My eyes fluttered open, the sky was bright and I was back in my sleeping bag. I didn't remember going back to bed but I must have at some point. There was a dreadful burning smell, in fact it was more like a mix between burning and wet dog, I sat up and looked over at the fire, Jet was kneeling behind it with a cook pot, Keera beside him. I groaned, closed my eyes and pulled my sleeping bag over my head.

I lay there for another couple of minutes before I decided that I couldn't pretend to be asleep any longer. I knew he would end up cooking, I knew I should have asked to be last watch. I walked over to the fire and gave a good morning nod each to Jet and Keera, Jet handed me a small square tin, the contents were the obvious source of the smell. I hadn't realised that I was just staring at the contents in the tin until Blake sat down beside me and was handed a tin of his own. I looked at Keera and she gave me a pitying look. I swilled the food around the inside of the tin and then took the smallest mouthful trying to swallow it with out tasting it. I heard a small choke come from Blake and I laughed to myself, we all handed our tins back claiming we were full and that Jet had found a concoction that kept hunger at bay, he said he didn't feel like that and we managed to pass it off as him being used to food from the Airwalker lands and he was used to it.

"We had better head off soon" Blake said as I helped Jet to wash out the cook pot, I had offered, I didn't not wanting that smell lingering in my cook ware and being transferred to all my things. We packed up the camp and re-packed everything onto the horses, Blake gave a hand to get up onto Garnet since there was no fence to climb and being a little on the short side I needed all the help I could get. As we started riding the wind was suddenly back, we were obviously outside Jet's bubble.

We rode for another two days and were slipping further and further behind schedule, much to Blakes annoyance. It would be so nice to be out of the Airwalker lands, the wind was hindering everyone and was the reason we were running so late. We were close to the Aqua lands now, but we still had a way to go. I was getting tired, I was dozing when Jet nudged me and I woke suddenly, as soon as I came round from my sleep I began to notice the land was changing and breathed a sign of relief. I took in a deep breath and could smell the sea, the coast couldn't have been too far away.

The sun was beginning to set and we were in real need of somewhere to stop and rest, we had been on the move over twelve hours and my legs were really stiff from sitting in the saddle. The ground was becoming really had for the horses to walk on and Garnet was walking with her head lowered in exhaustion. Blake suddenly started pushing his horse forward and pointed to a large rock with a considerable over hang for shelter. "Just a little further." I muttered to Garnet and stroked her as I pushed her forward.

We secured the horses and unloaded our packs, I brushed down Garnet and fed her a mint for all the hard work she had done today. When I was done with the horses and laying out my sleeping bag for the night I began to dig a pit of the fire, but I could not find any firewood anywhere, it was worse than the Airwalker lands.

"There is no wood around here how will we light a fire?" I explained to the others, we could not be with out a fire. It wouldn't be long before the sun completely set and we would be sat in the cold and the dark with no way of cooking any food.

"I will go and look for firewood, if you all set up the camp I won't be long" Keera offered, I smiled and nodded.

"Want some help?" Jet asked her, jumping up.

"No I will be quicker on my own, you stay and help here" she replied and headed off fastening her gauntlet to her arm. Jet threw himself on the floor.

"Why does she never let me help?" Jet huffed. I rolled my eyes.

"You can help me." I said giving him a knowing smile. Jet did not look impressed, I knew why he wanted to go and it had nothing to do with helping carry firewood. I fed the horses and then sat down between Blake and Jet, Jet was busy tying bits of lace and leather together and Blake was sharpening his knives. I was staring into the gathering darkness when movement caught my attention.

"Did you see that?" I cried out. Jet and Blake both looked up from what they were doing and glanced around.

"No, what?" asked Jet.

"Nothing." I replied, "must have been a trick of the light." I went back to staring to space again when I saw something moving again, it looked like a little girl, in a white lace dress running around just outside proper vitewing range.

"Look there!" I yelled again punching Jet in the arm to get his attention. He squinted off into the distance.

"I can't see anything." he replied, "You are probably over tired."

"It's a little girl." I muttered. Jet laughed.

"What would a little girl be doing out here all by herself." he asked through chuckles. I stared at the place where the girl was now digging in the sand and then the sudden realisation dawned on me. Jet couldn't see her, but I could.

"Shadow mage." I whispered.

"What?" Blake whispered back with a panicked air to his voice. "You sure?"

"Oh I am sure." I answered, all of a sudden the girl vanished and a man in a long black hooded cloak stood before us.

We all jumped to out feet, I pulled my scythes from my belt and automatically went into a fighting stance. The man pulled out a set of nunchucks from his cloak and began whirling them in a threating manner. Jet threw a knife but the man knocked it off course. Jet set a gust of air but the man seem and to block it with his arms. He lunged at Jet and jet pulled is katana and began sparring with the man. I rushed forward in an attempt to help but he manged to knock me off guard and I fell to the floor. As I was stuggling to get up I saw Jet fly backwards into the rock and fall unconscious. Blake helped me stand and I rushed forwards at the man, I managed to block the nunchucks this time and deal him a good couple of blows to the arms, I could see the blood dripping into the dirt. As I was watching the blood my focus was compromised and I took a blow to the head. I fell to my knees and saw Blake step up to fight. I rushed over to Jet, the back of his head was bleeding, he was just coming into consciousness. I rushed towards Keeras pack and rumaged through until I found some thick green ointment, I ran back to Jet and lathered it on the back of his head. My headache was lifting and I could see Blake was struggling, unless he had the upper hand in the surprise stakes his fighting wasn't the best. I rushed forwards and managed to catch the chain of the nunchuck with my scythe and ripped it from the mans hand. Swining in the other scythe I caught him across the chest. The man staggered back, he smiled and then a huge crow to the place of where he had been standing and it winged of into the night. I stood panting, Blake was clutching at a gash on his arm, I was still in a fighting stance just staring at the place where the crow had vanished. I was brought back to the present when a shrill cry above us penetrated my thoughts. Narla was swooping low and crying out.

"Keera." both Blake and I said in unison and began sprinting in the direction that she had left. We ran for some time then eventually through the darkness I saw I blurred figure, it looked like it was carrying another figure.

"Keera!" I yelled and tried to run after the shape, Blake caught me around the waist and put his hand over my mouth.

"We are both injured, and there is no way we can take another shadow mage. I can track them, lets get back to Jet and get the horses." he removed his hand from my mouth and I began to sob, I should never have let her go on her own.