Isaak had come back, and Ivy. Even Denise was there, furnishing her wings, the pink in them shining almost fluorescent. They were sitting outside the cottage, in the small area where the sunlight went through the trees, coloring the grass in light green. The stream was running just beside them. If you continue following it into the forest one would end up in the march.

“No one knows where he went?” Sasha asked. The idyllic scenery just made her more irritated.

“No. I have asked my men to look for him, but if Elias doesn’t want to be found, he won't”, Isaak said.

“What if he goes to Ebenhow?” Sasha looked at Ivy, hoping her sister would somehow see something in the foggy future that was of usage. Something that could calm her racing heart.

“Why would he?” Isaak looked dumbfounded. “He has no business there, not now.”

He had, but that was not Sasha’s secret to spill. She bit on her lower lip. She was worried and sitting here in the cottage, doing nothing more than eating a lot of food and trying to recover from the king's assault made her itchy. It was days since Elias had left, and she had no good feeling about it.

“I think he has gone and done something stupid”, she confessed.

“Knowing Elias you are probably right”, Isaak sighed.

Sasha rose from the ground, punching her hand in the closest tree.

“He has been confronting the queen. The dumb bastard”, she said, suddenly seeing it. She didn’t need Ivy's sights, she knew Elias.

“He wouldn’t”, Ivy said.

Sasha and Isaak turned simultaneously at her.

“He would”, the said in chorus. Isaak rose as well, putting a hand on Sasha’s shoulder.

“I will go after him.”

“It's no use”, Sasha said. “It's already done, and now the queen knows.”

“Ah, of course”, Denise said, smothering her wings and folding them backward. “She is holding him hostage.”

Sasha swore. She needed the time to gather her forces, she needed to brief the plan with the knights of Aaliyah, but she had no time. Not when the queen had gone and taken Elias. Now she had to fight her, prepared and without any help from Elias. She wanted to kick Elias for his stupidity. She wanted to beat herself for being honest.

“We can’t afford to tackle the queen now”, she said, “we are not prepared enough!”

“Are you sure she had done something so crazy?” Ella said. “Elias is her son. I don’t think she will take him hostage.”

“The queen is a lunatic. Who knows how she is reasoning?” Sasha said.

The queen had poured pain and magic into her without hesitation. She was certain she had not spared Elias either. The queen believed in growth through pain. Sasha felt furious.

“I will not gamble”, Isaak said. “We will rescue Elias. How do you feel Sasha?” Isaak asked, both dedication and worry in his voice, “Are you fit to fight yet?”

“I am almost back to my former glory”, Sasha had rested, and she had done nothing but eat and fill up her energy levels. “I feel fine, but it would not be enough. You, me, your men. We need Greg as well.”

“So, we do a rescue operation now, and go for the fight next time”, Isaak rose, looking at Denise. “Could you go spy for us, trying to figure out what she is up to?”

“On my way”, Denise said. “You go talk to Greg and we meet there.”

“No, it will take too much time. We will leave for the city, meet us at the dragon labyrinth. I will ask the queen for advice”, Sasha said. “I will send a message to Greg, explaining the latest turns of event. He will need some time to prepare.”

“I go talk with Greg”, Ivy said.

“No”, both Sasha and Isaak turned at the same time. “Don’t”, Sasha begged. “We don’t know what she is up to, and I promised the dragon queen not to let you wander around without Denise. I believe she had every reason to insist. I will send a message to him.”

Ivy nodded reluctantly. Sasha and Ellas gazed met and her mother nodded. Ivy would not leave the cottage. At least not without her mother and Ivy were too well behaved to let her mother risk anything.

“Ok Denise”, Sasha said. “Let's go and be sneaky.”