My eyes opened to darkness. 

It stirred me in alarm to not remember where I was at first, and I reached with my magic only to find nothing at my fingertips to light the room. I called, but it didn't come.

"She's awake," a familiar voice murmured, and I found that it rumbled from underneath me. I lay against a warm wall of muscle. Breathing in his smokey scent, I recognized the comfort of my triquetram with me. Spaulder. 

But where were we? And why?

My elven eyes were quickly adjusting to the dark room and I could see that we were in a bed I didn't know. Though, from the look of the room, we were still in Eberon's estate.

Schula rushed into the room at Spaulder's words, soon followed by Nassir.

"What happened to the battle?" I asked. 

Images began filtering through my head. Bara Khalja. The devil that burns the plains and raids the peaceful. He was there, more terrible than any story of him I'd ever heard. And the Winter fae creatures that assaulted the estate. They were terrible in their vicious attacks, lashing out with no regard for the lives they tried to take or even for their allies fighting next to them. 

I shivered at the memory.

"Wren!" Schula sat on the other side of the bed so that I was now squished between an ice fae and a dragon. Their arms tangled around me in a hug.

I tried to sit up. "But the battle!" 

"Shh, it's over," Schula said. 

"It was over before you fell, little one," Spaulder said. "Can you remember?"

I took a steady breath, nodding. "Right, of course. I do remember now."

"What happened?" Schula asked. "You just lost consciousness. You had us all so worried."

I looked around the room to the nearest lantern on a side table. Schula saw my stare and wordlessly reached over to light it with the provided flint. 

"My magic, it's gone," I said. My throat was tight with worry. I tried reaching a hand up again and calling for flames. Still, nothing happened.

"I believe it is not gone, so much as it is empty," Nassir said. 

Schula managed to squirm even closer to me, entangling our legs and arms as she laid her head on my shoulder. 

"It's such a mess out there," she said. "The bodies, the destruction."

I moved around in the bed just enough to feel that I had been put in one of my easy tunics and leggings. At least I wasn't wearing the tattered war clothes in bed.

"We should help clean up," I said, trying to sit up but being prevented by Spaulder and Schula.

"Oh no you don't," Schula said. "We've already taken some turns leaving your side to help, but with all the Autumn warriors here they don't need any more help. Right now you just need to rest."

"And eat," Spaulder said. "I will procure something from the kitchens."

The solid warmth of Spaulder at my back left as he got up from the bed. Schula reached around me to pull the blankets up around us.

"Where are we anyway?" I asked. "This isn't the room I put my things in."

"No, it's a room from our suite," Schula said. "Do you think Spaulder and I are going to let you out of our sight today? You scared us terribly."

"And they are not the only ones upset," Nassir mused, his mouth fighting to grin under his cool composure. "A certain champion of the Autumn court is outside now, chasing down remnants of the enemy army just to burn off his upset energy."

My face heated up and I looked down at the thread pattern in the blankets, suddenly very interested in them. 

"You're so cute when you get shy," Schula giggled. "You can tear an army apart with your magic, but put you anywhere you may end up the center of attention and you're meek as a mouse."

I scowled at her, making her laugh even harder.

Nassir sighed, catching our attention. "As much as I am enjoying that you have woken up, Wren, I must bring us to the present conversation that Schula and I were having just a moment ago."

I looked to Schula, her expression darkened. "Yes. Bara Khalja. An unexpected addition to DuVarick's forces. But we don't know much about him, seeing as he comes from outside the Wyldes."

"We were hoping you could tell us more about him," Nassir added gently. "And I have a theory about him. If it's true..."

Nassir's face darkened, taking on an anger I almost never saw from him. It actually startled me, the gentle Nassir showing such rage. But he took a breath, composing himself once again, and then looked up at me expectantly.

I blinked a moment, remembering to take a breath after the surprise.

"Bara Khalja," I started. "He hails from far to the west of where I grew up in the mountains. If his birthplace is near to any of the Wyldes, it's near the farthest peaks of the Winter's Teeth."

"That explains how he may have met DuVarick," Schula murmured. 

I nodded my agreement. "The plains in that part of the human lands are a restless place of constant war. Many resources are scarce there. The tall grass attracts some game for food, but there aren't many other things to eat and apparently the traveling bands of plainsmen take turns killing each other off."

"It sounds like a rough place," Nassir added, his eyes still sharply intent on me and my every word.

I nodded. "Sometimes a bigger group will form if a leader can rise up and get them to stop fighting amongst themselves long enough to do it. Bara Khalja did. United under him, he has been attacking the settlements around the plains areas. Raiding and looting and killing. He... his men attacked Silver Lake. He wasn't there but his war banner was on them. Then Thain came in and killed them. He saved the village and saved me."

Schula snuggled in closer. "I'm so sorry you went through that, Wren."

Nassir sighed. "It doesn't explain his magic. The things we witnessed on the field yesterday were not natural."

That struck a chord with my heart. "Yesterday?"

Schula bit her lip and stroked the top of my head. "Yes, you've been sleeping since yesterday evening. It's about dinnertime again."

I let out a slow breath. I... see."

"Nassir," Schula said, turning to the quiet fae. "I think you could be right."

"Right about what?" I asked.

Nassir's face hardened. "The magic he used on the two riders beside him. They were killed in battle, I could feel their life flow out of them."

Spaulder came back through the doorway, silently sitting a plate of food next to me.

I looked down, my stomach growling as I picked up a thick slice of sausage. 

"But even though they were killed," Schula went on, "They didn't stay down. He used his magic and they stood up again."

"However," Nassir said. "They still did not have life in them."

We all went quiet a moment. I chewed my food slowly as I thought about it. Swallowing, I said what no one else was saying out loud. 

"The warlock. The necromancer," I said. "It was Bara Khalja all along."

Nassir nodded slowly, his eyes dark. "I believe so. We cannot confirm it without Teyber but..."

"No," I said quietly. "You're right. He was here with DuVarick today, and that means they could have been working together since before I was born. Bara Khalja is already from lands near the Wyldes, and DuVarick's court at that."

"I will end him," Nassir said fiercely. 

"But, Lark was DuVarick's triquetram too," Schula said, puzzled. "How could DuVarick have allowed it and let Bara Khalja live?"

"Maybe he didn't know Bara Khalja was responsible," I said. It was some kind of plague, right? A disease?"

"That's what Teyber said," Schula murmured. "I guess it could be..."

Schula sat up straight on the bed. Her eyes grew wide, and her lips parted in horror. 

"That was the year!" Schula cried out. "It came on so hard, and from the south and west corners of the Wyldes. It was alarming how quickly it spread, nearly unnatural."

"What is it, Schula?" I asked.

"The," her throat was choked up. "The plague that killed our younglings. I didn't think it seemed natural at the time, but I thought it was the grief."

My heart stopped. "You think... you think Bara Khalja's curse at Lark spread?"

"Teyber did say it was like a sickness," Nassir growled. 

"If this is true," Spaulder spoke up for the first time since returning. "Than Thain will be livid."

My eyes widened. Spaulder was right. "He lost Darya. His triquetram. And Eberon. Oh no..."

Now my throat was growing tight. 

"We should tell him our suspicions," Schula said, her voice strained. "If it's even a remote possibility then the Autumn court needs to know. And we need to tell the warriors about Bara Khalja. At least it's a start for the court to investigate part of this mess."

Spaulder nodded. "I agree. Wren, do you feel like you can walk?"

I picked up a piece of fruit from my plate and nodded. "Yeah, and I've eaten something now. I want to see everyone."

Schula bit her lip. "Are you sure? You could stay and rest."

I shook my head. "My body feels rested, my magic is just empty right now. I want to see what I can do."

She sighed. "I'm not going to fight with you about it, but I'll carry the plate. You're going to eat everything on it, okay?"

I let out a breathy laugh. "Okay."

Spaulder and Schula helped me off the bed, stopping long enough for me to slip my boots on. They walked on either side of me into the main room, and Nassir followed.

I worried for him. He was always quiet but there was a hate flowing off of him. I couldn't blame his fury, but I worried about him anyway. 

We left the guest house and walked out onto the lawn where I got my first glimpse of the aftermath. Scorch marks and torn up earth littered the once pristine estate. Flowers and trees were decimated. The pavilion tent that was supposed to house discussion and meals for the summit of fae was in tatters, and much of the canvas had been burned away. 

Warriors were all over. Patroling, carrying supplies, tending the injured. 

In a far corner of the field where the battle had been held, a huge fire was being tended and watched by a dozen fae. I squinted, trying to see what it was, when I realized it was the burning of the dead.

"This way," Schula said, steering me away from the sight and into the main house. "Lady Yevaron has been keeping a base of operations in a feast hall in the main house. We can probably find her there."

I nodded numbly following wherever Schula wanted to lead. 

Spaulder pushed open the front door, and we stepped inside. The entryway was filled with fae at work. Mending, sewing, polishing weapons. A few of them looked up as we walked by, heading to find Lady Yevaron.

The wylde witch, someone whispered. 

And then another said it, and another.

Murmurs spread from there. Some fae scooted away as to give me a wide berth. Wide eyes watched me walk by, and I held in a sigh of frustration. Great. Another thing to be gawked at over. 

"Ignore them," Schula said softly. 

I nodded and just watched her in front of me. Only focusing on the path ahead that would lead to the feast hall. 

I could tell we were drawing near when I saw a door that barely closed before another fae would come in or out of it. Inside the open doorway, I could see tables laid out with supplies being distributed. Bandages, medicines, clothing, and food. 

As we stepped inside, I could see a long table where Lady Yevaron and Eberon were having a heated discussion with several fae I didn't recognize. Eberon looked up first, and relief flooded his face.

"Wren, you're awake! Please, come have a seat," he said. 

We walked over, now with more eyes on us than before. I held back the sour expression that wanted to leak into my features and approached the table. 

"Wren, I'm so glad you're well enough to stand," Lady Yevaron said earnestly. She had bags under her eyes and she hadn't changed clothes since I saw her yesterday. 

"I am, thank you."

My eyes moved around the table. A big male, glamoured from the look of it, stood stiffly with a stern expression. His orange and red clothes were dirty around the edges and clean in the middle where a breastplate would have been. Next to him were two female warriors. One small nymph and a tall dryad that looked to be from a maple tree.

"Wren," Eberon gestured to the big male first. "This is Captain Uldur. He lead the charge of the Autumn warriors that aided us yesterday."

Uldur nodded sharply, not letting any emotions slip onto his face. When he didn't say anything, I just nodded back.

"Is there anything we can help with?" Schula asked Lady Yevaron.

The lady of the estate frowned. "I would love to say there are many things I could request help for, however Captain Uldur here has other plans."

My eyebrows raised in surprise as we turned back to see if Uldur would speak this time. 

He was studying me intently. Thoughts definitely racing behind those stern eyes of his while he thought out his words.

"Wren the Wylde witch and Schula of the Autumn court," he started. "King Baeleon has asked for your presence. I am to take you straight back to Thanantholl."

I shared a look with Schula and Spaulder. 

"Right now?" Schula asked.

Uldur nodded. "Right now."

I let out a slow breath. "I'm okay with it. We can see what the king wants."

"I think that's the best move for now," Schula agreed. "Are you coming with us, Eb?"

His face strained, his eyes flicking around the room and then to us. "I really need to stay."

"Nonsense," Yevaron said, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "I can take care of things here. Go. Find Thainalan and meet your friends in Thanantholl."

Eberon turned to face her. "Mother..."

"No." She held up a hand between them. "I have cared for these borders of the Autumn lands since long before you were born, and I will continue to do it now. Go. Do your duty to the court, and I will do mine."

Eberon reached over to pull his mother into a hug. I looked away, watching the blank expression of Captain Uldur as he observed the touching scene.

"Then it is settled," Spaulder rumbled from behind me. "We go to Thanantholl."

To Thanantholl indeed. And to whatever Baeleon wanted.

I just hoped it was for the good of the Wyldes.