"Anything he had got tossed there. I was more concerned with saving the lad's life than his bags."
Nialyne shuddered. "His memories are shadowed," she said, as though to herself. "The attack came swiftly in the half-light of the early morning. He had been sleeping. Not a wolf, but something similar. It could have killed him but didn't."
"Why?" Ciara asked before she thought better of it.
Nialyne's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Perhaps to gain entry here." She opened her eyes and locked her gaze on Ciara. "Is that what you saw in the doorway?"
"I'm not sure. I think both things were different." She flicked a glance Bolin's way. He seemed more interested in going through the messenger's gear than listening to them.
"Let me know when he wakes," Nialyne said to Konly. She motioned Ciara and Bolin to follow her out.
"As you will, Danya, but I intend to keep that from happening for some time. He needs healing now, not interrogating." The last bit Konly said with a cold look Bolin's way, but he seemed fixated on a single sheet of folded parchment that bore a deep burgundy wax seal showing an insignia of two crossed swords and a gryphon. Ciara had seen it before, at Guldarech when the royal court had visited for summer festival: the insignia of the emperor.
They were less than half way across the yard when Danya Maurar approached them. Ciara wouldn't have thought his spine could have gotten much more rigid until his gaze fell on Bolin. Ancient oaks had more give. He opened his mouth to say something, but Nialyne held up her hand to forestall him.
"My study," she said.
The elder snapped his mouth shut and fell into step beside them. Ciara could feel him stewing the whole short walk. She honestly expected him to burst before the door to Nialyne's study closed behind them.
He glowered at Bolin. "I should have guessed you had something to do with this."
"Then you would have guessed wrong," Nialyne said, and though soft, her words reverberated with power. Ciara shrank back instinctively, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. The look Nialyne sent her way didn't hold much more warmth than her voice. "That power cannot be called within these borders. By that I do not mean we forbid it, I mean it is not possible. It should not be possible. Not without the intervention of the elders. All of them. How did you do that?"
Ciara lifted her shoulders. "I don't know."
"That's ridiculous," Maurar said. "Answer Danya Nialyne's question, girl."
Bolin swung his head in the elder's direction. He stood at Ciara's elbow, between her and Maurar. "She has very little control over it. You, of all people, should understand the possessive nature of such power. It's obvious whatever held the messenger proved a great threat."
"Danyas," Nialyne said. "This is not the time for you to air your differences. Come here, child."
Ciara swallowed. She wanted to hide behind Bolin, or bolt from the room altogether. Instead, she slipped her hand into Nialyne's and walked with her to a pair of chairs facing one another before the fireplace. Nialyne kept hold of her, even after they sat.
"I need to see exactly what you saw," Nialyne said.
"But you were there."
Nialyne shook her head. "That doesn't mean we saw and felt the same things. The realm of the veil is an elusive place. Can you tell me if you were still within the Greensward?"
"No."
"No you were not in the Greensward? Or no, you cannot tell?" Maurar asked, his words clipped; his disdain for her dripped from them like wax from a taper. He stood to the right and slightly behind Nialyne's chair.
Bolin took up a similar position beside Ciara.
"No, I couldn't tell. It happened very quickly. But the creature said it wasn't within the borders when Danya Nialyne asked it. I tried to use my earth magic but it did little good. Danya Nialyne was fighting it as well." Ciara took a breath and closed her eyes to better her memory. "It switched forms, as though it couldn't keep hold of Canil's essence for long
Nialyne shuddered. "His memories are shadowed," she said, as though to herself. "The attack came swiftly in the half-light of the early morning. He had been sleeping. Not a wolf, but something similar. It could have killed him but didn't."
"Why?" Ciara asked before she thought better of it.
Nialyne's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Perhaps to gain entry here." She opened her eyes and locked her gaze on Ciara. "Is that what you saw in the doorway?"
"I'm not sure. I think both things were different." She flicked a glance Bolin's way. He seemed more interested in going through the messenger's gear than listening to them.
"Let me know when he wakes," Nialyne said to Konly. She motioned Ciara and Bolin to follow her out.
"As you will, Danya, but I intend to keep that from happening for some time. He needs healing now, not interrogating." The last bit Konly said with a cold look Bolin's way, but he seemed fixated on a single sheet of folded parchment that bore a deep burgundy wax seal showing an insignia of two crossed swords and a gryphon. Ciara had seen it before, at Guldarech when the royal court had visited for summer festival: the insignia of the emperor.
They were less than half way across the yard when Danya Maurar approached them. Ciara wouldn't have thought his spine could have gotten much more rigid until his gaze fell on Bolin. Ancient oaks had more give. He opened his mouth to say something, but Nialyne held up her hand to forestall him.
"My study," she said.
The elder snapped his mouth shut and fell into step beside them. Ciara could feel him stewing the whole short walk. She honestly expected him to burst before the door to Nialyne's study closed behind them.
He glowered at Bolin. "I should have guessed you had something to do with this."
"Then you would have guessed wrong," Nialyne said, and though soft, her words reverberated with power. Ciara shrank back instinctively, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. The look Nialyne sent her way didn't hold much more warmth than her voice. "That power cannot be called within these borders. By that I do not mean we forbid it, I mean it is not possible. It should not be possible. Not without the intervention of the elders. All of them. How did you do that?"
Ciara lifted her shoulders. "I don't know."
"That's ridiculous," Maurar said. "Answer Danya Nialyne's question, girl."
Bolin swung his head in the elder's direction. He stood at Ciara's elbow, between her and Maurar. "She has very little control over it. You, of all people, should understand the possessive nature of such power. It's obvious whatever held the messenger proved a great threat."
"Danyas," Nialyne said. "This is not the time for you to air your differences. Come here, child."
Ciara swallowed. She wanted to hide behind Bolin, or bolt from the room altogether. Instead, she slipped her hand into Nialyne's and walked with her to a pair of chairs facing one another before the fireplace. Nialyne kept hold of her, even after they sat.
"I need to see exactly what you saw," Nialyne said.
"But you were there."
Nialyne shook her head. "That doesn't mean we saw and felt the same things. The realm of the veil is an elusive place. Can you tell me if you were still within the Greensward?"
"No."
"No you were not in the Greensward? Or no, you cannot tell?" Maurar asked, his words clipped; his disdain for her dripped from them like wax from a taper. He stood to the right and slightly behind Nialyne's chair.
Bolin took up a similar position beside Ciara.
"No, I couldn't tell. It happened very quickly. But the creature said it wasn't within the borders when Danya Nialyne asked it. I tried to use my earth magic but it did little good. Danya Nialyne was fighting it as well." Ciara took a breath and closed her eyes to better her memory. "It switched forms, as though it couldn't keep hold of Canil's essence for long
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