About: Right before the final war. Rowan still isn't a fan of Aelin, but joined her because he despises Maeve. Rowan finds someone that he thinks he loves and Aelin practically loses it.

"Aelin! Aelin! I think I found her!" Rowan said, running to Aelin.

"What do you mean Rowan? Found who?" She asked

"My mate, my real mate. She's fantastic, and lovely and…" Rowan was saying, but Aelin wasn't listening.

All she could hear was a whistle. It was so high pitched, and made her ears bleed. He what? What? Aelin was slowly dying inside. Everything she needed was him. He was here everything and-

"Aelin?" Rowan waved a hand in front of her face, "Aelin? Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh, oh yeah. What were you saying?"

Rowan sighed, "I said that I was leaving. I made a mistake last time and payed dearly. I won't make the same mistake this time. So, Hermia and I are going. We found a safe spot in Wendlyn and will be going there."
"Wh-when do you leave?" Aelin stuttered. She still couldn't believe he was leaving her for somebody who he thought was his mate. All that she had been working for was gone. He was a major part of her plan. He was the part that would make sure she wouldn't die. He was needed because without him, she didn't have a chance of making it. Yeah, she had Dorian, but he wasn't strong enough to take on all the magic she had. The last time that happened, he slept for 3 days and almost didn't wake up. Aelin couldn't put herself or Manon through that.

"Tomorrow. We leave then," he answered.

"O-ok. Alright. Goodbye Rowan Whitethorn. Enjoy your life." Aelin said coldly and started to walk away.

"Aelin! Aelin, what's the problem?" Rowan asked, running after her.

"Nothing, Rowan. Nothing. You go and run off with the "love of your life". I asked for one thing! One THING!" Aelin shouted, while turning around, "I need you to survive! You are the only thing that keeps me grounded when I lose myself to the magic! And, now… You're leaving!"

"I-I'm sorry. I would stay but…"

"But you don't want to lose her. Ok then. Don't, but lose me." She said and walked off. For the first night in a long time, the nightmares came back, and Aelin didn't sleep.

~~o0o~~

When Aelin finally came out of her tent the next day, Rowan and his "mate" had already left for Wendlyn. Everybody sensed that Aelin was in a poor mood, so they let her be. Until…

"Aelin!" It was Aedion, "Aelin! Now that Rowan has left we need to rethink all of our plans. We somehow incorporated Rowan into all of them."
"Ok. Let's do that. Round 'em all up and let's figure this shit out."

When everybody (everybody meaning Lysandra, Aedion, Aelin, Manon, Dorian, and the rest of The Thirteen) was in the planning tent Aelin began.

"We are still doing this in waves, but because of Rowan's absence, we need to rethink them. The first will stay the same. The idea is to take out what we can so Manon, you and the Thirteen will fly and take out all the you see. Aedion, you and the Bane and whatever other armies we have will go next and take out the stragglers.

"Lysandra, you shift into whatever the hell you think is most dangerous and take out what you can along with the armies. Should the other members of the cadre show up, they will go with the armies and Lysandra. In the last wave, it'll be Dorian and I. We will join powers and I will try my hardest not to kill you." Aelin finally finished, "Any questions? Oh, and if any of you see Erawan, take whatever iron you have and lock him up. I have the wyrd keys and lock. I will need a few days to recover, so in that time feed him iron filings but stay far away after that. It's easy to go under his thrall."

"Ok. We got it." They all said.

~~o0o~~

A few days later they got word that Erawan was coming. In the next hour, all hell broke loose.

"Ready the first wave!" Aelin exclaimed to everyone. "We're going in fast and hard!"

"We're ready!" Manon shouted, the rest agreed.

"Please fly safe. And take those bastards out." A few moments later, Aelin felt the darkness of his presence, "He;'s here!"

People started shouting and running for cover. She couldn't blame them. She would've done the same, except, she was needed on the battlefield. Then, she felt another presence. A much lighter one, mixed with stronger ones.

Rowan and the cadre came out of the dust and Aelin heard three words. The words that helped her fight. The words that turned the tides.

"Aelin, we're mates."