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If you enjoy music while you\'re reading, try "Oh Lord" by NF. It\'s what I was listening to while I was writing!

*****

ELRETH

The cave was bustling. Gar and Rika on a couch in the Great Room speaking with two of the Protectors. Tarkyn was at the table with Elreth and Aaryn, all of them surrounded by a circle of guards that Elreth was irritated by, but understood Tarkyn\'s tension. The Captain sat stiffly, his eyes darting, looking for danger as he filled them in on what he knew.

"Lerrin sent a messenger—they ran all the way through the desert before they found our fist," Takryn said, his voice low, though everyone in the cave would be able to hear it anyway. "We\'ve got birds on the way to bring them in."

"Them?"

"There were two, in case one didn\'t get through."

Elreth took a deep breath and linked her hand with Aaryn\'s under the table. "Tell me."

"I don\'t have everything—apparently they were exhausted after running for days, so our team relayed it back."

"What do we know?"

The Outsiders were discovered by the humans right before the Autumn rains and the canyon flooded this year. It didn\'t stay low enough until last week for them to come through. They were on their way to tell us.

"As they reached the traverse they discovered the humans there on our side, in numbers. They had to take extreme care, but they were able to confirm that the humans had somehow silenced the Traverse. They were coming through in groups of fifteen to twenty, every few hours.

"They were overhead to discuss their advance on WildWood, and the challenges of the desert. As soon as Lerrin heard that, he sent the messengers to us. The humans hadn\'t started away from the Midnight cliffs yet, at that point. They were still gathering."

"How many?"

"There were roughly one hundred humans in Anima when the messenger started running."

Elreth squeezed Aaryn\'s hand tighter. "That\'s not a huge number. When was this?"

"We caught the messengers this side of the desert, and our sentries ran it through. So… three days ago, at a guess? Possibly four. I don\'t know how long it took the messengers to cross the desert."

"The humans though, where are they now?"

"We don\'t know. They weren\'t within eye or ear of our forces at the edge of the WildWood just over a day ago, we know that much. The messenger is coming, they may know more?"

"You sent birds to fly the messengers here?"

"Yes. They were exhausted, but still running. We convinced them it would be faster to wait and let the birds bring them. But we\'ve had to get another team out there with hammocks.  We already had a team on the way, just in case. They\'ll be tired, but they\'ll start the trip back until the new team reaches them."

"So, they\'re already flying them back?"

Tarkyn nodded, but didn\'t smell certain. "The auxilliary flyers should have reached them last night, we think. They crossed those bringing the information. We don\'t know for certain, but we hope the new team are already on their way back."

Think. Maybe. Hope.

"So we know they\'re here, but we don\'t know how close they are?"

"Correct."

Elreth wanted to scream. She didn\'t have enough information! People\'s lives depended on the decisions she was about to make and she didn\'t know! Did she have three days, or three weeks? Had they already taken Anima, or were they ignorant so far?

"El?" Aaryn said quietly.

She shook her head and looked around the cave. Messengers squatted along the walls and in the Great Room. There were guards at the door, and outside the cave. Protectors were arriving in ones and twos and gathering around Gar who sat on a couch, leaning into a group while Rika curled into the corner of it, occasionally offering something to what he was saying.

"El, please, don\'t let yourself get overwhelmed," Tarkyn said gently. "That\'s what we\'re here for. Gar\'s here. And I can speak with your father…"

She took a deep breath. Outside, throughout the WildWood she knew the people were recovering from a day of feasting, from the veneration of a new tribe, with no idea they were about to be called to war.

She, Elreth was going to have to ask her people to die. And for what? If they didn\'t get the portals closed...

Then, as if she felt the gaze eyes, Rika turned and met Elreth\'s eyes. El saw the shadows there, the pain. Her forehead lined and cheeks drawn. And Rika\'s words from the night before echoed in her head.

Rika didn\'t believe they could win this.

"Fuck that," Elreth growled.

"… you don\'t have to do it all yourself." Tarkyn was still talking, still trying to reassure her. "Every ruler has to face their first conflict. Your willingness to even be here is—"

"My willingness to be here, Tark?" she snarled. "Because I might find the end of our people… disturbing?" She snapped her eyes to his and let him see exactly what she thought of her Captain suggesting her father and brother might handle this better.

He closed his mouth so quickly his teeth clicked.

"My father is no longer King, and my brother is the War Chief—he will take my orders. As will you, Tarkyn. I fully expect to hear your advice—and theirs—in this process. But if I hear you suggest one more time that I might get overwhelmed by this in a way that they wouldn\'t, I will take you to the Hallowed Grounds myself and let you fight for your life, do you understand me?"

Tarkyn dropped his head immediately and saluted. "Yes, of course, El." He gave her every respect in the salute, but she didn\'t miss that when he raised his head as she turned away, his lips were twitching up on one side.

Ignoring the meddling prick, she turned to Aaryn. "Gather the elders, have them in the market where the people can find them and there\'s space to organize groups," she said through her teeth. "When they\'re in place, get the runners out to the people. Make certain every single Anima is awake and aware. Send up the signals to call in any that aren\'t already here from the wider region. Make sure everyone understands that the time has come. The humans are in Anima. This is no longer simply a threat, this is an invasion, and we will meet it."

Aaryn nodded once, leaned in and kissed her and stood to walk away, his hands flashing \'All Hail the Queen,\' as he darted out of the Cave to do as she\'s asked.

Elreth was on her feet, ignoring Tarkyn\'s smile as she stalked over to Reece who stood awkwardly near the door, watching everything and looking terrified.

"Are you a tracker?" she asked without asking him how he was doing, because she suspected, like her, he did better focusing on something else.

Reece nodded.

"Go find them. Tell them that I\'m sorry, but the time has come. The humans are here. They\'re to come to the cave immediately."

Reece\'s eyes widened, but he leaped to his feet and ran for the door even faster than Aaryn had.

Elreth watched him slide between a group of Protectors just walking through the door, their faces serious and a little green from their feasting.

Elreth wanted to weep, but she nodded and accepted their salutes as they hurried over to Gar.

Newly risen. Newly validated.

Would it all be for nothing?

She prayed not.Â