A/N: Thanks for your feedback! Reading what you guys think really makes these fics worth writing.

The rain continued in buckets as the team of assassins pressed onwards towards their goal. Rayla could see the looks of frustration mixed with concern Runaan kept shooting her whenever she refused the other's help. She bit down the dizziness that threatened to drop her where she stood. If she wanted to get to the boys in time she had to show her team she was up to snuff.

Rayla had been breaking down what had happened the first time they had attacked the castle. Her main conclusion was that they hadn't known about the egg in time. Had she known about Zym and her future friendship with Ezran and Callum, she would have never bound herself to the job. That thought had struck her as they first set out. Perhaps if she could get the egg back to her team before they bound themselves to the murders of King Harrow and Prince Ezran, she could convince them that an attack on the castle was for naught and they could return the egg to Xadia.

But then... what if she never got to see Callum or Ezran? For good or ill, that fateful attack on Katolis was the strike of flint and steel to their relationship. Her heart felt heavy at the thought of not traveling with her two humans. As they trudged through mud and wet undergrowth, Rayla silently fought herself. It was selfish to cause Ezran and Callum to lose their father just so she could be with them! She wouldn't let things get that far! It wasn't right and they didn't deserve that pain.

Still, Calum's dying words echoed from her fragmented memories. "And make sure I connect with all of the arcanums. The more time we have to prepare, the better."

How was she going to be able to help him prepare if she didn't know him?

Not to mention the key! Ugh! She couldn't even remember where the stupid thing was! Callum had carried that thing with him for years! All Rayla could remember was many moments of frustration tied to the silly little cube. How in Xadia was she supposed to find something she couldn't remember the location of-

Rayla was stopped and broke out of her inner arguments to see Runaan had silently held her back. Something was wrong. The youngest assassin looked forward and adjusted her eyes. There a few yards ahead was a human sentry. This was it! The nauseating deja vu flooded her system, causing her foot to stagger back and snap a twig. The guard immediately went on alert, his gaze swept the tree line they were positioned at when an unfortunate flash of lightning revealed them.

With a gasp, he immediately took off. Runaan pointed to Rhylef to follow and suddenly the world slowed. This wasn't right. Originally, Rayla had chased down the guard and failed to kill him. But now...

Before she could even think, Rayla burst from the treeline and tailed the guard, Runaan's shouts overpowered by the cacophonous thunder. This was her chance. Her moment to make things right! First, disable and bind the guard somewhere and then on to the castle.

"Rayla! RAYLA!" Runaan watched for a second as his sick charge ran after the guard. He and the others took off after them, doing their best to stay inconspicuous in case other sentries roamed the woods. Through the sheets of rain and the puddles of mud, Runaan lost her trail.

"Everyone, get back to camp! I'll find her," he ordered.

"Runaan, she's gone," Ryenn argued. "We will never find her in this storm. The best thing we can do is wait until the storm passes before looking for her."

"She's sick and delirious! In her state, she could get herself killed and condemn the mission!"

"She didn't look that sick when sprinting after that sentry," Rhylef grumbled.

"We have to have a little faith. We will find her after the storm," Ryenn said with a side glare at her teammate.

Runaan grit his teeth, turning to search the trees before- upon finding nothing- screwing his eyes shut and bellowed. This was not what was supposed to happen!

Rayla pursued the sentry far enough to be safe from her team. A brief flash of Runaan's frustrated glower crossed her mind as she tackled the sentry to the ground and caught his neck between her two straight blades. It had been so long ago now. She had almost forgotten the utter terror the sentry wore as he stared up at her. She must have looked like death to him then, and perhaps now, but hopefully not for long.

"Please! Don't kill me!" he begged.

"Hush, I'm not going to hurt you," Rayla growled, moving her blades from his neck. "But if you take off, I'll have to incapacitate ya."

The sentry scrambled to his feet only to freeze as Rayla pointed one of her blades at his chest. He held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm here to retrieve something stolen from Xadia. Your dark mage has it hidden in the castle. Once I have it, I'll be on my way. No deaths, no fuss. Understood?"

Something hardened in the sentry's eyes and the fear he had for his life seemed to be melting away.

"As if I would ever trust an elf!" he spat.

"I don't expect you to trust me. But you like your king and prince, and if I don't get what I came for, they will soon be in danger!"

"Is that a threat?" he challenged.

Rayla rolled her eyes, muttering, "I don't have time for this."

With a swift kick, the young elf swept the sentry's leg and knocked him out with the handle of her blade. It was difficult to remove his armor in the rain, and though it took ages, Rayla left the sentry tied under a tree with some brambles and started off for the castle in the man's armor.

When the fragments of this half baked scheme first came to her, she had hoped she could convince the guard to take her to the castle wall, but now her trek was going to be longer in the heavy, human armor, through the rain, and time was quickly slipping away. As she marched through the wet undergrowth of the woods, Rayla silently pleaded that this idea would work.

Callum woke up with his face plastered to his writing desk, his back aching from the awkward sleeping position.

"Ugh, I need to stop falling asleep here," he muttered to himself and rubbed a knot from his neck. Looking over, he saw Ezran and Bait gone from their room. Probably planning their morning jelly tart heist.

A knock came from the door, catching Callum unaware. He glanced out the window and saw the sun still on the rise. No one usually asked for him this early unless something was up. Callum opened the door, revealing a guard in poorly fitted armor. The helmet sat atop her head as though held up by something under it and the pauldron and brace were up to her cheeks. Callum noted her face was pale and were those... markings under her eyes?

"Callum! Finally!" The guard gasped and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Uh... yeah, can I help you?"

She took her helmet off and Callum would have screamed if not for her hand covering his mouth. With wide eyes, Callum noted that she had four fingers. An elf!

"Sssh! We have very little time and I need your help to save Ezran and your father!"

Callum's insides turned to ice. Save his family? They were in danger?

The prince pulled away and glared. "What have you done with them?!"

"I haven't done anything! But something is going to happen if we don't get the Dragon Prince back to Xadia!"

This was insane! Dragon Prince? Imminent danger? Callum felt as though the floor was tilting. There was an elf in his room! She had gotten some guard's armor and infiltrated the castle!

Callum's eyes darted for any escape out of here. He needed to get to Soren or the king or-

"Callum, please focus!" Her fingers snapped in front of him. "I know this is all strange and you have no reason to trust me, but we need to get the Dragon Prince's egg from Viren now! We are running out of time!"

"How do you even know my name?" he demanded.

"It's a long story. Seriously, what part of we are running out of time are you not getting?"

Callum crossed his arms and sat on his bed. "Then start talking. I'm not going anywhere if you don't."

Fear clashed with a faint smugness as he watched the elf go from frantic to about to explode to resigned.

"Ugh! You're such as stubborn, mule-headed... fine!"

She began to pace, clunkily dragged down by her armor- stolen armor Callum reminded himself- before the door. She was crazy, definitely, but there was something about her... Maybe it was the frantic worry radiating off her that shot a bolt of pity through Callum's system. Maybe it was the comfortable way she called his name. Whatever it was, he didn't feel like he was in any danger from her. And perhaps if he stalled this elf out long enough, someone would wonder where Callum was and try to find him, freeing him and arresting the elf.

Until then he would wait and he would listen.