My arms ached as we flew low back to the ruins.

The battle with Bara Khalja took a lot of my magic and even more of my energy. I regretted not bringing anything with us, including something to eat. I sighed looking down at my open palms, feeling the dwindling magic just beneath my skin, knowing what it would cost me to draw much more without giving myself a chance to rest. What's worse is that I was in better shape than the other two.

Spaulder's injury to his neck was worrisome, but he wouldn't let us dwell on it as he glided over the marshlands. It bothered all of us that we couldn't see where Bara Khalja was despite the lack of cover for a force so large, but we did have a good idea of where he was going so with Spaulder's speed we would at least be able to reach the elven ruins first.

Schula's damage on the other hand, seemed to be mostly internal. The scrapes and bruises she had gained over the battle would be mostly gone by morning, but she was haunted by the claims Bara Khalja made on the battlefield. There was no distracting her from it, and she didn't speak unless I asked her a direct question. My heart ached for her, but I trusted she would be ready to defend herself when we met our enemy again.

So, the long flight back was mostly silent torture. Not only had the warlock disappeared, but we were left reeling from the battle and would unlikely be given chance to recover before bloodshed was brought to us once more. I was anxious that we had lost sight of Bara Khalja, and I could only pray that we got back in time to prepare the others for battle.

Marshlands eventually gave way to trees, which stretched for miles. The air was cold outside the court lands, true winter setting over the whole of the Wyldes. I eyed the skies, willing the clouds to stay white and without threat of snow.

Spaulder's flying became more erratic the longer we went. We would slow down before he got up to his usual speed again, or we would dip much lower than he was flying before and then he would seemingly realize and take us higher again.

My stomach was in knots of stress by the time the field of the lost elven city came into view. Cold air rushed over me as Spaulder dipped down, and my stomach dropped as he picked up speed. More speed than I was used to from him, and my voice was shaky as I called out.

"Spaulder?" I said just over the wind, but still we dipped faster and bolder with the ground looming near.

"Spaulder!" I called, and my panic snapped Schula out of her thoughts.

With a crunching crash, Spaulder ran his belly along the tops of some trees he let get far too close during the descent. Branches and treetops snapped and broke, falling to the ground below as Spaulder snarled, falling away to the right in the now hectic tumble to the ground.

Small blessing that we were in the clearing, because there was ample space for the tremendous size of Spaulder to somewhat right himself as he crashed into the ground. The impact threw me off of him, and Schula went the other direction.

My name was called from more than one direction, but I couldn't keep track as I panicked and tried to right myself before crashing into the hard ground myself. Twisting to face the ground, my eyes widened as my impact was disrupted by a blue fae.

"Oof!" I grunted as I landed in Thain's arms hard enough to knock both of us back, though mercifully the sturdy fae stayed on his feet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. His expression of surprise was almost comical, but he leaned in to the kiss as he set me back down on my feet.

"Thank you," I said, turning to run to Spaulder's side.

Thain followed as I ran around to see Spaulder's face better, meeting Schula there. My eyes met hers, and the concern the icy fae wore on her face alarmed me. Looking down, Spaulder's eyes were closed, and he was struggling in some kind of pain.

"Oh no," I said, rushing to the other side where his neck wound was. "Oh no, Spaulder!"

I crouched by the wound that had reduced itself to an oozing pus, but it looked horrible.

"You stubborn fool!" Schula cried out, falling to her knees to hug the good part of Spaulder's neck with a sob.

I glanced at her. She had been no better on the flight back, but at least she was alert and present now. Instead of saying anything, I turned my attention to the great dragon's neck. Gently I touched my fingers to the inflamed edge of the wound. Spaulder let out an irritated, strained growl, and I withdrew my touch.

"Wren!" This time it was Teyber who approached, a fat  black raven on his shoulder holding on tight as the captain rushed to our side.

"We found Bara Khalja," I said, my fingers working to tear the sleeves off my tunic, since they were still cleaner than the bottom remnants of my clothes. I pressed the cloth lightly into Spaulder's wound while he growled weakly, then reached over to bring Thain's hand to the cloth. "Hold that still, I need my things."

I got up from my crouched position and strode quickly toward our underground room, Teyber on my heels. Schula looked up at me as I passed, but continued to nuzzle herself into Spaulder's neck and shoulders away from the wound. Her presence would help, at least until I could gather my magic things.

"What happened?" Teyber asked.

I pulled open the door to my space and looked him in the eye. "Bara Khalja raised what he wanted from the marshes. His force is nearly doubled from what we saw before, there's no way the scouts and the sparse remnants of the Autumn court can fend him off of this place."

Teyber paled, running his fingers through his hair. "So it's true, he was there for the ancient battlefield."

I nodded, going down the steps to rummage through my bag of supplies. "Your own scouts should be back soon enough with a better count than we have, but it's a massive force. I do have some good news though...I think."

"You think?" Teyber grunted, grabbing the things I pulled from my bag to carry for me.

I grabbed my book, specifically opening to the pages where Purda taught me about curing infected wounds and pulling the correct jars from my bag. "We ran into the Summer court, their king himself leading the charge. He said he'd follow after us."

I closed my bag and stood, Teyber and I able to carry everything between the two of us.

"What was the strength of his force?" Teyber asked. "How much time do we have before Bara Khalja arrives?"

I winced, walking back up the stairs. "I don't know. We lost him completely. We couldn't even find him on our way back. Our best chance to sense him would have been Spaulder but..."

We stepped onto the grass and my eyes went straight to the black dragon. My heart tightened at the sight of him, then my eyes slid to the other fae in the trees.

I sucked in a breath. "Are those Autumn fae?"

"It's alright," Teyber said. "We made a sort of peace while you were gone. It had to happen at some point."

I strode toward Spaulder, arms full of supplies. "I guess. I hope they didn't give you trouble."

"Well," Teyber began. "It helps that no actual elves are here, though now it's no secret the elves survive outside of the Wyldes."

I sighed, keenly aware of my own ears. "I think that secret slipped through the cracks long before now."

Teyber chuckled, then grunted at a pair of claws digging into his shoulder.

"Caw!" Puko cried. Surprisingly, he had stayed on Teyber's shoulder for the whole trip to our room and back. But now he flapped his wings, ruffling his feathers.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Caw!" Puko's shrill call hurt my ears and I winced as he took off, flying south and out of the clearing entirely.

We stared after him and I slowed my steps for a moment to watch before striding to Spaulder once more.

"Such a strange creature," Teyber murmured.

I shrugged. He wasn't wrong.

"How is he?" I asked as we reached Thain and Schula. I kneeled by the wound where Teyber pulled the cloth away from it, already soaked through. I grimaced.

Setting everything down, I propped my book open to the page I wanted and pulled together the jars I would need first.

'Spaulder, if you can hear me I really need you to answer some questions. I'm going to help you.'

Spaulder grumbled, the vibration of his chest tangible in the air around my fingers as I worked near the wound. 'Ask, little one.'

I ran a finger down the page, stopping at a few short notes. 'Do you feel feverish?'

'No.'

I nodded. 'Is there pain?'

'No.'

My eyes flicked to his expression. 'Don't be tough, I need to know if the wound itself is causing pain.'

Spaulder grumbled again, his tail thrashed against the ground behind him. 'Yes.'

Moving a jar aside, I pulled forward another one and a sprig of dried herbs, tossing some of each in my mortar, pulling the pestle out of the way for now.

'Does it feel hot or numb?' I asked.

'Hot,' he answered curtly.

I asked a few more questions and got all the answers from Spaulder I could. Schula came over to help me cool his skin while I applied the paste as well. Finally, when I had cleaned out all the puss from his wound that I could and applied the paste to Spaulder's neck, I pressed my fingers into it and closed my eyes. Drawing on the magic of the nature around me, I sucked it through my body and out my fingers until the wound was infused with it. 

Sweat beaded my forehead as I worked. I had already spent so much energy in the marshes and I hadn't done anything to recover since then. But Spaulder's injury worried me.

Working for a while, I was vaguely aware of the actions around me. After I began working, Thain took over and directed some of the Autumn fae that I could tell were in the tree line not too far away. Teyber similarly directed some of the scouts and had food and furs brought over to where I sat. Schula didn't leave Spaulder's side, but she was convinced to eat and stay warm.

At some point a fire was built nearby, and Schula hand fed me the bread and berries they brought earlier that I hadn't touched yet. 

But all the while, I fed what little scraps of magic I could muster. It was constant, laborious work. Purda taught me how, but I hadn't had the real experience of a wound like this before.

When my breath became uneven and my hands were shaking, Thain finally pulled me away from Spaulder's neck, startling me.

I gasped, seeing that it was Thain who touched my shoulder. My tired eyes flashed to Spaulder's face first. He was asleep, but his face was more peaceful now than it had been hours before.

"Wren, you can't keep going," Thain said. "You're going to collapse at this rate."

"No," I protested. "I'm not leaving him."

"I didn't say you were," he said firmly. "Look, right here."

Thain pointed behind him, down Spaulder's side where Schula was set up with a pile of furs against Spaulder's warm belly scales. There was more than enough room for me too.

I blinked, my eyes greatly resisting opening again until I forced them to.

"No sign of Bara Khalja yet?" I asked.

"None," Thain answered, now picking me up and carrying me over to where Schula slept.

"Wake me right away if there is," I  mumbled.

"Of course," Thain answered, setting me down.

"And if Spaulder stirs, wake me."

"Yes, Wren." Thain smirked. If I were more awake, I would have gawked at him.

"And if you hear anything-"

"Wren," Thain said firmly. He kneeled in front of me, tucking furs around me all the way up to my chin. "Sleep, Wren. Trust me to watch over you for at least a few hours. Allow me that much."

I sighed, my eyelids falling as I attempted to nod.

"I don't like that we can't find him," I mumbled.

"I know, love." Thain leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Sleep, Wren."

My eyes fell shut as I snuggled against Spaulder's warm side, Schula's comforting presence next to me.

"O...kay," I managed to sigh. Then, I fell asleep.