The next morning they were on the move early. The bodies of the fallen had been collected and were being sent to ahead to Port Legann to be properly treated before they would be buried. With them was their names and letters Raoul had stayed up all night writing to their families informing that that their loved ones had gone to the Dark God. A task Arie did not envy.

Arie had just finished packing her tent and putting it on NightSky's saddle when Lerant came over carrying a steaming cup.

"As ordered." He held it out to her. She glowered at him.

"What would it take to get you to dump that in a bush?"

Lerant looked affronted by the very suggestion.

"You need to stay healthy, you're important-."

Arie held up a hand to stop him and took the cup. Being a healer's daughter meant she knew how bad the stuff could be and didn't fight it, but that didn't mean she liked it. She took a deep breath before pinching her nose, and downed the drink quickly. It burned its way down and tasted awful, but she did feel stronger. She shuddered at the after taste that was left on her tongue.

"I'll remember this when you're sick."

Lerant grinned.

"Guess it's good I don't get sick often."

Arie growled at him and he laughed. She suspected that wasn't something he did a lot of outside the King's Own; if what she had seen yesterday was anything to go by. Lerant lingered long enough to help finish packing the last bag to SandStorm's saddle.

"Are you riding up with my Lord," he inquired after they were done. Arie glanced at him suspiciously.

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, trying too hard to make the action look causal. "Just wondering."

"Uh-huh." She didn't believe a word of it, but she told him anyway. "Yes, though I probably won't be much in the way of company, I have something I need to do."

He looked like he wanted to ask but a gruff voice called for everyone to form up. Regretfully he said he would see her in train. As he moved off Twitchy took that moment to appear, he teacher was astride the gray pony.

"Fer a noble he's not so bad. You could do worse."

Arie glanced at her mentor curiously.

With a smile he added, "You have your mother's charm, don't ya?"

Horror suddenly crossed her face. Her mother had made her a charm to prevent pregnancy shortly before she had passed away.

"Have you been in the cider? I'm not laying with him or anyone," she hissed under her breath. "He's a friend." Blush was already creeping all the way across her face and down her neck. Twitchy just kept smiling in that infuriating way he had. For the Goddess's sake, people were relying on her, she couldn't waste her time on canoodling! However much she might want to. Quickly she shoved that particular thought in box deep in her mind.

"Whatever you say, my Lady." It was said with that knowing mocking smile that made Arie want to punch him, but that would only end with more embarrassment. She struggled with her temper as her mentor urged his pony forward. She gave him a rude gestured which only made him bark out a laugh, "That's my lass."

Still beat red, Arie pulled herself into SandStorm's saddle grumbling about drunk old men. Her friend was oddly silently on the matter which was odd. Normally he had some quip to add. Before she could ask Kel came riding up.

"You alright? You look a little red."

Arie nodded mutely and tried to hide her face.

"Are you sure? If something's wrong I can go get Neal." The other woman turned her horse to do just that. Instinct took over and Arie's hand shot out and grabbed the older woman's arm to stop her. Arie realized her mistake almost instantly. Kel's muscles flexed under her grip and if the other girl had acted on instinct, Arie knew she would have been unseated very quickly. Mercifully the lady knight was able to control the knee jerk reaction to break her hold and send her flying. Arie let go and mumbled an apology.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine, really."

Peachblossom's ears were laid back and Arie realized the horse was going to bite her if she wasn't careful. She inclined her head to the horse as well.

"Forgive me, I forget my manners sometimes. I'd appreciate not being bitten." Peachblossom and Kel shared a look that seemed to say,

At least she's polite. The horse snorted and then turned forward.

"Please don't call Neal over, it really is nothing."

Kel looked her over intently and shrugged,

"I won't, but if you don't mind me saying, it doesn't look like nothing."

Arie sighed and looked over the trees as they continued to ride, then she looked back at the young knight. Looking into the other girl's eyes she felt Kel was an honest soul, and maybe she could give her advice. So she told her about what her friend had said to her. The other woman considered what she said, though her expression as usual gave nothing away. Finally she asked,

"Do you like him?"

Blush skirted across Arie's cheeks again and she nodded mutely. Kel reached over and patted her on the back reassuringly.

"My advice then, wear the charm. If nothing comes of it, you've lost nothing, but I assume you have no desire to become pregnant just yet?"

"No," Arie said sharply. She probably would never be able to have children, too risky considering too few people understood the difference between her Gift and necromancy. Even she had a hard time understanding it. Arie was so lost in thought that she didn't realize time had passed until Kel spoke again.

"Would you like to join me in the morning? I need a partner to practice throws with, and Neal won't get up that early."

"Of course not," came Neal's indignant response from just a little ways up. "I got enough of being woken up at the crack of dawn when we were pages and squires. I'm not going back to that if I don't have to. Unlike some people, I'm not insane."

Kel smiled and leaned over to whisper, "He says that, but he gave up a cushiony place at the university to become a knight."

Arie coughed into her hand and Neal swung round in his saddle to glare at them. Kel's expression was completely smooth and Arie just barely managed to keep the same expression. Neal scowled at them before turning back around.

"So do you want to?"

Arie nodded her agreement.

Once they were settled into the ride Arie pulled out the feathers Queen Rehah had given her. She then took a bottle of glue out of one of the compartments and carefully held between her leg and the saddle. Next she pulled a shaft from the quiver strung to the back of Sandstorm's saddle.

SandStorm, I need the smoothest ride you can give.

Be careful playing with gifts from an Immortal, her friend warned, but he did as she asked. Carefully as possible Arie cut away the old feathers then glued the Stormwing feathers in their place. Once that was done she put away the remaining feather. Kel was watching the whole process with rapt attention.

"Do Stormwing feathers do something that regular feathers don't?"

Arie glanced around at the people riding close to her, but they were all talking and looking elsewhere. Arie nodded and whispered,

"The crows taught me. They are mage killers."

Kel blinked and glanced at Neal.

"They can even go through magical barriers."

"And you think you'll need that?"

Arie's face hardened.

"Yes. The man responsible for this will not be standing before a magistrate if I have anything to say on the matter."

The look in the lady knight's eyes was very telling to Arie. She remembered hearing that it was Kel that had killed the hated mage who had created the killing devices. Maybe she sympathized with Arie and that's why she did what she did next. From in her pack she withdrew a gold feather. Arie stared in wonder at it, because she knew exactly what it was. A griffon feather. Kel handed her the feather.

"Where did you get this?"

Arie took it with reverence.

"I very foolishly stuck my hand in a bag that held a baby griffon."

Arie's eyes flew wide. The feather she was holding was from an adult not a baby.

"How did you survive?" Arie could clearly see she had survived and, she survived relatively unscathed.

"Daine was able to find his parents and explain the situation."

Arie blew out a breath. Then she took her boot knife out and poked a hole in the base of the feather. Next she pulled a small sewing kit that George had apparently snuck into her bag with a few other handy things. She pulled some thread out and threaded it through the hole she had just made. Then she tied the feather into her hair.

"Thank you."

Kel waved off her thanks.

"I was given a whole bag full of them. And they have come in handy."

"I bet."

They rode on for another few hours before there was a screech over head. Arie looked up and saw a red tailed hawk. She smiled recognizing the coloring of the bird. "Sun." The bird spiraled down and Arie held up an arm and wrapped her cloak around it. Talons dug into the cloth and the bird ran his beak through her hair.

It is you. He preened her hair more and pulled at the blue green strands. The bird was fascinated by the color.

Yes, is everyone alright?

Yes. He rubbed his head against hers like a cat might.

Can you let everyone know we are friends?

The bird sighed then flapped and took off. SandStorm grunted.

He gets stranger with each meeting.

Arie laughed and patted her friends neck.

Don't be jealous.

He threw his head and gave Arie the look. She smiled and patted his neck again. Soon they came to a clearing. Tents and make shift houses were clustered just inside the trees. A few look out stands were hobbled together in several different trees. Her home had grown since she had last seen it. A blast of a horn let everyone know they were friendly. Several riders came out to greet the group. Half of them were women. Arie urged SandStorm forward and met the group.

"Arie," the oldest man called. He had bow that was strung in his hand. Long dark hair was tussled and tied behind his head. Mac, Meich's father was thinner than she remembered. "You have brought help and just in time." He pointed off to the right where you could see the sea and Sea King. A lot of the building were smoldering ruins. Most of the boats that had once been at the docks were gone.

"When did this happen?"

Mac shrugged.

"Early this morning. Around dawn we think. No one saw the fires until it was too late."

"How is everyone? Has anyone gone to check?"

Mac shook his head no.

"We were waiting for you and help to arrive."

It looked like they would have their work cut out for them.