Spreak and Mecora headed as quickly as they could toward the camp. Spreak, in fact, was dancing almost as much as walking. "Free! I feel so free!"
"Spreak, you weren't even locked up!"
"No, but I was pretty much stuck in the trees. If I never treesing again, it'll be too soon!"
Mecora had to laugh, but then thought of never hearing his voice singing again...
They heard the noise of a hundred thousand voices before they reached the turn to the camp. Soon, they saw that the light Vle were celebrating their freedom as much as Spreak, and it had spilled out into the surrounding forest. Carefully, they made their way to the gate.
"How are we supposed to find anybody in all this?" asked Mecora. And then, at Spreak's rueful look, she knew the answer.
Up in a tree again, they looked down to try to find Spreak's family, and (Mecora hoped) Mereo and Ueal. But it was nearly impossible to find anyone in the sea of Vlekind.
Unless they happened to be looking up. "Mom! Dad!" yelled Spreak, and quick as he could he sang his way down, leaving Mecora on the branch.
"Spreak! Wait! Let me—" but he was too intent on getting through the crowd to see his family. Mecora allowed him the moment, the tight five-person hug. Hopefully she wouldn't notice Mereo or Ueal anytime soon, stuck as she was.
Eventually, the hug broke, and Spreak sang her down. And soon, they were on the road toward Kelwome,
and Varmacia.

The crowd thinned out as the days went by, and groups were forming by their destination. They met no other families from Varmacia, but they joined a group from Kelwome. Soon, a very familiar family joined them.
"Ueal!" Mecora darted between Vle as well as she could, into a long, long hug.
By the time they reached the light Vle army checkpoint at the border of Varabia, Mereo's family had met them as well.

Open-mouthed, a thousand or so Vle gaped at their once pretty town. Burned, empty.
Dead.
"Should we even bother to go up there?" asked a former elder.
"There might be something salvageable," answered a ladyelf.
Another asked, "I think he means, why shouldn't we just move on to Varmacia with the Annardems?"
"But this is home! All my ancestors grew up around here."
"But who's to say the King will never do that to us again?"
"Even he's not dumb enough to make the same mistake twice."
"I heard he's gone insane."
The Elder stepped in. "We're getting off the subject. Varmacia is a long way yet, and there's no guarantee they'd let us stay. Let's find out what the political situation will be first. And our neighbors might return, too. Let's give them a place to return to."
"Why should we? I mean—" began a woman, but most of the faces in the crowd gave her dirty looks.

The first of the dark Vle refugees arrived the next day, and Mecora rushed out of Ueal's house to the edge of the platform to see if her family was among them. But they weren't.
Ueal appeared beside her. "Looking for your Mom?"
"Yeah. She's not down there."
"Bummer."
"Do you think you'll try to repair your house today?"
"No. You've seen it! I don't think even Spreak could fix it."
"It never hurts to ask."
"Ueal, I can't do that. That poor guy is so sick of tree singing. He's been doing it every day for months."
"I guess I see your point." Ueal paused. "Hey, the Lion Monk is hosting a party tonight. Do you wanna go?"
Mecora shook her head. "No, it doesn't seem like fun anymore. Like... it's a different part of my life."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. It was a few weeks before anyone was brewing in the camp, but Mereo and I... we just didn't couldn't get into it without you."
"Same here."
"Speaking of things being different, have you seen how some of the Vle are looking at each other?"
"No." Mecora looked around at some of the faces, at some of the meetings. Things definitely seemed more divided than they used to be. "I see what you're saying. But, you didn't see what Vle were like after you left."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they didn't take too kindly to Spreak being around."
Just then, a few shouts erupted to their left, and they turned to see a pair of bartenders, one light, and one dark, in a fistfight at a pub door. Onlookers broke it up quickly.
"Maybe things will never be the same," Mecora wondered aloud. Then, footsteps came behind her, and she turned her head to see Spreak approach.
"Dad said it's time to go."
"I thought your dad wanted to take a longer break."
"I thought so, too, but we're... all feeling a little uneasy."
"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"
"I hope so. I don't think... you should... wait for me..."
"I know. I want to, though."
The words ran out. Mecora felt tears welling out of her eyes, but rather than let them be seen, she hugged him. And then she found she really didn't want to let go.
"Spreak."
She hadn't noticed his father approach, and she quickly let go at the sound of his voice. "Come back, if you can. Please. I'll be here."
"I'll try. Bye, Mecora. Thanks for being my friend."
Mecora watched the family board the lift and go down to the ground. Ueal's arm around her shoulders couldn't completely banish the slight feeling of abandonment. Burn it! She shouldn't be feeling that anymore!
A voice called from below. "Mecora!"
She looked toward the lift, which was just beginning its ascent. "Mom!"