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It was dark and only a thin bit of light came from the ho uncomfortable and a little nauseous As he reached the porch, he knocked fir out from the house Why was it so silent? It was too early for the farapes had not been harvested yet No one could leave until after the harvest and the trarapes He could not wait to tell theotten lost in the woods in Silvandom and finally directed back to Stonehollow by soed his cheeks and felt the rough, bristling whiskers He needed a bath and a shave His clothes were fit to be burned So s he could not recall He must have hit his head while lost That must be it

"Is that you, Trasen?"

Trasen whirled and saw Uncle Carlsruhe co an eneed, with streaks of silver in his er brother

"Uncle?" Trasen asked, perplexed "Where is everyone? Why are you here?"

Carlsruhe approached hirione after her"

"Who?" Trasen asked, his nats that flittered every direction at once

"Where is Phae?" Carlsruhe demanded "You said you wouldn’t come back without her"

Trasen stared at hi in his stomach, as if he should know the na about, Uncle?" He could not explain it, but that nervous feeling felt as if it were covering a painful, sleeping wound

He had never heard that nae of the fire, rubbing the warmth into her arrieved for him His face was sunken, bereft, his eyes haunted

"I know a little of how you feel," she said tenderly, alh he had awoken fro ago, I was staying at the Winee, you see It wasman named Trasen"

"The one the Arch-Rike threatened you with," Annon said softly

She nodded "Trasen doesn’t reazed down at the fire, her heart aching with the loss "It was grown so subtly, I did not understand how I truly felt about hiht, not long ago, that I wept as you did Shion co hi in low tones with Tyrus and Prince Aran, the threebreath "Even though you have the power to take away memories, Phae, I do not wish it I’ve heard Dryads are immortal Perhaps the blast did not kill them"

Phae nodded hopefully "I would like to meet her someday My mother, that is I did ave e of how to become like her If I can cross into Mirrowen, Annon, I will see if they are there After hearing about Mirrowen, I would like to see it forthe Scourgelands will be difficult As long as there is so to hope for, I think I can bear it"

"You are the key to solving the riddle," Annon said, reaching out and putting his hand on hers "The fate of us all is in your hands"

Phae felt a thrill at his words, but also a sense of great responsibility and helplessness "I a you I have the fireblood too, but I don’t want to use it You are a Druidecht with great power Everyone is going to be sothe way But I will do what little part I can" She swiped a strand of hair behind her ear "If the worst sacrifice I elands that no one can visit…I suppose that will be my sacrifice"

He shook his head "Every forest hed deeply "It hurts, doesn’t it?"

Phae sighed and then cocked her head as Shion approached theave him

"What is it?" Phae asked the Druidecht

"I’m sorry, but you look so different now" Annon leaned forward, gazing at Shion "When we first rove of trees outside the Alkire, he tried to kill us all I see the face, see the same scars, but it is a different countenance now You were in chains before I see that now you are free How did it happen?"