A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 34

I pack most of the night to prepare for my trip to the Valkyrie camps. With my father being gone for a month and him not keeping me under lock and key--it was the perfect chance to go stay there. I had sent a letter to Tanwyn hours ago informing her I would be on my way once the sun rises. I do not have much to pack considering most of my fighting leathers and weapons were already in my tent at the camps--but I pack extra clothing, my daggers, and the moonstone I had stolen from Nyx's temple. I place my pack on my back as I peek out into the hallway to make sure there is nobody there. I make my way to my brother's rooms and lightly knock on the door. He opens it and I enter his rooms.

"I was just coming to say goodbye." I tell him.

"If you wanted to come with me, I am going to visit the Illyrian camps as they begin to leave." Rhys says.

"I'll come visit before Cassian's legion leaves, just let me know when that is. I would very much rather go to the Valkyrie camps over the Illyrian's." I point out.

"Suit yourself, Mor is coming with me." Rhys says nonchalantly, and my brows furrow in confusion.

"Why would she go with you to a place she hates and not come with me to the Valkyrie camps? A safe haven for women?" I ask.

"I have no clue, she was the one that suggested it though--she said she did not want to be alone right now." He just shrugs, but I continue to be suspicious of what she is planning.

"Where is she?" I ask.

"She winnowed in this morning, I am going to meet her there."

"You let her go alone?"

"Oh, calm down, Cassian is with her. It seems you also got stuck with the overprotective Illyrian genes." Rhys smirks at me.

"Whatever, batboy, I am leaving." I say as I begin to walk out of his room.

"Batboy?" Rhysand's laughter follows me out into the hallway and I cannot help but smile as I winnow into the valley between two mountains where the Valkyrie camps lie. I am greeted by a heated tent--Tanwyn must have put a fire on for me when she got my letter. I unpack most of my stuff before walking out into the camps. I notice the usual schedule of training for the Valkyrie is no longer presently active. I watch as the Valkyrie pack their winged horses--the Pegasus as they prepare to leave for the upcoming battles. I guess Kára ended up keeping her end of the bargain. I observe the Pegasus in awe for I have only ever seen them from a distance--considering I was not a true Valkyrie.

"What are you doing here?" I hear a familiar voice say from behind me, I turn around slowly and sigh as I look at Razira.

"Lovely to see you too, Razira, my leg healed nicely thank you for asking," She crosses her arms as she awaits my answer, "I came to help prepare for the upcoming battles."

"Yes because we so desperately need the high lord's daughters' help." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Have you ever seen a butterfly, Razira?" I ask her, and she lowers her dark eyebrows in confusion.

"A what?" She asks.

"You should look for some one day," I begin to walk away from her, "Maybe it will make you be less of a bitch!" I shout back to her, and smile when I see her stomp away. I find myself soon in front of Tanwyn's tent and I walk in to find her polishing her shield.

"There is the flower girl, I was half expecting you to show up in a dress made out of flowers." She grins at me.

"How does word spread so quickly?" I ask in disbelief.

"Cassian loves to gossip." Is all she says as an explanation--and that is all the explanation that is needed.

"How can I help?" I ask her and she just looks up and grins at me.

I should have never asked Tanwyn of all peope how I can help. I spent the next few days sharpening swords, filling up canteens of water, and various other little stuff that nobody else wanted to do. At least I got to pet the Pegasi as I clean out their hooves and brush and braid their manes. I sit down on a bale of hay in the stables as I take a break. My shadows quickly alert me that someone is entering the stables, and I relax when I see Kára walking in. She raises her eyebrows when she sees me.

"You look like you have been through hell." She points out.

"I feel like I have."

"You know you do not have to do this kind of work, right? We have apprentices for this kind of stuff." Kára lets out a laugh as I wipe the sweat from my face.

"I like the busy work. If I am alone with my thoughts for too long--" I cut myself off, "I would rather be doing this small stuff than doing nothing."

She nods her head like she understands as she opens one of the stables gate and a beautiful chestnut Pegasus walks out. My eyes widen as I take in its beauty, I had only seen white or grey Pegasi.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Kára asks as she admires her mount and lightly pets her side.

"She is, what is her name?"

"Sigrun." She says with a sad smile. My eyes widen just a little bit at the familiar name. I take in the chestnut colored hair of this mare and how it is so similar to that of the hair of my previous teacher back at the House of Wind. I put my hand in my pocket as I squeeze the moonstone that is sitting there. I wondered how Sigrun knew so much of the Valkyrie--

I slowly stand up and walk over to Kára with an outstretched hand of moonstone, her eyes widen as she looks at them--and then back at me, "Where did you--"

"They found their way to me." I tell her when I realize that these moonstones were placed at Nyx's temple for a reason, and I believe that reason was so that I could find them and return them to their rightful place with the Valkyrie, "I did not know what they were, or what power they held until a kind, chestnut haired lady informed me of how the Valkyrie once used them. I can now assume she knew from experience." I look to the Pegasus and then back to Kára who had tears in her eyes. I do not know who Sigrun was to her but there was obviously an untold story there that I did not want to push the subject on. She silently takes the stones from my hands.

"I will turn them into siphons for you to use." Kára says--almost sounding like she was proud of me.

"But--"

"There are no other Valkyrie left to use these stones with," She cuts me off before I can argue that I am not a Valkyrie, "You may not be an official Valkyrie, but you fight and train with us and deserve to have these precious stones used to channel your power."

"Thank you." I say to her, and she just nods her head before walking out of the stables with her Sigrun.

After a few more hours of working at the stables, I begin making my way to my tent--to find shadows seeping out of the opening.

They were not my shadows.

I begin to jog to get to my tent quicker and open the flap to find Azriel standing there--

Covered in blood.

I run over to him as he silently watches me trying to figure out where he is bleeding from. Tanwyn must have seen me run in here because she shows up moments later.

"Oh cauldron--" Tanwyn also comes over but Azriel finally grabs my hands to get me to stop looking for his wounds.

"It is not my blood," He says, his voice rough and coarse, "It is Mor's."