Aiden paced right before the dining hall doors. He stopped when he saw his father and Darra descend the stairs, his eyes latching on their looped arms. He stepped toward them with a frown, "Darra, you are well?" She smiled, "Of course, what did you think was going to happen?" He grinned sheepishly, "I dunno, disappear maybe?" She shook her head and ruffled his hair, "I would never go anywhere without saying goodbye." Aiden wrapped his arms around her waist, "Don't say goodbye Darra, ever." She extracted her arm from the kings and embraced her charge, "Every man, woman and child has a right to choose how they die. How they are laid to rest, would you really deny me that?" He puffed up his cheeks and rolled his eyes, "No, I suppose that would be selfish." She kissed his temple and stepped back, "Yes, it would be. Now I believe we've kept the king from his dinner long enough. Shall we?" The king chuckled and opened the doors to a massive room that held a long ornate dining table directly in the middle. There was beautiful knotwork carved into it and the seats, all of which were taken except for three at the very end. As they approached the table a nervous, yet stern looking woman approached them. "Oh, my lord," she dropped into a frazzled curtsy, "I have not prepared sustenance for someone of her ilk." Garrick looked to Darra to find her grinning. "I eat food like everyone else, have you not enough food to accommodate guests," she asked mischievously. The woman turned red and puffed up with indignation, "We have plenty of food young lady." Darras smile dropped immediately, and her eyes grew cold. "I am neither young nor am I a lady," she hissed. The woman blanched and stepped back. "O-of course," she stammered. Garrick spoke then trying to break the tension, "Thank you Margo, you may go." She nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. He turned to Darra and raised an eyebrow, "Scaring my cook Darra?" She turned her head slowly and stared at him. He noticed that her eyes were nearly completely red with green at the outer edges trying to push it back. He realized she was holding herself back, had what his cook said really bothered her? She shook her head and blinked, the green of her eyes overcoming the red, she smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten her. Shall we proceed," she asked. He grinned wolfishly, "I suppose." Once they were seated conversation started to pick up again. Darra watched the interactions between the king and his closest subjects. She was very close to becoming comfortable here with these people, these wolves. That would never do, she didn't want to suddenly find herself with something to live for. She was ready for the eternal sleep of her people; she was ready to see her mother again. "Sekhmet," a soft whisper, "Come to me." Darra looked around and frowned, instantly flaring her senses out as far as they could go. At first, she felt nothing, then suddenly she felt a massive presence to the east. She frowned, that was the Stygian Forest. What the hell was that? She brushed up against it mentally, the backlash was immediate. First, she was sitting by the king, in the next instance it appeared as if she was lifted bodily and slammed out of her chair.
"DARRA," Garrick and Aiden shouted leaping out of their chairs and racing toward her. She crouched on one knee and held out both hands, "Stay where you are!" They both skidded to a stop instantly. Suddenly a breeze blew through the dining hall, rattling chairs and flickering the candles. It swirled around the hall like a living entity before rushing toward Darra. The breeze pulled at her hair and clothing before lifting her up onto her feet and dissipating as quickly as it began. Darra sighed and let her arms drop to her sides. When she looked up, they saw that one of her nostrils was dripping blood and her eyes were a burnishing gold that sparkled green at the edges. She chuckled looking into Garrick's eyes. "Damn," she said before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward. Garrick reacted first with a snarl, he shot forward sliding across the marble floor catching her in his arms. Raven came up beside the king visibly shaken. "What the hell was that" she gasped. He shook his head but didn't answer, too caught up in looking over his guest for unseen injuries. Without a word he stood lifting her into his arms. She was completely unconscious, lying limp in his arms.
Ignoring the rising commotion behind him he started off, passing her rooms and going straight to his own. Laying her down in his bed gave him a strange sense of possession. With her hair spread out over his pillows and slightly over the side of the bed, he could see that the bottom half of her hair was pure white. Like it was spreading upward from the ends instead of from the roots. A bolt of need shot through him, forcing himself away he went to his personal sink and ran cool water, soaking a rag for her forehead. With a sigh he returned to her side and placed the cool cloth on her forehead. An hour went by then two and still she didn't wake. Garrick was just drifting off when there was a knock at his door. With a growl he called, "Come." Mathus, Raven and Aiden came in silently, closing the door behind them. Aiden walked around the others and started towards the bed when Garrick growled low in his throat. "Do not touch her," he barked. Aiden froze before turning on his father angrily. "Who do you think you are? A few hours ago, you were contemplating killing her, giving in to her request no matter how outrageous it was. No matter how it would affect me. Who the hell are you to tell me I can't sit by and comfort the only mother figure I've ever known?" Mathus tried to step forward, "Young sire," he started but Garrick waved him away as he stood to tower over the boy. "Hear me boy, it's been nearly a century since I've had to answer to anyone and I'm not about to start to a little slip of a boy who's been given far too much authority. Who the hell am I? I am her mate and when I say don't touch her, that's what I mean," he snarled in the boy's face. Raven gasped, staring at the king with wide eyes. Aiden stepped back, shocked, staring up at his father. Mathus sighed, "Sire?" Garrick glared at him, "What?" Mathus nodded toward the bed making them all turn around.
Darra already had her legs swungover the side of the bed. She sat there,arms folded over her chest, passively watching them all. Even though her expression was neutral Garrickcould tell that she'd heard what was said by the way her eyes glittered withsome unseen emotion. His shouldersslumped as he sighed. "Darra,"he started but she held up her hand. "Perhaps we should have this conversation in private," shesaid softly. He nodded and turned backto Mathus. There seemed to be somesilent communication between the two men before he turned and opened thedoor. "Let's go you two, they needsome time alone," Mathus stated.
