(POV Baelnes)
I'm almost home.
God… I can feel it in my chest.
I can't wait to see my wife. My children…
Let's just hope she's not too angry.
"Yemy! Kids! Come to your father!"
I shout it the moment I reach the great fir tree that holds our home.
Their laughter hits me first.
Then the chaos.
A wild, unstoppable storm of little elves comes crashing toward me.
Some leap from the branches.
Some slide down the trunk.
Others sprint in from the grass below.
All twelve of them slam into me at once—arms, voices, kisses everywhere.
My little ones.
…Yemy isn't here.
"Where's your mother?" I ask.
God, I've never missed her like this.
"We'll go get her!" Aaron, Carol, and Niky shout in unison.
The youngest triplets—three tiny disasters.
In less than a second, they're already racing up the tree, disappearing inside.
(POV Yemy)
"Mom! Mom! Dad's here!"
I turn, frozen.
"…What?"
"Dad! Dad is here! Come on, Mom, hurry!"
My heart drops—then soars.
That's impossible.
How could he have gotten away from the orcs?
Did they give him leave?
…Is Baelnes really back?
Aaron and Carol grab my hands. Niky tugs at my dress.
I let them pull me outside.
I step forward.
And then I see him.
It's him.
It's really him.
He's here.
The world tilts for a moment.
(POV Baelnes)
There she is.
My love.
Yemy—the most beautiful elf in the entire kingdom.
Long raven-black hair flowing down her back.
A soft, oval face.
Eyes as deep as night, shining like stars.
Olive skin. A slender, graceful body.
I'm an idiot.
How did I stay away from her for so long?
I gently pull myself free from the children and rush up the wooden-and-leaf staircase toward her.
For a moment, we just look at each other.
Then we collide.
Hold on tight.
"You're back…"
"I am. And this time… I'm not leaving again."
Her smile—bright, radiant—wraps around my words.
"Then we celebrate. Come."
She takes my hand, warm, sure.
"Alright, kids! Come on! It's ready!"
They run to the fountain, splashing water over their hands, then rush back to us.
Dinner.
Home.
My home.
God, how I've missed this loud, messy, beautiful family.
Only with them… I feel whole.
Yemy was right.
No amount of money is worth this.
It took me too long. Maybe far too long.
But I know it now.
I finally made the right choice.
(POV Bàistec)
"Baelnes! Baaeelneeesss!"
By all the rotten stones—where the hell did he go?!
It's been over an hour since we left the meeting with Scrios and Badney. We can't wait forever.
Damn it.
"Where did that useless insect crawl off to?" I snap at Urchoicha.
Badney and Scrios approach us, visibly concerned.
(POV Badney)
"What ish going on? You shtill haven't found him?" I ashh.
Unbelievable.
In my land, when a servant disappears… it's only because I've had them cooked in a pan—with a nice side of potatoes and peppers.
"No, Badney! He's vanished into thin air!" Urchoicha snaps, clearly agitated.
Poor dear… how terribly unfortunate.
"That's not possible! These mountains are completely exposed, sho to shpeak," my dear husband says, frowning. "Hmm… come with me!"
(POV Urchoicha)
Scrios lets out a sharp whistle.
A heavy beat of wings answers it—air crashing down around us moments later.
We look up.
Two Mountcur descend—winged troll mounts.
Their screech is unbearable. Like something being slaughtered alive.
Disgusting.
…But impressive.
Huge. Strong enough to carry all four of us.
What I love most are their beaks—long, sharp, lined with jagged teeth.
And of course… they breathe fire.
Their claws are massive. Perfect for gripping jagged rock—or tearing apart anything foolish enough to get close.
Yellow eyes. Fixed. Red irises.
Let's be honest.
They're just giant, mangy crows.
Scrios signals me to sit behind him. Badney does the same with my husband.
I refuse to hold onto Scrios—I'm not hurting myself again.
So I lock my legs tight and grab onto the creature's wings.
One powerful thrust. A single beat.
And we're already at the peak of the highest mountain.
Ah… well. That's new.
There's a massive fortress up here, hidden within the mountain vegetation. Guarded by a unit of troll warriors.
Scrios doesn't even bother landing.
He calls out to Meannach, the leader.
"No one's passed through here, my king… just a faint bluish flash over there," he says, pointing toward where that wretched elf should have been.
Damn it.
"A bluish… flash?!" I snap. "What do you mean—a bluish flash?"
"Why are you shouting, dear? Ish it serioush?" that insufferable troll woman asks.
As if she didn't know.
"Yes, it's serious! It means that coward ran!"
I could strangle Bàistec right now.
"I told you! Elves are traitors! But no—you never listen!" I shout at him. "How many times did I say it? You should never have taken him into our service! That spineless worm heard everything and ran straight to warn his people! There goes our element of surprise!"
"Don't get worked up, Urkoika. It's not good for you. He's just a useless elf," Scrios says.
Like husband, like wife.
Idiots.
"Elves are deceivers, Scrios. Clever. Dangerous. And on top of that—they're as skilled in magic as I am."
"You're right," Bàistec admits. "I was naive. But the damage is done."
He exhales, already shifting to strategy.
"If they know… then war is no longer a possibility. It's inevitable. And it'll be worse than we expected."
"Given the seriousnessh of the situation… we should ask the Mountain Gnomes for help," Scrios suggests.
The Mountain Gnomes…
Hmm.
"What? No!" Bàistec objects. "That would mean traveling all the way to the Realm of the Two Rainbows. It's too far!"
"What rainboow?!" Badney laughs. "Mountain Gnomes hate rainbows! Haven't you ever noticed when they came to sell you their treasures? They're clever. Very intelligent. They left their kingdom centuries ago—to live here, among us!"
"I know that," I cut in. "But they're not easy to involve. They keep to themselves."
"Oh, that's not a problem, dear. Promise them gold, and they'll agree immediately. Guaranteed!"
…Is it really that simple?
I don't like it.
But…
If she says so.
Well. No harm in trying.
(POV Fheall)
I burst into Aeltiàfisar's crystal tree and shout his name.
He's there, of course.
Sitting cross-legged on a broad, soft leaf. Meditating like the world isn't collapsing around him.
He opens his eyes. Looks at me.
"What is it?"
"No more hiding. Not now. Come with me—now. We need to speak with your brother."
(POV Baelnes)
"If you only knew how much I missed you…" Yemy whispers.
The children are still asleep.
We slipped away at dawn—back to our place. The riverbank beneath the house.
Cold water. First light.
It's always been ours.
That's where we met.
"I missed you too," I murmur, pulling her closer.
God… her scent.
How did I stay away this long?
"How?" I breathe. "How did I let myself be without you… for so long…"
She studies me. Of course she does.
"There's more, isn't there?" she says softly. "You didn't come back just for us. You're worried."
…Yemy.
I've never been able to hide anything from you.
Not once. Not now.
"Yeah," I admit. "There is."
I take her hands. Guide her down to sit against the trunk of our favorite sequoia.
Then I tell her everything.
(POV Aileen)
…This is strange.
From up here, it's obvious.
The fields look like velvet—soft, endless…
and empty.
Not a single flower.
In the Kingdom of the Winged.
That's not right.
"Oh… I think we're here."
Sidae, Raertha, and Hercules glide down fast, cutting through the air before landing in a wide stretch of green.
We dismount.
Silence.
Sidae curls up like it's time to sleep.
The two horses lower their heads and start grazing.
I frown.
I don't understand.
"Why were they in such a hurry?" I say.
"Perrrhaps they think reaching your fairy friend from here will be easier," Grogher rumbles.
…Maybe.
"Then we do it together this time. Hands."
I reach out.
Take Dorcha's hand. Grogher's.
We close our eyes.
Focus.
Call her.
Again.
Nothing.
No answer.
No trace of Fayrin.
How is that even possible?
She would never ignore me.
Never.
…Unless—
My eyes snap open.
Something's wrong.
"It has to be. Something happened to her! She'd never refuse me. Not like this!"
Dorcha's arm wraps around my shoulders—steady, grounding.
"Then we stop trying to reach her," he says, calm but firm. "It's no use. We find the entrance to her realm instead. If something's happened… we move. Now."