The general had been gracious to let us stay through the night, but he clearly wanted us out of Davorra as soon as possible. He’d sent twenty guards, who escorted us through empty streets while the night’s chill still hung in the air. They took us to the road where I’d first entered town and the men at the check point waved us through without a word.

The soldiers stopped there, and we were left alone to climb the hill and follow the road towards Lonnol, and then on down to the plains and Ambor. Nobody said much, but my companions seemed cheerful even so.

I wasn’t. I was tired and tense and the cold seeped through my clothes and made me miserable. I felt betrayed by Tiriel’s vow to disband the party, but I didn’t know what I could do about it.

Things got a little better when we reached the plateau and the sun rose above the horizon. They got even better after about half an hour’s walk when Thord gestured towards a hill a short distance off the road. Tiriel nodded, and we left the road to make breakfast on the hill.

“I propose we make coffee right away,” Thord said, once he’d gotten a small fire going. Tiriel nodded vigorously, and soon the coffee kettle was puttering over the fire. We dug out and shared bread, cheese and dried meat.

“Our last breakfast together,” Tiriel said, her eyes twinkling in the morning sunlight.

“You haven’t changed your mind then,” I said, trying to sound lighthearted.

“No,” she said and bit into her bread. “I cannot. My brother would not countenance such a different mission. Not,” she added, “without being consulted, at least.”

“I see,” I said, and I did. Reluctantly.

“Let’s do it,” she said, and stood, with her bread in one hand and a piece of cheese in the other. “I hereby disband this party. It was formed to find the Dragonblade and take it into hiding. It has failed in this task. It is hereby disbanded.”

She sat down again. “There. Now you’re free to go. I hope we meet again, and soon. I have enjoyed your company very much.”

“Is that all?” I said.

She nodded, with her mouth full of bread.

“There’s no contract involved, not even for the elves.” Thord said. “A party is just an agreement.” He looked at me, expectantly. So did the others, I realized, except for Tiriel who was focusing on her cheese now.

I looked back at him, and at them. “So... what now?” I said.

“It’s up to you, Peter.” Serah glanced at the kettle, but smiled at me. “You are the wielder of the Dragonblade. What will you do?”

“I’m... not sure,” I said. “I want to stop the war. I don’t know how to do that. I... don’t think I can do it alone.”

Thord and Arndrir exchanged a glance.

“You mentioned one way yesterday,” Thord said. “I do not remember the word.”

“Diplomacy,” I said. “Yes. That is a common way of handling conflict at, at home.”

“Does it work?” Thord said.

“I... think so,” I said. “Sometimes.”

“It sounds very elvish,” he went on. “They like to talk, and make agreements. A lot of air, like in their mountains.”

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I glanced at Tiriel but she just smiled.

“What do the dwarves do?” I asked him.

He grinned at me and shook his head. “We are more concerned with what is, boy. Here is this, there is that.”

“Which is why there are two dwarven kingdoms but only one elven,” Arndrir put in. Thord chuckled.

I frowned at them. “Do you mean that you don’t agree between your kingdoms?” I said.

“Not very much,” Thord said. “There is the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. We are friends, but we go our own way.”

“Perhaps that is a good way to think about it,” Serah said, watching me with a speculative look. “It is true that the Four Races do things differently - which also reflects their different magic.”

“How so?” I said, suddenly very curious.

“The elves are airy, as befits a race with air magic. It’s as Thord says, they like to talk.” She smiled at Tiriel, who was still smiling. “The dwarves are earthy, and more concerned with what is. They prefer not to change things so much.”

“And the humans and merfolk?” I said, trying to guess where this was going.

“The humans have fire,” she said. “They are restless and busy.”

“And so there are five human kingdoms and a large number of small city-states and duchies,” Arndrir said. He was smiling too.

“While the merfolk do not have kingdoms, but a western nation and an eastern one, on each side of Lumaria.” Serah raised her eyebrows at me.

“So fire magic leads to splintering and factions, and water magic is more... fluid?”

She nodded. “The merfolk are notoriously hard to pin down. They are very frustrating for the coastal kingdoms to deal with. Always slipping away into the water and then coming back from another direction.”

She glanced down at the Dragonblade, resting beside me. “I thought it could be a useful way to think about it,” she went on, “since the Dragonblade can draw on all forms of magic.”

“I think I see,” I said, and got up from my rock, with my coffee in my hand. “I have been thinking about diplomacy, which is air, but I also thought about simply marching down and telling them to stop the war. That would be... fire, I guess?”

“It sounds like it,” Serah said. “Pushy and demanding.”

“But there’s also earth and water...” I trailed off and looked down at the sword. “So I can try to get them to talk, or force them to stop fighting. Or I can hide the sword back in the earth, or even establish new rules they have to follow, or else. But perhaps I can slip away like the merfolk, hiding with the sword and appear suddenly to keep them on their toes.”

This opened up new possibilities. I’d been so focused on the rulers, on the kings and dukes and whatever else they might have, and on how I could make them do what I wanted to. But I could do other things too. I could act on my own. I could disappear with the sword, and travel between the kingdoms and influence them covertly. I didn’t have to go in with the sword flashing and blazing. I might even set up a secret society... I began to get excited and had to start pacing.

“There are the three other forms of magic too,” Serah said, and I whirled towards her. “The star and earth magic, and the fusion of them all. The dragon magic. The gods’ magic.”

She smiled at me, but her eyes were troubled. “I only know how to use it for healing, since that is what the Goddess grants. I know it can do more. Much more. The dragons can.”

“You called it a fusion,” I said.

“Yes,” she said. “It brings them into balance, and brings the power of creation and destruction into manifestation.”

“Life and suffering,” I said slowly.

She nodded. “That is the way of the Moon Goddess,” she said.

I frowned at her, and then sat down on my rock again.

“Is there any more coffee?” I asked Thord. He nodded and refilled my cup.

“I need to know more,” I said. “Much more, about Lumaria and about the Four Races and the kingdoms. I don’t know what I will do, but I have a lot of thoughts now.”

“Will you be forming a new party?” Thord said. “I do not mind helping you in either case, mind.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I think so. Once I know what to do.”

He and Arndrir glanced at each other again. “In that case, perhaps we should tell you what you want to know,” Arndrir said with a smile.

“Thank you,” I said. “I want to know everything. And about the Rangers - I’ve wondered about you. But -” I hesitated. “I want to say thank you, too. All of you. Thank you for... everything. I wouldn’t have survived a day in Lumaria without you.”

I looked at them all in turn, my smile growing into a huge grin as I saw their smiling faces.

“Thank you Tiriel,” I said, “for bringing me into your party.”

She reached out and touched my hand, beaming. “Perhaps you will return the favor,” she said. “If you think I can be of any use.”

I laughed. “Perhaps,” I said. “I remember what you said tonight, about the High Princess.” She nodded eagerly at me. “But I need to know what to do first. A party needs a purpose, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” she said.

“Then let us talk about what has been and what is, and what we can do about it.”

She nodded, and began, telling me about the Elven Kingdom and the elves, while the sun rose above us and burned away what remained of the night’s chill and fog.