Dietrich had high hopes the night before, especially since he went to sleep later than he would have liked. He had hoped that the following morning would be nice and quiet and he would be able to wake up at his own pace, shave at his own pace, get dressed at his own pace, go down to a café at his own pace, and enjoy a cup of coffee at his own pace.

Absolutely nothing was being done at his own pace that morning.

Dietrich wasn't sure what time it was when he was roused by Zeph shaking him, but whatever the time was, it was too early. Even if it was a perfectly reasonable time, it was too early. His peaceful sleep was very rudely interrupted by Zeph saying, "Oi! Wake up, Dietrich, we need to get down to the beach!"

For a moment, Dietrich wondered if he had actually slept in and it was already time for the tournament to start, but something deep inside was telling him that wasn't the case. He groaned and tried turning away from Zeph.

"Mate, come on! Get up! We have to go!" Zeph shook him again.

"Five more minutes," Dietrich murmured.

"No! Dietrich, mate, up!" Zeph's shaking gradually got rougher.

"Stop it. That is extremely annoying."

Zeph let out an exasperated sigh. "You know what? Fine. I'm going down to the beach myself. You can sleep all day."

"What time is it?" Dietrich muttered.

"It's time to get up."

"That does not answer my question." Dietrich grunted while trying to sit up. He squinted through his sleepiness to read the clock on the wall, then sighed. "Zeph, it is only seven-thirty. The contest is not until noon."

"I'm meeting Dryden for practice."

"This early?"

"The beach is going to be packed, mate! The earlier, the better!"

Dietrich remained upright while Zeph was getting everything together, and he wondered where his own energy had gone as he fought the desire to go back to sleep. Zeph put his hand on the doorknob right as Dietrich managed to drag himself off the couch. "Give me a minute, Zeph, I will come with you. At least I can have my coffee while you are practicing."

Zeph was looking more and more impatient while Dietrich shuffled around the house to freshen up and get dressed. "Mate, are you always this slow?"

Dietrich glared at him. "I apologize. I was quite rudely awakened by someone, I went to sleep late, and I have not had a drop of coffee yet, so excuse me for not running at the same speed as you. Be patient."

Zeph looked like he wanted to argue. He leaned against the wall while waiting for Dietrich, then said, "It's been more than a minute, mate."

"Keep complaining and I will only take longer," Dietrich said.

When they finally left and headed to the beach, Dietrich had to take Zeph's shoulder when it looked like he was about to bolt toward the sand. "Breakfast first."

"You can have breakfast if you want," Zeph said. "Let go."

"No. You need to eat breakfast. Come on."

"Dietrich—"

"Do not argue with me. Go on. You need to eat."

"I told Dryden—"

"He needs to eat, too." Dietrich nudged Zeph toward a café. "Stop acting like Moffitt." He relaxed a little when Zeph gave a sigh of defeat, and the two entered the café. It was busier than the previous morning, full of surfers grabbing a quick bite before getting their final practice sessions in. The strong smell of coffee was enough to keep Dietrich perked up while waiting for a cup at the counter.

Zeph was bouncing his leg in the chair next to him, and abruptly turned when he heard someone call his name. He then raised his hand, replying, "Over here, Dryden!"

"I've been waiting over ten minutes, mate," Dryden said as he walked over. "The beach's getting crowded."

Zeph jerked his thumb at Dietrich. "He's insistent on breakfast."

Dietrich glanced over his shoulder at Dryden. "Forgive me for wanting you all to have better habits in the morning."

"I mean, he does have a point. Just don't stuff yourself," Dryden said.

"Precisely."

Zeph gave a confused look to both of them. "Never thought I'd see the day you two would agree on something."

"I never thought I'd see the day we'd be practicing together again," Dryden said. "Still, this afternoon, may the best surfer win."

After the three had placed their breakfast orders, Dietrich received his coffee. Despite that morning not going the way he wanted it to, he was very glad he could enjoy his coffee. He nearly choked when he heard Zeph shout, "Oi! What's your problem?! You wanna—" His tone then turned to one of disbelief, but joy. "Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

Dietrich turned to see a young man about Zeph's age with blond hair—not cut as short as Dryden's friend, Codie—and a dark blue, loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt paired with gray shorts, had come up behind Zeph to roughly give him a hug and playfully mess with his hair.

"Nope, and I wasn't expecting to even be here until yesterday!" Lysander said. "How are you, mate?"

"Better now that you're here. I thought you were shadowing a vet this weekend."

Lysander let go of Zeph, and sat next to him. "Plans changed. He had an emergency. Said his mum had a fall and broke a bone. We rescheduled for next weekend, so here I am. I wouldn't miss this for the world." He looked past Zeph. "So, you're the one and only, legendary Hans Dietrich, eh?"

"I would not consider myself as 'legendary' by any stretch of the imagination," Dietrich said. "I understand Jules spoke very highly of me while he was staying with you."

"He certainly did, and it's good to meet you in person. Zeph hasn't driven you mad, has he?"

"He came close."

"Hey!" Zeph elbowed Dietrich's ribs. "We've been getting along great."

"Well, speaking of getting along…" Lysander pointed to Dryden. "What bloody sorcery did you have to use to get on good terms with him again?"

"No sorcery," Dietrich said. "A bit of talking, and perhaps some mild trickery."

Dryden took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah. That."

"Alright, well, I'm not going to complain." Lysander gave Zeph's hair another rough tousle before ordering his breakfast and coffee.

Lysander's reasons for not being there in the first place were perfectly valid, but Dietrich was glad that he showed up. It certainly helped Zeph's mood. At the same time, Dietrich hoped that the veterinarian's mother would be alright. The boys talked for the duration of their breakfasts. Once Zeph and Dryden were finished, they apologized before heading out to the beach, leaving Dietrich and Lysander on their own.

Lysander gestured to the seat directly on Dietrich's left. "Mind if I—"

"Go ahead," Dietrich replied.

"Thanks, mate." Lysander changed seats, taking his coffee with him. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you came to help out."

"It was not much of an issue," Dietrich said. "It has been challenging, yes, but worth it. I can see why Jules got along so quickly and so well with both of you. It makes me happy that he is finally making some friends."

"Too bad we can't be a little closer, eh? That'd be nice."

"Indeed. But, I do not believe that distance should prevent people from developing friendships. I live quite a ways away from my own friends, and it does not change much of anything. Truthfully, I am looking forward to retiring and being able to take longer trips to visit them."

"Well, you can always add returning to New Zealand as an option," Lysander said. "I'm pretty sure you haven't seen all we have to offer, and I'd be happy to host you." His smile faded. "Have you met Dad yet?"

"Yes and no. I have had to hide whenever he shows up, so I have heard him talking with Zeph, but he has not met me yet." Dietrich looked down at his coffee mug. "I… also came to a realization about him one morning when I was observing him and Zeph through a window. A man I had to leave behind after a surprise attack on one of my convoys had wounds similar to the scars your father has."

Lysander didn't say or do anything for a moment. He took a sip of his coffee, looking deep in thought. "Dad never told me much about what happened. Bits and pieces. I asked a few times where his scars came from, and he would say the same thing every time: 'German bastards.' I stopped trying to get answers for a while, figured it wasn't worth it."

Dietrich nodded. "I wish I had been able to rescue that man. My lieutenant assumed he was dead, and from where I was standing, I assumed he was dead, too, until we were driving away and I saw him try to get up. I still had my own mission to accomplish. I could not afford to risk getting caught by the New Zealanders and sustain more injured men just to rescue one. I had my own soldiers, my new prisoners, all the wounded from both sides, and the fuel I was supposed to be delivering to think about." He looked at Lysander. "I sincerely apologize for not being able to help your father."

"You have nothing to apologize for, mate."

"Still, I—"

"Don't. Please. It's not your fault." Lysander reached over to squeeze Dietrich's wrist, then froze when his fingers touched the scar. His face reddened with embarrassment. "Sorry. I forgot—"

"It is alright," Dietrich replied. "That does not bother me as much as it once did."

Lysander still looked embarrassed. "I still should've—"

"Now you need to stop. Goodness." Dietrich took a drink from his mug. "I have only kept my presence hidden from your father because I do not want there to be repercussions on you and Zeph. Zeph has nowhere to go, and I imagine you do not have anywhere to go, either, if you were to be kicked out."

"No. I'd have to find a flat in Auckland. I could bring Zeph with me, but that means making him have a longer flight to Sunset Beach to surf. There are other beaches, but Sunset's special to him. That's where he learned how to surf. He knows every inch of that beach. Plus, Dad's not charging me any rent. I'd like to stick with that until I get my own place." Lysander sighed. "On one hand, I don't think Dad would kick us out for having a German friend. On the other… I know so little about how much this bothers him that I just don't know how he'd react if he found out about you."

"Healing from these sorts of things is never a smooth road. I would be willing to try and help, but not at the risk of your and Zeph's safety."

Lysander nodded, looking conflicted. He focused on his coffee for a minute or two before glancing back at Dietrich. "It was nice seeing Zeph in a good mood. I thought he'd be a wreck. How have things been going with him?"

"He is making progress, but I would be lying if I said this has been without issues." Dietrich released his breath. "Zeph is stubborn."

"Yep. He can be challenging, and he only gets more challenging if you fight too hard against him."

"Overall, I have learned that he needs people he can trust, but once he has those people, he has do his part in maintaining a relationship."

"And you didn't give up, no matter how hard it got."

"No. I could never bring myself to do so." Dietrich looked out the window facing the beach. He was tempted to tell Lysander what he had learned about Zeph's mental state immediately after his parents had kicked him out, but he didn't want to break Zeph's trust. Then again, Lysander was Zeph's best friend. He was drastically different to Dryden. Dietrich gave a quiet sigh, and chose to keep that to himself for now. "Even when Zeph became angry with me, I stayed."

"What did you do?"

"I tried repairing his relationship with Dryden, and said some things to Dryden without Zeph's permission."

"Yep. That'll do it." Lysander finished his coffee. "It looks like you all made up, though."

"We did. I am pleasantly surprised. Now, if Zeph wins today, that will be even more pleasant."

"Absolutely, and we'll be there to cheer him on." Lysander paid for his breakfast and coffee, then turned to Dietrich. "We've got a few hours till the contest. The weather's really nice. I'm up for a walk if you are."

"Sounds good to me."

The more time Dietrich spent with Lysander, the better he felt about Jules being friends with him. Lysander was smart, insightful, kind, and loyal to those he cared about. He was laid-back, but not lazy. He was adventurous, but not reckless. Dietrich liked him a lot, and felt he would be good for Jules. He said that to Lysander during their walk, and Lysander grinned before saying that Moffitt said something similar.

They walked around the same area in the woods that Dietrich and Zeph had been in the day before. Lysander drew in a breath when they came to the narrow river and the waterfall emptying into it. "I've missed doing stuff like this," he said. "Uni doesn't exactly give you a lot of time to just go for a walk."

"I imagine that is especially the case with the work you are trying to get into," Dietrich replied.

"Yeah, and I've got about five and a half years until I'm done. There's some other stuff I'll have to do before I can have my own practice, but I'm looking forward to not having to do classroom work anymore. It gets old fast. I like the actual work—most of it."

"Working as a veterinarian is admirable, but I am aware that it is not always about playing with baby animals and giving them their annuals and routine shots."

Lysander nodded. "Just a few weeks ago, my instructors were impressed with my knowledge at assisting with delivering foals that aren't in the right position. I said it was because it wasn't my first time. Doesn't make it any less stressful. My dad also drilled into my head all the different kinds of colic a horse can suffer from. I've seen a lot, working with him, so I know taking care of horses isn't all the movies and television shows make it out to be. It's hard, and sometimes really painful, physically and emotionally."

Dietrich offered a slight grin in an effort to lighten the mood. "If you want a fun activity, watch a Western with Moffitt. He will point out everything and anything done wrong with horses. You will either enjoy his commentary or get greatly annoyed."

"I've heard the story about the stolen Panzer and the dog is similar—it's either funny or grating."

"Personally, I find it hilarious, only because I was the one stuck with that dog for a time. It was obvious this was a stray mutt with no proper training—makes sense, given that it was living in a region of the world where the majority of people see dogs as unclean and do not keep them in their homes. I cannot really blame Moffitt for his reaction since it was likely this dog had any number of diseases or parasites. My medical officers deemed him safe, but also warned us to exercise caution since they did not have the proper equipment to deal with animals. Fortunately, no one was made ill by this dog, and he wound up leaving us within a few weeks of arriving, most likely because we could no longer afford to feed him."

"I still think it's absurd that Troy managed to steal a tank."

"Troy and the word 'absurd' belong together, so whenever you get a chance to hear more of our adventures in North Africa, keep that in mind."

"I'd like that. I've read a lot about the battles there, but I've been curious about talking to the people who were actually there, especially since Dad doesn't really talk about it. I don't want to push him if he doesn't want it."

"Talking about things like that certainly will not cure anything, but it can aid the process of healing."

"Speaking from experience?"

Dietrich nodded. "Actually starting to talk about it is one of the more difficult parts." He looked at his watch. "We had best start heading down to the beach soon. Will you be returning home with us when we leave Piha?"

"I wish. I'll be heading back to Auckland tomorrow morning."

"You can stay with us overnight if you wish."

"Thanks."

The two headed back through the woods toward the beach, which had gotten quite crowded over the last several hours. They didn't have much time until the contest actually started, so they both grabbed a quick lunch and went to where Zeph and Dryden were chatting with a man with a camera around his neck writing in a notebook.

"—And these are two of my best friends." Zeph grabbed Lysander and Dietrich to put his arms around their shoulders. "They'll be cheering me on out here."

"Nice. Do either of you surf?" the man asked.

"I do, for fun," Lysander replied.

"I do not," Dietrich said. He didn't exactly want his picture taken, but did his best to give a genuine smile. This was for Zeph after all. I probably look utterly ridiculous right now, he thought while the cameraman was taking pictures. He didn't particularly care for his own smile, as that had been such a rare phenomenon for him growing up and enduring the worst of his depression. He noted that in the first photographs taken with the Rats, any smiling he did was hardly noticeable. That got better as the years went on, and he didn't really think about it when in conversation with people, or whenever the Rats or his family wanted to take pictures. With a complete stranger, who was probably going to be putting this picture in a newspaper or magazine, Dietrich was trying not to think too much about what he was doing.

When the cameraman finally left, someone called over a bullhorn for the surfers to begin lining up and for the beach to be cleared of all swimmers. Everyone was to move back behind the surfers. Zeph paused in front of Dietrich before heading out. "Well, this is it."

"You will be alright," Dietrich said.

"I wish we had just a little more time to prepare and practice."

"Adaptability is a necessary skill for life. I think we did the best we could with the time we were given."

Zeph nodded. "I just have to look at it that way." He adjusted his grip on his surfboard. "Thanks, mate."

"You are most welcome. Go on. Get out there and give it your best." Dietrich stepped back as Zeph headed toward where the other surfers were lined up, and went over to where Lysander was sitting.

"Is he nervous?" Lysander asked.

"Yes, but I think anyone would be," Dietrich replied. "I have said my prayers, but now it is time to let things play out."

As the contest got underway, Dietrich couldn't quite understand everything that the commentator was saying over the bullhorn, so he was glad to have Lysander translating all the surfing lingo and the commentator's thick Kiwi accent. He watched Zeph closely when it was his turn. He had been quiet up until that point, and when he noticed Zeph's hesitant movements, Dietrich cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Come on, Zeph! You can do this!"

Zeph glanced over his shoulder at Dietrich, then quickened his pace to get out into the water. Dietrich knew that Zeph losing this contest wouldn't be the end of everything, but he couldn't help feeling anxious about the outcome of a loss. Would everything hold up, or would things go back to where they started? Dietrich wasn't sure how he could help if things didn't pan out well, but he tried not to dwell on that too much while watching Zeph effortlessly carve up his wave. He had certainly taken Dryden's coaching to heart, as Dietrich noticed Zeph's movements had smoothed out compared to the day before.

As someone who wasn't all that interested in surfing, Dietrich was bored after Zeph's ride, but he was also managing his own nerves as everyone had to wait until the lineup had finished before it was announced who would be moving on to the next round. Zeph was able to go over to Dietrich and Lysander. "This round was easy," he said. "It's the next one I'm more worried about."

"You looked good out there, mate," Lysander said. "Less jerky than before."

"Thank Dryden for that." Zeph turned to Dietrich. "And you, because your crazy plan worked."

"All I did was nudge Dryden into helping you," Dietrich said. "No need to thank me."

"You really don't like taking credit for anything, do you?"

"No, not really."

"Even thought you had a prophecy to prevent another war from breaking out in Europe?"

"Yes."

Instead of seeming annoyed like Dietrich expected, Zeph shook his head with a smile. "I'll take someone who's humble over anything else."

The contest continued after the surfers were given a break. Zeph moved on to the next round, along with Dryden, who was quickly becoming a favorite to win among the spectators. He was more comfortable with tricks and fancy movement compared to Zeph, who kept things simple.

The weather remained favorable as the qualifying round was wrapping up. Zeph was stunned to learn he was moving on to finals, and while Dietrich was happy for him, it made the anxiety surrounding the event much worse. This was where everything could fall apart, as the five remaining surfers had to really impress the judges.

Lysander was kind enough to get snacks for himself and Dietrich as the final round got underway, sitting down in the sand just as Zeph was taking his turn. "You got this, Zeph!" Lysander called. "Give it everything you have, mate!"

Zeph paddled out to meet the oncoming wave. The wave was tall, even a bit intimidating. Zeph was quick to get onto his board. Dietrich could see an expression of dogged determination on the young warlock's face, and started quietly urging him to keep going. Zeph was bolder for that round, attempting some of the tricks he had seen Dryden doing, albeit with caution to avoid falling. It was hard for Dietrich to tell if Zeph was doing better than anyone else. The commentator sounded impressed with Zeph. That was good, right?

The determination on Zeph's face quickly turned to surprise as the wave merged with the rest of the sea, and he was heading toward the beach once more. He didn't dismount from his board until he was close enough to the beach without driving his board into the sand. He still looked surprised as he approached Dietrich and Lysander. "There were several points where I should've fallen off," he said.

"But you didn't," Lysander said.

Dryden walked past them on his way to take his turn, and paused by Zeph. "Hey. Nice job out there."

"Thanks," Zeph replied. "You really think so?"

"I wouldn't bother saying anything if I didn't."

"Fair point. Good luck." Zeph sat by Dietrich. "There's a part of me that wants to say I'm not going to get higher than third place, but you're going to tell me not to think that."

"Indeed I am," Dietrich said. "I think you did very well."

"You really did," Lysander added. "Even though you only had, what, one or two practice sessions with Dryden, you showed a lot of improvement, especially with staying on your board longer."

Zeph nodded. "That's also a good point. I hope it makes something of a difference."

The beach crowd began to thin out once the contest ended and the points were being calculated by the judges. The participants and their friends, family, and fans all hung near the booth, eagerly awaiting results. Dietrich remained away from the crowd, still feeling very much like an outcast, though he imagine some of the people trailing the surfers weren't much more knowledgeable about surfing; they were there to support their friend or relative and that was it. Dietrich felt there was nothing wrong with that, but he decided that if he was ever going to return to New Zealand—and he certainly wanted to—he needed to start learning more about surfing so he didn't feel quite so lost.

Dietrich turned to face the judges' booth when he heard the thick accent of the commentator telling everyone that the judges made their call. A half-second of pure anxiety passed, and in spite of all his hoping and praying and attempts at reassurance, Dietrich himself was surprised to hear Zeph's name being called. He stepped back as the cheering crowd swarmed an equally baffled Zeph. The wild excitement wasn't Dietrich's style of celebration, and the last thing he wanted was to get dragged into it. He allowed himself to smile and give Zeph a round of applause as the young warlock was lifted onto the shoulders of strangers.

When Zeph was eventually released, he still looked greatly confused, but he made his way back to Dietrich and gave him a tight hug.

"Now, what is this for?" Dietrich asked.

There were tears running down Zeph's face when he pulled away, but they weren't tears of sadness. "What do you think, mate?" Zeph asked, with a slight laugh before playfully nudging Dietrich. "I wouldn't have gotten this without you. Come on, take credit for something for once in your life."

Dietrich sighed. "Oh, alright. I still cannot—"

"No." Zeph's expression became more serious. "Honestly, mate, I would've quit if you didn't try to help. I wouldn't have done half as well as I did today without you."

Dietrich took a moment to think. "Well, this is your win. If you want to attribute it to me… go ahead. It is better than if you tried to take all the credit yourself. However, you do deserve some credit. I know things have moved a lot quicker than either of us would have liked, but you are handling it well. You still have a long road ahead of you."

"One step at a time."

"You will get where you want to go."

Zeph nodded, then turned when he heard Dryden calling out to him. "We can talk later, Dietrich. I'm not sure how long the party's going to last. Are you coming with?"

"I will stay long enough for something to eat, but an outing with strangers is quite exhausting for me. I will be at the house when you return."

"Even if people want you to stay?"

"They would have to provide a very good reason for me to stay."

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

Dietrich did stay at the party a little longer than he initially planned, mainly because Zeph, Lysander, and Dryden decided to reward him for his help by giving him a bowl heaping with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream loaded with honeycomb toffee, which Lysander referred to as hokey-pokey. Upon being presented with this offering, Dietrich decided to stay longer on the condition that no one bothered him. Of course, Zeph felt the need to break that condition by acting like Troy and repeatedly ruffling Dietrich's hair. Unlike with Troy, Dietrich decided to just let Zeph go. This was his well-earned victory party after all.

It was after sundown when Dietrich finished his ice cream and left the party. He could still hear the others talking and laughing loudly, while he disappeared into the woods surrounding Piha. There was still a bit of light left on the western horizon, melting and blending into the sea. He sat on a larger, somewhat flat rock jutting from the ground, overlooking part of Piha and the beach itself. He could see evening beachgoers below, taking advantage of the fact that the surfing crowd had left. There were a handful of surfers left, but they were far more casual than what Dietrich had observed over the last couple of days. He made himself comfortable, and took his pack of cigarettes out from his pocket. Before lighting one, he noticed someone walking up the path, and couldn't see who it was until they came closer.

"Hey," Zeph said. "Had a feeling you'd be here."

"Yes. Do you need something?" Dietrich asked.

"I kinda got tired of being crowded."

Dietrich shifted to let Zeph sit on the rock as well. "Need some quiet?"

"Yeah. I know I'll get that later tonight, and tomorrow when we head home, but I guess I needed it a bit sooner. That and… I'm still shocked I won. Dryden told me that we were neck and neck, but he lost points on a few tricks and falling off his board during the final round."

"So, does he take you more seriously now?"

"Yeah. He confessed that he still wasn't sure how things would play out during the contest. He thought I'd get overconfident or angry like I did at Gold Coast, but when neither happened, he said that changed his mind. He did apologize for the things he said in the past, like how I was taking up space that could be used by a better surfer."

"Did you accept it?"

"Yeah, and I apologized for being an ass all those years ago."

"Good. Now you can move forward."

"You could say that again. He invited me to go down to Raglan when I have time for more thorough training. I said I'll go after you leave." Zeph looked down at his lap. "I'm guessing that'll be soon, eh?"

"Unfortunately." Dietrich gestured to his unlit cigarette. "Mind if I…?"

"No. Go ahead," Zeph said. He looked out at the beach for a little while. "How long until you leave?"

"I can afford a few more days, so you do not have to worry about me leaving tomorrow. I get the feeling you would rather have me stay for a bit longer."

"Yeah."

"You live in one of the loveliest places in the world, so you can guarantee I will come back in good time. I do frequently visit Moffitt, so perhaps whenever you get the chance to go to Britain, I will be there, too. And, like I said last night, feel free to drop by Germany. I would be happy to show you around."

"Thanks, mate. I'll take you up on that at some point. What's the best time of year to go?"

"Oh, anytime, really. All depends on what you are in the mood for."

Zeph thought for a moment. "I've always wanted to experience a northern hemisphere Christmas, with a lot of snow. We don't get much snow here."

"You cannot get much better than Christmas in Germany. I have many, many old decorations that my aunt and uncle purchased from Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg. Unfortunately, I have not been able to put them up for a few years because Gunther is still too young to grasp the concept of 'do not touch.' I have been able to put up my aunt's Nativity scene, though. I keep it where Gunther cannot see or reach it. Anah was kind enough to touch up the paint on it a couple of years ago. That was quite possibly the best gift anyone could have gotten me."

"That sounds sweet. Some year, then, I'll make that flight."

"Can you do better than Troy and call me beforehand?"

"I'll try."

"That would be greatly appreciated." Dietrich glanced at Zeph while continuing to smoke his cigarette, expecting the younger man to eventually head back to his friends. Instead, he stayed with Dietrich, who certainly wasn't going to complain. They would enjoy their time in Piha while they had it, as they would head back to Lysander's tomorrow. Dietrich couldn't help feeling nervous once more, as he wondered if it was time he say something to Silas, or if he needed to continue remaining hidden.