Once more Fan was off to his Mother's estate for her annual appraisal of her children.  Enira got bored of the Palace quickly when there was no chance that Fan would do his appearing trick anytime in the next week and so she, unsurprisingly, ventured outside.  Ruora had tried to follow Enira out into the woods at first but then the native Shada had remembered a little something that was waiting for the Pernan Shada to find in the stables; her very own winged black horse.  The blonde had frowned confused at Enira's hints for her to check out the Stable area and quickly the redhead had given up and told her to go back to her room for the card that goes with her gift and tells her what and where it is.  The shrewd blonde Shada had known she was being shooed off and was suspicious why but couldnt resist the mystery and had dashed off to her room vowing to hunt down the tricky redhead immediately after figuring things out, the Royal Forests couldn't be that big could they?

            Now Enira ran over her mental map of significant places to run off to in the central State of Rillain, Serlan.  There's the capital city of Nosida nearby where both Fan lives, but Fan wont be there so why bother, Enira thought gloomily.  There's always the whole of the Royal Forest of Mondi, both the North section and the South side part.  But Enira was already on to the north of the Palace and most of the North Forest lay on the far bank of the Snake River; which Enira wasnt up to fording right now.  Deciding that she had to go somewhere at least a short horseback ride away she traced her steps back across the north field located just inside of the Palace Walls and circled around the outlying buildings till she found the Stables that bordered the Palace on the East.  She saddled up her mare Willow and left without seeing any sign that her foster brother and mother were around, or that her foster father was back from his Realm traveling.

            Out of the Main Barn her horse leapt into a fast trot South ward with a very determined gait and, puzzled, Enira let her lead.  At the South Gate of the Palace grounds Willow headed off into the Southern expanse of the Royal Forest angling slightly East.  After ridding for half the day, all the way till sunset, Willow stopped, sniffed around the trees and walked uncertainly Eastward, a little further on she stopped dead inhaled the air and nodded.

            This is it?  Enira asked her horse while looking around her.  They had come to a stop in the middle of nowhere in the Forest, no remarkable glade or rock outcropping to tell Enira where she was.

            The horse shook herself violently and looked back at the Shada expectantly.  Enira blinked.  Willow shook herself again and then turned around to stare at Enira again.  Feeling the urge to get down Enira jumped to the ground bewildered and started back at her horse.  The mare shook her head till the reins flew about and then tugged on a stirrup with her teeth.  Raising an eyebrow Enira placed her hand lightly on the horses shoulder and her minute use of Control flung at her an image of Willow dancing free in the hills, without her equipment.  Shrugging the Shada stripped the horse of all her gear and balanced it across the low out-flung branch of a tree nearby.  Willow whickered softly as she pressed her big warm head against Enira, who smiled and hugged her tight.  The horse stepped back a pace or two and looked at Enira closely but before the Shada could tap her Control to Sense Willow's message it came across clearly from her mare.  Images flickered across her mind of a prancing frolicking stallion; brown enough to be nearly black and running free in the forests down here.  The air was suddenly full of the scent of maleness and she flung back her head to inhale it but then Willow's Sending was gone, and so was the mare.  Enira stood there in the forest by the discarded gear and hardly realized her horse was gone, she only knew that Fan was gone and she wanted him here.  If Willow hadnt run off shed have gone hunting Fan and actually found him even if she had dashed about randomly. Surely my God TosaNumi will lend me help in this, surely I can find Fan tonight and with this thought motivating her she set off towards the soft sound of an owl calling in the now dark treetops.

            Enira stumbled along in the dark till she started yawning so bad she couldnt see where she was going.  Soon she realized she was subconsciously walking towards a single flickering torch in the distance that drew her like light drew any thoughtless creature.  A few more torches flickered into being around her beckoning light, and some others cast light on the ground from behind buildings.  The Shada found herself in a small farm village that she faintly remembered being near to the capital city, all her peasant friends come from around there, maybe one will help me find Fan.  The original light source pulled at her still and she snaked among the thatched houses till she reached the Town Square surrounding the main well.  A familiar house sat on the far side of the square, completely dark except for a single window with light peaking out from around the closed shutters.  The Shada hesitated staring at the door, wanting to knock and find someone to help her in finding Fan.

           Her courage had not built itself up enough for her to go knock before lights flickered on behind the shutters of the lower level and a short girl opened the door to stand silhouetted against the lamplight.  She blinked against the darkness outside and swung a pail back and forth as she headed towards the well.  Enira watched her approach and let the silence remain in the square as Moret went for a bucket of water at the well.  When the Shada was only a few yards away from the girl she blinked and looked up from the well ahead of her.

"Hello-- Nira!  Hey!" Moret realized startled, "What are you doing here?" She looked calmly puzzled at the Shada's sudden presence.

"I went for a walk earlier." Enira replied slowly, as if to explain.  This didn't help Moret.

"But it's so late, Enira, for adventures."

"Well, um, my horse..."

"Oh, did she run off?  Well you can sleep in my house here tonight, if you dont mind the floor."  Moret offered and Enira shook her head.  For some reason thoughts werent filtering into the Shada's mind all too quickly and she couldnt seem to think around...Fan.

"Hmm?" Moret asked and Enira realized she'd spoken outloud.

"I'm looking for Fan."  The Shada felt Moret's eyes staring at her closely, as if judging her sanity or some such thing.

"Come, get a night's sleep first at least." Moret decided accommodatingly.

"But...my horse..."Enira protested again and Moret looked at her sharply suddenly.

"How'd you loose your horse Nira?" Moret asked.

"She had me get off and take her stuff off, then she ran off chasing this one male-" Enira started.

"Ahhh," Moret smiled "Come in I can help you with that."

"With my horse?" Enira frowned confused.

"Um..sorta, come along now."

Enira was assisted inside by the short peasant girl and sat down at a table where a single hour lantern had recently been lit.  Moret shuffled around the downstairs common area, made up of a large kitchen dinning area, and tucked random packets from shelves in a deep pocket of her sturdy midnight blue dress.  Then she dipped a mug-full of water from her newly filled bucket and sat down across from the bewildered Shada.

"Odd this happening to a Shada" Moret muttered as she added a pinch out of all the packets and then a second pinch from one or two.  Then she plopped in a spoon that had been left on the table, after wiping it off on her skirt first.  "Well it's better when it's been boiled into a tea but the fire is banked for the night and some is better than none, here try it."  Enira yawned again, took the mug obediently, and had a sip.  She felt the images of the stallion fading, along with the scent on the air, and her mission to find Fan come what may.  They all receded and she sat blinking at Moret for a moment after coming out of her foggy state.

"Where am I?" Enira asked finally.  Moret smiled happy with her cure.

"You're at my house Nira, your horse took you out for a ride and you, with Empathy-" Moret started explaining. "And Control at all?" Enira nodded slowly. "Yes with those two talents you shared your horses..um..drive"  The Shada just looked confused, and the peasant girl became slightly pink. "Usually this doesn't have to get explained, gah, wasnt expecting to have to put it to words till I had a child..." Moret grumbled to herself then sighed with determination.  "See Nira animals have..seasons for um..mating and such, unlike us.  They tend to be quite..driven.. to mate during those times and we humans with Talents like yours, or pretty much any peasant, can Sense and even absorb those..drives.  You did and started hunting..." Moret broke off and smothered a laugh, but Enira remembered.

"Fan...still gooone..." She laid her head down on the table among her folded arms and sighed.

"Oh deeear, guess the herbs have gotten somewhat stale..."  Moret bit her lip.  "Just get a night's sleep before you go and do anything Nira."

"Yeah don't have much else to do but wait."  Enira grumbled.

"You mean you aren't gonna go track him down?"

"Course not, I dont even know where his mother lives, and I dont have a horse any more."  Enira stated.

"Oh." Moret said relieved. "Not just the horses drive then hmm?"

            The Shada saw her opportunity when they stopped to set up camp, her captors were busy about the site setting out sleeping bags and making a fire while leaving Willow tied to a tree nearby.  Enira gently urged Willow forward, keeping an eye on the Dryads, but the women had horses which they deemed fast enough to catch up to Willow and a temporarily non-magical Shada.

            The reins held fast to thick branch and Enira ground her teeth frustrated and slightly scared at the idea of sleeping out here with the bandit women.  The Shada stared hard at the branch and reins trying to force a plan into her head and so when a female of the group came over and started tugging the ropes around one of her feet free of the stirrup she jumped guiltily.

            "Falling asleep so fast M'Shada?" the woman laughed unkindly.  Enira twitched uncomfortably as both of her feet were freed and the woman stretched upward to work on freeing her hands.  The ropes held tight against the females attempts to undo them and she took out a knife to slice them.  Enira held her breath and the moment her wrists parted fractionally to indicate she was free she soundly kicked the woman in the stomach and clumsily parted her from her knife.  Lunging forward she sliced Willow's reins free and kicked her off.  The wily mare let off a challenging neigh as she bolted forward and the Dryads attempting to dash toward the Shada were trampled by their own stolen horses. 

Through the forest Willow plunged followed by nearly a herd of prancing biting stallions bent on catching her.  The mare, having found the stallion she wanted, was not to be caught by the likes of those merely stunning stallions.  Enira had found a few secure handholds in Willow's mane and along the front of the saddle because her feet had never gotten securely in the stirrups to give her a stable foothold.

By pairs or in threes the stallions stopped to wage war on one another, blinded by their competition to the fact that Willow was not stopping, or even slowing, to watch.

At some point near midnight, when Enira had become numbed to the harsh monotonous cross-country dash, Willow stopped and the Shada didnt notice.  Sighing, the mare pranced in place to jostle the girl out of her daze.  As she woke up to reality Enira lost her death grip on her handholds and started sliding off.  Willow backed up a pace so that Enira fell off into a soft mossy bush wherein the Shada immediately tried to fall asleep.  The horse took a lock of hair in her mouth and tugged sharply which succeeded in fully waking the girl and making tears spring to her sleepy eyes.  Swaying to her feet she glared at her horse while she cried in frustration and pain and just because she was that horribly sleepy.

"What the??" She yelled at her mare. "Why cant I even sleep?"

Willow pushed her forehead into Enira's chest so that the Shada was forced to wrap her arms around the mare's head to stay standing.  The contact of flesh opened the door to communication between Willow and Enira.  Seeing the soothing thoughts of the mare Enira calmed down, and with the help of Feeling Enira's senses Willow directed the Shada to a nearby cave for her to sleep safely in.

When she lay down inside the cave on the damp stone the tears set in again and since the horse could not follow her into the minute alcove the mare lay her head down inside the entrance and nuzzled Enira gently.  Warm thoughts of home and friends and Fan filled her mind and she smiled as she fell asleep with the tears still drying on her cheeks.

Sore muscles complained as Enira rolled over still half asleep to cuddle Willow's head.  The mare, awake since she rarely seemed to sleep, moved back out of the cave entrance and the Shada emerged into the sunlight filtering through he trees.  Mentally cursing the light, Enira shielded her face with a hand.  Not feeling strong enough to make it onto Willow's back, because she hadn't eaten a bite since lunch with Ruora and Teyl, she reached for the absent reins then settled on letting her horse follow of her own will. 

Wandering came easily to Enira as it seemed to be her constant habit, this morning her random journey forth from her cave brought her to a large creek.  Willow immediately went forward to drink her fill while the Shada stared at the water standing between her and continuing to walk forward.  The mare noticed Enira's long pause and came back to drag the Shada into the creek by her shirtfront.  The girl followed obediently until the chilly water lapped about her ankles.  The mare kept going even when the Shada stopped and so Enira was pulled face-forward into the rushing cold brook.

Spluttering and gasping Enira came back to herself while she pushed her way upright in the water.

"What's wrong with you lately??" The Shada cried through chattering teeth.  The mare whickered and shook her head dismisively then splashed forward in the water toward the Shada to press her forehead to the girl's shoulder.  Enira got the idea this time and touched her hand to Willows neck.  Images trickled in of her standing in a stupor on the bank, and then of her crying spell last night.  Then smells and sights of food, horse food but food none-the-less, flowed in.  The Shada realized she was hungry, but more importantly she realized that she was sick, most likely a fever.  Cursing her own stupidity she moved over beside her horse and used a rock to push her up to sitting on the mare's back.

"Let's go find a town Willow," Enira hesitated a moment as she let a new realization sink in. "Find some help for me...W'lo

Names formed with apostrophes indicated that the animal was of high intellect.  Normally these names were given to the highest beasts of Merendi; the cats of each Realm, but somehow Enira knew that her horse, W'lo, had reached that status.

Only question is how, Enira wondered bemused, then something occurred to her; foals were Affected during their time inside their mother by Others, instilling Talents and attributes rare or impossible by simple breeding.  Why should they stop being enhanced after birth...all they need is a close companion with Others...and I have Others.

"You're absolutely one of a kind my dear." Enira murmured to W'lo.  At this remark the mare moved out of the brook up the other side, shook herself gently free of water, and moved off smoothly through the woods.  Enira felt the fever taking a tighter grip upon her but when she hugged her arms around W'lo's neck she could hear someone singing to her in her mind.

            The next morning, after traveling all day with her horse, Enira woke up feeling fine.  Thoughts from a village over the next hill flowed in her mind along with their accompanied emotions.  She could Feel her eyes bleed back to her comfortable grey green.  Her Talents were back.  She hadn't been sick at all.

            Elated from the fog in her mind lifting she bounced around the glade she had slept in and pounced on the still sleeping W'lo.  The horse blinked awake slowly then looked at her from the corner of her eye.  The Shada grinned merrily and placed her hand to the top of the mare's nose, a full connection opened quickly and smoothly.  W'lo twitched her ear, the only sign of understanding and surprise.  Enira drew back her hand and the rapture remained.  The mare whickered softly in delight and drew herself up off the ground to prance around the glade while sharing Enira's euphoria.

            "Oh those terrible Dryads, it's always hard to spot whats missing until it's back," Enira grumbled, but her happiness turned it into more of a pout.

            They left the glade at a dead run and kept it up all the way to the nearby village.  Arriving smiling and out of breath Enira asked directions to the Geno's Estate.  To her great surprise the Shada learned that she was almost there, merely a few miles away.  With the possibility of being there within the day she grew shy and nervous but headed out anyway.

            W'lo stopped obeying Enira's requests to her when the Shada started indicating for her to slow down every ten yards.  The mare wouldn't allow her human to give in to hesitation just because they were almost there.  Enira realized that her horse wasn't listening to her pretty quickly and just clutched W'lo's mane while trying to push away the habitual excited terror that Fan brought out in her.

            Eventually the two of them could hear voices and horses off to the left and W'lo allowed herself to be steered sharply off to the right to avoid them.  The sounds of her and W'lo crashing off at high speeds brought a couple of huntsmen on horses directly to them.  From their questioning calls, excited answers, and the baying of hounds following them she decided she had stumbled upon a hunting party.  They got confused by her continued flight and the fact that she was a stranger and hailed her to stop so that they might know her.  If they hadn't been chasing her now she might have obliged but her excited terror turned into panic all too easily and she just ran faster.  Supposing her to be a female bandit they cut her off and ringed her in all too easily because since their friends had joined the chase there was now a good two dozen of them.

            Her eyes wide and frightened she clung to her horse as they dismounted and demanded to know who she was and what she was doing.  She some how found the words to answer them.

            "I-Im looking for the Geno am I t-trespassing??"

            "Hard to trespass on public land girl...but this is part of the Geno's estate," Said one of the brown-haired riders standing in front of her and W'lo.  Enira couldn't find anything else to say.

            "Nice horseflesh M'Shada," said an observant auburn haired rider to her right, "Now come on down and let us help you on your way."  The unexpected identification of her as a Shada and the mention of horses reminded her too much of the Dryads.  She shook her head quickly.

"My word as a Neven of Rillain that we don't want to harm you." Said the Auburn haired rider.  He then drew his dagger, as was custom, and offered it to her hilt first. 

Enira shook her head refusing to take it. Had she accepted it, it would have indicated that she didn't trust him and that she feared for her safety. All good Neven offered to arm their royalty when one considered themselves in danger.

"Come have lunch with us Shada, there's a grand lunch event being set up on the lawn behind the stables." Offered the brown haired rider again.

"No I'll just go find the estate if you'll point me in the right direction," Enira demurred.

"At least let us offer you an escort M'Shada" insisted the same rider.

"Geran leave the Shada do what she wants," the Neven reprimanded.

"Fine" Geran backed down and motioned for the riders to fall back from the Shada and follow him off through the woods to track down the hunting hounds. The Neven stayed behind for a second, along with a few others who weren't under the command of Geran, who was probably Game Master here. Enira dismounted to talk to him better.

"If you'd like a more relaxed meal, visit the kitchens an hour after the public lunch and you'll have a good time." Suggested the Neven.

"Thanks-" Enira hesitated.

"Ation, MShada" He answered.

"Thanks, Ation." Enira shifted her weight and tugged at her sleeves not sure how to tell the Neven not to be so formal, and not sure he'd listen.

"Well I'll leave you be, the estate is due North from here. Can't miss it." He said smiling and rode off taking the rest of the riders with him.

Enira didnt realize he'd left one behind until she heard a horse approach from behind her.

An invisible shudder shook her as she found Fan with his cornflower blue eyes and golden-brown shock of hair smiling at her from his golden horse Dawn.  She couldnt find more to do than simply stare with delighted wonderment.

            "Hey Shada aren't you a bit far from home?" Fan asked with curiosity.

            "Yeah," Enira agreed.

            "You were Calling me...why's that?" He added.

            "My horse-" She started to explain then cut off blushing.  Fan frowned for a second, lost, but then his eyes lit up with amusement.

            "Ah so even the royalty have peasant...urges, yes? Fan teased her.  The embarrassed Shada turned truly scarlet and hid her face in Willow's mane.  Despite her acute discomfort she picked up on this subject that Fan had a tendency to stew over; the inborn ranks and titles and if they have any worth at all.

            "I didnt choose to be royalty Fan." He always seemed to be berating them for having power simply by being born. "I'd rather live with you." Enira froze at her slip of words. "live Like you." She hastily amended.  Her pulse raced a mile a minute whether from fear or excitement she couldn't tell, most likely both.

            "Well if you stick around the estate here while I'm still stuck here you can see what it's like to live like me." He offered, purposely overlooking her slip of the tongue, but hardly missing it. "I've got four more days to spend here, stick around wont you?" He asked hopefully and Enira almost fainted with delight.  She gave him a dazzling smile of agreement, but he seemed to be waiting for words.

            "Uh...yeah sure I'd love to, really." She babbled out.

            "You sure?" He asked and she wondered why he couldn't see that she was absolutely positive.

            "Yeah." She said emphatically.

            "Great, well then I have to...well there's some stuff..." He tried to explain as he turned Dawn off back towards the woods.  Giving up his explanation he dug into his saddlebags and then bent down to place something in her hands and curl her fingers around it to conceal it temporarily.  He straightened quickly, flashed her a nervous smile and was gone into the trees.

            Enira sighed expansively with a lazy smile still curling her lips and brightening her eyes.  She slowly uncurled her fingers, deliberately taking her time to revel in the suspense of wondering what he had gifted her with.  In her hand lay a plain cloth bag with a drawstring closing the top.  When she widened the mouth of the bag its contents jangled metallically and her fingers fumbled with anticipation.  Pouring the gift into her hand her heart skipped a beat or two with wonder at its beauty.  In her hand lay a necklace of copper and jade beads.  Her hand shook as she held it up to stare at it closer.  Down the sides of the broad copper chain eight beads were fastened in, four on a side, two on each side were a deep evergreen color and the other two on each side were a light sage hue.  Gracing the very center of the necklace was a carved heart shape piece of moss agate surrounded by copper wire shaped into a heart to frame the stone.  The clasp at the very back was alien to her, a hook ending both sides of the chain, so she did not immediately wear the breathtaking gift from Fan.

Mounting Willow she headed off, dazed, towards the chimney smoke in the sky that most likely marked the residence of Fan's mother; Niara Geno of Rillain.

            Willow pranced into the expansive stables that they soon came across.  The wooden building stood in front of the towering estate behind it and many halls on both the first and second floors interconnected them.  The stables obscured a grand view of the mansion but travelers found a warm welcome immediately and were led from there right to rooms assigned for them.  Enira was grateful for this guidance because from the time ten minutes ago when Fan had given her the necklace her world had shrunk down to her hands and the necklace sealed loosely between them.  She held on to it both tight and gently as she was led to a stall and helped off her horse.  She resisted the urge to peek at it lest it fly away if she open her hands while they got her to guest rooms and told her when to expect dinner.  Then finally, when she was alone, she held her breath as she spread the strongly beautiful piece out on her pillow.  It didnt fall apart, or fly away, or disappear and she relaxed at last.  The delirious delight mixed with her long journey across the country started seducing her into a elated and deep sleep so she pushed the necklace together into a copper pool in the center of her pillow and laid her hand protectively over it before curling up close by.

A soft knock on the door slipped into her dreamy darkness and she murmured quietly for her guest to come in.  Of course they could not hear her but they entered none-the-less.

"I have clothes you can wear cousin," came a pleasant singsong voice floating above her.  Enira started up and clutched for the covers before she realized that the girl hadn't been implying that she was currently wearing nothing. "Ouy!  Sorry to startle you awake.  My brother Fan said you didn't bring any clothes with you and I said I could help."  Nira relaxed and looked skeptically at the arm-full of poofy dresses and such that the Shyda was holding.  Regaining a little sense of reality Enira quickly palmed her new necklace and held it casually in her lap.

"All that?  I wasnt told I'd be staying so long." Enira replied smiling amusedly.

"Borrow as much or as little as you want cousin,"

"That's very nice, are all people outside the Palace as kind as you?"  Enira asked curious about this unusual willingness to help.  The Shyda colored modestly.

"Well no, but most of the people Fan talks with are, so you must be too."  The girl explained.  "Anyway I think he's right and that my clothes should fit."

"Yours?" Enira questioned, trying not to reject the offer just because it was very generous. "In that case I'll owe you something." The Shyda smiled pleased.

"Well...just being close to a Shada would mean something to me." The light in the Shyda's eyes reminded her of Fan, is every one of the Geno's children trying to escape to something else, to something better?

"Okay lets see your gorgeous clothes here,"

After a half hour of looking at the dresses and outfits and then being coerced into trying half of them on for the Shyda, called Ellae, and then arguing about whether or not she could wear pink ,they were done with clothes and Enira had enough to wear for a week and a half; longer than she thought she'd stick around.

"Oh!  Come have dinner with us it's in the Rel's dinning hall after they're done with it, then we get all the space to ourselves." The Shyda paused. "Hard to explain where it is...urm...I'll just make sure Fan finds you to bring you. Ellae concluded.

"Great,"

"See ya soon, and wear something green to match your new necklace, which you have to wear."  Enira stared stunned.  The Shyda grinned. "Of course some of Fan's family knows of your gift, and especially about you!"

"Me?"  The Shada murmured inaudibly as Ellae spun out of the room with a couple pink dresses that Enira would absolutely not even try on.

            Fan didn't show up around dinnertime.  Her fingers constantly petting her new necklace Enira descended a set of stairs near her room and wondered nervously where she was supposed to go.  She relaxed her barriers and did something she only did when horribly lost; she let her mind flow out to lightly Touch the busy minds moving and pushing around her beyond the walls, ceilings, and floors.  A knowledge Came to her unbidden, more detailed and concise than any direction she'd hoped to obtain with her Sending.  The new map in her mind covered the whole of the estate from top to bottom and was sharpened and focused with many years of knowledge.  The Gifter of this picture eased it into her memory securely and she knew she'd never forget her way just as surely as she knew she'd never figure out who this benefactor was.

            The skirt fell strangely around her waist and legs and the belt to keep it secure kept sliding around so that while one hand was locked around her pendant the other fidgeted with what she wore.  She was also borrowing a pair of shoes because her ridding boots were no longer polite indoor wear after her long hunt through Rillain.

            Her feet strode unerringly to where dinner was being served for the household and a tiny bit of confidence soaked in to her now that no matter what else happened she couldnt get lost.  The back of her mind gnawed on the fact that she couldn't thank whoever had helped her, she wanted to run up and hug someone in pure relief and thanks, but didn't know who.

            Voices grew before long and she found the dinning hall.  Her steps faltered in the foreign shoes and her hand shook from severe anxiety upon turning the last corner and seeing the crowd.  Whenever there were this many people visiting Rillain or eating in their Hall she had dinner in her room alone, or went without, and she never ate among this many strange faces.

            A Rel changed course in the hall and came up to assist her.  News of the visiting Shada had spread across the estate.

The Dining Hall of the Geno was set up with a motif of circles.  About fifty wooden tables crowded the main area and up on a dais to the left there stood a grand oval table of rich cherry wood.  The windows were round as well, but larger than the tables, and there was a magnificent domed sky light made of creatively cut and angled panes of deep green glass.  Back at the Palace they couldn't, or more actually wouldn't, match the grandeur of this Hall because of the sheer numbers they feed back there in their enormous room.

            Over here, Fan Sent gently from the other side of the Hall.  Enira danced her feet in patterns across the interlocking circles of stone set into the green veined marble beneath them.  The shaggy blue-eyed Fan, waiting with her chair pulled out at one of the circle tables, was laughing silently at her performance when she got to him.  She gifted him with an affectionate glare.  Someone across from them at that table clapped briefly when she came to a stop and Nira's cheeks turned their embarrassed sherbet color as she slid shyly into her seat.  When she clutched her pendant for comfort Fan noticed that she'd worn his necklace but the Shada couldn't discern any reaction from him.  Temporarily put off she applied herself to all six courses of the meal that were served.  At their table no attempt was made at conversation and Enira didnt say a word the rest of the night except for ''sweet dreams'' when Fan escorted her back to her rooms.  He mumbled sleepily what she took to be the same phrase and then they parted for the night, each slipping into what did turn out to be a pleasant sleep.

The sheets were enveloping clouds when someone came knocking at Enira's door in the morning.  The Shada simply rolled over languidly and shut out the invasive noise.  It continued persistantly.

Finally the uninvited guest slipped something under the door and left.  Guilty at being so rude and lazy, the Shada rolled herself out of bed onto the floor and crawled over to the note peeking a corner out from under the door.

Theres a mid-afternoon ball.

I'll be in the Marble Room for now.

Wake up sleepy head.

-Fan

            Enira relaxed onto her back and the note fell out of limp fingers to lay forgotten on her stomach as her eyelids fluttered shut.  Sleep surged upwards to engulf her once more.

            Something very large was being dragged down the hallway.  It screeched along the floor and groaned against movement.  Enira stood up, with the help of the doorknob, from where she'd been dozing beside the door and peeked out.  Six fatigued servants were slowly dragging along the enormous oval table from the dinning room where she'd eaten last night at dinner.

            "Why'd they set it up in the Lower Hall??  It's always in the Upper Dining Hall!" Complained one servant while pulling half-heartedly at the head of the table.

            Nira remembered the ball and saw that it was already past noon.

            I slept though lunch, she mused to herself, somewhat startled, and then she fairly flew to the closet to pick out a dress.

            At 2 in the Evening, right on time, Enira and Fan arrived together at the Lower Hall, were announced, and walked in.

            Upon finding Fan in the Marble Hall Enira had, naturally, asked about the reason for this dance, Fan had looked at her sideways and reminded her that it was the Tiran's anniversary of their coronation.  Turning a bright crimson Nira had mumbled something about her parents probably noting the Shadan not in attendance in the Palace for their own ball.  He'd shrugged but mentioned that Geno Niara would be honored and overwhelmed to have a Shada in attendance today, and would likely mention it to her Father sometime.

            Since there was no mandatory switching of partners between dances, and both Fan and Enira were adequate dancers, they spun and twirled around the dance floor till their feet ached.  This kept Fan from having to socialize, and it also kept Enira in his arms, a fact that she savored all though the afternoon and up until dinner.

            For the feast partners were seated across from each other and the 'dignified Shada' and the 'meek peasant' made faces at one another all through out the courses of dinner.

            The drink served at the table turned out to be mildly spiced with a minor sedative to relax the guests somewhat.  Leaning heavily on each other both Fan and Nira made it back to her room, where Fan promptly laid down in her bed.  Enira had barely realized the possible meaning of this action before he was pulling her down next to him and then fast asleep, Nira was not far behind.

            The next morning there was a hand across her neck and the arm connected to it beneath her fingers, somehow this didn't strike her as odd.  It also seemed perfectly normal when she Felt Fan leave her bed and her room.  She was left on her own to revel in the fact that he had spent the night with her.

            Then came the heart-stopping scream.  It resonated down the hallways and Filled her head to bursting.  Enira found herself standing stiffly beside her bed in last night's crumpled gown ready to...ready to do something once that something occurred to her.

            The physical aspect of the scream was smothered quickly, but mentally it still rang out reducing Enira's mental barriers to skeletal shreds.  She Heard beneath the din the whispers all around of the confused minds and over it all a shouted Sending.

            We've lost the element of surprise sisters!  Now go for Fear!

            Suddenly the Sender found Enira's opened mind Listening to her message and Gave the Shada a mental slap that almost rendered her unconscious.  She lay, reeling, halfway on the bed where she'd fallen.  The sounds of people fighting and other people running started to grow louder outside her door.  Dimly she knew she needed something other than that incumbering gown on and she quickly changed into the only pair of pants in her borrowed wardrobe and the first shirt she found.  Stumbling around the room she slid on the bed sheets trailing down off the bed and landed hard on an exposed patch of stone floor.  Her knee hit the hardest and when she tugged down the tight leather pants to look her knee over her hands came away with traces of warm emerald blood.  The pain and adrenaline swept away all lingering wooziness from the mental bruise she'd acquired.  She pulled her pants back up and charged out into the mob.  To her dismay one of the Dryads brutalizing the masses spotted her at once.  Enira fled to her right and was delighted to find herself the faster runner, but all of the obstacles in her way, mainly Shydan, made it hard to sprint. 

Finally, as Fate usually has it, Enira found herself in a dead end hall with no exits to outside, except perhaps a window, but the Shada had run up many staircases in her flight.  Then teleportation occurred to her, always the second instinct, right after fight or flight.  She Grabbed onto the nearest telepad and Pulled herself into the Main Entryway.  The chaos was no less there, so she found herself a convenient hidey-hole to think in, and it was there that she decided to find a haven with W'lo in the stables.

With a quick sprint back to the telepad and a moment's picture in her mind she was in front of W'lo's stall, and with a running start catapulted herself into it.  W'lo whinnied high and surprised until Enira Soothed her, but this was barely heard over the loud racket the other horses were kicking up as the Dryads opened their stalls and swatted them out with the flats of their blades.

Not much safer here eh?  Enira Sent tensely to W'lo, who merely nuzzled her shoulder, Well um...I think I'm gonna do some Molding and leave you to your own resources.  Divide and conquer, I hope.  Whatever happens Don't get stolen by them, please!  I need you...Then Enira closed her eyes and brought to mind the first Shyda she could think of.  Letting her conscious pull out of her body she stared down at herself while she Willed the change.  After her skin flowed and she resembled that Shyad she Tweaked a few bits, making her eyes very prominent and even more of a liquid green.  Carefully she reawakened herself from the trance and heard a Dryad nearby.

The Shada, now with smooth brown hair, a taller leaner body build with a longer face to match, and the common green eyes of Rillain, slunk out of W'lo's stall and into one across the way and several horses down.  She quickly made friends with the mellow occupant of that stall and got up onto his back.  There came a yell when she maneuvered him back out of his stall and into the lane.  Nira turned him slowly and faced the approaching Dryad haughtily.

"Come on down from there M'pretty Shyda," Cooed the woman.

"I...uh...no," Responded Enira with added quiver in her voice.  The Dryad grinned predatorily.

"So you want it the hard way." The woman gripped Enira's wrist and yanked her down.  With nothing to grab onto about the barebacked horse Enira fell hard onto her side.  Her right knew, the bleeding one, hit hard and she cried out.  When the Dryad pulled Enira's head up by her hair the womans eyes glittered hungrily.  Before Enira knew what was happening a pair of lips were pressed fiercely to her own and a tongue set to exploring her mouth.  Enira gagged as the Dryad withdrew her lips.

"Pity I have no time or room for you, I have bigger game to catch.  But for the kiss I'll spare your life." The hilt of the Dryad's blade connected with the top Enira's head and she was rendered quietly unconscious.

Upon waking her, the Healers moving about Enira quickly got her to move her limbs so that they knew she could be moved from where she lay.  Then they asked which of the Shydan she was and were both skeptical and excited to hear that she was Shada Enira.  She promptly proved this by Wiping away her Molding, and then she fainted from exertion.  Teyl pushed through the crowd followed by Fan, and so she woke up again thirty seconds later when a gallon of icy water was poured on her.

"No going to sleep Enira, you might have a concussion." Stated Teyl, holding a bucket.  Nira snarled at him.

"We can move her now?" Asked Fan from behind her, and he got an affirmative from Teyl.  The last of the Healers were leaving her vicinity in search of more victims.  Fan picked her up smoothly and off they marched to her rooms with Teyl periodically pinching her when her eyes sagged shut for too long.

Apparently it was now dinnertime and the windows framed images of pitch-black clouds.  Fan and Teyl ordered them all a dinner from the kitchen and spent the next five hours, up until midnight, keeping Enira distracted from sleep, and she hated them for it.

Around midnight a Healer appeared and announced that she could sleep now but that she should not be left unattended so Teyl sat down in a corner watchfully and Fan took up residence on her couch.  Enira's last waking thought was to grumble that Fan was suddenly too shy to share the bed with her, but the Shada was far from surprised.

Teyl explained the next day that he had to leave now that he was certain Enira was staying put, while saying this he gave both Enira and Fan pointed looks.  His reason for departure was that after he'd sprung Ruora loose from her Neven he'd had her go make herself scarce in the Rillain Palace, and that she couldnt be left alone while still in danger for this long, and then he made haste to the Telepad in the Main Hall.

Enira fell back asleep after he left and Fan ventured to sit on the edge of her bed and read.

When she deigned to wake up again Nira was restless and finally persuaded the skeptical Fan to let her explore the country with him for the day.  After she had Fan leave the room so she could change she discovered it was troublesome to change with only one good knee.  She did manage to find another pair of pants that were part of a pants-skirt outfit and then she used the shirt and long vest from the same set, all in a soft cotton teal.

On her way to the door Nira spotted a sketchbook left on her bedside table.  Curious she took a peak at the top picture and her heart skipped a beat to see an elegant yet simple depiction of herself as she slept, one hand flung out among trailing locks of hair and the other hand curled delicately on her stomach.  What struck her the most was her expression, never in the mirror had she ever seen herself so placid, so at ease.

Fan knocked lightly at the door.

"Yeah come in." Enira turned to face the door.  Fan frowned at her dazed expression; she shrugged it off, "Just a lil sleepy still."

           The rest of the day was spent meandering through the wood with a picnic basket for lunch and dinner.  Enira rode W'lo to keep herself off of her bad knee and Fan strode easily along beside them singing softly under his breath.

Except for meeting the occasional Shyd or Shyda in passing, they spent the day alone together.  The time was passed uneventfully yet memorably because of each others company, as it was hard to forget the deep sideways glances they kept catching the other at.  It was idle chitchat mostly, sharing of pleasant memories and musing on random subjects till they knew each others minds better.

In the morning she shyly put on another of Fan's sisters dresses and descended to the main dinning hall for dinner.  As she had for other meals she paused at the doorway to scan the room for his head of hair- not easy as it was a seemingly ordinary brown-blond.  With faint alarm, she did not find him.  Again she searched, holding her fear of crowds and strangers stiffly at bay.  He still wasnt there.  She turned out of the doorway to press her back to the wall and bit her lip, still holding down the urge to flee all the way back home to her room.  He has to be here somewhere Nira, she calmed herself.  Even if he hasn't shown you where his room is you can ask- this is much like the Palace but smaller and now she was breathing easier, even deprived of her only support here.

            "Looking for Faenar, MShada?"  A passing Rel asked politely.  Somehow the whole house knew of what neither her nor Fan dared to hope existed, something more than friendship.

The Rel's question kept her from having to ask someone herself and she smiled with relief.  "Yes, he's usually up and in here before me in the morning."

"He had an early morning meeting with his mother, the Lady Geno, and then he left in a flurry for some other Realm, I believe." 

Enira's smile froze on her face as she went back to feeling completely alone in an alien place.  "Oh."  She replied faintly.

"You all right cousin? " The Rel inquired with concern as the Shada paled.

"Yes, yes, but I think I'll be going home now." She said, and turned quickly to leave.

"Would you like help packing?"  The Rel offered to the kind Shada, the nicest he'd ever met.  Fan's lucky.

            "No.  I have very little to pack."  She turned again.

"Would you like to leave him a letter?"  The Rel asked, eager to soothe the trapped, frightened look from Enira's eyes.  She almost turned him down, being very eager to flee, but then thought better.  She'd leave Fan a note explaining why she had left or at least that she had left even if he hadn't done so for her.

"Everything you need is in your room, I'll stop by in a bit to pick it up before you go."  The Rel gave her a respectful half-bow and trotted off to attend to other business.  Enira looked around for a second, hesitant to make ready to leave, then harshly reminded herself that Fan wouldnt just appear randomly this time, not like he so often did.  Glumly she returned to her borrowed room and shed her borrowed dress to change into her original traveling clothes, which had been washed for her over the past week.

By rummaging in the desk she found paper and pencil to use for a letter, along with the tools to seal it with wax.  After a moment's staring out the window she knew she had little to say to him for once, so she scrawled a few sentences.  

Sorry we didnt get to say goodbye but now that youre gone Ill go home.  Let me know sometime about your adventure.  See you soon?

  Nira

She folded this and stuck it into an envelope before heating the sealing wax above the Vatel lamp that told her it was now going on lunchtime, 1:00 Evening.  A knock sounded at the door and she jumped, burning herself on the hot wax.  She leapt to answer the door with her hurt finger pressed between her lips.

            "Here already?"  She greeted him half-coherently and motioned him to wait inside for a moment.  "Almost done," she added.  With her finger in her mouth he couldn't have understood her, but he seemed to anyways.  Removing the rod of sealing wax from the rug, or most of it, she reheated it and dropped the resultant hot wax on the edge of the envelope.  Thinking quickly for an emblem of hers, she snagged the necklace he'd given her from her shirt pockets and pressed the heart pendant and surrounding wire framework into the pliable green wax that was quickly cooling.  She popped the necklace out of the new mold and put it back in her pocket.

"Gorgeous necklace, cousin," said the friendly Rel from beside her.  She colored, and he smiled widely.  "From Faenar, eh?" 

Lucky them.  He amended his earlier thoughts.  Enira frowned at this and shook her head, telling him she'd overheard it.

"No."  She breathed and took his hand.  She dropped her barriers and gave him Empathy.  His hand spasmed in hers and he exhaled sharply with wide eyes.

"The pain... despair," He gasped, but courageously did not retrieve his hand.  Enira snatched hers back for him.  She only felt mildly more sorrowful than before- Do I really live in such a shadow?  She smiled wearily.

"Business as usual."  She replied with fake gaiety, and he frowned but sighed helplessly.

"Well, if you ever return here and need any help, ask among the Rel for Illan, Lan to my friends."  Enira smiled genuinely.

"And you must visit me during your journeys to the Palace; just ask for Shada Enira, Nira to my friends."  Illan bowed respectfully once more and accepted the letter from her before leaving.

           "Oy."  Nira breathed solemnly into the silence.  She spied the bed behind her and dropped down on her back with spread limbs.  She curled up in the blankets once more, still vaguely warm from a night's sleep, but they didn't smell like her and they didnt smell like home, so she got up again and left the Geno's estate on W'lo without looking back.

           Her horse trod heavily along the trail that would eventually lead Enira back home to the Palace around dusk that evening.  The psychic sorrow she knew she was releasing into the woods around her was like a lead weight pressing down on horse and rider.  Most of the time Enira braced herself against it, determined to outlast the grinding ache of rejection, but every few hours her breath would come to her raggedly and she would have to swallow down a cry of despair.  Finally it would settle for residence in her heart and evidence its existence in the tears pooling up in her eyes and clinging to her eye lashes so as not to abandon her.

Finally her identity grieved her too much and she let go of her mind and her barriers.

Shada Enira, the wind whispered her name while it left her mind.  Title-less and name-less she wrapped her body and mind around the solid strength of W'lo.

The hoof beats on the ground set the rhythm of her heart and the breathing of the chest beneath her became her own.  Some realization of self fluttered around in her head, somehow trapped where all other thoughts had flown off, delightedly free. 

            At the Royal Stables Tero intercepted W'lo before she got to her stall.  Taking a second look at the stupefied Shada on her back he forcefully kept the mare in place.

"Enira wake up...Nira!" He ordered helplessly, anger flooded him at his lack of power to do anything. "Stay put!" Satero roared at the prancing and agitated mare, who was picking up on Enira's instinctive reaction of flight.  W'lo stood stiffly with her head tossing, willing to take orders from a human who might help her Shada but also reluctant to take orders from someone other than her Shada.  Uncurling Nira's hands from the reins and removing her feet from the stirrups Tero loosened her in the saddle and then took a hold of her by the waist to haul her wilted form to the ground.  With a rather hard thump the Shada was lowered to the Stable floor, still she didnt regain her senses.  Though, once separated from W'lo, her hands grasped about trying to regain contact with her.  Fairly shaking with frustration and hidden fear Satero got her by the shoulders and shook her.  Enira just rested limp in his hands with tears leaking from her blank eyes while she cried out weakly for W'lo.

Linvala, Enira's foster mother, had heard the commotion and came running from around the corner.  She slid to a stop upon finding the confusing scene unfolding before her and then she pushed aside Satero to stand over the Shada.  Grimacing she delivered a sharp slap to the side of Enira's face, who immediately sat bolt upright with wide shocked eyes.  Her breath came in deep gasps but the tears came to a stop and she was looking about her, startled.

Tero stared at his mother, shocked, and she noticed him.

"Sometimes a girl needs a jolt to bring her senses back to reality when hysterics sink in, and dont you ever do that to her or any other girl unless you have a death wish!  Some things need a womans...finesse," Linvala shrugged then sank down to embrace the dazed Shada.  Upon being given sympathy Enira remembered her past pain and frustration, and she collapsed into cleansing sobs on her mother's shoulder while listening to the murmured comforts.

             Go coax Willow to her stall and then find somewhere else to be busy Satero.  Linvala Told her son, who had been feeling more and more out of place and took to his assignment immediately.

            Within moments of getting in the Palace Enira was in her room shedding clothes and trying to shed the memories.  Fan is jerking me back and forth again!  That terribly cruel Shyd, hes Royal even if he doesnt say so, only my kin can be so hurtful.

           Enira's energy drained in an instant after this outburst and she staggered backwards, wilting.  The bed was beside her instead of behind her and she slowed her fall by catching a fist full of covers off the bed.  As her head cleared from the impact with the floor a knocking came at her door.  She panicked for a second before remembering that she had locked the door, they couldn't just barge in to find her sprawled unclothed on the floor looking drunk or dying beside a disheveled bed.  This image made her smirk despite herself for a moment until whoever was at the door knocked yet another time.  Enira swore softly, they were persistent, so she had to get up and get dressed again.  The closest clothes were seeped in the scent of Fans house and she flinched to see them, then she sighed.

             "Aw shut up, I'm coming!" she growled, perhaps loud enough to be heard.  With flashing angry eyes she twirled the bed's comforter around her and held it tight across her chest, then stumbled over the hem of her cover on the way to the door.  Remaining upright she yanked it open not realizing immediately that both hands were needed to keep her cover in place.  The door swung wide and the Shada fled back behind it to secure her makeshift clothing.  An angry blonde stalked into the room with arms full.

            "You're snappish today Nira," She snarled. "And what in Rima's name are you wearing?"

            "I don't believe in RimaSaro, Other Blood." Enira spat.  Ruora curled her lip up to expose a row of hard white teeth.

            "You challenge me Enira of Rillain??" She stood stiffly, offended.  Enira was silent for a moment, letting her emotions boil.

            "Get your pale hid out of my room!" she erupted.  Ruora stood frozen in shock; Enira had let down her barriers while she screamed.  The blonde Shada fell to the floor in a heap.

            "Imsorryimsorryimsorry, doing everything wrong, imsorryimsorry," She repeated over and over while Enira stood above her, not feeling like being sympathetic, even though she had Given Ruora all of her own agony for a moment.  After all Enira was living in it for far more than a moment's time.  The red headed Shada hissed frustrated and stepped over the muttering ball of a Shada to close the door.  Silence was born at the click of the door latch.  They both stayed perfectly still, aware of the emotional storm they were collectively brewing.  Ruora put down her pride first.

            "A-any chance I could hide out here for awhile?" She asked in a voice muffled by her load of clothes and bed sheets.  Enira didnt feel like responding.  "The Neven are looking for me, my Neven that is, they arent allowed in this wing," The Shada lifted her head, her eyes scrutinized Enira's expression then she scuffled over to Enira's legs and clamped her arms around them.  Strangely submissive and helpless, Ruora's new aspect unnerved Enira and she sank to the ground and relaxed into the Perna Shada's arms. "I get the bed, all of it," Enira asserted.  The confidence and strength bled back into Ruora's eyes.

            "We'll see." She challenged playfully.  Enira pounced sideways onto Ruora and halfway pinned her while one hand clung to the comforter around her.

            "MINE," Enira affirmed.  Ruora relaxed beneath her then disappeared in a small waft of air, only to reappear immediately on the bed.

            "Ours," She grinned.  Enira took a deep breath and let it out, but it didn't calm her.  In the middle of taking another breath someone knocked on the door insistently.  Fire sprang up in both their eyes.

            "Go away!!" They roared.  The emotional storm started swirling again.

            "You two better not be having fun in there without me!" Came a faintly familiar male voice from outside the door.  Both girls leapt to open the door for Gatzin.  Ruora, not encumbered by lack of clothing, got there first.  The newcomer was then tugged inside and onto the bed in a sprawl with them as both the Shadan started babbling at once.

            "Where have you been?" Started Enira.

            "How'd you know where I was?"

            "What's that smell you've got all over you?"

            "You've been to Sperin recently!"

            "Do you know what Anra did?"

            "Why didnt you bring me tooo??"

            Then the girls stopped.  "You know Gaty too?" They asked each other in bewilderment.  Gatzin giggled then settled for an amused grin.

            "How?" one girl asked the other.

            "How do I??  How do you??"

            "You first,"

            "No, you first!" They started to face off and looked ready to jump on each other when Gatzin pinned them both.

            "Enough questions, its my birthday!" He announced. Now let's go hit the town!

            "But..." The females pouted.

            "Oh come on were waiting!"  Came voices from the doorway.  The two Shadan turned to see Sora, Ferani, Auril, Aesha, two strangers, and a few others they couldn't see well.

            "Erm...hi," Said Enira, unnerved to find so many people on her doorstep.  Ruora sprung up and leapt on Auri and Rani while Enira dashed into the bathroom with a handful of clean clothes to replace her blanket.

            "I thought you went home!" Ru shot at Auri, and then turned to Rani. "And you are sick, supposedly." She added with a suspicious tone.

            "I came back when Gaty kidnapped me and Raena here." Auril replied, motioning to a huge white tiger nosing her way slowly though the crowd of legs.

            "I don't want to go home yet so I've been sick, and that's no way to talk to me, your older sister and next Tira of Perna," Rani replied and stuck out her tongue rebelliously.

            "Gods dammit you people, we are leaving!" Growled Gatzin and then he pushed through the crowd with a hand clamped on his two newest hostages.  They were all led out of the Palace and down to the Port Station where they all crowded in, including a figure Enira recognized and the others didnt.  While Gatzin shoved them onto the Perna Pad Enira migrated towards the male standing slightly apart.

            "Hello Rav," She greeted him, "Back again?"

            "Nice collage of different Realms in your friends Nira," He replied instead of answering. "And all united by him." He indicated Gatzin, "Who is he?"

            "He's a Palace Rel, and...I'm not sure how he knows all of us, I only just met these Other Realm people, and he's been gone for a good half a year till today." Gatzin snagged Enira's hand to bring her to the Telepad and she resisted, he looked up and spotted Ravar.

           "Oh, hey, you wanna come too?"

            I'm only in this Realm for a day or two with your Dad, can I come along? Rav asked Enira hopefully.  For a moment Enira thought he meant her Father the Tir but then remembered he would have come into Rillain with her Foster Father Rillen.

            Rill picked you up while in Deltav on his rounds?  Sure come along with us...if you dare...

            "Sit my child Enira," The Tir commanded gently.  She sat quietly and timidly on an overstuffed chair in front of his desk in his study.  He sat perfectly straight and proper with his hands folded on the desk in front of him, and that mind of his fairly bled superiority and pride into the air around them.  The small Shada bent beneath the pure strength pressing down, but she fortified her mental barriers as well.  Against the Tir, who owned all Talents at their highest, this was only effective if hers were also maxed, as was the only the case with Path.  So he could not Read her emotions, like fear.  Or so she hoped because he did have a hundred year experience compared to her mere sixteen years.  The silence stretched as he appraised her.

            "Yes," he began, "Silent and strong you would be good for this job."

            "I must take a job in the Palace now?" Enira inquired politely.

            "No one would force you," though thick drowning disappointment threatened to spill over onto her from behind his desk, "Yet I see that this assignment would be enjoyable to you."

            Enira struggled to repress the violent thought that this man knew nothing of what she found fun.  He picked up on her skepticism at least.

            "This job lets you use Others without stepping around laws and moral boundaries."

            "I make use of my Others quite often in the stables." Enira pointed out.

            "You are being difficult." He accused her patiently and she chose not to respond. "Anyways that Use in the stables requires effort and delicacy, as I have reason to know.  This assignment needs a creative and experimental exercise of Others." This last part caught Enira fully.

            "And what am I doing?" He smiled victoriously at her subtle acceptance.

            "Will you agree to the job before I tell you?"

            "I'm not that rash," Enira asserted.

            "And I do not support indentured service.  You would volunteer for this if you knew what it was, but it is confidential."

            Royal Secret

            "Okay, I'm in."

            "Then I will see you down in the Healer's Division tomorrow at dawn, or as close to 1:00 M as you are there."

            Enira heard the dismissal and left.

            It took her five minutes of wandering the Rel's quarters to find out where Sora had been assigned to stay.

            The door of the Lyra's room in the Visitors Wing was carved with elegant symbols of Sperin and the doorknob was solid silver, this was the top suite in the Sperin section of the Wing.  Enira wondered at how the Lyra had wrangled this one out of the Rel.  Then she smirked, knowing Sperinians, and Sora in particular, she had to wonder if the Lyra was taking one of the Supervising Rel into her bed tonight for this room.  But on second thought Enira discarded that idea, as far as she knew Sora never went beyond friendly fondling with anyone other than Ralun.

            Sora opened the door and leaned a hip against the door frame, "Had enough time letting your mind wander Nira?   You've been standing there with out knocking for almost a minute now, Im not that scary am I?"  The Lyra smiled with her coral-pink smooth lips and held out a long graceful hand for the Shada to grasp.  Enira complied and was pulled smoothly inside in one movement, and the door shut behind her with another. "Come.  Sit."  She gestured, but Enira's eyes were staring at the huge mound of fur taking up most of the free space in this main room and climbing to the height of Eniras shoulders. "Oh, I see you've noticed N'resi."  Sora grinned with motherly pride.

            "Th-That... is a Gorna Lion...in your room...sweet Tosa it's huge." Enira breathed in awe.

            "He's huge, and very loyal," The Lyra whistled four distinct notes and a head arose from the far side of the mountain of fur to stare at Enira with wide alert eyes, seeming to ask Do I eat this one?  The lion had a mane the length of her own hair and eyes the size of her fists, combined, of a breath taking honey color.  N'resi bared dagger-sized teeth at the supposed threat, Enira, and though he appeared to be lounging his muscles showed taught beneath tawny fur and his tail flicked back and forth, violently knocking vases and curtains onto the foor, just waiting for his mistress' word to attack.  Enira's heart pumped adrenaline while her mind Clutched at the nearest Telepad.

            "N'resi this one's a friend.  Friend."  She emphasized, then turned to Enira.  "Okay now sit down and tell me about you and Fan."  This followed by a vaguely seductive twist of the lips and lidded eyes converted Enira's energies from fear into desire of Fan.  She stalked over to the bed and rolled down onto it beside Sora then she looked up at her brunette Lyra friend and began and account of her recent adventures in love.

The letter sat on the bedside table by the window and the sunlight from low on the horizon slanted in to make the paper glow. 

Apparently the Rel had made themselves a key to her door.  Enira scowled but shrugged defeated; the royalty made use of the Rel, but were not truly their masters in any large way.

           Letters were common, and usually slipped under the door for her to tread or slip on when entering her rooms.  There were not letters caught under the edge of the rug today, merely the one glowing from the table.  Feeling as though inside a story Enira walked over to pick up the message, and was half expecting it to glow even when removed from the light.  It looked just like any letter outside of the sunlight but the name given on the top, identifying the sender as Fan, was far from expected.  Dizzying emotions tore at her so that she wasn't even able to open the letter till her vision returned.

           Fan is gone already she thought, lost to me in the other Realms, yet the letter was on standard Rillain paper, and of the quality found mostly in and around the Palace area.  He had only once sent her a letter before, and that was an invitation to a get together for lots of people at his house.  This message was to her alone.  Feeling heady, light, and suddenly hopeful she pulled the seal off in a quick tug.  Biting her lip so that the dull pain might return her thoughts to their normal pace, and also to remind her of all her other hopes caused by fine words and dashed by the reality surrounding Fan.

Enira,

I wish I had found you in your room when I came around; there are things we need to talk about.  Find me, if you have time, before I leave tomorrow at midday.

-Fan

            Yes there was much she wanted to tell Fan before he disappeared, as she had thought he already had.  She couldn't trust that he saw how much she cared, she needed to say it out right so that he would know for certain.  She would miss him terribly, can't he see that?  I want to marry him...she realized euphorically.  He should know that too, he should know everything, especially that I'll wait for him till he is done being gone.

            Enira placed the letter delicately back onto the table and picked up the piece of sealing wax that had fallen onto the floor.  Fans self-appointed crest textured the green wax; a dear's hoof mark surrounded by a circle of a twisted vine.  She pocketed that pretty trinket in her flowy grey dress.

            After just a moment's excited hesitation she flew out of her room in search of Fan.

            During her sprint through the Palace she managed to run headlong into Moret who informed her that Fan had gone back to his house to pack up what he needed from there.  Smiling her thanks Enira apologized for her clumsiness and then spun around to dash towards the nearest exit.

            She stopped in the stables for a quick minute to saddle up Willow and wave to her foster brother Tero before galloping off into the forest, now dense with fog from the coming storm and eerie in the dusky twilight.

Enira arrived out of breath from the ride and stopped Willow practically upon Fan's front stoop.  She slid down and shivered while she caught her breath.  He sent me a letter...unbelievable.

Her breath had quieted and her shivering was hidden when she knocked on the door merely a minute later.  A moment's silence then she heard footsteps and the door opened to leave Fan framed in the doorway.  Enira's voice left her but she was relieved of the need to speak when Fan asked her to hold on a moment and went to grab his jacket and the key to his house.  He returned quickly and stepped outside to lock his door while still in the process of getting his jacket sleeve over one of his arms.  Enira smiled fondly at him, the silly wonderful guy.

"Shall we take a walk?" Fan asked, apparently he had quite a bit to talk about and needed some time to get his thoughts together, Enira nodded in response, because so did she.  It was a good half-mile before either of them spoke more than the humorous small talk that came naturally to them both.  No long conversations were started, and were actually mainly avoided.  Then both lapsed into a long silence, which must have lasted over a mile.  Enira ran through memories of Fan during the silence, and started to miss him all over again, as she had earlier today, even though she was currently beside him.  Soon, though, her thoughts faded and she only noticed that she and Fan were walking in exactly the same rhythm.

At the brook running a good ways away from Fan's house they paused and silently, but as one, decided to head back.  Enough walking had been done, now it was time to think. 

After they had retraced most of their steps back to his house they settled down in the center of a huge glade.   No one spoke.

After a few minutes of attempting to come up with an icebreaker Enira realized that Fan had called her here to talk, and she would wait for him to compose himself, event if it took all night.  I would love to sit here all night.

Fan shifted and Enira Knew he had heard her thought.  He seemed awkward and uncomfortable, not the way she had expected him to act, especially if she was expressing her contentment in being her with him for however long he wanted.

"Well," Fan started, "we've both been very pensive tonight, would you like to say anything?" Enira was startled, and didn't try to hide it, she'd been ready to listen and maybe add her piece in after that.  The silence stretched while she couldn't even find the words to reply to his question, which could simply be a yes or a no.  He began again, "I'm sorry that's not fair of me."  The Shada blinked confused.  Once more the silence dropped in to deepen the darkness around and between them.  Despite her claim to want to sit there all night she was getting more and more nervous as he stalled.

             "Well, I guess-" He made up his mind, but then paused. "I guess I'd like to apologize."  And during his short halt to summon up how to say more Enira frowned confused and her stomach curled itself up into a lump of nervousness in the pit of her abdomen.  Oh TosaNumi the wait is killing me, kiiiilling me...she cried out inside her head, but this time allowed none of her thought to spill over onto Fan. "I'm sorry for how stupid I've been acting these past few weeks, ignoring you and all." Slight pause. "And I'm sorry for how Ive acted towards you all year, that we havent been able to talk--really talk--at all lately." Another slight pause. "And I'm also sorry for tonight."