A Court of Shift and shadow

XXVIII

Katies POV: 

The green hills under me where as familiar as they were new. The same green grass, blooming flowers and animals roaming around. But the landscape was different. I didn't recognise the hill formations, the placements of the forestes, or the small villages in between them. Spring bloomed all around me, waking up memories from a different time. Galad had wanted to follow, but I had said no, this is something I need to do alone.

"No one will force you to go alone." He had said, taking my hand in his "If you need me to, I will be there." It was not that I was forced, or that I didn't want him with me. I just needed to go alone, to say what I needed to say, and leave.

A giant eagle came up at my side and we kept on flying together the last part before landing. A swift shift, and I stood on the lands of the Spring Court. The New Spring Court. Still in my leathers from the mission. Caspan landed at my side, my brother was definitely more collected on the outside then I could ever be. For in front of us, the manor stod. It reminded me of the abandoned one. Roses had started to grow over the facade, cracks formed in the wall around the perimeter. And no living soul was around to be seen.

"Do you think he was banished all of them?" Caspan asked.

"At lest one is left, he would never have written a letter otherwise." I said in answer. I had come home from my mission, a two week infiltration of a rebel grupp on the continent. Walk one step inside, started my usual routine after a mission and then seen the letter, the emblem in the wax. I had left after the argument, flying down over the coast. Four days had is taken to travel down. And he only had less then a week left.

"Are you alright?" Caspan said.

"No, I just want to get this over with..." I walked towards the house. My eyes looked to the window of my old room, it was closed. "What did mother say?"

"She doesn't believe it, not until his body is in the ground."

"It is a natural death, there will be no body." I said, my voice so monotone, lifeless.

"Exactly, she dosen't believe it." Caspan said as we entered the grate hall. It had not decayed as badly as I thought. A servent meet us, no face familiar to me.

"Welcome. He is upstairs..." He said, guiding us up the the second floor.

"How long has this been happening?" Caspan said. All I could focus on was the Hallway, the we passed, the one with my old room, the library, the studie...

"70 years, but it got really bad last week. That is why I sent for you." 70 years... That was just after the meeting... My hands started to shake, they hadn't done that like this since I left.

"Is he awake?" Caspan continued.

"Yes..." We stoped in front of a door. I had not been inside this room since I was 10... "Word has reached me about your work along the border, I do hope that you can take on this task of taking care of the Court..." The servent opened the door.

The room was like I remembered it, grand, but empty. Nothing personal decorated the walls, except from claw marks. And the bed in the middle... I'm gonna be sick...

"And who are you?" The voice of a broken old male. Moste fae aged slowly, and once the fading started, it was there magic that faded of, until they disappeared with it. Casandras fading had been do to not wanting to live anymore, or like Madja who had left us tre decades ago. But this... Tamlin looked like the oldest of humans. Mentaly I stretched out a hand, hoping Galad would notice and take it, to comfort me.

"You know who I am." I said, my voice trembleling. "I am Katie."

"You came back." He said, I could swear that he tried to laugh.