Peaceful Studying

[Tismri]

Serena closed her book after marking her place as the crystal city came into view. It was just as breathtaking as the first time she'd visited several years ago. Because of their isolation, with the miles of Du Weldenvarden that lay between Ismalia and Alagaesia, this place had grown an incredibly unique culture, which always provided a fresh experience whenever she studied their literature. She'd spent nearly half a year here the last time, but it still was not nearly enough time to read everything she wanted.

Even so, she was surprised when her father had suggested she return here for more studying. As much as she loved travelling, Serena knew her parents always missed her desperately whenever she was gone. Normally she had to beg to be allowed to visit somewhere, and pull out every trick she knew to persuade them to allow her to explore. But Father had seemed oddly enthusiastic about letting her go to Ismalia this time, and even offered to bring her there himself. She wondered if it had anything to do with the war that had arisen. He probably just wanted her somewhere that was safe, well removed from the threat of the Shade Rider, and Freia was as removed from there as anyone could hope to get. She also suspected he was hoping to see some old friends of his, Prince Tristan or Lady Teodora. He'd met them years ago during the war against Galbatorix, and despite some apparently rough beginnings, they seemed to grow close during that time. Her father had often said of the prince that he was "overly stubborn and a tad pompous," but that there were few men he'd ever trusted as much as him. Of his wife, the lady Teodora, he'd said with as much respect as his voice could convey that she was lovely, but the most outright terrifying woman he had ever met. Serena had met both of them briefly during her first visit to Freia, along with their three children. However, she'd spent very little time socializing as she spent just about every day inside the archives pouring over the rich and unique history that Ismalia had to offer.

Daemon couldn't help a smile as he entered the crystalline city, admiring the way the lights reflected off the buildings in a dazzling display. He could recall his fist visit here easily, arriving with Meera to meet with the sweet but strange old couple that Tristan had told them about; every visit left him just as awed. This place also held a special place in his heart for another reason: it was while visiting this place than he was finally able to admit to himself just how much he loved Meera, which he confessed to her on their return trip. And now here he was, walking through the positively glowing streets with his precious, beautiful daughter. The years had been much kinder to him than perhaps he deserved; by all rights, he should have died long ago, but thanks to his dear sister's sacrifice, he'd been allowed to live on.

Thoughts of Saenon brought his mind back to the very reason he'd brought Serena here today. As far as she knew, this was just a chance to allow her to do more of that studying that she adored so much, hiding her lovely face behind mountains of paper. She was smart; she'd probably guessed that he wanted her here to keep her safe from the Shade Rider's invasion, and indeed, that was essentially his reasoning. But the full truth reached much deeper than that. He knew that members of the Black Hand were still out there. Some of them had probably even joined with Katriana. And he would not have been surprised in the least if Jeshelle was still out there, brooding over her failure with Saenon. If she was still alive, and if she learned of Serena's existence...if she even heard so much as a rumor about the mark on his daughter's hand...He pushed the thought from his mind. There was no way Jeshelle, or any of the Black Hand, would find Serena here. They were magicians, and relied on magic for nearly everything they did. Everyone knew magic didn't work right on Ismalians. If they came here with ill intent, they would very quickly be discovered.

Daemon and Serena approached the castle gates and recognized one of the guards watching. "Hello, there!" he called. "We've come from Alagaesia, and I was wondering if Prince Tristan, or perhaps Lady Teodora, were at home?"

"Why do you want to know?" another guard asked suspiciously. That was the Ismalian royal guard, Daemon knew. Always extremely paranoid.

"Because my daughter is here to study your historical archives, and they would be able to grant her access."

"They're fine, Othoran," the guard Daemon recognized commented. "They're not going to hurt anyone. I'll keep an eye on them while you inform the lady of her visitors." Othoran gave one last suspicious glance before nodding and heading off.

[Trinn]

"Er... ahem... My Lady Teodora, you have guests at the gate." Teodora glanced over at the guard, hiding her annoyance at being disturbed from a nap. "Guests? Why in the name of the crystals would I have guests?" she pondered aloud. Her feet, which had been resting on a desk in her study, swept from the desk top and onto the floor with a thud. Normally people came to see the beautiful Queen Mother, or her brother, Prince Tristan. Thinking of Tristan made her smile, until she realized he was probably off somewhere getting into trouble. Sometimes she thought she had four kids rather than three. "Alright, thank you. I shall meet them out at the gate." Well, Torreck, what are you eyeballing out there.

I see a dandy of a man and a young girl. Probably his child. This only left Teodora even more confused.

I see... well, don't just flap around being a menance, go introduce yourself. she told the dragon. He huffed at her, but she could sense his descent to earth.
***

Torreck landed behind the guests and shook the ground. His obsidian scales seemed to absorb the light reflecting from the crystal city. Good day, strangers. He said to the man and the young girl. My great, fearsome rider, Teodora, should be out shortly to greet you. May I have your names? He bent his head down to sniff at them, finding their scent distantly familiar. Ah, yes, I should have introduced myself as well. My name is Torreck.

Why are you calling me fearsome!? Teodora shouted at him, and Torreck felt pleased with himself.

Why did you call me a menace!? he rebutted. UGH! they said together.

[Tismri]

Daemon watched as a dragon descended from the air to land in front of him and Serena. His daughter--not one easily impressed by dragons and having had her fill of the sights of the city, resumed her reading, nearly hiding her face behind the book once again. Daemon, however, was more interested in the dragon.

"Torreck, hmm? Are you really that same tiny dragon that bonded to Teodora at the end of the last war?" When he thought about it, that was indeed the last time he'd seen either of them, and even then it was briefly. He realized how much time had truly passed, and how much he'd actually missed his Ismalian friends. "Not surprised you don't remember me, but I hope your Rider does. My name is Daemon, and I knew your Rider back when she was the Queen Mother's protector in Alagaesia. And this is my daughter." He put a hand on Serena shoulder. "Honey, could you at least be polite and say hello?" he asked her. He caught a brief look of annoyance on her face before it melted into a pleasant smile as she lowered the tome.

"Hello, mighty Torreck. I trust your Rider and her family fares well?" An unpleasant memory of the prince and lady's three children was etched into her mind, unfortunately forced to accompany a particular passage describing the second Queen Mother's reign. She had been in the middle of reading it in the quiet of the palace archives when a series of loud thuds, a shattering, and some loud shrieks had interrupted her studying. She'd looked up to see that an entire shelf of books had been knocked over, two boys standing at one end laughing hysterically while a girl at the other end was yelling at them and pointing to a pile of broken glass on the floor.

Serena couldn't help but wonder now if any of those children were here in the palace now.

[Trinn]

Yes, I was indeed a tiny dragon once. As I'm sure you were once a tiny man. However, I have grown bigger while you have grown tinier! and Torreck laughed as best a dragon could at his own teasing. Forgive me, I could not resist. Torreck turned a silver eye onto the young girl. The pleasure is mine. he told her. She didn't seem very impressed by him, and Torreck could not help but feel annoyed. Innocently, he huffed and let a trail of thick sooty smoke trail from his nostrils. It wafted towards the girl and enveloped her.

"Torreck! You dastard!" The dragon squinted at Teodora as she walked through the gate towards her guests. "I saw that, and I am not happy about it!" I am but a fire breather, mistress. One must vent himself sometimes. Chuckling, he crouched, and then jumped back into the sky, away from the glare of his rider. A pleasure, Daemon and Serena! he called before drifting off to find Trinity.
***

"My apologies, Daemon." Teodora said to the tall man, grimacing. "Torreck can be a bit of a trouble maker sometimes. Alas, it seems I have positioned myself to be surrounded by naught but trouble makers." Looking woeful for a moment, she then smiled and embraced Daemon. "By the emeralds man, where have you been hiding yourself? And where is Meera? I thought that you two were glued to the hip." She glanced at the girl, recognizing Meera in her. "Of course, this must be your daughter. Hello, Serena. It looks like your book might have got a little soot on it. I'm sure we can amend that." To herself, Teodora thought that it would be best to keep Thane away from the girl. That boy loved pretty woman, and if Serena was anything like her mother, it would be trouble ripe for the picking.

[Tismri]

Daemon chuckled at the dragon's joke, taking it in good humor.

"Not at all, great dragon. In truth, I would rather be smaller than large. I have a terrible fear of heights, you see." He smiled until Serena began coughing from the soot that surrounded her. However, before he could speak to her, a familiar voice sounded and he turned to see Teodora, looking as fiercesomely lovely as she had when he'd last seen her. He absent-mindedly wondered if she'd kept the crystal flower he'd given her back when they first met. Probably not, but one never knew.

"He must spend a lot of time with Tristan," he replied, returning the hug. He smiled when she asked after Meera, remembering back before any of them were married how must she'd despised her. Everyone became more tolerant of each other when they got hitched, it seems. "Oh, we've both just been in Alagaesia, keeping Du Vrangr Gata together. We've been working to train young magicians on how to master their arts, and trying to ensure that they will be loyal to Queen Nasuada when they come of age. It seems to be going well for the most part." There was the slightest touch of regret in his voice, as he knew a number of people who had the talent for magic had been missed, hidden themselves, and were likely working for Katriana now. He hated to think that they were not thorough enough in their search. Untrained magicians could be even more dangerous than those he'd known as a child of the Black Hand.

"She sends her regards, though, and wishes she could have come. But we made a rather impromptu trip. Otherwise, you may have had a bit more warning of our arrival." He turned to Serena as Teodora acknowledged her. She halfway took off her right glove, but then glanced up at him and then switched to her left, and ran her bare fingers long the edges of the pages of her book, looking absolutely horrified by the light coating of soot.

"Oh no," she murmured, though her soft voice was rapidly growing frantic. "No, no, no! I can't believe the carelessness! This book is nearly a century old, and it was in perfect condition! Now look at it...covered in this horrid black dust."

"Um, Serena?" Daeron tapped his daughter's shoulder. "You're being spoken too. Please try to focus on the here and now, at least until we've finished our greetings. The past can wait for you to rediscover it for the thirtieth time until we at least get inside."

"But Father!" she whined, gazing at the slightly blackened pages. She gingerly held it close to herself, half hiding it under her coat for fear of more soot falling on it.

"Serena, you've got more soot on your clothes than that book has." She looked down and saw that it was true, and quickly held the book away from her body. He was half afraid she was going to start crying, so he gently took the book from her, trying to keep from damaging it further.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" she asked, staring at the book like it was a friend who had just gotten attacked in the street.

"You're going to greet our lovely hostess here and take her up on her offer to get your book--and yourself--cleaned up inside." He shook his head at Teodora, half-amused and half-exasperated. Serena finally looked up at Teodora.

"Oh, can you help me with it? It's a very rare volume; there are only six known copies throughout Alagaesia, and this one was in the best condition of any of them...Oh! And, um...Nice to meet you, my lady," she said, finally remembering her courtesies and half bowing to her.

[Trinn]

Teodora was a bit amazed at the way the girl became so distraught over a book. In a way it relieved her too. "I see you are quite the bookworm." she commented with a wink. "That is excellent. More women ought to be reading books than cleaning the dirt of their husbands boots. Come, then, I will show you to a couple of our guest rooms. There are plenty. Unfortunately, we do not have many visitors at the moment. I'm sure it has something to do with that nasty shade dragon rider business." Waving them to follow her, Teodora passed back through the gates and towards the castle. Even if Thane did find a way to Serena, the girl would be too distracted by books to give him a second look. Tatianna, on the other hand, might be a suitable guide for the young girl, if she could ever find her daughter.

After a walk through lush corridors and sparkling halls, Teodora arrived in a wing of the castle designated for guests of the noble variety. She swept open a door to reveal a space with two rooms. There were two bedrooms and a drawing room, each decorated beautiful colors and paintings. The picture of richness. "I'm sure you'll find yourselves comfortable here. Serena, if you like, I can take that book of yours and have it amended?"

[Tismri]

Daemon chuckled at Teodora's insinuation about wives. "I don't think my wife would even pretend to think about cleaning my boots," he told her as they followed her inside the castle. Serena took off her coat before entering and attempted to shake off any excess soot, not wanting to leave a trail of the fine black powder behind her. As she walked along inside, she tried to recall from her last visit how to get to the archives. Unfortunately, sometimes her live memory wasn't as accurate as her reading was. Still, she felt confidant she could find them once she had a free moment.

Daemon picked up on Teodora's mention of the war. "Yes, it is a nasty business. She has quite the army built up, and they're slowly starting their advance. I'm surprised concern for it has reached all the way here." He glanced momentarily sidelong at his daughter. "I would hope that Freia would be safe for the time being." He let the subject drop, but he hoped to discuss more with Teodora later, when Serena was well out of earshot.

Upon entering the guest suite, both Daemon and Serena gazed around appreciatively. Daemon always admired the way the crystal of the city brought out a certain beauty that no other could quite capture. Serena vaguely recalled reading an old text that described the formation and construction of the city. It had involved a fair amount of magic it seemed, back before whatever happened to the Ismalians than hindered the effectiveness it had on them. She could not remember many of the specifics, however; she had only read it once, and that had been a couple of years ago. She resolved to find that document again and read it more carefully.

"Thank you, Teodora. This will work very well for both of us." Daemon smiled at her, and handed over the book he had extracted from his daughter earlier.

"Oh, if you could, I would much appreciate it!" she replied to the woman's offer. "It is such a crime to misuse any books. They contain not only our history, but the hopes and aspirations of their authors who wanted them to be known and carried on."

"Maybe you should have left that one at home then, hmm?" Daemon asked her teasingly. "You wouldn't have had to worry so much about it during the trip, then."

"I know, but I couldn't help it. I was already halfway through and I couldn't bear to leave it where I was. If I can't finish a scene in my head, it causes an endless headache for me when I try to recall it, and--"

"I know, honey. I was just teasing you. Do you want to go ahead and find the library now, or do you want to settle in first?"

Serena gave him a knowing smile. "I think you know the answer to that," she told him. "May I?"

"You know how to get there?" Daemon asked doubtfully. The castle was rather large; she might easily get turned around inside.

"Of course I do," she said, though he caught a brief hesitation in her statement.

"Well, all right then. If I haven't heard from you by dinnertime, I'll send out a search party." He kissed her on the forehead before she dashed out of the room and down the hall. He turned to Teodora and gave her a bemused smile.

"I have no idea how Meera and I ended up raising such a bibliophile," he commented, though the affection in his voice was evident.
~~~~~

Serena walked down a few halls, certain she would come across one that was familiar soon. The archives, she knew, was a large room near the southwest of the castle. She knew it was fairly accessible from most anywhere. However, she did not have the greatest sense of direction indoors, and she settle to wandering about in the hopes of finding them by a happy accident.

[Trinn]

Teodora watched Serena dash off. She was bemused by the girl. Most bookish people didn't have the pep in their step the way that girl did. "You and Meera are both well educated people, Daemon, it is no surprise that you raised a little one with a hunger for knowledge. At least you had one child, and a girl at that. My brood... Tatiana is a blessing, but my boys act like little devils half the time. They take after their father." Despite what she said, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
***

Not much escaped Thane's notice. He had watched the new guests arrive from a tower window, and although from that height it was hard to tell, he could see that their was a man and a young woman calling on his mother. All of the women his age were plotting on how to kill his cousin and even his sister. The potential Queen Mother's that dwelt in the castle were like vipers. That meant he was left sneaking into town to find suitable ladies, but oft that left him fruitless too. So the thought of a new face, a new young woman's face, around the castle made his day. Without hesitation, he turned to a nearby mirror and made sure he looked suitable. Yes, dashing and rouge-ish. Who would be able to resist?
~~~

Thane did not have to traverse much of the castle before he heard light footsteps somewhere nearby. Was it one of the vipers? Slowing, he peered around a corner and was relieved to find that it was some girl he had never seen before. And what a beauty she was! Slipping around the corner, Thane put on his most disarming smile and called out to her. "Excuse me, madam? You look a little lost. Is there any way that I may be of assistance?"

[Tismri]

Daemon chuckled at Teodora's mention of her children. He was somehow unsurprised by her attitude towards them, though he had no doubt that she loved her sons just as much as her daughter. After all, if they took after their father, they must harbor the traits that made her fall in love with him.

"She's been a handful sometimes, I have to say." He smiled but sighed. He knew what he needed to tell Teodora, the true reason why he'd travelled so far to bring his daughter away from Alagaesia. Now that Serena wasn't present, he thought this would be an appropriate time, but he was incredibly hesitant to bring it up. It was a similar feeling to when he was afraid of others discovering his scars all those years ago. He feared it would bring up too many questions, that it would cause distrust with his closest friends.

"Teodora..." He took a breath. "I'm not sure if you remember my sister. She and I were born to some key people within Galbatorix's Black Hand, but they were both killed shortly after we were born. We were put into the care of a magician known as Jeshelle. At first, she took care of both of us equally; we were the children of her friends, or so I thought. But one day, all that changed.

"We were only about three or four years old. While we were preparing for bed, I noticed something that looked like a bruise on her back. She didn't even know it was there. When I looked at it more closely, I saw that it had a very specific shape. It looked like an eye staring into my soul. The next day, we mentioned it to Jeshelle, who became very interested, and excited. She looked at Saenon's mark for a while, and then looked over me for a long time. After that, she began to focus all her attention on Sae. She ignored me, and I suspect she even started to hate me. She pushed Sae harder and harder to master ever more complex spells. If I ever did anything that drew attention, Jeshelle would become annoyed or angry. There was even a time when she threw me from a rooftop." Daemon still winced at the memory. Though the scars were gone, the trauma remained.

"What she never knew was that a couple years later, the same mark appeared on me." He sat in a nearby chair and pulled off his right boot. On the top of his foot, just as he'd described, a mark like an evil eye stared up at them. It looked like it was drawn on with an elegant hand. "I still had not discovered its significance. If Jeshelle ever knew I had it, I suspect she would have started training me as seriously as Saenon. But by that point, her hatred for me had been well established, and she never cared to look." He gazed out the door through which his daughter had disappeared, his eyes full of love and fear.

"I still don't know what it means," he admitted to Teodora. "But, I know it's not a coincidence that Saenon's serious training began once it appeared on her. And now my precious Serena has the mark, too. On the back of her right hand. I'm afraid that if any surviving members of the Black Hand, or perhaps even Katriana's army, learn about her, and learn of her mark, they will stop at nothing to take her from me and shape her for whatever dark purposes they had in mind for my sister. That is the true reason why I brought her here. She has two years left before she finishes her studies and swears loyalty to Nasuada. In that time, I believe she will be safer here, in Ismalia."
~~~~~

Serena nearly gave up on her search, but at that point, she was lost enough that she couldn't even get back to the guest suite reliably. She continued wandering aimlessly, hoping she would bump into someone who could give her directions. Before too long, she did. A young man appeared from around the corner. She gave him a small smile as he offered his assistance. "Oh, sure!" She approached him. "Can you direct me to the archives? I thought I knew where they were, but I'm afraid I got turned around."

[Trinn]

Teodora did recall that Daemon had a sister. An evil wench of a sister with no good intent, if memory served. Shaking back her hair, Teodora stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Whatever Daemon was about to disclose to her, she didn't want prying ears to hear. There were too many vipers slithering through these castle halls than she liked. Somehow, the woman here were worse than men.

Teodora crossed her arms and paid close attention to what Daemon was telling her. Saenon was his twin, she remembered, but the two were like yin and yang. The fact that Daemon had been born to the black hand mattered little now. The black hand was disbanded once Galbatorix fell, or so she had thought. Apparently Daemon thought they might still be clinging together somewhere. She understood his fear. Teodora could not imagine any of her children being stolen from her. The fate of the person who committed such an act would meet their death at the end of her fist, or Torreck's fangs.

"Daemon, you can rest assured that Serena can stay here however long is necessary. You are friend to the crown, we could never begrudge you this favor. However..." Grabbing him by the arm, she marched over to the writing table nearby and sat him down at it. She pulled another chair across the room and sat in that one herself. "That's better." she muttered. "As I was saying... I thought the Black Hand had disbanded after Galbatorix's fall? You think they may still be alive? What purpose do they have without Galbatorix? Who do they serve now? You have given me many questions, and I'm afraid little answers. And this mark you speak of. Does it bestow greater power on the one who wears it? I simply cannot fathom why a mere mark would cause such a stir?"
***

"The archives?" Thane's smile flickered for a moment. Books. Why did she want to go look at books? "Uh... Sure. But, surely a pretty woman such as yourself would be more interested in seeing the Crystal Gardens? They are quite beautiful, rather like yourself. I would love to show you. A nice stroll and a beautiful view. Doesn't that sound rather more fun than dusty old books?"

[Tismri]

Daemon gave a small sigh of relief as Teodora gave him the assurance he wanted to hear. Although he knew she wouldn't deny him, he felt better with this verbal confirmation. He frowned as he pulled his boot back on, thinking over her questions.

"Even if they are disbanded, the Black Hand will not disappear entirely. The individual members will crawl under rocks like maggots and hide there, clinging to life. They probably still find a way to talk to one another without Nasuada's notice. And now with Katriana becoming a Shade and leading an army against the Empire, I have a feeling that they will grow more bold and more dangerous. After all, they had a new cause to ally themselves with." He thought carefully over her question over the mark, shaking his head. "I don't know anything for certain," he told her. "Just my memories and what connections I can make from them. But, since Serena has one as well, I'm beginning to think it is hereditary. Like I said, I never knew my parents. They died when Saenon and I were still very young. But I know that at least one of them was very important to the Black Hand, and was probably a trusted servant of Galbatorix himself. They seemed to trust that we would both become latent magicians, or else they probably wouldn't have put the trouble into raising us in the first place." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Having become a parent, I keep finding more reasons why I wish I knew more about my own."
~~~~~
Serena shook her head politely at her escort's suggestion, although the crystal gardens did sound interesting. She wondered if they were constructed at the same time as the rest of the city, or if someone else had created them afterward. Yet another thing to research.

"Maybe another time," she told him. "But I'm more interested in refreshing my memory about how this city was first built, or discovered. I remember it was back when Ismalians could use magic well. Oh, maybe there's a book that explains what happened, or perhaps one that at least provides some clues about it. And then of course there is the discovery of the ruins of the city Sundavar. I hope I can visit there one of these days."

[Trinn]

Teodora sympathized with Daemon's frustration. She herself felt it on many occasions, and with the added danger of the black hand it was no wonder that Daemon looked so fatigued. "Well, for now, until we find out more, you and Serena will be safe here in Ismalia. I hope the black hand do not have little weasels hiding in this country." The thought of it made Teodora's mouth draw into a tight line. "For now, there is one thing we can do." Standing, Teodora withdrew to a nearby cupboard. She retrieved to glasses and a decanter of wine and then returned to her table with Daemon. "Here," she said sitting again and placing the cups down. "A drink to our friendship, and to the safety of you and your family." She filled the cups with a dark wine and slid one over to Daemon. Raising her glass, Teodora toasted her old friend and then downed the wine in a gulp. "Tasty." she said, and smirked. "Perhaps one more glass." She poured herself another and gestured for Daemon to pour as much as he please. "I am curious, though, where is that vixen wife of yours, Meera?"
***

Thane felt more and more dismayed. "By the crystal shards, woman, you're a regular scholar! Fine then, I'll take you to your books." He gestured for her to follow him. "You'd find a better friend in Jason." He said to her as he walked, boots tapping on the crystal floors. "He's always got his nose in books too, and is ever questing to solve the case of why we Ismalians can't use magic. But he's off somewhere in Alagesia with his twin the princess."

[Tismri]

Daemon smiled as Teodora assured her that Serena would be safe in Ismalia. He made an uncomfortable expression, though it eased out quickly.

"Even if they are here, their reliance on magic would draw attention out here. And with how paranoid your guards are about anyone approaching within fifty feet of the castle walls, they'll have a hard time getting to her." He gazed at the wine she offered and smiled, helping himself readily. He tipped is glass at her toast. "And to yours as well," he replied. He'd heard of what had happened to the crown princess, and the tragedy was likely still fresh with the family. After he downed one glass and began working on a second, he considered her question concerning Meera.

"She's back home," he replied, rather regretfully. "She seems to have gained a new pupil recently; she and Serena were caught in a raid by Katriana's forces a few months back. That is what helped me decide to bring Serena here. I am sure she would have loved to come along, but Du Vrangr Gata is short on mentors at the moment anyway. And what about Tristan? I don't think I've seen you two apart since...well, I can't even really remember."
~~~~~
"Well, of course I am," she replied to Thane's statement. "Books are the greatest gift mankind has received. They are so full of potential: facts of the past, speculations of the future, new perspectives on the same events." She smiled, oblivious to his falling attitude. As they walked, they passed by a north facing window. The sun was near setting, and what remained of the rays cut dazzling reflections against the mountains. Or so she thought. She stopped, suddenly enraptured by the beauty that caught her attention even more than the crystal city then. In a matter of minutes, the sun was gone. However, the light in the mountains remained, glowing from an unnoticed source.

"Where is that light coming from?" she asked her companion. She wondered if there were any books detailing it, or if they were a source of natural magic, like the werelights in Aroughs.

[Trinn]

Of course Meera would be needed back in Alagaesia. They had made a wise choice in sending Daemon rather than Meera. Although many hears had gone by, there was still something about the female magician that annoyed Teodora. Marriage had tamed the girl somewhat, but Teodora swore she was still much too coy. It was then her turn to speak about her absent partner.

"Tristan is in Alagesia accompanying the Ismalian troops moving in. The company left days ago. By now they are probably on the other side of the great forest, Du Weldenvarden." Teodora frowned and tapped her glass, poured more wine, and drank it down. "They told me to stay and watch the children, to make sure none of the devious vipers that lived here tried anything uncouth. Well, let me tell you, all the children have run off. Thane is the only one who hasn't run away yet. I thought he was my most troublesome, but it turns out he loves me more than the others do." Pouting, Teodora had another glass of the wine, which was getting tastier and tastier. "I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he runs of too. It'd be best to keep him away from Serena. The two of them might run off together." Teodora laughed, but realized that she might be speaking more truly than she realized.
***

Thane walked a few more paces before realizing his companion had halted. He retraced his steps back to her and glanced out the window. Having grown up with such a view his whole life, he did not find it nearly as enrapturing as Serena did. Still, he tried to show as much enthusiasm. "Nobody knows for sure what causes the light once the sun goes down. There are many speculations and theories. One favorite is that the mountains are covered in ice. I don't think so though. Ice wouldn't hold the light like that." He drew a serious face and leaned in close to Serena, as if he had a dangerous secret to share. "If you ask me, I think there's a secret in those mountains. I think that's the key to Ismalian magic. Somewhere in those mountains lies the truth of why we can't wield the ancient language like you Alagaesians and everyone else." Thane turned his eyes upon hers, "I'm sure someone as smart as yourself might be able to find something useful in the archives... Smart, and beautiful..." He began leaning in, ready for a kiss. With the way the mountains glowed and the mystery he had give Serena, how could she resist such a moment?

[Tismri]

Daemon chuckled at Teodora's complains of her children. Serena alone was enough of a handful for him and Meera to share. He couldn't imagine having three rascals to look after. He took another glass of wine this time drinking it more slowly. He really didn't want to spent the next day with a massive headache, as he knew he would if the two of them finished off the entire bottle in one night. Also, he really didn't trust himself drinking into oblivion with a beautiful woman. He knew he loved Meera, but the combination of distance and drink could manage to distract him and bring him to do something he would regret. That would be an all-around uncomfortable situation for both them and their families.

"I wouldn't put it past her," he admitted to Teodora's idea that their children might run off. "She may spend the majority of her time with her face planted in a book, but that doesn't stop her from running off to explore from time to time. Especially when she thinks it might lead her to some lost literature."
~~~~~
Serena continued to gaze out the window as Thane explained his theories to her, completely fascinated by the sight. Alagaesia had plenty of breath-taking wonders to behold, from the Hadarac Desert to the Beor Mountains, but few of them held the beauty as the range to the north. Her attention was only drawn away by the sudden closeness she noticed with Thane. He was much nearer than she had realized. She could nearly feel his breath tickling her cheek, and for a moment, she was taken in by the sight of him. The Ismalian people were as beautiful as their landmarks, she thought. Her mind was nearly cut off as he started to lean closer to her, but the word "archives" made all his previous sentences click together for her. Her eyes widened and she gave him a delightful smile.
"You're right!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him. She grasped his hands, eagerly pulling along. "If this phenomenon has existed for all of recorded memory, surely some historians and theories have recorded their ideas! Perhaps even explorers have written down their observations! Come on, we must find out! TO THE ARCHIVES!"