Chapter Four
Candlemarks later Talia still sat in her room, staring into the fireplace in a dazed stupor. She struggled to work through all of the information that was crammed into her head in a very short period of time. She dimly remembered stories of a strange herald trainee that was very influential during Vanyel's time, but then just disappeared into thin air. No records of a death, nothing. The fact that the trainee was here, now, it was just impossible to grasp. And the amount of power the girl had according to Selenay; Talia could not imagine anyone even existing with all of that boiling inside of her. Talia looked up at a hesitant knock on her door. Wincing slightly as her stiffened muscles revolted against the movement, she opened the door. Skif looked at her from the other side. His hair was disheveled and his eyes looked slightly bloodshot.
"Couldn't get back to sleep either?" Talia's tone was sympathetic as she held the door open for Skif to enter her room. Disregarding manners entirely he flung himself onto her bed. Rolling her eyes slightly she joined him.
"She's upset." Lack of sleep was making his inflection completely deadpan.
"Who?" Talia turned her head to get a better look at him.
"Skylar."
"Well, it's no wonder Skif. I mean, she's living a normal life in a completely different world, and then she gets pulled out whenever we are thrown into chaos and bloodshed. I'm just surprised she's not completely suicidal."
"What do you think her world's like?"
"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" Skif reddened at the suggestion. He stammered out some sort of excuse until Talia cut him off. "Then ask your companion." Skif stared at her blankly. "Didn't you notice? She obviously already had an established relationship with all of the companions. I'm sure they know more about her history than we do." Skif jumped up at her suggestion like he had been shot.
"Why didn't I think of that?" And with no warning he bolted out the door and down the stairs.
"I didn't mean now!" Talia called to his retreating back. With a sigh she rolled over and went back to asking unanswerable questions of the dancing firelight.
... ... ...
Skif stopped back at his room to grab a heavier cloak, fully intent on going to talk to Cymry right at that second. But his plans were stopped short as he saw Skylar standing in the door jam of the room next to his, a faintly bemused expression on her face.
"It's strange. The last time I was here, these quarters were for trainees, not for full heralds." She looked at Skif, smiling slightly. "Is that your room?" With a jerk of her head she indicated which one she meant.
"Yeah. It's alright as far as rooms go." Trying to conjure up an air on nonchalance Skif crossed the rest of the distance between him and his door. Privately he cursed himself for acting like such a little around her. He didn't even know her. He looked up and tried not to fall over as he got hit with the full impact of her dimples.
"Aw, I would think it would be better than that. After all, it's not everyone who gets to sleep in the same bed as the legendary Shadow Stalker." With that she turned and shut the door to her room. He stared at her, his mouth agape. That girl was just full of surprises.
Candlemarks later Talia still sat in her room, staring into the fireplace in a dazed stupor. She struggled to work through all of the information that was crammed into her head in a very short period of time. She dimly remembered stories of a strange herald trainee that was very influential during Vanyel's time, but then just disappeared into thin air. No records of a death, nothing. The fact that the trainee was here, now, it was just impossible to grasp. And the amount of power the girl had according to Selenay; Talia could not imagine anyone even existing with all of that boiling inside of her. Talia looked up at a hesitant knock on her door. Wincing slightly as her stiffened muscles revolted against the movement, she opened the door. Skif looked at her from the other side. His hair was disheveled and his eyes looked slightly bloodshot.
"Couldn't get back to sleep either?" Talia's tone was sympathetic as she held the door open for Skif to enter her room. Disregarding manners entirely he flung himself onto her bed. Rolling her eyes slightly she joined him.
"She's upset." Lack of sleep was making his inflection completely deadpan.
"Who?" Talia turned her head to get a better look at him.
"Skylar."
"Well, it's no wonder Skif. I mean, she's living a normal life in a completely different world, and then she gets pulled out whenever we are thrown into chaos and bloodshed. I'm just surprised she's not completely suicidal."
"What do you think her world's like?"
"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" Skif reddened at the suggestion. He stammered out some sort of excuse until Talia cut him off. "Then ask your companion." Skif stared at her blankly. "Didn't you notice? She obviously already had an established relationship with all of the companions. I'm sure they know more about her history than we do." Skif jumped up at her suggestion like he had been shot.
"Why didn't I think of that?" And with no warning he bolted out the door and down the stairs.
"I didn't mean now!" Talia called to his retreating back. With a sigh she rolled over and went back to asking unanswerable questions of the dancing firelight.
... ... ...
Skif stopped back at his room to grab a heavier cloak, fully intent on going to talk to Cymry right at that second. But his plans were stopped short as he saw Skylar standing in the door jam of the room next to his, a faintly bemused expression on her face.
"It's strange. The last time I was here, these quarters were for trainees, not for full heralds." She looked at Skif, smiling slightly. "Is that your room?" With a jerk of her head she indicated which one she meant.
"Yeah. It's alright as far as rooms go." Trying to conjure up an air on nonchalance Skif crossed the rest of the distance between him and his door. Privately he cursed himself for acting like such a little around her. He didn't even know her. He looked up and tried not to fall over as he got hit with the full impact of her dimples.
"Aw, I would think it would be better than that. After all, it's not everyone who gets to sleep in the same bed as the legendary Shadow Stalker." With that she turned and shut the door to her room. He stared at her, his mouth agape. That girl was just full of surprises.