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from among a pile of armor and backpacks. Lexi’s light danced across the gear.               “How’d that get here?” Arwenna asked, her weariness finding way into her voice.
                  Lexi knelt down and brushed her hand across the pile. Sparkling pieces of blue and green dust floated about, finally settling again on the gear and dark brown floor. “Fairies” Lexi replied quietly. She raised her head, looking about the tunnel. “They must’ve brought it here for us.” Arwenna watched as her cousin rummaged through the pile, separating gear for Y’Dürkie from the rest. A flash of light momentarily blinded her as the torch Lexi handed to Y’Dürkie flared to life.
                  “Vhy vould fairies care about us, or our gear?” Confusion tinged Y’Dürkie’s voice.
                  “They must like you a lot, Y’Dürkie!” Arwenna chuckled silently at Lexi’s assertion.
                  Y’Dürkie let out a heavy sigh of resignation. “Vell, ve should gear up. Ve von’t be goink anywhere for vhile I think.” Y’Dürkie and Lexi knew the toll using magic took on Arwenna; they would wait for her to recover. She welcomed the break, but knew she would need to be ready by the time they were finished. Taking a few steadying breaths, she nodded her readiness for the long trek ahead.
                  Several hours passed before the tunnel opened up into a clearing at the base of some nearby mountains. As they approached the exit, Y’Dürkie extinguished the torch. The full moon provided enough light to avoid rocks. Exhaustion from the day’s exertions began to catch up with her again, and they considered setting up camp within the cave they had just vacated. When they turned around, however, they were met with smooth rock. Rhiannon had sealed this end as well to keep the way secret.
                  “Well,” said Lexi, “I guess we’ll have to find another place to camp. Y’Dürkie and I are feeling well enough, but I can tell you’re about to drop, Cousin.”
                  “Yes, and I vant to hear the story of how ve got out from the graves,” Y’Dürkie’s accent was as thick as ever. “One minute you are beink killed in front of us,” Y'Dürkie's eyes darkened with anger, but quickly cleared, "and then, Arvenna, you stood before me and my gods and offered to bring me back! That was one neat trick!”
                  The full weight of what had transpired over the weeks since her death began to wear heavily on Arwenna. “Let’s find someplace we can rest without fear and I shall share what I know with you before I sleep,” she promised.
                  Within an hour, a sheltered area was found. Y’Dürkie started a small fire while Arwenna prepared some shelter over the sleeping bedrolls. Lexi began to pull out bread and some cheese for them. After their hunger was sated, Y’Dürkie pulled out some ale to share and reminded Arwenna of her promise.
                  Taking a deep breath, she began to relate the horrors that had been visited upon her after her death. There was much discussion between her and Y’Dürkie before there was an agreement as to which of them would dispatch the Paladin should the opportunity arise. She then told of the visit from Hauk and the realization of how she was used and betrayed by those who wished to corrupt Senyan with her unknowing aid.
                  “I have been loyal to Hauk this whole time, with the knowledge of my original dedication to him suppressed. Raising me as an initiate of Silas was just a means to an end for them. They thought it would be easier to break my True Faith if I wasn’t consciously aware of it. They were wrong. The Age of Decay is coming, and Hauk is in need of us to help fight the war. We need to find Barek and Mialee first, and then we must do what must be