(Lyra) A Debt of Gratitude

[Rickter]

Searing 1nd, 121st AoS

The weather was surprisingly warmer than Rickter anticipated it to be, then again, he could smell the trace of moisture that blanketed the air above the city. The humidity was rising and that indicated rain on the horizon, though such was probably a good thing during this time of the year. Thus the wolf walked alongside his beloved as he felt the warmth of the sun against his skin, his biceps exposed by the white cotton vest he had opted to wear over the beige cotton trousers. Telion wore a white blouse with a green skirt patterned with a few frills, with her hair wrapped in a bun over her nape as she walked with her arm wrapped around Rickter's.

The poor guy had to make his stroll a little slower to keep the woman from having to rush, having to take at least a three-step pace just to keep up with him otherwise. Their walk led them down the street to where the turn to find the shop came next, and not before too long the pair were at the front door to Lyra's place as Telion took to open the door first. As she pulled it open Rickter followed close behind her, using a hand to keep the door propped open so that she could enter before he did. As he went in behind the healer Rickter pulled the door to a close, his gaze shifting from the door to the front desk to where they expected to find Lyra.

After what had happened and her intervention, Rickter had wanted to take time to personally pay Lyra a visit. Had it not been for her then Rickter could've been far off worse, and not to mention the ramifications of that turnout thereafter... No the amount of debt Rickter owed to her was substantial, that much he knew, and he wanted to make sure Lyra was aware of that as well. Whether it interested her or not, he had reason to believe her to perceive her as evil. Not quite at least... "Oh... Hello!" Telion quickly noticed it too as the woman at the front desk did not, in fact, look anything like Lyra to begin with.

"That didn't take long..." He murmured before Telion nudged him with her elbow, an eyebrow raised as he looked to her with an innocent pucker in return. Clearly she already knew where he was running with the joke, even though the woman at the register didn't even remotely seem dead or possessed. She looked to be dark-skinned, with curls in her lengthy hair, as she looked to them with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, we're looking for Lyra? Is she busy at the moment?" The blonde then requested with an honest, if not slightly impish, smile beamed toward the staff of the shop.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"

[Lyra]

The woman, Emma was her name, smiled at the two confused-looking, people. She had come to learn that was the typical reaction upon seeing her sitting at the paper-covered desk before the door. It was almost like it were so fantastical to imagine anyone but Lyra working in a place like this that to see someone unexpected was more than a little disturbing.

"Lyra is in the back working with her other new hire. The requests piled up a bit while she was away." Emma's voice was richly accented, honey-sweet like a singer, though she was not trained in such things. She nodded toward the door to the workshop before standing, "I will see if she can step away."

Emma walked with a slight limp, the cause evident as she stepped out from behind the desk to reveal the prosthetic beneath the simple dress she wore. She knocked twice on the door to the workshop before opening and sticking her head in, a few hushed words passing before the woman stepped back with another smile toward the two, "She will be out in just a moment. Fell free to look around while you wait."

Ricky and Telion would not need to wait long, for within a few seconds Lyra herself stepped out from inside the workshop, her head still turned toward the room as she spoke, "Check the binding runes along the edge. If they are off by even a small margin the schema will fail, and we will have to clean up another mess."

A soft voice could be heard murmuring ascent as the door closed. Lyra's hand rested on the handle for a moment as she sighed and rubbed her temple. There were a million things to do, and nowhere near enough hours in the day. At last, Lyra looked up and straightened slightly as she saw the two who waited for her.

"Si'fera, Be'lym." She nodded to each, in turn, giving Telion a small smile, while Rickter she simply raised an eyebrow, "What brings you here? Have you come for a lesson? Or work perhaps?"

[Rickter]

A Debt of Gratitude

Searing 2nd, 121st AoS

As they were greeted by a smile the pair returned one to the reception, each varying in a degree of confusion as Rickter seemed the quieter observer of the two. Telion's smile broadened when the lady at the front desk when she spoke, the look of clarity budding on her face when they were told of Lyra's current occupation. New hires. So she was getting busier it would seem, in order to need an extra set of hands to help around. Though, Rickter couldn't help but muse the idea of the lady possessing a bunch of grunts with her smoke, and putting them all to work for her while she just basked like a queen. Well, it was a thought that seemed simplistic toward what he expected of her, but in all honesty the wolf had found his demeanor quite changed.

"Thank you!" Telion quickly responded with a slight bow of appreciation, her eyes widening as she noticed the limp the woman had when she walked toward the door to the backroom. "Oh no, I wonder what happened..." Rickter admittedly felt the same in that regard, having nearly experienced a loss of an arm or even leg back in Zaichaer. Had he not his Lycan form, and the power of Eminence to back him, he would've likely been far off worse than how he got out. He was lucky, and he counted his blessings as they were. Which why this visit was important to him, and to Telion also, as they waited for the return of the limping woman and the shopkeeper.

"Nothing a bit of Necromancy couldn't fix, if she wanted that is." The wolf muttered low with a minor gaze directed to his beloved, her wondrous eyes on him now that she'd heard him express that.

"You saying I should look into Necromancy to help her?" Oh dear, a delicate subject all of a sudden. Rickter had to ponder his answer for a moment, an occupied expression beheld until he finally came up with a response.

"I'm saying if she wanted it, Lyra could undoubtedly help her with that. You already got enough to worry about." As he expressed this he raised a hand up underneath her chin, a curled finger brushing underneath it as she gradually smiled in return to his answer. In a way he wasn't wrong, Lyra had the power to help others as she saw fit, and technically the limping woman under her employment was also under her care. Telion's eyes diverted back toward the front desk as she turned forward, Rickter doing the same as they approached once the first woman came back. "We appreciate it, miss...?" He said, this time, before Telion could even open her mouth to speak.

"Emma, sir." The dark-skinned receptionist finished as he nodded in confirmation, an appreciative smirk given to her before he glanced to his beloved. The healer hummed a soft chuckle next to him as they resolved to wait near the desk, though not having to wait too long as the woman of the hour came to meet them. When she exited she instructed her new hire in what sounded like scrivening work, something that the wolf was familiar with, but certainly didn't envy the amount of work one had to put in with it. It sounded like Lyra had her hands full ever since returning from Zaichaer, something the wolf longed to have going for him before too long. Having only recently been granted freedom from bed rest, he was eager to resume his duties and even train... if only his magic weren't still out of touch, however. After a moment Lyra greeted them individually, Telion already quick to smile as Rickter's lips formed into a wry smile.

He still wasn't sure how to act toward her... Yet that didn't change how he felt, thus when she asked what the purpose of their visit was, he looked down to Telion right as she looked up to him in turn. She didn't want to take the lead for once? Oh. No Rickter understood now that she wanted to see if he wanted to start, since it was traditionally him that felt the need to come here and see her. "Not exactly." He started softly with a more relaxed ease in his expression, his hands brought up to his waist as Telion patiently tucked her arms behind her. "Just wanted to stop by really, I hadn't had the chance to since we got back."

"Ricky told me about what happened." Telion then weighed in after Rickter paused, her eyes on Lyra appreciatively as she spoke to the shopkeeper. "If you hadn't intervened when you did..." That fact seemed to unsettle her just as much as it did the wolf, as even he seemed apprehensive to think about the notion. Though for Telion it went deeper than that, far deeper, because she had reason to fear the possibility of losing Rickter. The father to the child she carried, as well as the man she fell in love with.

"What we really wanted to come here for was to thank you... and that I may have misjudged your character in the beginning." He reluctantly added as though there might've been an underlying sting in those words, though, even then Rickter felt there was credible truth within the statement. When he'd first met Lyra he felt nothing but bad vibes from her, like every fiber in his body suggested she was bad. Or perhaps just bad news. Yet she had never once given Rickter to suspect she was anything but evil, and after seeing her involve herself with the chaotic situations that always came up around him and Talon; well that certainly lent some perspective for the wolf to mull over.

"Certainly a little." Telion remarked as she beamed up to the wolf, before she looked back to Lyra happily. "Thank you. Rickter's still here thanks to you." She added with another appreciative bow.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"

[Lyra]

Lyra's focus flickered to the woman behind the desk as Rickter spoke. With steady and practiced ease Emma had taken over much of the day-to-day functions of the shop itself, effectively freeing Lyra from the need to mind customers directly save for highly specific requests. She was adept at her work, no more than that. Emma was a woman who was not just proficient, she was an expert and handled the tedium with grace and poise that even Lyra might have envied. Thus it was as Lyra looked at her she knew that while those emerald eyes were downcast, Emma was listening intently.

"You needn't have come for such a thing." Voice soft as Lyra transferred her golden eyes back on the pair. She smiled, the corners of her mouth feeling tight as a heaviness pushed down on her shoulders. Glancing at the window Lyra checked a small clock on the wall before continuing, "It was nothing, and no thanks are required for I simply served as was my role."

Time didn't slow for anyone. Lyra had never considered such a philosophy, for the idea of time as a limitation was so far removed from who she was. Now each tick of the clock, each movement of shadows seemed so sinister, so all-encompassing. Unconsciously she touched her sternum, eyes glancing to the clock once more before she quickly let her hand fall back to her side.

"I appreciate the sentiment." Lyra said suddenly, frowning as if remembering they were there. Behind them, Emma glanced up but said nothing.

"If there is nothing else, I am afraid I must call our conversation short today. There are matters that require my attention." The smile was smaller, pinched as Lyra half turned away, already looking back to the workshop door.

[Rickter]

Telion noticed that Lyra's gaze had subtly shifted to watch her employee, but the behavior didn't seem atypical in any manner so she disregarded it. Once she voiced her thoughts on the matter with a smile, naturally, the healer smiled back as the wolf finished with his sentiments.

There was a lift of the shopkeeper's hand as she also seemed occupied, receptive to their conversation well enough, but also troubled by a lingering afterthought she kept to herself. For a moment Rickter partially smiled at Lyra when she shared appreciation, though the quick half turn to look at the workshop door made him feel off.

Maybe they were imposing after all, and needn't bother her anymore. He felt ready to accept that possibility and to let the shopkeeper go, however, Telion on the other hand had noticed a few things. And though she didn't wish to impose on the lady either, her intuition had led her to decide act otherwise instead.

"Oh, well, apologies if we're disrupting your day. I had actually hoped to have tea and discuss things?" Immediately Rickter's eyes darted from Lyra to Telion, with an eyebrow raised as he looked down to her inquisitively.

There was a certainty in her look as she beheld a soft, apologetic smile toward the woman, before her icy blue eyes laced toward Rickter next. "If she was involved then she knows Talon, right? That's gotta be enough reason to sit with her and talk Rick."

The wolf was taken aback. She hardly ever called him just "Rick" but there was a weight in that tone. An urge to listen to her considerably, which led the wolf to look from Telion over to Lyra. She did save him. And her companion that night helped as well. If Talon trusted the both of them enough to refrain from entering, then that told Rickter enough of the people who bought him a life extension.

Thus with a press of his lips into a wry half-smile, he gave a sort of shrug with his shoulders before answering. "If you have time for tea, best have a lot of sugar for my cup." He then remarked softly with a patient expression, while Telion grinned for a moment before looking back over to Lyra in turn.

"If that's alright?" She added sheepishly with an apologetic smile.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"

[Lyra]

As her hand touched the handle of the workshop door Lyra paused and looked up. Her thumb gently pressed the cool metal handle as she had half-turned it, fully preparing herself to enter the simple, yet mind-numbing routine of work once more. Telion's words though gave her pause.

"Tea?" It was a question, painted with surprise. She glanced at the clock, and then the window once more. A list seemed to roll out before her eyes, an array of items to be done or completed nearly as long as she was tall. There simply wasn't time, and as she stood there considering the weight about her shoulders seemed to weigh heavier. Shaking her head Lyra started to voice her decline of the invitation, yet she never had the chance.

"The orders for the Circle have been delayed for another 10 days." Emma's voice carried from the desk. Lyra looked at her with a frown, but the woman's eyes remained on a page in her hands, "And Lord Stanz's son still hasn't finalized his commission. I believe Rean is currently working on the order for the Guild, and she requires little supervision I think."

Emma smiled as she looked up to meet Lyra's gaze, and as if reading her mind the woman stated, "I have already inventoried the day's shipments, and the rest of the work is simple ledgers and attending customers. I believe there is little that requires your immediate attention."

The corners of Lyra's mouth tightened as she asked, "Have we word from the Alchemist on the next order?"

"Jacun has already sent in the shipment. A young man with a thick accent dropped it off this morning while you were in the workshop."

Though she glared toward Emma, Lyra found her shoulders relaxing and her grip on the door handle loosening. Then she shrugged, "Very well."

Motioning as she walked past, Lyra lead Rickter and Telion up the stairs to the apartment where she again waved for them to make themselves comfortable. Emma was indeed very skilled. Perhaps too skilled, as Lyra was coming to realize she held less and less control over the daily goings-on of her own business. A mixture of emotions warred inside her, stinging annoyance blending into frustration, yet somehow as she began to bring down the supplies for tea the burden around her seemed to lift ever so slightly.

"What is it that you wished to discuss?" Lyra asked as she began to grind herbs. The teapot was already warming on the magical heating element, and cups had been set aside for all three.

[Rickter]

Lyra appeared to be surprised with the suggestion though her tone wasn't quite authentic when she repeated the word tea. Rickter's eyes slightly narrowed a bit when he watched her visibly turn, his head then half tilted to the side a bit as he tried to gauge the woman for himself. Initially, Telion gave a gentle nod for affirmation on the matter, her expression still patient as her soft smile still lingered there. From what the wolf could assume she was all the more comfortable with taking the reigns, though, Rickter himself had never been apt to bring up conversations with people such as Lyra. They were always difficult for him to read no matter how hard he tried, thus he simply learned to live and let live where matters were concerned.

But Telion knew only of the few things that happened in Zaichaer, and Rickter had been reluctant on sharing too much with her since their return. That said what she did know sparked curiosity for him as well, because while Lyra was there to save him, whatever else was going on in the meantime likely wasn't noticed by her. Rickter had nearly forgotten that at the end of it Talon seemed to speak to someone, having suppressed much of the traumatic experience within as it were it was no surprise. Not that it would've mattered anyways, the shopkeeper looked about ready to decline, that is until her very assistant at the front desk weighed in.

There came about a conversation as Emma discussed the matters of business that Lyra seemed intent to attend. From the sound of it the woman, and all her staff, were definitely kept busy as of late from the amount of subjects brought to light. Orders for the Circle, Lord Stanz's son, and Guild orders all had to be the trivial things she needed to worry about when you compared the fact she was also part of the envoy within Zaichaer. Admittedly even Telion looked a bit surprised with the amount of work piled up, even if Emma was elaborating on the status of each task for clarification. Jacun the alchemist? It shouldn't be a surprise and even less of a topic Rickter paid attention to, he wasn't here to snoop in Lyra's personal affairs after all, so the interest felt misplaced as he silently averted his gaze for a moment. It was afterward that Lyra seemingly gave in to the idea of having tea, having to accept the defeat of her situation in regards to keeping busy. Telion lightly chuckled with a hint of apprehension in this case, mostly because she too felt as though they were still rather imposing on Lyra.

Yet as she walked past she motioned for them to follow her, and so the pair walked toward the stairs with the wolf letting the bard walk first. He was in no hurry after all, and he wanted to follow Telion upstairs upon whim alone. When they entered and were waved to have a seat wherever the bard took to the table like last time when the three shared tea. That was the day Lyra learned about Vulcans apparently, back in Frost, which felt nearly a lifetime ago after almost two seasons. The passage of time never ceased to amaze him for sure, yet as Rickter took his seat next to Telion he looked to her instead of Lyra, appreciative of the fact that others had been around longer. When the cups were set aside and the tea was put on, the blonde visibly relaxed her shoulders where she sat, and for a moment her eyes fell onto the table where his hand rested.

It didn't take a minute before Rickter slid his hand over, the bard patiently wrapped both of her's around the one as they rested together, his hand pressed between her's as he actually seemed to chuckle quietly. Then came the question on their topic of discussion, which led the soft smile on his face to lessen as they both looked to Lyra in response. "Well, obviously the topic of that night in Zaichaer is one I'd like to cover overall..." She admitted but with a mindful glance spent on Rickter. "But from what I've been told there's something else?"

His eyes diverted away to the closed door to the apartment for a moment, not as a thought to leave but as a general second of consideration. Telion had to be right about something here, if Talon knew Lyra and her consort, then maybe he could learn to trust her just as Telion has. Though it sparked much more innate curiosity for his Bondmate, the wolf put aside his thoughts on the dynamics of Talon and Lyra's acquaintanceship. "Do you know what Talon is, Lyra?" He finally inquired with a bit of a knowing, if not expecting, stare as his gaze gradually shifted back onto the woman. "Of the power he's inherited?" Then came the raise of an eyebrow from the wolf as Telion looked to Lyra also, the pair waiting to see if she would answer the question or not.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"

[Lyra]

The grinding released a sharp scent with each rotation. From a jar, Lyra added several purple petals that added a slight sweetness to the aroma, but the underlying tang of bitter weed was not easily masked. This mixture was divided into equal portions into the cups and she went back to begin working on the next set of ingredients. As she worked Lyra absently listened to the melodies of her guests. The water reached a boil, and before it could whistle long Lyra lifted it off the coil and poured the hot water into 2 of the mugs.

There was a slight pause in the pouring when Ricky asked his question, but it was a mere moment before Lyra turned and carried two mugs toward the table. One she set in front of Rickter, and the other she held in her hands a long moment as she studied Telion. She glanced down at the mug, then back at Telion before sighing and carrying it back to the counter.

"I know of Be'melar's situation." her voice carried no inflection, but even as she spoke the words Lyra felt the chains of ancient magic pull tight around her soul. Setting the full mug aside Lyra dumped the contents of the other mug out and took out another set of jars and began the process of grinding once more. She let the silence fill the space until she had finished her preparations, and as this next set of herbs were dumped into the empty mug she continued, "I am bound twice over by oaths to that one. I can speak not on what he has not allowed others to know, you must speak to him."

The new steaming mug was set in front of Telion with a small smile before Lyra looked back up to Ricky, "Tell him that Lyrielle grants him permission to speak on matters bound by oath, per our agreement." She then sat at the last free chair with her own mug cupped in her hands, looking between the two, "What else is it you wish of me?"

[Rickter]

A Debt of Gratitude

Searing 2nd, 121st AoS

As Lyra worked on the preparations of their tea, Rickter detected a pungent bitterness that sharply assailed his nostrils. He could've guessed that was the base of the shopkeeper's tea, since most herbs used to make it usually gave off such stark aromas. This one though tickled his nostrils in such a way that the addition of something else merely masked it, the ingredient's fragrance shared with a gentle sweetness that barely covered the original scent. Curiosity had settled in now as he and Telion had taken to wait in their seats, their overall mood peppered with an array of feelings that have resided over the last couple of weeks.

There was that general comfort and peace in mind between the both of them, and yet, where Telion had underlying concerns for her lover... Rickter on the other hand remained quite sound, though within there lingered that residual cold hidden from the world. As the kettle began to whistle on the heating element Lyra owned, the rising whine quickly died to a soft sigh as the duo watched Lyra remove it shortly afterward. Then came the question Rickter decided to ask upfront, seeing as how he had only recently started drawing parallels. Lyra and Talon had their own secrets together it would seem, though, the wolf himself was only involved by a different margin. Lyra hardly didn't pause at all when asked the question, rather continued with delivering their tea when the preparation had been made. The wolf and his beloved both watched as the bard herself smiled to Lyra, their eyes on the first cup as it had been placed down before him.

It still reeked of whatever bitter herb was in there, the petals only reducing the aroma mildly as he could trace within the steam. When it came to Telion's mug, however, Lyra seemed to notice or pick up on something, for she moved back to the counter with a sigh spared toward them. Telion's eyes fell on Rickter considerably and he simply shrugged, his mind unable to draw any conclusion other than it was... well, Lyra just being Lyra? But then why did just he get the one cup from the first batch? The evident confusion that manifested around his eyes led the blonde to smile at him in turn, with a hand brought down to pat and rub along his wrist a few times; while he simply waited for the answer to his question earlier. Then it came. B'emelar? That was her name for him? Rickter had so little context with the meaning of her words, and he always disassociated himself from Lyra before...

He had never quite given her that chance, did he? Always assumed that he knew her to be something terrifying, yet not once has she shown herself the spawn of evil. No... Rickter had seen plenty of evil elsewhere, probably why he wondered more and more about Lyra in recent days. Before too long a new mug of steaming tea was placed in front of Telion, the healer giving Lyra an appreciative grin before carefully fondling the mug within her hands. "Oaths?" He murmured as the mention of it sparked genuine intrigue, the wolf looking up to Lyra to show his curiosity before sipping at his tea. It had somewhat cooled but still felt hot to his lips, which became apparent when his brows furrowed and he lowered the cup back down courteously. Still bitter... The worst he could do was drink it though, given that he was the guest here and didn't wish to be rude.

Rickter only knew of the one 'oath' he was meant to uphold, the promise that superseded even his existence, and yet... He couldn't help but speculate there had to be connections here, if Lyra was bound by multiple oaths to the same man... Then surely, her role in Talon's endeavor to grasp divinity played a part too did it not? "Really?" He then inquired almost a little amused in regards to Lyra's responses. "A moment then." The wolf softly responded as he looked down to his tea, before his eyes drew to a close and he reached out. "Love," He reached out with but a thought across their Bond, "something I need to ask you real quick..."

As he felt Talon answer him back the wolf looked to visibly relax, Telion briefly smiling wider before she looked back to Lyra to answer her in turn. "Well, I was wondering if you knew anything about that night in particular?" The blonde's eyes brimmed with curiosity but there was a sense of concern in her gaze also. "From what I heard, there was something else going on during the abduction?"

"It was a voice..." The wolf weighed in quickly after her response, his eyelids open once more as he looked to his partner softly. "Talon saw who it belonged to but I never did." Telion looked to him rather confounded by the information, clearly uncertain what the wolf meant with such brief answers. When he looked to Lyra though there was acknowledgment in his eyes, as he leaned into his chair to grow more comfortable with her as they drank tea. "Talon has given me, us," he quickly clarified with a hand rested on Telion's wrist, "permission to discuss these matters privately. Anything you share here will be kept in full confidence with us, you have my word in that regard." The power of oaths was an interesting thing, and yet if they were all three connected in some way, then Rickter needed to put aside his own differences with Lyra; and help get to the bottom of the truth in regards to their intertwined destinies.

"Ask me anything you wish about Talon or Arcas, and I'll do my best to share with you what I know." He confided as he mentally wrapped himself around the prince, feeling some small sense of courage in basking in his lover's comfort. Of course, the wolf's hand had also been taken by Telion moments later, as she too looked to Lyra and appeared ready to agree with the sentiments the wolf expressed.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Lyra]

The warmth of the mug was grounding, drawing Lyra's eyes down as she listened to what they said. Sure enough, as Rickter spoke she felt the chains loosen as the permission was granted. She looked up at Rickter then, studying him, but not through her vision. She listened to his melodies, to the sonnet that echoed from deep within. Icy cold, yet a warmth deep within. The deeper she focused the more she could uncover, but she stopped herself. It was there, a faint echo that reminded her of that day Be'melar had visited her workshop.

Looking down at her tea Lyra did not speak but sat considering. Talon was wise for his years... but he was still just a child, divine or not. He placed trust too easily in those around him, going so far as to create soul links to multiple people. Despite how much thought she gave it, Lyrielle simply couldn't understand.

"Fer'a mu'tal an fia." Lyra whispered, her words lyrical as she spoke in the ancient tongue as only a native could. There was a faint vibration in the air as the last words were uttered, so soft it was easily ignored. Lyra listened, absently running a finger along the rim of her mug until she heard another faint echo, a response that confirmed what she suspected.

"Arcas was a sentimental fool, but an honest one." The tea was bitter, yet as she raised it to her lips Lyra couldn't help but smile, "The little prince is not much different."

Those below them could not overhear their conversation, and neither Emma nor Rean ever came to her private quarters without permission. Still, Lyra realized at that moment how open she was when not in her lab. Her protections were thin, and her power was limited without the right preparations. One leg crossed the other as Lyra absently waved a hand. A thin line of black smoke flowed from her palm, over her fingertips, and drifted lazily downward. The flow increased steadily, multiple tendrils flowing out until the smoke covered the floor in a thin veil. Faint whispers could be heard if one focused, but Lyra focused her magic to keep those outside from becoming interested in potentially eavesdropping on their conversation.

One hand brought the mug to her lips once more, and she stared over the rim at Telion as she took a sip.

"Know I not why those who stole Be'Lym did what they did. I have my suspicions... but I am no spymaster meant to weave together plots based on fancy." Looking at Rickter she shrugged, "I learned of the event through my whispers, and I followed them to where Be'Lym was kept. If Be'melar had been allowed to continue it would have been troublesome, so I intervened."

Bitterweed was soothing, the bite of the herb mixed with the fragrant petals was a pleasant contrast, and Lyra enjoyed the taste with closed eyes a moment before she continued, "I sent the survivors off with a gift. They will return to try once more, and then your curiosity as to their motives will be sated. As for the voice, know I not of which you speak."

When she opened her eyes Lyra stared up at the ceiling, her golden eyes distant and unfocused for a moment before she looked back to Telion, and then Rickter, "Trials of ascension are always tedious. I have grown weary of fledgling gods and their games."