Selendrile couldn't breathe. Alys had left him. He didn't really understand what this feeling was. When she put her lips on his, he could not comprehend the emotion that was running through him. 'Human's and their feelings.' The iron shackles dug into his wrists. Selendrile knew he was going to die here, and he knew Alys was not coming back. "Look for the key," she had told him. Atherton threw it in the forest, he knew he was not going to find that key even though his life literally depended on it. Selendrile glanced over to Atherton's dead body. 'I did that because Alys asked me to.' He looked up to the sky, starting to turn purple, and clenched his jaw. 'This is how I am going to die. There is no way, even if she is coming back, she'll be here in time. Unless…' With a groan, Selendrile stood up. 'Gods it hurts so much. I want to live. I want to live,' he repeated in his mind. Selendrile took a step, and then another towards Saint Toby's. It pained him to move, but then again, it pained him to sit. Even if he didn't get far, he knew it would help. Step by step, mile by mile, he would try to meet her half way. Anything to save his life. After several minutes of walking he heard it.

"Selendrile!" he heard an echo. "I'm coming!"

What he could only assume was hope bursting in him, he responded back to the voice, her voice. "Alys!" he tried to say as loud as he could, but it came out faint. His legs moved faster, as he groaned in pain. "Alys!" he yelled again, but his legs gave out from under him, and he tumbled, falling on to the road. He tried to stand back up, but he felt arms wrap around him in a hug. Selendrile felt himself dying. Alys tried to sit him up, and he sagged against her. He had no strength. The sky was starting to turn pink. "There's not enough time," he protested.

"Everything's all right," she argued. "Gower's here to help." Immediately Selendrile opened his eyes back up and glared at the figure in front of him. He felt his body tense, ready for an attack. Selendrile knew he wouldn't have the strength to fight, but that didn't mean he couldn't try. "Selendrile," comforted Alys, "It's all right. Gower and I have come to an agreement. He's a partner now."

"Gower?" he spit out his name venomously. 'The man who has caused you pain? The man who has caused us pain?'

Alys shoved his shoulder. Selendrile had to bite his lip to keep a moan of pain in. "Enough! I told him you wouldn't let you hurt him."

He almost laughed aloud. Then looking back to the sky he responded with no tone, "There isn't enough time."

Gower handed Alys the torch and pulled something from his pocket. "This is not as you led me to believe," he complained. "He was suppose to be fastened to the stake."

"Just hurry up!" Alys cried. Selendrile could hear the pain in her voice, and how heavy it sounded. If he turned around to see her face, he knew she would have tears in her eyes. 'Cry for me? A murderer? A dragon?' he almost scoffed. She grabbed his wrists and he heard the gasp she almost kept to herself. Alys was looking at his wrists, he was sure of it. Selendrile shook his head, the words not able to come out of his mouth. 'Just leave. Leave me to die. Please.' Gower was by Alys, and he put something against the shackle. Selendrile hissed in pain as what he could only assume what Gower was using to cut the shackle, was also iron. A sawing motion was moving his body. There wasn't much time. He looked up towards the sky.

"This isn't going to work. There isn't time. Don't touch me. You're too close," Selendrile could feel himself leaving. As soon as he would die, he would transform into a dragon and then disintegrate into dust. They would both be squashed when that happened.

"What's going on?" Gower demanded. He stopped cutting away at the shackles.

"Just cut the shackle," Alys snapped. The sky turned a brighter pink. Selendrile almost screamed, but managed to only hiss in pain when Gower started back up.

"Damnation," Gower murmured. He had stopped, his hands more than likely tired. Selendrile felt a whole new wave of pain and fell over.

"No time," he could barely breathe.

"That's it," Gower gave up. "I'm not getting any closer." Alys dropped the torch Gower had her holding, and grabbed the file. Selendrile tried fighting her. She needed to leave. He was going to die and she needed to leave. He was so weak, he could not even stop a fifteen year-old girl. Alys was holding onto his hand for leverage. 'Back and forth. Tick and tock,' was all Selendrile could think as Alys sawed with all her might. He jerked his arm up and the band snapped. He transformed into a dragon as soon as the first ray of sun came over the horizon. Alys had fallen onto the ground from the impact when he did this. Selendrile cried out and flew above the tress towards the sun. He still felt the burning impact from the iron cuffs, but he began to heal quickly. A feeling had taken over him. 'I'm not dead,' he was surprised. He had prepared for death. 'I'm free. I can fly anywhere. Never again will I get so involved with a human. Never again will I see her face.' Her face… An emotion began to take over Selendrile. 'Alys…' against all odds she had saved him. Her stubborn, mule headed self had saved him. Selendrile had never really experienced guilt, but he felt it then. He sighed internally in himself, knowing he had to go back to her. He turned back around, headed to Saint Toby's. It didn't take him long to get there. Of course, when he made it, Alys was tied back onto a stake in the middle of a village. The villagers had begun lighting their torches. Selendrile flew towards her, hearing many people scream in fear. His anger took over him and he broke the stake in half, careful not to hurt Alys in the process. What was the point of a rescue mission if you hurt the person you were trying to save anyways? Selendrile turned and blew fire above the townspeople's heads. He then turned to the tin shop and blew fire on that too. Gower deserved it anyways for taking over her father's shop. Gower had ran away when Selendrile was close. Selendrile then turned to Alys, and breathed fire, very carefully, as to not set her on fire, but the stake so she could be free. He grabbed her arms and flew, dropping her on a bale of hay when they were miles away from Saint Toby's. His body switched into human form without thinking, landing next to her. Selendrile grabbed her by the shoulders, and looked at her face. He was searching for any harm, or emotion, knowing he couldn't bear it if he saw sadness or betrayal for leaving her in her eyes.

"Thank you for rescuing me…" she trailed off.

"Your welcome," he replied without thinking about it. "So, does this mean no more revenge?"

"No more revenge… I didn't like it. I felt worse after than before, And I'm very, very sorry Atherton died…" he could see the guilt in Alys' eyes when she confessed. "I assume it works out better for you when you get revenge on those who hurt you…?" he could hear the question in her voice. He almost laughed, but instead he sighed and shook his head. 'This girl is so naïve.'

"Do you want to go back?" He knew if she did, they'd just put her back on the stake.

"No. They'll never be able to forgive me."

"Then, is there some other place you'd like me to take you?"

"There were several kind people in Griswold who were willing to take me on. I may go back there," Alys sighed. "Or, I could find a new place entirely. I don't think that's impossible as I used to think it was."

Selendrile could not look at her at what he were to suggest next. Emotions were… a horrible feeling. "Or… you could stay with me…"

Alys seemed startled. "Do you mean it?"

He shouldn't have said anything; the suggestion was stupid. Of course she wouldn't want to stay with a dragon, a fey, a freak. "Perhaps…"

She looked down, disappointed. "I see…"

Selendrile could see sadness in her eyes. He swallowed his pride. "Yes…" he whispered. "Yes. I mean it."

"Well, then. In that case, I will," Selendrile could see the determination in her eyes as she said this to him. She was willing to make this work. 'Oh Alys… What have you done to me?'