We finally left the cliffs behind. The jagged rocks gave way to rolling hills covered in thick grasses, with occasional outcroppings of rocks or clumps of short trees. We waded through the grass alongside a rushing river that cut through the landscape, guiding us northward toward Aelridia.

The dogs didn't follow us, and the Ska'al didn't find us either. Koren thought the dogs had just been sent out to see if we were hiding in the cliffs. Win or lose against the dogs, we had definitely been found.

Knowing this, we tried getting away from the cliffs quickly, sloshing across the river and following it from the other side. Eventually, Andrin and I convinced Koren to stop so we could patch ourselves up.

"Why do you think they want to find us this bad?" Andrin was cleaning a long scratch on Koren's calf. Koren walked away from the fight almost untouched, but he was still limping from the fight with the Ska'al. Animaré magic could keep it from hindering him in a fight, but it couldn't stave off the pain forever. Even Animaré needed time to heal.

"I wish I knew Andrin."

"The Corvel found Sed and Lill in the woods all that time ago, but why even..." Andrin trailed off and looked at me worriedly. "Sorry Sed."

I shrugged. Nobody needed to pretend she never existed. Somehow, that would be worse.

"At this point, it can't be just for fun. They have skin in the game, and those dogs showed them we're not playing nice. Ouch!"

Andrin dabbed Koren's dirty cut with a soaked cloth. "Maybe they want the amulet. Why else, just for us? We're nobody. This is going to hurt again." He rubbed a salve on Koren's wound.

The Animaré wrapped a small bandage around his own leg and straightened up. "Maybe we got in the way of something bigger, maybe they think we're someone else. Either way, we're going deeper in Corvelen, and the Corvel will never let the Ska'al follow." He paused. "Stay here. I'm going to get a lay of the land from that rock." He pointed, then jogged off toward a jagged pile of boulders.

Andrin gave me a worried look as he turned to me next. I had cleaned my arms in the river as best I could, but the dog's blood still soaked into dozens of long cuts up my arms and shoulders.

"What do you think Sed? What do they want?"

I winced just like Koren had. "I don't know, it doesn't add up. Ska'al and Corvel guards working together? There's got to be something bigger than just an amulet."

Andrin nodded and turned to my ankle. I twisted it on the rocks, and now it was starting to swell. "Whatever it is, I hope they decide it isn't worth it," he said quietly. "So far, this hasn't been worth anything."

"I know Andrin, I know." I went to rest a hand on the hilt of my knife and came up with air. The weapon was long gone, buried in the heart of the beast somewhere.

The action caught Andrin's eye. "You just reminded me..." He reached into his bag and a moment later my heart skipped a beat. I'd forgotten about it too.

Lylisia's knife.

The dagger lay in Andrin's open palm, gleaming in the sunlight. I took it with shaking hands, running a finger gently along the flat of the blade. A single sapphire was inlaid in the silver handle. It was bittersweet, holding in my hands the last relic of my Animaré.

"Thank you," I breathed. The moisture clung to the metal for a moment before it vanished.

"I um, took it just thinking about, you know, just something to... remember you both. We didn't think you'd still be here," he said quietly.

Damn. I hadn't even thought of that. A phantom moment of agony contracted my muscles as I relived Lylisia's soul ripping from mine. It wasn't surprising Animaré almost never survived it. I had felt sorry for myself, sorry that I hadn't just gone on with her, but never even considered Andrin, and Koren—watching one friend die, they thought I'd be gone too.

What else didn't I know? I never even asked what happened, how Andrin saw it, how he felt finding me alive. I watched the fight from afar—I never knew what happened afterward.

"Andrin?"

He lifted his eyes. "Yeah?"

"The night she... the night you got this"—I brandished the knife—"what happened to the Lisparii? How did you escape?"

"Sedris..."

"No I want to know. I... left you, left you for all I knew to your deaths. I-I need to know."

He sighed and glanced toward Koren's outcrop, eyes unfocused. "When that first shot fired, it was like everyone... flinched. I don't know how to say it. The Lisparii were organized and efficient before, but that shot threw them off." He took a deep breath. "I didn't even know what happened Sed. Koren tackled me, and as soon as I got up I—there was nothing I could do, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Sedris." He looked me in the eye, tears welling up.

"There was nothing I could do," he repeated. "After that the whole attack was over. A few Lisparii stuck around, and I had to finish them off. Koren wasn't moving. I think it put him into shock. I don't know what else to say."

I nodded, pressing my lips shut tight. Andrin hadn't answered any of my real questions, but I couldn't blame him—he really didn't have the answers.

Koren came back without any new information but made us press on through the grass anyway. It was a tense afternoon with little talk, our ears strained for any stray sounds. The dogs found us once, they could find us again, anytime with Ska'al at their backs.

The night came swiftly, layering sheets of darkness until the sky was a blanket that blotted out the light and covered us in inky black.

A group of trees was as good a place as any to rest for the night, so we made camp underneath a particularly wide one. Koren took the first watch, and a few hours later I woke to relieve him.

He knew I was awake before I stirred. "Go back to sleep."

The night was so... dark. The currents could no longer guide me when my eyes failed to. I blinked and sat up clumsily.

"Go back to sleep Sedris," Koren repeated.

I fumbled in the dark toward him. "You don't need to be the hero Koren. It's not always on you."

"I'm not being a hero."

"Then go lie down, I'll watch your backs. Staying awake is something I can still do."

He let the silence stretch between us. "Maybe Andrin can do it. You can get some rest, I'm sure you need it."

"Are you serious? I'm here, I'm awake, I'm taking this watch. Goodnight Koren."

He didn't move for a minute, and I thought he was going to push back again. I heard the rustle of his cloak and he wordlessly slid past me, dropping the amulet in my lap on his way by. What I would've given to read his expression.

I almost called out before he settled into his bedroll but then thought better of it. Maybe he was just tired. A question had been gnawing at me all day on and off, something the cloaked man had said to me. The night before, I told myself it wouldn't get a hold of me, I wouldn't let it take root only to be ripped away. But it had taken root, already lodged firmly in my mind, and I couldn't decide what to do with it—uproot it myself, or cling to it with all my strength.

I wished Andrin was awake instead of Koren. He'd understand, wouldn't he, and tell me it wasn't crazy to hope, to dream? I knew what Koren would say.

"Your Bond may still be saved."

The words floated tantalizingly in my mind. The old man's words, so casually spoken in the darkness, gripped me even now.

"How?" I had demanded, heart in my throat.

"A Baldük legend circulates in the library of Dulk'kyra—the molon fitre, soul forge. Said to meld the souls of the Animaré into one, the molon fitre may also mend the soul of a Solace, even bringing back what once was lost."

"And where do you find one of these soul forges?" It wasn't hard to tell the hooded man wanted to reel me in with this legend, but I didn't care. If there was even a chance she could come back...

"No man has ever found one of the molon fitre, not in the mountains of Aelridia or the valleys of Dulk'kyra or beyond the Great Sea to the north. Many believe the legend to be myth."

"And do you?"

He took a deep breath, considering me. "No."

Even huddled in the dark keeping watch, I shuddered nervously at that single word. What had he said next? At the time I might've lost his next words, but they came back to me now.

"...won't say more here, for there is much to tell. I will be waiting in Yeandol along the northern road to Aelridia. Find me there, Solace, and we will begin our journey."

I sighed. Yeandol wasn't far, I didn't think, anyway. And we were going to Aelridia one way or another. What would Andrin and Koren think though? None of us knew how much we could trust this mysterious man—I didn't even know his name. Too many questions, dozens of them, and too few answers.

Lost in thought, I let the breeze rustle through the grass and stir in the treetop above. A few stars poked through the branches, but the night was still dark. My wandering gaze fell on the smallest pinprick of light. It soared high in the sky and I realized too late what it was.

"Firespitter!"

Koren was on his feet in a flash, Naem-shul already drawn, just as the canopy above ignited. A shower of sparks from the firespitter rained down on us, the little metal ball caught somewhere in the tree's branches.

Please be the Corvel, please be the Corvel. The Corvel use firespitters, not the Ska'al. My mind churned through possibilities as I staggered out from under the fiery umbrella, Koren and Andrin following close behind.

A dreadful howl split the night and with a sinking heart I realized I didn't know one thing about the Ska'al except that somehow, they would always find us.

Flinging my pack into the grass ahead of me, I clutched my only weapon tightly in my fist—Lylisia's knife.

The first howl was followed by another as the hunting dogs raced toward the pillar of fire and smoke, their trainers presumably right on their heels.

As the first hound leapt from the grass the two Animaré stood side-by-side, Naem-shul drawn and ready to face it. With the inferno to their backs, they were two resolute silhouettes ready for any foe. The beast barely entered the circle of light before it was immediately cut down. I tried to put them between me and where the dog emerged, knowing the worst was yet to come.

The Solace magic was boiling inside me once again, and I shoved it down hard. Losing control last time, I got lucky. Charging down a Ska'al would be a whole different story, and it didn't feel like the magic would care how the odds were stacked—it just craved blood.

The second hound reached us a moment after the first, this time charging straight for Koren from the side. He narrowly spun away from the lunge and slashed the dog across the back, only for his blade to glance off its thick armor. It hardly landed before Andrin buried his broadsword up to the hilt in its back. It let out a piteous howl. Suddenly the only sound was the raging fire. We scanned the circle of light cast by the fire, watching for the next hound to emerge. None came.

"We need to move," I yelled over the flames, more out of panic than anything else.

"Wait." Koren snapped at me. "We can't go losing you in the dark."

I considered sprinting off into the grass alone anyway. The magic pushing against my soul screamed that I needed to move—run, fight, anything. It was taking all my strength to remain rooted to the spot, and I feared the longer we waited the more likely I was to explode.

Suddenly every hair stood on end. The energy froze inside me, cooled and bracing for any sudden movement.

Two hulking figures melted from the darkness into our little halo of light.

Last time I had my Animaré by my side.

This time I'm alone.

Each figure stepped fully into the light and calmly drew its weapon. The inferno to our backs reflected back at us in their armor, each Ska'al a stone pillar dressed in fire. The masks were different, but marked in that same white chalk, those same twisted sneers. They made no other move and uttered no other sound, but simply stood, clutching dark swords in armored fists.

"You will leave and never come back, or die like these dogs." Koren said evenly.

"Tragsith ek krassath." The Baldük tongue was harsh and guttural. The Ska'al raised its sword to point to Andrin. He turned the blade to me next.

"Hirqioh vrai uil'krassath." The second spoke now.

Without another word, they lunged.

I wasn't ready to die. Not that I was dreading it—maybe I'd be with my Animaré again. But at the same time, I was angry. Maybe I still had a chance, maybe she could come to me instead. I wanted to live long enough to find out.

One Ska'al came straight for me, and it was all I could do to dive away from its blade. The Animaré may have been a match for one colossus, but never two, and the metal towers were easily able to drive a wedge between me and my friends.

Two dodges later and I saw it coming. There was nowhere to go but straight to the ground, and I wouldn't last a second without distance. The glittering sword arced down at me and I threw up a prayer to parry with Lylisia's knife. The blade hit me like a ton of bricks and I crumpled, dizzy, only to roll away frantically, expecting a sword through my gut. With shock, I realized the Ska'al had staggered back a few steps, stunned itself.

I glanced at my hands, only to realize once again the Solace magic roaring in my ears. It wasn't letting me go that easily. I raised my knife again and the warrior paused, almost second-guessing, before starting forward again. Maybe it was the magic, maybe adrenaline, but a reckless idea formed in my mind.

Now the Ska'al swung again, and I swung back, my little knife humming with energy. The weapons bounced off each other with a shower of sparks and I took my chance. The Ska'al stepped back, but I dove forward, driving my knife into the armored leg, right behind the knee.

I wasn't sure what I expected. The hulking figure grunted in pain and buckled at the knee, but then clamped an iron fist around my throat. I screamed wordlessly, magic going haywire inside me, trying to find anything to lash out at. My knife was still in my hand, but my only thought was to get those cold fingers off, to breathe. Somehow, I wedged my way beneath the armor to the Ska'al's wrist. Maybe the magic was saving itself, maybe it was trying to escape my own writhing body. Either way, it roared through my fingertips and up the Ska'al's arm like lightning, blasting the warrior back.

Air rushed into my lungs, and just as quickly, so did rage. I breathed magic in and pounced, knife ready to drive deep into the monster's armor. A whisper of my own voice echoed over the Solace magic.

His mask.

He was so still I felt his deep breath, so close I saw his eyes behind the mask. Deep blue, not empty slits or another mask—the eyes of a man, wide with surprise. In that moment, deep-seated magic raged against me, but something deeper still made me pause. A man. A father, brother, son. Not a dog, not a statue, this was a person.

The moment ended. A left hook to my jaw sent me flying sideways and he scrambled to his feet, sword in hand, chalk features leering angrily once more. My head was reeling, and I tried and failed to get up as Koren stepped up beside me, Naem-shul gleaming in the firelight.

"Come and take him!" Koren roared over the flames.

I braced myself once more, trying to clear my head and regain my balance. Magic was racing again to my fingertips, ready for the fight to go on. I pushed it down and steeled my nerves for his lunge.

It never came. Without a sound he turned on his heel and melted into the darkness.

My mouth hung open for a second before I let out a long, slow breath. Somehow, I knew he wouldn't be back. As the magic and adrenaline faded, I crumpled to ground, exhausted.

Suddenly the heat of the fire was softer than the gentle breeze of the grassland, its light dimmer than the twinkling stars in the sky. My strength faded and the dark sky bent down to close my eyes.

* * *

"Andrin!"

Koren held a hand to my chest so I didn't bolt upright. The half-action I managed sent my head spinning anyway. "He's fine, I've got him bandaged up."

I nodded with eyes shut tight.

"I came to help you as soon as I could, I'm sorry you had to fight that thing alone. The fire managed to get the best of the other one."

I gingerly felt out the edges of my soul, searching for magic boiling just below the surface. It lay silent for now, not lifting a finger to ease my pounding head or bruised throat. It was a definitely a whole different creature than Animaré magic.

"Where are we?"

Koren gestured to the open grassland around us. In the distance, a thin trail of smoke drifted lazily into the growing dawn. "That tree was a beacon. If we stayed there, the Ska'al would know exactly where to find us again."

"He won't be back." The look in the man's eye—he knew I spared him.

"I want to know why he ran. Ska'al don't run," Koren said flatly. "Even without his ally, he wasn't close to outmatched. I don't trust it."

Just then, Andrin began to stir from his rest. Koren went over to check his bandages, the Baldük gingerly handling much of his heavily covered left side.

"I could've killed him." I stared at the ground. His eyes were etched into my memory.

Andrin looked puzzled, Koren's brows knit together. "You let him go?" He demanded.

"What do you mean Sed? It looked like he just ran."

"I could've killed him," I repeated, "but I didn't." I looked up at the Animaré. The dawn cast long shadows in the grass. "He was a person. A living, breathing person. I... I couldn't let the magic... do what it did to the dog. Do you understand that?" I searched my friends' eyes desperately.

Koren shook his head and turned away, slinging his extra bandages into the dirt. Andrin couldn't seem to find the words. "This is life or death Sed," he said quietly. "He wouldn't have done the same for you."

Koren hoisted himself up and grabbed his pack. "Let's go," he said, not even looking back. "We have to get moving. It won't take long for one Ska'al to bring back more." He began to limp off into the vast horizon. "Now that they know we're easy targets."

My cheeks burned. I hoped mercy wasn't the death of us.

* * *

"Koren?"

"What."

"Um... what are we doing?

"We're walking."

"No I mean, what are we doing?"

"Andrin, just ask me what you're trying to ask me."

Andrin shrugged and glanced sidelong at me, then back at Koren. "What are we doing with this amulet? Are we going to Aelridia? What do we do after that?"

It was a fair question. I never even envisioned a world without Lylisia, I had no idea what we were going to do next.

"I'm going to Aelridia. So are you." He paused but kept walking, cloak swishing against the grass. "Sedris?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The magic flared up.

"Just checking."

We walked in silence a few more minutes.

"Koren?"

"What Andrin?"

"Are you sure we should still go to Aelridia? Still deliver the amulet?"