Aithne seemed anxious.

She wasn't exactly the type to show it. She did have more years behind her than I could even imagine, and knowing she was a counterpart to Thain in her own court meant she was powerful as well.

Still, I couldn't help but feel that she was concerned as we walked behind her.

I'd only seen the meadow and the hawthorn grove coming into the Summer lands, but I had a good idea of what the landscape would be like from the first time I set foot in the Wyldes. Crystal streams, lazy willow trees, and rolling hills. The abundance of fruiting trees and fish-filled streams were tempting. If we weren't being pushed on to the capital I would want to stop and stock up on food for the refugees.

But Aithne pressed on, and so did we.

Her two companions trailed behind us, either watching for what little danger there was inside the Summer court's borders or to watch us. Probably some of both.

After observing them for a while, I gathered that Hayat, the green sprite carrying the halberd, was absolutely enamored with his lady. He was both prickly and stoic at the same time, ready to jump to Aithne's defense at a moment's notice. If I knew nothing else about him, I knew he was loyal to a fault.

The slim male with the ginger hair that seemed lazy at first glance was actually pretty sharp. Weylyn, they called him, had a keen eye for details, despite his outward behavior. If it came down to deception to get out of a bad situation in the Summer lands, it would be wise to avoid Weylyn at all costs.

But apart from observing Aithne's companions, we found out nothing else of use on our way to Yusellia, the city of Summer.

Schula said it would take a day and a half to get there. The half day was easily taken care of since we left in the afternoon. The walk was quiet, even among my triquetram. Schula seemed stuck in her own mind, and I knew she had a history here so I left her to her thoughts. Spaulder seemed more interested in observing and sensing what was in the Summer lands, so I left him alone as well. At least what he was sensing was probably farther reaching than I could manage, and who knows when his astounding senses will come to our aid. Stars know they've helped us many times since we've arrived in the Wyldes.

The sun dipped down over the rolling hills ahead. The fading light scattering across the dancing streams and reflecting on the clear waters like mirrors. But as beautiful as this land was, I was always keenly aware that it was also a danger to us. Wyldes it may be, but this was the lands of the Summer court, and my official allegiance was now with the Autumn lands.

Aithne, who had stayed in the front of the line this entire time, now stopped. I glanced around, we were in another open meadow but this one had a small oasis of trees in the middle of it. A bubbling brook sweeping by under the low willow branches and forming an inviting campsite.

Puko cawed, coming down from his perch on Spaulder's horns to land on my shoulder. His black feathers smacking me in the face as he got settled in. 

"Oof, watch out, Puko," I told him.

He eyed me with his good eye and turned to preen his feathers, ignoring me completely.

"We stop here for the night," Aithne announced.

It wasn't really a request so much as a stated fact, and Hayat and Weylyn wasted no time in clearing the space of branches and rocks.

'I suppose this is as good as anywhere,' Spaulder said dryly. 'There are so many strange things living here that I don't know what to make of them all.'

That brought Schula back to the present, and she looked at me and then Spaulder. 'Is there something worrisome nearby?'

'No, no. Nothing hostile. Though, I sense we may have a shadow behind us,' Spaulder said. 'I am not even certain it is what I think it is. Not worth mentioning.'

'And yet, you mentioned it,' Schula teased. 'Well, please tell us if you've decided what it is. Now you've made me curious.'

Spaulder huffed a breath out of his nose, tousling Schula's hair. 'I will let you know if anything concerns me. It could very well be nothing more than birds dipping in and out of the trees, the presence is so little.'

My heart froze. Something, or someone, was following us. My hand went to my pocket and I felt the acorn I had kept with me. Was it enchanted? No, I would have felt it if it were. My witching powers were too strong now to overlook something like that.

But then, what was following us enough to attract Spaulder's attention, yet not his suspicion?

I moved my hand from my pocket to stroke Puko's feathers.

"You couldn't find out what's going on behind us, could you?" I murmured.

He pecked my temple gently, but still causing me to flinch as he flapped away. I frowned after him. Had he understood me, or was he just going off to find dinner? It was always so difficult to tell with him.

"Are the three of you coming?" Aithne asked. She stood under the willow branches as her companions went about the chores of making camp.

"Yes, settle down," Schula said. "It's not as though we could go anywhere."

Aithne's expression didn't change, not that I expected it would. She rarely showed what she was thinking, and in that way she reminded me a bit of Thain.

My hand reached over my tunic, holding the pendant that sat over my stomach. Thain. Was he okay? Was everyone okay? Was Thanantholl still standing?

"Come on, Wren," Schula said softly, taking my hand and distracting me from my thoughts. "Let's sit down while we can. Tomorrow is going to be a long walk."

I nodded. "Alright."

We helped to clear enough space to lay down our straw mats, leaving other details to Hayat and Weylyn. I wasn't sure how Aithne would want a camp set up, but we we quickly found out. Straw mats were laid out, wood was gathered, and food was unpacked. The only instructions we were given was where we were to move out of the way as they worked.

Once the wood was laid out in a space with no grass, I waved a hand and brought dancing purple flames to life in it. Aithne gave me a sharp look, and I hadn't intended to bother her with my magic, but that didn't stop me from winking at her and earning a scowl. Hayat grabbed his halberd, and Weylyn didn't move anything but his eyes from where he sat, but he was definitely keeping an eye on the situation.

'I should tell you not to provoke her,' Schula said to me, a grin on her face, 'but I will admit that she deserves it for how she's treated you.'

I shrugged. 'She isn't the first and won't be the last. I'm sure my very presence is stirring up rumors about the elves. I hope Eidelhein will be okay.'

'Me too,' she said softly. 'I would tell you Peyorla would be more concerned by the witch in you, but she was there when the elves were banished as well. You will have to be very careful of your words to her when we speak to her.'

I sighed, leaning back on my mat. 'I'm not looking forward to that.'

Spaulder settled down behind where Schula and I had set up our mats. His neck curling around me and his tail around Schula. We effectively had our own cave made of dragon to sleep in tonight.

Schula scooted back and laid against Spaulder's warm scales.

'That will be a worry for tomorrow, little ones. For now, I want to see you eat and rest,' Spaulder said.

'Yes, Spaulder,' Schula mused. 'Right away, Spaulder.'

The great black dragon flicked his tail at her, knocking her over as she giggled. 'Enough of your cheek, scoundrel.'

We spent the rest of our evening within ourselves. I'm sure Aithne and her companions thought us mad, not knowing the abilities of a dragon. But eventually we were all able to fall asleep as the sun left the sky and the grass was able to cool down.

I sat my pack down and used it as a pillow. Spaulder was nice, but he was also incredibly warm. Schula didn't seem to mind the heat since she could cool herself down. Then again, she didn't seem to mind the cold either. A frustrating side effect of her magic as a fey and the difference between how magic interacted with my elven and witch halves.

So I sighed, laid my head down on my pack, and closed my eyes.

Drifting to sleep once again in the Summer lands, an uneasy rest ahead of me as I grappled with fears for Thanantholl, fears for my friends. Fears of what lay ahead in the city of the Summer court.

Spaulder rested peacefully behind us, no sign that he was worried about our surroundings or that he was even awake. But I knew better than to make those assumptions. If there was anything that bothered him he would tell us.

Schula was definitely sleeping. She breathed differently when she was pretending and when she was actually asleep. I wasn't surprised, she seemed to worry to herself all day long so I'm certain she was well and truly tired when we were finally able to lay down.

And I was nearly out myself, if it weren't for the return of a certain fat raven as he landed on my pack next to my head on his return.

"Ugh," I groaned. 

Rolling over, I made space for him to perch where he could on the pack, even though there were a dozen more comfortable perches around us than the one thing I was using as a pillow.

"Puko, it's time to sleep," I mumbled.

He dropped something by my head, then flapped away into the branches of the willow tree.

If this is half a lizard again, I'm going to feed him stale bread for a week.

Eyes still closed, I reached up and felt for whatever had landed by my head. I expected to find part of his dinner, but instead my fingertips brushed over something cold and smooth.

My eyes flew open and I closed my fingers around it, slowly bringing it down as inconspicuously as I could. With my back to the Summer court, I opened my palm and stared down at the ring in my hand.

Did Puko actually listen when I told him to find out what was following us? It would seem so, because this wasn't from any animal.

The starlight above was more than enough light for my elven eyes to inspect the ring. Smooth and silver, it had light decoration engraved into it in the form of ivy leaves. The inside glinted with more engraving, and I rolled it over to see a name carved in it. Isiul.

Isiul. I had heard that name somewhere, but for the life of me I didn't know where.

My eyes scanned the branches for Puko, but he had already settled down for the night. Completely unconcerned by what he had brought me.

I turned my attention back to the ring. I had seen it before. It was familiar, but from where?

Schula sighed in her sleep, adjusting how she lay against Spaulder before falling back into her even breathing.

Should I tell them? Was Spaulder even awake?

Yes, I should tell them tomorrow. Or soon. Maybe I should remember where I knew this ring from first. I took the smooth ring, putting it in my pocket next to the acorn. We all needed our sleep before tomorrow if we were to face Queen Peyorla and her twisted sense of justice. I would bother them with it when I had more to go on.

In the mean time, I did my best to fall into a restless sleep, my dreams plagued by worry and mystery.

A ring, and an acorn.