In order to take his mind off of Aurora, Storm helped the elves in sorting through the things they intended to take with them.
Since they had a long journey through rough terrain ahead of them, they could only carry a limited amount of weight.
Storm couldn't help them carry the supplies as he flew ahead and above the group to scout out possible dangers as well as the route ahead.
This meant the he had to be free of extra weight as it would affect his ability to fly long distances.
The next morning the entire group was gathered at the entrance. Aurora eyed the pile of packs that the elves had stacked at the entrance.
An equally large pile was located on the opposite side of the entrance. These were the items that they wouldn't be able to take with them.
The elves intended to destroy these items before they left in order to avoid it falling into enemy hands.
"I can carry it for you. All of it." She said.
"That won't be necessary, Aurora. The elves are fully capable of carrying their own loads. This isn't the first time we've broken camp." Storm replied.
"Please! Let me help! Consider it thanks from me for rescuing me!" She pleaded.
Storm thought about it for a moment before he called over Augustus.
"Can you secure the packs to her back with something?" Asked Storm.
"I think we can make something. It might delay our departure by an hour or so, but we should be able to fit all the items we intended to destroy to her back." Augustus replied.
He eyed her bulk suspiciously. "IF she can handle the weight, that is."
Aurora seemed to take insult at his comment.
"I can handle it, Elf. Don't you worry about that!"
"It's a long journey through rough terrain, Aurora. And you haven't recovered your full strength yet. Are you sure?" Asked Storm.
She nodded her head.
"Very well then. Have the men pack the items, then secure it to her." Ordered Storm.
After another hour, they had loaded everything of value and were ready to depart.
Before taking off, Storm called Augustus over.
"I'll stay in mental contact with you throughout the day. Please keep an eye on her for me. Contact me if she has difficulty. "
Storm then took off and the journey officially started. He flew above the formation and kept an eye out for hostile patrols.
If he spotted one, he'd send a warning to Augustus, who would then change their path.
Storm and Aurora could have easily finished the journey in a day or two but because the elves were restricted to the ground. They had to travel at a much smaller pace.
This meant that Storm spent most of the day circling over the same patch of land. A tedious task that left him with a lot of time to think.
"Could she be right about me?
Have I truly allowed my rage to corrupt my heart?
Would my parents even recognize me if they met me now?"
These were the kinds of questions that plagued Storm all throughout the day.
They traveled throughout the entire day without rest, when the sun began to set, Augustus found a hidden glade where they could spend the night.
Storm watched as the elves freed the bags from Aurora's back so that she can sleep unobstructed.
"Would you like to talk?" She asked.
"We're both tired, Aurora, Me from flying all day, you from carrying all that weight.
We still have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. We should get some rest." Replied Storm.
Aurora seemed disappointed, but she chose not to voice it.
"As you wish."
They both retired to opposite sides of the camp while Augustus set up guard rotations for the night.
The next morning they had breakfast before continuing the journey. Storm only ate lightly as flying after eating a heavy meal often left him feeling queasy throughout the day.
By the time the sun set on the second day, a familiar village came into view. Nature had long since started to reclaim the ruins.
Their group decided to camp in the village for the night.
The buildings had long begun to fall apart and weeds and shrubs had covered the roads that led through it once.
The walls of the buildings were covered in moss and vines and many of the roofs had collapsed into the building below.
The signs of the battle was still visible even after all this time.
Aurora looked around the village curiously.
"What is this place?" She asked.
"This was Twin Rivers once." Answered Storm.
She surveyed the devastation with a look of shock.
" I heard that Calamity came through here many years ago and razed this place. Is this true?"
Storm hesitated before answering.
"I wasn't in my right mind at the time, but yes. I did this."
"Do you regret what you did?" Asked Aurora.
"There are many things I've done that I regret but this is not one of them.
An example needed to be made. The humans needed to learn that their actions would carry consequences. "
Storm decided to change the topic before he and Aurora got into another argument.
"There will be no roads leading further after this, and that will make travel even more difficult. If we persevere then we should reach our destination in another two days."
"Where exactly are we going? You've yet to tell us the destination?" Asked Augustus.
"Home." Was Storm's only reply.
True to Storm's word, they arrived at their final destination 2 days later and had encountered no additional trouble along the road.
They stood in front of the entrance of the cave network where Storm and Aurora had grown up.
Much like Twin Rivers, nature had already begun to retake the Hatching grounds for itself.
"Augustus! I want you and your men to assess the caves and take note of any damage or maintenance that it needs.
I'll be expecting your report in an hour!" Said Storm.