Completion of the Whisper

Chapter Sixteen.

With a deep inhale, I woke up, panting heavily.

"What's wrong?", Nyshard asked, his voice low, but full of concern.
"The signs", I whispered and sat up, gasping, when a flare of pain rushed through my leg with the sudden movement. Nyshard had sat up in the meantime, too, but I stumbled out of the bed before he was able to hold me back. Grimacing from the pain and fought against the black spots, which blurred my sight. I reached the windowsill, leaned against it and just as I wanted to open the window, I felt Nyshard's presence behind me. His arm curled around my waist, steadying me and supporting me with the weight I put onto my injured leg, then he opened the window a crack wide.

"A nightmare?", he asked and I slowly turned towards him. He took in my expression, then, before I had a chance to react, he put both hands on my waist and lifted me up, making me sit on the windowsill. Then, he grabbed a blanket and draped it around my shoulders, before he came to stand in between my legs. His hands found my waist again, and he asked "Tell me."

"It... Wasn't exactly a nightmare, I think. I saw the signs Rayila spoke about."

"The signs the forest showed you?"

I nodded, and even though it was pretty dark outside, the moon shone upon Nyshard's face, making the blue of his eyes stand out.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I tried not to shiver from the coolness the opened windows provided and began explaining. "It's about the eyes. The rabbit had brown ones, the snake yellow ones... the Bryts, grey... and the fish, black."

I felt Nyshard move a bit, he tightened his arms around me, which made me feel oddly secure – and not alone.

I needed this.

"My mother... Kisandi had brown eyes. Yellow... the wolf. Brayhd. Grey... Phylon. And black..."
"Aaran", Nyshard murmured.

Surprised, I tilted my head "No. I saw the King of Kalash in my dreams... but now that you mention it... Aaran has black eyes, too."
"That's why I thought of him. With the sword... it would be a perfect coincidence."
Nyshard cupped my cheek with one hand and murmured "If those are the signs... then it's your journey. Your mother, the wolf.... Who changed quite everything for you, Phylon... and then, Aaran or the King. Maybe, it means the sword... it would fit."

"Yes, maybe", I murmured "I don't know. I just... have this feeling."
"What feeling?"
"That something bad will happen", I confessed.

Nyshard's thumb brushed against my cheek and he nodded slowly "I feel it, too."
"You do?"

"Of course, I do. It kind of feels like the last time, before King Dartun had attacked the Isle of Gnys. Something's brewing. And I don't like it. But all we can do, is to prepare ourselves."

"How was it... the last time?", I asked and his hand left my cheek, found its place at my waist again, where I felt the warmth of his hands through the night gown I was wearing. "A war is always horrible, Adriyele, there is no way to glorify it. And even if we want to protect our land, our family – killing hundreds of others is never something that should be done easily."

"You're right", I murmured, reached to the side and closed the window.

A war was looming. All of us knew, it.

It was only a matter of time before the King of Kalash would find out about my existence. In fact, we'd already been extremely lucky, that Dartun had not already found out about me. If Phylon or any of the other Lords... - no, they'd made an oath that prevented them from telling anyone. But... still.