Erend returned to the garden once again. But this time a faint smile rested on his face. Earlier, he had sat here burdened by anxiety and uncertainty because of the Black Rage. Now, after confronting it within his subconscious and receiving an artifact from Velrion to suppress its influence, he finally felt somewhat relieved.
The problem had not disappeared, but at least he had taken his first step toward solving it.
Now, there was someone he had wanted to contact for a long time. Aurdis. The Elf Princess and his lover had undoubtedly been worried after not hearing from him for weeks. Though, knowing her, she was probably already accustomed to his sudden disappearances whenever he became involved in matters that threatened entire worlds.
Erend activated their telepathic connection. Because their hearts had long been connected, the link formed almost instantly. He could feel the familiar warmth flowing through the connection before sensing Aurdis accepting it from the other side.
