Three days later, after a distinctly uneventful trek across the southern plains of the Territory, there came a break in the uniform golden expanse and finally they saw buildings on the horizon, rising out of the sea of flaxen, windswept grass. The shimmer of the Alatonas glinted in the morning light where it wrapped around…

The days with the kainarin passed in unexpected peace. They were treated as honored guests, just as Erios had promised, and allowed to explore the encampment as they wished, though Aellyn could feel ever-watchful eyes upon them whenever they ventured from their tent. Aellyn found the forced reprieve strangely relaxing, using the time to catch…

Curious onlookers paused in their tasks as their escort marched them silently into the encampment. The one that had spoken, Aellyn still didn’t know his name, led the way down a path that wound through the camp, past tiny stalls of tantalizing roasted meats and vegetables, tanned leathers of remarkable quality, beautifully woven rugs and…

“Where in the realms have you been?” an angry voice demanded, breaking into their shared reverie like a stone through glass. Aellyn felt the wonder she’d experienced just a moment ago shatter around her, bringing her sharply back to reality. She turned, letting her hands slip gradually from Daelar’s, and found Conrad stomping toward them,…

“Not true,” Daelar corrected, his expression grim as he cast a meaningful glance at his sister. He said something then in the same language Dacyne had used earlier. She hissed something back at him. The two argued back and forth for a moment, and it dawned on Aellyn then that this must be their native…

Aellyn awoke with a start, bolting upright in bed. Conrad crouched at the small window between the two beds, leaning close to the glass and peering intently out into the darkness, his brows furrowed. Before she could wonder what was happening, she saw a sudden wash of bright orange light split the darkness like the…