heir destination was in the Asiroth mountains, the small mountain range west of Asiroth. The mountains barely ran the length of the kingdom, yet created a perfect barrier from an ocean ambush.

The terrain was reddish-brown, the ground was mostly clay and the lack of rain caused the clay to crumble. Its dusty remnants covered everything.

The seven of them rode slowly, something that Kari could tell bothered Marcel and Jeplin. Conn and Joshea didn’t have any experience navigating a horse. They could have easily doubled them up on a horse with someone that was experienced, but they figured that they needed the crash course if they wanted to be successful soldiers.

It took a decent amount of time to reach the perimeter of the Asiroth mountains. Decent, not unreasonable. Jeplin has the necessary information to approach the location accurately. He wanted them to remain unnoticed. They knew that most of the enemy's army was within the walls of the castle in Asiroth, they could never be sure if other units or spies were approaching.

They plowed against the harsh wind. Every step was a bitter struggle, not only because of the strength of the gusts but because of the reddish-orange powder it carried too. The particles were very small, which made breathing difficult. It got to the point where Conn couldn’t stop coughing. “Hold on.” Jeplin said. He put his hand up signaling them to stop. He pulled a spare shirt out of one of his bags and put it over his head. He left it around his neck and then pulled the collar to rest over his nose. He then pulled the arms around his neck and tied them. Everyone followed suit except Marcel.

Kari hadn’t realized how much the dust was affecting her until she protected her face and was able to breathe without the powder accosting her lungs. Harota was excited to learn Jeplins tip for mouth protection, to her it meant she was acclimating into the traveling life and that it was the beginning of her journey to becoming a legitimate soldier. Marcel and Kari both loved her enthusiasm, for different reasons.

They switched up their riding formation often depending on who each person wanted to chat with. Marcel took some time to show the new soldiers how to take care of their horses on the road and what to do while taking a break from riding. While Marcel laid out his knowledge Kari rode over to Jeplin. They didn’t have any alone time which felt very odd to them.

Jeplin and Kari laughed and joked with each other. Even though Marcel was busy, he still kept one ear on their conversation. It was a very aggressive trait he had, possessiveness. It was hard to tell if he was protective over Kari because he cared about her, or if he just had to inconvenience Jeplin in any way possible. It was very obvious to Kari that Marcel constantly felt the need to complete with Jeplin, something that Jeplin didn’t even acknowledge. She wasn’t sure if Jeplin wasn’t aware of his intentions or whether he just ignored them, ironically both reasons made Marcel seem even more childish.

As the days passed Kari became more and more resolute in putting together an army. She had no idea what she was doing and she was aware of that, but she still hoped that her effort would be worth it. Even if it was a very small effort if they could shave down the troops that were heading to Redponn even by one person it could be a victory.

The whole journey to the entrance of the mines took them a total of four days. The entrance was marked by a set of unattached gates that were made out of metal, but were caked with the ever prevalent reddish clay. The gates towered hundreds of feet above them and touched the bottom edges of the cliffs positioned within the mountains. Kari noticed three men standing on the other side. She assumed the man in the middle flanked by a soldier on each side was Horace. The vast space and grandeur of everything made him look minuscule like a pebble tossed amongst thousand-year-old trees. They approached and silently greeted each other. Horace led them the rest of the way.

The soil changed from moistureless dust to shaded thick wet clay. The mud caked their boots and cloaks very quickly. A very pleasurable trade, having lost the huge violent spirals of dust.

They reached the main cavern by the time the night had secured itself in the sky.

The cavern was enormous. The dark ceiling blended into itself within the darkness. The location was mostly used to mine clay, which was apparent by how everything was moist and clung to their clothes. . Kari could feel how different the floor felt compared to normal stone, it was softer and a bit slimy. Because it was a former mine the ground began to slope drastically. The slope suddenly stopped and dropped off completely. Horace stopped. There was a handrail built around the ledge. They walked to it.

Horace was excited to see her. “When Thomas said you were coming I couldn’t believe it. To hear you and Robert are safe after all these years is such relief.”

They stood hundreds of feet above an enormous cavern with hundreds of thousands of people inside. Kari was speechless. She never expected to see something so grand hidden within the empty walls of the mines. They were so far above them it was hard to make out any particular person or item, but it was very obvious that they had built an entire city there. Jeplin seemed to be impressed with their elaborate irrigation system carved from the clay. They dethroned their horses and the three of them stood at the ledge together."This is absolutely breathtaking," Kari said, still in awe at its grandeur. "It is very impressive." Horace's expression did not move at their praise. Kari looked at him, confused by his silence. "I know why you are here. I have no room to be happy." He said. She looked at Jeplin confused."He is not very fond of war. He knows our presence means we are trying to break up his peaceful city and endanger the citizens.``'' Oh." Kari said realizing that was a perfectly reasonable reaction. She felt his sorrow and pain."I don't want them to fight. There is enough war."Kari could tell Jeplin was angered by Horace's ignorance. Kari waved off Jeplin and turned to Horace. She looked directly into his dreary unfocused eyes. "I understand," She said softly. Horace was noticeably taken aback by her understanding, yet he remained silent.

They didn’t have much time to get the troops they needed, though if they couldn’t get enough they just planned to head back to Redponn with them. For them failure was an option. Nothing they did in the mines could really make their situation much worse in the grand scale of things. They ate together and Kari tried to pique Geron’s interest. Despite his rumored distaste for the war he seemed to pay attention when anyone talked about fighting in general. It was the sort of attention a person paid to something they enjoyed. Kari decided to cut to the chase. She wasn’t one for trying to network or manipulate.

“Geron”. She said, “Look, I really don't know anything about the war, though it defines everything around me." She continued. "One of the few things I do know is, if we don't sacrifice now there won't be a future for any of us. You may save these lives here now by not joining us, but if we fail and nothing changes, they will be killed. They will not have a chance to fight for freedom they will be killed for sport and greed. I have spent most of my life in hiding, I am tired. This is our chance to fight for our lives, our ancestors, and our children. This is the only time when we will be able to stand in the light and not cower. Yes, we all may die, but is that any worse than living without freedom? And what if we win? If we win, oh how glorious and freeing that would be. Life is not worth living unless there is something to fight for." Kari felt for the first time like she was a leader. She had an odd sense of purpose. She was no longer looking at Horace having been caught up in her own passion and words. After a moment she turned to him once again. He closed his eyes. "You are not the first who has come here to try to convince me to let these people fight. Honestly, most of them want to." He looked to the city below. "I haven't allowed them by keeping them in the dark about most things." He paused, Jeplin opened his mouth to speak and Kari put out her hand to stop him. "But you, you. I detest you for making this about freedom. I detest you for your eloquence. I detest you for being honest. You, You are right. "Kari could not believe what she had heard. She was seemingly being insulted but in fact, was being praised for her efforts. She was speechless and looked at Jeplin. He smiled at her and she looked back to Horace. "Thank you." She said. He nodded in a defeated manner and then walked over to a large horn that was mounted on a large metal stand. As his lips pressed against the metal, the loud bellowing shrieked throughout the caverns. The noise penetrated many layers swooping in and out forming multiple echoes. The horn itself invoked a stunned silence from the city before them. There was overwhelming applause of excitement. "Come with me," He said to Kari. Jeplin stayed back. He led her through a tunnel that was carved into one of the walls. They found themselves standing on a platform much closer to the sea of people. Horace gestured for Kari to step forward. She took a deep breath and yelled. Her voice echoed. "I am calling upon any able-bodied people to fight to reclaim the castle of Asiroth. Right now there are hundreds of enemy troops resting there before they join the battle of thousands to attack Redponn. Redponn must be protected, most of the refugees from Asiroth and all of our allies are being protected living within their walls. We can not let Redponn fall. We need your help” They all were ready to battle but were unsure of Kari's role in the events. Thomas, who had been waiting for their arrival appeared. Everyone was silenced as he and Marcel made their way to her. "I pledge my services to you, my queen." Marcel said. They both kneeled. Everyone stood awestruck at his words. She placed her sword on Marcel’s shoulder then on Thomas’s. Horace then knelt down next to them. She gestured for him to stand. But he stayed down. "I did not come here to order you. I came here to ask for help. My father is dead and my brother is leading the army at Redponn. Whoever wants to fight to protect honor and freedom meet at the front gate in two days.” She stepped back and approached Horace again. She placed her sword on his shoulder and told him to rise. "I know you hate to fight." She said quietly, “I would never expect that you would join us but I would be honored for you to lead these soldiers into battle with me." He pulled his glove off. His hand was missing two fingers and was very mangled. There were several dark symbols marking the rest. “I pledge my service to you.” He said as he shook her hand.

He waved Thomas over and they disappeared through the tunnel leaving her and Jeplin alone on the platform. The sea below them had dispersed and everyone began to prepare for war. "Did I do the right thing? She asked. He smiled. "Do you think you did the right thing?" "Yes." She said, "Then you did.” He said.

They walked into the tunnel and made their way back to the top where Conn, Joshea, Harota, and Shanna were sitting. "From all the stories, I thought Horace would be a lot different than he was," Jeplin responded casually. " That’s not Horace." Marcel nodded in agreement. "Wait.” She said standing in place for a moment. “What do you mean? Was I pleading with the wrong person?”. “No, I mean there is no Horace, there never was. Horace is a disguise.” "Then who has been protecting these people? Who did I just ask to lead my army?” “Geron.” “You mean…” “Yes.”

“How did you know?" “It was his hand when he took off his glove, it was very obvious who he was after seeing his hand." "Why would he lie to everyone? I mean he's already in hiding, wasn't that enough?" "Well, can we really judge him, firstly, both you and I have lived lives that weren't ours in order to stay safe. He would have been an even bigger target. Having the enemy think he is dead is the greatest asset we have now since they know we are alive.” “I don't know much about him.” "Henry, as you know, wanted to kill George himself but after he escaped, he was very angry. He began hunting down your family trying to get any information he could to kill the three of you.

All of his resources went into destroying Asiroth. He did not have many expectations from Geron. Having grown up with him he was not anything special compared to George, who was very gifted. Geron had no power of that sort. But that's where Henry made a mistake. He underestimated Geron. Having felt inadequate because of his lack of born talent, he trained his whole life successfully to become one of the best assassins. Even when he was young he was a brilliant hand-to-hand combat fighter. He used simple brute force to destroy many of Henry's men.” Kari looked off into the cavern below. "Do you want to go down?" Jeplin said pointing to the miniature city. Kari looked over and nodded.

She marveled that it looked like a regular city with its trading booths and gardens haphazardly placed, along with crude mud and fabric homes. She looked at him. "Would that be okay?" She asked, second-guessing the idea. "Yes, but first follow me."She followed him into a dark crevice and he pulled off all of his gear. He was left wearing a simple pair of brown pants, his dirt-caked boots, a white loose shirt, and a leather vest. She proceeded to do the same stripping off her intricate armor. She ended up wearing something similar, brown pants, knee-high boots, and a brown shirt. He secured his sword back to his waist and they journeyed down to the village."You know," she began, "You look like you did when I first met you." He looked back at her. "That seems like it was so long ago," he said wistfully.

His eyes pierced her heart like they always had, they were even more daunting in the depths of the cave. "It was," she responded. After a moment of thinking, she spoke again."Do you know exactly how long ago it was?" She asked, trying to think of a logical time frame. He looked at her. Her face was a lot different from when they first met, it was still silky smooth but now a luscious dark tannish color from all of her time in the sun. Her eyes were even bluer against the darker skin and she looked a lot older than the child she was when they met. “More than three years, I know that." "Well, there are a lot of options after three ..." He laughed. I mean closer to three than four." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. They both smiled, the gesture was almost in place of words, the words he couldn't find.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and looked at her. "Ready?" He said jokingly as if they were about to jump into a pool of water.

They walked together blending into the residents. Some families had elaborate tents made out of fine fabrics and others just had piles of hay covered in sheets on the ground to sleep on. Everyone seemed to make do with their possessions. There were tapestries and some tents that were held up by tall poles. Horace's soldiers all had burlap tents separated from everyone else in a corner near the entrance. Kids ran up and down the homemade pathways knocking over items. Shopkeepers were yelling, but it was barely heard over the echoes of the crowd. "This is interesting." She remarked. "Yeah, not much is surprising to me but this is something worth remembering," Jeplin replied. When they finished venturing through the city, they made their way back to the crevice where they left their clothes. "I think I'm going to explore some more, away from people." He said. Kari followed. The four women who traveled with them and Marcel joined Thomas and found a place to relax.

For the first time in a while, Kari and Jeplin were able to explore for fun. They discovered a crevasse that was small but wide enough to walk into. Each side was flanked by torches. They walked side by side, a change from the usual leading manner of the past. Kari yelled excitedly when they reached the end of the passage. The path opened up to a magnificent grotto. The mountain walls arched over creating a circular dome-like roof, with a huge space that exposed the sky. Below the opening was a matching pool of water. The stars twinkled across the water creating an iridescent sheen. The water stayed in a perfectly still state.

The water looked very deep, based on how dark it was. Kari dropped everything she was carrying and unhooked her sword, Jeplin followed and they both plunged into the water. Their screams echoed in the cavern and they laughed, trying to quiet themselves. The moon reflected light onto parts of rocks and shimmered angelically.

Jeplin grabbed Karis' wrist gently and pulled her closer to him. Their faces were very close. They kissed. They pulled each other under the water as their lips held together. The dark waves swirled around them with pockets of light peeking through. Kari's hair floated up above and shaded her. When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer they returned to the surface. When the water was too cold for them they sat by the edge and started a fire. They ate and sat there watching the sky until they regained their warmth. When their clothes had dried they walked back into the caverns. “We should get some sleep.” He said. She nodded. They found Thomas and the others. They already set up a camp with beds for all of them. Jeplin was very grateful. For some reason water always made him tired as soon as he lay down he fell asleep. Kari was excited. She didn’t want to sleep but knew it was a good idea if she did.

The wind picked up outside as the temperature fell. Kari covered herself with her cloak.

The next night approached quickly. Men and women who wanted to fight gathered to leave. Everyone joining them seemed overly prepared like they had been waiting for that day for too long, They slowly filtered out of the mouth of the mine. From outside they were lined up in ten by ten units.

Kari and Jeplin rode to their front and faced them. They were wearing their full royal armor. Despite their doubt, they looked magnificent. Jeplin, a fighting legend clad in all black clothes and a green cape. His black hair shimmered in the moonlight. Kari wore silver and blue that blended into the dark sky above them. Her hair danced upward effortlessly in the wind.

Jeplin still wasn’t used to traveling slowly. With the seven of them, it wasn’t possible to travel as fast as they normally did because Joshea and Conn didn’t know how to ride. Rather than have them double up they decided it was important for them to get used to riding alone before they entered a battle. Kari was fond of the slower pace. The speed at which Jeplin and Robert unusually traveled was very aggressive.

Kari enjoyed the ride, she wasn’t the least bit nervous about their future, most likely because she had no idea what she was getting into. She felt that each step was a closer step to her past life.

The darkness had long been their cover. They approached the mines from the east which was a much different route than the journey they were taking from the mines northward. .The terrain quickly changed from the red clay to a standard forest. Clinging to the forest was easy, and their cover remained intact.

The sun rose slowly and was immediately smothered by pillowy clouds. It was as if the elements were working with them to keep them hidden.

It began to rain as they approached the borders of the capital city.

Both the kingdom and capital were called Asiroth, which became bothersome occasionally. The city arced around the northern portion of the land. Horace began to separate the people into four units. One faction was led by Jeplin, one by Horace, one by Kari, and one by Marcel. They discussed entry points then separated. Kari looked to Jeplin, she was concerned. He smiled at her and rode over to her side. "Do not worry." he said, “you can handle yourself, just remember the way you came through the last time we were here." He removed his right hand from her forearm and rode away.

Kari was given the west side to infiltrate via the tunnel she had used twice before to escape. The tunnel was her only hope to get the upper hand in the castle itself. The passage from the cabinet in the empty room in the castle was built so that it could not be entered from anywhere else in the castle. The passage creeped along the edge of one of the bedrooms and had a set of stairs that led the tunnel down into the basement. There was a door to enter from the basement but the door was barricaded. The tunnel led from the foundation into the actual ground and progressively got bigger until it funneled into an opening. They abandoned their horses further back so they wouldn’t alert their presence.

Kari tried to remember where the cave entrance was. She thought back to when she was there and Jeplin, her, and Robert had to escape. She saw a few white flowers and it struck her. She remembered there were patches of white flowers that led to it unofficially. It only took a few moments to find it after that.

Jeplin led his group swiftly. They raced as fast as they could and went straight into attack mode.

They raced around through the back gardens and approached from the east. The enemy was not prepared for an attack. They had no reason to think anyone would come for them there. Kari quickly led her charges into the tunnel. One by one they filtered in slowly. Kari reaches the secret door on the second floor. Kari unlocked it and peered out.

A loud horn sounded. Kari pushes the door open when she knew she wouldn’t be vulnerable to an attack. She stood by the closet and waved one person after another into the castle, the last place the enemy expected to see them. Kari approached the balcony after hearing a clamor from below her. The hallway on the second floor matched the marble floors on the first floor and the staircase. The banister was made out of iron. She placed her hands gently on its cool intricately twined surface to observe for a moment then she reached behind her head and pulled out her bow. Several of the group who were experienced archers joined her.

There were five of them standing regally on the dull marble floor, with the rich background of velvet and floral walls. They kept their positions until they ran out of arrows, killing anyone who attempted to climb the stairs or enter the hall. The whole castle was easily taken. They were also making headway outside, she saw that Jeplin was surrounded by monstrous-looking men and he was easily slaying them. When she had secured the inside of the castle, she ran to a window facing the front gate to try to see the progress. Sadly she could not see well enough to make an informed judgment. She ran around quickly trying to find a higher vantage point, She found the staircase that led up a turret. She ran up quickly, with her sword clanging against the stone wall. The tower allowed her to successfully see the northern lawn which determined her next move.

Kari yelled as she ran back down the stairs, ordering everyone to gather and exit through the front doors. She made it to the main staircase as hundreds of her followers were gathering in the entry hall. She pointed forward, they broke open the doors and ran to the battle before them. The enemy was blindsided again as they approached them from behind. The three other factions had approached from the outer rim her troops finished off surrounding them. Kari began to descend the staircase to follow them out.

The staircase was grand and ornate, though a bit destroyed from the passing of time and poor treatment. The marble was still salvageable, with the major cracks near the edges. The dark green carpeting was frayed and almost black.

Each step that touched the marble echoed loudly canvassing the hall. Kari drew her sword and began to run so she wouldn't miss the chaos. The soldiers created waves as they ran past her screaming. They all eagerly plunged into the foray. Her sword danced around spraying blood and sparks, she finally felt like she was contributing in a worthy way to her kingdom and their protection. The blur of weapons and bodies swarmed in and out of perspective. Dirt, rocks, arrows, and blood covered the ground along with the dead bodies. She saw Jeplin near the gates fighting off several men. She watched as they shoved him to the ground, she became enraged at the sight.

The rage took over her body, and she began to charge toward them. Jeplin tried to wave her off, but she did not listen. That distracted him, which left him vulnerable for a brief second, and as a result, he took the butt of a sword to his face. His body flew back and he braced for an attack as he hit the ground. The blows never came, Kari had already reached them. her sword began to glow as she conjured a blast of white-hot flames. A simple touch killed the three soldiers instantly. She stood over his body and fought off anyone who approached. When he sat up another large group began to corner them, Kari held up her sword, and they were instantly surrounded by flames. As Jeplin went to strike one of the men, the flames drew his attention and he jumped back, the man was dissolved into ash.

Kari was still caught in her powerful rage, and she ran through the crowd of fighters drawing everyone's attention to the flames that followed her and her unsettling battle cry.

Flames of red and white were burning their way across the grounds. She had no control over the wild energy and anyone who was near died. Everyone sort of froze.

in time looking at the flames that danced around engulfing the land before them. they could see the shadowy outline of Kari within the body of the flames screaming wildly as she tried to control them. The smoke started to suffocate her, and she fainted. Jeplin watched her silhouette fall to the ground and immediately ran towards her. He leaped through the enormous flames without hesitation. As she hit the ground the flames immediately jolted into nonexistence. It was spurred by a gust of wind that manifested in the eye of the firestorm. Jeplin with his hands out stood over Kari's body. He quickly knelt down to her and wiped the soot and blood off of her face. looking up he waved over to another man who quickly ran over to them. By the time the flames died what was left of the enemy had fled. Jeplin removed Kari's cloak which was singed and her weapons and handed them to the man. He then slipped his hands under her and lifted her. The man followed them as they walked into the castle. A majority of their army was watching or helping others who were injured. They cheered at the victory but then were silenced by Kari's limp body.

When Jeplin carried her off the battlefield he ordered any fabric that was somewhat clean to be drenched in water and brought to him. He recruited Horace and Thomas to help him. He gently pulled her hair back above her head and over the back of the pillow. He then took off her armor and weapons. She was wearing tan pants and a blouse, with underpants and a silk undershirt beneath. Jeplin felt uncomfortable undressing her in any capacity but he had to see how badly she was burned. He decided to roll up her pants to check first. He discovered that the only burns were on her hands, arms, shoulders, and across her chest. Jeplin pulled off her blouse leaving her undershirt on and wrapped her arms separately in the wet fabric. The four of them went to the bathhouse in the basement, the pools were always filled from the rain sourced aqueduct system.

Jeplin held her flat out with her back against the water allowing her to float with his hands right below her. He told her to close her eyes and hold her breath and he pulled her underwater very quickly using his own weight to keep her under with him. When he could tell she couldn’t hold her breath anymore he violently pulled her to the surface and they both gasped for air. They returned to her room and Jeplin slowly removed the bandages. Kari was exhausted, she was having trouble staying awake and drifted off to sleep.

The next day after lunch she felt a lot better. Her burns were no longer open wounds but just darkened scorched skin. She thought it was odd that her skin was almost healed. She rubbed her hands across the marks and her skin was smooth. She wasn’t in a lot of pain but she was simply drained of most of her energy. She decided to walk around the hallway near her room. She ended up standing at the top of the staircase.

Her long hair was undone and draped down her left shoulder. She was wearing a silk emerald green floor-length robe that was tied around her body. it had a train that dragged a few inches behind her, elongating the vision. She felt a ping of energy and started down the stairs slowly. She stopped halfway down the stairs. The people in the entryway stopped and whispered when they saw her, some even ran. Horace noticed the commotion and approached the hall. He gestured for her to follow him.

They walked slowly that being the most comfortable way for her, as he led her to the study. Jeplin was sitting at one of the oak tables perched by a window that showed the back courtyard. She looked around, the walls were a dark red, almost like blood, but the abundance of windows counterbalanced the dark features. To her right there was an enormous desk, it was carved and embellished with bits of gold and jewels. The bookshelves were placed in between windows, and anywhere else they fit. They were filled with old books and scrolls.

The room had been abandoned ages ago and a thick layer of dust caked everything. Jeplin stood up and smiled. He hugged her and then led her to a chair. The table was hidden under pieces of paper and in the center was a silver tray covered in food. Horace poured her a cup of tea. "How are you feeling?" He asked, "I feel fine." She said. “The only pain now is coming from my shoulder. She slipped the top of her silk robe down a bit to reveal it. Most of the skin surrounding it was black. The skin that was not black was stained red from blood. I should be ready to fight again tomorrow. "Jeplin was surprised she was ready to jump back in though he was also excited. "Oh, good, you know were are not done." He stated. Kari looked at him telling him to continue with her eyes. "Most of the troops were not here when we came, two waves had already left for Redponn. If they are successful there will be thousands returning. Kari, not changed by the news, looked to Jeplin knowing this meant he had to leave. "I understand." She said solemnly

.Amid the celebration of the fighters who reclaimed their kingdom's castle, Kari watched Jeplin and Marcel ride off into the distance. She stood silently not moving her gaze. Kari slipped away from the balcony and wandered through the people within the castle. Without her royal armor, she seemed to be unrecognizable. There weren't many dead bodies left inside, they had all been placed in a pile on the lawn. She gathered a bunch of men and had them carry the rest from various places on the grounds. She remembered being taught a tradition by her father that she intended to follow.

The flames engulfed the view of nature. Towering stories above them, the giant monstrous flames rose like tumultuous waves in a deadly storm. That night the fighters celebrated by dancing around the enormous pyre. When the flames did eventually die down, all that was left was a pile of ash that blended into the scorched earth. A few days passed and Kari found herself on the back terrace again staring at the horizon.

She was approached by a man around her age. He sat across from her. "Are you alright?" He inquired. Shaking off her trance she looked at him. He was tan and muscular with bright green eyes."Oh, I'm so sorry." He stuttered. "I didn't realize who you were." She smiled. "That is my intention." She said gesturing for him to sit back down. "I am wondering what is going on at Redponn, I haven't heard anything." She confessed. "Well you don't know if they have been attacked yet, you don't need to worry."She thanked him and he stood up. "Well, I better go back inside. We are trying to clean up the castle.``'' Oh good! I'll join you." She said. "Really?" He said, not convinced. “Yes, why?" She said without inflection. "You," he paused. She turned him inquisitively. "You want to help clean?" She smiled, “I like to do what I want." He did not question her again. Her help led her to reunite with the four women from Redponn. So much chaos had been surrounding her she completely forgot about them. She greeted them with an excited yell. They ran to her and they hugged. The more garbage that was added to the fire the longer their nighttime fire dancing ritual lasted.

The fighters danced around it creating monstrous shadows that flickered quickly across the castle walls. She placed the four girls in rooms next to hers. They enjoyed each other's company, they didn’t really know many other people. Kari walked the empty halls of her former home, despite their cleaning efforts, it was still decrepit and empty looking. She made her way to the dining hall.

Several weeks passed and Kari still had not heard anything from Redponn. That was until a loud horn began to blare from the hills. The citizens camped out within the territory sent the young boys to climb up the wall to see what the noise was. Horace and Kari walked to the balcony and looked out to see her spy riding with two other men like lighting towards the city. He rode through the back gate and as fast as he could to the door without destroying tents or people. He hopped off his horse while it was still in motion and ran to Kari and Horace. "What's going on?" Horace asked as he was pulled into a private room with Kari. "Jeplin wanted me to tell you he is going to be captured, and he does not want anyone to go after him." "What!" Kari looked at him not believing what he said. He handed her a scroll, "What else have you found out?" She continued. "Around ten thousand men are coming from the north, Asiroth their target. Kari remained silent. "I will round up anyone I can," Horace said leaving the room.