Autumn looks at me wide-eyed and bursts out of her bed without warning, only to come tumbling back down.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy," Mhatt says, helping Autumn.

I walk up to Autumn and sit beside her.

"How did I not kill you two?" she asks, looking down at her hands.

I take her hands, realizing that they are ice cold, and use some of my magic to flow heat into them.

She looks at me, questioning.

"Okay," I say. "Here we go."

"Right before the queen died, she put her magic into me by flowing it. That magic came to me all of the sudden when you were about to kill me. I calmed you down somehow, Autumn. Anyway, the queen knew she was going to die, and she also told me to protect you, but also River."

"Why?" Autumn asks.

I glance at River and he nods. I look back at Autumn.

"Because River is the next in line for the throne of Villepaix." 

I'm about to walk in the room and call for Autumn when I see her and Mhatt, talking. I immediatley turn and walk off.

"What was that?" River asks from the hallway.

"I-"

But I'm cut off when I stare at him in shock.

"What?" he asks.

"You-your hair," I sputter.

He grabs his hair and runs to a mirror in the hall.

"OH MY KYNGDOM WHAT THE HECK, WHAT, WHY, WHAT-"

"It doesn't look that bad," I interupt so he doesn't break the mirror into pieces. "I mean, you still look young, it just looks like you dyed your hair. White."

He does a spell to bring color back, but his hair deflects it. I almost laugh. His hair deflected a spell.

"Not funny," he says without turning away from the mirror.

Suddenely, Mhatt bursts out of he room and storms over to his room, slamming the door.

River and I glance at each other, heading over to my room where Autum is.

"What was that?" I ask.

Autumn shakes her head. "I told him basically that a me and him wasn't going to turn out great because he would probably end up in pieces. Literally."

Autumn glances at River, and then glances back wide-eyed.

"Your...your-"

"Don't say it," River says suddenely, holding up his hands.  

"Shall we get going?" I ask, clearing my throat.

They both nod, and we head out the door. 

I sit next to River and Autumn around the campfire. Crimson introduced us to a food called "smore's," and they were actually quite delicious. 

Anyway, Autumn and Mhatt talk quietly while Crimson and River talk.

Estellien whinnies, so I go to check on her.

"What is it?" I ask in Elven tongue.

"Magic," she replies softly.

I look around, suddenely sensing it too.

"It's not dark...." I say.

"No," Estellian replies. "Only another elf."

I walk into the woods and feel the cold tough my skin with a shiver.

I head back to the fire, and motion for everybody to come. They stand up and follow me, and I can tell they are questioning what is going on.

"Do you feel it?" I whisper to River.

He nods.

We head deeper into the woods.

"We should head back-" Autumn begins to say.

But she is interupted as River holds up a hand for silence.

"Something's not right," he mutters.

The back of my neck tingles. "Don't make any sudden movements," I whisper to everyone.

I clear my throat. "We are elves too," I say aloud in the Elevn tongue.

There is silence before a voice finally replies, "Not all of you."

"Most," River says.

"Unveil yourselves," I say.

Suddenely, everything is tense, and I immediatley draw my bow and arrow, pointing it into the darkness. River does the same. 

The faint light and sudden noise shows that there are arrows on the backs of Autumn, Crimson, and Mhatt's neck.

"Who are you?" a voice asks.

River clears his throat. "I am King Boisest, and the other is the successor to Queen Zefara." 

Autumn's awake and we're all situated. 

I prepare my bow, and I throw Autumn a gun.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

I sigh. "Request to hunt from one of the Resistance leaders. A girl by Alexandria, and a boy by Poe Allen. Also any surronding guards or soldiers or anyone else. They've crossed over to a forest a few miles away from Elliot's base. Our job is to take them out."

"Who are they?" Autumn asks.

"They're both eleven year olds used by Elliot to get somewhere. Alexandria's killed since she was five, and Poe's a highly trained pawn of Elliot," I reply, slinging my bow and arrow over my shoulder. "Ready?"

Autumn nods, taking hold of the gun.

We set off.

~~~~

We sit in the tree and wait for them to come. We've been tracking them, and they seem to be heading in this direction.

Suddenely, Autumn takes a shot, and she hits a guard. I shoot one with my bow, and Crimson takes one out with her crossbow.

Autumn aims her gun at Poe Allen, but Alexandria noticed. Right as Autumn shoots it, Poe and Alexandria dive. Before we can aim again, they burst up, along with another guard, and run.

We go after them, at a slower pace. No use wasting energy. They aren't going anywhere too soon. 

I shift uncomfortably in the tree.

There's something about the ones we're hunting- it doesn't seem right. Is it because they are young? Are we supposed to end a life that early? I mean, they have ended lives themselves plenty of times, but it's not their fault they never had a childhood.

"Can't sleep?" Autumn asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I turn to her and shake my head.

"Ah. Me either," she mutters.

But within a few minutes, Autumn drifts off into sleep. I, on the other hand, lay wide awake, when I suddennly hear a small chirp above my head. I sit up and look, noticing a bird in the branches.

It flutters down and sits on my knee.

It has a small golden necklace with a scroll attached to it. A bird from the Elves.

I bid thank and goodbyes to the bird in Elvish, and open the letter.

It reads,

Dear Rose,

They are asking for your presence in The Council. They say you are to be the successor to the queen because she passed her powers to you. I understand that you are currentely in the middle of something, but please, try to come back soon.

From,

River

I sigh. It's not happening. I can't just leave in the middle of a mission. What is The Council thinking?

Unless....

It isn't The Council at all.