I open my eyes to the gentle smile of Mother Willow. She has not changed a day in over a thousand years. She is rocking in a chair beside me, humming, and smiling to herself. She is pleased, her daughter is home. I look around, home. Emily is asleep in a chair in the corner. Ash is pacing up and down the hall. The bed is soft like a cloud and smells of lavender. I am home. Not the castle that would be my home, but in the home I grew up in, Oakhaven. I was afraid to make a sound, afraid I was dreaming and would wake. I wiggled my fingers and toes, all worked, and everything stayed the same.

I glanced back at Mother Willow, her eyes were shining merrily as she watched me. I smiled at her and tears flooded both our eyes. “Raven”, I whispered. Mother just shook her head no. I sat up, too fast at that and my head swam. Ash was upon me in seconds gentle pushing me back down. “No, I am fine” I said sitting back up more slowly.

“Fine, you are lucky you are the Dragon Queen sister, or dead you would be” Ash said. At first I couldn’t believe my ears. It had been so long since I heard our language. Then I pulled him in and held him so tight, he actually began to squirm. Which made us laugh. Had I really been gone for so long. Mother rushed off to get some food and woke Emily, who then broke down into sobs at seeing I was ok. No one spoke for the longest time until Father, my real father, Odin, walked into the room.

“Tell me” I said