We stepped from that dead world through the portal's spinning rings into the darkness at the edge of camp. The front had come through, and I was thankful for the heavy cloak that blocked the cold wind. Reginar waited for us, a lantern in hand.

"I have business mainly for Kevin, but you can come along if you wish."

"I'm taking these three to my tent for the night," Cornelia said, and led Mircea, Luli, and Elspeth away.

I broke the pink ball under Lucian's nose while Ellie and Nathan did the same for Birdie and Cizar.

"Um," Nathan said as they came alert, "Go make sure my tent's ready for me and wait for me there." His two ducklings went off into the darkness to his tent.

I didn't have anything pressing for Lucian to do, so I waved for him to follow, and we went with my mentor. Boian and Ishen were waiting for us in Reginar's tent.

"Sir Ishen has sworn fealty to me, Lord Kevin," Boian said as a greeting as they both bowed, and I clasped forearms with him. "I've accepted him as master of these lands as you wished. I'm not sure of the wisdom of this, but you brought my request to reality, so I can't complain. You, Lord Nathan, Maid Protector Elexus, Maid Sinense, and Maid Sorina all look healed and in good health, and you must be Sir Lucian."

Boian and Lucian gave each other slight bows.

"I wish I'd been here a day earlier," Boian finished.

I gave my own slight bow while the others did similarly. "That would've been nice, but we did survive."

"By the magic of the Realm...again," he said, shaking his head. "Would it be that it was possible for mere mortals such as us?"

I sighed. "I don't even know how to make it happen."

"Lady Lauretti has good reason," Sinense said, "though both Maid Sorina and Sir Lucian were healed. The same with the others who traveled with us and none of them are Realm. Maybe someday it will be possible, Lord Boian."

Ishen listened to all of this curiously, then jumped into the break. "I have someone I believe you need to meet tonight if you have time, Lord Kevin."

"Okay," I replied. It wasn't like I was tired. "Bring him to me."

"I shall have to retrieve her, Milord," Ishen replied. "It will take several minutes."

"In that case, bring him to my tent."

"Yes, Milord," and he slipped out the tent's flap.

"Your tent has been refreshed, Milord," Boian said. "Everything was changed earlier in the evening for your arrival."

"Thank you." It suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't sure I wanted to go to my tent. I almost died there last night.

"If you don't need me, Lord Kevin," Reginar said, "I'll retire for the night."

"Please do," I replied. "We'll get out of your hair," and stepped back into that frigid wind.

Sinense took my hand and squeezed. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head and squeezed back. "I feel like Orvin, or some other Sobeck is going to charge out of the darkness. I want to get into the tent, though I'm not sure that'll help."

"I'll be there in a couple," Nathan said as we came even with his tent.

"And Sorina and I will retire to my tent," Ellie said. "Tell us about it in the morning."

Sinense squeezed my hand tighter as we got to my tent and slipped past the flap, Boian following in our wake.

From the low lantern light, everything appeared clean and straight and...new?

I turned to Boian, who smiled. Then I heard steady breathing and followed the sounds to the foot of my bed.

Gabriel was asleep there...with Mara. Sinense gasped as she bent lower. At least they were dressed.

"They've been inseparable since Suata," Boian said. "They insisted on coming back with me, though Maid Mara rode Master Gabriel's horse most of the way. Her hip still gives her a lot of problems. She was to prepare your tent for you, Maid Sinense, not come here."

"Mara," Sinense hissed, who stirred before her eyes went wide, Gabriel coming awake about the same time.

"She was scared and didn't want to be alone," Gabriel said quickly.

"She could've stayed with Lady Cornelia," Sinense said.

"There was a Sobeck there. Maid Mara was terrified, so I brought her here so she'd be safe."

Tansy. Ishen's sister.

"Safe," Sinense replied loudly. "We both almost died here last night."

"I know, Maid Sinense," he said, his head bowed. "I'm sorry."

"Get up," I said. "We're going to have company in a moment, and the two of you can attend to us."

They both rose painfully, Gabriel helping Mara to stand. I offered Sinense one of the chairs and took the other. It hadn't even been a week since they'd been wounded. I slumped forward in my chair, Sinense rubbing my back while Gabriel turned up the lantern and Mara poured the us wine.

Sinense whispered continued scolding to Mara until footsteps came near. Nathan flipped the flap open, bringing his own wine bottle.

"Looks like I'm not the only one thinking this way," he said, and handed his bottle to Gabriel.

Nathan toasted my survival and healing, then Sinense's, at which she blushed. Boian joined in, giving his own toasts to us, the Realm and Baemardis.

"Maid Mara," Nathan said. "You look like you're about to fall down, and Master Gabriel, you don't look that far behind. Both of you go sit on the bed. We'll call you if we need anything."

Sinense looked like she was going to say something, then sighed and dropped her head slightly.

More footsteps came near, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but I heard Ishen's inquiry and gave them admittance. Gabriel and Mara stood as they entered.

The other one turned out to be a female Ilyen, full-blooded by her small stature, several inches shorter than Mara, plus her general furriness and elongated face. After they'd entered, she dropped the blanket she wore and did something similar to a nervous curtsey.

"Sir Ishen," Sinense cried shrilly. "Where are her clothes?"

"It is her fur, Maid Sinense," he replied, his voice shaking and lisping worse. "She wore the blanket to block the wind but doesn't want it otherwise."

I'd killed a few who looked like her, my stomach turning sour at the remembrance. I looked at Sinense, who seemed shocked, though Mara watched Gabriel, who watched the Ilyen with interest. Her hands, feet, breasts, and somewhat snouted face were about all that wasn't hairy. I'm not sure why I ever bought into the wolf story. She looked closer to an ape but was still a lot more human than that. Of course, nobody here had ever even heard of an ape, let alone seen one, so a wolf made sense to them.

"She's fine," I said while Sinense seemed speechless.

"Thank you, Milord," he replied, regaining his composure. "She is called Yuyona." That first was something from the back of his throat I didn't think I could duplicate.

He talked to her in words, yips, and coughs, and when he said my name, she knelt on both knees in front of me and touched her forehead to my knees. I fought the urge to stroke her fur. She did the same to Sinense and Gabriel, who took Mara's hand as Yuyona knelt in front of her. Yuyona stood, smiled, and slid the back of her hand across Mara's cheek while Mara froze in place.

"It's okay, Mara," Gabe whispered. "She's nice. We're friends with her and Sir Ishen."

"That we are, Master Gabriel," Ishen said. "The fighting is over."

"And why did we need to meet her tonight?" Sinense sounded annoyed, and from how she'd been rubbing my back, I thought I knew why. We had ducklings, so she'd sleep with Mara instead of me unless we sent them both away. I wasn't sure Sinense would allow that much of a breach of protocol.

Ishen bowed low. "Yuyona has told me an interesting story about where she and the other Ilyen came from. You have said that this is something important for you to know, so I have brought her to you. If it is you wish, tomorrow morning, we can see this place. It's through and beyond a nearby cave. It goes to other worlds, Yuyona says, and she will guide us there."

— T H E — E N D —