Kara felt the light before she opened her eyes. The strangest kind of light, brightly uncontrolled. She tried to raise her lids.

"Be still, Kara." Korlon's voice hissed painfully and she relaxed back against whatever hard surface she was currently laying on. Korlon's palm rested against her neck, and she reached both hands to hold it. They were warm, and smooth, like she remembered, an archer's hands.

"We are not safe. Now that you are awake I will attempt to move us."

This statement sent chills of fear coursing through Kara's body and she once again took his hands in hers roughly pulling them away from her throat. She opened her eyes, and his face swam in her vision. She was lying on her back, a tangled mass of some kind of branches and brambles were over Korlon's head which was directly in her line of sight. Beyond that the same sky she'd encountered days on end with Rion.

"Rion?" She hissed, and then grabbed for her mouth, the only thing that had emitted from her was a gruff croak. She tried to induce saliva into her mouth to ease the pressure and failed. In panic, Kara struggled to sit up.

Korlon helped her. His strong hand on her back supported her weakened form. Her eyes turned to him in fear. "What happened to me?" She tried to say, but her voice was completely unavailable to her. Her wide eyes strained to see him against the light that seemed to stream through the boughs and branches in wild disarray.

Korlon gathered her into his arms. She was weak, too weak from loss of blood. When he was standing, he looked to the west and projected as hard as he could toward his home city of Valdemar. A familiar surge twisted in his stomach, letting him know the power was there, perhaps even coming, drawing on its allegiance to his command. And yet... and yet, it didn't come.

In frustration he projected his ire in the same direction hoping to arouse a response from the city of Valdemar, anyone, hopefully Kahlest... nothing. Apparently this power had limits, he had only sensed before, and had now reached. He hoped it would just be a matter of time until they replenished.

His eyes turned to hers, and were plainly visible. "We are in the Aerie at Village Quildor. His majesty has declared war on Valdemar. I need to get home, to marshal forces and strengthen and inform." His eyes held hers steadily. "You must come with me."

Kara shook her head dizzily, finding the effort too much, she lolled against his shoulder painfully, confused and pathetic. This wasn't how she was supposed to behave around Korlon! He couldn't see her dizzy and infirm.

Korlon held her gently, recognizing the efforts she was expending. "Please trust me, Kara. You must come with me, you must not use up your meager supply of energy."

Her brows rose in query and she didn't even try to struggle against him, but waited for an explanation even though her insides were quivering and sick feeling.

"You were injured in a fight with a Foeman..."

"Rion?" She hissed, the name bursting forth even though slight experience had shown her she had no vocal chords.

Korlon hugged her close and buried his face in her neck, breathing heavily against her throat and her sad little vocal chords.

"I will get us out of here, Kara. I promise you." He assumed she wanted to go back into the mountain and turned her to face its crag mired slopes and cliffs. Her eyes rose to Sentinel in the bright sunlight, and she winced, closing them against the glare. 

Korlon leaned wearily against the walls of the Aerie, feeling the earth strength beneath him and hearing the sounds of imminent preparation for war all around.

*****

Dark gray smoke enshrouded Nimiane's hiding place, a cave made from the waste and destruction Quildor had wrecked upon finding the scepter gone. She hadn't gotten far enough away before he'd begun destroying everything in his wrath and rage. Rubble and rocks had fallen all around her as she tried to run for the entrance to Sentinel, hoping to get home to Aquaria through Galantyne. Her hopes were dashed as a large piece of scaffolding landed nearby, splitting into pieces and crushing her right leg and foot. In the process, she'd also dropped the scepter.

Nimiane came to, ascertaining her whereabouts in dismay, as she recalled what had taken place. She'd freed Jerrika and Ondrea, had stolen and lost the scepter, and now was trapped and helpless in the remains of Quildor's castle as the army amassed all around her and Quildor's Minions searched for her. 

She reached out with Zalez, seeking those close by first. Quildor, high up on a balcony ledge overlooking the Crystal field, contemplating his army. She read his thoughts easily as he projected them. 

She reached further hoping to find Jerrika...

Zalez lured her toward a place outside of the castle, perhaps in the village. Who would be projecting peace in the midst of this chaos? Nimiane focused her attention as much as she dared. Was Ondrea close by? She'd definitely thought she would get as far away from her prison home as possible. Nimiane had thought she'd be back in Aquaria by now, reuniting with Taan, warning the people.

The closer she got to this Zalez, she more she realized, it wasn't Ondrea, although it was female, and had the signature confidence and calm of Ondrea. This person was asleep.

Reaching out with all her energy Nimiane breached the frontal lobes and penetrated to identity. Kara!

She withdrew immediately. Kara? She'd once thought perhaps Kara found her an ally, or a friend. But Kara was flighty and overzealous. She was impulsive like her brother, and that made her dangerous. When Kara went back to Aquaria and found her mother alive, she would hate Nimiane and hunt her down. 

Tentatively she entered the frontal lobes once more. She shrouded herself in mist and confusion and softly opened her eyes, allowing herself to see what Kara saw.

She was laying on her back, staring at stars overhead, listening to the sounds of Village Quildor still actively lamenting their fate as they buried their dead, searched for those missing and amassed their forces to go to war. All this was known to Kara as she lay, calmly secure. She was close by, how could she be so secure? The castle was in ruins, the danger was great.

Nimiane encouraged Kara to look around, and she saw the source of Kara's comfort: Korlon. No wonder she felt secure. The protective guardian link was in place. 

She reached out for Korlon.

He answered immediately in her mind. "Nimiane?"

"I am close by, I am in the castle, they are searching for me and I am injured and can't move. You must help me." 

"Do you know where you are?" 

"Yes, in the west wing, close to the main doors. I am pinned and crushed by a stone pillar. I have breathing room only."

"I am coming to get you. Hold on." Was the firm command and Nimiane breathed a sigh of relief. Korlon was preeminently loyal to Taan of Aquaria, but he was of Valdemar first and foremost. Would he rescue her just for the sake of who she was, or would he question why she was there, and realize she'd betrayed his people?

She rested as she waited, hoping against hope Korlon could find her before someone else did.

*******