The adventure ends

Bring to me all of my arrows
Bring to me my crossbow too
I fear we might need them both
Before the night is through

(Blackmore's Night: World of Stone)

Lovyan was walking around the chamber nervously, trying to convince herself that Arleen was all right. She just got so absorbed in her game that she had forgotten to come, that's all.
It was true that Arleen did that quite often, especially after litle prince Athelin was born and she had to get used to the fact that her brother Sheridan now has a wife and a son to care for - and they both needed it. Lovyan knew that Arleen now wanted even more to be a brave knight to make Sheridan notice her and she got lost in her games so easily... but it was getting late.
She finally decided to find her and remind her to go home for dinner, but just as she left the fortress to ask Kyffen, older brother of Arleen's friend Kieran, she nearly bumped into him.

They exchanged greetings and Lovyan just wanted to ask him about Arleen, but he was faster: "Could you please tell Kieran he should go home? I'm really sorry to interrupt his game with the princess, but..."
"They aren't at your place?" Lovyan asked, surprised, "I just wanted to visit you to ask you the very same question!"
"No. He told me he's going to play with Arleen and left. Haven't you seen them?"
"I have. They rushed from the castle like if a band of demons was chasing them. Only that they were laughing and they had Aife with them. I thought..."
"They have propably gone to see Rhianna and her Badwyr. They often let the dogs play together."
"So they say. But I think the true reason is that Arleen wants them to have puppies." Lovyan laughed, feeling quite relieved. Rhianna! How could she have forgotten that?
"If they're going to be like Badwyr, why not? In that case, I would like one myself. Rhianna may be just a girl in boy's clothes, but she certainly knows how to train a dog."

"It's a pity she can't train Arleen as well. I would really like her to be as well-behaved as Badwyr is. Let's go and ask Rhianna."

But when they arrived, Rhianna was bathing Badwyr and there was no sign of the children or Aife. When Lovyan asked about them, Rhianna only shook her head.
"No, they're not here. I haven't seen them the whole day and... Oh, stay, Badwyr! Let me just get the rest of that mud of you!"

Badwyr, well-behaved as he was calmed down until Rhianna finished washing him. Then he jumped out, shook the water from his fur, splashing everone around, and started barking.
"What, Badwyr? Do you want to help us search for the lost children?" Lovyan asked with a smile, but Badwyr barked once more and started sniffing the ground.
"Oh, I don't think that would be necessary." Kyffen laughed. "Maybe we should just ask Etain. The three of them often play together.

They half expected Etain to be missing as well, but at least he was at home.
"Oh, Etain, do you know where Arleen and Kieran can be?" Lovyan asked immedietely after she saw him. "They're missing and we can't them anywhere."
Etain's eyes widened. "Missing? Oh no, I should... but I didn't know they really meant it, I thought Arleen was only joking and..."

"Joking about what?" Kyffen broke in, worried by Etain's response.
"About wanting to go to the forest." Etain replied, looking really worried too, "To explore."
Kyffen and Lovyan looked at each other with the same worried expression on their faces.
"Go tell Sheridan," Kyffen said finally, "he is the king and little Arleen's brother. I'll fetch Rhianna and Badwyr. I guess we are going to need his nose after all.
Lovyan only nodded and left.

Sheridan was in his chamber, talking to his baby son Athelin when Lovyan stormed in.
"Arleen and Kieran have gone to the forest." she said as soon as she caught her breath, "To explore."
"Alone?" Sheridan asked and in his voice there was both surprise and fear.
"With Aife, but they haven't retirned yet. Kyffen has already gone to get Rhianna and Badwyr, they want to go searching for them."

"I'll go with them" Sheridan decided immediately. He now looked his old self, as if the danger woke him up from a dream he fell in after Athelin was born small and weak and Maeve fell ill after the childbirth. Now he was as before - prepared for any crazy adventure as always.
"Just take care of Athelin until we return... all of us."
"All right, just..." Lovyan started to say, but Sheridan handed her the baby and rushed out of the chamber. "...just be careful... all of you." Lovyan finished, but she doubted he had heard her.

Arleen and Kieran were trying to find their way back home, but in fact they were getting completely lost. They seemed to be walking in circles and despite all their trying, when it got dark and the moon rose, filling the forest with its blue light, they were still there and still lost. Even the most ordinary forest sounds now sounded balefully and though they would never admit it, both Kieran and Arleen were afraid now.
"How come you aren't able to find your our way back, Arleen? You said you were sure and.."
"So obviously I wasn't! The forest looks so defferent at night.. and, anyway, I never said I will find the way. We have Aife for that."

"Maybe she can't..." Kieran suggested
"Oh, she sure does! Come on, Aife. Show him you're even better than the praised Badwyr!"
Slowly they went on, trying to remember which way they came, but they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the edge of the forest.

"KIERAN! ARLEEN!" Sheridan shouted once more, but, once more, there was no response.
"That's useless. We won't find them this way..." Kyffen said, but despite his words he continued walking onwards into the dark even faster.

Rhianna caught up and walked on his side.
"We will find them. Badwyr has found their trace and he'll lead us to them... eventually."
"Let's hope so. Now Badwyr can prove he's as good as we all think him to be.
Rhianna nodded and just wanted to say something when the wolf howl broke the silence.

Kieran and Arleen jumped from shock, standing back to back to each other instinctively.
"What was it?" asked Arleen, trying not to show how much scared she was. This game was getting too real...

"Wolves." said Kieran, "But they won't attack us, they only do in winter when they have nothing to eat... at least Kyffen said so..." he was trying to sound confident, but he wasn't very sure himself.
"But what if they aren't normal wolves?" Arleen said aloud the question they both had in mind Now, although they both tried hard not to show it, they were too afraid to continue walking into the darkness, so they just stood there, back to back, listened to the howling and waited...

After they heard the howl, Rhianna was the first to react. "Run, Badwyr!" she shouted and followed right after the dog. Sheridan and Kyffen caught up and all four of them ran through the forest, hoping they would find the children before the wolves do. Or some other creatures, even more dangerous than wolves.

Aife started barking suddenly. The two young knights just nestled against each other even more, holding their swords tightly. They were both afraid, but they were also decided to fight - if only with wood in their hands.

When they saw the lights moving through the darkness of the forest, they didn't even dare to move. The leaves of the trees sounded almost like a faint call... or was it really a call? As the lights were drawing near also the sounds were growing louder and soon the children could recognize familiar voices in them.
Overjoyed, they ran towards the lights to the arms of their loved ones. They were not afraid of anything anymore. They were together and Sheridan and Kyffen had both their big swords and there was Badwyr. They were safe now and the adventure was over for them. At least for now.