I ran hard for as long as I could, branches and leaves slapping at my face and hands as I pushed through blindly. At one point, I slid off the embankment into a small stream. I clumsily splashed through and clambered out the other side, determined not to let it slow me. I had to put as much distance between myself and those crazed wolves as I could.

Eventually, the scenery began to change, the flowers more coloured and their shapes more wild. I had reached the Heavenly Thicket. I let myself slow to a walk, but my body was exhausted and as the adrenaline high quickly dropped off, I staggered against a nearby tree. I slid down along the trunk and sat on the floor, squishing several types of flowers beneath me.

"Shit and shadows," I hissed as I assessed the dirt I was covered in. I had just got this robe back. I let out a shaky breath and leant my head back against the tree. I felt a lump well up in my throat and tried my best to swallow it. But as I did, the sadness was easily replaced with anger, something I was happy enough to welcome.

I had stuck my neck out and asked her to come with me. It was the most vulnerable I had ever felt in my life. And she said yes. She said yes and still, I was going home alone. I cursed Matthew and his existence for complicating everything since he had arrived. But I was also angry at Kyda, and maybe I didn't have any right to be, but I was disappointed that for someone who had wanted me to stay so bad, she had let me get away.

"On your way now, Ibhan," I muttered, dusting off some of the dried dirt from my robe, "get on with it." I pulled myself up, thankful that I had gotten the silver lace blossom when I did, or I would have been in a whole new world of pain.

I weaved my way through the Heavenly Thicket, picking the occasional berry to eat, or flower to study. Gradually, the trees thinned as the forest made way for some large green mountains. Too tired for climbing, I found a small hollow in the base of one of the hills and decided to set up camp there.

I had picked some large fruit at the edge of the forest and smacked on them as the sun set behind the hills. I was exhausted but also deeply torn. I had wanted Kyda to come with me, I truly wanted her to be here. I wandered what it would be like. She probably would demand we have another conversation about our feelings. As reluctant as I was to share, I was always a little glad she made me do it.

"If you keep this up, Ibhan, you're gonna become a mess real soon," I scolded myself as I threw the core of my fruit into a nearby bush. We were imprinted on each other, I could feel the discomfort over our distance even now. I needed to push thoughts of her aside, find a new focus and forget her.

I turned to my spell book and flipped back to the pages on the silver lace blossom and scrawled some notes in the margin.

The effects of the silver lace blossom are almost instantaneous, providing instant relief and exceptionally fast healing.

I snapped the book shut quickly as memories pressed against my mind. This was going to be more difficult that anticipated. I decided that I had done enough for the day and put the book away. I opened the front of my robe, keeping my satchel slung across my body, and lay back in the little burrow. I was a warlock, I was entirely capable of forgetting one little wolf, who I had only just begun to tolerate.

****************

I woke up early the next morning as the sun poured over the hill tops. Sleeping in the guest room for so long had spoilt me, and I felt sore as I got off of the floor. I stretched and rolled my joints, preparing myself to get around the hills. they overlapped in little valleys that would take less time and effort to cross than climbing an entire hill. Anything to put more distance between me and some still pissed off wolves was better than nothing.

I trudged along and twirled my wand between my fingers. I didnt get to practice shadow magic that abrasive like what I had used on Matthew so often. It had been exhilarating to let go but also frightening. Commanding shadows was delicate work, and it was rough magic like that that led to insanity. It was magic like this that made warlocks lose their sanity in the valley of Kegsus. I sighed and tucked the wand away, it wasnt like I was planning to run into some more wolves anytime soon, I just wanted to get home.

After an entire day of trudging through the mountains, I made it to the field of the fae. Whilst most of the fae actually lived back in the Heavenly Thicket, the field of the fae was also densely packed with magic plants, without the more mellow forest that grew alongside. The plants were just as ridiculous and varied, flowers taller than me and shrubbery that clambered across the grounds. I liked it here. Plants were uncomplicated, and whilst most warlocks were not so interested in spells and potions, I had liked to learn about them as a child. How something so small and pretty could affect people in such large ways.

I did my best to refrain from picking more flowers, I had picked plenty beforehand, and I my satchel was filled to the top with various petals and cuttings. Halfway through the field, I made camp again for the night, taking care not to disturb any hugging vines, or midnight bells, little black mushrooms that enticed nightmares so real they were thought to kill in extreme cases.

Another day of walking brang me to Embergrave. Embergrave was one of the oldest mixed community settlements, and was the largest. I wandered through Embergrave city, trading a few rare plants for some hot bread and a bowl of rassle-flower stew. I made it through the city and over to Glass town, named that way for its proximity to the crystal cove. It was largely inhabited by crystal witches and merchants, with travellers being robbed rotten for little crystal charms.

I pushed through the crowds to the harbour, walking up to the more armoured and battered vessels. Those would be going my way.

"To Ravenvein?" I called out to a large burly man, lugging a box of crystals onto his ship.

"Who wants to know?" he asked gruffly, but when he turned and saw me, he laughed. "Lost son?" he asked and I sighed.

"I just need to get home, are you going?" I asked and he nodded, wiping sweat off his head with a dirty rag.

"I'm going, but I don't take passengers for free," he said with a grin.

"Of course you don't," I muttered, "what do you want?"

"Something pretty," he said, eyeing my satchel. I sighed and opened up the bag. Without taking out the whole flower, I took off three petals from the silver lace blossom.

"Three petals from the silver lace blossom," I said holding them up. I saw the surprise flash across his face before he masked it it quickly and sniffed.

"And?"

"And what, old man, you haven't had a plant like this on your hands in the last ten years for sure," I said and he huffed.

"Fine, you scrawny brat, get yourself on board, we leave in an hour, no bed guaranteed. We'll be at Ravenvein in three nights," he said waving me up onto the ship. I placed the cool petals in his palm, not missing the little gasp as he felt the ice seep in.

"Thank you," I said and he cackled, still cradling the petals gently.

"Stupid boy, I would have taken you on for one of these!" he yelled and I smirked. I knew what he would be like.

"Well then I guess you owe me," I told him as I headed below the deck, not waiting to here him excuse his way out of any favours.