A Court of Shift and shadow

XXXIX

Katies POV: 

The hardest part of every mission, was to leave. To get up in the morning, knowing that I needed to go away at the end of the day. To wait for that moment. I hated that part the most. Often planing so I could leave early in the morning, minimising the waiting. But this time, that was no option. All maps was studied, the form chosen, clothes prepped, and all I could do was to wait.

"I will go for a flight." I said out loude. Trying to make the time go quicker. This was a short mission, just the night and day after, until they left. No one was in my office that could answer, but it helped to say it.

Outside spring was in full bloom, birds that had left for winter had returned. The last snow was gone, melted away and out. And from the mountains the last of the spring floods was coming down. This spring was so different from the one in the Spring Court, living, moving. Not that I didn't like the one frozen, now with Caspan it would not be the same, but the difference was still there.

My fist autumn here hade made me confused. To see the leaves changes colours and fall down, the entier city had been filed with the falling leaves. And I had been sitting on the roof, looking at the big maple tree growing to the side of the house. That first real winter had made me even more choked, to where warmer clothes, to see the snow falling down. I knew it did, but to see it... Galad had just laughed at me, but he had taken me to see the glaciers up in the mountains, to see the fields. For me to test my forms in the snow in a safer way then the Wolf on the mountain.

I flew higher, looking down over the city, taking it in. Galad was out in the mountains, he and Rhys had talked the day before. After I had reminded him of doing it. His pain hade kept him up the night before. And nothing I could do had helped. I flew down to the sea, gliding just above the water. I should practise my sea forms, but still... I hated the smell that somehow followed it around. Caspan had said the same.

"I can eat and live like a bear for days, but to swim like a fish for a moment.... I just can't do it." He had said once when I aksed. "It just feals of..."

"You can literally transform yourself to creatures, but to swim is where you draw the line?" Galad had said as an answer.

"Yes, It smells, and don't get me started on how the scales feals..." I had said in return. Caspan had just agreed.

We had spend a lot of time together over the years. Caspan often visiting for weeks at the time, even if I was away a lot, he and Galad had forged some sort of friendship. And with that friendship, the Night Court had a good relation with all Courts except Autumn. And that relation was not one that anyone wanted to repair soon.

I landed at the river house, staying on the roof for as long as I could without getting impatient. Which was longer then I expected. I didn't want to disturb Galad in his training, but to just wait... I hated this part.

The day crawled forward, slowly, painfully, it was just nerves, like for every mission, but worsened this time. I knew that. I flew one more lap around the city, only to enter the river house to wait. Standing on the balcony and watching as the sun moved over the sky, slowly making its way down to the sea.

"Nervous?" Azriel said and landed at my side.

"Yea..." I sigh. "I hate waiting like this."

"You are not alone. And this is just a short mission."

"I know, it just feals of this time..." I said looking up at the sky. "It is probably because the short time..."

"No... I feal it too, Something feals of. I have double checked everything, but..."