The sun drew long shadows on the ground as they rode towards the shore where Stare claimed the warehouse was that Celandine and a few others were being held. Veridian, who so far had been reluctant to even look at the kenku after what she had done to him, finally began to talk. He ran over the conversation as far as Philomel remembered it, growled at the right moments and sighed at the rest. As he turned his golden eyes to look at the black ones of the crow-woman nearby them he pondered, whiling the quiet minutes by.

Don't let Vaeron know, he suggested to Philomel and she nodded.

"I agree," she said outloud.

"What?"

Philomel looked over to the avidly watching kenku and shook her head. "Nothing. It was just Veridian."

"Veridian?"

The faun nodded back to her fox companion sitting at the back of her saddle. Looking over, Stare found herself captured by the golden gaze.

"Ah, he is not dumb?"

"No, in neither sense of the word," Philomel said, offended. "He is my beloved. And what you did to him was inexcusable."

Stare shrugged. "You were about to kill Albion."

"Thinking on it, I still want to," Philomel admitted.

The kenku let out a laugh, one that made a flock of sparrows pick up from the long grass and cheer into the sky, screaming. Screeching high they cried to all that people were there, disturbance and danger around.

Philomel blinked a couple of times and looked back at Veridian. He smiled a little to her, sparkles in his eyes. He told her that he respected her and that any decision she went with, he would follow.

If she wanted to try to kill these people after, he would help.

She nodded and answered back the feeling of delath beneath their feet. The mighty dragon, the insurance of their souls. He who could come like a wind and slay their enemies.

Aye we have him, Veridian answered.

And it was good.