Explaining why he had reacted that way even in his sleep was stranger than recounting his dream. Leaving aside that argument, one that wouldn’t be settled even if they had the best diplomats at their disposal.

“If you hadn’t taken so long to get up, this wouldn’t have happened,” Blanche said.

“I have a headache. I don’t think I want to hear any more complaints about today,” Finnian said. “We’ll talk about these bad awakenings of yours later.”

“Did you have a vision again?” Ead.

“It was just a bad dream,” Finnian said, rubbing his eyes.

He didn’t sound very convinced, especially since no one present saw it as just another nightmare. After all, it wasn’t every day that he woke up casting a barrier spell, let alone managed to make Blanche end up on the floor. For that very reason, as they ate breakfast, he told a shortened version of what had been. Of how an elthean took him and protected him through the dream world, and not only explained that someone tried to get to him while he was at his most vulnerable, but the urgent warning for them to go to the Silver Orchid as soon as possible.

“Ariel?” Blanche said.

“We got rid of that magic at the oasis, remember?” Finnian said.

The tracker, or whatever he did, allowed anyone to find them without making an effort. His friends watched and smelled him, and even Leith gave him a lick, making sure he was still clean. It had been days since they had visited the oasis sanctuary, but one was never sure what might happen. Only one last test remained that would remove any doubt. He found Nero heading towards them, maybe because of the fuss they were making minutes before, but it took him no time to explain what they were up to. With his blue and white fur glistening in the sun, he brought his snout close to sniff him eagerly and give him one more lick.

“If he wasn’t awake before, I could tell for sure now,” Finnian admitted as he wiped the drool off his face.

“You’re clean... Sort of,” Nero said mockingly. “You look like you have a nest in your head.”

“Is that all you’re going to tell me?” Finnian mumbled.

“You look tired,” Nero said.

“I am. No one lets me sleep peacefully,” Finnian said.

No magic was affecting him, though the urge to find a place to bathe was not lacking. Whatever was haunting him must be powerful enough to seek him out when no one saw it coming.

“You have nothing to worry about now,” Nero assured him.

“The last few days have been a lot busier than usual,” Finnian said, his face twisting. “It’s logical that I’m surprised at how quiet it’s been.”

“Now, who’s the negative?” Blanche said.

However, she preferred not to intervene with the food and leave all the work to him. Was she supposed to make such a scene because she didn’t want to dirty her hands?

“I know this is a bad time to say this, and it has nothing to do with what happened just now,” Blanche said, calculating her words. “Ark and I are leaving.”

Now that was news he didn’t see coming.

“Leaving? Why?” Finnian asked, furrowing both eyebrows, confused.

“We’re very close to the dorean,” Ead said.

“I know, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since you told me. What’s my place there?” Blanche said, this time looking at him. “What you have to do in the Silver Orchid is your business, not mine. That’s what Ethereal told you, remember?”

“We are Signers. We should stick together, don’t you think?” Finnian said.

“Are you sure about that?” Blanche asked. “At first, I agreed, but now I believe that everyone must follow their chosen path.”

He had given such a subject some thought, especially about how different they were or how they dealt with the situations they ended up in. Blanche’s adventures had been brief, less warm than his, so he was still finding his place in that world. Besides, what she told him about Ethereal’s vision was a half-truth, and for that very reason, he wondered what Blanche’s plans were.

“Do they matter?”

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Just because we go our separate ways doesn’t mean I don’t care about you,” Finnian said.

Then Blanche gave him a strange look. She danced between naivety, as if she hadn’t expected it or that it touched her heart, but also that she didn’t understand him. He knew firsthand how complicated she was, although it was not among his duties to iron out her complex nature.

“So, as a friend,” Blanche said, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder, “I hope you get what you’re looking for.”

“What will you and Ark do?” Rune added.

“Whatever we can,” Blanche said. “We want to find out what both Ariel and the Eroder are doing.”

“Now I’m stronger than before. I’ll love to surprise them,” Ark said, as calm as he always was when he spoke.

That they had decided that very day to leave was not random. They were approaching the point where the pack would continue to Blue Cliff, and if she intended to go, it would be the best time to do it.

“How long have you been thinking something like that? Since we showed up near Kiyeira?” Finnian said.

“More or less. We considered the possibility if the tension continued to worsen,” Blanche admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

“Something good has come out of the last few days, hasn’t it?” Aer said.

Which left them very little time, not that there was much preparation to do. Blanche was carrying her luggage, so this became a farewell.

“How can we meet when we’re done?” Finnian said.

“We’ll know,” Blanche said. “Besides, we still have to defeat the Lord of Calamity together, remember? “

And, without wasting any more time, the Signo and her companion were soon on their way, entering the Sea of Grass. Goodbyes were not something most people enjoyed, but that was too fast even for them.

“I’m not the only one surprised by this, am I?” Finnian said.

“Perhaps it’s better this way. Let everyone go their way,” Leith said.

“There’s something they’re hiding,” Aer said.

“I agree. It’s as if their mission is different from ours,” Rune said.

Or similar. One of the reasons they had so many problems was the very different personalities they possessed. Two Signers not knowing how to work together meant a mismatch in their mission that would shake any foundation. Even Finnian considered something like this to be what caused the cataclysm of his predecessors. Fortunately for them, they were only a short time away from unveiling them.

On the other hand, the pack didn’t much regret her absence. She had not interacted with them enough to bond, which left them on different levels as Signers. The plans for that morning, on the other hand, were different from what they had had so far. There was no training, no fighting either, just a friendly race between several participants.

“Is that wise? Anyone who sees a crowd running might think the worst,” Rune said.

“They will think that making themselves scarce or hiding is the best they can do,” Aer said.

He’d be the first one to do that. Enough movies where there were stampedes warned you that nothing good would happen. Why stay still in one place if you could be crushed later? Or worse?

“Don’t worry. This is something we often do,” Nero said.

The participants varied according to the occasion, as it was more for fun than for competition. Before setting off on the race, the rest of the pack would organize the route, marking the boundaries and ensuring that no one, not even themselves, would get hurt. Flicka stayed at the start, while Braunah remained in the finish area, eyeing the winners.

“I suppose you’ll want us to participate, won’t you?” Leith said, looking cautiously at the wolf.

“I’m out of this one,” Finnian said, putting his hands behind his neck. “What? I can’t run as fast as you guys, no way. It’s not like I’m that speedy naturally.”

“Besides, we fly. That would put us at a slight advantage,” Rune reminded them.

“Not if we make a couple of adjustments,” Ead said.

“Now I’m afraid of what you two can come up with,” Aer interjected. “I still have bruises from yesterday that keep bothering me.”

And he wasn’t the only one. The wolf and the frionach had become friends, which may have helped their training the previous evening go so smoothly. The hummingbird didn’t tell them what they had shared between the two, but as they knew him, they wouldn’t doubt that he learned quite a bit about the ways of wolves in the short time they had been together.

“You learn from everything!” Ead defended himself.

“You don’t miss a chance either, do you?” Leith said.

None of them did, never knowing what they would find on their way. So, using their map, they traced a route where the race would take place, following their custom of doing so the day after the campfire stories. It was all about bonding, creating ties that would remain there even when they parted. He loved the idea, even the magic they intended to employ to make the flight more complicated.

“Why should we be the only ones to suffer?” Rune said.

“Making you able to fly at a lower altitude won’t affect only you,” Ead said.

Even those at ground level would have the same problems moving. This was not a race where speed mattered, which it would, but one of endurance to test how much strength the runners had to make it to the finish line.

“Do you guys always complicate things for fun?” Finnian said.

“Why make it easy and boring?” Nero said.

Goodbye to the comfort and security of the familiar, hello to testing yourself every day with a new and complicated obstacle!

“It’s a way of reminding us that life can be hard and full of surprises,” Braunah said, “but it’s also worth living for all that can be found.”

Hope did not come and go with the wind. It was something to be cultivated and nurtured because you never knew when you would need it.