Allorah nodded, determination setting in. "Then we must begin preparations immediately; we've no time to waste." She quickly strode over to where the scroll rested on a counter and scooped it up, scanning its contents hurriedly. "It says we will need to gather..." She trailed off when she noticed the Priestess had not moved."There will be no 'we' this time, Allorah. This is something you must do. Alone.""But... Mother, I am only an apprentice." She said in confusion. "Surely this is something for a full Priestess—""You are a priestess in all but name, Allorah, and you know it." Dannonae said, cutting her off. "If not for this war, we would have already had held the official ceremony." Seeing the expression of shocked doubt Allorah wore, she continued in a gentler tone. "You have all the tools you will need for this. Trust yourself."She shook her head. "I don't think I can do this. Too much depends on it. Couldn't you—?"

Allorah awoke to the vigorous chirping of birds and an unfamiliar ache. It encompassed most of her belly, but seemed to originate at the apex of her legs. Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she turned a little and burrowed deeper into the warm softness of her blankets. She knew she would have to deal with the bleeding soon enough, but in this chaotic time, quiet moments were rare, and she relished the opportunity to simply relax. When Dannonae came to wake her, she would get up.At the thought of Dannonae, she sighed. The old Priestess had likely been up all night again, caring for the wounded. And as much as she wanted to stay abed, Allorah couldn't reconcile her own selfish wishes with the suffering of the men awaiting her attention. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes.She noticed immediately that she was not in her bed. Instead, she was outdoors, in an ancient glade with the pale morning sun angling in to light the area in sparkling rays. And she was not alone. A

"This is the Warrior Seth." She stated solemnly. "He is here to aid us."The two men with Geldan made noises of disbelief. He motioned them to silence, but his face was all doubt. "To aid us." He repeated, staring at Seth suspiciously. "And how do you know one such as him will not betray us instead?"Allorah drew herself up indignantly. "I know, Hunter Geldan, because I am the one who summoned him to help us.""And just where did you summon him from?" The suspicion still lay heavily in his tone. Allorah felt her patience coming to an end. She was tired, hungry, worried about her home, and sore in highly embarrassing places. She let her voice sharpen, and her gaze chill."That is the Priesthood's affair, Geldan. And while I appreciate your caution, I will not tolerate being interrogated. Is that clear?" He seemed first surprised at the edge in her voice, then shamed by her words. His gaze dropped and he bowed his head respectfully.

Pausing a moment to sweep a stray curl out of her face with the back of her hand, Allorah briefly scanned the hall. Most of the rectangular space was taken up with the rows of pallets on either side, nearly all of them occupied by injured men. It was the largest room in the village, originally built for the assembly of the Council of Elders and designed to hold a throng of spectators. At the moment, however, it served as a makeshift hospital. There had to be at least fifty men here, but Allorah felt a swell of pride knowing she had already checked on and treated more than half of them. Dannonae was busy caring for the other half, and soon they would be able to leave matters in the hands of one of the more medically skillful village women and go back home for some much-needed rest.She was bone-weary, and frequently smothered yawns, irritably blinking away the moisture when her eyes watered in reaction. It seemed amazing to her that her eyes could still feel so grainy even

"Valerian root?" She murmured in tones of surprise, glancing at her former apprentice. "Has something happened?"Allorah didn't look up, but spoke curtly. "He's gone to rout the invaders in the Sacred Wood.""Oh." She said.The kettle started to hiss and Dannonae took it off the flame, pouring the steaming water into a cup. She sprinkled in a careful dose of the herb then set the mixture in front of Allorah, seating herself at the corner next to her and folding her hands on the tabletop. Allorah didn't touch the cup, and Dannonae didn't say anything, merely watched the younger woman absorbed in her thoughts. Abruptly she spoke."I am a fool."Dannonae raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"Allorah's mouth twisted in a self-mocking smile. "He is a dragon. I know that. Of course he's capable of taking care of himself. And the whole reason why I brought him here was to help us fight those horrible people. Yet... Now t