Sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. Been relatively busy with Second Semester of school and work. But because i had a "Snow" Day today (it was really just too cold to go to school) I was able to finish this chapter.

And for future notice, it will take me sometime to update, but no worries, I don't plan to give up on this story like i did the first time.

Also, The pokemon fanfic that is an upcoming story will hopefully be up soon as well as presequal of it, lol. Yes, I have alot of work ahead of me.

Chapter Three: The Change of Events

The formal dance, or it was suppose to be, had gone relatively well. Aradia and her mother decided it was best not to tell Lord Pondro that she found no one suitable to become the next Lord of Maren. When he asked she merely smiled and walked away. It'd keep him wondering for a few months at the very least.

It had been a week since the dance and today they were leaving for Ziarre, the capital of Thuraya. It would take them about a week to get there and depending n the weather determined if it would be a day or two shorter or longer. It was just after dawn and the servants were packing a few last minute luggage. Aradia hugged Mariah.

"Wish you could come along. It'd be no fun without you," Aradia said as they separated. Mariah smiled and rolled her eyes.

"You'll have fun and it'll be exciting to see something you've only read in books," Mariah grinned.

"Well, when I do become ruler of Maren, I'm taking you with me if I must travel somwhere on a visit," she said as her mother and stepfather made there way down the stairs of the front door.

"Aradia, will you be riding Destry?" her mother called out as they approached the carriage they were taking. Before Aradia could answer, her stepfather interjected.

"She'll be riding in the carriage with us. It is much too dangerous for her to be riding on her own," he answered. "Besides it's improper for her to be on a horse."

Aradia rolled her eyes, "And I'm fed up with all the bullshit about how a woman can't do this or that," she snapped, not in any mood for his shit today. "Yes, I'll be riding my mare," she answered as one of the guards brought out her elegant white horse. Her horse pranced a bit, eager for a run. Aradia sighed; too bad her horse would be disappointed.

She thanked the guard and took a hold of the reins, then mounted Destry. She heard the familiar song of her Phoenix as it flew through the air above her. She smiled at how eager the bird seemed to be.

"Alright! We're ready!" she heard one of the guardsmen say and she took her place in the front of the other four white horses pulling the carriage. The front two horses were Destry's sire and dam while the two behind was Destry's brother and his mare.

Aradia knew that the journey would be a long one but it was something she could put up with since she didn't travel often and it was usually within Maren's borders. The border on the northeast, east, and southeast were mountains. The other border was the ocean. The mountains were relatively safe to travel through but there were occasions within the seasons where it'd be too deadly to pass.

On the map she remembered that her step father had marked spot on the road in which they were to rest. It was at the foot of the mountains, which was relatively safe. Resting in the mountains was to risking as it could lead to an ambush. But for now all they would get to see was the golden hot sand of Maren.

It was dusk by the time they reached the spot that they were to rest. From where they camped, the mountains loomed over them, but the golden hue left by the sun made them seem less threatening. A small fire was flickering in the center of the circle of men and the carriage. The horses were brushed and rubbed down before they were blanketed. Aradia brushed Destry down and left her saddle blanket on to keep her from getting a chill. She gave her mare some food and water before making herself comfortable by the fire. Lilith was perched on the edge of the carriage, lightly dozing. She'd be getting them up before the break of dawn so that they could be on the move again.

Aradia sat beside her mother who was eating her portion of food; a hearty rich stew and a cup of water. A servant that came with gave Aradia her own portion and glass. She was starving; having not eaten since that morning. She downed her food and drank her water, before giving her mother a quick kiss, grabbing a few blankets, and laying them out near her horse. When she was finished, she sat down and sighed, staring at the looming moutains. Clouds circled the further back few, keeping the moisture on the other side.

Aradia blinked and then squinted, a movement catching her eye. When she looked harder, it seemingly disappeared. She could have sworn there was something out there. She glanced at her Silver phoenix and shook her head. If her bird didn't sense anything then, she was probably seeing things due to exhaustion. With a yawn, she curled up under the covers, tucking the ends under her legs. Sleep soon swept her off into another world…

//Dream//

It was so dark, but the heat; it felt a little too warm for her comfort. Aradia shuddered. She couldn't see anything with it being so black. She suddenly heard a ruffle of wings. Instantly she looked around hoping it was her bird.

"Lilith?" she called out, panic beginning to creep inside of her. She could only see blackness and absolute stillness. "Anyone there?" she tried again, but received only silence.

She squinted at what appeared to be a light. It seemed so far away. She glanced around her and then back at the little dot of light. She sighed and then headed toward it at a run, wanting to be out of this inky blackness. Sure, she held the gift of darkness but this was a creepy blackness that felt hollow, magic-less. It seemed like forever, but the dot slowly came closer. She slowed to a walk and frowned at the light. There was someone in it. And from what it looked like, it was a man. But it was hard to see anything other than the fact that he was tall and toned since his back was facing her.

"Hello?" She called out to him but he didn't even turn towards her. Suddenly, the spotlight in which the man stood went out and everything went dark. The ground under her gave way and she fell, a silenced scream coming from her throat…

//End of Dream//

Aradia bolted up, her skin covered in sheen of sweat. Her breaths came in short pants and she glanced around wildly. She sighed in relief that she was still next to her horse, who was currently dozing. Aradia frowned, why hadn't her horse awoken? Wouldn't she sensed her distress, or was she even moving? She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, slightly bothered by it. A small coo caught Aradia's attention; Lilith was watching her intently and it made Aradia raise her eyebrows. The phoenix seemed to have been aware of the disturbance. Aradia sighed and glanced at the moons above her.

Each of the moons had a special meaning and power. Lucine was the largest of the three moons that graced Obenix's sphere. It was a silvery white in color and was said to dictate the levels of magic on the planet. It was also said to be Thuraya's source of Power.

Koray was the second largest and it held a natural orange rust-red color. People have said that it controlled things of evil and chaos as well as ones need for power. It has also been said that it was Pyralis's source of power.

And the smallest of the moons, was Tukiko. It was an almost smooth blue-green sphere that was said to control Obenix's oceans, rainfall, and rivers. It was also said to be Maren's and Lixue's source of power.

From what the young woman could tell, it was an hour or so before dawn. She sighed and stood up, stretching her limbs as she did so. Destry snorted and nudged Aradia, making the curly haired woman smile and give the horse a few rubs on the snout. She quietly saddled and bridled her horse and gave her mare her share of food, before rousing two of the guards who were resting. They awoke and were up on their feet in less than 3 minutes. They begun packing up and roused her mother and stepfather who came out of the carriage to stretch. Her stepfather began discussing the route with the man in charge of the horses while her mother came to stand beside her.

"How'd you sleep?" the older woman questioned as she stretched as well. Aradia smiled and shrugged.

"Could have been better. Had an odd dream and woke up a little while ago," Aradia answered, "How did you sleep in the carriage with him?"

Her mother sighed and shook her head, "He snores more than I remember and probably would have rather slept under the stars than in that cramped up thing," her mother smiled as Aradia laughed at her.

"It's not so bad out here," Aradia grinned as her mother gave her hug.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said as she let go of her daughter and entered the carriage with Lord Pondro behind her.

Aradia sighed and glanced to her horse, "You ready girl?" She asked the mare as she grabbed the reins and swung herself into the saddle. Destry nickered and shook her mane as the carriage began to move. Destry and Aradia took their spot in front of the carriage once again as they headed for the mountains. Aradia glanced at her phoenix and frowned, confused at why the silver bird was not flying ahead.

Something had to be wrong or not safe enough for her to fly, causing Aradia to be wary and cautious, watching for movements or listening for unusual sounds. Her bird was obviously aware, with her ocean blue eyes scanning the cliffs and the road ahead for something that no one else seemed to sense. The little entrance into the mountains felt as if it swallowed them whole.

Aradia shuddered at how dead quiet it was. Only the sound of the carriage's wheels grinding against the path and the horses' hooves sounding against the rocky ground filled the emptiness. Even the horses seemed stressed and wary about the mountains.

A howl suddenly erupted further into the mountains causing Destry to tense up beneath Aradia. She glanced behind her at the other beasts. They tossed their heads, snorting in irritation and picking up their feet a little higher than normal.

"Wolvens!" one of the lead Guardsmen shouted. Aradia growled as six of the guardsmen made a semi-circle around her and the carriage with them facing the danger. Five other guards stood behind the carriage, almost expecting an ambush. All unsheathed their weapons and prepared to fight.

Lord Pondro stepped out of his carriage just as Aradia pulled out her own sword, "Aradia! What in the world do you think you are doing?" he shouted at her, "Get in the carriage! They will kill you!"

"Then I'll die for my country," she snapped, not even looking back at her step father. Another thing she hated about her stepfather is that he no longer defended his country now that he was Lord. He saw that there was no reason for the ruler to fight when you had others to fight for you. She was disgusted by him.

Up ahead, there were two men and a group of wolves, who were no doubt wolvens due to their size. The wolves had their ears pinned to their skull, their teeth were bared as they snarled and growled, and the hair along their spine stuck straight up making them look more dangerous.

They stopped several yards from the guards as the two men looked over them. A tall lavender haired man narrowed his eyes on Aradia as Lilith flew from her perch on the carriage to rest on the young woman's shoulder. "We have a message from our Lord," he said.

Pondro spoke up before Aradia could, "And what makes you think we'll listen," he sneered. Aradia mentally sighed. Bad move.

"You will if it involves something of yours under attack," the other, shorted purple haired man said as a dark smirk crossed his features.

Aradia felt her stepfather stiffen and she took this moment to speak up, "What does you Lord have to present us?" she finally asked, her face holding no emotion as she stared into the tall lavender haired man's eyes. He smirked ever so slightly causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"Lady Aradia, my Lord says that if you travel across the continent to comply a treaty with Thuraya, we will attack Dalila. We've already taken Sonkanon and enslaved its people," she felt Lord Pondro about to say something but she rose up her hand to silence him. Her mother had stepped out of the carriage and hand her a small rolled up piece of paper with a light blue ribbon around it.

"I thank you for your warning, but we will continue on our way, if you don't mind," Lady Neona said, handing Aradia the rolled up piece of paper. "I suggest you all leave," She told them calmly, but Lady Neona eyes shimmered with energy, calling forth the element of water. They took a noticeable step back as the soft pops and crackles reached their ears. They smirked and one of them suddenly threw down a smoke bomb that covered them up.

"Aradia, I want you to return to the Palace as fast as possible and give the note to the head guard," her mother told her urgently.

"She will not go! She must go with us. We can not sacrifice our only heir to Maren. She'll be killed," Lord Pondro stepped in immediately.

"I trust her in more ways than one, Pondro. Her Abilities as a witch and an heir have surpassed even my own. Intuition tells me that darkness is in store for her, but the outcome is of her choosing," Lady Neona said fiercely. "The guards shall stay with us, and Aradia shall go and help defend our lands."

"But what will happen if she is captured, or worse, killed?" Lord Pondro asked, "We will be without an Heir and our line will crumble."

"That is untrue. Lord Anakon is Aradia's Father. If the Darkness overcomes her, then we'll resort to one of their children," She said solemnly as she glanced to her daughter. "Besides she is at least willing to fight for our country. Just like the men out on the battle front," she said as Aradia nodded to her mother.

"I'll go and do what I can. I promise I won't fail," Aradia said as she spun her horse around as Lilith took to the sky above her. She heard her father grumbling as her parents entered the carriage and continued to their destination. This was the first time they argued in front of her, and she had a feeling that her mother was almost through with Lord Pondro.

Aradia, Lilith, and Destry made ground, not slowing even a bit. She only hoped that they would make their in time. With Sonkanon taken, it meant that their armies had been pushed back a great deal since they last heard from them.

The sun rose higher in the sky by the minute. Wind rushed at them, swiping the young woman's curly hair with it. Destry's mane whipped at her face. She could feel and hear her horse's exertion and effort to make it back at the palace in record time. The heat began to bear down on them and worry for her horse's health began to weigh on her mind with her other urgent news.

A sudden shriek from her phoenix alerted her of an approach to her left. Glancing around, she glared at the fast approach of wolvens in their animal form. The pendant around her neck shimmered a pearly white as she called upon her abilities.

"Wind!" she shouted as her hand glowed white as she lowered out her left. At the command, a burst of powerful wind sprung up, taking with it, sand. The made sandstorm, quickly engulfed the five wolvens, allowing her quick escape. She heard them howl and instantly knew it wasn't a good thing.

The small dot on the horizon, she knew, was the city. But to the south, there was a stretch of black. It was no doubt the enemy. But what made her fear increase was where their soldiers were. Had they all been killed or enslaved? Or had something else happened to them?

"Faster Destry!" She told her urgently. Her horse let out a harsh neigh and felt her horse pick up the pace. She glanced to her bird above and held out the rolled letter, "Lilith, take this to Captain Avon! Pronto!" she shouted to her bird, which instantly swooped down on the letter and took off with it, with immense speed. 'Please hurry Lilith,' she thought.

Lilith flew with immense speed, her silver body almost seemingly liquefying by the human eyes. She could feel her mistresses hope encouraging her to fly faster. But her keen eyes spotted the danger. Avian Archers straddled black mounts. Their arrows were lit by fire. And they fired them at her. Lilith dodged and her speed increased, avoiding them with ease. Flying over the city, her gaze searched for their captain. She dove to where the soldiers in training slept and let out an ear piercing screech. Spotting the tall well built man with his arm raised for her to perch she flew to him. Landing in his arm he took the letter she carried.

"Lilith, what have you brought me," he wondered as he unrolled the letter and skimmed it. His brown eyes narrowed, "Sound the alarm! We're about to be under attack!" Who ever it was, wasted no time to sound the bells, as they were instantly ringing, "Thank you Lilith," he told her as she took off once again and Captain Avon grabbed his sword.

Aradia had made it through the gates just before they had swung shut. The bells had been sounded three minutes before hand and people were already arming themselves. As people of Maren, all were at least taught to defend themselves. Mostly men were taught to fight; there had been an increasing amount of woman as well. Aradia slowed Destry down near a small wagon and quickly hooked the mare up to it. The children needed to be taken to the palace where they would be kept safe in the mean time.

"You three!" Aradia said, pointing to a few women, "Help get the children into this wagon so I can get them to safety," she told them. They immediately nodded and the four of them hurried helped the children enter the wagon. Aradia was helping two boys and a girl enter the wagon, when the little girl who was no older than four, hugged Aradia's leg. Tears had welled up in her eyes and Aradia felt deeply sorry for her.

"Please don't leave us all alone," she sniffed as she buried her face in the back of Aradia's leg. Aradia sighed and picked the little girl up.

"I'll do what I can," she told her, giving the blonde haired girl a small smile and wiped her tears away. "Alright, up you go," she told her as she set the little girl in the wagon. She smiled at Aradia and gave her quick hug before huddling with the other two boys. Aradia turned to the three women that helped, "Keep looking for any more of them. I'll be back once I get these ones into the palace," she told them. They nodded and hurried about to the houses. Aradia glanced at her horse and gave her a quick pat. She knew she was pushing her horse way too much, but at least this was the last thing she was asking of her.

She mounted the mare and set her at a fast trot towards the palace. She glanced behind her at the city wall. She could see the approach of Pyralis's Avians in the sky. The wolvens would at least be delayed. She glanced around at her city; her people were armed and ready with whatever they could find with their wings extended. She sighed as she turned her attention back towards her destination. The palace gates opened at their approach and raced inside. Her mare skidded to a halt as Mariah raced out the doors.

"Mariah, lead the children to the secret chamber and hurry. I need to go and get Sundancer. Destry is completely worn out. I'll be back with another cart of children as well," she told the elf.

"Right!" she quickly helped the children down and led them inside. Aradia unhooked Destry and led the exhausted mare into the stables. Marco met her in the inside.

"Marco, take Destry and give her a full exam, rub her down, blanket her, and give her some food," She told him and he nodded immediately and took the reins. Aradia rushed past several stall doors and stopped at one in particular with a lock on it. With a little magic, the lock clicked and the beast inside snorted and tossed his head.

Sundancer was a large beast. He was Lord Pondro's pride and joy as well as a main breeding component. The brute was a palomino with a gold coat and smooth flaxen main. But what made him so different and prized were the unique traits he carried. Two pearly white horns protruded from his head. One was small and on his snout. The other was long and grew from his forehead. And what drew all eyes on him were his massive feathery flaxen colored wings and vibrant blue eyes. They say that he originated from Pyralis's mountain range. The only problem was that he was a light colored beast. The ones that were known were usually blacks and browns with fiery red eyes and with leathery dragon like wings.

She narrowed her eyes on him as he raised his head above hers, prancing in place. Sundancer challenged its riders because he only allowed the strongest willed to ride him. Lord Pondro couldn't even ride him which was rather ironic because he owned the stallion. The brute snorted before calming down and lowering his head so that he was eyes level with Aradia. She smiled and entered his stall. She grabbed a patch of mane and launched herself over his back. And within that second he bolted out of the stall and out of the stables.

He was airborne in a matter of seconds and Aradia searched the ground for the three women from before. Spotting them she made the stallion lower from the sky and land before them, "You find anymore?" she asked quickly. She could hear the fighting going on near the gate.

"These two," the oldest of the three women said as they moved aside. A girl about five and boy no older than thirteen stood behind them. The girl looked frightened while the boy looked relatively pissed.

"Help lift the little girl in front of me," She told one of the women who nodded. She picked her up and set her up in front of Aradia. The little girl looked up at Aradia who smiled reassuringly at her. Aradia glanced at the boy, "Hop on back," she told him.

"But I don't want to! I want to stay here and fight with my father!" he shouted at her. The three women gasped at his rudeness toward the heir. But Aradia merely frowned.

"What will happen if you are shot by an Arrow? What will happen if you are stabbed with a sword? What will happen if outright killed or enslaved? Your father could be killed over having to watch out for him and you," Aradia stated harshly. The boy looked at her with a glare but he knew she was right. He climbed up behind her and hesitantly wrapped his smaller arms around her waist causing an unwanted blush to creep over his cheeks as he pouted. "Hold on tight!" she said as Sundancer took off into the sky with such speed it caused the little girl to grip Aradia's arms and little boy to tighten his grip around her waist.

Up in the sky, Aradia could survey the battle. The wolvens were still on the opposite wall, but most of the Avians were battling on the inside, trying to get the gate open. Aradia growled as she flew back towards the palace. But it didn't go unnoticed. A pair of enemy Avians watched from afar.

Sundancer landed at a trot at the entrance of the palace. Aradia helped the girl down and the boy followed, "Mariah!" She shouted. In a few seconds, the pink haired elf rushed forth, "I have two more. I'm going out to join the battle," Aradia told her as she hugged her friend.

"Be careful," she told her as Aradia mounted Sundancer. Mariah Quickly led the two children into the Palace.

As Aradia neared the battle she swerved the stallion off to the left and swooped in. Magic sparked in her hand, "I hope they don't mind a little skin splitting wind," she told the beast as they followed the wall into battle. "Eat this!" with the words, sharp blast of wind left her the palm of her hand as she flew just to the right of the wall, knocking off unsuspecting Avians. She swung the stallion around as she drew her sword and charged at one of the enemies. He countered her swing, but he was no match for her magic as he was sent plummeting to the ground.

Aradia continued her attack. She wouldn't have anything to do with these scumbags. They wouldn't live in hell, that's for sure. She drove her sword into Avian and shot another with a powerful ball of sharp wind. She promised her mother she wouldn't fail, and she hadn't so far.

She glanced at her self and frowned. Her clothes were becoming tattered and cut up from close calls. Blood was also splattered on her, but as far as she knew, it wasn't even her own. She pulled the stallion to a stop on the roof top of a building and gazed over the chaotic mess that was still ongoing. Bodies of both opposing sides lied, unmoving on the streets. Aradia sighed. She didn't liked to see this. It was unsettling and upsetting.

Aradia was about to take off when a powerful blast of magic knocked her from Sundancer. And faster than she ever saw, a powerful kick sent her across the roof and over to the next one. Slowly rolling to a stop, she sat up slowly, looking for her attacker. There were two; both were Avians. One was a tall blonde haired man with cream colored wings and stone grey eyes. The other was a little shorter with a spiky array of orange hair with orange yellow tipped wings and vivid green eyes. She narrowed her eyes at the orange haired Avian. Dark energy rolled off of him and it made Aradia's skin crawl.

"Looks like we've found our target," The orange haired one smirked and then he nodded to his companion. With the signal the cream winged Avian charged at Aradia, throwing a fist to her midsection. She rolled out of the way and got to her feet, taking a defending stance. "Get her to extend her wings," she heard the orange one order. She growled as she made eye contact with the cream one.

"Never," she hissed as she launched herself at him her fist connecting with his jaw, and with it, a shock of electricity. He howled, as a dark smirk graced her lips, "That's a taste of my power," she stated darkly as she round house kicked him, sending him into the air. His wings caught him mid flight and he instantly dove at her. She gasped and put her arms up to shield her as he came down at her. There was an explosion of power and a dust cloud spun up around them. When the sand settled, the cream Avian had his hand around her throat, crushing her windpipe. She coughed and squirmed beneath him.

"Release your wings!" the orange one shouted at her. She growled in defiance. She could feel his frustration building like a volcano about to blow. He was no doubt of Pyralis, known for their fiery tempers. "Fine, have it your way!" he snapped and turned toward the city gates. Aradia could feel the energy around him spark and with a second, a ball of fire flew at the doors.

"NO!" her wings shot from her back, with such power that it knocked the guy off of her. Magic raced through the very fiber of her being. With speed unmatched by any other Avian, she enclosed herself in a ball of water and intercepted the fire ball. The collision sent a pulse of power through the city, sending people back several feet. When the light faded, Aradia stood in front of the gates, soaked and breathing hard. Her effort had drained her, but the determined look on her face spoke volumes.

"She's the one. She's the witch goddess," the orange one said as a sick grin crept on to his face. His hands suddenly glowed a faint black color just as Aradia feel to her knees clutching her head.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!" she screamed, and powerful blast of white magic shot outward, hitting the orange haired man. It sent him backward several feet.

The cream winged frowned, "She's too powerful to take down physically," he observed as she struggled to stand up, but managed and allowed her wings to extend to their fullest length.

"That won't be much of a problem, Spencer. With every attack she uses, she drains her body. She hasn't yet accessed her greatest potential so she won't be much of a problem to tire out. I'll let you know when to snag her," the orange yellow tipped winged smirked.

"Yes, Brooklyn," Spencer nodded and flew several yards away to observe the fight.

Aradia growled as electricity crackled between her hands. Without another though, she charged at Brooklyn, her fist aimed at his face. His palm shot up to take the blow but the electricity zapped through his body causing him to flinch. With his other hand, it curled into a fist and caught her in the jaw, sending her back several feet. Her bottom lip had been split and crimson liquid oozed from the wound. She spun back at him shooting up water spheres from the well a few feet away. Each one of them, exploded somewhere on him, soaking him and weakening his power of fire.

He growled at her, "It's time to finish this," he hissed as the dark energy around him sparked with instant power. Aradia retreated a step, her own magic crackling around her. A ball of darkness formed between his hands and slowly gained in size. Aradia growled as she watched, and then suddenly, it sped towards her. In her last effort to counter the attack, a shield of pure white power engulfed her. Upon collision, there was a bright light and then darkness…

//Dream//

There was fire and darkness. It was all around her. She spun around looking for a way out of the nearly unbearable heat. There was no escape as the flames began to close in. She wanted to cry out for help but her voice was gone. Suddenly a rush of wings reached her ears. She glanced around desperately for help.

There he was. Red golden feathers showered around her as his wings curled around her in an embrace, yet his body stayed at a distance. She frowned at him trying to see through the darkened veil, but to no avail, she couldn't see the man's face. He was so close that she swore she could feel his energy coursing through him like wildfire.

She could feel his power and the comforting warmth she had never felt before. Her eyes slid close embracing the feeling that filled her soul. A sudden touch made her eyes snap open to stare at the man before her. His finger gently traced her jaw before his hand cupped her cheek, his thumb making soothing movements over her skin. She sighed contently into his touch. His hand retreated from her making her look up at him.

Then suddenly, the flames engulfed them, swallowing them up and separating them. And it burned, scorching her skin, and yet she still couldn't scream. Then, darkness…

//End of Dream//

Aradia's eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the sun light. She groaned as pain swept over her body in waves.

"Looks like someone is finally awake. You've been out for two days," A man said from above her. She vaguely recognized his voice. She thought back to what happened. She remember the confrontation with the wolvens, making a dash back to Dalila, more wolvens, saving children, and the battle. The battle with the two Avians. A low growl escaped her throat. The man above her was no doubt the cream winged Avian Spencer. She twitched her wrists realizing that they were tied to the opposite elbows.

Her brown eyes surveyed her surroundings. They were no longer in the vast emptiness of the desert, but they were crowded in by towering pin trees. Aradia frowned, trying to remember where there were pine trees. Plus the humidity and heat caused her body to stick a little.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice was dry and scratching from the lack of use and from the exhausting fight.

"We'll be in Pyrena by night fall," Brooklyn said from ahead of her. Aradia glared at his back.

"Bastard," she spat at the ground, they were moving at a fast trot on two black steeds. "Who won the battle?" she asked quietly, afraid to hear of the outcome.

"We pulled back after we got what we came for," Brooklyn said as he smirked at her, before turning his attention back to the path before them.

"You mean it was all a set up?" she narrowed her eyes at his back. He shrugged.

"I wouldn't say that. We didn't think any of you would turn around, but when your mother sent you, a plan played into our hands," he told her, not turning to look her. "Your city is fine, for now."

Aradia glared. She wasn't much in the mood to bitch and besides that, she was exhausted. Since they wouldn't be there until that night, sleep was all she could try and do.