A Court of Shift and shadow

XXIX

Galads POV: 

She was a ghost, the smile she had on as we walked around in Velaris never reached her eyes. Her shoulders was hanging, even if she tried to keep her back straight. She had barely been abel to eat breakfast. She had never really recovered from that part, still, 70 years after, she still had trouble with that. Her sickness that still followed her in the background. The scares had faded, but that one remained, Madja had told her that she never really could heal from it, only manage it. After her last biid relapse fore years after it all had happened had she been fine. Only smaller after things got stressful, or a bad mission had happened, but this time I had a fealing that it would linger on for longer than usual.

She had come home from her mission on the continent, there had been a moment before she opened the letter, when everything was like usual. She come home, I was there, removing the leathers. That spark in her eyes. Then she had seen the letter, I had just believed that it was from Caspan and not touched it. Laughing she had open it, and that spark was gone, replaced with fear. I had asked her to follow, to Winnow her down. But she had panicked, said that she needed to fly and gone of. I had followed her on a distance during her four day flight down there, and waited outside of the border. Her defenses had fallen, and for a moment I had believed that she was in danger. Instead she was just loosing control. When she came out... I had gone into her mind and watched what happened.

To tell her about Hybern was meant to wait until the day after, to get a night with her home before that shit storm needed to happen. But now... She was just a ghost and all I could hope for was that she at least talked with me about it. We stoped on the rainbow bridge, Katie rested on to the realing looking out over the sea.

"He is dead..." She said, a tone of relief existed in her voice. "He is gone..." yesterday it had been said in panic and pain, now relife. Like she accelly let herself accept it.

"Yes..." I wrapped my arm around her waist pulling her closer.

"Caspan will need help with his bourders if... If something happens. He doesn't have an established guard or army. Tamlin more or less just let it fall apart..." The realiffe was gone, replaced with her usual praktical self. That part that made her stay awake at night for work, that she used when studying a new form to perfektion.

"I will talked to dad, and make sure that we can send some help. Summer might be up to help too." I said.

"I should travel back, help Caspan..." She stoped herself. "It can wait..." I just looked at her.

"Okey, who are you, and what have you done to my mate?" I asked, laughing. Katie did smile back, and for a moment it did reached her eyes.

"I can take the time to Starfall to rest, to process. And then, go back down to Spring. Do want to follow me down there?" I kissed her in response. She never asked me to follow, always wanted me to, but never asked. "If you are to busy, its okey, I can go alone."

"No, I go with you." Another kiss "But only if we don't talk about work until Starfall."

"Just let me leave my report this afternoon." She was actually smiling, not just faking it. I leaned my head on hers.

"Deal." We stayed on the bridge, cauldron I had missed her. It was not the first long mission she been away for. But this time... It had just felt longer than usual. For 70 years we had lived this life, first her training and the fight against her sickness, then the first missions. I had asked to be in the Court of Nightmares when she was gone the first time, just to focus on something else, and not the terror that took over me when she was so far away. And when she came home, often we had a day just for the two of us before reports and the next mission. If not for her then for me.