No matter how many times I told myself this was a simple stroll, a mere wandering of the mind, I could not make it true. I hadn’t arrived in the grove by simple design… I’d followed her trail, her scent; I’d followed Evangeline. What that made me now I was unsure, but for some reason I didn’t care. I was curious… Was she meeting someone? Was she attempting to evade me? I didn’t truly want to know the answer to either, but at least I could prevent both things from happening.

I’d tried to fathom a million different reasons as why I too had decided to visit the secrecy of the hollow and yet none of them were made believable. Intrigue, mistake, or just plain curiosity- they all sounded so fabricated. No matter what I said or did, she’d know I’d come in her wake. Was there any use in hiding it now? Was there any use in hiding it ever?

Honesty had tugged the words I’d needed from her lips, so wouldn’t it do the same in this situation? I hoped. But, no matter how I tried to reason it I was left feeling nervous and crazed. I knew that this emotion was far from the serene relationship I’d shared with Tamira… but did that make it better?
Surely time would tell.

The scent of smoke breezed through the dark trees all around. I knew that someone had decided to start a fire to warm the cool, spring night… However, I couldn’t decide whether or not that meant it was Evangeline. After all, she was not the only creature in Helovia to bond with a dragon and that was excluding those individuals lucky enough to have been blessed with the Sun God’s magic.

But I trailed the flames anyhow, relying on blind faith to lead me in the right direction.


The path that led me to her was a long one and I did have a bit of time to occupy my mind with thoughts of other things, such as Essetia. But I was not soothed by the guilt or the shame I associated with my precious daughter. Surely I would be given the chance to explain myself to her, to apologize… if she was alive and well. I quickly buried the thought as soon as it reared its ugly head; I refused to believe anything had befallen my own child- my only child.

When I heard the shrouded whispers parting the thicket just ahead, I tipped curious ears toward the sound. They were most certainly feminine tones but it proved nothing in the way of who they belonged to. That is, until I got closer and saw the flame of her skin and the green of her eyes. Eva…

“What are you sorry about?” I questioned upon pressing through the thicket to join the mare and her companion. I cared naught if I’d frightened her nor if she’d been expecting someone else. It would teach her that spending the night in foreign places was unwise... and if she were holding private audience with another, well, I’d see the truth revealed.