The others all seemed to disperse before she could manage to pull Sir Allister as she had hoped to, but that couldn't be helped. Especially not when she had important matter to attend to. There were people that needed to know that she was going to be gone, and so Rain made her way towards the outskirts of town.<br/><br/>The temple was small, made of stone. She took in each time worn, sun faded brick with sad fondness. Most thought she came here every year for the festival and nothing more, but they were wrong. She came here because she owed her life to the priests within this humble house of worship. Knowing she couldn't put it off any longer, she pushed open the heavy wooden door and moved into the dark cool interior. Many of the acolytes gave her curious looks, for she usually did not come at this time of day, Daemion had never liked her coming here, so she could usually only manage when it was time for services. Still, no one stopped her as she moved to the back of the temple and passed through an embroidered curtain into the inner sanctuary.<br/><br/>A sense of calm suffused every fiber of her body and she couldn't help but smile at the feeling of homecoming. She'd spent many months within these walls, hiding, healing. A tear trickled down her cheek as the scuff of a foot turned her to face the one she had come to see. Shayla Nimbran the High Priestess of this particular temple, she hadn't aged a day since Rain had first met her ten years ago, then she'd not aged so very much herself. Shayla was Lady favored, or so Rain had heard whispered when she'd stayed here. A human, with a touch of the highest divine granted her for duties rendered. No one had ever so much as speculated about what those duties might have been.<br/><br/>"You've come to tell me that you go into peril," Shayla said softly pulling Rain away from thoughts of the past. "That may not come back to me again. I tell you that you are wrong, but I know that you won't believe me." She smiled, and pulled Rain into a hug without preamble. Rain hugged her back.<br/><br/>"I have to go," She choked out. "He's so far go, I can't keep on as I have. If I do nothing I will never be able to save Morrin." The tears she did all she could to keep at bay with any others slowly slid down her cheeks.<br/><br/>"Morrin is not for you, nor is the duke, I told you that when you came to me beaten and torn." The priestess tone was chastising, but light. "You were made for better things, larger things than one who would beat or abandon you." Shayla tilted Rain's head back then, and brushed lightly at the tears on her cheeks. "I know that you'll no more stay now than you did years ago, but know that you're just as welcome here as ever you where. No matter what happens. Now," Shayla smiled as soft motherly smile that always made her feel better, and Rain smiled back without thought. "Since you're going no matter what I say, just remember that no matter where you are the Lady hears, and She listens. If you call for me when you are in need, I will hear of it, and whatever aid I can mange will find you." Suddenly Shayla's manner changed. "You must go now child," Her tone was urgent, "Out the back way, now!"<br/><br/>Rain knew that tone, "What's wrong?" She demanded.<br/><br/>"It is time for your quest to begin child, now go!" Quite beyond her comprehension of how, for she certainly didn't recall moving, Rain found herself in the back gardens where she'd spent hours helping tend the vegetables. There were sounds from the stone building, sounds of battle, something had gone horribly wrong. She turned, to head back into the building, and give what aid she could, but an overwhelming sense of nausea stopped her in the tracks before she could take more than a step. It only receded when she stepped backwards. The wards had been closed against her. She could not enter. Indecision froze her in place until there was the sound of heavy steps behind her, she whirled, but not in time to even see her attacker before the blow fell, and then, she saw only black.<br/><br/>___________<br/><br/>She hadn't followed him. Daemion was most certainly not happy right now. Small sparks of electricity arched and sparked around him. If he was home right now, there would be a thunderstorm brewing, and it would be a bad one. She was his damn it, his to protect, his to hold! In the privacy of his own rooms knowing Rain would not be coming to him anytime soon, he'd let all facades of humanity fall away. Long, white blonde hair, fine as spider silk caressed strongly muscled shoulders and icy green eyes glowed with rage.<br/><br/>He was a sight to see, the High Prince of Faerie, in his fine boned, richly dressed glory. Any who saw him as he truly was, would know instantly that he was someone to be afraid of, and with more than a millennium to his name, he was most certainly that. He'd used his position as pampered only child to learn everything he could about combat and fine tuned his skills when he battled the Demon Lords right along side his mother's generals. She'd stayed safely behind the lines, but then, that was to be expected.<br/><br/>She wouldn't approve of this venture of his, never had, but that didn't stop him. Why should it when she never left the safety of her domain?<em>Rain, you were thinking of how to make her return to you,</em>he reminded himself. Well, one thing was for certain, if she had no one to travel with she wouldn't get farther than the first night. Not unless she intended to hire bed partners the whole way. That would strain even her purse strings though. A dark chuckle erupted from his chest. Would she even tell them about the nightmares, or would she just make up some tale about how it would be warmer if everyone slept closer together? He would never know, because he never intended to give her that far. He knew where the group was to meet, he'd heard that much at least. It was the work of a thought to have his seeming back firmly in place, and then he made his way to the Den, bursting in with dastardly intent.<br/><br/>"The trip is off," He caroled to the room, not bothering to note who was and wasn't present. If they weren't all here, they'd hear about it he was sure. "You see your guide is mine, and I don't part with things that are mine, as a general rule. I wouldn't suggest trying to harm me, it will do you no good. Go away, run, it's your best option." As he spoke, he wove a compulsion, planting in their minds that what he was telling them was reasonable, they wanted to do it. He didn't bother putting much power behind it though, these were pathetic, puny humans, what hope could they have of resisting him?