Quivern had noticed it and marveled at its incredible beauty. The intricate black starburst that covered the left side of her chest and seemed to seep through her body to her shoulder blade had changed drastically. It was no longer the haunting light absorbing black color he remembered. Now it had a bright, golden, glowing quality that reminded him of sunshine.
�It represents her Tae, it�s the emblem of her power.� Bjover�s voice was suddenly very reverent. �Once the sun is out she will be better.� He patted Quivern on the shoulder and waddled off towards the forest.
�But�� Quivern started.
�But nothing, young man, come we have to get her off the road. She is very powerful, but she is also a woman.� Bjover let out a funny little laugh that gave Quivern a shiver. �You know what they�re like when they sleep.�
He thought to ask Bjover just what he meant but then realized it was some sort of sexual reference. He didn�t know what kind of physical intimacies coldlings enjoyed but then again he really didn�t know very much about the human sort either. Carefully he gathered her in his arms then lifted her slowly, she was surprisingly light, even with the armor.
Bjover led the way into the woods and Quivern fallowed with the Shyra. Quivern guessed he had some sort of magical sense that told him where he was headed, because the coldling was carefully choosing a path that had some sort of definite end. He didn�t really care, though. Images of blood and death kept slipping into his thoughts. He could feel the tugs of pain and duty urging him back to his dead friend�s side. Why had he been so cold and cruel with Darien? He had been trying to help, and Quivern couldn�t even manage to keep his unmitigated anger in check.
He uttered a silent prayer, beseeching his friend for forgiveness. He had died bravely.
That end turned out to be a small sunny clearing. It was quite picturesque with is green, green grass and small beds of wildflowers. He was reluctant to let the Shyra out of his arms. There was something unnervingly perfect about the way she felt pressed close to him like that.
With a shudder he shook off the feeling after he had set her down on a particularly grassy patch where the sun was shining happily. Bjover had explained that it was extremely important to her recovery that she lay in as much direct light as they could manage. It seemed odd to him, though, that someone with a gift, as Bjover had referred to it, which required so much sunlight could have skin that is as pale as the moon.
Bjover chose a spot in the shade where he reclined slightly against a tree trunk and thoughtfully watched the sun light the Shyra�s skin.
Quivern took up a watchful position on the other side of the clearing where he could keep a better eye on his�his what? �Bjover?�
The coldling looked up.
�Are you paying the Shyra to take you south?�
He shook his head with a frown. �No, no. It is her duty as a Shyra to assist me.�
�So she has to help you.� He had to admit to himself he was disappointed, he had thought she was part of some noble cause. She seemed like the noble type, with all her talk of justice.
�No.� The coldling shook his head again, his blue lips furrowing deeper. � She chose to become a Shyra, as all of them do, because she cares for the balance. She doesn�t have to do anything.� He giggled again, a nerve shredding sound. �Especially this Shyra. She has the power to do whatever she chooses. I consider her aid to be a gift.�
�What kind of power? What do you mean?�
But before he could get an answer from the aged little blue creature he was interrupted by the softest most heart-jerking whimper he had ever heard.
Silu�s mind cleared suddenly and light flooded her vision. Where was she? Where had Mallia gone? Some one was bending over her, holding her hand. Who was it? She was sure she knew him, but how?
�Shyra? Can you hear me?� She knew that voice.
Memories that had been out of reach were suddenly there, demanding her attention. They hit her with so much force that she felt her breath leave her lungs. The hand holding hers squeezed so hard it hurt. Silu focused her thoughts on the pain, using it as a connection to reality. She wasn�t on Shallow Sea Island anymore�she was here�now.
Sharply air filled her lungs. She waited, gritting her teeth, for the dizziness that fallowed to subside. Her vision was blurry but she recognized the coldling and the Duke�s son, Quivern.
He looked awfully worried.
He was frantically muttering something that she didn�t have the concentration to sort out. She looked to the coldling for help and he nodded his answer. He had been traveling with her for sometime now. He understood her condition and the demands the setting and rising of the son had of her.
Bjover said something that made Quivern calm down a bit. He went silent�or at least she thought he had. The buzzing in her ears made it difficult to tell the difference.
Quivern settled for holding her hand tightly between his and sitting quietly. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, on her heart beating, on the very act of living in an attempt to center herself and regain control.
Silu had done this every dawn and dusk since her initiation ceremony. Although her condition now was considerably more serious then usual she was still able to make her body accept the power of light that was now gathering in her veins. Somehow she found her light tae less satisfying and enjoyable then the darkness. She deeply feared for her mind and her soul at night, though.
She had no control, either way. During the day her mark absorbed the sunlight and fueled her to use the abilities that were associated with her light tae. At night the opposite occurred. To prevent the power absorption by covering the design on her chest was pure agony, so her armor had to be fashioned with a seriously fatal flaw in it. Her left shoulder and upper chest had to be exposed. The dragon hide suit was actually quite comfortable considering is extremely durable nature. It had been skinned from a very rare sea dragon that had beached itself on her home island. The creature had been a great, skillful and magical hunter. Its scales adjusted to the amount of light around it of their own accord. The Bala-Shyra had found it fitting to reward her with such a gift. Silu had accepted it humbly, but a part of her didn�t consider it an honor at all, more like a marker for her fellow Shyra� so that they could recognize her for the mistake that she was.
