It was difficult to tell just how long he was laying there, everything silent though his eyes stared up at the blurred shapes of whatever was above him. It wasn’t dark, not entirely, and in fact the change in the light only made things more peculiar. He didn’t have the strength to move, to roll his head to the side in an attempt to realize just where he was.

Sounds.

They were soft at first, a dull ring that left him focusing more on the noises rather than the impossibly blurred view above him. For a while, he didn’t bother fighting through the fog, assuming it would simply take him away again. However, things stayed far too consistent for him to ignore the sounds around him.

A cough.

His own.

Aurora squinted, blinking and beginning to tap his fingers on the surface he rested on. He could move, he decided, and he wasn’t dead based on the chill in the air that had his breath pluming in front of him. Swallowing, he gathered whatever waning strength in his body disappearing the moment he rolled over onto his side.

There was a figure nearby, turning towards him from what he could tell through the haze in his vision.

“Where…am I?”
A bad question, he considered briefly.

“You are awake.”

The words were more of a growl than words, rolled out into a tone that sounded far too foreign to be human. Aurora closed his eyes, strength fading finally and for a while all was quiet again.

“Do you hear my words, Aurora?”

He groaned, eyes peeling open again to stare into the face of a creature that would have sent him jumping backwards in surprise if he had the strength. Instead he just swallowed, gawking into the hazy eyes of the faeloren in front of him. She breathed out in a huff, black tipped ears flipping backwards.

“Do you? I cannot see your eyes. Are they open?”

Blind.

“Y-yes.”

“Don’t be frightened of me,” she said calmly, voice accented the way Bantrem’s voice.

“Why?”

She frowned, silvery tail lashing back and forth as she reached up to scratch at the ruff of thick fur on her neck. “I don’t understand what you are asking me.”

Something was wrong.

What seemed like moments ago, he had been locked away in a prison waiting for the darkness to swallow him. Instead, he found himself in front of a creature of the Rift in a place that was far from familiar. He shook his head, trying to push himself upright only to be shoved down a little less than gently by the faeloren in front of him.

“Stay down. You will only hurt yourself.”

Aurora leaned his head back, wincing. “Why am I here? I was in a-“

“A cage,” she said flatly. “You are Aurora, correct? Bantrem gave me your name before he left you with me. I am called Wren and I am what you would know as a healer. There is no reason for you to be afraid. You are safe here.”

He was silent, staring up at the ceiling again.

“Are you afraid?”

Aurora only sighed, watching as she moved across the hut to collect something from across the room. He frowned down at the vial as she handed it to him. “Drink this. You will feel much better. I was not sure you would survive the first night you arrived. How long has it been since you were fed?”

He stared down at, briefly glancing up to squint at the filled shelves across the hut before his attention moved to Wren. “What is this?”

“Drink.”

Unable to argue, Aurora downed it quickly only to find he was left gagging a moment later. He coughed, handing the vial back to Wren and watching as she moved back to the shelves once more.

“I apologize for the taste. Do you like this?” she asked, shuffling back towards him with an earth bowl in hand.

Aurora sat up again, peering inside with a frown. “Is that honey?”
“Is that what you call it?” Wren asked, blind eyes moving down towards the bowl. “I was told by a clan member that your kind likes it. You may have some if you would like.”

“I’m alright,” he answered, lowering himself back down onto the cot again with groan.

Wren let out a lighthearted rumble, returning the bowl and returning, once more, with something else. “You have a strange name,” she said flatly, holding out a water skin for him to take. “The lights in the sky have that name for us. But it is strange for a name of a being.”

“I’ve been told,” he answered plainly, eyes moving to stare at the ceiling.

The healer reached a paw forward, slipping it behind his head and lifting gently as she brought the mouth of the water skin to his lips. “Drink.”

Aurora flinched, half trying to pull away but quickly realized he wasn’t about to be harmed. He swallowed, reaching up with a shaking hand and quickly tilting it down to finish the contents of the water skin. Moving at all as a chore and the moment he set his head back down again, his eyes slipped closed.

“Don’t strain yourself. You have stayed alive this long and you cannot die now. You have questions, yes?”

“I don’t understand. I’m just-“

“We all know what you are.”

Aurora craned his neck as best he could to gaze towards the door in an attempt to locate the second voice. He swallowed, remembered last time they had been in contact, Aurora was nearly strangled. Wren’s ears perked as she turned, spotted tail lashing behind her.

“Shaah?”

“Yes.”

He would have moved to sit up again if Wren didn’t set a heavy paw on his chest. Shaah growled, lips curling upward as Wren’s ears flattened against her head. A hiss slipped from between her teeth and Aurora’s heart fluttered as her claws flexed out to prick the fabric of his clothing.

“He is not to be harmed. We agreed.”

“I know,” Shaah muttered.

Aurora pushed himself half up to a seated position despite Wren’s hold on him. “Why did you take me out of there? How did you know I was there?”

“You can be returned if you would like. Most of my clan was not happy at the news we saved your life-“

A pleased huff sounded from Wren, mouth dropping open in something he could only describe as the most unnatural smile he’d ever seen. “It was my idea. After my mate spoke of your promise to help us, I refused to let another chance go by. You would not have survived much longer had we not come.”
Aurora didn’t answer.

“You know this, correct?”

“You should have come sooner. There was another with me-“

Wren raised a paw. “Do not stray in regret. It will only tear you apart.”

A snort.

“I have been speaking with Bantrem. He has agreed we cannot give you back. There is a reason why we took you. Bantrem and Wren along with a few others believe you are the one to save us.”

“You tried killing me not long ago. Do you trust me this much-“
“My trust in you is small. But we need you,” Shaah replied scornfully.

Aurora couldn’t help but laugh as he lowered down onto the cot. “I’m one person. I can’t help you on my own.”

“Bantrem and I spoke of this. There is something he sees in you and Shaah does as well. You remind them of s-“

“The last time one of you helped us, he was slain. The Dravara keep themselves protected. Anyone who knows what really happens does not last long. She did not kill them before but her mind is changing. Do you know what happens to them?”

Aurora shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

The clan leader only growled softly. “I was hoping you could tell me the answer.”

Wren’s head rose, nostrils flaring and mouth dropping open. He looked up, wondering what she had caught notice of when his nose was clogged with the scents of the herbs stacked around them.

“There are others outside?”

Shaah’s ears perked, eyes narrowing as he looked towards Aurora with a growl rumbling in his throat. “Yes, there are. Half of the clan has gathered. They are anxious to meet you, Aurora. Perhaps you will be able to join us for the Gathering of Lights. Has Wren mentioned this to you?”

“I thought you said they weren’t happy to know I was resc-“

“I have not,” Wren cut in, thudding a paw back into his chest again. “I have mentioned the name of the lights but not the gathering. I am not sure he is strong enough to stand-“

Aurora cleared his throat. “If it’s all the same to you, I wouldn’t mind going. I’ve been through much worse and survived,” he said softly, eyes darting between the two and hoping Shaah wouldn’t grow angry at what he said.

He was an escaped prisoner, not capable of saving himself let alone anyone else. The Dravara wouldn’t go through the trouble of crossing the Rift to retrieve him, he hoped, but he certainly didn’t want to stay with the faeloren. But as long as he was with them, he assumed it was better to go along with what they said.

Perhaps, even if the chances seemed bleak, if he made them realize what he was, Shaah would set him free. However, the thought frightened him after spending so long in the same dark corners. He wouldn’t know what to do the moment he wasn’t enclosed.

Even if the idea of being out in the open wasn’t terrifying enough, he doubted he had the strength to get anywhere. The thought of standing made him dizzy and sitting up had been enough to make him oddly exhausted.

“So be it,” Shaah said finally. “I trust her judgement. You may join us if Wren believes you can make it.”

Wren’s tail lashed behind her, ears flicking back towards Aurora. “If you feel the strength to walk is with you, join us. If not, I will stay with you. But if you would like to go, I will accompany you. All of my clan may not be kind to an outsider.”

“He will not be harmed. I will be sure you are safe. There is nothing to be afraid of,” Shaah replied gruffly.

Wren’s expression didn’t waver. “I will accompany him.”
Shaah grunted, ears flattening before he turned and stalked away without another word. Aurora heard him snarl outside, greeted by a few more equally distinct voices and then came only silence. Even if he had the strength to run, something told him he was safer in Wren’s care than anywhere else. Rowena wouldn’t take kindly to his escape, he assumed, but crossing the Rift seemed extreme even for her.

He was one person, nothing but an annoyance to the Dravara.

“Shaah will not hurt you here.”

Aurora swallowed, nodding and chuckling nervously. “He nearly killed me the last ti-“

“I was told.”

He stared upward silently for a moment. “I thought he had killed my best friend too.”

“Where is this friend? Was he with you-“

“No,” Aurora answered, shaking his head. “He’s far away from here.”

Wren frowned. “I understand.”

Aurora moved to sit up again, wincing at the pain in his head and the echoes of stiffness still wracking his body. It was strange to be sitting atop a bed of furs, warm and, as daring as it was to think, safe. He’d been locked away, thrown in a corner to die and be forgotten about while the rest of the world denied the fact he existed in the first place. Wren was the first kindness he’d encountered in a very long time.

“Are you in pain?”

He shook his head, sitting upright a second later and cursing himself. “I shook my head…I’m sorry, I-“

“It happens often,” Wren chortled, something of a pleased laugh rumbling in her chest.

Glancing down, he only shrugged, looked up again and then swore.

“Are you in pain, Aurora? I have things I can give you.”

“No, I’m alright. It’s just my head. I haven’t eaten in…” he trailed off, frowning, “well, I don’t know how long it’s been.”

“I will have someone bring you something to eat-“

She was cut off by a voice that Aurora couldn’t understand, a call coming up from outside before something came tearing inside and leaped onto his cot. Aurora yelped, falling backwards at the sight of the creature as it pounced its way towards him, stopping just short and standing up on its hind legs.

“H-hello,” he stammered, staring back at the cub that reached a clawed hand out towards him questioningly.

Its pelt was on the darker side of gray unlike the adults he’d seen, eyes like two storm clouds captured in a bottle. Aurora frowned when it drew away, ears pinning back with a hiss. Wren turned towards them, opening her mouth before being cut off as a second faeloren entered the hut.

He was short and spoke rapidly, an explanation from what Aurora could tell and Wren responded with a huff, shaking her head. “Aurora, don’t mind the cub. She will not harm you. Len was watching over her-“

“Is she yours?” he asked, turning towards the second faeloren who looked flustered by the question.

He shook his head. “N-no.”

“He is too young for cubs. Len has not even lost his gray,” Wren called.

Len shuffled over, round ears dropping in what he could only assume was embarrassment. Aurora stretched a hand towards the cub as she sat, watching as her arms extended to swat at his fingers. A smile flickered across his lips. “She isn’t bothering me.”

The faeloren stopped then, dark eyes filling with something that resembled concern. He opened his mouth to speak, reaching up to rub at the small scars across his nose. “I…speak not well. Aurora, yes?”

He nodded.

“I hear…” he looked back at Wren, growling something Aurora couldn’t understand.

“He has heard many things about you,” she added, stepping closer towards them.

Aurora pulled his hand away from the cub, bracing one arm on either side of him. However, she didn’t seemed satisfied that their game was over and followed, crawling up onto his lap and reaching up to bat at his chin.

Len hurried over, scooping the cub into his arms and hissing a few garbled words to her harshly. The cub squeaked, scrambling from his arms again and racing from the hut on all fours once more. Aurora laughed. “She doesn’t seem to sit still, does she?”

“Good meeting…you,” Len called as he followed, disappearing after the cub.

“Len is to replace me some day. He watches cubs for mothers who need to rest. That is something you should be doing,” she hummed from across the hut.

“I really-“

Wren padded closer, reaching up to put a paw on one shoulder. “Rest. I will wake you when it is dark. If you feel strength is with you still, you may go.”

Aurora swallowed. “Am I being too calm about this? Shouldn’t I be running from you right now?”

“I don’t understand. Why would you run?”

He shrugged then and Wren pushed him gently to his back once more. “Rest.”

Aurora sighed, eyes closing. He didn’t have a choice in the matter and even if he denied his fear of the faeloren, something still ate at the back of his mind. Trusting anything was becoming increasingly difficult. But they were kind, much kinder than Rowena had been.

And that kindness, even if it seemed to be conditional, was more than he ever could have asked for.

Next Chapter: Chapter 29