Marching through the Wyldes was very different with a whole army than it was under Uldur's group. 

For one, Baeleon did not care one bit how loud we were being. Apparently, nothing in the unclaimed Wyldes worried him. He also seemed fine with the idea of alerting DuVarick's forces as it would 'bring the old bastard out faster' in his opinion.

At least I was able to walk with Schula and Thain, but we drew a lot of attention. Everyone once in a while I would glance far back in the line where Spaulder and Nassir went relatively unnoticed or at least unbothered by those around them.

I sighed through my nose and Schula nudged me with her elbow.

"Jealous of our slowpokes back there?" she asked.

Looking over to Schula I could see a forest sprite behind her eyeing us curiously.

"Yes," I grumbled. "Have I ever told you I want to live in a cabin outside the city?"

The corners of Schula's mouth twitched upward. "What, away from all the close neighbors of Thanantholl?"

I rolled my eyes as she laughed. Even Thain looked amused.

"Don't you laugh at me too," I looked up at Thain. "At least you have a great big house you can retreat to with no prying eyes."

His lips twisted into a full on smile and he leaned down as we walked to whisper in my ear. 

"The house is big enough for two, whenever you want to get away." His breath tickled my ear, and my face flushed at his words.

"What are you harassing Wren with now?" 

I looked over to see Eberon joining us, fixing the cuff on his sleeve. 

"Where is Hellwind?" Schula asked.

"I tied him in with the other horses carrying supplies," Eberon said. "I thought he could use a break, and I was getting tired of the silent riders. Not a conversationalist among the lot of them."

"So you came to Thain?" Schula teased.

I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, holding back my amused expression.

"Thain doesn't need to be full of conversation to be good company." Eberon lifted his chin. "He's perfect just as he is."

"I love you too, Eberon," Thain mused. "Even if your horse came before your triquetram."

Now it was Eberon's turn to blush as Schula nearly choked laughing. Even I couldn't hold in my smile any longer.

"I don't have to defend myself to you lot," Everon huffed. "If you need me, I'll be at the front with King Baeleon."

Eberon picked up his walking pace and joined the cluster of strategists and warriors surrounding the Autumn king a little ways ahead.

"I shouldn't have teased him." Thain sighed. 

"He needs it sometimes," Schula said. "He spent the last three days with that horse after you two were parted for months!"

Thain shrugged. "We've been apart longer."

I looked over to Schula and reached for her hand, which she happily gave.

"I couldn't imagine that," I said.

"We'll probably be the same as them in a few centuries," Schula said. "But for now I'm with you. I couldn't imagine more than a few days apart."

A churning in my stomach started up as the knowledge surfaced again that I wouldn't live a human lifespan and I pushed it back down. That was a crisis for another day.

Luckily, distraction came as a horn sounded up ahead, and I tilted my head to hear better.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

"Barely," Schula said. "It's not one of ours."

Then, Baeleon stopped the progression before us with one raised hand. The stomping, marching, drumming mess of noise around the king stilled to silence in a tide that spilled all the way to the back of the line in a few heartbeats.

"Scouts," Baeleon said, just loud enough for us to hear form where we stood. "Forward one hour, then return."

Around us, half  a dozen fae creatures moved forward on silent feet. Solft leather souled shoes, dark clothes the shades of the unclaimed Wyldes, and magic that seemed to blend them into the shadows moved around us to the front. Without further order, they moved fluidly past the horde of Autumn creatures and into the dark trees ahead.

"Set up a camp," Baeleon ordered, his voice rumbling and carrying just enough that the few clusters around him could hear. As soon as they started moving, the rest of the group took their lead.

Where we walked in the unclaimed Wyldes, the trees had grown giant in their ancient age. The canopy overhead let in little sun, preventing much growth underfoot save for a few thorny plants and the thickest of stubborn grass that grew in patches where the canopy of leaves allowed an opening above. 

That meant there was enough room to move around, and apparently, enough room to camp.

"What should we do?" I asked.

"The ones with assigned jobs will begin setting up," Thain murmured, keeping his voice low just as every other fae creature was doing. "If we try to help, we will possibly be in the way. I suggest we find where the tents are going up and claim a few so we can wait without being underfoot."

Schula nodded. "I'll go get Spaulder and Nassir. Wren, go with Thain."

"Okay," I whispered. 

I looked up to Thain who was scouting the area around us for movement of tents. Once he spotted what he was looking for, he reached down to take my hand and walked us in the direction of the horses.

"We'll get two tents," Thain said. "One for your triquetram and Nassir can stay with Eberon and me."

"Why are we using tents?" I asked. "We've never camped with them before unless there was heavy rain."

The corner of his mouth twitched up before settling back in its usual line. "Too sharp, Wren. We use tents in wartime to obscure our numbers. Fae can see too far away, it's easier for us to scout a war camp than for a human as you'll be more used to. So we obscure our numbers and movements with tents."

"Oh, they don't know how many are in each tent." I realized out loud. "Perfect."

Thain nodded. "Sometimes we even use empty tents, sometimes we fit as many in a few tents as we can. There is never really a way to know how many are in our forces that way."

We reached a mossy green fae with glowing sunset eyes. She bowed to Thain, reminding me again that he was going to get differential treatment and we would probably be situated before other waiting people because of it. 

Or so I thought. 

Because when she turned to look at who accompanied Thainalan the ravager, her eyes widened.

"The Wylde Witch," she murmured. "The king wants you this way."

I exchanged a look with Thain, but he just gestured me to follow the already walking fae. 

I rushed after her to keep up as she approached one of the bigger tents. A fire pit was being constructed from stone that a stone shaper was pulling from the ground like pluking apples from a barrel. I could see Baeleon standing  in the big tent, already speaking to some of the strategists from his throne room back in the Autumn palace. 

"This way," the fae said, gesturing to a tent just a few tents away from Baeleon's. It was barely pulled together as I watched a team of four construct the tents at an alarming speed. 

"Please wait here while the encampment is set up. Thainalan, your tent is there." She pointed to the one across from mine, then she left as quickly as she had come. 

"You wait in yours," Thain said. "I'll wave Schula over."

"Okay," I murmured.

Inside the tent, I couldn't stand without brushing my head on the top canvas, but there were mats rolled out that would be comfortable to lay on. I shrugged my pack of of my shoulders and put it down. Sitting next to it, I admired how little sound I heard from outside my thin canvas room. 

Flapping rustled at the front opening of the tent and a fat black raven popped his head inside.

"Puko," I said. "Don't-"

"Caw!" 

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. "At least a bird won't be that out of place of a sound."

Puko hopped into the tent, looking around curiously before settling on my pack. He pecked at a few straps and buckles.

"Hold on, I'll get you something if it will keep you quiet," I told him. 

I dug out a handful of pecans and scattered them on the mat next to me as he happily devoured the pieces.

"It's us," Schula said, alerting me to her presence as she opened the flap wider and pulled Spaulder inside.

I watched as Schula came in, sligtlly hunched over to avoid the canvas overhead and she sat on the mat next to mine. Spaulder on the other hand, had to practically crawl inside. Once he was seated on the third mat, I smiled.

"I missed you," I told him.

He smiled. "And I you, little ones. I am grateful for the respit that allowed me to gather strength unharrassed, but I know that my time in this form is short."

"Do you feel stronger again?" I asked.

"Mm. I do, and yet I feel the magic containing this form slipping. I will have to leave it one way or another soon," Spaulder answered.

"That time might be very soon if that horn meant the Winter army," Schula murmured. "Spaulder, can you sense anything?"

He shrugged. "There is too much activity around me, it makes things... difficult."

Schula nodded. "That's understandable."

I bit my lip, looking at my pack. "If we have a battle in front of us I think I want to prepare a little more."

I pulled my witche's tome from the bag beside me and flipped through the pages to where I'd been making notes about my fire abilities.

"Wren, you can't study for a fight," Schula said. "You've been in battle before, are you nervous?"

I shrugged, closing my book. "I just... this one is different."

"It is the wait," Spaulder said, and Schula and I turned to face him. "Have you sat in anticipation of a battle before, or did the battle come to you unannounced before now?"

I blinked, realizing he was right. "That's exactly it, I've never had to march toward it like this. The unknown is... unnerving."

Spaulder chuckled, placing a large hand on my shoulder. "Little witch, you are absolutely bursting with power in such a small frame. You will conquer your enemies, and I will be above you to do it."

"Above?" Schula and I asked at the same time.

He flashed a smile, his white teeth shining in the dim light as his golden eyes shone with a glint of power. "As I said, I will not be in this form for long."

Two thumps sounded on the ground outside our tent that I had started associating with the spears of the Autumn court guards.

"Yes?" Schula said.

The flap opened, revealing the palace uniform. "King Baeleon commands your presence in his quarters. The first scouts are returning with sightings of unusual forces."

I frowned. "Unusual forces, what does that mean?" I asked.

The guard just stared back at me blankly. "I don't have the details, Wylde Witch."

Schula sighed, standing up as high as the tent would allow her. "We'll be right back," she told Spaulder.

But the guard clared his throat. "The king requests the... the whole triquetram."

Schula and I looked to Spaulder, who shrugged.

"Go. I will come after you when I have composed myself," he said.

My breath caught in my throat. "But you said you weren't quite ready."

"If these scouts have spotted enemy forces, then I will have to be ready enough," Spaulder said. "Now, go. Give a large male room to move in this confounded tent."

Schula and I scrambled out of the tent, and I scooped Puko from my mat as I did with a sqwak.

We stood outside and let Spaulder come out.

Schula smirked and turned to the guard. "Is Thain in there too?"

"He is the next one I am to summon to the king," the guard answered.

She grinned wickedly, her fangs shining. "Excellent, he will want to be there for this."

I coughed, covering a laugh. 

Spaulder stood to his full hight in human form. The gray locs of hair fell over his shoulders as he stood proud and I took in his decided disguised form for possibly the last time.

Even the guard looked nervous as he walked to Thain's tent, possibly to leave Spaulder's presence.

The great dragon took a breath and let it out slowly. "I have rested on my heels enough. Let us go meet your king and begin the battle."

And so, we did.