The tense atmosphere within the throne room hardly made Naida falter. She stood proud with her fellow soldiers, honored that she had been hand-picked by Roshderk. War was an ugly thing. This was common sense for anyone, including, in her opinion at least, those who enjoyed it. With the growing concern of the other kingdoms being on the verge of attack, she knew the leader of the Dragon Army, and the king, would need every available hand.<br/><br/>Naida straightened a bit more when Roshderk spoke. She was more than ready to lay down her life. She looked every bit as determined to head out onto the front lines if it came down to it. But she also knew that the other soldiers needed to be up to snuff, if they were going to be sent out onto the battlefield. She was a fine trainer, or so she wanted to believe, she was of no use to anyone if she was dead. Her skills were still needed here and she was still young.<br/><br/>Then again, so were those who were sent to the frontlines.<br/><br/>She was pulled from her thoughts when the king mentioned he had news that was far worse. It was hard to believe that there was something worse than war; in fact, she could only think of a few things. But whatever it was, the bickering had been silenced, everyone was giving the king their undivided attention. She was left to believe that it was something awful.<br/><br/>She was right to trust that instinct.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Ashorn's white hatchling has been stolen from his temple.”</span><br/><br/>The king’s words shook Naida to her core. She stared at the king, part of her wanting to believe that was not true. How could the egg have been stolen? She had been one of the people solely responsible for its safety at the temple. She felt her hands slowly beginning to clench into fists. How? She repeated in her mind. How could this have happened?<br/><br/>“The hatchling has been stolen?” She heard someone behind her say.<br/><br/>“We must find the one responsible immediately!” A slightly more panicked voice responded.<br/><br/>“Yes, yes we must.”<br/><br/>It would seem the bickering has begun again, and not just amongst the king’s advisors. The frustration was evident amongst everyone in the room.<br/><br/>“Please,” Naida spun on her heels to face her comrades, “we cannot…”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">BANG</span></span><br/><br/>She was cut off when Ashorn made his appearance. The cold air hit her like a ton of bricks. She suddenly felt weak in the knees, fearing what the god would do to them. His threat rang in her ears and caused her heart to pound heavily in her chest. She was thankful that Ashorn had not decided to gut them then and there, but knew that he was a man –or rather, god- of his word. They had to find the white hatchling. They just had to.<br/><br/>Naida cleared her throat and took a step forward. She could feel a few pairs of eyes upon her. “Your Majesty. Sir Roshderk.” she said, kneeling. She spoke out for many reasons, though every part of her wanted to remain silent, one reason being that the white hatchling meant a lot to her. She had dreamed of studying it and watching it grow into a beautiful dragon. Perhaps it was a selfish feeling, but she felt like something had been stolen from her. It was only natural she would want to find what had been stolen.<br/><br/>She was hesitating, she knew she was. Mostly because she has not spoken to the king very often and always feared saying something out of line or seeming rash.<br/><br/>Putting that aside as best she could, she continued, “I do not know who committed the crime, however, I if permitted I am willing to put together a team to conduct a search.” It was a thought. She was prepared for rejection of course, but at least this was a start. Maybe she would spark something in someone else to figure something out. It was hard for Naida to hear herself think with all the chatter that has erupted.<br/><br/>“I am aware that we can’t just sit around,” she added, her tone a bit more pleading. “Please… if I may be of any assistance, even if my request is objected, I assure you I will do all I can.”