A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 5 Etera

In a Court known for the colour of its flowers, and rich wildlife. A place bathing in an evergreen spring, a steady song from birds. The Spring Court looked so dead in the rain. Etera huffed where she layed hidden under the bushes in her fox's skin, doing her best to stay dry. She didn't plan on being here for longer than she needed to. But she wanted clear answers, and hopefully staying home for a while after this...

Ever since that night she had spent more time away than home. But during this last year... Three weeks, that was the longest she had been home in one go. And the time she did have at home was not the most calming or relaxing times. Jumping between mission reports, training, looking over Amaya. Ikarad claimed that she had never taken a break, not a true break.

Etera closed her eyes, resting her head on the fox's paws as the rain continued to fall. She knew that she couldn't rest, not until she felt done. Done looking for Amaya, then Dorothea, the healer, handling internal matters, now Tamlin. And after...

I need to head back out to the continent, it was years since our last mission there. She told herself, forcing the idea of some time home out of her head. I have so much to catch up on, one more year, and we are back. Back where?

To a feeling of control? She stretched out her back before trying to catch some movements from the warm light inside the castle walls.

Back to work. She didn't have time for distractions. The rain continued to fall, slowly turning into a calming backdrop as she waited for a way to get to her target. Etera got back down on the ground, resting her head on the paws once again. Water dripped between the leaves, creating its own rhythm as she waited.

___

The moment she was aware that she had been sleeping Etera froze, still with her eyes closed. Her magic still held her form, so she was not exposed. But she had fallen asleep on a mission, unintentionally.

Azriel will have me back in training if he knew... The sun was hidden behind dark clouds, but the rain had stopped. She needed to move, before anyone took notice of a fox staying still for too long in the bushes. She got up, trotting along the wet grass as any other fox looking for some prey. High above her, a window opened up and she jumped to the side, back into the bushes, the thick vegetation became her best hiding spot as she turned from fox to bird. A sparrow to be exact, and flew upwards, acting like the fox had scared her away. The flight took her up to a ledge on the Castle wall, just within earshot of the window.

"I told you to go away." A male said.

"The healers are here my High Lord." Came in response. Etera fought against the instinct to freeze.

Act naturally. She hid her face under her wing, picking at the feathers.

"I was under the belief that I told you not to send for them." Tamlin hissed.

"Lord Escar insisted." Etera stopped what she was doing again.

"Close the window."

Fuck. Had she been seen? She stood with her eyes away from the room, so she did not know if they had seen her, making it beyond dangerous to shift now.

"My High Lord-"

"It is damned cold outside, close the window." The servant took a step and Etera took off flying, turning around to see how the servant male worked to do as he was told. "If healers are meant to come here to help me, you are doing a good job kill-" the window closed, and Etera cursed as she leaned over the window, trying to decide what to do.

With a quick look around she took as deep of a breath a sparrow allowed and shifted again. This time to her trusted spider. Her grip was not the best but it worked for now, it took her down next to the window, and maybe it was luck, maybe it was stupidity. But she squished through the seeme between the window and wall, ending up in the room.