Naridalis returned to the kin house late in the night. The dust of the road was matted into her cloak, and as she entered, she finds a letter on the ground by the door, where it should not be.
The writing was poor, cramped and very uneven, as if scratched in haste or by an unsteady hand, most of it near unreadable, even by the standards of Men, as it was clearly not by any Elf hand
Still, with care, one line could be made out, 'meet me at midnight, bring everything', and beneath it, after a blot of ink and a torn edge, a place was named with some effort, 'by the kin house stables'.
She stood a long while with the paper in hand, listening to the quiet of the kin house, nobody was around, and with midnight approaching she wondered whether to go or not... the words sat ill with her. After so long away, she had hoped to take some rest, and yet this note clawed at her mind.
The kin house felt altered to her, as though it had drawn a quiet breath in her absence and now held it. Where was Mervedis? Often would she be found walking the halls at night time, when others slept. Nari had asked her once what for, and she had replied "To think Nari, to think"...
Mervedis did not seem to sleep much; far too much thinking to be done, and especially of late, since she had taken up so many responsibilities after Deorla's departure. Mervedis had been central in efforts to hold the Company together. Nari worried about her, but knew she had others in the Company to watch over her while Nari travelled abroad.
Sleep also did not come easily to Nari, ever since her time beneath the Black Pool. And now, the thought of sleep really did not appeal to her. Not with the words from the letter pressing closer at her thoughts.
The hour was approaching... the place close by.... and the sense that whatever was being gathered, it had not been meant for her eyes to see...
This story has a connection with this one: 'Turning Point'
