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In the dark of night Ryiah began to cry, softly at first, then louder, till Drakon and Mel woke to feed and change her. After doing so Mel and Ryiah went back to sleep, but Drakon could not fall asleep again. He walked upstairs and found Lhosseth standing next to the depot, busily filling her bag with vegetables. After a nice exchange of words they walked out to the fire pit and talked for a few hours while Lhosseth used the fire for cooking. They had just returned inside the main hall when the wind picked up and began to blow very hard, then the down pour of rain came.

Suddenly, as if the Gods shouted from the sky, after a quick bolt of light struck just outside the main hall, the night silence exploded in a thunderous crash. Jumping at the storm erupting outside the hall, they both turned to stare into the darkness with worried eyes. Drakon pleaded for Lhosseth to go below but she wanted to stay and keep watch, fearing to miss what the Gods were trying to tell or show them. As the wind grew stronger and stronger the rain poured from the heavens above, darkening the sky and the ground below.

Fearing the worst Drakon ran to the depot to make some torches. If something was out there he wanted to be able to see it as it entered the hall. He was only able to light a few and make three more before he heard Lhosseth shout: " FIRE..!! " With that he ran to her side, looking out past the bridge to where her shaking hand was pointing, the orange dancing glow of the flame made the burning tree easy to see in the pitch black darkness that surrounded them.

Drakon quickly called out to Lhosseth in a panicked voice: " Buckets! ...Lhosseth do you have buckets..?" His mind raced, knowing if the fire spread it would come to the main hall and take everyone in their sleep, including his family. Lhosseth stopped her pacing in the main hall to reply shocked: " You do not mean to go out there, brother ..." but after a few moments she knew he was right, she spoke again saying: " I have eight buckets. "

Without any further talk they both darted outside across the bridge and began to fill bucket after bucket, running to the burning trees trying to put the fires out. A lighting bolt struck close to Drakon as he was filling his buckets. Its force threw his body back against the ground, causing all the water to spill out. Shaking his head trying to clear his head and figure out what happened, he heard Lhosseth scream once as she was surrounded by one of the whirlwinds before being blown to the side by the strong winds that now blew even harder.

Getting to his feet quickly, Drakon rushed over to where the scream came from, he found Lhosseth next to the path, her oil lamp giving her soft form a slight glow. When he got to her his eyes quickly looked her over and his words came out hastily: "Are you ok, Lhosseth? " Getting up while bracing herself against the wind, she nodded and answered in a shaking voice: " Yes... I am fine. " Seeing the dangers forming all around them, Drakon rushed them both back inside the main hall. While they shook the water from their drenched clothes and hair, two very strong winds ripped through the hall blowing the books, moving the chairs and tables and extinguishing the torches.

Drakon spoke again to Lhosseth " Please lets go downstairs, it’s unsafe up here." But she would not listen and turned to the altar to pray. Seeing that she was not listing and fearing for her life, Drakon grabbed hold of the Elfess's arm and began to pull her to the opening of the stairs with her struggling all the way. She spoke up " No, we must pray, let us pray." After some heated words, he released her and watched her run back to the altar just as a few more strong gusts of wind blew through the hall on the opposite side.

Lhosseth dropped down on her knees and bowed her head, leaning it against the altar. Drakon positioned himself just inches behind her. His hand and body ready to grab her and move her to safety if the need would arise. As she prayed Drakon kept watch and the storm slowly weakened and broke. Now the smell of the burning woods hung in the damp air, Tol Vanima's trees were in danger once more.

An Elven voice was heard to shout from upstairs: " The sky cleans up, the storm will be over soon, thanks to the Gods! " Drakon waited until Lhosseth looked up from her prayer and together they set out in the first rays of sunlight to see to the woods and the animals. They put out many wildfires caused by the lightning, running to and fro at a frantic pace with buckets filled with water as they circled the island. At the same time they searched the woods to check on the other wild animals. A few trees they could not safe and they found one casualty: a female deer lay dead by the mine, the ashes of a burned tree remained by the animal's scorched body.

After having made sure all the fires were out, Drakon and Lhosseth ran back to the main hall and downstairs. Drakon picked up Ryiah from her crib, checking her over quickly himself. Then he handed her to Lhosseth to check her as well as he checked on Mel, who was sleeping soundly in the bed next to the crib. After being reassured that Ryiah and Mel were fine, the adrenalin wore off and the fatigue set in, making Drakon feel very tired and his legs almost unable to keep him up. With a few quick good nights, Drakon kissed Mel and Ryiah good night as Lhosseth went to the depot to get changed. With one final deep breath Drakon was off to sleep, knowing Tol Vanima was safe once again.

After softly closing the door to the bedrooms, Lhosseth opens her depot and quickly changes her fine clothes for dry, plain ones. She sighs as she takes her shovel from the depot, thinking of the unhappy task ahead of her. Making her way upstairs, she shivers as she comes into the hall, her thoughts returning to the heavy storm that raged only a few hours before. How the hall shook with the horrible sounds of thunder, the forest and hall were lit up eerily by the lighting and how the whirlwinds seemed to chase around them. She stands still for a few moments, shovel in her hands, thinking hard on what happened and what it all could mean: Why had the Gods sent such a terrible storm? What were they trying to show them? What did it mean that the trees had burned? And more distressing, why had that deer have to die? Very tired after the long night, Lhosseth shakes her head and walks out into the forest, to find a peaceful place to rest for a little while. She only allows herself a few hours sleep before she is back up and headed for the northern forest, she has a promise to keep.

Lhosseth easily locates the carcass of the dead female deer. Her scorched body lies beside the ashes of a burned tree. Taking the shovel firmly in both hands, Lhosseth digs a grave in the forest ground. She then kneels down by the body of the deer, checking it for live once more; shaking her head she makes sure the deer's eyes are closed. She pets the deer and bends down to kiss her head one more time, then stands up and, with a deep sigh, drags the lifeless body to the grave. She carefully lets the body slide inside and puts the limbs and head in a comfortable position. She sheds a few tears as she covers the body with flowers and then takes up her shovel to close the hole. When finished, Lhosseth puts aside her shovel, kneels down next to the fresh mount and puts some more flowers on top. She bows her head and says a soft prayer in Elven. Having done all that is required, Lhosseth stands up slowly and wipes the tears from her eyes. Her eyes then turn to the remaining deer, she sighs, smiles to them and goes to hug them one after the other.

On her way back to the main hall Lhosseth notices for the first time that some trees in the garden are missing, burned down because they had been too late to save them with water. She takes out the buckets she always carries in her bag to replant them and adds some others beside the garden path. Tired, but unable to rest because she is still trying to figure out what the Gods tried to tell them, she restores her shovel to her depot. Then she occupies herself with some small tasks and conversations with her brother Jerem and later Tirrend, happy for the distraction these talks bring. As she sits talking with Tirrend in the main hall they are joined by Phelix and the conversation turns again to the violent storm. Phelix shows much interest in the storm and asks Lhosseth: “Were there any whisperings in the wind or the rain? Any ancient voices?” She bites her bottom lip as she thinks about it, trying to remember, but she can only reply: “I did not hear anything in the winds. I tried to listen closely, trying to see what the Gods were showing us, but I could not find out.” Phelix then goes on to suggest that the storm could have been caused by a sorcerer, instead of being the work of the Gods. Lhosseth shivers at the idea and listens attentively to Phelix his explanation. Both are at a loss as to why anyone would wish to bring such a terrible storm to Tol Vanima, or any other place.

As the conversation turns to other, more pleasant, topics, Lhosseth forgets about the storm for a moment. But after Phelix leaves and she heads out into the woods to find some rest, the storm and its implications quickly return to her thoughts. Phelix’s explanation stays with her as she climbs into a tree and pulls her robe around herself. While weighing the two ideas against each other, Gods or sorcerer, and what could either mean by sending such a force against Tol Vanima, she falls into a restless sleep.