Night had long fallen on the forest, and the rain was finally beginning to disappear.

The Heralds Kadir and Abbas advanced slowly on the muddy path, supporting their unconscious companions. They were soaked and would have given everything for a good fire that would warm their bodies. But for the moment, they were thinking of the long trip to reach Asmor.

Reinforcements were on their way, but the two young people needed warmth and urgent medical care. It was inconceivable to light a fire on the wet ground, and even if the rain had diminished in intensity, the air still carried an icy moisture.

They advanced one step after another to save their strength. The night enveloped them; no moonlight illuminated their path. Yet the two men perfectly distinguished the obstacles. Kadir suddenly stopped, and Abbas swore, nearly failing to hit him.

“What’s going on? Why did you suddenly stop?” He asked.

“I was thinking… The Srax camp must be nearby.”

“But it’s out of the way to Asmor.”

“But it’s closer than Asmor. And if the barracks are intact, we will have shelter from the rain.”

The idea of finally being dry swept away all the complaints that Abbas could have made to oppose the idea.

“Very good; let’s do it then.”

*****

The two Heralds arrived at the abandoned Srax camp. The premises had been emptied in a hurry; the open doors and the forgotten equipment in the mud testified to this. They entered the first building they saw and were finally sheltered from the rain. They sighed in relief. Kadir delicately laid Aydan on one of the beds and examined the place. It seemed they were in a dorm. A chimney filled with cold ashes was in one of the room's corners, while the door at the end led to a private room; that of an officer certainly. The Mecen signaled to his colleague who put the young woman down. She was still unconscious.

“She is frozen,” Abbas mumbled placing his hand on his cheek.

“I will light a fire. I doubt they left with their firewood,” Kadir replied returning to the main room.

Nam, would you check the surroundings to make sure we’re alone? The Herald asked his familiar.

I hope you will find enough wood to warm me up too… Why do you have to make me go out in such weather?

The hawk came back soon after.

There is no one around, the familiar reported.

The famillar entered the room, and Kadir brought a chair closer to the fireplace to serve as a perch.

Thanks.

Thank you, Nam. At least, we are safe for now.

The Herald hadn’t been idle during the absence of his familiar. Flames crackled in the fireplace. Now that Kadir felt safe, fatigue invaded him. But the Herald pushed it away. He still had a lot to do. He took off his jacket and extended it near the fireplace. He felt the cold in his bones. He realized the two young people soaked after their forced bath in the waters of Lake Perdu risked hypothermia.

The Herald shook his wings in front of the fire to dry them, then approached Aydan and frowned. His lips were turning purple, that was a bad sign. He delicately spread one of the young man’s wings on the ground to take off his clothes. The soaked fabric stuck to his skin making it difficult to remove. Kadir frowned removing the reddened bandage from his abdomen. The stitches were no more; he needed to start all over again. And it was the same on his leg.

Kadir went to collect blankets on a nearby bed and covered Aydan. He then took his needle and thread to close the wounds again. With the cold, his hands trembled, and he cursed. The Mecen closed his eyes and refocused on his breathing. He accepted the cold on his body, disciplined his muscles, and gently exhaled one last time before reopening his eyelids.

Regaining full control of his hand now, he resumed his work. Once done, he tore off one of the sheets to convert it into a tight bandage. The Phemacian put a hand on the forehead of his compatriot. Aydan began to warm up, wrapped up under a nice pile of blankets. Kadir had done all he could, it would be up to the young man to survive. And knowing his character, he had little doubt his friend would make it.

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*****

Abbas had also revived the flames in the room he was in. He was surprised that the Sraxs had left most things intact. They really must have been in a hurry. The Herald turned to the unconscious young woman he had put on the bed. He approached hesitantly. He wasn’t sure about how to proceed.

What’s bugging you? Varso asked.

I have to take off her soaked clothes for her to warm up.

Is that a problem?

Young women don't like being seen without their clothes, Abbas explained.

Strange custom. Well, she won't notice now. And from what I understand, you have no choice.

With a bit of apprehension, the Herald undressed the young woman and tried to adopt a certain detachment. He was removing a sleeve when he suddenly stopped and cursed in a low voice. There was something on her skin, in the middle of her forearm. If the hand and the wrist had the light beige color of skin vaguely tanned by the sun, the rest of the arm was bluish.

Was she so cold her skin changed color? Abbas put his hand on the bare skin without feeling a difference in temperature between the two colors. Confused, he called Kadir, who hastened to cover the young woman with a blanket.

“By Elhain, do you want Aydan to catch you looking at her? Are you tired of living?”

“Do you see anything strange on her arm?”

“What?”

“There… look,” Abbas insisted.

The Herald frowned and gently rubbed her skin. Under a layer of beige, the skin was clearly blue.

“Makeup,” he whispered. “I have no idea what it means.”

“Really? I thought you could enlighten me,” Abbas added. “Do you think Aydan knows about this? Is she a Priestess of Slesudor?”

“I have no clue. But it’s not important right now. Make sure she stays alive. We will have plenty of time to ask them questions afterward. That is if they wake up before our colleagues get here.”

Abbas shuddered.

“It would be better for us. The Harbinger Omar doesn’t have the reputation of being nice.”

*****

Lara slowly regained consciousness; a pleasant warmth invaded her, and the spicy smell of an infusion tickled her nostrils. She wanted to get up but discovered that blankets were wrapped around her. She had a backward movement when she recognized the place where she was formerly held captive.

“Everything is fine. You’re safe. Do you remember me? I am Herald Abbas.”

The soothing tone reassured her. Lara sat down and tightened the sheets around her upon realizing she was naked. The flames coming from the fireplace illuminated the room.

“What happened?” she asked in a tone she hoped was calm.

“What do you remember?” He replied.

Abbas handed her a cup of herbal tea. She smelled with delight the aroma of cinnamon and honey that escaped from it. She took a sip to give herself time to think. Her last memory… She thought she was escaping; an improbable miracle… However, the shadow that hovered over her left her no chance.

She shuddered at the memory of the Commander with his naughty smile as if he knew that she would not escape. She hated feeling powerless. Her hand touched her throat in reminiscence of the contact with the dark blade of Red Wings Zain. Her panic had blocked any other feeling. She hadn’t even reacted when Aydan and two other Mecens landed around them.

After that, it was a total blur. She didn’t remember anything. What happened to Aydan? The Commander? Did they fight again?

“I don't know,” she finally replied.

Her fingers closed around the cup. She savored the contact with the warm container. She felt the heat slowly rise in her arms. Then she frowned. Details rattled in her mind, and several pieces were put in place. Her blue hands, her nakedness. She looked at the Herald.

“You saw my skin?” She questioned.

Abbas nodded uncomfortably, and Lara’s expression darkened. The Mecen wasn’t the first to discover her secret, but her father had always been the one who arranged things. She didn’t know how to handle the situation. However, he had warned her she couldn’t hide eternally. She was still hesitating, but the Mecens had come to rescue her, right? Then she realized that the Herald seemed much more embarrassed than her… and maybe not for the same reasons. She blushed and concealed her embarrassment by reporting her attention to the mug on her hands.

Abbas cleared his throat.

“Red Wings Zain threw you into the waters of Lake Perdu,” he began. “Aydan dived in to rescue you. Kadir and I picked you up on the shores of the lake, both unconscious. You were soaking wet, so we stopped here to wait for reinforcements.

“Did I sleep long?”

“The sun isn’t up yet.”

“Is Aydan ok?”

“Kadir is with him.”

The young woman struggled to hold back the tears threatening to invade her. She knew nothing about Abbas, after all. He hadn't really answered her question, but she didn't want to imagine the worst. Aydan was a Mecen too. He'd survive a dive into the lake, wouldn't he? However, the uncertainty was unbearable. She clenched her fists.

She wanted to show herself strong, without giving Abbas a hint of weakness. He already knew too much about her for her taste.

“Thank you for the tea,” she finally said, proud that her voice remained calm.