UNMARKED

14: Motive and Mystery

Blayre awoke to someone shaking her shoulder. She squinted, trying to focus her sleep-ridden eyes on the face that peered down at her, one hand resting on Blayre's shoulder, the other holding a softly glowing orb of light, illuminating dark eyes and skin and high cheekbones.

    Realizing it was her mentor, she sat up quickly and looked around, surprised that it was still dark. "What? Did I oversleep?"

    "No," Nuala whispered. "Help me wake Seeker Ainslee, and then we will discuss it."

Waking Ainslee was no simple task, but Blayre was used to it by now. When Nuala was satisfied that the red-headed woman was awake enough to pay attention, she began to elaborate.

"Caval has just received word that the King has fallen seriously ill."

Blayre sucked in a breath. Her heart sank down to her stomach as her thoughts immediately turned to Rorrick. Rorrick, who wanted nothing to do with the crown. Rorrick who didn't want to come any closer to the throne than he already was.

"Is he going to be okay?" Ainslee asked.

Nuala shrugged, "No one is certain at this point.  We will need to make good time back to the Capital. Nothing has been confirmed but the illness seems," she paused, "Unnatural. It is not to be discussed publicly. I'm sure word will travel quickly as it is. Some things are difficult to hide from the public eye. Especially when you King Barton has always been the picture of health."

    Blayre rubbed her eyes and searched blearily through her things for her uniform. "Unnatural how?"

    Nuala put a finger to her lips, "I can't say, but I have my sources. I'm sure our beloved King has many enemies who wish him ill will."

    "But his Majesty is known for keeping the peace," Ainslee put in, not bothering to keep her voice down. "I don't understand why ..."

    Blayre straightened and glanced quickly at the door. She could feel some sort of pressure building outside. A static feeling, like the gradual oncoming of a storm. Someone was eavesdropping. Using magic to do so. Thinking quickly for someone who had been sound asleep minutes before, she stood abruptly and grabbed Ainslee by the shirt. "Shut up," she mouthed. Nuala gave her a questioning look. In two swift, silent steps Blayre was at the door. She motioned for Nuala and Ainslee to step away. She felt the tingling of Nuala's power as it began to gather. Blayre swung open the door. Her hand had grasped a collar and her blade found the soft skin of someone's neck instantly.

    "Who are you and how much did you hear?" She hissed in the man's ear. He was small and rodent-like with a balding head and a mustache that twitched nervously.

    "Colman!" Nuala exclaimed, coming up behind Blayre, her power still gathering at her hands. "Seeker Blayre, excellent work. You may stand down, I'll handle this from here."

    Blayre slowly withdrew her blade, but continued to watch the new mage suspiciously.

    Nuala dragged the small wisp of a man into the room and shut the door behind him. She produced a tiny satchel of mage-powder that Blayre assumed was meant to protect against eavesdroppers. "Should've done this before," she muttered, sprinkling it around the doorframe and along the walls. Then turned to Colman who looked terrified. "What were you thinking, you fool?" She chastised, advancing on him like a lioness targeting her prey.

    "I-I-I meant nothing by it," Colman stammered as he was backed into a corner by Nuala, energy brimming around her hands. "I was told that you were here and I only came to share news of the King's i-i-illness... but it seems you a-a-already know."