The companions headed north west, hugging the edges of the lake they had discovered.
They had traveled for only a day when Brego stopped mid-stride and straightened his neck. His ears flicked this way and that as he listened closely.
Caeli turned and watched the gelding quietly. She would wait for him to tell her what he heard. No sense in asking and muddying the wind he tried to listen to and smell.
After a few moments, he turned to her.
"Something up ahead. I don't think threatening but I cannot be sure. Powerful. Magical, but calm", he said softly and precisely.
Caeli nodded and continued on, avoiding dry fallen branches and resting her hand on the sword she had practiced with for months now.
After a couple of hours they noticed a small opening ahead. Caeli slowed to a crawl. She could see something beyond the trees in the open. From a distance she could see that whatever it was, it was large.
She began to crouch and stepped lightly as she came closer. She heard Brego approach behind her and held a hand out to signal without speaking that she wanted him to remain where he was.
She missed the characteristically human eye-roll he gave her at this command.
Brow furrowed she bent behind a bush that sat on the edge of the small clearing and quietly moved aside the branches to get a clearer view.
Her breathe hitched in her throat when she saw a large wolf drinking from a small stream that must empty into the lake.
What happened next happened so quickly she could hardly believe it.
She noticed that the she-wolf was standing over a few small pups that must be her offspring, aware of their lack of cover in the small opening in the forest.
A loud whooshing sound came from behind Caeli and the wolfs attention was brought to it immediately.
Caelis head snapped around to where the sound had come from.
One minute there was nothing, the next she could not believe.
From a thicket of trees came striding the last person on the planet she wanted to see.
Callon.
In tow was a woman who's skin resembled the night sky on an evening barren of clouds.
"Caeli! I knew that you were in danger, I came to your side as quickly as I could!", he shouted, rushing to her.
Before he could reach her he saw the she-wolf in the clearing. It took everything in him not to allow his delighted smile to spread across his face. Instead he drew his sword, the metal ringing through the air, and took confident strides to close the distance between himself and the mother wolf.
Dragon? Wolf? No matter. A slight change in plans but the result would be the same either way.
"Stop!", Caeli shouted at him, her heart leaping to her throat as her eyes swung to the pups.
Callon paid her no heed.
She ran to the opposite side of the stream to the wolf, water splashing as she sprinted through the gently bubbling surface, placing herself between them. "There is no danger you damned fool!", she shouted, hoping the disturbance would encourage the wolf to escape with her pups.
Callon stood, shocked, before he shook his head slightly and came to stand in front of her.
"Caeli, clearly you have been through quite a bit. Nebula explained everything. She told me of the beast that captured you. You can't possibly be thinking straight. No, of course not. That is a wolf my dear, a large one, a powerful one. Had I not arrived in time, well, I can't bring myself to even say it aloud. Yes, good thing that we found you.", he said.
*Did he just have a conversation entirely with himself just now?*, Caeli thought to herself incredulously. She couldn't believe she had seen anything redeeming in him. She realized her first impression had been the correct one.
Caeli had not corrected him when he had called the Lord of Midnight a beast. She was still unaware of who that beast actually was.
*Perfect.*, Callon thought delightedly to himself.
Callon grabbed her by the shoulders and forcibly set her aside. He brandished his sword and rushed the she-wolf.
To Caeli's despair, the she-wolf stood her ground. Seemingly unmoved by the elf that came at her with deadly intentions.
Caeli rushed to cut Callon off. As she moved she drew her sword out to defend him off.
With a metal clang she deflected his blow just before he reached the mother wolf.
Callon stood, sword against sword, astounded.
Had the woman lost her mind?
"Stand back Caeli, this thing intends to have you for supper and I will not allow it.", he said swinging at the wolf again.
Once again she met his sword with her own.
*Is the man delusional?*, she wondered to herself.
"Leave her be. And while you're at it leave me be. Your efforts are in vain and unnecessary.", she said through clenched teeth.
Callon blinked his eyes rapidly. What was happening? Certainly not what he expected. And it put a big hole in his entire plan.
"Caeli-", he began to say.
All at once Aurum shouted a warning, Brego brayed , and a hissing sound came slamming into Caeli.
She was shot back and thrown to the ground.
A gaping hole the size of a coin emitted smoke just below her collar bone on the right side of her chest. Blood slowly started to fill the hole and Caeli screamed in pain.
Aurum and Brego ran to her side.
Callon swung around to look in the direction the magic had come from.
Standing at the edge of the clearing, the galaxians open hand was still in the air, magic having shot from her palm to strike Caeli in the chest.
"You damned fool! Look what you've done!", he screamed in anger.
"She was not cooperating. She had it coming.", the woman said hastily, half to convince him and half to convince herself.
"You babbling buffoon! Why wouldn't you hit the wolf?! You've ruined everything! How dare you maim my future wife? I should take your head for this!", he continued to screech. He turned to rush to Caeli's side. He went to step forward and saw that in the moments he had been berating the galaxian, Caeli had been draped over the horses back and the she-wolf stood between him and the trio, her pups hackles raised and their teeth bared.
Without movement of her mouth the she-wolf spoke
"Leave children of midnight. You're not welcome here.", she said calmly but menacingly.
She nodded her head and Brego did not hesitate. He ran from the clearing with Caeli barely hanging on, Aurum wrapped around her and around Bregos neck in an attempt to keep her atop the gelding.
The pups, one by one began to follow after.
"I will not repeat myself, elfling,", the she-wolf said venomously. "You will leave or you will be painfully escorted out of these holy woods. Make your choice quickly.", she said.
Callon stood still only long enough for the wolfs patience to have rapidly waned. She snapped her jaws at him and he promptly sheathed his sword.
Damn it all to hell, the plan had gone completely awry. Better to re-group.
He turned and looked at the galaxian with malice.
"Return us to Flumen.", he said shortly.
A second had passed between his command and her lack of action.
"Now!", he shouted.
The woman's face, a picture of distaste, opened the portal once more and they disappeared into it.