Chapter Three
Talia walked briskly past the guards of Selanay's private chambers. They looked at her briefly in surprise, but made no move to stop her. Telling Skif and the stranger to wait in the sitting room, Talia cautiously knocked on the door to Selanay's bedroom, then wordlessly slipped inside. Skif shifted uncomfortably, trying not to watch the girl too obviously. She watched him out of the corner of her eye with amusement.
"You might as well sit down you know." He voice was tinged with humor that showed all too clearly in her sardonic dimples. "Knowing you heralds, this is bound to take a while." Skif struggled to make his brain and mouth cooperate. Unfortunately, they chose to be difficult, so he just watched dumbly as she casually leaned against the wall. She met his gaze coolly and they just stood there in silence for a few moments. Then, with no change of posture indicating she was about to speak, the girl suddenly broke the silence. "Skif."
"Yes?" He looked at her in confusion.
"That's who you are I mean. Skif. Am I right?" The puzzle of how she could possibly know his name finally shocked him out of his stupor, and brought out the trained herald he was.
"Yes. How do you know that?" He walked closer to her and sat in a chair, his eyes never leaving the telltale nuances of her body language. That is, they wouldn't have if she had any. She was virtually unreadable. She just smiled. "You look like Skif." The smile reached her eyes and he had to struggle to hold his indifferent countenance. But before he could ask another question, she pushed away from the wall. "Screw this." She muttered under her breath as she marched across the room and walked straight through the door. Skif scrambled up to follow her.
.........
Talia jerked in surprise as the stranger stalked confidently into the room. Selenay however just looked at the new arrival with steady eyes.
"If you are planning on assassinating me, I suggest you make your attempt now. Otherwise I'm afraid you're simply going to waste much of my, and my heralds', precious time." The girl stared at her with a peculiar expression, somewhere between laughter and tears.
"May the Mage of Silence's peace reign long." The words were spoken softly, with a particular lilting cadence. Now it was Selanay's turn to jerk in surprise.
"May the Mage of Silence's power reign in us." The words seemed to spring automatically from her lips.
"And when the need arises."
"For the need has arisen."
"His truth will show."
"And children may sleep."
"Knowing that their souls are forever protected." A ghost of a smile appeared on the girl's lips as the spoke these last words.
"Skylar." The Queen conveyed more joy than Talia thought possible in that single word. Skylar slowly lowered herself to one knee in front of Selenay, her eyes lowered demurely.
"Forever am I in your service."
.........
Skif stood at the door unnoticed. He watched Selenay's expressions closely as soon as the strange poem began. Something about Selenay's delivery struck a chord in him, but no matter how hard he struggled he could not figure out what it meant. He sent out a probing thought toward his Cymry. He was met with reassurance, but no words passed between the bond. As suddenly as the recitation began, it ended. At the knowledge of the girl's identity something stirred tantalizingly inside Skif. He seething in frustration, knowing that he should know who she was. But the information kept eluding him, until he just gave up and lost himself in watching the exotic stranger in front of him.
Talia walked briskly past the guards of Selanay's private chambers. They looked at her briefly in surprise, but made no move to stop her. Telling Skif and the stranger to wait in the sitting room, Talia cautiously knocked on the door to Selanay's bedroom, then wordlessly slipped inside. Skif shifted uncomfortably, trying not to watch the girl too obviously. She watched him out of the corner of her eye with amusement.
"You might as well sit down you know." He voice was tinged with humor that showed all too clearly in her sardonic dimples. "Knowing you heralds, this is bound to take a while." Skif struggled to make his brain and mouth cooperate. Unfortunately, they chose to be difficult, so he just watched dumbly as she casually leaned against the wall. She met his gaze coolly and they just stood there in silence for a few moments. Then, with no change of posture indicating she was about to speak, the girl suddenly broke the silence. "Skif."
"Yes?" He looked at her in confusion.
"That's who you are I mean. Skif. Am I right?" The puzzle of how she could possibly know his name finally shocked him out of his stupor, and brought out the trained herald he was.
"Yes. How do you know that?" He walked closer to her and sat in a chair, his eyes never leaving the telltale nuances of her body language. That is, they wouldn't have if she had any. She was virtually unreadable. She just smiled. "You look like Skif." The smile reached her eyes and he had to struggle to hold his indifferent countenance. But before he could ask another question, she pushed away from the wall. "Screw this." She muttered under her breath as she marched across the room and walked straight through the door. Skif scrambled up to follow her.
.........
Talia jerked in surprise as the stranger stalked confidently into the room. Selenay however just looked at the new arrival with steady eyes.
"If you are planning on assassinating me, I suggest you make your attempt now. Otherwise I'm afraid you're simply going to waste much of my, and my heralds', precious time." The girl stared at her with a peculiar expression, somewhere between laughter and tears.
"May the Mage of Silence's peace reign long." The words were spoken softly, with a particular lilting cadence. Now it was Selanay's turn to jerk in surprise.
"May the Mage of Silence's power reign in us." The words seemed to spring automatically from her lips.
"And when the need arises."
"For the need has arisen."
"His truth will show."
"And children may sleep."
"Knowing that their souls are forever protected." A ghost of a smile appeared on the girl's lips as the spoke these last words.
"Skylar." The Queen conveyed more joy than Talia thought possible in that single word. Skylar slowly lowered herself to one knee in front of Selenay, her eyes lowered demurely.
"Forever am I in your service."
.........
Skif stood at the door unnoticed. He watched Selenay's expressions closely as soon as the strange poem began. Something about Selenay's delivery struck a chord in him, but no matter how hard he struggled he could not figure out what it meant. He sent out a probing thought toward his Cymry. He was met with reassurance, but no words passed between the bond. As suddenly as the recitation began, it ended. At the knowledge of the girl's identity something stirred tantalizingly inside Skif. He seething in frustration, knowing that he should know who she was. But the information kept eluding him, until he just gave up and lost himself in watching the exotic stranger in front of him.