At some point, Kaukab had dropped off dead asleep - as was his way. Even as a puppy, the boy entered dreamland in the strangest fashion: he would give no indication of being tired, of growing sluggish, before he simply dropped to the ground. He could be jabbering non-stop about something or running in a circle. He could be halfway through a meal. And then, all at once, Kab would be out like a light. Limbs loose and relaxed as his chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm, soft snores leaving his nose. Others would have better luck growing wings than trying to wake him in this state. When Kaukab found himself leaning against the trunk of an oak for support, legs trembling from what felt like a lifetime of walking, he knew it was only a matter of time before he passed out. One breath. Two breaths. Three . . . Gone.

The cinnamon-hued prince’s mismatched eyes fluttered closed. He slid slowly down the side of the tree, falling into a puddle by its roots. No dreams interrupted the perfect darkness behind his eyelids . . . at first. With a childish whine, Kab squirmed in his sleep, unconsciously searching for warmth that wasn’t there. His whole life he’d shared a den with Kenryk, sometimes Kahlan; the absence of another body against his fur invaded the nothingness of his mind with formless anxiety. Alone . . . cold. He began shivering. Another quiet cry left his lips, yet Kaukab did not wake up. His body needed this rest after how long he’d been traveling, without a pack or a den - his brain would simply have to suffer through the phantasmal dreams that attacked it until his weary muscles healed. Even the normally energetic teen required a break. No matter that he kept seeing flashes of unfeeling black eyes driving him away from the ocean . . . the fear of failing at his tasks like claws in his throat . . . nightmares started to shape themselves inside his skull - slashing his vulnerabilities - and the thin whines vibrating his vocal cords rattled into louder calls for help -

Stimulation brushing over his sensitive ears and face made expressions twitch over Kab’s mask. Soothing feminine voices pushed back the furious snarls of his horrible dreams . . . and something about those lyrics, curling so smoothly into his mind, felt oddly familiar. Kaukab imagined plush forms embracing him from his back and his chest, banishing the chill from his bones. Sweet perfume stroked his nose . . . his stiff posture relaxed . . . and as Kab relaxed, he drifted upward from the pull of sleep into wakefulness once more - like a bird lightly jumping from its branch.

Eyes of sunlight yellow and midnight glass blinked owlishly. He yawned, stretched - and then yanked his columns back toward his body with a startled squeal, because he HADN’T dreamed about those bodies around him, they were REAL, and they were TOUCHING him, and when had they gotten here? Were they REAL? Kaukab’s head swiveled from side to side, enormous lanterns staring first at one obsidian-splashed face and then the other, peering into oceans of emerald green, looking at the way their fur melded with his own. Gradually, his galloping heartbeat slowed. The rigidity of his muscles melted away as Kaukab fully returned to his senses . . . and soon his shock was tackled by an explosive joy.

“It’s - it’s you! Both of you! Nukillik and Kallik! The twins!” The memory of playing with them on the edges of Wudubearo flooded his mind with sudden, absolute clarity. Many wolves might have difficulty placing names to the twins’ similar faces, yet Kab nuzzled each girl in turn and knew them at once. “Kallik,” he murmured, pressing his nose into the ruff laid over his back. And then, to the girl curled up by his stomach, “Nukillik.” The boy hadn’t realized the girls had whispered a riddle to him while he dreamed; he cared only that he’d found them against all odds - or rather, they had found him. What had seemed a daunting, impossible task was already halfway complete. Laughing happily, the starry prince snuggled into their cuddle-sandwich, practically purring. “I was so worried . . . I didn’t know where to start searching for you. I’m supposed to go back with you and Siku to Graes, to help reclaim the territory. And . . .” Words failed him. His tongue tangled itself, and a sudden embarrassed heat washed over his skin. Not long ago, the trio had been mere children frolicking in the woods. But now . . . now he was supposed to be their mate. Betrothed. Had the girls mentioned this fate back then? Did they know? Did they understand what this meant?