A Somber Return...

[Lady Ashina Mal'orhe Kansior]

~It had been so very long since her last visit to this place. Emain Macha, a home away from home, and yet, a stab of pain shot through Ashina at the mere thought. She had chosen a lonely path that had eventually led her to return to the side of Kahlan. It seemed that was what always occured. One moment, she was free of her burden, free of guilt and humanity, and in the next she was remembering how wonderful laughter could be and what friendship truly meant. Perhaps she would never be free of such emotions, but, only time would tell.

However, her thoughts were interrupted and she stumbled over her own two feet on the dirt path leading to the castle. She fell to her knees momentarily, her long ebony hair falling in lackluster waves to shield her face from view, palms flat against the dirty ground and sharp edged rocks digging into the tender flesh. Pain coursed through her body and she knew that someone was in trouble. In her weakened state of mind and body, however, there was no way for her to possibly begin to sense whoever or whatever was hurt. The search for the fifth element had for all intents and purposes been futile, and had left her as nothing more than a shell of her former self. Her powers would return with time and rest, her body would recover, but her soul would be scarred and shattered forever.

Perhaps that was why she now sought out the long awaited embrace of Kahlan. Perhaps that was why she could no more give up her humanity than that long ago beast she had come to love. Who truly knew the answer? Even the Gods themselves longed for humanity, to feel and be felt. Ah, well. There was nothing for it. Slowly, she rose to her feet, the tattered remains of the simple green robes fluttering about her in the wind. Without hesitation, she simply wiped her palms against the fabric, the transfer of the dust settling on the dark material and contrasting as a light does in the dark.

Her appearance didn't matter. At this point in time, nothing mattered to Ashina at all. Even the burden of wondering whether or not Willow had survived the pull of evil wouldn't affect. Not now. Not at this moment. Perhaps once she had refreshed herself, once she had recharged, she would be more inclined to wonder at all that had transpired since her absence. Momentarily, the moon overhead broke free of the clouds and she glimpsed the castle in the distance. A surge of memories flitted over her, alarmed her at their intensity, and then once again the covering returned. With the castle returned to the cold darkness of the night, so were her memories extinguished.

And now the woman trudged forward, headed toward the castle. But she lacked any sort of joy in her heart. Instead, she was filled with a bitter emptiness that she hoped would soon be filled. At least her hope remained. Without hesitation, she walked through the portcullis, wondering at the guards who just stared blankly ahead, paying her no heed. Had her body become as invisible as her emotions? It was quite possible, although she sincerely doubted it. Kahlan had always had many couriers who came through at any and all times of the night. Her sudden arrival would not be construed as more than a simple visit of a neighboring country. Her garments did bespeak of nobility, even if they didn't quite portray the image of wealth.

Well, she'd worry about that later. No doubt Kahlan had kept her chamber just as she had left it, and within Ashina would find all of her sparkling court garments that she only wore here, in this place. In Avalon, she would wear her robes and sometimes, nothing at all. However, appearances were more important here. With a gentle sigh, she ascended the staircase, making her way down the maze of halls and doorways to find her own room and her own bed.

With only a slight amount of unease and a simple hesitation, she slowly lowered herself to the bed, her dark head resting against the pillows. Her final thought before drifting off into a peaceful sleep was that Kahlan would be rather shocked to hear of the beggar woman in the room of the High Priestess. Her lips twisted just slightly to offer a glimmer of a smile, and then her thoughts and actions were no more.~

[Kahlan Lothair]

In the hour just before dawn, when the sky just begins to color, Kahlan had retired from the events of the day hoping for some peace to sort out the events that had come to pass. Though she had become increasingly tired she could find no outlet in sleep and so, wrapping her slender body in a thick robe she takes her leave of her impossibly cold room to stand outside on the balcony.

Beneath her bare feet she could feel the wet kiss of cold puddles where it pooled on the slightly uneven stone of her balcony. Despite its uneven surface Kahlan often admired the fine workmanship that so many hands had wrought. Trailing a hand over the fluted banister, the quiet Queen stares into the distance, her hair tightly bound in a bun. The scent of freshly fallen rain consumes Kahlan as she stands, lightly pressing her body against the railing of the balcony. She couldnt fathom what it was about this evening that had come to plague her thoughts so severely.

Fixing her eyes on the horizon where light is beginning to brighten the land with snaking tendrils of light. Casting a demure look about, she wonders how long she can delay making a cameo appearance in the main hall. The lords and ladies of court, full of gossip, were not what Kahlan wished to encounter on the morning after meeting with Cira. As the sun finally begins to crest the horizon Kahlan basks in its warm glow before turning to look into her dark and cold quarters. Kahlan rarely called for a fire to be built in her quarters and rubbing her shoulders she walks over to the fireplace and begins to set up the wood herself. After all of these years Kahlan still preferred to do things for herself when she was allowed to or when it was deemed 'proper'.

Smiling at the thought of what was and was not proper, Kahlan jumps slightly when the door to her bedchamber bounced open. Crouched before the fireplace Kahlan momentarily pondered who had come to her and slowly she rose on strong slender legs, the briefest hint of a scar reflected off of her bare thigh as she comes to stand. A slender brow raises but Kahlan does not have a chance to voice her objection to the intrusion or the question lingering in her eyes before the leader of the small knot of guards speaks out.

"My Lady..." the man blurts before coloring at the sight of his Queen in a robe. Obviously the woman had expected a measure of privacy. Drawing the heavy robe about her tighter, Kahlan watches as the man tries to speak through his embarassment. Motioning the man on Kahlan waits for his urgent report. "My Queen, someone has taken to the Lady Ashina's quarters!" This caused Kahlan to frown and purse her lips slightly. Surely no one would be so bold as to take over Ashina's rooms but the woman herself?

"Guard the door, see to it that no one enters the doors but do not inhibit anyone that exits. If someone does, per chance exit see that they are brought to me in my study immediately. I have a feeling that this is not as terrible as it may appear to seem." With that Kahlan dismisses the guards and allows the entourage of ladies that attend to her to help her get dressed for the day.

Kahlan wondered, as the women bound the corset of a simple yet elegant green gown tight, whom could have taken to Ashina's rooms. Who?

[Kahlan Lothair]

"Jus' a lit'l tighter Miss!" Kahlan rolled her eyes before closing them and allowing the woman tightening the strings of her corset to give her a last good tug before attempting to tie the strings off. "There ya are my lady. To think that you ever had a child!" Oh and how they clucked. Kahlan really didnt want to hear the prattle of pregnancies, child birth, and child rearing. What she wanted was an answer to the question, "Who?"

Before she could right herself well enough the sound of swords jostling in their scabbards and hollow footfalls echo through the halls, moments later she would be bombarded by another score of guards. Only this time it would be far more serious a matter.

"Queen Kahlan! We've 'ad a robb'ry!" The red faced man cried as he burst in on Kahlan just finished dressing with all of her attending ladies. The ladies cried their dismay at the robbery and Kahlan only frowned. A robbery? Could it have been the same person that occupied the room? No, there were sentries posted about that room, and it was too far off the ground for no one patrolling the grounds below not to notice. "From where were we robbed?" It was a necessary question, but from the disturbed looks on the faces of the guards, Kahlan knew before they could answer. "The treasury my lady!"

Muttering a most foul oath under her breath, Kahlan gathers a two fist fulls of her skirt and nimbly moves through the stationary guards. Kahlan had, in her rush, forgotten to put on a pair of boots for the journey though she seemed not to mind. Kahlan turned from time to time, her hair pulled back still in the bun, to question the men-at-arms and see just how many were behind her. When the men relayed what they knew, or rather what they didnt know, about the man that had come to them with such a truthful look Kahlan could only wonder. "I would have accompanied such a man were it the case!" Yet she could not be so angry at the men for they had tried to do right by her.

Dressed as she was she made an intriguing sight storming through the castle and down the stairs. Green silk skirts fluttered around corners while soft pale skin flashed from time to time beneath the folds of fabric caught with haste in Kahlan's fists. By the time she made it to the bowels of her castle where the treasury was kept, the majority of her entourage was out of breath and Kahlan's own breast heaved, straining against the tight fabric of her corset (more at the outrage of having been robbed than being tired).

Puddles of dank stinking water dotted the uneven floor, which had been hewn into the solid rock foundation by centuries old hands and the passage of time and tide. The entire length of the hallway smelled of rot and mold, but Kahlan could do little about it and the guards no longer complained about the smell. Kahlan lifted her skirts clear of the slime coating the floor and entertained the thought of what everyone might think of their Queen sprawled haphazardly across the floor after an unseemly slip. This was the outcome of past planning, the corridor had been built but there was no logical place for the fluid accumulation to go, and Kahlan resolved to have some sort of drainage etched into the stone. It would be of some help.

With the press of bodies behind her, Kahlan moved at a quick pace to accomodate everyone and sate her want to know just what had happened. When the doorway comes into view the Queen realizes that stopping abruptly was not an option and so reaching out with her hand, Kahlan snatches the stone archway with surprising agility. As she had predicted, the quick change of direction caused her body (and those behind her) some problems. The slime on the floor left little traction, even less so for a woman with no shoes, and so Kahlan slid about for the briefest of moments with her upper torso firmly clutched to the stone archway. As she composed herself after her near fall, Kahlan could hear muttered curses and dull thumps as those not quick enough to follow her lead were left to catch themselves.

"What happened here?" Kahlan's voice echos with distinctive authority over the small antechamber where the guards kept watch. Everyone began at once, and the room rang with the cacaphony of noise forcing the Queen to raise her hands and shout over the dull roar. "Quiet! One at a time! We make enough noise to raise the dead down here." Kahlan let her eyes roam across the faces of all those present, finding that she knew most of them and that most of the court had skillfully found other things to do. Gossip no doubt. The press of bodies filling the room was enough to stifle even the sharpest tongue of court, and Kahlan found herself wishing the lords and ladies had accompanied them.

The room began to stink of fresh sweat as the bodies pressed in closer to the door. Kahlan motioned to a man nearby holding his head. It had been brought to her attention that this particular guard had been knocked over the head and left in the bushes outside and by the look of his disarrayed clothing, his uniform stolen as well. "John isnt it?" When the man nods woodenly, Kahlan draws him closer and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Did you get a good look at the person before you blacked out?" Kahlan pats the man's shoulder sympathetically when he recounts the story for her with a few stumbles. "So no one got a good look at this man's face? Hair color? Eye color? Nothing?" Dismissing John into the care of a physician standing nearby, Kahlan turns to the vault door which stands ajar and steps inside no longer heeding the fall of her skirts.

Would that she had worn pants instead! Of all days to be garbed in a hindering gown. Crouching by the blown floor grate, Kahlan inspects it with a keen eye, picking up a few shards to examine them closer. It had been a small enough explosion for it to tear apart an old grate worn by years of submersion in salt water. Running her index finger through the black residue left behind Kahlan absently stares down the blackened tunnel left behind as she smudges the black powder between her fingers. A small glance around indicated that the majority of her treasury was still intact, thus either the person that broke in had it in mind to come back, or they had done it for the thrill and need of taking the gold.

The treasurer crowed behind her as he rattled off the numbers and Kahlan perused the vault, seeing if anything else was amiss. Finally, hands on hips, Kahlan looks to those gathered at the doorway. "Scour the area thoroughly. However, any good thief would be long gone by now." Grudingly, admiringly Kahlan had to admit that this thief had to be above par.

(Continued)

[CrimsonWinds]

The night was long for Rilith for he was bound to leave Emain Macha, bound to face the hardships of the world as a peasant, in which he had no mind to do so. However as he traveled here, so long ago, he knew that the land seemed to be changing and due to the gentle goddess Anu. However he did doubt his faith in his position. He was the ArchWizard of Ulster, a title he inherited from his own Disciple NimRuin, however he seeked nothing else, but indeed he felt as if he was denied friendship. He was ignored and set aside like yesterday's rubbish, or so he felt like that. He however did not mind, he was of Drow heritage and that was to be expected when it came to him. He however took it to heart, though he didn't know why.

A sigh left his rather soft pink lips as he turned his head, staring out into the darkness. He could feel the land just whining for resources, water. It had not rained in many days and he sensed this for Anu, was whispering her word into his head. Stretching his mucles he stood upon a large rock, peering over the land, seeing the castle upon the right, its dark presence looming over everything he could see. He winced as he slowly just stared into the darkness, sensing something. He watched as his eyes slowly fell into the darkness, a crimson color taking over his normal emerald, as it peered through clouds, and dark mist. " A woman?" He said softly as he could feel a power within her, though it might not be great, as it once was, he slowly sat upon the rock, his hands moving over the tip of a plant. Slowly he crumpled the plant as he tilted his head, his crimson eyes just moving with the female who was traveling. He had never been so intrigued before, by anyone, but the fading light she releash, her energy signal, of magic, pure magic just caught his complete intrest.

He thought rapidly as his hand just rested upon the rock, his finger just draping down, and slowly his forefinger's nail just scratched the edge of the rock, his nail making a very deep incision upon the rock, as if it was sand. Slowly he drew a symbol, his eyes never leaving the woman, as he slowly just marked her, setting her soul within his senses, so that no matter where her body would flow in this realm, her spirit would always be recognized. Slowly he spoke in a voice that was much deeper then his own, provoking his own magic to twist and combine with that of his senses and rune magic. He lifted his finger from the rock as a blood red glow seemed to surround the very symbol his finger made. Closing his eyes for the first time since he saw her, a magic would releashed, a very thin sheet of wind would then pour from his body as he exhaled, his lids closed but his eyes forever locking upon the woman's body. Slowly he opened his eyes, as the wind stirred around him, whispering knowledge into his head.

What he did was very simple. He merely asked the winds to speak of her knowledge, for the winds have always been present since the birth of the world, and their knowledge was strong enough to know even the most outer secrets of someone's profile, for they had no concept of inner feelings. Slowly he just smiled as he waved his hand, drapes of gold chains just falling down from his hand as it was twisting around his arm. The intricate figure of the design upon his body was very profound, for it showed many stories in which he respected but that was another story. He stood up, the darkness just pulling itself closer around his form as he stared ahead. Turning his head he then looked down, slowly realizing someone was there, a human. His eyes however did not look upon her flawless form for her spirit just seemed to fight with agony. He raised a brow as her, as he then noted his surprise that she was in fact a woman, of great power, and yet held so many weaknesses.

~ " It's been a while Rilith, I didn't think you would follow NimRuin to this side of the world and yet here you are, staring upon that woman out there, when all you had to do was to ask me, but of course, you did not see me." The woman held a soft blond complexion as her hair was that of beauty, compared to that of Elvish queens. She held a bow in one hand, a quiver on her back. However symbols just seemed to surround her body as if magic was induced, she was chosen. He looked upon her neck, seeing her pure white skin, flawless at best. Her scent was that of the rose, in which woke his mind, to be alert, for the Rose was the deadliest of flower and the most dangerous in terms of combat for the style of it was most intricate and difficult. Slowly after precieving what he could, he merely faded into the shadows, his form just appearing a few feet away as he looked upon her.

~ " So Rilith, Why are you back in NimRuin's land? Why did you truly come here?" She asked him softly as her eyes just grew into a deeper emerald color, marking the Celtic god's intermission into her life.

~" I thought you were dead, Zandramas, had her way with all of NimRuin's children, and to think only you had survived is quite interesting, however my purpose is of my own. Why don't you tell me of that girl who is traveling back. I know you have been watching her as well. " He said softly as his words were musical and perhap misleading.

The girl however just tied back her long blond hair as the leather she wore just seemed to cling to her pale skin. She then jumped upon the rock and looked out, her emerald eyes just piercing through darkness, as her body seemed to float a bit, as she whispered to herself. " Ahh Morrigan. I know ." She said a bit too loud as she turned to Rilith. " That is Ashina Lordess of Avalon, The Magical kingdom in which NimRuin was of top royalty, for he loved Ashina very much. I met her once, however, we could not stay in Avalon, it sickened our Drow companions." She said with a smirk as she looked over at Rilith. " I will look after her as she is in Ulster, I may not be royalty in Ulster, but im good at what I do, and to serve NimRuin's interest that I will, no matter if they banned him or not." She said softly as she laughed and jumped down onto the ground, the winds sweeping her feet away as she disappeared into the forest.

~ Rilith looked ahead as he sensed a fading power in this woman, his interests seemed to spark as he looked at the retreating woman. " So Tara, Last of the Children of NimRuin, what did Morrigan do to you?" He asked himself as he heard a deeper laughter into the background. Staring into the darkness he knew it must rain, for the ground was growing to be brittle. " First things are first." He said softly as he sat back and slowly placed his staff upon the ground, burrowing it into the ground. Slowly he sat down and started to pray. ~

[Kahlan Lothair]

(Continued)

Kahlan didnt wait for those around her to be goaded into action before she waded through the bodies present and began her brisk walk back up to above sections of the castle. The underground labyrinthine network of passages were known to the Queen from many years of both study and experience and so she traversed them without much thought behind where she was going, but instead what was happening.

Before she realized it, Kahlan was above ground once more, and the hum in the air told the Queen that the court was fully awake and abuzz with gossip. Instead of hurrying to allay the fears of the lords and ladies, Kahlan immediately surged up the stairs to her room and with the aide of two serving women undressed and slipped into clothing that better suited her next task. When Amelia confronts her, as she is pulling her boots onto her feet, Kahlan quickly relays the events as she knows them and beseeches the older woman to keep Willow in her quarters for the time being. With the promise of her daughter being safely tucked away and her boots laced up, Kahlan rises and at the behest of Amelia promises herself to be careful before hurrying along.

Once downstairs she is confronted by several members of court, offering her some words of comfort (however ill concieved they were) when in reality she didnt think such an issue called for comfort, only action. With the excuse of distraction, Kahlan thanks them for their empty words before pushing through the throng and heading to the vault once more.

There were much fewer bodies to contend with, and the stench of sweat had since mingled with the stink of mildew to become a stale brew that assaulted the senses for but a few minutes before passing. Already there were blacksmiths setting up their tools to fix what had been broken. Kahlan smiled and promised to pay well for their efforts so early in the morning before drawing aside two soldiers. "Find some torches and follow me. A length of rope wouldnt hurt either." Slapping fists over their hearts in salute they hurry to tend to what Kahlan has asked for. In the mean time Kahlan stands over the grate, musing at what she might find down there for she had ever intention of trying the escape route herself. It was not the want of having the money back that had been stolen, for it was a small sum compared to the greater stash, it was answers that she sought. Answers to questions that had been plaguing her for the better part of the morning.

" Here you are my lady." Says the taller of the two soldiers and Kahlan accepts from him the coil of rope and loops it over her neck before slipping an arm through the loop to secure it across her person. "Lets go then boys before anyone has time to try to persuade me not to." The men nod and drop down into the hole, letting the torches light the way. Kahlan gives a cautionary glance backwards before lowering herself into the arms of the soldiers below. No one had seen her, and soon the glow of the torches would be non-existant.

Noting the slime beneath their feet, Kahlan holds her hand out for a torch as she leads the expedition. Sweeping the spluttering torch back and forth, Kahlan searches for tell tale signs of movement and frowns until coming to the an intersection. Up until that moment there had been a blur of steps and the slime had been disturbed both on the walls and on the floor. Motioning for the soldiers to take the left route, Kahlan moves to the right watching for the sudden drop that plunged almost straight down. Thankful for the unquestioning manner of the soldiers, she uncoils the rope and looping an end through the remanents of thick metal from an old grate tugs stiffly several times to make sure that the rusted metal will hold her weight as she descends into the pit.

Holding her torch in one hand and keeping the length of rope taut in the other (with it about her waist as well), Kahlan manages to lower herself into the hole with little fuss. A surge of air buffets the dangling Queen and she holds tight to the rope and hopes that the torch wouldnt blow out before she got to the bottom of the vertical pipeline. Luckily for her the torch only dims and when she finally runs out of wall to put her feet against and rope to repel with, Kahlan reaches down to her boot and pulls out a knife and slices the rope dropping the last few feet into a crouch. A grimace plays across Kahlan's features as she lands in ankle deep muck from years of build up and heaven knew what else might have made a home of the unused tunnel. Eyeing the portal of daylight with quiet resolve, Kahlan sloshes through the grime with a mask of indifference on her face. No one would think her capable of doing such a thing, but in reality no one had ever given her the room to do something like this. Kahlan had spent time in the mud on her belly during the Wars of Succession. This muck she could handle.

With the back of her hand, Kahlan brushes aside some of her golden hair which had begun to fall about her face in this dank environment. Sweeping the torch about a few more times for any more clues, Kahlan finds what she wants near the mouth of the tunnel. A few scrapes and skid marks. So her endeavors had not been in vain and the thief had been unceremoniously dumped from the drain. With the light of day shining into the tunnel now, Kahlan dunks the lighted torch into the grime to extinguish it and comes to stand on the edge of the tunnel. Pressing a hand to a sun dried area on the tunnel wall, Kahlan peers out at the bay to see what she might. What she finds shocks her.

The Dawn was missing.

Cursing in a manner that would make a sailor cringe, Kahlan is glad no one had come with her to witness her outburst. How in the hell? Growling under her breath, Kahlan glances back down into the darkened tunnel and ponders what everyone must be thinking by now. Shrugging her shoulders finally Kahlan vaults off the edge of the tunnel and dives into the water with her body awaiting the chilling impact of the water.

The cold sea water takes the Queen's breath away as she plunges deep, like a needle thrust through a thick hide. Despite wanting to fret at the cold seeping through to her very core, Kahlan begins swimming for the surface. Once she breaks the relative calm of the bay she takes a deep breath and begins making her way toward the docks a short distance away. To her chagrin, a few standing on the docks had seen her plunge head first into the bay and no doubt thought her no more than some mad creature. Shaking slightly by the time she makes it to the docks, Kahlan calls for a ladder to be thrown down to her and she climbs up soaked to the bone.

"Where is the Dawn?" She asks glancing at small crowd gathered to see (surprisingly) their Queen climb out of the cold waters of the Bay. "Did her crew take her?" Questions filled her mind and yet Kahlan had no answers for them. "She had a fire on board early this mornin' madam." Came a reply and Kahlan nods, setting herself down on a dock post in the sunlight to warm her cold body. When offered a rough woolen blanket for warmth Kahlan gladly accepts and wraps it around her person before going over the facts in her mind and asking, "Was any of her crew left behind?" Noting that some had been Kahlan asks for a few runners to fetch them.

Something was happening and Kahlan wanted answers.

[CrimsonWinds]

His voice was hollow and emotionless as he prayed, his mind beginning to draw focus upon his thoughts as he prayed to Anu. Concentration was the best fix in this kind of magic, for it worked only if you were in favor of the god or goddess for they only worked if one of their children called and even when that happened, they sometimes did not respond, for the child might not have been in favor of them. However Rilith was new, and quite loyal. Though he beared a dark complexion and a musical tone of sound, that only goddess' thought to bear, he denounced his other goddess which made him on very friendly terms.

The forest, echoed with his voice as he slowly prayed, for the land, for the eastern winds to come back and bring the rain. Even though rain was plentiful in Emain, it seemed to shift away from the southern lands of Ulster, the small villages who supported the government of Ulster. Slowly he thought of what he had seen and prayed for it, his heart just wooing for the children who lived there and the struggling families. Slowly his prayers became a mere desperation cry as his voice boomed upwards, not in a commanding voice, but a plea of salvation for those who were poor.

As he ended his prayer he opened his eyes and looked up, seeing the sky a bright golden color, showing its ever clearness. Seeing as he had failed, he lowered his head and wept, knowing that the land would turn to dust, and dust be turned to sand, of nothingness. He held a shame in his eyes that non of bear as he knew he could summon water another way, but if the Anu declined him, then he should not disrespect her authority. Lowering his hood he merely letting his tears fall, but he felt a warm sensation upon his shoulder, a touch of an angel. Turning around, and looking up, Rilith stared into Tara's emerald eyes as she just held a bright smile.

~ Tara had crept up behind Rilith as she listened to his pleas, the agony in which came form his voice seemed to impress her and so she came back, returning to the physical plane to speak again. Slowly Tara lifted her hand and touched Rilith's shoulder. " Look far and wide gentle Drow, and see the rumble of the dark clouds, turning due south." She said softly as she just laughed and kissed him on the cheek. " You are passionate Rilith, Very respectable." She said softly as she drew her form up, knowing Rilith had probably felt like a child, or less then a man, but she thought of him as a true man. A man who would wept for children is a man she would learn to like......Her eyes just seemed to jolt as she gasped, her head turning as she could feel something, staring intot he mist, as she could hear a horse traveling towards Emain, her mouth widening with each step the horse made.....

Rilith felt like crap. He had been caught wepting for the poor children of Ulster and in turn though he felt better now that the rains would turn and feed the land. Bowing to Anu, in hs thoughts he appreciated her love. Looking upwards, he stared upon Tara and slowly looked at her Lithe body, which was so much like his own, but as he stared into her eyes he sawthe doubt in them, her focus somewhere else, then it s truck him. His bodyjust shuddered as he stood up, hands upon his staff as he felt a strong evil presence in the distance, another Drow, deadly and strong, a man who lingered around the edge of Ulster, awaiting his entrance. Breathing deeply he looked at Tara as he could see her eyes just watering, knowing that evil was her father. Slowly bowing to her he turned around, walking towards Emain, but keeping ot the forest. " So NimRuin, finally you have found me here, but it is all too late. The queen has lost favor of you." He said to himself as he walked with Tara thinking the same thing behind him. ~