Dart's head pounded when he opened his eyes. A stone ceiling was above him, and sunlight streamed across his face. Slowly, he sat up and looked around, holding a hand up to block the sun.

He sat in a tiny alcove worn into a rock face by high tide waves. Right now, the ocean lay thirty feet before him, endlessly blue before a bright yellow sunrise. Or at least, he hoped that it was sunrise. Craning his neck, he tried to make out the stars to determine which way was east, but they were already dimmed beyond his vision.

Beside him was a smoldering fire, now little more than shining charcoal, and Rose lay next to the wall fast asleep. Her hair was still damp. He roused the fire with magic, and it burned hot again, hopefully enough to finish drying her out within a few minutes.

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before immediately regretting it. Grains of sand had adhered to his hands, and he had dragged them across his skin. Making a face, he rubbed his palms vigorously on his trousers to remove it but then stopped as a wincing pain shot up his left arm. He flinched and sighed and pulled up his sleeve to look at the bandage.

The cloth had swollen thanks to absorbing so much seawater, and even now it was damp to the touch. But it was also filled with that dark pus. Gingerly, he removed the bandage and tossed it away, wishing he had another even as the scent of decay drifted up to meet his nose. He tugged his sleeve down, hiding the wound and hoping that would be good enough until he could find another binding.

In a startling moment, he remembered why they were here. He stood and walked toward the beach, straining to see anything on the ocean, any sail or flag or sign of human life.

There was nothing but endless sea.

Sighing, he glanced around to see any indication of their future path. Nothing presented itself, but he was fairly certain that it was at least getting brighter. With that knowledge, he was able to orient himself on his mental compass, and he tried to recall the map of Illisa Bay that Puler had shown him two days ago. He had said… something about currents. They hadn't planned to stop on the way to Mille Seseau, but if the others had hope of finding Dart and Rose, surely they would.

He remembered the islands in the middle of the bay, the three irregular ovals that formed an irregular triangle, but he couldn't remember anything else about them. But there had to be a town somewhere if stopping had been a consideration, and it had to be in a place to facilitate trade between Tiberoa and Mille Seseau.

That meant that they needed to head west. Probably.

His eyes drifted to Rose, still in a deep slumber. No doubt, she'd not rested as well as he had last night if she'd been able to get them here. He decided not to wake her and instead chose to get them some form of breakfast.

Before he left, he gathered some of the driftwood that spotted the sand, most likely from the sunken phantom ship, and nestled it into the fire so that it would continue to burn without him. Then armed with nothing but his magic and his sword, he traveled inland.

Lush growth soon took over the ground, and palm trees grew high above him. He cut small notches into every other tree that he passed so that he wouldn't lose his way back to the beach, but he traveled slowly, listening all the way.

As he strained to hear anything of rabbits or squirrels, his mind began to drift away to a time long ago, when he had relied on nothing but himself to be able to eat every day. He had worked many an odd job during his adventuring so that he could occasionally purchase some bread or other delicacies, but most of his diet had consisted of game and foraged goods.

He missed that part of his life. It had been so simple. He had been alone, but he hadn't had to worry about anyone else. There had been no magic in the world. No winglies. No dragons. No ghost ships.

Something rustled the brush to his right, and he stopped breathing and crouched down, hiding behind a low fern. The moist ground threatened to push water into the soles of his boots, but he ignored it as his eyes focused on something he had not expected to find. A wild boar sniffed at the ground intently before pawing at it and licking up whatever it had found in the mud. Dart glanced around but saw no others, and the faintest breeze seemed to be coming at him from the east. Thankfully, he was downwind and unnoticed.

Lavitz's lance would be really helpful right about now, he thought to himself as he drew his sword and held it awkwardly over his head with his right hand around the hilt and his left holding the blade aloft.

As he prepared to hurl the sword at the boar, he adjusted but slipped on the muddy earth and fell on his knee. He cringed as the wetness seeped into his pant, but his attention was quickly redirected to the long cut he had received across the back of his left hand as his sharp blade had slid against it.

Trying not to exclaim, he quickly regained his footing and peered out at the boar, who had grown alert and was on the verge of taking off. But just before it could, a sudden wind whipped through the trees, and the boar stopped to turn its head the other way to see if the rustling leaves heralded a different foe.

Seizing the opportunity, Dart flung his sword at the boar, and it struck it in the side, piercing deeply into its heart.

The pig began to squeal, but it was unable to move, and a few seconds later, it was dead.

"That was lucky," he said even as blood dripped from his hand.

Looking at the cut, it appeared deep enough that it would take a few days to heal, but he knew that it would be much longer had he not been a dragoon. Even now, he could feel the skin fighting to stitch itself together, and the power of the dragoon pushed the worst of the pain away. He pushed through the underbrush and stood over the boar, noticing how deeply the sword had pierced.

"Probably couldn't have killed this thing that easily, either."

Wrapping his right hand around the hilt, he tugged at his sword, but it did not give. Despite the twinge in his thumb, he added his left hand, gripped tightly, placed his right foot on the boar's side, and pulled hard. This time, the blade slid out, and he looked it over. It was covered in red blood, including the hilt thanks to his bleeding hand. He would have to clean it in the ocean when he got back to shore.

With a sigh, he stabbed the sword into the ground while he prepared to hoist up his kill. He knelt next to the beast, impressed at its size, and dreaded the attempt to lift it. Still, he slid his arms underneath and slung it over his left shoulder, though it nearly staggered him. Then with a grunt, he stood, well aware that this creature weighed more than Rose, retrieved his sword, and began the trek back to the beach.

He arrived a short while later, but it was another thirty minutes before he could figure out how to string up the pig and drain it. Then another half hour was required to figure out how to skin the boar without his hunting knife.

By the time the meat was actually roasting, Dart's stomach growled loudly as he knelt by the water, trying desperately to scrub his sword free of blood without completely submerging the metal. In the end, he gave up and plunged it beneath the surface, but thanks to his ability to heat the blade, it was dry mere moments after leaving the water.

Both wounds stung as they touched the salt water, but he could do nothing to take the pain away as he took his clean and dry blade back to their little hovel. At least his hand had stopped bleeding.

While the boar cooked, he began the arduous task of finding drinkable water. Their waterskins were aboard the Queen Fury, and all he could think to use as a container was leaves. He found several large enough to hold at least a few sips, but then came the problem of finding places where enough water had collected to sustain them. Thankfully, as dragoons, they were less dependent on water than mere humans would be; Dart had learned that painful lesson back in the barrens of Tiberoa.

Still, he was quite thirsty, and he knew that eating would only make him more so. His leaf tactics allowed him to get several gulps for himself, but he found it much more difficult to transport some back to Rose. After spilling his find four times, he decided to aim for a different approach.

After finding an appropriately large branch, he worked to make it into some viable container. By focusing heat, he managed to burn the log in half without igniting it, and then burned out enough of a divot in the end that the lump of wood almost resembled a cup.

In any event, it served its purpose, and he was able to transport almost a full cup of water back to Rose for her to drink whenever she woke.

As it happened, his return woke her. She sat up as he neared the entrance.

"Good morning," he said with a smile.

She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"What happened to you?" she demanded as she peered at him. "You were fine last night."

Confused, Dart looked down to see what she was staring at. Somehow, he had forgotten about the swath of pig blood that had soaked most of the left half of his shirt.

"Oh! I got us breakfast," he explained, gesturing proudly to the cooking boar. "And water." He held aloft his makeshift cup.

"You should clean yourself up," she replied. "Can't have you meeting Shana again looking like you almost died."

Rose stood and wiped the sand off her hands.

"And what has you in such a good mood?" she asked.

"Oh, uh…"

Dart hadn't even noticed that he'd been smiling. Why was he so happy? They were stranded on an island, unsure of how to reach their friends again.

"I think I just… needed some time away," he said finally. He gestured to the trees. "It's been a while since I've been able to just exist in the woods."

"Then we should hurry and get to Mille Seseau. There are lots of woods there."

"You've been there?"

"No, it's just… Albert mentioned it."

Dart nodded and handed her the cup, which she emptied quickly.

"We have some time before the meat is all cooked," he said. "It isn't midday yet, so we have lots of light left. You should just relax for a minute. Take in the sights and sounds."

"You should clean your shirt," she retorted.

He sighed to hear her tone and turned toward the ocean. Rose sat and stared at their little fire while Dart removed his shirt and began the horrible experience of washing himself and his tunic in the salty ocean. Try as he might, he was unable to remove all the stain from his tunic, but he at least had it less sticky by the time he was done. As painful and irritating as it was, he scooped water over his chest and arm to remove the dried blood until at last, his skin was clear. Immediately, he left the water and heated himself through as he replaced his tunic and sat by Rose.

"Can't you make it cook any faster?" snapped Rose.

"I have been," he replied. "I've been trapping the heat around it ever since it started cooking. That spit is basically an oven right now. You just can't make it too hot or else you burn the outside and the inside is raw."

She heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong?" asked Dart.

She scowled.

"Whatever happened to upset you, you can talk about it," he said. "You've helped us so much, and I'm pretty sure that you saved my life last night. Let me return the favor somehow."

She didn't respond.

Dart couldn't tell if she was angry with him or just otherwise unwilling to speak, but he let her be. After another fifteen minutes, he tested out the pork, found it to be ready, and used his sword to slice off a couple pieces. He handed a piece to Rose, and they ate together in silence. He wished he had some salt.

Shortly after, they prepared to leave, and they worked together to weave a makeshift bag of palm leaves to hold the cup and the rest of the pork so that they could eat well enough until they could reach the others. Dart carved a lot of the meat off, but he was forced to leave most of it. He knew that something would eat it eventually, and they couldn't carry such a heavy burden as far as they were headed. With the bag draped over his shoulder, he turned to Rose.

"How are we supposed to get back?" she asked.

"We go that way," replied Dart, pointing west.

"How do you know?"

"Puler showed me a map of the island. There's a port over there. We just have to follow the beach to find it, and either they'll be there waiting for us, or we find someone who knows where they went."

Satisfied, Rose nodded, and the two began their trek. Dart decided to keep to himself the fact that his direction was based only on a hunch and not a firm memory.

For some time, they followed the beach west, but they soon found that the loose sand was exhausting to walk on. They moved slightly inland as soon as the rocky cliff allowed, and they kept to the other side of the dunes, making sure to keep the ocean within view.

Their travel was sullen and silent. For the most part, Dart didn't mind; his thoughts wandered in every direction, free of the sound of Meru's energetic voice or the teachings of King Albert. Still, he always seemed to return to his friends. He wondered how they fared. He imagined that Kongol was probably fine, and Albert was probably ordering them all around. Meru likely told tales about the fantastic beasts she imagined them battling, and Haschel would be laughing along with her. And Shana—

What would Shana think?

He imagined her grief-stricken, and he imagined her indifferent. She had wholly rejected him, but did that mean her love for him had ended with her patience? Would she mourn him if he died?

As the day wore on, Dart's heart swung wildly back and forth between a love of the journey and a fear of Shana's reaction. Afternoon waned to evening, and he forced himself to focus on his surroundings. He'd never been on an island before, and his experiences with the ocean had been brief. As much as he hated the thought of water, part of him wanted to wade out into the sea, perhaps even swim farther to see what he could find. He debated on whether he could stand to do so. Could he catch a fish that way? He wanted to try.

Darkness began to take over the island, but Dart figured that they would keep going for several hours past nightfall. Neither of them was very tired, despite their lack of rest the night before, and they were both eager to reach the others if they could.

When their only light was the reflection of the moon on the water, Rose spoke her first words since they had left that morning.

"When we get to Mille Seseau," she began with some trepidation, "are you going to visit Neet?"

Dart was surprised by the question, but the answer wasn't difficult to summon.

"I feel like I have to," he replied. "I'm not sure that I can pass by without seeing it at least once."

She nodded.

"Why do you ask?" prodded Dart.

"Just… wondering."

Dart eyed her. He felt that there was something more to it, but she wasn't willing to offer it. Or maybe she was just planning ahead.

Suddenly, Rose stopped.

"It must be nearing midnight," she announced. "Why don't we camp here?"

"Uh… Sure."

He set down his makeshift basket before working with Rose to gather some grass for bedding. They leveled off the tops of the sand dunes and padded tiny alcoves with the reeds to make beds, and then Dart traipsed off to find some water. To his delight, there was a small freshwater spring a hundred yards from their camp, and he drank his fill before bringing some back to Rose. Then he sat beside her and conjured a small fire mostly for his own entertainment; it was quite warm here.

"I was thinking about going for a swim," said Dart as he handed her a few pieces of the pork.

"I thought you hated water."

"I do, mostly, but I think it would be fun."

When she did not reply, he sighed and continued munching on his dinner.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she said suddenly. Dart turned to her, but she wasn't focused on this plane. "I haven't told you all of it because… I'm afraid."

He was taken aback. Where was this coming from?

"Afraid of what?"

Now she turned to him and peered into his eyes. "I'm afraid that you won't see me the same way. That you and everyone else will abandon me to my fate."

Dart was about to dismiss such a claim. Surely, the fearless Rose would not be afraid of something like that. She had no need to be. But as he watched her, he saw within her eyes that same fear that he had seen on the ghost ship. The terror of a broken human, hoping desperately that the past would not repeat itself. Never before had he seen so much of himself in Rose. With sudden clarity, he realized the similarity of their stories. Although he knew few details of hers, he knew that she had lost those dear to her long ago and had pushed through to survive without them. And he knew that she was hoping every day that it would not happen again.

Despite her rough exterior and her frequently harsh words, there hidden beneath was someone as terrified as he was.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

She jerked her gaze away from him.

"I told you before. They all died."

"There's something else. What aren't you telling me? Why talk about this now?"

She didn't answer. He turned to watch the moon's reflection dance on the water.

"I can't promise that we won't die," he said carefully. "After Lavitz, I realized… that can happen at any moment. Especially with what we're headed into. But I can promise that we won't leave you. You're one of us. You're my friend. Nothing will change that."

The corner of his eye saw Rose wipe her face. He pretended not to notice, but he was astounded with this different Rose that had left the phantom ship. He wondered how much of her he would be allowed to see.

"I was there in the Twin Castle," he said. "I heard what Lenus said. I don't know how she could know anything about you, and maybe she was bluffing, but… I thought it was pretty obvious that what she said meant something to you."

"I… had someone… once," she whispered. "He helped me overcome a lot of things. My childhood was… not… great. But he helped me see how I could move past it."

"How did he die?"

Rose hesitated. "He… fell. I couldn't hold onto him."

Realization crashed onto Dart. He remembered Rose's tears as she tried to keep him from falling into the ocean. If that had been even the slightest bit similar to her old experiences…

"I'm so sorry," he said.

"It's… in the past now."

"Those things are never fully in the past. I've learned that much."

"You may be right. And… thank you for listening."

"Anytime," assured Dart.

He wanted to push and find out why she had reacted so much to the ghosts on the ship, but he decided that now was not the time. Instead, they agreed to sleep, both feeling that there was no need for a watch.

Dart was lulled to sleep quickly by the sounds of the waves, and even the meager grass beds seemed like enough to keep him comfortable.

They woke at first light and continued their journey after visiting the spring, and they traveled through the day once more. This time, however, there was a flow of conversation like Dart had never experienced with Rose. She seemed ready and willing to discuss anything with him, from the odd animal trails in the sand dunes to the odd birds that lived in this region, and he found himself smiling far more often than the day before.

While Rose did not share his joy, Dart could see that her sadness had lessened considerably. She was almost eager to chat about such things as his time in the eastern wilds or his childhood in Seles. He told her the story of how he had first met Haschel and traveled with him for several months before they had finally parted ways. He described his first trip to Hellena Prison to rescue Shana and the chase the guards had given on the way out. He even found himself discussing Shana in detail, and Rose was willing to listen and even offer advice.

When Dart told Rose what Shana had said aboard the Queen Fury, she revealed that Shana had spoken with her on the matter, which piqued Dart's interest considerably. He hadn't thought that Shana would speak to anyone else about it, aloof as she had been with him for weeks now. While Rose didn't express the full nature of the conversation like he would have wanted, he did glean that part of Shana's distance was thanks to other personal problems that she was dealing with. He also got the impression that Rose did not approve of Shana's actions, though he knew that it would be foolish to press for more information about that.

After a lull in their discussions, he decided to ask her about her opinion of Lloyd. At this, Rose seemed to return to her normal self, giving short answers and offering little help in Dart's quest for information. She did agree that his being a wingly made sense, but she wasn't sure that he would be able to revive the wingly empire by himself. Eventually, Dart gave up on this topic, frustrated that Rose was not full of the same apprehension.

Still, her fervor revived, and they were soon alive with dialogue again.

As Dart was explaining his conversation with Commodore Puler and ocean currents, they found that the island had narrowed to a degree that they could see the ocean off to their right. Perhaps a half mile away now, it glistened in the afternoon sun.

They continued for a few more hours, watching the northern ocean approach them, until at last it cut across their path after sundown.

"You might get your wish after all," remarked Rose. "We'll have to swim across."

Dart frowned at the quarter mile expanse of water that separated them from the next island.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Not too thrilled anymore, are we?"

He sighed. "It's dark already. What if we just camp here tonight and tackle this problem in the morning?"

"Fair," she replied. "But you should probably swim out there tonight just to see what you're in for tomorrow."

They repeated their ritual from the night before, although they had to move a bit more inland before they could find ground dry enough for Dart's taste. Then, he had to scour for almost an hour before he could find appropriate water, and even that was no more than a tiny pool resting on the surface of a rock. The water was metallic, but it was better than nothing, and eventually, they were able to eat and rest.

With plenty of hesitation, Dart moved toward the water after Rose began teasing him about it. He removed his tunic and his boots and inched his way over, cringing when the wetness engulfed his toes. Slowly, he placed his foot deeper into the water, soaking it to his ankle, and then brought his other foot over. He hissed at the discomfort, but he found it a little easier to ignore the longer he stayed there. He tried to remind himself that Rose traveled during the day, and this was how she felt all the time. If she could do it, so could he.

Once his knees were submerged, he turned to look at Rose, her dark hair blending well into the shadowy night. Her face was lightly amused, and he gave her a thumbs-up. She returned it, and although it could have been a trick of the moonlight, he thought that her mouth almost twitched into a smile.

Even the mere thought of Rose's joy was an encouragement to Dart, and he decided to delve into the abyss and hope for the best. After several deep breaths, he leapt forward and dove in.

Despite the itchy feeling in every part of his being and the stinging pain in his left arm, he was pleasantly surprised by the sensation of floating in the water. He peered at the sandy floor beneath him. The tiny grains of sand shifted and moved along with the light waves that washed over Dart's back.

He flipped over and began to float. He couldn't recall the last time he'd been able to do this, but he was sure that it was more than two years ago. His ears heard the muffled chug of the water, but his eyes watched the starry sky above him. All at once, negative sensations left him, and he felt only peace. Had he not been concentrating on floating, he thought that he could have fallen asleep there.

Still, he had a job to do, and he soon flipped onto his belly and began swimming across the small channel. Occasionally, he would pause and watch the sand again. As the ground fell away from him, he noticed more and more creatures coming alive in the night. A hundred tiny fish swam to and fro. Miniature crabs, nearly invisible, shot across his field of vision like tiny ghosts. Once, an eel of some kind swam beneath him, and he even noticed a hairy sand dollar creeping along.

When he was halfway between the islands, he was satisfied enough with his exploration to return to Rose, and he found himself getting heavily fatigued. His left arm was more sore than usual, but he paused and dived down under the water, doing his best to suppress the crawling sensation and focus on the ocean's night life.

It was hard to see very far, and he wondered if Rose would be able to see farther. Still, the moonlight spilled all around him so that he could make out most shapes within a dozen feet, and he was content to watch for several moments before his lungs started to sting for air.

Just as he was about to surface, he felt an odd tingle deep in his chest. He spun around to watch the deep but saw nothing. Pushing to the air, he gasped for breath and treaded water, trying to see anything in the distance. Then he heard a splash maybe a hundred yards away when something broke the surface before sinking back down again. Rose had stood and now watched in the same direction, and suddenly Dart grew mildly terrified of some hidden monster about to devour him. He swam quickly over to her and climbed out of the water, burning himself dry as soon as possible. He steamed as he walked up to Rose.

"What's out there?" he asked.

"A dragon," she replied.

He blinked. "What?"

"You felt that, didn't you? The ping?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Dragons and dragoons are connected. It probably knows we're here, too."

"I never felt anything like that with Feyrbrand."

"You're a lot stronger now, more in tune with your dragoon spirit. The longer you have it, the better you can hear what it's telling you. Why do you think I was so close to you when Feyrbrand attacked you?"

"You were tracking him," realized Dart.

Rose nodded. "First dragon I'd seen in a few hundred years."

"Okay, but what do we do about the dragon?" he asked, eyeing the horizon. He could see nothing flying or swimming. Dragon history was an intriguing tale for another time.

"We could go find it," offered Rose. "Maybe our last dragoon spirit is with it."

"What makes you say that?"

Rose turned to him. "Unless a dragoon was specifically telling that dragon to keep out of sight, we'd have heard horrors by now about a dragon laying waste to plenty of towns in the bay. Only a tame dragon would keep from making a presence."

Dart nodded. "That's fair. But maybe we should wait until we find the others."

"You and I defeated a dragon before."

"Yeah, but if there's a water dragoon… I feel like I'd be at a disadvantage."

"Probably true. Especially if there's a water dragon, too."

"So, let's wait and get the others."

Agreed, they settled in to sleep. Dart replaced his shirt, but not his shoes, and fell into his makeshift bed much more exhausted than he would have expected. He attributed it to the water, and he hoped that it wouldn't do the same to him the next day. He peeked at his wounds; his hand had almost completely sealed itself, but his arm was still festering. It had been cleaned out by the salt water, but the overall state of it did not seem to have changed. His sleeve was beginning to discolor, and he hoped that nobody would notice when they returned.

Despite his tiredness, he slept a little less soundly than the night before. He kept waking, fearing to feel that touch in his chest again, but it did not come. Perhaps the dragon was keeping them at a distance on purpose.

And if Rose was right and there was a dragoon with it… His mind raced with possibilities. Would the dragoon be hostile, like Greham and Doel? Or would they be willing to join them?

He had never faced a water dragoon or dragon, and he worried about what might happen. Maybe his fire would give him an advantage, too. Or maybe he would be overwhelmed.

Whatever the case, he wanted to make sure that the others were with him when they encountered it. As powerful as Rose was, he would feel better with four more dragoons at their backs.

Swimming across the channel was an easy, if irritating, feat. This time, however, Dart had to deal with his boots and his shirt getting soaked along with his pants, and their pork rations ended up thoroughly salted by the time they reached the opposite shore. Dart wasn't so sure that he'd want to eat them come lunch time and began hoping that they would find a town before then. Although, he supposed, he could always fetch them another meal from the animals on the island.

Still, more than anything, he just wanted to find his friends. He missed their company. Even Haschel's innuendos would be a welcome annoyance. If only they could reach them.

The sun rose high and strong that day, renewing Dart of his early morning swim, but it wasn't long before Dart noticed Rose's sweaty brow. He called for a break halfway through morning and traipsed out into the brush to find water for her. He returned successfully, and she gratefully drank before they continued.

When lunchtime came, Dart made no motions to break for food, despite his loud stomach. Rose made no protest, and they continued for another two hours before something besides ocean and island scenery became visible.

"Look!" said Dart, grabbing Rose's arm and pointing ahead.

"Looks like you were right," she acknowledged.

There, on the very edge of the horizon, was a dark shape jutting out from the low mountain that made the core of this island. Dart couldn't be sure from this distance, but the shapes seemed to have sharp edges, and he thought he could make out dark roofs. With his spirits adequately lifted, he picked up the pace, pleased to find Rose doing the same.

A beautiful, tiered city entered their view, climbing up the gentle slope of the mountain. This trusting and peaceful city had no walls, but a meager resemblance of a road began to form off on their right, and they quickly took to it. The trail was sandy at first, but it grew hard with the increase of dirt and rocks that soon came together to form a cobblestone street. Most joyous, however, was the sight of a great ship sitting by the docks, barely visible past the city.

The Queen Fury awaited them.

"Oh, I can't wait to see their faces!" chimed Dart, a grin spreading across his features.

"I'm sure they've missed you," nodded Rose.

"Us," corrected Dart, lightly tapping her shoulder with his fist. "They'll be overjoyed. I bet they thought we were dead! How long has it been?"

"Three days. Or two nights, at least."

"Wait!" stopped Dart suddenly. "I don't have to keep this anymore!"

He held up the makeshift sack and its ocean-soaked contents before tossing them as hard as he could toward the mountain.

"And I bet Haschel was just dying to have pork for dinner," remarked Rose.

Dart laughed.

"Let's go!" he urged before breaking into a trot.

As they entered the city, they garnered many odd looks from the townsfolk, and several leaned over to speak in whispers about the rugged strangers that appeared from the wilderness. But Dart didn't pay them any mind. He simply followed the path as it curved calmly to the right, and then he took a hard left toward the ocean. As they approached the docks, Dart sighed with joy as he beheld the majestic Queen Fury, magnificent to his eyes despite a large makeshift patch on the lower right. The ship had been lifted and tilted so that the full extent of damage could be attended to, but Dart could see that the ship would not be like new until they could acquire some more extensive repairs elsewhere.

Still, he rushed forward onto the docks, but found only a few dockworkers, none of whom he recognized. However, after asking, he gleaned that his friends were indeed here and staying at The Flapping Pelican that resided on the third tier of the city.

They rushed back, Rose rolling her eyes at Dart as he continued to jog and then charged up a set of stairs directly across the street from the docks.

Dart was about to bound up the second set when Rose grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. She nodded to the right, and he turned to see a few dozen people milling about several market stalls running either side of the street. But what stood out was the plume of silver hair.

Dart grinned. Meru hadn't seen them yet. He watched her closely as she meandered around and picked out a bag of some fruit before handing over a few coins. She turned toward them, but her eyes remained on the stalls for several steps, and Dart crossed his arms and waited.

At long last, she glanced around to scan the crowd, and then her eyes snapped to them. As realization crossed her face, her mouth dropped open, and the bag of fruit tumbled to the ground. A few moments later, she slammed into Dart, knocking the air from his lungs.

"You're alive!" she said, squeezing him so tightly that he couldn't even replace the air that she had emptied so forcefully.

He patted her back as he tried to catch his breath until she finally pulled away and lunged toward Rose. But she stopped herself and put her hands awkwardly behind her back.

"I'm so glad you two are okay," she said, glancing between them even as a tear fell down her face.

"It's okay," said Rose quietly as she held her arms out.

Meru gasped before engulfing Rose in a hug just as tight as the one she had given Dart, though it was much shorter-lived.

"You celebrate the fact that we didn't die by trying to kill us?" laughed Dart.

"What happened to you two?" she demanded. Then she gasped. "Wait! Have you been to the hotel yet?"

"No, that's where we we're headed."

"Ah! You have to go! You have to see the others! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Meru began prodding them forward, but when her patience expired, she ran around them and leapt up the stairs.

"This way!" she called, jumping up and down at the top.

Dart flashed Rose a smile before leading her up the stairs. Meru led them right, and they followed the curved street again until they came to the large inn that stood on the left. She placed her hand on the doorknob and bounced on her toes as they approached.

"Omigosh," she squealed. "This is gonna be so great. I don't know where anyone is, but this is gonna be so great. Are you ready?"

Dart nodded while chuckling, and Meru swung the door open.

They entered the large lobby that doubled as a dining hall, and there were several people seated about. A couple Dart recognized from the Queen Fury. A bartender worked the bar across the room, and someone was retrieving drinks to be delivered to a table. Dart's eyes swept the room and happily settled on two men seated at a table with mugs and empty plates before them. The old man sat with his chin in his hand, staring sadly into the liquid, and the king spoke quietly with great sorrow behind his eyes.

Dart's heart nearly broke to see their tense grief, but he was all too joyous to relieve them of it. He took several steps forward, and at last they glanced up to see the newcomers.

The light that entered their faces was a sight that Dart would not soon forget. They leapt to their feet and rushed toward them. Haschel swept Rose into a mighty hug and spun her around, and Albert grabbed Dart's shoulders, smiling at him for a moment before embracing him. The pairs swapped hugging partners, and tears sprang onto every face except Rose's.

"I knew you couldn't be dead! I just knew it!" cheered Haschel.

"Indeed, my fears have proved themselves empty, and for that I am grateful," beamed Albert.

"A little water never hurt me," said Dart, earning a chorus of laughter. "Where's everyone else?"

"Kongol has gone on some kind of soul-searching journey on the mountain," explained Haschel.

"But he assured us that he would return by dinnertime," added Albert.

"And Shana?" asked Dart hesitantly.

Albert smiled kindly. "Upstairs in her room, I believe. She hasn't left since we arrived."

"Which was when?" asked Rose.

"Two days ago," replied Albert. "You joined us sooner than we had anticipated. The Queen Fury has not even finished repairs yet."

"We should talk about all that later," inserted Haschel, eyeing Dart with an amused look.

"Yes," nodded Rose before nudging Dart with her elbow. "You need to go see Shana. Let her know you're alive."

"She should see you, too," muttered Dart.

"You know she doesn't need to see me," said Rose.

He sighed and nodded. "Which room?"

"I'll take you," offered Meru, who tried very hard to disguise a wide smile.

She led him up the stairs to their right and then down a hall with many doors on either side. They stopped before the last door on the right, and Meru motioned that he should enter. She stifled a giggle as she marched back down the hallway, and Dart merely shook his head.

Slowly, he raised his hand and rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Come in," replied Shana's voice.

It was different somehow. Sad. Broken.

Dart took a deep breath before turning the knob and opening the door.

There were two bunkbeds inside the surprisingly spacious room, and an open window on the far side invited in a refreshing ocean breeze. Belongings were scattered about, and Dart noticed Rose's pack tossed lazily onto the bottom left bunk. But on the bottom right lay a figure draped with sheets, her face obscured by her shoulder. After shutting the door, Dart took several slow steps into the room until at last she turned to him and her eyes grew wide.

"Hi," he said weakly.

"Dart?" she breathed as she sat.

He nodded even as tears sprang into his eyes. All he wanted to do was hug her as tightly as Meru had hugged him, but he knew that he could not. Their last real conversation flooded unbidden into the forefront of his mind, and he fought the urge to leave.

But before he could finish processing, Shana had leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face. He held her aloft around her waist and back even as she began to weep and his own tears began to fall.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm back."

He set her down, but she didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm so sorry."

He tried to release her, but she only held him tighter.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Hey," he urged, trying to pull her off. When she did not oblige, he urged more forcefully, and she hesitantly pulled back. He held onto her shoulders and looked into her eyes. They were swollen and reddening, and despite the wetness on his own face, he reached out and wiped the tears from hers. "It's okay," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did," she protested. "I—"

"It's in the past," he said. "All is forgiven." He straightened, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "For my part, anyway."

"I was wrong," she whispered back. "I made the wrong decision. I see that now. You and I…" She placed a hand on his face, and his heart soared. "We should… work things out."

He closed his eyes and pulled her hand away.

"We can, maybe, one day," he said. "But now… I know better than most the importance of not letting our emotions take over. This has been a difficult few days. We need to calm down first. Why don't we just… talk for a while? Catch up?"

She offered a small smile that failed to reach her eyes.

"Okay," she said before sitting on the bed.

Dart looked around; there were no chairs, and he was sure that his head would hit the top bunk were he to sit next to Shana. Instead, he sat on the floor and leaned against what would be Rose's bed. Shana chuckled and slid to the floor opposite him before hugging her knees. Dart became acutely aware of the discoloration on his left sleeve, and he made sure to angle his arm in such a way that Shana could not see the affects of his injury.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry I had you so worried," said Dart.

"It wasn't really your fault." Her eyes drifted to the faint stain on his left shoulder. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Uh, no. That blood isn't mine, actually…"

They fell into an exchange of information, and Shana listened eagerly while Dart explained what had happened after the phantom ship had sunk. He told her why he'd been unconscious after he fell, where they had awoken the next morning, and how they had reached town, although he left out the part about the dragon for now. In turn, she offered the short tale of their arrival on the Queen Fury and the angst that each of them had borne.

Dart and Shana had not spoken so freely to each other since before leaving Bale almost three months ago. Although their camaraderie was a mere shadow compared to their former closeness, Dart felt his spirit lifting higher every minute that their conversation extended. Before long, they were both grinning and almost giddy.

Still, something stood between them, and Shana began to avoid his eyes as they drew into a lull. However, just as Dart was about to take his leave, she spoke again.

"We need to talk about what happened." Her voice was small.

At least eight scenarios jumped across Dart's mind as possibilities of Shana's intent.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She almost appeared affronted, but she merely replied, "What happened in Bale."

He looked down. The image of her mangled body was not something that he could ever forget.

"You weren't there for me," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor by her toes. "I went through Lavitz's death without you. I never blamed you for what happened in the forest, but you never looked at me the same after that."

"'Never blamed me'?" repeated Dart. "You're the one who hated me."

"I never hated you."

"You never talked to me."

"You never talked to me, either," she snapped.

Dart gritted his teeth, well aware of his temper flaring. He took two deep breaths before he spoke again.

"I know I wasn't there for you," he said. "I've hated myself for that ever since. I wasn't what you needed. And I haven't been. But, Shana, you weren't there for me, either. Not after that happened. Not after we came to Tiberoa. When I lost my dragoon spirit, I was scared and worried. I almost died from something that used to be the source of my strength. And you would hardly even look me in the eye."

"What did you expect me to do? I almost died because of—"

"Because of me, I get it," spat Dart. "I would have apologized if you had been willing to be around me for more than two seconds at a time."

"If you would have apologized, maybe I would have been willing to talk to you!"

"See? You do blame me! You've never forgiven me for what I did. But guess what? I paid for that. You aren't the only one who treated me differently. There for a while, Haschel looked at me like he hated me. Albert was afraid that I'd blow up at the slightest inconvenience. And Rose has always hated me, so that just made it worse. I was ostracized by all the people who had been my friends, while you got all their love and support!"

"What do you want me to say?" demanded Shana. "'I'm sorry that they care about me'?"

"I just—" Dart stopped as a lump formed sharply in his throat. "I don't want to fight about this," he whispered before he took a ragged breath. "You weren't the only one who was hurt that day. I was broken, too. I couldn't stand myself. I was afraid of my own emotions. I loathed my own existence."

Tears fell down his face, but he didn't look away from Shana. Her eyes were quickly shifting from irritation to compassion, and he wanted to make sure that she felt the depth of his pain.

"Maybe you didn't have me to help with Lavitz's death. But I had nobody to help me with all of that."

Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. Guilting Shana into an apology would benefit neither of them.

Standing, he wiped his eyes and turned away from the window.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't unload on you. I'm… better… now. They're all my friends again, and they've moved on, at least."

He faced her again, and she stood as she cried silently.

"I'm sorry for what I did," he said. "I've wanted to apologize for a long time, and I didn't because I was afraid. I wasn't there for you before because I couldn't face my own grief. Helping someone else was too much for me. So, I'm sorry. You deserve so much more than that. More than me. You, of all people, deserve to have people take your side." His lower lip trembled. "I never meant to hurt you," he whispered. "I promise."

"I'm so sorry," she returned. "I couldn't see…"

She placed her hands on his neck before pulling him into another hug. He held her close, and together they wept for each other. Their combined tears swept across their months-old wounds, a smooth balm on bruises that at last were beginning to heal. For the first time in months, Dart felt that he could one day be whole again.