Alex had been on the road for several days when the Great Arch came into view. He stared up at it, a small smile on his face, as he swung off Dar Losh. "We'll camp here for the night, boy," Alex told the horse, who snorted and rubbed against him. Alex sighed and began penning a letter to Bregnest, letting him know that he was near Telous and would be there in a day or two. He had been pleased when his friend had told him that he would reserve a spot for him, and he was looking forward to a new adventure.

After Alex had started a fire and begun cooking himself a small meal, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small object Iownan had given him. It was wrapped in a green silk pouch, and he still had not opened it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the top and poured the contents into his hand.

A large, silver and gold ring landed in his palm. The silver and gold bands were made to look like branches, and they would wrap all around almost the entire finger. Set into the back, on the space that would fall on the knuckle, was a beautiful, blue green jewel that Alex didn't recognize. It took his breath away.

A small note fluttered out of the pouch as well, and he opened it carefully. Once more, he recognized the oracle's handwriting.

Where this ring if you wish – it will mark you as her friend when you meet her. You may recognize its make.

Alex put the note back in the bag and slipped the ring onto his finger. Surprisingly, the large ring didn't hinder his movement at all. The metal seemed as soft as silk, and it bent with his finger, allowing him to use is fingers as naturally as he would without it.

Slipping it off his finger, he examined it closely. After a moment, he smiled.

"Elfin," he whispered to himself, causing Dar Losh to prick his ears up. The ring seemed to be of an elfin make, and just like his own sword, elf runes seemed to be inscribed along the band and jewel, but he couldn't make out what they said.

"An elf," Alex laughed. "Could it be?"

He knew he was a mixed race, but he had not thought he would have any real relatives, at least not among the elves. "Relatives don't have be close to be related," he reminded himself as he began eating.

He remained staring into the fire for some time before he began to feel tired. He rolled out his blankets and laid down, leaving the fire burning. A small smile pulled at his lips as he slowly drifted to sleep. He felt a burst of happiness within him at the thought of finding a relative, even a distant one.

He was still smiling as he drifted to sleep.

Alex flailed wildly against a beast that he could feel but not see. Darkness surrounded him, and his head spun in confusion. He had no memory of where he was, and he could not see even the outline of his surroundings.

Alex groaned as something slashed against him, and he thrashed out with an empty hand. He reached for his magic, desperate for some sort of help, even just a light, but nothing came.

The first icicle of fear spiked his heart.

Something hissed in his ear, but he could not understand the language. A cold wind blew into him, bringing with it the howl of a large animal.

And then he heard something that filled him with more fear than ever before.

He heard the screams, the desperate cries. Voices he recognized. The first scream – a female voice he recognized, but couldn't place the name. A second – male. A third – and this time, he knew in his gut what the source was – Arconn. And the last, the loudest and most desperate – Bregnest.

His eyes widening with horror, Alex threw himself toward the sound, trying desperately to get to the sound. But he could not see, and he tripped and fell to his knees. Something ripped at him, and he screamed.

And then it was all gone.

He knelt in the middle of a familiar meadow, surrounded by burned trees and bones. Tears streamed down his face as he recognized his surroundings.

He heard a soft noise, and glanced up. A young woman stood at the edge of the meadow, facing away from him. Her hair fluttered behind her, though Alex could feel no breeze. Though he did not recognize her, he felt a sudden calm in her presence.

Slowly, she turned toward him, and he felt a sharp burning in his hand. But before he could see her face, she seemed to slowly dissolve into a cloud of butterflies, dark, with little color to see.

The swarm of dark butterflies flew toward Alex, and he raised his hands to fend them off.

And then he sat up, with a gasp.

His eyes burst open, and he found himself staring at the ashen remains of his fire. The sun was already up, and it was early morning. Dar Losh snorted at him from the edge of the camp.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was a dream," he exclaimed, pushing himself up. "It was only a dream!"

He laughed hollowly, but he worried at the same time. Was the dream meant to be a warning? What could he expect from this adventure?

He shook his head, gathering his blankets and returning them to his bag. It would do no use worrying about it now.

He saddled Dar Losh and quickly rode to the Great Arch. As he passed through it, Telous came into view. He grinned and pushed Dar Losh to a gallop down the path.

It was midafternoon when he entered Telous and brought Dar Losh to the stable outside the Golden Swan, the best tavern in Telous, where he knew he would meet with the company once he joined the adventure. As he walked out, he heard a familiar voice calling him.

"Alex!" Arconn called as he walked quickly over to him. Alex laughed in delight as his friend pulled him into a hug. The tall elf smiled at him. "It seems we will be traveling together again, my friend," Arconn said. "And our friend Bregnest."

"It would appear so," Alex replied, slapping Arconn on the back. He winced a little with worry as he recalled the sound of his scream in his dream, but he tried to shake it off. He smiled and chatted with Arconn as they walked all the way to Clutter's Adventure Shop, where he would meet with Bregnest.

Clutter opened the door for them and welcomed them into the shop, nodding to Arconn and shaking Alex's hand. "I've been expecting you," Clutter said with a laugh, though he seemed a bit more serious and, well, focused than he usually was.

Arconn sat down as Clutter led Alex toward the meeting rooms. He leaned forward and spoke, his voice hushed, "Your new adventure seems very interesting," Clutter told him, though he seemed nervous. "I must say it is not one I would go on myself, but I believe you can probably handle it." He nodded several times quickly. "Yes, I am sure you can handle it."

Alex felt a twinge of worry at that. Why was Clutter, the man who been so ready to send him to fight a dragon when he was fifteen, so suddenly worried for him with this adventure.

Clutter pointed to one of the rooms. "Bregnest's waiting for you in there."

Alex thanked him, and stepped toward the room. Taking a deep breath and shaking off some memories of the dream, he stepped into the room.