<div align="center"><em>Amarin, Day 1</em></div><br/>Sunrise over the city of Talia was the time of fire. The city's pearlescent spires glowed pink and crimson above the blocks of white stone strewn all around the civilized coast, their smooth tips casting long shadows across the smaller buildings in stripes of shade and brightness. From the upper windows of the marble palace of Nautali it looked almost as though the great marketplace were surrounded by smoldering embers. The tiny outlines of distant bodies milling around the open space near the heart of the city could have been so many ashes filtering between the rising flames building up all around that shadowed pit. In another hour, all of that shadow would be burned away, replaced by massive foot traffic, voices arranging innumberable exchanges, favors and goods, services and promises, the dazzle of fine stones and metals worked into artistic patterns, the scent of spice and honey filtering up through the air until even the nobles in high places could taste traces of it. In another hour the illusion would be spoiled.<br/><br/>It was the slow burn through that hour that the King enjoyed most. From his terrace at the peak of the city, Amarin Dell was privy to the finest dream of a city made of ice, fire and dust. If he slept in his city he never missed that view. When he was abroad he thought of it in the comparatively dull surroundings of his palanquin. Council meetings had been held on that marble outcropping of his tower, the fate of the city discussed under the pale light of dawn while the King watched his city flicker far below.<br/><br/>Was there anything else so invigorating?<br/><br/>He was too consumed to hear her approach. The first touch on his shoulder brought him back to ground. She was a good find, this girl: three inches shorter than he, a few shades darker, but with the most magnetizing red eyes. Lima (http://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/101216/21/4d0af49643c12.jpg) was her name, or so he had been told; she had never said it herself. In truth she had said little since her arrival in his bedchamber, though she seemed willing enough to be there. There had been a few early on who were less eager about having been chosen, but by this time word had spread enough that those desirous individuals who had plans not coinciding with those of their King had time and sense enough to remove themselves from the pool of potentials to avoid such unfortunate miscommunications in future.<br/><br/>At Kesmon's suggestion, the families of those partners who had been "honored" without their wish to accept the appointment had been compensated generously for the error. They had also been moved further west along Talia's Chain to prevent unnecessary stress. The King would never need to see any of them again.<br/><br/>Lima was warm when Amarin wrapped an arm about her shoulders to draw her closer. The winds, though hot below, still could chill at that height, and they with only their skin to protect them from the weather. They would serve well enough to heat one another over the view of flames. Yes, and other things besides. The King clasped a hand over the back of Lima's bald head and pressed his lips to hers, reminded himself of the previous night's activity in the press of her modest breasts to the firm stretch of his chest. (Admittedly he had been somewhat disappointed by the size when first introduced to his partner for the evening, but Lima had proven her shape was no handicap to her ability to hold his attention.) He put her back into the curved stone railing and took her feet off the ground, pressed himself upon her again, if with less vigor than the night before - he could not afford to wear himself out before the day's duties were done. He had energy enough for this; with his lips at her neck, her breath in his ear, he felt could enjoy for as long as he wanted without rest. As long as he could see his city.<br/><br/><div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/>"My King, the court awaits at your pleasure."<br/><br/>Amarin was robed by the time his attendant came with the day's business, a simple spun silver drape belted with black silk. It would take another ten minutes of fussing from various servants before he was properly attired for public interaction, during which time he would be bored out of his mind as was always the case in such times. It was not that the view afforded by being garbed in the way that he was could not entertain at all - the scant attire of his close servants was both a luxury for visual stimulation and a matter of security, providing few options for threats to be carried close to the royal body - only that there was so little he could do during the process. Being pampered had its downsides, one of them being that it did not put one in a position to complain about said downsides. There were worse ways to live.<br/><br/>That was still ahead of him. First, the attendant, and Lima where she lay behind him on the circular bed at the center of his chambers. "Find Kesmon. Lima will need a room in the palace; she will be staying for now. He will arrange this."<br/><br/>"Yes, my King."<br/><br/>"A bath for her as well, and a guide."<br/><br/>"Of course."<br/><br/>Amarin nodded and left them behind him without a backward glance for the girl in his bed. She would be only the third of the many he had tried so far whom he wanted to keep. By that time the details could go more or less unsaid as to what was needed to satisfy his sense of what a consort should have. If any clarification was needed it could wait until after the business at court. Petty though it seemed at times, the complaints of the people took precedence over his carnal dalliances. For now.<br/><br/>So he sat the marble throne in the marble hall, the great open heart of the white-gray-black stone palace, garbed all in silver and black and crowned with the sparkling crystal glass found in the Heart of Nautali, and he listened to his people.<br/><br/>He judged a reasonably fair compromise between conflicting merchant interests in the local sandworm humour trade after a recent glut in the market from a scavenged worm at the southeastern edge of the Heart.<br/><br/>A serial thief, finally captured after over three months of similar thefts throughout the Chain, was enslaved to the owners of her stolen goods to be divided among them as they wished.<br/><br/>The search for a pair of children lost in the mountains north of Sura was, with great regret, called to a close upon the discovery of their bodies in the extinguished fire of a deserted goblin camp - at least, what remained of the bodies. Ten of Talia's knightguard were sent home with the villagers from Sura to pursue the raiding party responsible and end them.<br/><br/>The sentence for a man caught breaking his marriage contract was his placement in a pleasure house for women for no less than five years, the duration of said contract, that he might have time to reflect on the choices he made while he had the liberty to make them for himself.<br/><br/>Amarin called a recess then. This comprised rising from his throne; the gesture was all his court attendants required to call a halt to the petitioning for the time being. The King descended the two steps of his shallow dais and left the great hall in favor of one of the dining chambers, where Kesmon would no doubt be waiting with breakfast. At least he hoped someone would be there with breakfast. It had to be nearly mid-morning and he hadn't eaten yet. Kings had appetites, too, after all.<br/><br/><div align="center">* * * * *</div><br/><div align="center"><em>Ghin, Day 1</em></div><br/>It was safer to travel by night. Nothing in the air was foolish enough to attack a great eagle on the wing, but they were hardly subtle creatures. All one need do is glance at the sky to see a great eagle flying by on a clear day, a great dark shadow gliding across the blue. Perhaps it was safe to be on those great wings, but only as long as one was in the air. It was landing that was worrisome. That no one could assault the eagle in the air meant nothing if it could be tracked, followed to its resting place, then attacked on the ground. Better, then, to not be seen at all. They flew by night.<br/><br/>When the sky began to show color in the east Ghin started searching for a good space to go to ground for the day. They had fish to share from a brief expedition over the Lickle River before they'd begun to fly over the Dulany Hills, so food was not a concern, only shelter. Water was rarely in short supply in Estaris. Compared to home it seemed almost excessive at times, as if rolling over at a bad time might find her accidentally falling into a lake at any moment. Food and water were easy. Hiding Bako? That was often the greater challenge.<br/><br/>It had been the hardest in the grasslands. Tall grasses were no match for an eagle of her guardian's size, and larger cover was rare. Since they'd reached the hills and mountains it seemed as though the process should be easier. All she needed was a few hills of sufficient size, or a rocky patch, or...There, that was the place.<br/><br/>Bako seemed to respond at her thought, locating the shallow valley a moment after and beelining for it, wings pulled in to drop earthward. The wind screamed around Ghin's ears, slapped her hair's curls all around her, dragged her light clothing as if to tear her loose from her place gripped to the eagle's back. A hide jacket did nothing to protect her from the cold of that piercing wind through her ribs and lungs; her chaps layered over leggings were only marginally more successful shielding her legs from the drop. She felt weightless, breathless, a body out of time. She felt...everything. She could touch everything. She could reach out and hold the world in the tingling lightheaded sensation that enveloped the darkness of the ground rapidly diving upward toward them.<br/><br/>Then the bird's wings spread and cut their fall short, gliding the last few yards to the earth to a gentle landing on great talons. Ghin waited a moment after they stopped to regain her equilibrium and hopped to the ground beside her guardian. The eagle nudged her with a beak larger than her head; she patted him reassuringly, stroked along the fine feathers around his eyes. Here would be fine. No fire - couldn't afford to risk the smoke - but they didn't need one. Bako settled down on the loose dirt and folded one broad wing over her. Ghin curled her legs up to her chest and took shelter under the warmth of his wing, not even bothering with the little things - stripping off her flying gear, having a bite to tide her over until nightfall, even getting much sense of their bearings - before she let herself drop to sleep. The young woman was unsure exactly how many days she had been fleeing, but it was enough to take its toll. She was exhausted. Rest. Rest was priority. She could plan out where they would go the next night when she woke.