Earwen paced on the balcony in her room. It was dawn, and she had only just risen from bed. Her red hair was in disarray, spilling around her shoulders in a cascade of fiery waves. A nightgown bedecked her lithe frame. She hugged herself, trying to ward off the chill of the early morning. Sleep had evaded her last evening. She was still troubled by Amara's story. She had taken the young woman to her chambers without asking any more questions. She was deeply disturbed. Goroth had come to Calathil as a proposed ally. Who knew how many other kingdoms he had visited in disguise? How far his reach was?

Eramire would want to know every detail. Earwen was worried. Problems were sure to arise from this new revelation. Sighing, and resigned to telling her sister, she tiptoed down the hallway. As she entered her sister's chambers, she found Eramire already awake, sitting at a small table laden with tea and breakfast pastries. She looked up from the journal she was writing in.

"Good morning, Earwen. You never rise so early. Come. Sit and tell me what brings you here." Eramire gestured to the chair across from her. She considered her sister's wild appearance, and Earwen braced herself for a reproof. But her sister said nothing, and Earwen sat, watching as her sister poured her a cup of tea. She grabbed a pastry from the plate and ate it half-heartedly.

"Earwen, what is wrong?"

"Amara had a dream," Earwen replied, not looking up, still plucking at the food.

"What about?" Eramire responded looking with disapproval at her sister's table manners.

"Goroth."

Eramire frowned, elegantly lifting her cup. "I would think she would often have nightmares of her time being tortured by the dark wizard."

"Yes, well," Earwen continued. "It was more than that. The dream was a memory forgotten. A man visited Calathil not long before the overthrow, asking to ally himself with Amara's father. He said he knew things about the future and could help the king."

Earwen paused, and Eramire looked at her sister impatiently.

"And?"

"Amara seems to believe this man was Goroth."

Eramire's teacup clattered to the table, sending the sweetened, tan liquid spattering across the tablecloth. "What did you say?" Eramire breathed, eyes wide.

Earwen looked at her sister and said nothing.

"Goroth visited King Breg before the overthrow and offered an alliance?"

"It would seem so."

Eramire stood and began to pace. "This is terrible news. It will only enhance the council's concerns about Amara. All manner of rumors could surface. They may accuse the killing of her family of being a hoax. Claim that she's in cahoots with him. And if the dark wizard found himself within the walls of Calathil with enough allies to overthrow it, who's to say that is not happening here?"

Earwen nodded. "If we bring information forward, who's to say a spy will not hear of it?"

Eramire halted at the window, thumb and forefinger placed thoughtfully on her chin. "We must keep this information to ourselves."

Earwen sighed. "I am afraid we may not be able to."

"And why not?" said Eramire, turning back to her sister.

"Because Amara's father sent a tome here for Olphan's safekeeping. A tome containing all the traditions Amara failed to learn before her father's passing."

"Why would he send it here?"

Earwen shrugged. "King Breg feared the man who we now know to be Goroth would get his hands on it."

Eramire bit her lip. "We must have a private dinner with the king and queen. No aides, and only the most trusted guards are to be posted outside. Perhaps we can reclaim the book quietly."

"Kallah will want the council involved."

"Yes, I suppose she will. But one obstacle at a time. Now." Eramire leaned down and flipped her journal shut. "Where is Amara?"

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