"So when Siaril tricked Tavris into confirming where Sharish is currently hiding..." I put my fork down.

"Yeah," Light peeked into the teapot to make sure the brew was ready. "He asked on my request. Now that I think about it, it was a curious experience... When I thought Yasenka was still in Shinestone, I didn't hesitate to go back and check. But once I knew she wasn't, I became scared to look for just Sharish..."

"No need to feel guilty, just in case you're planning to," Siaril put all the cups together to make pouring easier.

Light laughed just a little. "Fine. There was one more thing I was afraid of doing since you all came here," he passed one of the full cups to Yasenka and paused.

"What?" the illathan gave him a confused look.

"Try it."

"Um..." she blew onto the tea a few times before taking a careful sip and freezing up. "Wait... Sharish was making this for me back when... Or was it actually...?"

"I was the one preparing your meals most of the time," Light sat back down, taking his cup. "I hoped it would help at least a little bit, because..."

"One of the herbs in the blend is from the Silivren Forest..." Yasenka blinked a few times, chasing a small glimmer in her eyes away.

"Did it help?"

"So much..."

"I was afraid you'd recognize it like you did just now, so I stashed it away in the darkest corner of the kitchen."

"You're so silly sometimes."

"I get that a lot," my master smiled a little before putting his cup away again, his expression becoming all business all of a sudden. "Anyway... Canidralth paid me a visit while you were away. He confirmed what Siaril and Sig found out before - Sharish partially rebuilt the Shinestone stronghold and made it his hideout once again. He also said that my brother found something interesting under the ruins... he didn't tell me what though. Judging by the annoying smile he wore, he knew, just didn't want to tell me, which in his dictionary means that we should go check it out if not for the tactical advantage, then simply for our own future safety."

Siaril frowned. "I hope it's not any more dragon parts. I really don't want to see more hybrids or find more burned cities they were tested on. We just have to wait till Sig's wing grows together..."

"I can fly with Armailith," I cut in, not really liking the role of someone who is slowing down all plans.

"That's not a good idea," Yasenka spoke for the dragoness, since she was out hunting. "I know how you feel, but if you and Armailith would accidentally get separated, you wouldn't have much chance of escape."

I held back a sigh before looking back at my mentor. "Fine... but how do you plan to get there anyway? Even if you take the fastest horse from your stables, it will take you way longer than us flying."

"Dear Sigrian..." Light sent an amused glance my way, pointing to the crystals glimmering on the table between his plate and the teapot. "A mage in possession of such resources can travel from one place to another within a second. Didn't you know that?"

"I didn't. I'm not a mage, I'm just an ordinary Disciple of Sariarin, the Black Dragon, trying to not stand out as the only one unable to get there quick enough."

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"What is it with you two and trying to blame yourselves for everything?" asked Siaril.

"I learned from my mentor," I pointed an accusatory finger at Light.

"Enough now, kids," interjected Yasenka. "I think we should opt for a careful approach anyway. Hasty thrusts tend to miss the target."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

The illathan entwined her fingers and leaned her chin on them. "I agree with the reconnaissance part, searching the surroundings and maybe a part of the stronghold if it's safe enough to do without giving away our presence. I wouldn't want anything unexpected to wait for us there once we decide to actually strike. But I'm against an assault, and we should pay the initial visit without Armailith. She stands out too much."

"Maybe you're right... we should rather use her as an element of surprise. The same goes for Light."

"Exactly," Yasenka pointed at Siaril with her fork before impaling the last leaflet of her lettuce on it.

"Or maybe..." Light nearly instinctively put some more salad onto her plate, earning himself an amused look. "The four of us will go, though only you three will enter the stronghold. Sharish could sense my presence, even more so if I'll bring the shards with me. We'll agree on some amount of time after which I'll step in if you don't return?"

"But you could miss out on the best part that way," Yasenka joked.

"Oh, that's fine with me. I'm sure I'll get my opportunity to restore my brother's class consciousness later. I'll add my knowledge about the surroundings and his crooked customs to what you learn and we'll weave some graceful plan out of it."

"And if it turns out that he's getting ready to make some new, nasty move? Or if we get a good opportunity to cause some harm and slow him down without giving ourselves away? Should we still play it careful, or try to stir his plans a little?"

"The latter, the latter," Light induced happily.

We could only smile.

The next few days passed in anticipation for my bones to grow back together, and Yasenka spared no effort to make it happen as quickly as possible. Healing performed by her resembled magic full of scents and caresses more than it resembled actual healing.

She spent most of the afternoons in the air with Siaril, continuing the training. I watched them from the ground and was pleased to notice that my best friend succeeded at outsmarting her in the small challenges she set for him more and more often.

I wasn't idle in the meantime either. I spent hours with Armailith or Ertralia and Sivath (who suddenly became the sweetest of friends) in the shadows of the solitary junipers that wreathed the shore, occupying myself with seemingly trivial fun with fire. I was sure that the more I got used to summoning it, the easier it would later be to use it spontaneously in heated situations. And because I couldn't exercise flying, I fixated myself on it so much that on the fourth day after our return to the mansion I was able to create fanciful shapes and images made of flames, from fiery flowers to even little dragons flying above the small, white feathers of the lake's delicate waves.

One day the huge, flaming ansirth I created pulled my two worried friends back to earth for a moment. Yasenka expressed her awe at the effects of my training and, to my joy, proposed to take the stiffening off of my wing. She advised some stretching exercise till the next day and promised she would allow me a test flight if I wouldn't feel any more pain or discomfort. That test flight was all I could think of for the next twenty four hours and I had a feeling I wouldn't come down to earth very quickly even if some complications arose in the middle of it. Luckily, everything went well the next day and Siaril, who insisted to accompany me just in case, had to force me to return so we both wouldn't starve.

Yasenka watched us from the balcony of the highest floor with a shadow of anxiety. When we finally landed next to her, she caused me to have one of those short moments when I really envied Light. The last rays of the setting sun gave her hair a unique shine and the soundless breeze from the lake subtly rustled her delicate, lavender dress. I knew it was a gift from Light and that she wouldn't have put on something this impractical if she had something more complicated to do than setting the table and watching over her two 'winged kinsmen of mules' in the sky.

There was something else that caught my attention more than her gorgeous appearance though. The dress was elegantly showing a part of her chest and shoulders, and her skin, which took on the lightest of cinnamon shades during the summer weeks, showed no sign of the scars that I've seen that one time in the Silivren Forest. I bowed to her while taking the additional sirath from my neck and returned it, placing a grateful kiss on her hand.

Now that we all left some of the bitter weight of our pasts behind, we could face Sharish without hesitation and remorse.