"The Elven Court arrives tomorrow for the peace negotiations! Do you know what that means Cal?" squeals Ezran, giddy with excitement. Callum opens his mouth to answer his over excited sibling, only to be silenced as Ez decides he can't even wait for his brother's sluggish reply. "It means we'll finally be able to see Rayla again!"

If he was still showing signs of weariness, he's wide awake now.

"Oh man, I almost forgot," he grins, already buzzing with anticipation. "I haven't seen her since we crossed the border." A glazed look comes over his face. Ezran clears his throat giving Callum a pointed look. "We! I-I meant we..." -Ez raises an eyebrow knowingly- "...haven't seen her," he finishes lamely.

Ezran giggles mischievously and, deciding it really was too early to get up and too cold to be out of bed, wriggles under Cal's mass of blankets. Instinctively Callum pulls Ez into a comforting bear hug, squeezing him a little too tightly than necessary as a defiant act of revenge for his insinuations.

"I wonder what she's doing right now..."

–O–

Despite Xadia being a land of sorcery and the mystic arts, there isn't a single spell that can safely transport the entire Elven Court and enough provisions for a month halfway across the country. Rayla knows this because she is walking. The entire Court is walking and had been doing so for the past three days. It's times like these that Rayla envies humans and their domesticated horses, but her culture doesn't tolerate that kind of 'enslavement'.

If she remembers correctly from the first time she made this trip, they are approximately one day away from the human kingdom. That thought fills Rayla with both excitement and dread.

Last month, she, Callum and Ezran successfully returned Zym, The Dragon Prince, to his mother. Since then, both sides arrived at the mutual agreement that, although there has been a history of wrongs, both sides are at fault and a war would prove pointless. It was simultaneously the best and worst moment of her life. She was the hero she'd always wanted to be and yet the mission was over; she'd had to say goodbye to the two most important people in her life.

Now, she's finally going to see them again, but the circumstances couldn't be more different.

–O–

"What do you mean we aren't allowed to be part of the peace negotiations?" Callum and Ezran demand in unison.

"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger! It wasn't my call to make," protests Soren weakly. At Prince Callum's outburst the courtyard falls into a stony silence making his voice echo menacingly.

"Yeah, like you'd have made a different one had it been up to you," accuses Callum. Soren gulps. Partly because he's right; he wouldn't have. Partly because, for the first time since he was tasked with teaching Callum the art of sword fighting, he's been disarmed and at the mercy of the other's blade. Suddenly, all eyes are watching the pair with tangible anticipation. Soren shuffles uncomfortably. Looking up at Callum he can't shake the feeling of a lamb to the slaughter.

In preparation for Ezran's own training, the younger boy had begun attending his older brother's training sessions. At first this had seemed like a great idea to Soren who strongly believed if Ez proved to be even half as incapable as Cal, his life would be very difficult. Now, he's wishing he only had one angry prince to deal with. He avoids Ezran's steely gaze.

Soren opens his mouth to attempt to defend himself, "Bu-"

"Save it, Soren," Callum turns, plunges his sword in the soft earth and stalks away. "C'mon Ez."

"Training doesn't finish for another hour, where are you going?"

"To take this up with aunt Amaya."