"Dawn broke through the thick layer of interwoven limbs that usually hid the bright blue sky."

It was just a glimmer, a streak of sunlight in the otherwise dark woods but as the cart passed under it, Honey felt the warmth of the sun and realized just how much she missed the light. Yet she wasn't able to enjoy it for very long as they passed through the light and returned to the world of shadows once more. 

Honey's eyelids felt heavy as she struggled to stay awake. She had wanted to wait until Dai got back before going to sleep. He had been gone for hours now and Honey had to admit she was beginning to worry about the golden-eyed Mutare.

It was the same feeling in her stomach that she had gotten when Aldwin hadn't shown up for dinner on his birthday. The feeling of worry mixed with the sense that something terrible had happened, or perhaps was going to happen.

 It gnawed at Honey's mind and she felt like she should be doing something. She felt so...useless sitting here, simply waiting for Dai to return. What if he had gotten hurt? What if he was dying somewhere? What if he never came back? The what-ifs spiraled through Honey's mind, making her head burn. She was going to go mad if she had to sit in the cart for one moment longer.

"Would you calm down?" Lukas snapped, just as Honey started to stand up to get out of the cart. "Let me assure you, he's fine," the God of the Flames said.

Lukas rubbed his temples in frustration as he pulled the cart over to the side of the path they were following as he always did before they went to sleep. He then turned to face Honey with his smoldering gray eyes. 

"You're anxious, I understand that," he said, slowly. "But understand this. You're weak. You're mortal. And you're just a Lekki girl," Lukas told Honey. The Lekki girl blinked in shock, swallowing down her hurt. "What could you do to help him?" he asked.

"I could..." Honey trailed off as she realized she couldn't help him. There was nothing that she could do better than Dai to protect him. Yet she still felt if something happened to him and she hadn't done anything she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. 

It was the same reason she had entered the Wild Woods. She wasn't a warrior, trained to kill Mutare, just a foolish Lekki girl who was desperate to save her brother. She had tried and she had been able to save him. But only by sacrificing herself. Perhaps that was her only role in any of this. A pawn meant to be sacrificed

"If Dai was in trouble you'd only get in the way," Lukas said, bluntly, as Honey looked away in shame, her cheeks tinted a light pink. "If you really want to be helpful you need to sto-" Lukas cut himself off as his eyes narrowed and eyebrows pinched together.

"Lukas?" Honey asked, both confusion and worry weaving together in her tone.

Lukas was silent for a heartbeat before a look of relief spread across his face. "It's just Dai," he said, and Honey let of a sigh of relief.

"Lukas?" Honey asked again, softly this time.

"Yes?" the god said in response, his voice just as quiet as hers, yet he was more agitated, annoyed even.

"Could you not tell him that I told you," Honey asked, looking down guiltily. Lukas said nothing but nodded a silent agreement as he stared at the road, waiting for Dai to appear. When the golden-eyed Mutare finally did appear his tail dragging in the dirt and his back slouched. He looked exhausted which was a look Honey had yet to see him wear. 

Then again Honey wasn't certain the last time the golden-eyed Mutare had slept since he had made it a bad habit of staying up through the daylight hours and taking several periodic naps through the night. Wherever Dai had been it wasn't napping above them in the treetops like Honey had hoped.

Only as Dai got closer to the cart Honey noticed the dried golden blood still smeared across his forehead.

"I have returned," he said, as he crawled into the cart moving to his perch atop the bag where he always sat glaring down at Honey and Lukas. "It took longer than I expected to find the cart," he said, offering an excuse.

"What happened to your head?" Honey asked.

"I fell out of a tree," Dai said, simply. "I scraped my head on some rocks on the ground," he said, left ear twitching.

"The great Dai defeated by a tree," Lukas said, smugly.

Dai opened his mouth to snap a response, but Honey cut him off. "Could you two not?" she snapped, drawing the attention of both god and Mutare. "I just wanted to know the truth. What happened to your head?" Honey asked.

"I told you. I scraped my head on some rocks," Dai stated his left ear twitching once more.

"No you didn't," Honey said.

"I did too," Dai hissed, tail flicking in annoyance.

"No. Your left ear always twitches when you're lying," Honey snapped, watching Dai's face pale, clearly shocked and too exhausted to bother hiding it.

"No it doesn't," Dai said, his ear still twitching in defiance.

"I'm going to take it that was a lie?" Lukas asked, still looking an arrogant grin spread across his lips as Dai shot him a glare.

"So...what really happened?" Honey asked, her voice trembling slightly. "I was...I was worried something had happened to you. That you had gotten hurt and...and I was right," she said, trying to hide the fear she had felt from her voice. "What would happen if you didn't come back?" Honey asked. "I know you don't have anyone left in this world that you care about but if you got yourself killed or ran away, what do you think would happen to the people I care about? To all of the innocent lives you'd throw away?" she asked.

"I won't run," Dai said.

"And how do I know that?" Honey snapped. She knew she should just shut up, but emotions were rushing through her body. The rage, the betrayal, the sorrow. She never wanted to lose anyone ever again.

Dai was silent, looking down before he let out a small sigh. "If you do not believe my words then I offer to you a token of my loyalty instead," Dai said, pulling something off from around his neck. It was an ancient silver locket, hung on a matching silver chain with a single rose carved into its metal. "This belonged to my mother and it is the last thing I still possess of her," he said, offering it to Honey. "Believe my words when I tell you that I will reclaim this locket after we find the Rose Book," he said, tossing the silver locket to Honey.

The Lekki girl caught it, rubbing her finger over the dull silver metal, wondering just how old this locket really was. She slowly slipped it over her head, feeling it's cool metal touch against her burning skin.

"My mother loved roses," Dai said. "Let that locket give you some comfort while we search for this Rose Book," he stated, before turning to the god, who sat in the front of the wagon, watching his familiar with a dull expression. "Now," Dai began. "Do you want something as well or-"

"I believe your words," Lukas said, cutting the golden-eyed Mutare off. "I've always believed them, even from the start," he said. "You've been desperate to survive right from the start, which means you have no reason to lie."

Dai said nothing, although Lukas saw his familiar's body stiffen and for a brief moment, both fear and guilt flashed behind his golden eyes. So Honey's words were true. Lukas wasn't certain what Dai was, but he did know one thing. Dai could be trusted. 

Lukas could see it in his eyes. Hear it when he spoke. Dai was desperate to keep surviving, day after day, no matter what role he was forced to play. From helpless Tenth Rank to loyal familiar, Dai would do whatever it took to survive. That meant he could be trusted. He wasn't so foolish to do anything that might cost him his life.

With a smirk, Lukas closed his eyes, a feeling of peace and safety settling over him as he felt his body relax. He found sleep easily in knowing that he was safe. Honey drifted off not long after him, leaving Dai alone to protect them through the daylight hours. 

The Mutare looked from god to Lekki. How easy it would have been to destroy the god and steal the necklace that now dangled around Honey's exposed neck. He could return to his former life if he just killed the god. Dai knew Lukas probably deserved it. His hands were already stained with a thousand innocent lives.

All he had to do was complete his mission, his true mission and everything would be over with. He knew he should have been angry, furious even. He had been so hateful, so spiteful a thousand years ago. Yet, time did funny things to the mind and Dai's rage and grief had faded. A millennium ago, Dai would have done it. 

Pierced a sword through Lukas's heart and be done with it. Yet, now, he hesitated. Dai turned away, guilt nipping at his heart as he blinked back his exhaustion. He still had time. He could afford a few more days of peace and happiness before reality came crashing down upon his shoulders.

After all, in the end, Dai's brother always won.

A U T H O R ' S N O T E

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