"

Elia nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. "We'll take some of my sister's clothes then. She must be about the same size."

"And Tessa won't mind?"

Elia snorted. "No, she has enough clothes to choose from. Once she has her eyes set on new wares in Valantes, the ones of last season lie forgotten in the back of her closet. I'm pretty sure she won't even notice that something is missing."

"If you say so." He wasn't entirely sure that this was a good idea, but at least it would be Elia who would have to bear the brunt of her sister's possible anger and not him.

Elia pulled open the door of Tessa's closet and proceeded to carefully survey the contents. "Now onto the colour," she said, running her fingers over the piles of folded leggings, tunics, as well as pretty gowns in different hues hanging side by side. "What colour is Rose's hair? And her eyes?"

"Why do you need to know that?"

Elia peered at him over her shoulder. "I thought that if we are going to get her some new clothes, we might as well make sure that they fit her nicely, don't you think so?"

"Of course, you are right." Why hadn't this occurred to him? Females did usually have a knack for beautiful dresses, even if Elia appeared to be the exception to that rule. She was rarely seen wearing anything else but her dark brown tunic and leggings.

"She has blonde hair," he said, "and blue eyes like the summer skies."

Elia turned around, an amused smile playing around the corners of her mouth. "So you're a poet now?"

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, suddenly embarrassed. "No, but her eyes are really pretty."

Elia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Bergil is right. This girl has really gotten under your skin. I just hope that you are not making a mistake."

Andor swallowed, his eyes resting on Elia, who surveyed him sharply. "I have to do this. It is the right thing. I know it. No matter what everyone says. But you are my friend, Elia, and I am truly grateful for your help, even though you have doubts about it. I will not forget this."

Elia's stern features softened and for a moment her lower lip wobbled, but she kept her composure like the warrior she was. "Of course, Andor. No matter what, I will always be there for you. You know that."

Then she turned around rather quickly and rummaged through the closet until she pulled out a  flowing gown in forget-me-not blue, the neckline and hems rimmed with delicate floral garlands in pale yellow. She held it up and turned around towards Andor.

"This looks perfect and it goes with her eye colour." She gave him a knowing smile. "And Tessa even has matching undergarments, which she never uses. She just likes collecting them," she said, waving a flimsy piece of cloth in the air that in Andor's opinion didn't even merit the title undergarment. But who was he to judge? He surely wasn't a fashion expert and he couldn't deny that the image of Rose wearing those blue nothings was rather tantalising.

"And last but not least, she might need some shoes too. Humans are rather lost without them." Elia crouched low in front of the closet to pull out a large drawer at the bottom. It was stuffed to the brim with shoes in a vast array of colours and designs.

"Good thinking," he nodded his agreement. While he and many of the elves preferred to walk barefoot, he knew that this wasn't in general true for humans. He still remembered the rugged brown shoes Rose had worn. They had looked much too big and clumsy on her petite body.

"These might fit her." Elia showed him a pair of black leather slippers.

"Are you sure that we can take all this?" It suddenly appeared to Andor that they were being rather rampant.

"Of course we can." Elia waved him off as she stuffed everything into a small backpack. "Just see this as a donation for a good cause."

He nodded, still hesitant. "You know that I'm going to have to do this alone," he said, well aware that Elia would try to convince him otherwise, but he could not risk her safety. If she got caught, it would be the end of her future career as member of the royal guard.

"If you think that I'm going to let you walk into danger alone, then you are very much mistaken."

"But—"

"Don't but me, Andor," she said, resolutely heading for the door. "Besides, don't you think it's better if a female hands Rose the clothes or do you really think she will want you anywhere near her, when she is going to be stark naked?" She cocked an eyebrow, shouldering her backpack.

"I hadn't thought of that detail," he muttered, sweat crawling up his spine.

"See, that's why you need a friend like me." Elia smirked and opened the door. "Now let's go. I'll walk ahead to the portal tree and I'll be waiting for you there when you are done with Serande."

"Fine," he nodded and exited the house behind Elia.

They walked most of the way in silence and parted when he took towards the eastern bank of the river.

Through the trees he saw Serande standing at the river bank, her honey coloured dress blending with the autumn foliage, Rose's bag slung across her torso. The sight nearly made him stop in his tracks. He had almost forgotten about the existence of her bag and the reality of what was going to happen, suddenly hit him with full force.

He approached her slowly, but she had spotted him already and turned towards him. "You took your time."

"I'm sorry. I came as fast as I could."

A fresh breeze rustled through the canopy of trees, plucking the jittering leaves to send them dancing through the air like butterflies until, one by one, they tumbled to the ground, turning the forest floor into a carpet of orange and red.

"Very well,"  Serande said. "Let's get to business. You know why I have called you here?"

Andor only nodded silently. The rushing of the river nearly masked both their voices. Clearly Serande had chosen this spot for a reason.

"Good. You will need this." Serande pulled out a small phial from her pocket. It was the one that bore Rose's name on it. "Now listen very carefully. You must do everything as I say, or otherwise it will not work properly and you will do more damage than good. Understood?"

"Yes," he said. This didn't really sound very reassuring, but he would do his best to make it work.

"When you enter the glade, head straight for Rose's flower. You will know which one is her,  because it will sense the presence of her soul in the phial. Let yourself be guided by it and you will not falter. Once you pour the liquid over the flower, you must speak the following words: May the spirit of the Ancient One revoke this sacrifice and allow this human soul to reclaim its rightful name. Make sure to use those exact words."

"I will," Andor said and then Serande went on.

"When Rose has emerged, you must pour this on the same spot." Serande held up another phial, which bore no inscription at all.

"What is this for?"

"This phial contains a mirrored enchantment. It is fashioned after Rose's soul, and it will trick anyone to believe that the true soul is still present, yet it is nothing more than a mere illusion I have created."

Andor could only marvel at Serande's abilities. He hadn't even thought beyond the moment when Rose would be brought back. But of course he realised that something would have to be done to cover up the fact that she was gone.

"There are two things to consider. Once the enchantment has been broken, you mustn't linger. Make sure that Rose leaves the glade swiftly, or else the presence of two souls, the real and the mirrored one, will cause a dangerous disturbance, as it will upset the balance of this magic."

"I will send Rose on her way immediately."

"Good, then the second caveat is that the effect of the new enchantment, while powerful to begin with, wears off rather quickly. This means that we do not have much time to make our move concerning Xanthos. He is a cunning king and will sense that someone has tampered with a sacrificed soul and I don't think that I need to explain to you what he would do to the culprit if he ever found out that Rose is gone."

Andor swallowed and said hoarsely, "Yes, I understand."

"You and I, we are in this together, and as you can see, I have kept my part of the deal. I expect you to do the same."

He took the two phials from Serande and slid them into his pockets.

"I will," he said, although he'd rather not think about what this promise might entail.

"Let me just say one thing, in case you still have doubts about what I am asking of you. If we play this right, then there will be no more need for sacrifices in Elysse ever again."

Serande looked him over with a gaze that he could not quite place and then she let out a long drawn sigh.

"I am not sure why Xanthos has required you to be present at the meeting today, but I must urge you to not reveal anything, not about Rose, not about the book. As a matter of fact it is best you don't say anything at all and if Xanthos asks you a question, you simply pretend that you know nothing. He is as vain as they come, and likes to believe everyone else to be inferior to him and his intelligence."

Andor barely could believe to hear such words coming from Serande's mouth. She was the king's advisor and was now openly playing against him. Not that he minded, as he held no love for Xanthos, but if she could turn so easily against him, who knew where her true loyalties lay? However, he had little choice in that matter, not after she had indeed kept her promise to him. He still hoped to ask her about his discovery in the vault, but this would have to wait. The Blackthorns were long gone, while Rose still had a chance at life.

"Before you go, there is something else I want you to have," Serande said. "Hold out your hand." Andor hesitantly did as he was told, not quite knowing what to expect.

From the pocket of her dress Serande pulled out two pink hemispheres and let them glide onto his outstretched hand. They looked like polished rose quartz, the size small enough to fit comfortably into his palm. White veins crisscrossed the pinkish surface and for a moment he thought he even saw them shifting.

"What is this?" he said, still puzzled.

"This, my dear Andor, is called an Elantymon. It is a very rare artefact dating back to ages long gone when we still used to rule the Upper World."

Andor's hand twitched and he almost dropped the rose quartz.

"Be careful," Serande said. "These are valuable as they are the last ones that still remain in Elysse."

"What does it do?" Andor turned the two hemispheres around in his hand, the golden sun rays dancing on the smooth surface.

"It is two halves of one. They speak to each other."

"What do you mean, speak to each other?" He stared at the Elantymon as if it would somehow reveal its secrets to him.

"Exactly that. It means that whoever has the companion stone can speak to the one who owns the other half."

"But why are you giving it to me?" He rubbed a thumb over one of the hemispheres, the stone warming against his skin.

"Because I want you to have it and I thought that it might come in handy, since its magical properties allow it to transcend the confines of space, even beyond the realm of Elysse." She threw him a knowing glance.

It took him a short while to realise the meaning of this, until he finally said, "I understand."

"Use it wisely," was all Serande said.

He nodded, sliding them into his pocket. "I will, thank you."

"Here, now take the bag." She handed him Rose's bag. "And then you should be on your way. It would not be wise that you came late to the king's meeting."

"I'll make sure to be there on time." Andor slung the bag around his shoulder, the feeling of something that belonged to Rose so close to him sending a strange jolt of electricity through his body.

Serande appeared ready to walk away, when she said, "Do you have the clothes?"

"Elia has got them with her," he said before he could stop himself.

Serande raised both eyebrows. "Why does that not surprise me?" She chuckled to herself, her black locks bouncing as she walked away.

Andor wasted no more time and headed straight for the portal tree, excitement building inside him with every step. It was a clear autumn day, the air fresh and crisp, the only remainder of yesterday's torrential rain being the wet moss beneath his feet. He took a deep breath, inhaling the reviving scent of the forest, and broke into a jog. The moment of seeing Rose couldn't come fast enough.

Soon the portal tree came into sight and when he saw not one but three familiar shapes, he couldn't hold back a grin. Caladon was waving at him, while Bergil stood leaning against the tree trunk and Elia appeared to be standing guard, observing their surroundings with those keen eyes of hers.

He slowed down his tempo and called out as he approached them, "What are you two doing here?" even though he knew the answer to this.

"Elia said that you are planning on doing something stupid, so we are coming with you of course," Caladon said smugly, his arms folded in front of his chest. His auburn hair was nearly as fiery as the leaves overhead. Bergil beside him said nothing, a sense of grim determination on his face.

"You told them?" Andor asked Elia. She only grinned and gave him a noncommittal shrug.

"I think it is only fair that we get to see this mysterious human girl, since she has made you throw all reason overboard." There was a distinctly accusatory ring to Bergil's voice.

"We thought you might need our help in this mission...quest...," Caladon paused, tapping his finger against his chin, "... thing."

Andor only shook his head, knowing that it would be futile to try to dissuade his friends from their plan. "We better get going then. Rose has been waiting long enough."

He placed his hand on the bark for the portal to open, his heart a raging tempest. His dream was about to become reality, but was he ready to face it?