She was trapped in a fog of darkness, unable to move. Her child, Sarra, screamed for her, and she could not answer. She was helpless.

"So good to see you, my dear." A cold voice knifed at her, and she quelled in fear. The Stormwing revealed himself, the fog around his filthy form fading. His smile was a twisted curve.

She tried to scream for help, for Numair, but she was wordless. The Stormwing came gliding towards her.

"I'd like to repay an old favour," he sneered, conjuring something in his hand.

Daine Salmalin stared at what he had palmed: a silver badger's claw, gleaming with a warped light.

Ozorne abandoned his malicious smile and leapt for her, the claw tucked in his grasp. In one swift, practiced motion he plunged it into her chest, tugging it upwards…

"NO!" Daine cried in horror, her nightmare lifting. She brought a quivering hand to her chest, feeling for injury. She found none.

"Daine?" Numair too had been pulled from his sleep, and he turned over to her.

"Where is she? Sarra!" The wildmage jumped out of the bed, running to their daughter's cot by the window. She breathed relief to see the ten month year old child sleeping peacefully in a sea of bedding.

"Daine, what's wrong?" Numair walked up beside her, enclosing her in his arms. He glanced at his baby daughter, the lines of worry on his face smoothing as he watched her soft, angelic face.

"Ozorne…" Daine whispered, weeping gently into her husband's nightshirt. Numair's face darkened in an old hate that would never die.

"He's gone. We'll always be safe from him."

"I haven't had a nightmare like it for years…"

"Don't worry." Numair held her till her tears became quiet sniffs. By then she was exhausted by her crying, and she allowed the mage to carry her to bed and tuck her in. Dawn was not far off, but sleep bore her away nonetheless.

As the sun burst from behind the hills and bathed the Tortallan city in a copper glow, Daine woke quietly, kissed the deeply sleeping Sarra on the head (denying her husband a kiss for fear of his waking) and slunk from the bedchamber. She donned a tunic and riding skirt, and on top of that her travelling garments. She scrawled a note to Numair and quietly placed it by their bed:

Don't be worried, Numair. I'm a little shaken from last night, and I'm going to see Barzha. Her home is half a day's ride, so I won't be gone all day. Take care of Sarra, I've taught you what to do if she cries. Love, Daine.

Sighing, the wildmage hurried to the stables and bade Silvereye, a mare they'd recently purchased, to be quiet. Cloud was standing in the stall opposite, scowling.

And what business will you be riding to? She asked, grumpy that Silvereye was being chosen over her. She'd never taken a liking to the mare.

I…I just need some advice from a friend, the wildmage replied, rubbing drowsiness from her eyes as she secured Silvereye's tack.

Silvereye, a bright, intelligent horse, obeyed her rider's wishes, muffling her trot. Once out of earshot of the Salmalin towers though, she quickened. She and Daine were soon lost in a current of traders and visitors to the city that washed through the city gates each morning.

"I love my home, but I hate it when it gets that crowded." Daine shouted over the wind, as Silvereye galloped as fast as she could. The mare whinnied in agreement, joy on her voice; she loved to run. Tortall's crowded streets did not allow it.

The plains that lounged before the city succumbed to forest as Daine and Silvereye travelled further from the capital. The wildmage trusted her steed's instinct of direction. They needed to go straight west to reach the woodland where the Stone Tree nation lived, and had lived, since the Immortals' war.

Shortly before noon, the pair sighted the woodland for which they were destined for. Silvereye spooked a little when she scented the foul reek of Stormwing on the air, but Daine managed to coax her forward. They stopped before the fringe of trees, the wildmage tethering the mare in case she tried to bolt.

"I won't be long, I don't think. You're fine. These are nice Stormwings." She murmured to the agitated horse, stroking her muzzle.

An ominous clicking sounded nearby, and she turned in alarm. Once she recognised the Stormwing ahead of her though, she relaxed.

"Hebakh? You remember me?" She asked cautiously; her deep, instinctive fear of the half steel Immortals' could never fade.

The Stormwing peered at her, and dropped his guard. He managed a faint, near-friendliness smile.

"It's been a while. Why've you come now?"

"I'd like to talk with Queen Barzha, if she'll permit it."

Hebakh frowned momentarily. "I'll fetch her. I believe she's tending to a new egg."

"Congratulations." Daine offered; she knew how risky and how hard it was for Stormwings to produce offspring.

Hebakh nodded, and flew to above the tree canopy. Hopefully Barzha could see her soon. She didn't want to leave Numair and Sarra alone too long.

A starling alighted on a branch close to Daine, intrigued by her scent.

Are you People? It asked, with childlike curiosity.

No, I'm human, little bird. The wildmage replied. The starling looked confused, but shrugged its wings.

You live near the Stormwings, then? Are they good neighbours? Daine questioned.

They don't bother us. Quite polite, actually. Though I wish they'd do something about their smell.

Daine laughed.

Soon after, the familiar stench wafted through the trees. Two Stormwings came this time, one of them Barzha. The other watched from a distance, sullenly.

"Good morning, Queen Barzha." Daine bowed briefly.

"It's nice of you to visit-though you didn't come for small talk, I presume?"

"It's…something on my mind. Could we go somewhere private?"

Barzha glanced at her companion, and motioned to him. He glowered, but flew away.

"So, what needs to be discussed so badly that you ride miles for it?"

Daine swallowed, recalling her dream. She shuddered; it had felt so real.

"It's about Ozorne." The name cleaved the air and rang in both Immortal and human's ears. So many had died because of that one evil creature...

"What of him? He's been gone ten years now." Barzha disguised the effect his mention had on her.

"I had a dream about him last night."

"Dreams are dreams."

"I haven't dreamt of him for years."

Barzha digested this.

"To be honest I haven't either. Yet…"

"Yet what?"

Fear glimmered in the Stormwing's eyes suddenly.

"I dreamt of him last night too."

Silence hung like a smothering blanket.

"Last night? Him?" Daine breathed, her heart pounding. "Why?"

"I don't know. Perhaps the Dream God decided to play a trick on us."

"I came here to see if you felt his presence like I did. I was right."

Barzha nodded slowly.

"I can't help you, if you're looking for a way to investigate this."

"I know. Thanks for your time, Barzha. For our sakes, let's hope that last night was a coincidence."

The Stormwing watched Daine return to her steed, calming the fearful mare.

"Take care of yourself, Veralidaine Sarrasri, and your family too. I sense sorrow lingering."

Daine nodded, and raised a hand in goodbye.

"Ride, Silvereye!" She shouted, and the mare bore them back to Tortall in the bleakest of moods.