The light at the end of the tunnel drew Archibald towards the surface. His family was safe in the depths of the caverns, and he wished none of them to follow him. He had warned his sons and told them to stay within the sanctuary until he told them otherwise, and he hoped the boys listened to the sternness in his voice for fear of their lives. Loretta had snarled at the colts, hopefully solidifying Archibald's warning. The act surprised her, for she had only ever stood as a barrier of protection in front of the sons of Hellion, but the intensity of the darkness that loomed overhead was not to be reckoned with. Together, however, the beast and his harlot were pulled to the surface. They were going to get a wraith, pull it into the cave, and figure out how to save it. How to save Helovia. How to save his family.

Little did he know, the wraith he encountered would be a mare he would call his friend.

He heard her voice first, and panic hit the back of his brain like a firecracker. Together hoof and paw shot into a canter, pulling him towards the familiar call of the crimson and black mare. She was calling for the poisoner, for her friend, for Archibald's comrade in arms. He saw Lakota before he saw Ktulu and he halted, his feathered hooves scraping with a sharp sound on the floor of the cave. "Lakota," Archibald's voice was barely above a whisper, a breath of ragged baritone that sounded strained and relieved all in one. The Dauntless took a step towards Lakota, thankful for her safety, before his golden eyes turned to search for Ktulu.

He saw her. She was not Ktulu, though the voice that came from her throat was of Paladin's daughter. Archibald's jaw clenched and Loretta bound to Lakota's companion's side, pacing with him and whining quietly. The presence of the wraith-Ktulu sent her over the edge--she was afraid, she wanted to kill it, she wanted to run, she wanted to protect the others. Archibald attempted to soothe her, sending waves of calm thoughts in her direction. "Lakota..." Archibald whispered again, taking a step forward slowly to ready himself to block Lakota should Ktulu decide to attack. "Can you heal her with your magic?" Archibald was unaware of the promotion within the Foothills, and his thoughts brought him to the magic bestowed by the Earth God that had woven his own skin and sinew back together in the past. "I can immobolize her...We need to help her."