The lost elven city, for lack of a better thing to call it, quickly became a home.

It wasn't particularly safe, it certainly wasn't filled with comfort, and it was far away from many of my loved ones, but for now it was the most solid thing I had to grasp with my own two hands. Fleeing Thanantholl did little to ease my mind, running through the Wyldes with Aithne was no better, and playing Peyorla's mind games was the worst of it. As far as places to sleep at night go, the lost elven city was the best thing I'd seen in a long time.

The desperation was palpable as we set to work building a safe place to stay. This land had been all but wiped away by time and the harsh seasons of the unclaimed Wyldes, but we were lucky to find a few surviving rooms built below the ground that we could work with.

The first room we had found, the one with the mural, was the heart of our planning. A crude table was assembled from fallen wood the scouts managed to find in the tree line. Supplies were centered here, and what they had for cloaks and bedding was kept elsewhere. We decided that to scatter ourselves would be safer than to hole up in the same confined space, so the other underground rooms we located were invaluable to that.

Schula and I made our own space comfortable. The scouts here were not unfriendly to us, but after our first encounter with Liana back in Eidelhein, I worried that a certain amount of fear would be ingrained in any elven children. In the end, we were happy to share our own space privately and let the others do the same.

Some took to other underground spaces, others chose to sleep high in the trees nearby as they had when we met up with them. Spaulder would not fit through any doorways, but he chose to sleep above the door to our space. The theory was that there was little we could do to hide Spaulder if someone came here anyway, so he may as well be somewhere he could stretch out.

I sat in what must have been a food cellar so many centuries ago. It wasn't large, and the shelves that once lined the walls had long since rotted away, but after a bit of cleaning it was a dry, warm space we could stay in. A place to lay out our sleeping mats and unpack my supplies of witchcraft.

Preparing this place just solidified in my mind that we belonged here. I belonged here. A place outside of the courts yet still within the Wyldes. A place where no king would have power over me again. None to be cruel for what I or anyone else was born to be. The very thought was an enticing temptation. Of course, Eberon now sat on the throne of Thanantholl, but even a king is bound by his people. Look at Peyorla and her endless quest to live up to her late father's ideals, it brought her to a crazed place and will be the ruin of her court if she doesn't wake up and see the real threat.

I sighed as I placed a jar on the floor along the wall.

"What's wrong?" Schula asked, still working to clean out the last of the debris.

"Just thinking about everything," I said. One of the torches we had placed on the walls was growing low, and I stood to replace it with a fresh one. "What comes after all this?"

"What do you mean?" Schula asked.

I bit my lower lip, finishing my task before turning to face her. "I mean, after we defeat DuVarick and Bara Khalja. What then? Where do we go? Our friends are bound to be torn in different directions and..."

Schula's eyes softened. "We won't be like that. Even if we can no longer see our friends daily as we once did, we will see them often. And we will be together."

'All of us will remain together,' Spaulder's thoughts intruded ours in a pleasant surprise. A heartbeat later, his words were emphasized with his landing on the ground above our heads.

"Spaulder!" I called out. 'How was hunting?'

'I found enough to sate me,' he answered. 'For now, I am more concerned with staying here and keeping an eye on things.'

"Any sign from Thain?" Schula asked. "Or anyone?"

Spaulder shifted his weight above us and I suppressed a giggle. I pointed up the stairs and Schula nodded. We climbed our way up to see our dragon face to face.

'I felt movement in the trees to the north,' Spaulder replied as we climbed out of the cellar door. 'But the thick of the trees here and the musk of the Wyldes is something I am yet accustomed to. We shall have to wait and see when they arrive.'

I shared a worried glance with Schula.

"I hope they are friend and not foe," she murmured.

"Maybe I should let the captain know..." I turned to face the direction of the main cellar. "We are... not ready for a large conflict."

'I know, little one,' Spaulder answered. 'We are not always ready for what comes our way, but a dragon fights to the end for what is his.'

"Unfortunately, we are not all dragons," Schula mused. "But, I see what you mean. I am ready to do the same, we have to stop Bara Khalja from getting to the remains that lay here."

"Agreed," I said. "Who knows when he will show up with his evil magics?"

And I still haven't revealed the extent of the toll it will take on me to remove the warlock's magic from him...

Stealing a glance up at Spaulder, I wondered what he would think of my plan. He may be more accepting of it than Schula.

"Wren, you're the better of us for fishing. Why don't you go set up one of your trap things in the nearby spring? I'll let Teyber know what Spaulder told us."

"Okay," I agreed, and we parted ways.

I went to our cellar to retrieve some rope I had been winding from the sturdy grasses that grew here. There had certainly been enough time to start setting up necessities for a longer stay since we had days with no sign of conflict since coming to this place. Thankfully, Bryn had taught me well in the ways of surviving isolated and alone. Not that we were alone here, but my skills were coming in handy.

The lost city of elves provided a sort of peace that was unexpected to find in the unclaimed Wyldes. But that only extended so far, as the scouts had fought dark things as close as the edge of the clearing nearly every night. Nothing too terrible, as little was ready to challenge Spaulder for territory, but it was still a risk.

Spaulder walked with me past the tree line and into the woods of the Wyldes. I would be safe enough with how far my magic had come, but still more secure under his watchful eyes.

We reached the stream, I had been tying knots in my simple rope all the while. I had no net weaving skills to speak of, but a simple trap to catch the fish that leaped over a pile of rocks that narrowed the stream was an easy one to make, and it would bag us something to eat later for sure. Hopefully more, and I could smoke some of it to save for later. It was only growing colder each day, and that meant storing what you could while you were able.

'Wren,' Spaulder started.

It caught my attention that he didn't use one of his pet names. I still worked with sticks, stones, and my rope in the stream, but I cocked an ear his direction. Not that it would help hear him any better, considering his words were in my head, but it was a difficult habit to break.

"Hm?" I inquired.

'With the defeat of your enemies, I want you to know that I will follow you anywhere,' he started.

I frowned. "It sounds like there is a but in there..."

'But, as a dragon I will have specific needs to truly become comfortable.'

My fingers worked quickly to finish my work, and I dried my hands on my clothes as I stood and turned to face the great dragon.

"I understand," I said slowly. "What is it you need? You know Schula and I would do anything for you."

He chuckled, a warm sound in my head that made me smile, despite my anxious feelings.

'A dragon needs space to fly and territory to hunt,' he said. 'I am not saying I will not stay near you, but I cannot remain in a city. A crowded place is nowhere to den down. I know your love for Thanantholl and the people there. If it is truly what you desire, I will do what I can to stay near you.'

I nodded. "I can understand that. But what if..."

I glanced in the direction of the lost city, the thoughts that kept surfacing in my mind finally reaching my tongue.

"What if we made our own place?" I asked.

'I am intrigued,' he said. 'What are your intentions?'

"What if... What if we made a place to live here? Where the elven city once stood. And it is well outside the domain of the fae courts. Maybe we could exist in peace."

Spaulder hummed, thinking. 'Is that not what lead to the battle that banished the elves in the first place?'

My shoulders sagged. "I know. I just... I think I want to build something here. A cabin maybe. Schula and I can live in it, and it won't be too crowded for you. It's all I've wanted for as long as I've been wandering the Wyldes. And it feels so right here."

'I understand, little one,' Spaulder answered. 'My worry is that Schula would not be at her happiest. It would seem the two of us are more accustomed to space and solitude, but what would be the best place for her?'

Heat rushed to my face. "Oh no, you're right. She loves her life in Thanantholl. What should we do?"

'First, we defeat our enemies,' Spaulder answered. 'Then, we speak to Schula.'

I grimaced. "Yes, you're right, of course."

Splashing caught my attention, and I turned to the makeshift trap.

"That was fast!" I said, kneeling down to inspect the fat trout that had wiggled its way into my net. Pulling a simple burlap sack from my pocket, I trapped the fish, keeping a good grip so as not to lose it, and reset the trap.

"I guess we should head back and prepare this," I started. "Maybe I'll come back later and we'll have more."

'Perhaps,' Spaulder mused. 'I am sensing something back at camp.'

My heart beat faster. "What is it, the enemy?"

'Hush, little one. I would have told you sooner if I sensed hostility, would I not?'

His words were comfort, but I still picked up my pace. Fish in hand, I raced back through the trees until the clearing was fully within my vision.

Schula was standing, talking to one of the scouts near our cellar when I approached. It was only when I drew closet that I could see it was Liana.

Looking around, I didn't see any other commotion.

'What did you sense?' I asked Spaulder.

'Hmm. Soon enough, little one.'

I sighed, bringing my fish toward Schula. Liana turned her head as my footsteps grew closer. She nodded to Schula, then walked away.

I frowned, reaching our cellar and a bewildered Schula.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Her eyes followed Liana as the part-elf walked away, then they fell to the bag in my hand that had stopped wiggling.

"She... apologized," Schula answered.

I raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"For everything," Schula said. "Here, let me hold that while you light the fire."

I turned back to see Spaulder had curled up, laying down with no concerns at all. I shrugged, walking with Schula toward the fire pit we had made the first day here.

"I'll light, you cook?" I asked.

"Sure," she said.

We walked in silence until I reached the place where I could lay down flames while Schula placed the fish on a block we had set up for cleaning.

"So, what did she say exactly?" I asked.

Schula sighed. "Stars, so proud that one. She did manage a decent apology for her attitude toward me and Nassir when we first met."

"Wow," I said, lighting the fire. "I'm impressed."

Schula shrugged. "Don't be, she owed it to us long ago. Don't be surprised if she comes to you as well, I told her off for it."

I chuckled. "I won't hold my breath. I wonder what prompted it?"

"I think Teyber said something to her," Schula said. "I mean, she's been hostile to all of us, but me in particular since we met. This can't go on if we're to work together."

I nodded. "I agree. I..."

I stood suddenly. Schula heard it too, and out heads snapped to the far end of the clearing. Even with our eyes, we could barely see the distance to the trees where a large group of bodies was gathering.

Schula dropped her knife on the block and we both began rushing to the commotion. I spared a glance at Spaulder, he was completely unbothered by the appearance of our guests.

The closer we got, the more my heart sped up. Fae, mostly. A few other fae creatures as well. I noticed none of the scouts were visible. Hiding, likely, knowing the risk they faced being here. Though, surely they were watching closely from where they felt safe.

The first fae in the clearing caught my breath. A blue, deep as midnight with hair even darker. Silver eyes that shone like the stars themselves, and wearing, of course, all black.

Thain was here, and now we stood a real chance.

Bara Khalja could come now, we would be ready for him.