“And in either case, whether by magic or by shapeshifting, they would not leave clues for us to follow,” Jhessail concluded grimly. “No tracks, no trail, no lingering magic for us to detect. Discovering from whence they came will be a daunting task.” Her expression was somber as she contemplated the task ahead of them. Finding the assassin was proving to be a challenge.<br/><br/>Yet, she reminded herself, it was far too soon to be thinking of failure. No one was perfect; everyone made mistakes. One chance discovery, one flash of insight – that was all it would take to set them on the trail of the killer.<br/><br/>“I am troubled by what this implies, cousin,” she said, turning away from the obelisk and back to Aysia, her uneasiness reflected in her eyes. “Whoever did this knew of this place. That it was near the city, that it was clear and uninhabited. A perfect staging ground for their plot. Our adversary must be thoroughly informed about our history and our traditions.”<br/><br/><em>Father would have known about this place,</em>she thought, feeling her blood run cold.<em>He was the crown prince. He was heir to the mythals and their use. He would know.</em><br/><br/>Letting go of that troubling thought, she closed her eyes for a moment and heaved a sigh. She must not let her feelings cloud her judgment. “I know you have left no blade of grass or twig unturned, but perhaps we should look again. Fresh eyes might see what others could not.”<br/><br/>Jhessail began examining the rest of the clearing carefully, looking for anything out of the ordinary or out of place.