There was a long silence, and Anders strained his ears as he waited for Ferdie’s reply.
“I didn’t,” admitted Ferdie. “But things are pretty bad, Ellukka, and we’re the only ones with a chance of changing that. We all have to be prepared to do whatever we can. Wehaveto stick together.”
As Anders stepped inside with the others, ready to try to explain what had happened, ready to try to make a new plan, he knew that Ferdie was right.
Whatever it took, he would do it.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the warrior had changed things. It was all very well for the elementals to stay here at Cloudhaven despite the danger. With the humans and wolves hostile to them after the destruction of Holbard, this place was still safer than the town camp, and a better place to search for an answer.
But that wasn’t true for everyone at Cloudhaven.
His heart was heavy as he made his way over to where Sam and Jerro were sitting with a group of other humans, talking quietly. They all looked up as Anders arrived, taking in his expression.
“He figured it out,” Sam said to his big brother, who nodded.
“Looks like he’s going to say it now,” he said.
“Say what?” Anders asked.
Sam snorted. “You’re about to tell us that it would be safer for us if we went back to the camp. That you could give us supplies, and we could be somewhere where there aren’t giant artifact warriors trying to chase us off cliffs.”
Anders blinked. “Well, um...” He hadn’t expected them to anticipate his words. “Youcouldgo back to the camp. Where there reallyaren’tgiant artifact warriors trying to chase anyone off cliffs.”
He realized he was speaking into silence—the wolves and the dragons around them were listening for the humans’ reply.
Sam and Jerro exchanged a long look. “We humans already talked it over,” said Sam. “We discussed it before tonight. We knew something like this might happen. And we decided that you were there for us when we needed you. And now we’re here for you. However we can help, we’re going to do it. We’re staying.”
“All of us,” Jerro added. And behind them, the other children murmured their agreement, a few folding their arms, as if they were daring Anders to throw them out of Cloudhaven.
But he didn’t know what to say. He remembered the way he’d heard the wolves use the wordhumanwhen he first arrived at Ulfar Academy. Like a human was something less than an elemental. But the humans had a bravery and ingenuity that any elemental would be proud of.Humanwas a badge of honor.
“Then I guess we’re all staying,” he said, a lump in his throat. “We’ll figure this out together.”
Anders found it hard to get to sleep that night after the scare the warrior had given them, and he lay on his mattress, listening to the slow breathing of the others, gazing up at the dimly lit ceiling of the entrance hall. He and Rayna had carefully wrapped their augmenters in the rune-covered paper that would, they hoped, summon their mother.
One moment he was counting cracks in the rock, and the next moment he was in his mother’s workshop once more.
Rayna was already waiting, and she turned to him with a grin.
“I thought you were never going to fall asleep,” she said. “She’s not here yet. I’m hoping she was just waiting for two of us.”
And as if to prove Rayna’s words true, Drifa appeared in front of them.
She didn’t look the same as she had last time, though. Now, she was semi-transparent—if Anders concentrated, he could make out the bench that was behind her.
“It’s so good to see you, my darlings,” she said. “Has it been long?”
“Not long at all,” Anders replied. “Are you all right?”
“We don’t have much time,” she said. “Tell me how I can help you.”
As quickly as he could, Anders recounted what he had realized that day at the camp with Hayn.
“He’s right,” Rayna agreed. “We need to find a way to make them listen to each other’s words, rather than thinking about who’s speaking.”
Drifa’s mouth was open. “Youareright,” she breathed. “We never saw that. We were always looking for ways to stop them fighting, to make them afraid to fight or unwilling to fight. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?”
Anders nodded. “They need to understand each other,” he agreed, “and they need to understand the humans too—and respect them. Theyallneed to really listen, instead of blocking their ears because it’s their enemy talking.”
