"Ah!" Zared said, and half turned away, still furiously angry.
"There is nothing you can do for the moment," DragonStar said, reverting his gaze to his parents,
"but move south."
"And there ...?" Axis said.
"Clear as much of the land of the crazed creatures that cover it as you can," DragonStar said. "Most of the creatures will be below the Nordra, moving towards or in the Maze, or gathered about the other three lakes. Journey south via the Lake of Life and Fernbrake."
Zared turned back to DragonStar. "Thank you," he said softly.
DragonStar shrugged slightly. "Gwendylyr's and Leagh's battles will have been fought and won or lost by the time you reach them," he said, "but at the least, you will know."
He looked back to Axis. "Take this ... this convoy south — peoples, creatures, trees — and meet me at the Maze ... what was once Grail Lake."
"And there?" Axis said.
"And there will the final battle be played out," DragonStar said, "and we move on or we flicker out of existence forever.
There, the fate of the stars themselves will be decided. Whatever, you ... everyone, will need to be present and to witness."
DragonStar looked back down the column, then spoke to Theod. "Will you go and find SpikeFeather for me? Tell him I need him urgently."
Theod nodded, and left.
"Why SpikeFeather?" Axis said.
DragonStar hesitated before he spoke. "I need to get Katie away from this column," he finally said. "To take her to somewhere as safe as possible."
What if Qeteb did come back for a nibble? What if he found Katie?
Azhure nodded understanding. "The waterways."
"Yes. Azhure ..."
"I will go with Katie," she said, taking Katie's hand. "I promised Faraday I would look after her."
"But —" Axis began.
"We will be safe," Azhure said, and smiled reassuringly at her husband. "What could happen to us in the waterways?"
Far, far above in the higher atmosphere, Qeteb smiled, and drew his perception back into his body.
This girl, this tiny girl, this Katie. She was the one that DragonStar fretted about and sought to protect.
She was the key, the heart incarnate.
And now DragonStar, as Qeteb had hoped, was going to move her somewhere he thought safe.
"What can happen in the waterways?" Qeteb murmured to himself as he began the long descent.
"What, indeed!"
He rejoined his companions.
"It is your time," Qeteb said. "Go."
And the five scattered in the winds above the wasteland, their hearts capering with joy.
"Why did you dive screaming for the Demons?" one of the ice women asked SpikeFeather.
The birdman was seated with Urbeth's two daughters about a small fire to one side of the Ravensbund warriors' larger camp. Both ice women sat close to him, and the one who spoke rested her hand on his knee.
SpikeFeather supposed he should feel uncomfortable, but in truth he rather enjoyed the closeness.
"It was all I could think of doing," he said. "You were both so ..."
He wasn't sure if it would be the best idea to mention how tired they were; if SpikeFeather had learned one thing over the past few decades of dealing almost daily with highly magical people, it was that they tended to be sensitive about any implied criticism, however slight.
The other ice woman shrugged. "My sister and I were exhausted, as was our mother."
"You brought us a pause," her sister continued, and her hand tightened very slightly on SpikeFeather's leg, "during which we could regain composure —"
"— and some measure of thought," her sister finished for her, and she lifted her face and smiled at SpikeFeather.
He grinned, and relaxed.
"Tell us about the Underworld," one of the ice women said, and SpikeFeather wondered if he would remember to ask after their names at some point.
