Dawn was just rising as Shiar strolled out from the main palace grounds into the training area, pausing as he saw a fighter with two swords dancing through movements slowly. The pattern was almost musical though completely alone as if there was no need for an opponent in a fight. He frowned when recognized the fighting style, stance and metering, squinting his eyes for a moment to see who it was. From the distance, he couldn't quite make it out and his heart leapt in his throat, for he realized whomever it was wasn't obscured by cloaks or armour. The woman was only wearing light pants, a shirt and knee high boots.

 He jogged over, mind racing at the possibilities of finally answering at least one of his questions and possibly getting somewhere with the Aupanan shadows and secrets. Though he frowned when he came face to face with Lady Nerini, who was sheathing two heavily weighted practice swords upon his arrival. Her blond hair  was up under a bandana, eyes a shifting between dark blue and an even darker green and then back to blue, unsettling him with their instability as she turned to face him.

 Lady Nerini frowned at him, standing there for a long moment before finally speaking. " High Lord Shiar."

He offered an easy smile and nodded despite her rather brusque tone, telling himself to remember how frustrating Kannein found his sister's lack of etiquette. It obviously wasn't personal. "Good morning Lady Nerini."

She looked out over the horizon, narrowing her eyes and letting out a breath, "yeah, I suppose it is morning, M'lord. Good morning."

"I recognized your particular style of fighting, I was curious who it was, up so early." 

She paused and looked at him once more, calculating.  "From where?"

"The Foxes. I've been told you trained them all. From a style you had learned on your travels, so the rumour goes."

"Yes. Well, the masters who taught me would disavow my fighting as their teachings. I've combined a couple things and bastardized it. I never fully signed on to their dogma. I learned at home first, with my brother, on the Longsword before I learned these." Patting her two blades, she softened a bit while talking about training and fighting. She even smiled slightly, taking a drink of water. "My brother said you fought in the tournament yesterday, you had a draw?"

"You don't like watching the fighting?" He asked carefully, declining to talk about his achievements despite her asking about it. He suspected she had no time for self-flattery or boasting and he wasn't going to force her to talk politely about things that weren't important to either one of them.

Nerini shook her head, her eyes having settled into a soft blue closer to her brother's colour than the momentary green they had held. "No, High Lord, I can't sit still for it. And I'm still catching up with everything that has happened since I've been gone. My brother seems to think I should understand how boring his job is as a politician and Lord of our family estates."

"Your brother mentioned you left not long after he brokered the peace deal with us, part of me wonders if you disagreed with it?" He didn't expect to ask that question, he was asking for trouble for mentioning it. But there it was, one of his thoughts for so long, out in the open, echoing in the soft morning light as they stared at one another. 

One of the concerns he and Caelur had thrown between themselves upon this enigma's arrival, was that she would try to disrupt everything they had worked so hard for. She seemed to be held in high esteem by a lot of people, despite her aloofness from the world.

"No, that was not it." She whispered softly, offering a gentle shrug, flickering her eyes away from him. "I was a proponent for peace from the beginning. I enjoy studying cultures, I studied yours, learned your language, among others. I convinced my brother to speak when he wanted war, reminded him of something we heard of when we were kids." 

When he didn't respond, her voice almost seemed quieter, mournful as she continued. Despite the obvious import that the words held, Nerini's tone was one of self depreciation. "I was the one who convinced the Queen-heir that we needed to know more, that one of her diplomats needed to get closer and find out what the war was really about. I had helped her found her Diplomat core not long before that. One of whom you met, for that purpose. I selected the Foxes personally, trained them, gave them their missions."

"Do you blame me for that death?" He offered, watching her carefully, trying to understand the rest of what she said. How was this woman, who had worked so hard behind the scenes for peace, so aloof from the process and why had she left, if her words were true?

She smiled oddly at that and shook her head. "No. What was done at that castle was more my fault than yours. I am their commander. Our nations needed to meet on an even playing field. I made sure that it was understood that a hostage situation could not happen."

Shiar blinked, his expression darkening at  the coldness in her voice andthe lack of caring for the sacrifice. Her distant, almost uncaring tone causing him to bristle.  "I would not have offered her anything other than safe conveyance until a negotiation was established."

Nerini let out a slow breath and shrugged, her expression sharpening as she met his gaze in an even glare. "But you would have had the upper hand and all else failing, we needed to meet on the battlefield as equals."

"So, what was this grand plan that sent a warrior leaping into the sea to be torn apart by sharks?"

"My Lord, you were willing to talk peace before the war, I know you were." She watched him carefully, focusing on his face only when he nodded slowly. "Well, I suppose you had the same reasons as we did. We came to mutual understanding because of them." 

But it wasn't an explanation, it wasn't enough. This woman was a complete enigma that drove him deeper into fury, the longer he tried to speak to her. She was distant, distracted and thoughtful though not deceptive, but her way of speaking reminded him of a philosopher or soothsayer, answers that did nothing to address the question presented.

"Why can't you be up front with me? Why, if you wanted peace so badly, are there secrets, riddles and half-truths, all of which seeming to surround you?" He growled at her, his frustration clear and he didn't care if it was, he didn't care if she took offence to it either. Not right then.

She stepped backwards from him, allowing him the space for his anger and shrugged, barely acknowledging the fact that he had just growled at her. "Soon, I think. But we're not there yet. This peace has been designed by you and others while I was gone. I told you, I am catching up. I need to get answers before I can give my own."

He shook his head and offered her a mocking bow. "Till later then, m'lady."

 His tone was scathing, dark and precise and with that he stalked off. His mood dark, wanting to grab that woman by the shoulders and shake her until she spoke straight. He had blamed himself all these years, for the anger or missteps that sent a young woman leaping to her death. Only to find out that it had been orders from a commander who didn't seem to care at all about the loss of a life. A woman who seemed so flippant about the sacrifice of one of her soldiers that she hadn't shown a single emotion at the mention of the woman's demise.

*** 

The mood lasted all day, if he were honest with himself, despite being able to take the frustration out on his opponents throughout his portion of the fighting. The tournament's final two days was a contest for best single combat fighter and he was given chance to vent his energy in his contests, though it did nothing to improve his humour.

Two groups of ten were split, then paired up within their respective brackets. Twenty fighters became ten, then five, then four, with one fighter having to fight three times. It was Shiar who was fortunate to fought in three battles the first day, finishing them off in a single minded mechanical ferocity that ended the fights quite quickly. Though if he had been asked whom he had fought, he would not have been able to answer. Every opponent was a faceless obstacle to the fight he truly wanted to have. He merely moved into the ring and allowed his fury to take hold of him, as if by winning the tournament he could find the answers he wanted.

 As dusk was falling, he found himself standing, exhausted in his tent, feeling as if he had not begun to cut through the frustration from that morning. Shiar tossed his helmet across the tent with a clatter of metal that he knew he would regret later and stalked out, walking to the arena, only to note that the last fight of the evening having finished as quickly as his own had. 

The Fox stood there in the centre of the ring, watching a half-conscious opponent being carried out by healers. The stance casual, as if the fighter cared as little as he did for who she had been fighting. People cheered as the herald announced the winner and the warrior in white merely sheathed both swords and turn to face him. 

There was a pause as they saw one another, then an inclined head and then the crowd cheered again, feeding off this unexplainable rivalry between the two of them. Shiar grinned darkly, feeling the challenge finally start to soothe his anger. Let his Fox come for him, let them see that he was more than just a pawn in a game of shadows. One more fight for each of them and then he would accomplish that much at least. Against all logic, he felt as if the last match would solve riddles he had not even begun to ask.

*** 

Wyn sat long after the last fight had finished, barely hearing the remaining cheers rise through the crowds as she remained day dreaming while the tournament grounds got gradually quieter and quieter around her. She hadn't planned on waiting out here and had not thought that anything would come of it, until a warrior garbed in a white cloak and smelling of leather and sweat sat down beside her silently.

She looked into the darkness of that hood and offered her friend a careful smile. "I noticed you took off your heavy armour today. You move better without it, though you know the sword masters in Lansen say that's a weakness."

Rini chuckled without concern, offering a shrug. "You enjoying the show?"

"I see this tournament as a battleground between two very angry people." 

"I'm not angry, I'm proving a point." 

Wyn laughed, standing and linking her arm through her companion's, hauling her to stand and holding on to her, as if to keep her grounded with Wyn as they walked away from the arena. "You're angry. Are you sure this is a point that needs to be made?"

" Are you sure it is not?" Her friend sounded distant, a million miles away and though Wyn didn't ask further, Nerini  finally answered the silent question between them. "Something is going down tonight. Something beyond all this pomp and finery. I don't know what and I could be wrong but I caught wind of something last night that pulls me, indicating that there's a hit that's being planned. More than just bad guys going after bad guys,  it's a soft target I think."

"I've been invited to dine with Rael, the Prince and High Lord Shiar tonight but I could claim ill." Wyn knew her place here was diplomatic. It was her job to be with Rael not to mention that their friend would be upset at not being included in this sort of scheme, even though they had long ago agreed that as Queen, she was no longer an adventurer.

There was a pause, which worried Wyn more than anything else, knowing her friend only asked for help if it was really dire, but finally, Rini murmured. "No. No, I may be wrong. And those that are hired, they don't trouble me with their skill. It's just, whomever is hiring them concerns me.  I think you not attending this dinner would raise more questions then we need and  you know how Rael gets angry when we don't include her in things. That's not something either of us like, an angry Queen."

"Good, I was looking forward to dinner, they're not bad company you know. I've half a mind to insist you come anyways. It would be fun. And intimate, no big crowds, maybe you could talk with the Sellexuns without baiting them to anger..." She sounded hopeful, as if she could distract her friend away from something unnecessary, or perhaps dangerous, and into taking a moment to enjoy the world for once.

Rini squeezed her hand, her voice quiet, leaning into Wyn for a moment. "No. I'm the reason High Lord Shiar is angry. You might have a battle instead of a dessert. And I have to try to stop whatever this is, just in case."

"I'll be up late. Come talk to me when it's done, so I know it's all ok." Wyn wasn't going to ask when Rini had a chance to offend the High Lord amongst all the shadows, fighting and avoidance her friend had been doing.

Rini nodded, squeezing her hand before letting go and disappearing into the shadows between the tents, leaving Lady Wyn standing there, watching after her for a long several moments. Wyn told herself that Rini was fine, that whatever was happening was within her friend's considerable skill of action. That after chasing after phantom pulls and feelings for a couple years, Rini wasn't due to take off for at least a couple more months. 

"If I wasn't convinced that that fighter was a woman, I would think I stumbled across parting lovers."

Wyn turned towards the voice, offering a thoughtful smile to High Lord Shiar, bedecked in clothing instead of the armour of earlier. He was looking showered and far more relaxed than he had throughout the day. "Well, shows what you know. Women can be lovers."

He paused,  doing his best to conceal the slight stumble as he realized what she was implying, his brows raising. "Well, you're right. So maybe I should be disappointed along with all the male suitors trying to gain your attention then, M'lady?"

"You are incorrigible." She laughed, accepting his offered arm, letting him escort her towards the palace. She didn't mind his company, if only because it was a casual, friendly sort of offer, not all that different than the arm of Nerini from moments ago. "and I only tolerate it because I know it comes from a well-meaning heart."

Despite her light tone, he didn't laugh, and she found herself watching him roll through several dark emotions on his features.

"Does your champion seek to kill me?" He asked after a few moments silence, his words careful. The man was always full of questions, always seeking to understand the parts of Aupana that were hidden from him.

Lady Wyn smiled gently and shook her head. "No, not at all. She sees you as a challenge she must face down."

"The Prince supposes, due to the closeness of all the Queen's Foxes, that perhaps she seeks vengeance." Shiar countered, his words blunt, though not so much as to be argumentative.

"You must forgive yourself enough to realize no one blames you for what happened that night. No more than you blame your guards for letting her go, or the sharks for being sharks in the sea."  

Wyn felt a wave of sadness and fear at the realization of what could have happened, at what Nerini had gone through afterwards. But she pulled herself back to the moment, squeezing the man's arm, causing him to look at her. "You are a good person. You and the Prince and most of your people. We know this, just as you know this about us. Centuries of mistrust and misunderstanding came to an end that night, because of what you did."

"I just... believe you do her a disservice, by not acknowledging that. To everyone, even their commander." He said that word with more derision than Wyn had heard from him ever. "it was as if it was inconsequential, barely worth thinking about. I want someone to yell at me, to say I killed a hero, instead of telling me I was the hero, I was the one who accomplished all this. It's like she never lived. Like she never died." Shiar trailed off, looking at Wyn with an oddly raw expression, and offering a self-depreciatory shrug. "Forgive me, M'lady, I am not usually this straightforward, blunt."

"Men are allowed emotions too, High Lord, it shows that you are human." Wyn smiled, pausing at the door that would lead to her room, reaching up to cup his cheek gently in her hand. She was not sure why she was being that intimate with the man but having a strange feeling that it was necessary. "Believe me when I say that we know she lived. And we know what she did. It is by her wishes that we stay quiet. Not our own. Each Fox has a chance to be known, but it is on a field of their choosing, not anyone else's. She is loved, by everyone who knows her."

Shiar paused then, taking in a slow breath and opening his mouth to ask a question he hadn't quite come up with. Wyn knew she had given him the first bit of information that may start his mind rolling through possibilities towards the truth. 

Wyn smiled and winked to him before he could settle his mind on whatever concept it was working on. "I'll see you at dinner, m'lord. I just need to freshen up."