As she worked, Rayadell gave the elk only a quick glance, making sure it showed no evidence of the desire to attack, but it only continued eating grass.
	When a faint rustle reached her ears, in a single, swift movement, she dropped the twigs she had been about to place on the expertly stacked pile, grabbed her staff from beside her, and stood, brandishing the weapon defensively in front of her. When only Calanon came into focus, his form bathed in an eerie mix of shadow and moonlight, she watched him approach.
	Slowly, she returned to her knees as Calanon worked around it to complete a circle, the girl notsurprised by his apparent strength. With the tips of her wings bent uncomfortably against the ground, her cloak only just concealing them, she finished her own job.
	With both their tasks complete, Rayadell glanced behind her back at the tree the spirit had last been in, but either it had moved on, or remained hidden. She looked back to Calanon as he tried to start a fire, contemplating offering to start it for him. Instead, she watched, head slightly cocked, before he managed to spark embers that quickly caught the larger pieces of wood stacked above it.
	Soon, firelight flickered its warm glow over Calanon, Brogach, and her, the flames staving off the growing chill of the night.
	Rayadell returned his smile with a half-hearted congratulatory nod. Her silvery gaze glittered in the firelight as she watched him stand to give the elk some water. 
	Her head snapped over at a gentle movement in the trees, her hand instinctively moving to her staff. She caught another glimpse of the spirit switching trees.
	“We’ve attracted a tree spirit,” Rayadell stated, her gaze on the tree as she used her staff to help her stand before leaning on it, relieving her wings of at least part of their awkward position. She looked back to her current companion with a contemplative expression.
	The Carishes had attracted her attention with the possibility of a cure for her curse. How had they gained [i]his[/i] agreement?
	“So tell me, Calanon,” she began, readjusting her grip on the staff. “How did you come to be a part of this?”