(Author's Note: Picks up where Deliverance leaves off. )
When they had first arrived, Arden had high hopes for Miss Chylde. She lingered far too long, alone, on the Isle of Chains. Seeing Tara would do her good.
But Rhy?Din held far too many hard, tragic memories.
Her words had become increasing wild and spliced, and her sight grew stronger still. Arden knew she had the sight before the Isle, before Travanix. He had seen the glow before, on her flesh and in her eyes.
He remembered her ordeal with Travanix. He remembered the other times before, with other foes, and all of them had taken a slice of her sanity. In Lanrette, things were better, but then Brutin had come, and Brutin had kept her well.
Maybe none of them had anything to do with anything. In all honesty, she?d never been the same since she lost Kat, and that was nine years ago. She was so young then. She was young still.
Arden never had the pleasure of meeting Kat LeFay, but Victoria told him stories, and he wrote them down without her persistence.
There was a time when they were quite close.
Now, he couldn?t even determine her location. He had a letter dated three months ago, and a mission, one that he finally completed. He?d gone all the way to Lanrette for the parcel, only to return to a ruin of what they had. The Clubhouse was burned to the ground, and the ladies had all but vanished. Arden had went to Longden Castle and was turned away by a servant at the door. Miss Chylde no longer lived there. Miss Chylde had left her lover.
"Please see that the Queen receives this letter. Tell her I will be staying at the Red Dragon Inn for the meantime. She can send her reply there, to Mr. Arden cale, esq, if she likes."
He pushed his glasses up over the bridge of his nose and continued on. He boarded a carriage with what little allowance he had left and sped away, in search. The trunk was in tow, of course, latched securely to the underbelly of the coach. He would make his inquiries before moving on.
And little did he know how much he had to learn.
When they had first arrived, Arden had high hopes for Miss Chylde. She lingered far too long, alone, on the Isle of Chains. Seeing Tara would do her good.
But Rhy?Din held far too many hard, tragic memories.
Her words had become increasing wild and spliced, and her sight grew stronger still. Arden knew she had the sight before the Isle, before Travanix. He had seen the glow before, on her flesh and in her eyes.
He remembered her ordeal with Travanix. He remembered the other times before, with other foes, and all of them had taken a slice of her sanity. In Lanrette, things were better, but then Brutin had come, and Brutin had kept her well.
Maybe none of them had anything to do with anything. In all honesty, she?d never been the same since she lost Kat, and that was nine years ago. She was so young then. She was young still.
Arden never had the pleasure of meeting Kat LeFay, but Victoria told him stories, and he wrote them down without her persistence.
There was a time when they were quite close.
Now, he couldn?t even determine her location. He had a letter dated three months ago, and a mission, one that he finally completed. He?d gone all the way to Lanrette for the parcel, only to return to a ruin of what they had. The Clubhouse was burned to the ground, and the ladies had all but vanished. Arden had went to Longden Castle and was turned away by a servant at the door. Miss Chylde no longer lived there. Miss Chylde had left her lover.
"Please see that the Queen receives this letter. Tell her I will be staying at the Red Dragon Inn for the meantime. She can send her reply there, to Mr. Arden cale, esq, if she likes."
He pushed his glasses up over the bridge of his nose and continued on. He boarded a carriage with what little allowance he had left and sped away, in search. The trunk was in tow, of course, latched securely to the underbelly of the coach. He would make his inquiries before moving on.
And little did he know how much he had to learn.