Oh my god this took so long to write. It was so structurally difficult because so much was happening and it was getting soooo long sdjflkdsajf. I spent the whole week beating it over the head with revisions, and I think about 1600 words got cut and/or rehashed, and it's still so long. Well, I had to stop with the edits at some point or it was never going to get published.

Anyway, I greatly appreciate the wonderful, encouraging reviews I've been getting from people, especially about my stressful times a couple weeks ago. I'm much more relaxed and happy, but no less busy! I am constantly running around with friends and family, so I have to work hard to squeeze in my writing time. Since my schedule is so erratic, I thought I would use my side tumblr to keep you all posted on how the next chapter is coming, so that at least you can know about where I am in the process. It's more or less still weekly (aside from difficult creatures like this particular update), but the update day really depends on what I've been up to. I also may use the tumblr to talk more in depth about the headcanons I developed for this story and other meta. So if any of you are interested, head over to lemonadeandwindchimes. tumblr. com (without the spaces), and you can use that to follow the creation of this fic a little more closely. That way, you won't have to be waiting and wondering all the time when on earth I'm going to update.

Cheers!

Chapter 12. Unraveling

When Nod arrived in the Bower, the children clustered around him in curiosity.

"Not now guys. Where's Mom?" He pushed through the crowd.

"Nod, what on earth?" His mom hurried out to greet him, and her eyebrows knit together at the sight of the injured girl he was holding. "Take her to the infirmary."

"Way ahead of you," he said, marching down the corridors.

He laid her down on a cot, and Eilley knelt down to examine MK's head wound. "It's not too bad. It's only a light scrape, but I'm sure it will bruise. What happened?"

Nod felt the heat rise in his face. "Uh, I might have um…accidentally kicked her."

His mother's eyes widened, and she glared daggers at him. He was sure his face was as red as a cranberry at that point.

"In my defense, I thought she was someone else. And she tackled me."

His excuse did nothing to lighten his mom's lethal expression.

"Make yourself useful and get me a cold cloth," she commanded. Without another word, he hurried out the door.

Once he'd returned with the materials his mom ordered him to fetch, he sat down a safe distance away to watch her work. While she lacked the training that Asteria and her healers had, Eilley had helped many a patient recover from more severe injuries in the past. The air was thick with the aroma of herbs that eased Nod's own anxiety as he sat and watched, occasionally getting up to bring something to her.

His mother preferred physical healing to magic whenever she could manage it, and no one ever seemed to complain about it. Nod looked on, wondering how satisfying it must feel to be able to mend someone's pain with one's own hands. Not one of his own talents, so he settled for making enough jokes to make people smile and laugh, hoping it made some manner of difference.

MK snoozed, with a grass-blade bandage wrapped around her head. A smile crept onto Nod's face at her peaceful expression, though he resisted the urge to touch her while she slept, not wanting to be creepy. MK had never enjoyed being touched for no apparent reason.

"So," Eilley said, in a tone that made him cringe again, "how exactly did this come about?"

"Uh…" Nod rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you wanted to meet MK. Here she is." He gestured down to the sleeping girl.

His mom raised an eyebrow at him. "You kicked the person who saved your sorry hide?"

Nod gaped like a fish. "Wh-I told you! She tackled me! I thought she was attacking me." He swiped in front of him, as though trying to clear his words out of the air and reset the story.

"Okay, so I saw one of the Boggans who was with her when she rescued me in the Neutrals. I followed her, and she led me to MK, and I thought, now would be a good time to get her out of her situation."

"Even though she said not to rescue her," his mother pointed out, folding her arms.

"Well, yes! I wasn't going to just leave her in their hands. Not when the opportunity was literally right in front of me."

His mom sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected otherwise. You still could have gotten the both of you seriously hurt. A cut on the head and," she walked over to prod his bruised arm, earning a yelp of alarm, "a few bruises and abrasions are a light punishment for a rash decision."

Nod shoved his hands into his pockets and sulked. "Well we didn't get seriously hurt, so there."

Eilley smacked him lightly on the head. "Don't act like a sapling with me." She put her hands on her hips, tilting her head at him. "Why was she tackling you anyway? Seeing that it's you, I imagine she had a good reason for it."

He furrowed his brow, remembering. "I…I think she was defending one of the Boggans. I was kind of, sort of threatening her with a knife."

"In the Neutrals?" His mother's eye roll was tremendous. "Honestly, Nod."

"I'm sorry! I got worked up, I guess. I followed them all afternoon, and I was running out of time."

She shook her head. "You really could have started some serious trouble. Maybe you did. If you started a fire with us and Wrathwood, it could potentially jeopardize the security of our neutrality. Then where will the refugees go?"

Nod averted his gaze, watching MK's steady breathing. "I'm sorry, Mom. I couldn't leave her like that, not after she pretty much sacrificed her freedom for me."

Another sigh. "You sound just like Cian." Nod grimaced, though he tried to make sure she didn't see it. She only compared him to his dad when he stressed her out. "Honorable to a fault."

They fell silent, the distant sound of children playing welling up from the lower levels of the Bower.

"She's uninjured, you know," said Eilley. The side of her mouth twitched upward. "Aside from what was inflicted by you. She wasn't mistreated."

Nod shook his head. "I can't understand it. How did she spend all that time there unharmed?"

"And why was she allowed to come so far out of the Wrathwood?" his mother added. She gave him an hawkeyed stare. "Maybe she wasn't so badly off as you imagined."

"She must have struck some kind of deal with them. She looks just like an average Jinn, and none of us comes out of there unscathed," Nod said.

His mom stood up, dusting out the front of her dress. "You can ask her how she did it when she wakes up." Before leaving, she paused. "Although, if she starts talking, send for me. I'd like to meet her properly as well."

"Yeah," he said, his expression glazed over as he stared out the window at the firefly lanterns floating around in the twilight.

MK awoke with her temples throbbing, a groan bubbling up from her throat. Someone startled nearby at the sound, and she cracked her eyes open. Nod sat beside her, watching with concern, and she snapped into lucidity, remembering the eventful afternoon. What time was it anyway?

"Nod?" Her voice came out scratchier than she expected, still bogged down with drowsiness.

"Hey." He gave her a little wave and shuffled his seat forward, closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

She let out another groan as she shifted, the contents of her head feeling like thick, sloshing liquid. "Marvelous, thanks very much to you. I just love feeling like motor oil got poured into my ears."

"Dunno what a motor is, but I'm guessing you don't want that in your ears." He gave her a lopsided grin, and if it didn't hurt to roll her eyes, MK would have.

"Brilliant deduction." She eased into a sitting position, massaging her forehead. "Where am I?" Her eyes widened as she turned sharply to Nod, ignoring the flash of pain that skittered across her nerves. "What happened to Dagda and Amianth? Nod, what did you do?"

Nod leaned back in alarm at her reaction. "The Boggans? I ran away from them when I realized I knocked you out." He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care?"

"They're my friends!" MK hissed. "You almost killed one of them." Well, Amianth was more of an acquaintance, but there was no time to quibble with semantics.

"Friends? The Boggans? Since when were you all chummy with them?"

"They aren't as bad as you think they are," MK said, glaring at him. "In fact, I was treated just fine."

"Yeah, for a prisoner, I bet. Hardly the shining beacon of hospitality," Nod grumbled. "I remember the welcome I got." His hand trailed down to where he'd been kicked in the gut.

"They relaxed once they realized they could trust me." Anxiety clouded her expression. "But that might have all been tossed in the air. Dagda and Amianth are going to go back and report that a Leafman just attacked them in the Neutral Territories of all places. Mandrake is going to be furious. He's going to start something, for sure, unless I go back as soon as possible and placate them."

"I'm not a Leafman anymore," Nod muttered. MK froze midsentence.

"You're not?"

"No." Nod glared at the floor. "I quit when Ronin and I got into a fight about rescuing you."

"Like how I told you not to," MK said dryly. Her voice rose in concern. "Besides, the Boggans don't know that! The last time they saw you, you were some upstart Leafman who intruded on their territory. What's this new development going to look like to them, do you think?"

Nod waggled a finger at her with a suspicious expression. "You're starting to sound awfully sympathetic. And since when did you learn so much about all the politics of this place? I thought you didn't want to get involved."

"I'm trying to keep the peace. And I got involved when I saved Dagda's life after I got blown into the borderlands when you abandoned me at the party!" MK gave him a hard stare, and to her satisfaction, he wilted a little. "I had to learn and learn fast in order to stay alive in this situation. Do you think I could go as practically a hostage without getting to know about the war?"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I didn't mean to accuse. It's just…weird for me that you're on such good terms with them." His expression darkened. "And with Mandrake's kid of all people."

MK's sternness abated when she remembered what that meant for Nod. For all his pretending not to care, and all the claims that he barely knew his dad, it was hard not to hate the one who had broken up his family. Then again, Mandrake stood in nearly the exact same boat, and the two of them had no idea. Finally, she shook her head. All these opposing viewpoints were making her head spin far more than she liked.

"This whole thing is so messed up, you don't even know," she muttered. "Can we just-just not talk about it right now? I really can't deal with this. My head is killing me."

His gaze softened. "Yeah. I guess it is pretty messed up. Especially for you." Nod sat up straighter, brushing his pants down. "You still look tired. I should probably let you alone for a while longer. I'm probably giving you a bigger headache."

She laughed softly, despite the throbbing in her head. "Well, I have to say you aren't making it any better."

Nod flashed one of his characteristic grins as he dashed out the door, and it filled her with relief to see it. MK's smile faded as his footsteps grew quieter. On one hand, she was glad that the stalemate she'd entered into had finally been disrupted, but she worried that Nod's actions would instigate even more dangerous conflict not far down the road. From what she knew of Mandrake, the Boggan leader's vindictiveness would bring on a storm of retribution. Her only tenuous hope was that Dagda might be able to persuade him to back off, but she had no idea how willing he would be to stand up to his father when push came to shove.

And then there was the matter of what she knew about Ronin. Her gut burned at the very thought of that, and she pushed the knowledge to the side, lying back down on the bed. One thing at a time, MK, she told herself as she stared up at the ceiling.

When MK next awoke, it was morning. She reached up to feel the cut on her head, tugging off the bandage that was wrapped around it. The wound was still sticky from congealed blood, but the clotting had done its job, and it had sealed well. MK resisted the urge to keep prodding at the deformity and eased herself upright. She sat, hunched over on the bed, waiting to see if the headache from the previous afternoon would come thundering back to life. To her relief, it only remained as a ghost of its former self. Encouraged, MK swiveled to lay her feet down on the floor and stood, stretching.

The pitter-patter of small feet alerted her to another presence in the room. MK turned around to see a pair of small Jinn children peering up at her from the other side of the bed. The sight of them peeking just the tops of their faces over the bed was so adorable, she couldn't hold back a giggle.

"Hello there," she said.

The children's eyes widened as though they didn't expect her to be able to actually see them in their clever spying place. One of them, a little blue flower girl rose up like she had been caught stealing cookies. "H-hi." The other child, a grasshopper, stood as well, hands tucked neatly behind his back.

Just then, Nod rushed into the room. "Guys, come on. You know you're not supposed to run around the patient ward." He glanced up at MK and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey. I, uh, hope they didn't wake you."

MK smiled. "No, I was already awake. I didn't know there were children here."

Nod shot back a grin. "Lots." A thought seemed to cross him. "I guess you don't know about how the Bower works. Come on, there's breakfast down at root level, and I can show you around after." He beckoned for her to walk beside him but paused. "If you're feeling well enough," he added.

MK ambled over to him, the bright-eyed children dogging her heels. Nod gave them an exasperated look.

"Seriously, you two, MK isn't that different from any of the other patients who get brought in." He ruffled the tops of their heads. "You're gonna be late for breakfast. Better hurry, before all that's left is cold soup!"

The flower girl let out a little gasp, and the two children shared a frantic look and scurried out the door. MK covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, and Nod just shrugged at her. He led her out into the hall, and it was MK's turn to gasp as the took in the expanse of the hollowed tree, with its spiraling walkways carved out of the walls and a central staircase wrapping around the core pillar. Narrow bridges connected the central pillar to the outer walkways, and doors dotted the walls around the entire circumference. MK's mind snapped back into focus at the sound of Nod laughing at her gaping. She smacked him in the shoulder.

"Ow, hey!" He didn't stop laughing, though. "You just looked so amazed, I couldn't help it. I guess it's pretty neat, if you haven't seen anything like it. It never stopped looking huge, even after I grew up."

"So you live here?" MK asked.

"Yeah. I was born in the Brightwood like most of the Leafmen. But when my dad was killed, my mom got fed up with the war and packed up." He peered down over the edge where the specks of frolicking children and even older Jinn could be seen.

"You mean this place isn't in Brightwood? Where are we then?"

"Still in the Neutrals. Just farther out in the fields away from either of the fighting territories. It's more peaceful here, just regular forest life trying to do their own thing." He frowned. "Is this how all forests are, or is it just us that's wrapped up in a war?"

MK stretched her lips tight and shrugged.

He smirked. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't know."

MK dangled her legs down over the edge. It was a dizzying drop, but the height didn't trouble her. Nod perched beside her. "So you lived with all these other people?" she asked.

"Not at first. We moved around a bit for a year, until we ran into a big group of people like us, running away from the fighting. That's when Mom got it into her head to start up a shelter to take in people who wanted to escape the conflict. It just got bigger over time. I suppose it was a good distraction for her though. Gave her something to fixate on, instead of Dad's…well, you know."

MK touched him lightly on the arm, and he sighed.

"It's all so confusing. Sometimes I think, I don't really get to be upset about it, since I barely knew him anyway. It's not like Mom, who actually lost him when he was a big part of her life. I was only five. I don't even know if I can still picture his face." He folded his arms on top of his knees and rested his chin on them.

"You don't have to remember them to want them to still be here. People don't need to deserve their grief," MK said.

"I just hate that the war always has to remind us about it. Otherwise, we could just go on living. Makes it harder when I can't even be committed to this fight."

"Is that why you quit?"

He tilted his head, pursing his lips. "Yeah, that was one thing." Nod stared at her with a solemnity she'd never seen before. "I know you said no rescuing, but I couldn't accept it when Ronin agreed with you. I couldn't believe he would let you take a fall for us, when you had nothing to do with anything. All you wanted to do was to go home, not get tied up in all of this."

MK twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I wish I weren't involved." She tucked the hair behind her ear and sighed. "It's all so complicated, Nod. You don't even know." He watched her expectantly, and she debated. He left the Leafmen on bad terms with Ronin, but the man had still been his mentor for most of his life. How would he take it if she told him how deeply involved Ronin actually was in causing the war in the first place?

Nod seemed to sense her hesitation. "What is it?" When she didn't reply, he pursed his lips. "Come on, MK, we both know you're the sort of person who absolutely has to say what's on their mind. It's going to drive you crazy if you don't tell me."

"You're not going to like it."

He shrugged. "I've had to hear a lot of things I haven't liked lately. What's one more?"

MK took a deep breath to steel her nerves. "Okay, so you know how you said the war started because the Boggans attacked and no one knew why?"

The gears turned in his head before he blinked slowly. "You found out why."

She nodded, giving him a pained expression, and at the sight of it, he leaned away from her.

"I'm really not going to like this, am I?"

MK cringed and shook her head. "Apparently, the Brightwood was expanding too much, and it was giving the Boggans a hard time. They were struggling to provide for themselves. They united under a leader and were starting to encroach as peacefully as they could. But one of the Leafman patrols went too far, and the leader was killed." She eyed Nod, gauging his reaction. "They were furious. That's when Mandrake took over and decided they were done with peace."

"So, to them, it's our fault?" Nod seemed pensive. "You mean to say this whole thing started as a huge misunderstanding?" He gave a humorless snort. "I can't believe this. Are you sure they aren't lying?"

"Well, I heard it from Mandrake himself, and he seemed pretty stone-cold serious. Honestly, I don't think he would lie about this."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Nod, the one who killed the leader was Ronin." MK pursed her lips. "And the one he killed was Mandrake's wife."

Nod backed away and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh." He got to his feet and put his other hand on his head too, grasping onto it like that was the only way to keep it on his shoulders as the implications struck home. "That's bad. That's really, really bad. That means there's no way Mandrake is ever going to stop." He tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "That fight, the one where Dad died…it makes sense now. Why Mandrake was gunning so hard for Ronin specifically, why he was so angry that Dad got in the way."

"Yeah, see, I've met Mandrake and talked to him in person," MK said. "He isn't the kind of guy who lets things go. Remember how I saved his son's life? Well, he launched a counterattack, just for the sake of retribution. I thought you were still in the Leafmen, so I was worried that you went and got killed."

Nod was too distracted to make a snarky comment about her concern. "It's more than a war for him. It's personal, the same as Ronin. And if he's anywhere as stubborn as Ronin, neither of them are ever going to stop until the whole thing is finished." He glared at the ground. "Does Ronin even know?" he muttered to himself. "I have to go. I have to find out."

MK got to her feet. The blood drained a little too quickly from her head as she stood, causing her to sway. "I'm coming with you."

"You just got over being knocked in the head!"

She glared at him. "Please, how fragile do you think I am? Besides, I have the insider scoop. You need me to be there. You barely know the story."

He opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't find an effective retort. "Fine. Fine. Why do I even try to argue with you?"

They rushed off on Maia's back, though the hummingbird gave Nod the cold shoulder for a bit in retaliation for leaving her for the ratty racing sparrow. But Maia was swift and efficient as always, and they reached Moonhaven by noon. MK dismounted with wooden limbs while Nod had already leaped off and begun racing toward the central keep. He skidded to a halt, pivoting around to help her.

"I've got it already, no thanks to you," she groused at him. Together they ran up to the main gate of Queen Tara's haven, startling several of the Leafmen guards who stood along the walkway.

"Nod, you're back?" one of them exclaimed.

"No time to talk, I need to find Ronin," Nod said, rushing past, pulling MK by the hand.

The queen sat alone in the sanctuary, tending to her garden. Somehow, the flowers that were in bloom managed to be different every time MK was there.

"Nod!" She stood with a warm smile and approached with open arms, but she stopped when she saw their faces. "MK, you've returned." The queen frowned, worry marring her features. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but how did that happen?"

"Bit of a botched rescue," MK said, glancing at Nod.

Her frown deepened. "In the middle of Wrathwood? You both could have been killed."

"Actually, the Neutral Territory," Nod said. He scanned the room, and every couple seconds would look over his shoulder to see if Ronin was entering the sanctuary. "Where's Ronin?"

"Finishing up with the troops," replied Tara. "He should be here soon to give me an update. He'll want to know about this development as well." Her typical composure seemed rattled. "Does this mean the Boggans are going to attack again?" The queen brought her hand up to her chin, thinking hard. "Mandrake does not take well to slights of any sort. We can't afford another hard battle—not so close to the succession. The last fight was a huge blow," she said in a quiet voice.

MK suppressed a shudder, remembering the aftermath of the conflict. The Jinn must not have been expecting that attack. The Boggan injuries weren't so bad, but if they had taken the Leafmen by surprise, they could have inflicted heavy losses before they were driven back. And if Mandrake had been in on that battle…

The thought of returning to Wrathwood had been wiggling around in the back of her mind since she first awoke in the Bower. It didn't take a particularly savvy person to put the pieces together of what was about to happen. Amianth knew who Nod was, and she would absolutely tell Mandrake what happened. MK's stomach churned. There was no way Mandrake would let this go, not when it looked like the clear picture of a violation of neutrality, especially because of how his prejudice would color his perception. Her path laid itself out before her, but the thought of returning to a semi-hostage situation kept her silent for the moment.

"We've managed to rescue two more families displaced by the—what's going on?" Ronin stepped into the center of the inner sanctum. "Nod?" A pained expression crossed his face and the two regarded each other, the air between them shivering with discomfort. He peered at MK, and his shoulders slumped in resigned exhaustion. "I'm not going to like what's coming, am I?"

"Oh, I really don't think so," Nod said, not facing his former mentor. "MK just told me something really disturbing. That's actually the big reason we're here."

The queen perked up. "What do you mean? What news?"

MK took in a shaky breath. "When I was in the Wrathwood, I, well, I managed to get into a conversation with Mandrake, and he told me about why he started the war."

Ronin's eyes narrowed and the queen was practically glowing with surprise.

"Why would he disclose something like that to you?" Ronin asked.

She fiddled with her fingers. "Well, long story short, I did him a bit of a favor—kind of by accident—by saving his son's life. I guess I got on his good side."

"He doesn't have a good side," Ronin grunted. MK bit her lip as Nod glared at him. Ronin shook his head, motioning for her to continue.

Her face grew serious as she remembered what was at stake. "Ronin, before the Boggans started really attacking in earnest, was there anything that happened? Were they violent before that? Do you remember who was in power?"

The general folded his arms, thinking. "They became more organized in how they moved. We were receiving complaints from Jinn that they were encroaching on our territory, intruding upon preexisting settlements. The Leafmen patrols often went out to put a stop to it. Why?"

MK pushed on. "Was there ever a confrontation with you and them? Where something went wrong and the conflict escalated? How forceful were you with the trespassers?"

"I don't understand what the point of these questions are," Ronin began.

"Just think!" MK snapped, anger flashing out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning and making everyone flinch.

Ronin brushed his hands in frustration. "They usually just fled at the sight of us. I don't think—wait. Wait, there was that one time."

MK watched him with bated breath. "What happened?"

"They stood up to us once. I got into an argument with the lead Boggan that became heated. The others were getting riled up, and things were pretty tense, so we drew our weapons, but they refused to be intimidated like before. The jeering was getting worse on both sides, and the leader and I ended up both trying to diffuse the situation, but then someone threw the first blow. I didn't even see it, just there was suddenly a riot and everyone was fighting. I was trying to knock down a Boggan who had tackled a Leafman and was beating him with their bare hands. Someone grabbed me from behind and yanked me away, grabbing at my sword, so I twisted around and pushed them off, but their grip threw me off balance, and we stumbled. When I tried to regain balance, they lost their grip and the momentum made me lash out with my sword hand and I cut them across the abdomen. Suddenly, blood was everywhere, and when I looked down, the leader was gasping for breath, holding her torso. The Boggans all went mad after that, and we lost several troops before we finally got them to flee. By the time the fight was over, she was already dead. There was no chance to even find her a healer."

MK's eyelids sagged down until her eyes closed. She breathed in and held the breath until she trembled and exhaled long and steady. "It was an accident." Her stomach slumped inside her, sinking all the way down to her feet, and nausea crawled up through her, climbing up from her toes until it strangled her throat.

Ronin nodded, jaw clenching. "I never really told anyone except Tara and," he shot Nod a furtive glance, "and Cian. How did you find out?"

MK did not open her eyes. She did not open her mouth. If she did, she thought she might burst from how terribly fate had contrived itself to make such a thing happen.

"Apparently, Mandrake told her," Nod interrupted quietly, "that the leader of that group, the one you accidentally killed was his wife."

"Danu," MK said in a thick voice. Everyone turned to her. "Her name was Danu. She was trying to expand the Boggan territory because they didn't have enough to provide for themselves anymore. The Boggans who got away told Mandrake that you killed her. He already resented the Jinn. But that was when he decided you couldn't be reasoned with. He thinks you're a murderer, the same way you see him." She shook her head. "It wasn't right, starting a war for it. But I think he was too angry to see reason. I think they all were."

"I-I had no idea," Ronin said. He looked like as though he had been utterly unmoored by the revelation. "I always thought it was just their senseless violence that made them attack us."

"That's what happens when neither side sees the other as people," MK murmured. Her headache was springing back to life.

"Now I understand why all negotiations were spurned," the queen said. "We approached them with the wrong terms—from their perspective." She gave MK a bemused smile. "How on earth did you learn this? Somehow I doubt Mandrake would tell a personal story like that to any old prisoner." Tara approached MK, checking her over. "And you look rather healthy compared to the ones who usually manage to escape."

MK shook her head. "They never hurt me. Not once. They weren't even cruel. They're hardened and suspicious, because they anticipate betrayal. But once they realized they could trust me, I even made friends."

"With Mandrake?" Tara asked.

MK grimaced. "No, not him. I don't know if he makes friends." She paused, looking thoughtful. "But I think he respected me. That was what kept me alive in the beginning."

"You are in a unique position," the queen mused. "You know more about them than we ever would. Maybe that's the reason you were brought here—to be the in-between. You've seen both sides, and you have leverage with Mandrake. Through you, perhaps we could negotiate for peace! We could finally put an end to this war."

The wiggling thought returned to MK, stronger this time. She was going to have to wade back in to the conflict. There was no way around it, no turning back.

"You want me to be a go-between," MK said.

"There is no one better equipped," said Tara. "If you were able to stay there for so long without being hurt, you must have some kind of influence with Mandrake."

Nod pushed his way in. "No, we're not sending her back in there. This isn't her job."

"They won't hurt her. MK told us so," Ronin said, distinctly ignoring the glare Nod shot him. "And the queen is right. No one else can do what MK has the power to do."

"They won't hurt me, as long as they think I'm not with you. The minute I start trying to play ambassador, things might change. Not to mention, I wouldn't call what I have with Mandrake 'leverage.' He might respect me now, but if I even show an inkling of choosing a side, even just giving a vague impression, who knows what he'll do?" MK folded her arms, standing firm. "I have to go back, but not on your terms."

Nod stepped forward. "No, no you don't. You've already done your part. You don't have to do anything else in this war."

"Nod, they still think a Leafman rescued me! You heard what Queen Tara said about how costly the last fight was. Someone has to tell them the truth in order to stop them from attacking again and getting even more people hurt! That someone can only be me, because I'm the only credible source whose word Mandrake will also actually trust." She straightened herself and faced the group. "I'm aware that everyone wants an end to the fighting. But I don't think you know how fragile my position is. I'm sorry, I have to agree with Nod on this part. Diffusing the entire war is not my job. I'm a nurse, not a politician, not a negotiator. Besides, I don't think even the most heartfelt apology would be accepted if you don't deliver it personally. All I can do is make sure things don't get any worse."

The queen examined her with a touch of disappointment. "I understand that you don't want to be seen as choosing a side. I wouldn't ask that of you. But MK, the hands-off approach isn't who you are either. From what I've seen and heard of you, you do not sit on the sidelines and watch lives be broken."

MK pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I'm just doing what I can. That needs to be enough." More than ever, she wanted her mother back. She had been holding people up for years. She had been the one taking care of people, looking after them, monitoring every detail so that they didn't have to. MK wanted to reclaim the luxury of falling into bed without setting an alarm, to have the day's meals be the only thing she needed to worry about. Already she was carrying more weight than she wanted to handle.

"Nod, can you take me to the borderlands," MK asked. "I know it's dangerous for you, so I won't ask you to go farther."

He shook his head vigorously. "It's too dangerous for you."

She frowned. "If you're going to be difficult…"

"No, I know better than to try stopping you when you get an idea in your head. I just know a safer way to get you back in contact."

"You do?"

"I've got connections in the Neutral Territories," he muttered, scuffing his foot on the ground. "They can send a message to the Wrathwood for you."

MK relaxed visibly. "Thank you." Nod only scowled in response, barging out of the queen's sanctum.

"I wish you luck with all that you do, MK," Tara said as MK followed Nod out. "I hope you'll give some thought to what I've said."

MK paused to give Ronin and the queen a last, tired look before heading out into the night.

MK sat, curled up in the lee of a branch that jutted from the landing on Bufo's hideout. A waxing gibbous moon hung above her as she waited for the Boggans to arrive. Hours ago, Nod had asked the gruff toad to send a message to the Boggans asking to pick MK up from his lair at the edge of the Neutral Territories. Bufo had given Nod a bit of a hard time as they muttered arguments, but catching a glimpse of MK's severe solemnity, he seemed to abate for the moment and agreed to do as Nod asked.

"You don't have to go with them," Nod had argued. "You can just explain what happened and come back to the Bower with me. Mom didn't even get a chance to meet you yet."

"I have to honor the original agreement, Nod. Otherwise, my explanation doesn't mean anything."

Nod had taken on a look of desperation then. "I don't care what it means to them. I just don't want you to go back there again for who knows how long!"

His arguments tore at her. She missed Dagda and even Amianth too, and it was important that they knew she hadn't abandoned them—not without any explanation at least. Nod's distress pulled at her heart in the same way. Either way, she would be abandoning someone she cared about. MK focused herself. The most important thing for the time being was making sure Mandrake abated, and that would require as much sincerity and decisiveness as she could muster.

"MK."

She jolted at the voice. "Nod! Christ, you scared me. What are you doing here? If a Boggan comes and recognizes you—"

"They can't hurt me. It's the Neutrals. And I couldn't let you go without a proper goodbye." The pain in his expression almost made her change her mind about the whole thing.

"Nod, I…"

"I know what you feel you have to do." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "You-you changed things around here. And you always fight for what you believe in, and you've helped everyone so much without us even asking you for it, when you didn't have to do it.

"The truth is, when I'm with you, I feel like I have the power to make a difference. You make me want to be better. I already feel like I am better."

MK's breath refused to come out, and all she could do was gape at him. Her attention wavered when a shadow crossed over the moonlight, and they both turned to the sky. Even from the ever-closing distance between them and the approaching bats, she could see the silhouette of the pointed ears helming the head of the leading rider.

She pushed Nod back into the shelter. "Shit! It's Mandrake! Get inside, quick, before he sees you." The rush of wind from the wing beats of the bats alerted her to their landing. "Go, go!"

MK's frantic shoving came crashing to a halt as Nod pressed his lips against hers, and she felt her mind go utterly blank. The kiss was soft as flower petals, and the scent of honey lingered on his breath. By the time her mind registered what had happened, he had already pulled away and retreated into the darkness of Bufo's lair, only turning away from her when the shadows had completely engulfed him, and she could no longer see him.

She turned around, feeling the blush rising full force. Mandrake stood on the landing with three other Boggans. MK struggled to find her voice, her thoughts still in tumult as they struggled to recover themselves.

The Boggan chief only watched her with a bemused expression and eyebrows raised. "I was rather surprised to hear that you were asking to return," he said, seeming to gloss completely over the public display of affection he had witnessed.

MK blinked and shook her muddled mind back into focus. "We had an agreement. I'm here to honor it," she began in a husky voice. She cleared her throat. "And also to tell you that my rescue was an individual decision not related to the Brightwood at all. Nod, uh, the one who took me, is no longer affiliated with the Leafmen. I know you threatened him once, but please understand he was only acting out of a sense of personal responsibility for my situation, so please, please don't launch another attack because of it."

To her surprise, Mandrake turned, waving away her concerns. "What happens in the Neutral Territories is not my concern." He beckoned for her to come forward to where the bats waited. The other Boggans took off ahead of them, and MK realized with a lurch that she would be riding with him. He allowed her to climb on first, and mounted afterward, and they took to the air.

"You're a strange one, MK. You had every chance to run away from all of this, but you chose to immerse yourself in it instead."

Her grip on the bat's fur was tense. By the time they got back to the Hollow, she would be aching. "I'm just trying to keep my word."

"Uphold your end of the bargain," Mandrake said in that dry tone he sometimes took on. "Yes, you often formulate things as merely logical trade-offs. Something tells me there is more to it than that."

I'm just trying not to screw everything up. Everything she did felt so useless in the grand scheme of things. She thought back on what Nod told her and prayed that she was right, that she was in fact making a difference. She prayed even harder that it was a good one.

Interlude II comes out next week sometime.