Terrisa jumped up from the table and shoved past Horax, who was already caught off-balance by her girlfriend’s sudden appearance. Mum and Mama rose and Mum quickly crossed the room to support Sorrel’s mother, Yarrow.

“Hello, dear,” Mum said to the frail nymph.

“Oh, Opal,” Yarrow said, smiling blithely. “How nice to see you.”

“Who is coming?” Mama asked, her voice tense.

Terrisa grabbed hold of her girlfriend. Her breath was coming in gasps, and she quivered.

“These...these people--with horns, claws,” Sorrel said. She gripped Terrisa tightly and pulled her into a desperate hug. “I didn’t know what to do! They were smashing doors all through town!”

Mama and Mum exchanged looks. Mum lowered Yarrow into a seat at the table and put a cup of tea in front of her, then rushed to the cupboards. Mama snatched Terrisa and Horax’s cloaks off the rack by the door and pulled three mushroom-gathering rucksacks out of a basket below.

“Mum?” Horax said, fiddling nervously with the hilt of his sword.

“Mama?” Terrisa said, almost at the same moment.

Mama rushed the rucksacks over to Mum and helped her stuff them with food and cookware. She tossed cloaks to Horax, Terrisa, and Sorrel. Sorrel caught hers with trembling hands.

“M-miz Ametrine?” Sorrel asked of Mama, her voice quavering.

“They’re here for us,” Terrisa said. “Aren’t they?”

Mama took Terrisa’s plain hunting longbow off the rack above the fireplace. “Yes, honey,” she said. “They are.”

Terrisa squeezed Sorrel’s hand and took up her new bow, slinging her quiver around her waist and a rucksack over her back. Horax hastily pulled his new ironshroom armor on. Mum buckled him in and slung Vengir’s belt around his hips.

“What is happening?” Sorrel asked.

Mama slung the hunting longbow across her back and cupped Sorrel’s face in her hands. “Oh, honey. You have been pulled into events against your will. You face a choice.”

Terrisa’s breath caught in her throat. Sorrel didn’t have to be a part of this. She shouldn’t be a part of this. She should stay safe in Mycoton with her mother.

“Sorrel…” Terrisa whispered.

Sorrel clenched her fists at her sides and stood up tall. “I choose Terrisa.”

“You don’t know what the other choice is,” Mama said.

“I know,” Sorrel said. “But I choose Terrisa.”

Terrisa managed to blurt out, “You can’t, Sorrel! You...you have no idea what--”

“I don’t care,” Sorrel said, her voice growing in conviction. “I’ll go with you to the ends of the world, Terrisa.”

Mama pulled Sorrel into a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, and kissed Sorrel’s grassy hair.

“We will care for your mother,” Mum said. “No harm will come to her while we draw breath.”

“Will they kill you?” Horax said, finally speaking.

Mum grinned. “They can certainly try.”

Sorrel donned a cloak and rucksack and took hold of Terrisa’s hand. Her palm was sweaty, but her grip was sure. Mum strapped Horax’s old ironshroom sword to her side and helped Sorrel’s mother to her feet.

“Have you ever seen the flameshroom caves?” Mum asked. “They’re very pretty at night.”

“That sounds lovely,” Yarrow said. “Say, that’s a nice sword. Didn’t you say your adventuring days were behind you?”

Mum smiled wistfully. “I told you that many years ago, Yarrow. I had hoped they were.”

“We don’t always get what we wish for, eh?” Yarrow said.

“No,” Mum said, and she looked at Terrisa and Horax. Terrisa detected fear in her gaze, but also determination.

Mama put a quiver of plain hunting arrows on her back. “We’ll make for the shroom caves. Your mum and I will be safe there with Yarrow until the soldiers leave--and the three of you can take the back tunnels out and make for Crookhaven.”

Mum put one hand each on Terrisa and Horax’s shoulders. “You must trust no one but each other, and Sorrel. King Dorr of Celesdine has long been searching for the last of the House of Deyspring. Tell no one who you are until you reach Crookhaven and stand before Queen Benitoite. Do you understand?”

Horax and Terrisa nodded, but Terrisa was certain that Horax felt as uncertain as she did.

“Then let’s go.”

Mum pulled open the door. An arrow slammed into the doorframe by her head. She yanked herself back.

“They’re here!”

Mama took the longbow off her shoulder and nocked an arrow. “Terrisa,” she said firmly.

Terrisa’s heart rose and began thundering between her ears. She nocked an arrow in her new longbow, and her breath hitched. She had never shot a person before--only animals. But the people outside had just shot at Mum…

Mama pushed her towards the right window, and she went left. Mama shoved open the shutters and took brief aim before shooting. A scream echoed outside. Terrisa swallowed. She cracked open the shutter on the right window and sighted along her arrow. A group of armed and armored creatures ran pell mell for the family shroomhouse, some bearing swords, some spears, and one, a bow, which was aimed at...Terrisa. The creature pulled his arrow back to his spiked ear, cat-like eyes locked on Terrisa through the half-open shutter. Terrisa took a deep breath and tucked the knuckle of her thumb into the crook between her ear and jaw. She exhaled, and released.

Her arrow embedded in the creature’s eye, and he fell soundlessly. His compatriots leapt over his lifeless body and continued. Their eyes reflected the setting sun like those of hungry wolves.

“Both archers down,” Mama said. “Go!”

Horax stepped out of the house, Stormcaller drawn, and Mum followed close behind, leading Yarrow and Sorrel. Mama gripped Terrisa’s shoulder briefly and nodded to her. Terrisa nodded back, a cold feeling growing in her chest. They stepped outside.

The jingle of the enemies’ chainmail armor and the thud of their boots became apparent as soon as they exited the shroomhouse. Their snarls, too, became clear.

“Halt!”

“Get them! They’re the ones we want!”

“Leave the two young elves alive--kill the rest!”

Mama drew her longbow and shot the final speaker in the shoulder. He went down, alive but wounded.

“Thin the ranks!” Mum called, hurrying Yarrow across the yard. “We can’t fight that many at close quarters!”

Sorrel took hold of her mother’s hand and tried to pull her along, but the older nymph seemed in no hurry. Terrisa drew another arrow and fired, but in her haste it went awry, and struck a shield gripped in the clawed hand of a creature with bull’s horns growing from his temples.

“Focus, honey,” Mama said. She began walking sideways, keeping slightly behind Mum and her charges, but facing the assailants. She fired off three more arrows before Terrisa could blink, then rolled her shoulders. “Ah, now, it has been a time since I did this.”

Terrisa walked sideways too and fired her next arrow. This one did better, striking into a creature’s side. The power from her new longbow caused her arrow to pierce through the chainmail. Her confidence growing, she fired again. Her arrow went through a creature’s throat and struck the shoulder of the one behind him. Both crumpled.

Two creatures broke away from the pack, seemingly extrapolating the little group’s path and moving to intercept. Mama fired an arrow at them, missing, before they moved in line with Mum and Horax ahead, making a clear shot impossible.

“I’ve got them!” Horax said.

Terrisa barely had time to see Stormcaller’s blade flash in the dying light of the day. The creatures fell, screaming. As Mum passed them by with Sorrel and Yarrow, Sorrel bent to pick something up, then kept running. An opening to the shroom caves lay just ahead, a small crack between slabs of ancient granite. Horax reached it first, and stood aside to let Sorrel and Yarrow in. Mum took up her place beside Horax and beckoned to Terrisa and Mama.

“Move, Ametrine!”

Mama shot one more soldier and then ducked into the cave opening. The opening was so narrow that the edges of her afro brushed the sides. Terrisa got off one more shot and followed her.

The lighting inside was dimmer than outside, since the twilight did little to light the area. But the petrified flameshrooms glowed in the walls, allowing safe passage for the little group. Mum pulled Horax into the cave opening, then pushed him behind her.

“You all go,” she said. “Ametrine, I’ll meet you and Yarrow further in.”

“Mum!” Horax said. “You can’t hold them off!”

She smiled and brushed her fingers against Horax’s cheek. “Oh, my son. I can take a few down to allow you all to get away safely.”

“Mum…” Terrisa said.

Mum stabbed the tip of the old ironshroom sword into the ground and held out her arms. Terrisa and Horax grabbed her in a hug.

“I love you two so much,” Mum whispered. “Don’t you ever forget it.” She kissed each of their cheeks and pushed them away. “Be safe. And tell Benitoite I’m sorry I couldn’t see her myself.”

Mama bent down and kissed Mum on the lips. “I will see you later,” Mama said, firmly.

Mum smiled weakly. “Yes. You will.”

Sorrel kissed her mother’s cheek. “Now mother, you stay with Miz Ametrine. Aren’t the flameshrooms pretty?”

“Oh yes,” Yarrow said, smiling benignly at the glowing mushrooms. “Just lovely.”

“I love you, mother,” Sorrel said, and Terrisa saw her girlfriend’s eyes were shining with tears.

Yarrow didn’t reply, but she kept smiling. Mama took Yarrow’s hand and guided her down one passageway.

“Let’s go this way, Yarrow,” Mama said. She smiled fondly at Terrisa and Horax. “I love you two. And I’m so proud of you both.”

Horax took Terrisa’s hand and pulled her down the opposite passageway. The route that would lead them through twisting tunnels to the edge of Mycoton--the route that would let them escape. Terrisa took Sorrel’s hand, and the chain of three ducked away into the caves. Behind her, Terrisa heard Mum’s voice ring out.

“Come on, you sorry excuses for kingsmen! Meet your ends at my blade!”

Her voice was quickly drowned out by the clang of metal and the clatter of wooden spearhafts striking stone.

Terrisa, holding her brother’s hand in one hand and her girlfriend’s in the other, had no extra hand to dash the tears from her eyes. So they fell heavy and hot down her cheeks.

A flying figure alighted on the petrified mushroom cap of Horax and Terrisa’s home. Yellow eyes, pupils slit like a cat’s, surveyed the farm below, overrun with monstrous soldiers. Screams echoed from the cluster gathered at the mouth of a cave on the grounds. The figure watched as two creatures fell, wounded. It turned away. The targets would be long gone by the time the soldiers killed the farmer defending the entrance. The figure spread its batlike wings and took off into the failing light of the day.

The three fugitives ran without stopping for many minutes, or perhaps close to an hour. All three were experts in the twists and turns of the shroom caves, and they did not waver on their path. And a good thing too, because between them, there was never more than one of them at a time able to navigate through their tears. All had just bid farewell to mothers they might not see again.

Horax did not put away his sword for that whole hour, even though the sounds of battle had long since faded behind them. The blade dripped with blood for only the first few minutes, and the rest quickly congealed. As they neared the end of the caves, Terrisa held up a hand.

“Wait,” she said. Sorrel stopped behind her, and Terrisa heard her sniffle. Horax just stopped and looked down at his sword. He made a face at the blood on Stormcaller and wiped it on the coarse dirt of the cave floor.

“I’ll go ahead,” Terrisa said. “To make sure no one is at the exit.”

“There’s no way they know about it,” Horax said. “Most Mycoton residents don’t even know. You and me found it by accident.”

“Still,” Sorrel said, wiping her sleeve across her face.

Terrisa nodded and crept ahead of the group, her soft boots falling silently. She felt fresh air caress her cheeks and knew the exit was just ahead--a black blotch against the dim glow of the flameshrooms. Outside, night had fallen, cradling the lands surrounding Mycoton with its concealing embrace. Terrisa stopped just inside the cave exit and closed her eyes. She stooped and pressed her hands to the soil, feeling for vibrations, listening for footsteps, the growl of a waiting creature, the clink of chainmail.

She heard only the delicate calls of spring peepers, serenading each other and anyone else who might sit and listen.

She crept back to Horax and Sorrel. She made eye contact with Horax, allowing the thought It’s clear to echo in his mind. He nodded and beckoned to Sorrel.

The three emerged into the open air and took deep breaths. The cool spring night dried the tears on their cheeks and bolstered their resolve.

Sorrel turned back in the direction of Mycoton and gasped. Horax and Terrisa turned too.

Where the town lay, some mile away, a great fire lit up the sky.

“Every building in Mycoton must be burning,” Sorrel said.

“We should go back,” Horax said.

Terrisa shook her head. “Horax...we can’t. You heard those...things. They wanted to kill all our mothers to get to us.”

Sorrel buried her face in Terrisa’s shoulder and shivered. Terrisa hugged her tight. She offered her other arm to Horax, but he turned away.

“We have to get to Crookhaven,” he said sullenly. “We can’t stop here.”

Terrisa straightened Sorrel’s cloak around her and touched her cheek. “He’s right, Sorrel.” She pressed her palms into Sorrel’s upper arms. “Thank you...for choosing me. I’m only afraid I’ll disappoint you.”

“Please just tell me what’s going on,” Sorrel whimpered, wiping more tears from her cheeks. “What were those things? What do they want with you?”

Horax sheathed Vengir. “Unfortunately, Terrisa was right. We’re the Deyspring twins.”

“Truly?” Sorrel said. “You’re really Deyspring descendents?”

Terrisa took Sorrel’s hand and began leading her away from the cave exit as she spoke. “Yes. Our mum is descended from Dame Deyspring. She’s been in hiding all this time.”

“And Queen Benitoite?” Sorrel asked.

“The true queen of Mythalos,” Horax said.

Sorrel shook her head. “There’s no such place anymore. Only Celesdine.”

“Mum and Mama seemed to think that we can lead Queen Benitoite back to Celesdine,” Terrisa said. “And make it Mythalos again.”

“There’s a rebellion!” Horax said, seemingly remembering it for the first time since it was mentioned a few hours ago.

“A rebellion against Celesdine?” Sorrel said. She tipped her rucksack over one shoulder and took out a sheathed dagger--or maybe something larger, though not quite the size of a short sword. “I took this off one of the things Horax felled on the farm.” She drew it. The blade was midlength, single-sided like a knife but with a small crosshilt, like a sword.

“A dirk,” Horax said. “It looks well-made.”

“I want to learn to fight like you two,” Sorrel said. “I...I meant it, Terrisa. I choose to go with you, no matter where that is. And...and no matter what obstacles we face.” She smiled wanly--but earnestly--at Terrisa, and looked down at her new dirk. “So I have to be able to fight.”

Terrisa squeezed Sorrel’s shoulder. “We’ll teach you.”

“Not tonight, though,” Horax said. “We have to put miles between us and Mycoton.”

Sorrel sheathed her dirk and fumbled to attach it to her belt. Terrisa helped her, and found that Sorrel’s fingers trembled.

“I love you,” Terrisa whispered.

Sorrel gripped Terrisa’s hand. “I love you, too.” She pulled Terrisa into a gentle kiss. Terrisa could taste the dried tears on her lips.

Horax cleared his throat. Sorrel broke off the kiss and Terrisa huffed at her brother.

“You’re just jealous you don’t have a boyfriend to go on a quest with,” she said.

Horax snorted. “Let’s make for the road, love doves.”

They fell into silence as they walked. Terrisa’s quiver and longbow felt heavy on her hip and back. She’d killed this night. She wasn’t sure what she’d killed, but they did resemble people--just with horns, fangs, claws. And those strange eyes…

“What do you think those things were?” Sorrel asked.

“I dunno,” Horax said. “There’s rumors the soldiers of Celesdine are all demons. Kinda thought that was hearsay. I didn’t think I’d ever face them.”

Sorrel nodded. “No one from Celesdine ever really bothers us in Mycoton. How did they find you?”

“The woman at the market,” Terrisa murmured.

“What?” Horax said.

“While you were out getting sunburned,” Terrisa said. “There was a woman who overheard me ask Mama about the Deyspring twins.”

“Earlier today?” Horax said, incredulous. “No one could have reported to Celesdine and made the journey back in a few hours.”

“There are magicks in the world,” Sorrel said. “The king of Celesdine has sorcerers.”

“Magicks that can transport soldiers from Celesdine to Mycoton in an hour?” Horax said.

“Maybe,” Sorrel said. “What do you know about sorcery?”

Horax sighed and kicked a pebble out of the road. “You’re right.”

The Red Forest lay just ahead, a forest Terrisa knew well. She’d spent many days hunting game, especially right before the winters hit. The huge redwood trees soared to the sky and formed a thick canopy, blocking out the light during the day and the stars at night.

“We make for the Red Forest,” Terrisa said. “The kingdom only stretches to its borders. We can go through it to Crookhaven.”

Something tickled at the edge of Terrisa’s hearing. Like a whistle, or the wind in the fletches of an arrow. And the sound grew closer. She looked up behind them to see a bright spot streaking through the night sky towards them.

“Get down!” she yelled. Sorrel crouched immediately, but Horax turned to look at her curiously. She tackled him to the ground.

The bright spot zipped past them and struck the road. Fire roared to life in the dirt, with no fuel. Horax leapt up and drew his sword, and Terrisa nocked an arrow. Sorrel drew her dirk.