A Day Beyond the Delirium

"And the Lady?.."

Evernae frowned quietly at the question put to him, It had only been some twelve hours since the house guard had found the body of Chancellor Orlin.. And still there was no sign of Galentine, or the Lady. He glanced at the constable,.. pacing the nearly empty council floor with the soft sweep of his robes over the mosaic's patterns.. Things were certainly not going to plan.. "I can only assume that she is either dead,.. or has been taken for ransom.."

He paused, wondering when Storic would arrive.. The second seat as unreliable at best,.. and now HE would wear the Chancellor's seal of office.. "Constable Mecien, we must be sure not to let news of this... Tragic event fall into the hands of the public.. I do not think I can stress that enough.."

"That goes without saying Third Seat Evernae, but it will be hard to quell the whispers that will flash through the city when my guards conduct their search.." Mecien shifted his weight, coming to rest comfortably against the edge of the Council table in a most unprofessional manner.. "The populous doesn't even know she exists,.. With her gone,.. and our chancellor dead,.. we are in a worst state then before this whole affair came about.."

Galentine had promised him the chancellor's position when he took control, and it enraged the elderly Evernae that things had fallen apart so quickly.. Could Master Galentine have changed his plans midstream?.. If so,.. His silence spoke of many things... not the least of which was a possible double-cross.. Had he been such a fool, as to allow that man's whispers of power to blind him to the truth?..

Driven from his brooding Evernae arched an aged brow.. "Send two rider's to Galentine's Manor,.. ask after him there.. Let me handle the rest.."

"Do you think that wise?.. Time is very important right now,.. If the man who escaped Orlin's guards does indeed have the girl,.. then we should move quickly to keep them from stealing her out of the city.."

Evernae shook his head slowly, a dark frown playing on his lips.. " I think you should do as I asked,.. and keep this as quiet as possible.."

"What about Storic?.." Mecien queried, looping a thumb through his belt absently as the Constable leaned up from the table..

"Keep him busy,.. I do not want the death reported for at least one hour.."

**

The sun on her face,.. it brought Fallashay to her senses swiftly.. She squinted against the brilliant light, staggering upward from where she had fallen asleep some time before, and the rush of raw agony stole her breath away.. The events that she could recall clearly tumbled into place in the wake of the searing pain. The escape from the Chancellor's house, the man in the shadows, Galentine... the arrow.. With the realization came a sudden weakness that threatened to steal her footing, and a slick warmth that trickled down her back from where she had been wounded..

Golden light cut down through soft gray clouds shining on a the tall wooden building that looked to be some sort of warehouse... The taste of brine was sharp in the damp air, and seagull's gave their shrill call to the day hovering on high currents of wind.. She was on the docks.

Though broken, most likely in her frantic flight through the city, the arrow's shaft still protruded from her back like some sort of awkwardly placed barb.. Fallashay grimaced at the pain, Her pale features made even more ghostly by the loss of blood.. She moved in a dizzy sway, the arm on her injured side hanging limply as she focused on the weathered wall be fore her..

A hand full of splinters, she hoped, would not be her only reward for the effort it took to pull herself out of the narrow passage between two store houses, and stumble into the open lane that worked on toward the sailing vessels moored out on the choppy waters of the bay..

She staggered nearly running headlong into a Longshoreman as he shuffled sharply to one side with a startled yelp.. "You there! Mind yer footi-" His words broke off midstream as he craned his head to catch sight of her, and blinked.. "Gads woman,.. yer hurt!..." She would have laughed at the exclamation if she felt she could find the breath,.. or the strength.. Luckily the bone had deflected the arrow's tip enough to miss her lung,.. but still the pain would not have been worth the trouble..

Dropping the load of crates to one side, he moved forward as she slumped to the ground.. "Kallnah give me a hand here..!"

Yet again she had come to that infuriating veil of night that seemed to have become her second home since being stolen from the comforts of Moorgate.. Darkness was her guide again.. wondering if the words of a laborer would be the last she heard..