Arie was standing on a field. Smoke rose thickly around her preventing her from seeing more than a few feet in front of her. So, she carefully picked her way through the smoke. The first signs of battle appeared in the form of a dead horse. Arie ran her hand over the animal's side. It had been dead for a while she could tell, but she didn't feel it. Fear churned in her gut as she stepped around the body. A breeze blew against her clothes and pushed out the smoke. As it cleared, she got a view of Corus and the vast area around it. The city had burned. Bodies lay strewed between her the husk of the capital, like garbage. Her stomach turned and she wanted to retch her guts out. Then she saw a glowing white mass of ghosts that swept toward her. All the dead. Something in her broke, she had failed.

"No," she screamed, jerked awake, and then nearly fell out of the saddle. She was still on SandStorm. Warmth was pressing into her back and a pair of arms had kept her firmly seated in the saddle.

"It's alright, it was just a dream."

She turned to find Lerant looking at her with concern in his eyes. It took her a moment to calm her racing heart as she shuddered. SandStorm looked back at her, but said nothing. Arie drew in a ragged breath then leaned back into Lerant and closed her eyes to fight back the tears. She wouldn't fail, she swore to herself, it would never happen.

"Do you wanna tell me about it," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath washed over her neck sending goose flesh down her arms. She suddenly realized she was in fact leaning against him and she sat up quickly.

"No, like you said, it was just a dream." She could feel his gaze on her face and she did her best to ignore it, but blush still rose on her cheeks. Then she turned to look for Jess who was no longer in the saddle in front of her. Glancing around she didn't see the little girl or NightSky. "Where-."

"The little girl? She's been helping Neal and that other woman." There was a hint of wariness in his tone, implying Zev had turned her teasing on him.

"Zev," she corrected automatically. But now she wondered what Jess could do for the other two. That she was aware of the child didn't have any Gift within her.

"Yeah, apparently they are letting her help hold things and fetch things. Little jobs that she can do. She was very insistent that she help because you helped her."

At this Arie realized that quite a bit of time had passed since she had fallen asleep.

"I should be helping them." She made to try and get off, but Lerant held on.

"Except, Neal and the woman," he hurriedly added, "Zev, made it very clear that you needed to rest until we arrive in Port Legann And they may or may not have implied that they'd put something very unpleasant in my food if I let you work before then."

Arie turned and gave him the benefit of her gaze. She let him squirm a bit before she sighed and turned back towards the front. She noted Twitchy a few paces ahead of them looking everywhere but where she was. She shot him a withering look and muttered one of his more colorful curses under her breath. Instinctively she knew her mentor was laughing at her.

"How long was I asleep," she asked in an attempt to distract herself from his arms still wrapped around her waist.

"Not quite two days."

"Two days?" That was very startling. But then again, she thought to herself, I have been using my Gift a lot more than I usually do. She and leaned back again trying to ignore the way his warmth seemed to seep into her. "Anything happen while I was asleep?"

He shook his head no.

"No, we've been making good progress, we should be there by nightfall."

Arie was surprised, with all the wounded she had expected it would take closer to a week to get to port Legann, but then again, the band of people from Sea King were hardy folks. Something else unsettled her though. She would have thought Ark would have made an attack on this caravan. Logically, it made sense, go after the ones who could possibly reveal his identity and were actively working to fix and reverse the damage, she reasoned. Especially with how slow and vulnerable they were in caravan like this. So why hadn't he, she was forced to wonder. That thought was put aside as a call came down the line and Arie reached for her weapons instinctively, but Lerant put a hand on her shoulder.

"We made better time than I thought. Scouts have seen our destination."

Arie blinked and looked ahead, she couldn't see anything, but her other senses were telling her that Lerant was right. The smell of salt water hung in the air and the sound of waves crashing against the shore faintly carried to her. All around she heard people whispering in relief. Then she watched Twitchy as her mentor's back seemed a little too straight for the amount of time he had spent in a saddle. She couldn't help but snicker and wondered how she could forget the man didn't like crowded places. At this moment she wasn't in the mood to pity her mentor.

A few more minutes and there was a break in the tree cover. Arie saw the giant curtain wall that surrounded the port city. The castle ramparts towered above the bay and she could just make out the specks manning the walls. She took a deep calming breath as she gazed at her old home. Then it was lost behind trees again.

*You going to be okay,* SandStorm asked.

Fine. But Arie wasn't entirely sure if that was true or not. She had deliberately avoided this place for years and now she felt like she was walking into an enemy's den. To distract herself she reached into the saddle bag under Lerant's right leg and pulled a length of twine from it.

"Pardon me." She began taming her wild hair drawing it back into a tight bun. She made sure to twist the green blue ends so they were hidden; with exception to the lock of hair that had the griffon feather was tied to. Hopefully people would just think it was part of the charm. Then she secured her cloak around her neck and pulled the hood over her head.

"Are you so sure people will remember you that you have to hide your face?"

Arie shrugged. "People have long memories for some things, and it's just better to be safe than sorry."

"Shame." At his comment Arie looked back at him curiously. "Your hair is pretty. It's a shame that people don't appreciate it."

Arie blushed and quickly turned to face the other way only to find Twitchy watching her face. She scowled at him and he chuckled before turning back to face the front. But she could tell his gaze continued to scan the area around them for possible attack. None came. They made it all the way to gates only to find they were closed. Raoul had to shout up to the guards though Arie couldn't quite make out what was being said.

"I need to go up there. I am the standard bearer." He let go and shifted so he could slide off the side of Sandstorm. Without a backward glance Lerant mounted his horse that had been tied to SandStorm's saddle and trotted off to join his lord. Already Arie regretted the loss of his warmth. She shook her head to shake off such thoughts. She had work to do, she reminded herself.

Soon the gates opened up and everyone was ushered in. The injured were taken to the infirmary, while those of Arie's people who were healthy were shown to a place they could stay in the meantime. Arie was going to follow them when Avery grabbed SandStorm's reigns. The horse eyed him like he might be good for biting.

"Don't worry. Twitchy will go with them and Abba will go with you to visit the lord."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Return the wagons, of course." His charming smile bloomed across his face.

Worry itched at the back of her mind. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. You'll be handling that many animals and carts, practically sitting duck for those raiders. And I don't like the idea of them have wagons to move people around in."

Avery shrugged, "We have to bring them back soon and we can't take a huge guard. That would risk more people being poisoned."

"I don't like it."

"You worried for me, my sweet? I'm touched."

"You're touched in the head," she muttered.

Avery either didn't hear or he ignored her comment.

"I'd be more worried about you. You're the one going into the lion's den."

At the reminder a cool anger started bubbling up inside of Arie. "I'll be fine." She reached down and extended an arm to him. They clasped each other's arms at the elbow. "May the gods watch over you."

"May the gods walk with you," he replied.

"So mote it be." They said together. Then Avery let go of her and the reigns then disappeared into the thinning crowd. Arie was shown through the city to the castle stables. Looking around at the city she couldn't help but think it was bigger than she remembered. She was so distracted lost in her memories that she almost didn't notice the little boy grab SandStorm's reigns.

"Ma'am."

SandStorm eyed the boy. Arie slid off and reached into her bag for her purse she kept from the few occasions people did actually pay for healings. She slipped him a silver noble with the penny.

"Be careful with him, he's full of sass."

The boy bobbed his head eagerly. "No worries, we the best with finky horses, ain't nobody better."

Arie gave him a half smile then grabbed her bags slinging them over her shoulder. Neal, Kel, and Tobe were waiting for her at the entrance to the stables. Time to face the past she thought with a sigh.