Chapter Eighteen

Lina left the meeting feeling quite frustrated.

Yes, she had learned a good amount of new information, and yes, things were making themselves clearer and it was all very exciting, but really, a drought? All it would do would be to kill plant life and make it harder for animals to find living resources. But dry up a lake? Of course not!

It was Evan who had suggested it, saying that Veiled Lake's water was supplied by the rain that fell regularly year-round and that if they could stop the rain from coming, it could help them a great deal, since the lake grew every time it rained, which was more often than once a week, and the way to get rid of Cyan was to just erase the lake from the earth.

With a drought.

They had brainstormed other ideas. Drink her. Who would do it? Put her in a bottle. How? Boil her. With what? Drain her. Into what? Break her heart. But did she have one, to begin with? Throw her off a cliff. They'd need to get her out of the lake first. Use her to water the plants of the forest. Same problem.

Obviously, they had wizards and mages with libraries full of spells and enchantments, but Cyan too was an Enchantress, and even trapped in the lake, she was a powerful one.

Of course, the rest knew they couldn't dry the whole lake up with a simple drought, but how much easier it would be for them to get rid of the lake without the extra water the coming weeks would bring.

Lina didn't feel like thinking about it anymore. She just wanted to go home now. It had been too long...she was below the cabin, walking down through the valley between the circle of hills. She wanted a break. A break from the crowded Cabin. From the pale colors. The old fashioned clothing, the magical animals, the endless forest, the silky water in the creek, the sounds of the training army behind the Cabin, the humid air, the endless chirping of the birds and singing of the insects, and the lack of city sounds. She was sick of it all.

The flapping of wings overhead.

Lina looked up. She nearly stumbled back in surprise. That bird! She was certain she'd seen it before. And she knew where. In Istelle Williams' backyard. It was the Amazara.

"Amazara!" She called out to it, yelling as loud as she could, which still wasn't very loud. The bird heard her anyway. It peeked under it's wing when it heard it's name, then turned around and flew her way, surprising Lina, who had expected to be ignored.

She grinned at the bird, "I was hoping to see you!"

The bird cocked it's head at her.

"Please come up to the cabin with me," she said and started walking back in the other direction. She was relieved to see the bird following her.

They reached the top of the hill and Lina knocked on the Cabin door, the Amazara on the ground behind her, looking puzzled.

The two entered just in time to catch the word 'bomb.'

Most of the people were gone. Only Liz and Jude, Arin and Alistair, Gwanwyn, and Evan remained. The meeting had ended.

They looked her way. "Hey Lina!" Jude said, waving from the carpet where he and Liz were doing something with origami figures.

"What's that you have— oh!" Istelle interrupted herself as the Amazara flew over Lina's head into the room.

Linaria turned to Evan. "You said the only one who could take us back to our past is the Amazara. Here.

The large bird's head twisted around to shoot Lina an insulted look. It flew up and landed on a wooden stool that had been pushed back from the table by the window sill.

Istelle watched, wondering why the bird was so quiet.

"Good afternoon, Amazara," she said.

"Oh hello, my friend Istelle,

I hope your army's doing well."

It greeted her back, finally singing.

"Yes, we are making progress. How have you been?"

"Well since the magic Symbol

Was taken from my nest,

I must admit

I've not been at my best."

It was strange having a conversation with a bird.

"We are working on it."

"Then Istelle I wish you luck,

Linaria, please quickly duck—"

Amazara flew right over Lina's head, about to exit, but she called "Wait! Please stop!" and ran after it. Liz and Jude exchanged glances.

Their friend came back in with the bird.

"Can't you fly us back home? I don't want to be stuck here forever!"

"I would also like to go back home if you can do that for us," said Liz.

"Same." Jude stood up from the origami.

Istelle looked to her friends, then back at the bird. "It isn't fair to keep them here. You have to take them back to their time. It isn't so difficult, is it?"

It was the first time for all of them to see a bird rolling its eyes.

The Amazara waddled towards the door, calling back to them,

"Fine. If ever again,

your homes you wish to see,

Then, friends of Istelle,

Come and follow me."

Liz looked alarmed, "wait, right now?"

"If ever again

Your homes you wish to see

Hurry, friends of Istelle,

And quickly follow me."

The bird repeated the words, only slightly changing the lyrics.

The girls looked around, though both Lina and Liz desperately wanted to go home, they didn't wish to have to rush their goodbyes.

They first rushed to Evan and Gwanwyn by the table, hugging them thanking them for all their kindness, then ran to Istelle, tears in their eyes.

"You'll come back, Istelle, right? You'll come back to the future?"

"I'll miss you two so much," was all Istelle said before giving them each tight hugs and sending them out the door. But she never answered the question.

Jude finished saying goodbye to them as well and was following Lina and Liz out the door when Arin caught up to him, tugging at the bottom of his shirt.

He looked down at her. "Hey Arin."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Al and I are gonna miss you, Jude." Her voice was choked up and Jude knew she was about to cry.

"Don't cry Arin. You'll still have my origami, remember? It's your origami now. And you can make more."

Jude had taught her to make some.

"Yes." the girl's answer was muffled. Jude looked to where his friends were waiting with the Amazara.

He gave Arin a light, brotherly kiss on the top of the head and joined his friends.

"Make sure to drop them off right where you picked me up, in my backyard, same time, safe place!" Istelle called through the door. It was the last thing they heard before the bird lifted up and flew them away.

Arin ran into the house, scooped up the origami on the floor, and closed herself up in her bedroom.

A minute later, she opened it back up to let Alistair in, then closed it again.

Istelle watched, distracted for a brief moment, wondering how the wolf fit through Arin's tiny bedroom door.

She shrugged and turned to Evan, but he was gone from his seat. Only Gwanwyn remained in the room.

"I could feel the presence of the little girl inside me stronger than ever a second ago...Istelle Williams…" she said to the wolf ashy.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I nearly cried."

"And now?"

"Now I feel her fading away, Istelle Williams I mean. As if the Amazara took her back to her past with Jude and Lina and Liz."

"Well...you just called her a her instead of me so...maybe that is the case."

"Perhaps. Where did Evan go?"

"The Sky Room. I think maybe he's going to miss them too."

Istelle grimaced. "Do you think he would mind if I joined him?"

"No. But you should ask him anyway."

"All right."

Gwanwyn sighed and walked outside. Nayana and Talion were returning from a walk. She hoped they had just been walking, that Talion hadn't just had to bring her back from hiding from a Kapworky monster illusion. Whatever the case, Talion's arm was around her, and her head was on his shoulder. It looked like an awkward position and Gwanwyn wondered how they managed it. Looking closer, she saw how Nayana was dragging her feet, and that most of her weight was on Talion. The two stopped and Nayana said something to Talion.

Then, the centaur lowered himself so she could get on his back.

He carried her up the hill.

Gwanwyn greeted them at the top, helping Nayana off of Talion. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Nayana interrupted Talion before he could even answer.

"She hurt her leg. I'm not sure how, but it's painful for her to walk." He answered anyway.

They carefully escorted Nayana into the Cabin and Gwanwyn told Talion he'd better get back to training the army. He was the second in command, since Istelle was absent. He left.

Gwanwyn took Nayana to her own room and laid her on the bed, removing her shoes.

She told her about Jude, Linaria, and Liz returning to their time as she tried to figure out what was wrong with the leg. Nayana asked some more questions about the future, but Gwanwyn only knew so much.

Eventually, the ashy gave Nayana some tea and left her to sleep.

Coming out, she decided to check on Arin.

The door opened before she could knock, Arin had heard her coming.

The little girl held a little paper boat in one hand and a lifesize paper fish in another. And though she was certainly quite sad looking and from the looks of it had been cuddling on the floor with Alistair and the quilt Gwanwyn had made for her, there were no traces of tears.

The ashy smiled. She had heard Jude telling Arin not to cry.

They walked back to Alistair and sat down together with the quilt.

They played with Jude's origami until it was time to go cook dinner.