Keana frowned softly and shook his head. "No, but they've begun to attack Aupana. The Alliance forces are nearly ready to sail. War council is trying to develop a plan of action." He stepped into her path when she moved toward the door, offering a shake of his head. "The meeting is resuming in the morning. And you're only wearing a shirt. And I don't trust you."

Nerini took a step back again, looking down at the long, oversized shirt that covered well past her knees, even as she heard footsteps echoing down a hallway toward them.

She nodded slowly, though, glancing toward the door behind him. "Others are coming. Go get the sword. It will burn me on contact if I am anything like them. But I'm needed in Aupana."

Keana smirked and held up a finger before slipping out through the door.

Nerini frowned when she heard a lock engage, though she shook her head to clear the annoyance from her mind.

She wouldn't have trusted herself, either.

Turning to the rest of the room, she rifled through a storage chest at the end of the room until she found some rough but clean looking clothing, frowning when she heard Keana telling two people to stand guard, while he led the others away.

Out of her earshot.

In the room's silence, Nerini forced herself to turn away from the sound of the two rogues standing outside of her door, telling herself that she didn't know that they were two of his company from the smell of them. She felt a burning frustration building in her, though when she tried to understand the source, she only thought of hunger, or thirst, and that realisation sank like a boulder in her soul.

"Stop wallowing. I didn't understand the exchange between you and your friend, but I followed him. He's pulled a few people into a meeting in another building, and this one is filled with soldiers." Sellexor paced across the room and looked down at the crossbow, frowning softly. "That's an interesting weapon."

Nerini nodded and looked over at him. "So I could bring you with me. Why couldn't I see you before?"

"Because every time I started to enter the room, I noticed I caught his eye. He can see us?"

"No, power. He's probably telling everyone that I am awake, and they're trying to decide how much of a monster I am." Nerini walked over to where he was standing and picked up the crossbow, dismantling it and putting it on a low table nearby. "What happened?"

"You followed your gift out of your mind. What did you see?" Sellexor watched what she was doing with the crossbow intently. "They may be coming back here to kill you."

"I can't remember. But I have a powerful pull to return to Aupana. My home is under attack, but there's something else. Something more." Nerini did what she could to reach for the memories that she knew should be there, but only found that powerful sense of purpose.

Her gift.

The pull to find where she needed to go.

The sound of someone walking down the hallway with an uneven gait pulled her out of her thoughts and she turned toward the door as she listened to that half-limped gait approach accented by the tapping of something wooden on the floor. "Someone is coming."

"Try to speak a language I can understand, would you?" Sellexor muttered, though he fell quiet as the steps stopped close to her doorway.

"We've been told to keep this doorway secure." One rogue, Dilain, offered a little clumsily in Sellexun.

"I can see that. But as Lady Nerini's healer, I need access to see to her wellbeing." Exzekeil replied haughtily, as always.

There was a hesitation then, and Nerini could hear the two rogues shifting back and forth, their leather creaking. Nerini backed away from the door and sat down on the bed, facing it. She wanted to see someone else, to talk and be spoken to, but she also felt the hunger clawing up the back of her neck and into her mind.

"Be quick." Dilain offered in a hushed tone as the door clicked, then swung open wide enough to admit Exzekeil into the room.

The healer walked in, only slightly leaning on a cane, looking rested and less tense than Nerini remembered seeing him. When he looked her way and maintained the mask of composure, Nerini remained where she was, watching silently as the rogues quickly shut and locked the door once more.

"You're looking well." Exzekeil walked toward her, speaking in Sellexun still, a questioning look on his features now. "You're all dressed and ready to head off on your next mission, then?"

"Keana left when I woke up. Look... I'm fine, but I don't think it's safe for you to be here." Nerini murmured softly. "I'm...."

"I studied the poison both before and after you were given it. I helped Lady Lyana heal you, watched the changes take hold in a way most others could not. And I also saw the darkness you had been dragged into while healing. I know what you come back from. Tell me how you're feeling." Exzekeil offered a shrug, though he stopped short of being within arm's reach, his eyes scanning her curiously before speaking in a normal volume. "You are in need of more rest, Lady Nerini. And plenty of food and drink before you attempt to even walk further than across this room."

"Tired. At the edge of my patience for no reason at all. Hungry. Furiously hungry." Nerini shook her head and focused on the space between their feet, listening to the rogues remain standing at the door, unmoved, before she raised the volume of her voice as well. "I don't really know what's going on, but I don't intend to leave right now. I'm kind of through with sleeping for a bit, though."

The healer nodded thoughtfully for a moment before resting his cane against the bed and holding his hands out toward her. He waited patiently until she offered him one of her hands. With one hand cupping the back of it, he rested his fingers on her wrist, frowning for a few moments, then inclining his head and speaking at his louder volume for the moment. "Your heart and breathing appear to be holding at a normal rate. I don't think there has been as much change as you might be worried about."

Nerini pulled her hand away when he let it go, trying to read his expression now, though it had a mixture of empathy and concern that seemed almost innocent, confused. "But..."

Her words died in her throat as she heard more footsteps walking in their direction, and she nodded toward the door. "They're coming. They don't trust me."

"I was in the room when they tried to figure out if you were a monster or Nerini. You came back to your friends. They aren't sure about a lot of things, but they know you're back. I think it's you that doesn't trust Nerini." Exzekeil glanced toward the door and lowered his voice into a whisper again. "I know you will be leaving soon. They're sending the armies out, and some healers are going with them. Whether you go with them, I know you will need a healer with your team. As you seem to need one every time you go for a walk down the street. I won't slow you down. I've been getting healed. It makes moving easier, the pain is less. And you'll be riding horses, anyway. Please. Consider me."

Nerini frowned in surprise, turning her gaze away from the door to watch him.

Exzekeil was standing there straight, holding his cane in his hand as opposed to leaning on it. Nerini could only assume that the lack of tension in his body and in his features was because of that lack of pain he spoke of, probably brought about by Lyana's handiwork, Nerini realized.

There was only an earnest desire in his expression, and Nerini couldn't shake the feeling that she couldn't deny him.

Or she didn't want to.

"I thought you hated me." She whispered, because she couldn't think of any other response to the surprise and odd feeling of rightness that she got from his request.

Exzekeil gave her a considering look and shook his head. "I deserve that. . ."

There was a rush of feet outside the door, which was thrown open once more, drawing the healer to turn around to see Keana, Shiar, and Ocia walk into the room, bristling. They were tense, with hard expressions on their faces, hands on the hilts of their swords, though they stopped in surprise when they saw Exzekeil.

"What are you doing here?" Ocia's Sellexun was accented, but surprisingly flawless as she regarded the healer and Nerini.

"Checking on my patient. As I do every day. No one saw fit to inform me that she woke up. She needs rest and a meal, but her vitals are normal." Exzekeil watched them cooly, lowering his cane to the ground and leaning on it ever-so-slightly.

"Apparently, I need more sleep, because a few weeks isn't enough." Nerini grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the four of them. "Thank you, Exzekeil. I will do my best to be a faithful patient."

Exzekeil snorted and glanced at her for a moment, before nodding and taking a few limped steps toward the door, though he paused when the others did not move. "Am I allowed to continue my work?"

Keana glanced him up and down before nodding and stepping out of the way, prompting the other two to follow suit. They all returned to watching Nerini warily as they waited in silence, as the healer's steps got quieter.

Nerini was still listening to Exzekeil's footsteps when Shiar sighed softly. "Nerini?"

"Normal but not, apparently, but so far, it seems like I am Nerini, yes." She nodded, holding her hands out wide, palms facing up as she regarded the three of them. "I don't blame you for not trusting it, me. I probably would have put a chain or two on me, personally, but I'm... me. As far as I can tell."

Keana inclined his head in agreement. "You move differently than you should, but I think the healer was right. You seem mostly the same as far as I can tell."

Ocia looked like she didn't agree with the assessment, but she was silent, just watching Nerini with an expression that made it clear that Nerini wasn't trusted by the woman.

Nerini nodded in understanding before glancing between the three of them again. "Are you here to transfer me into a cell... or..."

"Are you up to meeting with some of us? Everyone wants to see you, but we would like to..." Shiar hesitated, looking incredibly uncomfortable as he watched her, a mixture of emotions on his features.

Nerini forced herself to stand up slowly, nodding and keeping her hands out wide, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I would. And I understand. Do what you need to ensure our safety."

"We're going to escort you. And you're going to stay calm and alert us the moment you feel anything change." Ocia said stiffly, nodding toward the door. "Remain with us, but know that we have guards stationed, with arrows, to take you down if needed."

Nerini offered another smile and nod, responding before either of the men could censure the other woman. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Lead the way."

Ocia nodded and turned, walking out of the room and Nerini followed, finding Shiar and Keana on either side of her once they were in the wider hallway and walking out of what could only be the now complete infirmary and toward the Alliance council offices.

Rogues followed behind them and along the rooftops, carrying bows strung and ready, and more guards milled around the grounds, though those in Alliance uniforms scowled more at Nerini's escort than at her.

"Keana, make sure if something has to happen, your people deal with it." Nerini offered lightly, glancing up at the sky and squinting in pain at the abnormally bright late afternoon. "Ocia and Shiar need the guard's loyalty."

Keana snorted and shook his head, but he didn't respond as they strode through the doors that were opened for them as they approached, entering the Alliance palace and heading toward where the smaller meeting rooms were.