Wolf-Shifter

Dancing among the Stars 30

Rakab paced around the fire, his breath a cloud of smoke in the winter air, "Bialas, is there any reports on Sheila?"

Bialas turned to his leader, "She's still at the Court and that's all I know."

Rak growled softly and turned away, "Anything on Nyesh?"

Elita put a hand on Rakab's shoulder, "He has become close friends with the princess."

"Close friends?"

When the sparrow nodded Rakab turned away again, sighing deeply and massaging his temples.

"Is something wrong, Rak?" Alida asked.

"No," Rak sighed again, "But I feel there is something up. Like something is wrong."

"You're son is safe, after all he is sixteen and knows the ropes." Elita replied, a smile twitching at his mouth.

"But still…There was one thing I didn't teach him."

The group turned to him in surprise.

"It was how to tell if anything was poisoned or drugged. With the threat of Ralon coming against Namid, he'll surely strike first at Rose and my son, get at a weaker point first."

"Have hope, Rak." Senka said, passing him a glass of spiced wine.

"Hope has brought me nowhere." He replied, "And now, innocents are at risk. This was all my fault, ever since I took command of Sheeva Intre, ever since we found the camp…"

"Stop blaming yourself and stand up," Senka said, taking Rak's arm and helping him up. "Be the leader you were born to be."

Rakab chuckled, "All is lost and you still find courage."

"We have to" Bialas replied, grinning.

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Standing just outside Nyesh's room, Ralon gave a vial to an avian maid. "That boy," he pointed to the closed door, "plans to depose of the royal family in a fortnight, trust me I have heard many things about him and his reputation."

The maid hesitated, "But he has been so kind to Miss Rose and her family."

"His father was a thief. And a real good one too, I myself was robbed." Ralon took on a mournful expression, "Why, just the other day, my daughter was killed just for asking directions to the marketplace, I saw it myself…his knife stained with her blood." He faked a sob. "She was innocent…" He looked up sharply, "and I want my revenge." "All I'm asking for is if you slip that"—he gestured to the vial— "into his drink."

Again, the maid hesitated, "I-I am sorry about your daughter but I…"

Ralon slipped a bag of coins into her hand and watched as the maid glanced at the bag and at the door and back at the bag. Slowly, she nodded and Ralon took her hand, "You do not know how much this means to me."

Stalking off, Ralon grinned evilly. The first part of his plan was working perfectly.

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Nyesh sat on his bed, reading, when a knock interrupted his thoughts. He stood to answer and saw a maid carrying a tray. "Lunch" the maid smiled.

Nyesh invited the maid inside and the maid quickly scurried inside, placing the tray on a far table and uncorking the tankard of juice. She poured the juice and sighed sadly as she emptied the vial into the cup.

Turning around the maid, smiled sweetly curtsied, and passed the cup, "To your health, Master Nyesh."

The man took the cup and raised it, "To your health—"

"Abigail, Master."

"No formalities, for me. It's just Nyesh." He raised the glass again, "To your health, Abigail."

Abigail bowed her head in both embarrassment and shame as Nyesh raised the cup to his lips and drank.

But the poor maid never had the chance to see what exactly the strange person had exactly given her, for she fled the moment the cup was put down upon a table. But she had a hunch that it wasn't good.