Sun Going Down

                                    

                                          
Once alone with the door closed, Lyana squeeze Wyn's hand tightly. "That woman... she's bad, Wyn. Really, bad, its awful. She was barely injured but enough that I could see, I shouldn't have, maybe, but I wanted to see. She's bad, dark. Cold." 
                          
The shaking got worse and Wyn could feel cold seeping from Lyana's skin through their  contact, returning the squeeze before pulling Lyana into a hug.
                          
"It's okay, just lay down, and we'll sort it all out, I promise." Wyn guided Lyana down onto the bed, covering her with the thick comforter that was folded at the foot of the bed, to stop the shivers. "Just rest for a moment. You hear that? That's the door, someone left. I'm going to see if Caelur is here still." 
                          
Lyana merely nodded and Wyn turned from the bed, only urgency pushing her forward. When she entered the room, she found the King standing on his own, looking at the door that Shiar must have just gone through with the Emeltra, a perturbed expression growing on his features. "That man is not in his right mind." 
                          
"No. And I think that woman has something to do with it. You need to separate them." Wyn said firmly, letting out a breath, as Caelur gave her a questioning look. Wyn knew that he needed more than that from her, forcing herself to continue. "Lyana has learned to be able to read people while healing, to see inside their minds. It was an idea of Nerini's and Nerini helped train her in it on the way down here. She looked into Emeltra's mind and what she just saw, wasn't good, she hasn't explained more than that but if Lyana says she's bad, I don't trust what's happening." 
                          
Without hesitation, Caelur opened the door and called the Royal Guard, watching Wyn carefully as they waited for his Captain to arrive. When the man stepped into the room, the soldier looked worried as he took in Wyn's figure, his hands dropping down to his sword hilts. 
                          
Those hands tightened their grip and his expression took on a pale, half shocked look as Caelur explained that the High Lord Shiar was to be put under house arrest in his private apartments, with no visitors until further notice. 
                          
But Wyn had to give it to the man, despite the fear and shock from hearing the King have his closest and dearest friend arrested in front of an Aupanan diplomat, the Captain merely offered a salute and turned, striding out of the room without another word. 
                          
Wyn felt the world shift again, much like it had for her the moment she read the letter from Rael. She had always assumed she believed Nerini's talk about a bigger fight, a darker evil. Now, however, she was finding her completely unprepared for the realization that her friend was quite possibly right. 
                          
And the enemy had possibly struck two crippling blows, without them managing a single defence.
                          
*** 
                          
Nerini stood at the helm of the ship beside Denzlin, watching the approach to the land, wondering why it felt like an alien landscape as opposed to the place she was raised. She was returning home, landing along the coast held by her family for centuries and she felt more like an outsider than she had landing on the desert continent for the first time. 
                          
She was wearing plain brown clothing that was of decent quality, leather armour and no adornments except for the necklace she hid against her skin. She had been cognizant that though sturdy and reliable, none of her clothing looked to be well tailored or flashy enough to garner notice.
                          
Her hair was a dark brown colour  and  tied back from her face messily with a bit of leather, her eyes an unremarkable hazel. She frowned, then looked at Denzlin. "I left a package and a message in my cabin. I need you to proceed directly to Queen Rael and hand it to her, yourself. Please." 
                          
He nodded and clapped her on the back as the ship slowed to a stop and the anchor was dropped. They stood in silence as they watched the boat lowered to the water, followed by her very unhappy horse that was trying to kick and bite anything within reach. "I swear it'll be done. Keep yourself safe, would you?"