Setting the Course

As the caravan veered off into open countryside, the twins and Renat allowed their horses to slow their pace. They brought their steeds alongside the carriage belonging to the ruler of the human world. However, they avoided her gaze.

Eira was very glad that she was not a royal at the moment. She was quite content to stay with the other soldiers until Nurlan gave her a reprimanding look. With a sigh and a salute, she came in behind the rest of her group.

The princess was closest to the carriage, her horse nearly touching the door.

"Mair!" Colvyr reached out to his sister and tried to leap out.

Mairwen reached out to stop his inevitable fall, and pulled up the child up onto her steed. She smiled at her little brother. "I missed you too." She looked up at the doctor with a small amount of surprise. "Hello, Doctor! Is Mother in such bad shape that she needs you to travel with her?" The dark-haired woman's face contorted into sadness.

The Empress held up her hand to stop the man from answering.

"This is not about me. I thought I was quite clear that you were to stay out of Valiant," Aurora's voice was calm, too calm.

"You said to stay away from the palace and we did." Mairwen countered.

"Indeed. You went to the University instead. I had hoped that Fate Metis and Devrim were wrong when they told me." The carriage hit a bump, and Aurora tried not to acknowledge the pain in her arm and leg from the jolt.

"You know about that?" Alaron sighed. "Of course you do..." The Guardian's voice caught the doctor's attention, and he looked at the black void of the cloak curiously.

"We had nothing to do with the Chancellor," Renat said quickly, "It was..."

"Stop the carriage!" Aurora called. Everything came to a screeching halt. "Would you excuse us for a moment, doctor?"

The princess, and all three princes dismounted and climbed in the carriage even as the doctor exited. They stared at the Empress for a moment as they settled uncomfortably into the cushioned seats.

"Speak," Aurora ordered her son-in-law, pointing at him with her forefinger.

"Lizards killed the Chancellor. Giant ones." Renat said quickly.

Aurora's eyes widened slightly. "That is very curious. How strange that the attack comes only days after large wolves attacked the palace."

"Wolves?!" the three other adults echoed.

"You were attacked by wolves?" Mairwen gasped. She noticed bulges of bandages on her mother's arm and leg in addition to the one on the woman's face. "Mother! You are seriously hurt."

"I am." She admitted, her anger lessening slightly. "And I am not getting better. It is why am going to the land of magic to seek healing. Nothing here is working. Nanny and Hanna are injured as well."

This news caused a new panic to wash over the trio. What could possibly hurt a Fate? None of them knew such a thing could happen.

"How did the wolves surprise Hanna? I thought Fates knew basically everything!" Mairwen's angst was comforted by a hug around the lady's neck from the child in her lap.

"Nope!" He he cooed happily when he refused a toy that the princess tried to hand to him.

"Little brother is right. The Fates are powerful, but they do not know everything." Alaron patted the boy on the head, which made Colvyr jump across the small gap to the young man's knees.

"Hanna was protecting Colvyr when the wolf struck her," the Empress explained. "It was the only way she could save your brother in time. I can give you more information through the mirrors when we have more time. Now tell me, what were you doing in the University at night?"

"Alaron is helping us look for Dania…" the princess glanced out the window. Zan had exited his carriage and stood with the doctor chatting nearby. By the chief's sudden change in expression, he had heard her words with his inhuman hearing.

"She dragged you into that mess?" Aurora turned her head to her son. "And you agreed?"

"I volunteered so, yes." Alaron did not regret his choice. "And Mairwen is onto something. The lizards who killed Fannur were after Dania's and Taran's research. That cannot be a coincidence."

"Oh?" The Empress was surprised. "I wonder…" her voice trailed off. "At any rate, it seems you made the right choice to seek her out if creatures are willing to murder for just her work. Did they succeed in getting what they came for?"

"We don't think so," Renat answered. "We found some hidden notes which we think may have been their goal."

Alaron moved his brother to one knee and pulled out a few of the papers. Aurora's brow creased as she looked at the strange markings. "Most cryptic. Can any of you read it?"

"No but we think we know someone who can. That is where we were heading when we got caught up in the parade." Mairwen said as her mother passed back the papers. They slipped silently back into the Guardian's cloak.

"And where are you heading?"

"Northeast toward Oblivion, to a place called..."

"Wait… don't tell me just now," Aurora's eyes flicked around outside, suddenly wary. "Just as long as it is out of Valiant, that is all I need to know just now."

"It is far from Valiant. We will not come back to the capital until we know it is safe. I promise," the princess crossed her heart. "Though I do hope we solve both our problems quickly, especially your injury. Perhaps you could use some of Alaron's magical liquid light."

No one could see Alaron's concerned look, but Renat's worry was plain for all to see. However, it was Aurora who denied the request. "Zan and Hanna thought we should try other options before resorting to that. This is a strange injury and they are unsure how it might react with the potion. Using it, even topically, could yield unpredictable results."

"Like possibly cause an earthquake?" Renat suggested.

"They didn't mention that. Why would you jump to an earthquake?" Aurora felt the words were too specific to be just a whim.

"Your Majesty, I am very sorry to break up the reunion, but we are on a very tight schedule," Nurlan peeked in from his horse.

The Empress rubbed her forehead through her veil. "Yes, yes of course you are right. Devrim will assume something went wrong and call out the cavalry, which is funny because so many of them are already here." She gave a small smile.

"We will be on our way then," Alaron passed across the little boy in his lap after kissing him on the head. Mairwen also gave the young prince a peck on the cheek and a little hug before releasing him to the waiting Empress.

"It is good to see you, all of you." Her eyes stared at the void where Alaron's face should be. He pushed back his hood for the slightest second so that his face would appear and disappear. Even a moment of looking on the Guardian's face brought tears to the fiery-haired woman's eyes. "I should send a detail of soldiers with you," she said, wiping her eyes. "The men here can go with you in case the lizards find you. Or the wolves for that matter. We think they are targeting the whole royal family."

"More guards will only attract attention, Mother. Once we get out of sight, we will make sure we are not followed. Then we are safer as commoners hiding among the crowd than we would be with an escort," the Guardian tried to reason with her. "Anonymity is our greatest ally if you think someone is coming after us as royals. Announcing ourselves would be putting a target on our backs."

Aurora swallowed hard. Now that she had most of her family with her, she suddenly did not want to let them go at all. "You make a good point. Forget the quest and come with me to the land of magic. You will be safe there at least. I will send others to find Dania."

Mairwen shook her head. "I do not think anyone has enough knowledge of Dania or the events leading up to her disappearance to find her-- except me. I cannot let her down. I won't let her down."

Aurora could see her own determination in the girl's eyes. It was a family trait. The Empress sighed. "Don't do anything foolish, my loves," she said at last.

"How about this? We won't do anything that you wouldn't do..." Alaron said with a smirk.

"Using my own stubbornness and recklessness against me? How rude!" A tear trickled down the woman's cheek as she gave a wane grin. "Very well, but look after each other. I want you all back in one piece even if you don't find your scientist friend."

The twins each leaned in and hugged their mother, and Renat kissed the Empress's hand as he bowed his head respectfully.

"I will tell the Emperor what you have told me, but if you have a chance to send him a full report, please do so. I know he has been trying to make sense of those events at the University," Aurora had returned to business. It was the easiest way for her to deal with their parting. The Empress quietly pressed two items into Mairwen's hand. The princess tucked them away.

The trio nodded at the woman's word. "Give Father our love when you speak to him," the princess fought back tears of her own.

"I will." The Empress pulled her lips tight to keep them from quivering.

The two men shifted uncomfortably, seeing that an emotional outbreak was about to occur. But Colvyr came to their rescue.

The child reached up and grabbed hold of both the ladies's hair and pulled, causing the women's heads to collide.

The spell broken, both the ladies chucked softly. "Until we butt heads again, I guess," the princess joked.

"Which I am sure will be very soon," Aurora agreed.

One last hug and the Guardian, Princess and scientist climbed out of the carriage and back onto their horses. It had been a surprisingly good visit, but it was time to move on.

With a click of their heels, the three, followed by Eira began the next phase of their journey. Behind them, Aurora continued her own adventure.