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“They’re here,” I say, tucking Heru’s white feather back into my bag.

Two enormous shapes descend from the clouds, one a dark russet brown and one white. I cannot help but admire the way Heru’s feathers glisten like starlight in the darkness. One after another they tuck their wings and dive, approaching us at top speed.

“Sun burn me!” Esther flattens herself onto the forest floor.

“It’s okay, they will”—Heru’s and Taman’s wings snap outward with a big WHOOSH— “slow down before landing.”

THUUUMP!

Their claws dig into the thawing earth.

The large brown roc, Taman, lowers his head, eyes trained on Leaf. Hello, Little Sapling.

Esther brushes the snow and mud off her cloak as she stands. “Wait, Taman calls you Little Sapling?”

Leaf scoffs, his cheeks darkening. “He’s a giant roc, Esther. To him, everything is a sapling. He’s old, grumpy, and thinks he’s a philosopher because he lives in a tree palace.

Taman snaps his beak.

Heru takes a few steps forward. It’s good to see you again, Starheart.

“Okay, now that’s a nickname I would actually enjoy,” Esther says.

“Hey!” Leaf lets out a muffled shout, already buried nose deep in Taman’s neck feathers.

“I would like to remind everyone that we are on an extremely time-sensitive mission,” Ramona drawls from the middle of the group.

“I’m with Akemi!” Esther chirps.

“Works for me,” Leaf winks at Ramona. “Let me boost you up.”

Ramona mumbles something about “needing higher platform boots” and “stupid Elf strength” as she lets Leaf hoist her up.

Heru bends low and sticks out a leg for us in a makeshift ramp. “Thanks Heru.”

She shakes her head, fluffing her feathers slightly.

I gesture for Esther to climb up first, then follow behind.

The ride west is frigid, despite winter giving way to spring. Esther constantly points at various common objects as if she’s seeing them for the first time. By the fourth tree and sixth house, I finally ask her to stop. She quiets after that, but I cannot help but feel a little pang in my chest for snapping. My mind is elsewhere, lost in the possibilities of what Atlys could be up to. I conjure a weak solaris shield around us, keeping most of the cold at bay for the remainder of the flight.

After a few hours, we land so we can camp for the remainder of the night. Leaf constructs a shelter as if no time has passed between our travels to the Watch last year and this night. Except back then, I was trying to be helpful. Now, Ramona expands her solaris shield around us. I light a fire with a quick sunfyre incantation. Esther pats down the rocs’ feathers, alternating giving them attention.

Ramona pulls out a couple canteens of water. “Here.”

We pass them around, gulping down the precious liquid as all of our throats are dry from the constant headwinds.

One by one, we duck under the tarp into our makeshift shelter, wedged closely next to one another. Esther, me, Leaf, and Ramona, all nestled like spoons in Rosie’s drawer.

No one makes a joke. Not when there is too much at stake and a broken Peace Treaty that doesn’t guarantee safety while traveling. Before, it was just nomads that were worrisome—though Castor has been doing an excellent job rehoming willing nomads in WatchGuard training—and now it’s Underlings we need to worry about. If they were bold enough to attack on Watch grounds, I can only imagine what it’s like beyond those borders. We are sitting ducks out here.

The morning yawns in soft yellows and lilacs, painting the sky in pastels as thick clouds clear. Perfect flying conditions. My breath fogs in the crisp early morning spring air as I sit up.

I’m the first to wake, so I sneak out from underneath the tarp to get an unobstructed view of the sunrise. Gentle thuds from behind are my only clue that Heru is near. I know it’s her without turning.

Something worries you.

“A lot of things worry me, Heru.”