Ephemeral and Fleeting

“But let’s remember, we traveled for months to her old home. Then she rushed to find you and Eden in The Tearless. And no sooner did she return with the two of you to the City of Light, than we got caught up making plans there.” He shook his head. “Early on, she seemed fine. But I noticed a few weeks later, that she was dragging.”

“Yes,” Reigna said, watching the skirmish before her as the crowd, now engaged, urged Mara and her challenger on.

“Then we were off to the compound, where we spent a couple weeks preparing for our journey here, to the palace.” He scraped his boot along the frost on the ground as he patted out a rhythm on his thigh. “That in itself took some time. But, you know, I think the worst part is that she’s been plagued by nightmares. She awakens almost every night trembling, and in a sweat.”

Reigna turned and stared at him. “About anything in particular?”

“I think it’s just the pressure of knowing the Chiranians are soon to make their way here. She’s frightened for you girls. She dreams she’s being chased by grut—that she’s carrying you and your sister, as infants—and that she looses you.”

“Oh, my.”

“Yes, and with all this training and planning . . . Frankly, I think it’s all just finally caught up with her—that she’s just desperately in need of some good, nightmare-free, rest.”

“She shouldn’t be training today then,” Reigna said, looking back out as Mara held up her hand to call a halt to her sparring partner while struggling to catch her breath.

“Tell her that!” Dixon exclaimed. “She won’t hear of being left out.”

Reigna grinned. “I suppose we should take comfort then, in the fact that she’s still herself.” She put her arm around him. “She’ll be fine, I’m sure.”