"Just try again. I know you can do it."

Shruikan's ribcage rumbled, though when he opened his mouth, nothing happened. Makeeda shook her head.

"Why can I not do it?"
"I don't know-"
"I want to know why!" he roared, stomping a claw on the ground.
"I can't give you the answers-"

Shruikan opened his wings and flew away from her. She sighed, turning around to see Edmund.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.
"He can't sustain a flame."
"Is he old enough?"

Makeeda nodded.

"There is something wrong with him." she said, her voice quiet.
"What do we do?"
"I don't know what to do… I need to read about it."
"Read while he calms down."

She smiled at him.

"Will you come with me?"
"Sure." he replied, smiling back to her.

Shruikan landed gracefully in front of his Keep, looking at Makeeda.

"I am sorry for being angry. This is not a fault of yours."
"It's alright." she replied, feeling his mind touch her own. She stepped closer to him, touching his scaly leg. "I know what we're going to do."
"What is on your mind?"
"We are going to the Varden."

He stepped back from her.

"Little one… I do not think this is necessary."
"So they are out there then?"
"Yes."
"We are going. There is something wrong with you and they will be able to help."
"It is a long journey, and we may be there for a time."
"I do not care. I will do whatever helps you."

He bowed down his head in agreement.

"Then I shall show you the way to them."

Makeeda walked into the throne room, approaching the Kings and Queens. They looked surprised to see her requesting an audience with them.

"Makeeda?" Peter said.
"What are you doing in here?" Susan asked.
"I need a presence with my Kings and Queens. I have a request." Peter nodded at her. "I need rations for approximately a month's travel."

Again, they were taken aback.

"Why? Where are you going?" Edmund asked.
"I am going to find the Varden. They are outside of Narnia's borders. Shruikan cannot breathe fire, there's something wrong with him. If they still exist, they could help him. I don't need a horse, I can fly on his back. I just need food."
"Makeeda…" Susan began.
"I know, it's not logical… But you must understand that Shruikan is my responsibility, and friend. I must go if there is a chance it will help him."
"You have duties here." Peter reminded her.
"I know I do, but my duties as a Rider come first. I have to protect him."

Peter looked at Edmund, then back to her.

"You can go." he said.
"No." Edmund said, standing up in protested.
"Ed, I have-"
"I go too."
"Edmund-"
"If you go, we all go." Peter told him.
"We can't all go." Susan replied.
"We can't split up either!" Lucy protested.
"Stop!" Edmund said over all of them. "Makeeda is my wife, I won't let her go without me."
"You are our brother."
"Then you'll say yes to her request knowing I am going too. For me."

Peter sighed.

"You're sly." Susan told him.
"He's right though. I wouldn't let Gabriella go by herself…" Peter said.
"It is a long journey." Makeeda spoke up.
"I accept that." Edmund replied.

Makeeda nodded.

"Thank you." she said, bowing to them.

A knock sounded on the door as Makeeda's maid finished tying her dress.

"Come in." she called. Edmund opened the door and Makeeda looked at her maid. "You're excused."
"Are you ready?" he asked after the maid rushed past him.
"I am." she replied, nodding.
"And Shruikan?"
"Yes… He is."

Edmund held out his hand and she took it. She looked around the room one last time, and they left, their packs in hand. They walked down to the castle gate, where Peter, Susan, Lucy and Shruikan were waiting. Shruikan wore a saddle, which had bags of food hanging on the side.

"The horses are ready." Peter said.
"Yes, make my Rider use that pathetic goat for travel, instead of me. How absurd." Shruikan said, snorting smoke from his nose.

Makeeda smiled as she and Edmund took the reins, mounting their horses.

"Be safe." Peter told them.
"Hurry back." Lucy added.
"He'll be safe with us." Makeeda assured.
"You be safe aswell." Susan said.
"I will be." Makeeda smiled.

When the goodbyes were said, Makeeda, Edmund and Shruikan all departed, beginning their journey together.

It was almost two weeks before they had found anything, spotting a tent standing up amongst others that were torn down. They slowly walked through the camp, taking in what they saw.

"It looks old. The fabrics are worn, even for being destroyed." Makeeda said, letting her drawn arrow slump as she touched the fabric of the standing tent.
"Whoever lived here was attacked." Edmund noted.

Makeeda strapped her bow onto her back and pulled back the flap of the tent. Everything was still standing as though habitants lived there. Makeeda saw a glint of silver on the little stand and picked it up, admiring the little trinket. She read the familiar words in the Dalish language, realizing where she was. She left the tent, her heart sinking as she looked around at the destroyed camp.

"I know who lived here." she said, rubbing the trinket in her hand.
"Who?" Edmund asked, walking over to her.
"I did." she said, looking up at him.

She walked past him, remembering the way she had run from her camp the night she was taken from her people. After walking for a few minutes, she and Edmund stopped at a skeleton. Makeeda felt the emotions rising as she looked down at it. She kneeled after a moment, touching the Dalish armor that it wore.

"Keeda… Who is that?"
"My sister."

Edmund touched her shoulder, kneeling down with her.

"I'm sorry." he said.
"She died trying to save me…"

She felt Shruikan touch her mind from above the trees, trying to comfort her.

"Little one… Remember that this past has led you to the life you now lead." he said. "She died bravely, like she was foretold to."

Makeeda stood, looking down at the necklace she still held in her hand.

"What is that?" Edmund asked.
"It was my mother's." she replied, rubbing it again. "It has an excerpt from the Fall of the Dales etched on it."
"We must go."

Makeeda hooked the necklace around her neck.

"Let's go then." she replied, picking up an arrow from the ground. She remembered when she had shot the arrow at Jadis and missed. "Such things are lost to us now… It is unwise to dwell on memories."

Edmund and Makeeda stood before an archway that was placed oddly at the base of a mountain. Shruikan landed next to them.
"We should fly over the mountain. It is a dead end."
"What of the horses?" Edmund asked.
"And supplies."

Shruikan snorted.

"Pessimists."

Makeeda smiled.

"It seems magical." Edmund noted.
"It is." Makeeda asked, stepping forward.

A light on the archway glowed in the shape of Makeeda's gedway ignasia as she got closer. She placed her palm on it causing the rock below the archway lowered itself down.

"That was effective." Edmund said.
"I do not like this."
"It was clearly made for a Rider." Makeeda replied.
"It does not mean it is safe down there. We are outside of Narnia now, we must be cautious."
"These woods belong to me."
"Someone is coming."

They turned around to watch a tall, white-haired man walk toward them. He stared at Shruikan.

"Who are you?" Edmund demanded.
"My name is Fenris."
"Fenris? What are you doing out here?"
"I live here."
"Down there?" Makeeda asked.

His gaze drifted to her.

"You… Your face… Your markings…"
"What of them?"
"They are Dalish."

Makeeda noticed his own markings, white lines running everywhere along his body. She felt her stomach lurch when she saw his pointed ears.

"You are an elf." she stated.
"Yes?"
"How do you know I am Dalish? I am the last of their kind."
"Hardly." the elf said, looking back to Shruikan.
"We must be going now." Edmund said.
"No."

Edmund placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"We don't want any trouble…"
"You honestly think I'd attack you? You have a dragon for company… Which one of you is the Rider?"
"How do you know of Riders?" Makeeda asked.
"We are awaiting you."
"We?"
"As I said, you are hardly the last Dalish…. Follow me."

He passed them, walking down the rock path under the archway. Makeeda took a step forward, but Edmund stopped her.

"Do you really believe him?"
"I have to."
"I will follow you." he said reluctantly.

She smiled, and they followed the elf. Shruikan had little trouble fitting his bulk into the archway. The area seemed to be built for a Rider and their dragon. After a few moments of walking, they came to another rock door. Fenris turned to them.

"Your palm, Rider."

Makeed put her palm on the door and it moved, revealing a whole community of people.

"Wow…" Makeeda breathed, taking in what she saw. There were tents, wells, kids running around in the fields. Makeeda was amazed at how much was hidden under the mountain. Shruikan was immediately surrounded by people who cheered at the sight of him.

"We can stay as long as we need to." he said happily.

Makeeda and Edmund laughed, soon hearing the beat of large wings
overhead. They looked up at the sky to see a large blue dragon soaring through the clouds. Makeeda could feel herself full of different emotions as the dragon landed in front of them, allowing a man to climb down from the dragon's back. He stared at Makeeda. There was silence among the crowd as the two Riders came together for the first time, their dragons nose to nose with each other.