Waiting was the worst. Narda would glance now and then at her old friend; between the two of them, it was Kire who had the worse temper for waiting, though she herself wasn’t much better. But the both of them knew what the stakes were, here. Just like Zeke, the fact that they hadn’t either been struck down or run out of the mountains by this time told them not only were the elves still undecided about what to do with them, but that there was a possibility of them seeing Ed, soon. Kire ran through every possible scenario in her mind, from best case to worst case, as noon dragged on to afternoon, trying to temper her own expectations. Her sapphire eyes burned with impatience, but she stayed where she was. “[i]Soon, Wyvernling. Just like a siege,[/i]” Narda whispered. “[i]Patience.[/i]” Kire only nodded. 

They all looked up when, at last, their guide had made himself known to them. Kire frowned; she didn’t like the look this elf had on his face. She glanced briefly back at Ysaryn in concern, before standing up, following the instructions Ruli had relayed. The Amrians stayed quiet as they followed the guide, though Kire occupied the silence in her mind with a long string of curses in Amrian and common tongue, looking forward to when they could break the silence. Soon, she could smell the actual flower that provided the wards with their signature, noticed the way their graceful guide moved through the forest, while she weighed the risks of moving against a potential ambush. Herself, Ruli, and Ysaryn at least could Shadow-Walk; they’d have to be fast enough to disappear with Narda and Zeke if it came down to it, but given how stealthy the archer had been earlier, it would be hard to do that unscathed. 

When they, at last, finally arrived at Lithilote, the Amrians gazed in wonder. Against the afternoon light it shone, almost as if it had been carved from the whitest ivory. It was, admittedly, a beautiful sight, like a dream or vision, a home fit for the descendants of gods. But it seemed to her cold, too, a coldness mirrored in the faces of its people, who followed their every move as they were led forward. As they made their way down a fragrant corridor, Kire turned to Narda and smirked. The giantess did, too. Neither were so optimistic as to expect Ed or a grand welcome; they were silently making bets about what was on the other end. 

[i]Of course we’re prisoners.[/i] Nothing in the manner of the elves had indicated they would be treated as guests or even equals. Had the elves answered Kire’s relayed query earlier, she would have expected to volunteer herself as hostage, and both she and Narda had been through enough parlays, sieges, battlefields, and negotiations to realize that the cells were a likely possibility. At least it didn’t look like a typical dungeon. For one, this was much, much cleaner. No matter; once they were inside, they could brainstorm how to get out, or how to proceed. 

But the moment Kire stepped through, a chill crawled throughout her body, along with a loud ringing in her ears. She got down on one knee, a sudden wave of tiredness overcoming her. As Ruli exchanged words with the guide, Kire waved, or tried to wave, her hand in front of her. Her mind felt foggy, even as it tried to concentrate and drown out the sound filling her ears, and she felt as if she were moving underwater. “Why’s everything so slow?” she asked, not quite understanding that it was she who was slowed down. Before she could collapse onto the stone floor, Narda pulled her to sit with her back to the wall. 

“Wards? Where?” she said, her speech sounding like she was drugged. She leaned against Narda, looking up at her; the giantess had an anxious look on her face, as if all her worst fears about magic had come true. [i]Locks magic.[/i] Kire frowned, her half-lidded eyes looking at the Ring on her finger. “Make that sound would go away,” she slurred, raising her hands slowly to cover her ears. It did nothing but isolate the ringing, and she gave up, her hands thumping down onto her lap. [i]Maybe I can try a portal? Maybe wards won’t work on another world’s magic,[/i] she thought, leaning forward, about to stand and try.

No sooner had her mind thought this and relayed the command to her Ring than a sound like electricity erupted. The Ring flashed blue only briefly, sending a jolt through her body and making her thump against the wall with a hiss. If anything, the attempt had sapped more energy from her. Narda cursed, wrapping one arm around the very dazed Kire, whispering something to her. Kire nodded in answer, holding her right hand up for Narda to carefully slide the Ring off. While the Wyvern still felt the lethargy, the loud ringing had at least lessened. 

“Nightfall, hm?” Narda said, looking at the bars. At least Kire had no choice but to wait, now.