Spaulder landed well away from Thanantholl.

He did it for more than one reason. First, he was exhausted. He wouldn't admit it, but he was not ready to have shifted and fought, let alone flown us out of there. I feared whatever progress he had made in the smaller form to conserve his strength and build his muscles back up after captivity was set back. 

Second, the people of Thanantholl did not know about him being a dragon, and the only witnesses to Baeleon's acceptance of him were either dead on the battlefield or so far behind us that it might take days to confirm our story.

And while Spaulder had cause to be more tired than the rest of us, we were tired as well. There was very little sleep to be had on the back of a dragon, and we stopped very little between the distant battlefield and the Autumn city.

So, as his massive claws touched down safely onto Autumn soil, I slid down and laid on his back with a sigh. Puko took to the skies, flying in the direction of Thanantholl and presumably to Wairen at Thain's house. Probably to beg for cherries, the cheeky feind.

"Traitor," I mumbled, watching him go.

Eberon slid down Spaulder's black scales as the dragon moved an arm to assist him. "You can take your time coming to the gates. I have business to attend to straight away, and I can warn the guards of Spaulder so they don't harass you when you get there."

I sat up, looking down to the golden fae, all the sorrow in the world on his shoulders sat as a sobering reminder of what we left behind us.

"I'm coming with you," Thian said, jumping down from Spaulder's side and managing to land on his feet, light as a cat.

"You don't have to," Eberon said, reaching out to squeeze his triquetram's arm. "You're still in rough shape."

Thain brushed Eberon's hand away. "I'm coming."

Even from up on Spaulder's back, I could see the look on Thain's face that left no room for arguing. My eyes drifted to the golden leaf decoration he cuffed on his long, pointed ear. I wondered for the dozenth time what significance it held for Thain, but he'd tell me when he was ready.

"Let's get our things down," Schula said just loud enough for Nassir and me to hear.

"Alirght," I said, sliding a strap over my shoulder then pausing. "Spaulder, I hadn't thought to offer until now but do you need me to try that spell again? We can get you a smaller body if you want."

'No, little witch,' Spaulder's answer rang in my head. 'I will do better to finish my recovery as I am. There is only so much energy I can store up in that little form, and now what I really need is to build my muscles up once more.'

I nodded. "Alright, just let me know what I can do to help you."

Sliding down, I stood on solid earth again and swayed. It was oddly solid after hours spent gliding through the skies over the Wyldes. As my legs tried their best to adjust to the newly solid ground beneath me, Schula and Nassir passed me down the other things so I could set them down before they claimed to join me and let Spaulder finally be free of us on his back.

I saw Thain and Eberon speaking in a quiet rush, occasionally pointing or glancine at either us or the direction of Thanantholl. Once I had settled everything on the ground, I went over to see what was going on.

"-Can't just call them together and give the news while demanding they form a new army in the same breath!" Eberon huffed.

"Do you think DuVarick is going to leave the trail cold? Turn around and hole up in Icehold again?" Thain demanded. "The magic itself is already unwinding. If we don't defend it soon, there won't be an Autumn land to defend."

Eberon looked over Thain's shoulder at my approach, stopping their conversation and causing Thain to turn to see me as well.

"Wren." Eberon sighed, running a hand through his mussed up hair. "Is everything alright?"

My eyes darted between the two fae, concern probably plain on my face for the exhausted looking warriors before me. 

"You two don't look ready for much more until you get something to eat in you," I said. "And sleep."

"We can't stop now," Thain said. "The city is vulnerable. We need to inform them of... of Baeleon's..." 

Thain looked for a moment as though he was going to open back up into that rage-filled, wrathful, emotional havoc of a fae I saw at the closed valley of teeth. My heart tightened as I watched him turn away, Eberon putting a hand on his back and rubbing it up and down.

"We have to go, Wren," Eberon said. "Catch up when you can, but don't overdo it. We'll see you in Thanantholl."

I swallowed, nodding. "Be safe."

Thain paused, his silver eyes sliding to mine as his hard expression was reined in. "Eberon, give us a moment."

Eb nodded, walking over to say something to Schula, Nassir, and Spaulder. I was watching him go when I was caught by surprise as Thain pulled me into his arms. He was warm, resting his chin on the top of my head. He smelled lightly of smoke and pine, a scent I could melt right into. He still didn't have a replacement shirt for the ruined one he tore off and discarded after the battle.

"DuVarick is about to march on Thanantholl," Thain spoke with a soft urgency. "I don't know exactly when it will happen, but it will happen soon."

I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, my heart speeding up at his words. 

"You need to get into Thanantholl and gather your things. Anything you think you might need," he said.

I pushed away to look up into his face. "Thain-"

"I'm not telling you to stay out of the battle," Thain said, and my defenses lowered again. "But there is a real chance for damage if they assault the city. If you still hold hope to repair the barrier, you need to get your books and supplies to safety."

This time I pulled back all the way, taking Thain's hands in mine as we spoke. "Bara Khalja, his magic isn't of the Wyldes, is it?" I asked.

Thain's expression darkened. "Far from it. The death he weilds like a weapon is against anything I've seen here."

I nodded. "I wonder if the barrier eating away has anything to do with him? If it allows his magic and his army through?"

Thain's expression hardened, his eyes drifting to the ground, not really focusing on anything as he sifted through his memories. "The thing that killed Galavan was unlike anything I've seen before, but now that I've witnessed Bara Khalja at work-"

"It could have been him?" I breathed. "Or someone working with him."

Thain nodded sharply, his hands gripping mine firmly.

"Wren, if Thanantholl comes under siege..."

"Don't," I said. 

"Don't try to stop it. We'll hold it from the inside. This isn't the city's first seige and it won't be the last. Why do you think it's built of shear cliffs and rock? But if Eberon and I become... occupied, I want you to take what you need and find a safe place to continue your work on the barrier."

"I don't want to leave you! Either of you," I said. "We just found each other again after so long, and we're so much stronger together."

"I'm not saying it will happen, just that it could." Thain pulled me close again. "I'm also not telling you to give up before a battle even begins. We will need our Wylde Witch with us."

I let out a small laugh. "Don't you start with that too."

I could feel him smile into the hair at the top of my head, his throat carrying a low rumbling laugh. "All I'm saying is that you need to keep your search for the answers to the barrier a priority, alright?"

"Alright," I agreed. 

Thain held me for a moment longer, and I enjoyed the feel of him around me. His arms, his scent, the shape of us together. When he pulled back again, I was cold in the wake of it.

"Eberon," Thain called, sparing me one last glance as he raised his eyes to his triquetram. "Let's go. The more time we have to warn the city the better."

"Right," Eberon agreed. I watched him turn and say his farewells to the rest of our friends before joining Thian.

"Stay safe until we next meet," Eberon called, and the two of them ran off into the heart of the Autumn lands.

I watched them go for a while. Schula joined me and Spaulder made it a point to stand behind us, covering our backs with one of his outstretched wings.

"What's next for us?" I asked.

"We go after them," Schula said. "But slowly."

My stomach growled, and I sighed as Nassir laughed softly at the sound. 

"Perhaps we have a meal first," he suggested.

"We could lighten our packs," Schula suggested. "Eat everything we had left. I'm sure that won't be so hard with a dragon."

We all looked up to Spaulder. If he could shrug, I'm sure he would be doing just that. 

'I will be a bit more peckish in this form,' he said. 'However, I am prepared to hunt for my own food.'

"Would you mind helping us finish off our supplies this time?" Schula asked. "We can travel as light as possible that way, and afterwards you can hunt to your heart's content."

"Won't a dragon be easy to spot?" I asked. "I mean, I know we flew here, but still."

'I am no target. I hunt at night and I know how to hide,' Spaulder answered. 'Do not worry on my account, youngling.'

Schula laughed. "Well, that's settled then. Let's get a fire going."

"I got it," I said, and began searching for suitable wood to use.

After a quick fire and a simple cooking, we had drained our packs of excess food. We made a game of tossing things toward Spaulder for him to catch. Sometimes he would spit a little of his own fire before him, giving foods we offered an extra char before he devoured them.

As we ate the assorted trail rations we found, I reflected on my last moments with Thain. He was right, and in the chaos of war the barrier had fallen to the back of my mind. There was just no way to sit and figure it out while we marched through the unclaimed Wyldes. 

I watched Schula at the fire. Her face weary, her shoulders stiff. Whatever was bothering her was keeping her mostly quiet. 

Nassir was little different. Usually quiet, he was now near silent as we cooked and ate. Only Spaulder was unfazed by our situation, being the most detached to the whole thing outside of our bond as a triquetram. 

When we finally cleaned up and re-packed everything, I felt the weight on my shoulders again. Watching Nassir and wondering when he was going to leap into another rage over Bara Khalja. Wondering if Schula was going to break down under the terrible pressure of DuVarick and his army. Wondering if I would fail the Wyldes. Fail the witches. 

With a heavy sigh, I finished cleaning up what I could, and we all stood together as we faced the direction of Thanantholl.

"Well," Schula said. "Let's go."

Walking for a while, I got the chance to observe the landscape better than when we were flying over it. It was the same Autumn lands I had always remembered and yet, they lost some of their luster. The trees were more like the normal autumn trees back in the mountains where I grew up. Nothing in particular looked bad or unhealthy, it was just... normal. Without that extra punch of magic. 

Schula stared too, but neither of us said anything about it.

Finally, after a few hours of a slower walk to conserve our energy, we saw the first trills of smoke that indicated the city was near.

"Finally," Schula sighed. "I need a bath and to clean my armor."

"Where do you think we can find space for a dragon to stay?" I asked. "I don't think Thain's back yard will do, and he might accidentally crush Wairen's dryad tree."

"I sensed more than one spacious area as I walked the city last time," Nassir offered. "Maybe we can look around."

Then, the large black dragon stopped in his tracks, causing the rest of us to stop as well. I looked up to him nervously, but it was almost impossible to read the expression of a dragon.

"What is it?" Schula asked.

'Something is wrong,' Spaulder said.

"What's wrong?" Schula asked.

'I do not know, little one,' Spaulder said. 'I only know that I am on edge.'

My heart stopped. "Is it Thanantholl?"

'No, it is not that urgent, I think,' Spaulder answered. 'It is more of a... forboding.'

Schula and I exchanged looks.

None of us said anything more as we picked up our pace. Our walking turning into a light run as we rounded the last few hills that would take us to the gates of Thanantholl.

And whatever we might find behind them.