Dan was thrown violently into the waking world with a crack of thunder as plain exploded across his face and he fell backwards. Vera was ripped from his grasp and he continued to fall right off the horse and onto the hard straw-spewed floor of Vera's barn. He'd known the old barbarian warrior was strong despite his old age, his arms and hands were excessively thick from years of blacksmithing, but it was another thing entirely to feel it first hand. He staggered to get up gripping the side of his face and wondering if it was broken but fell back down too dizzy to see straight.
"Father!" Vera shouted in anger.
"You've been missing for over 24 hours Vera!" his voice was dangerously quiet and harsh. "Two nights you've been missing! your uncles have been out searching nonstop with no rest!" it looked like he hadn't gotten any either. "I can not lose you, too. We can't. It will kill us all."
