Meena turned to Onric. “Has Ashlin left yet?” she asked.
“No, she’s still sewing.”
“This late?” Meena asked, slightly jealous that her new friend and almost-sister had an active role in this turmoil.
“Time is precious. She wants to finish as many panels as she can to see if Aizel knows any of the stories or meaning behind them.”
“She’ll work herself to death.” Meena could hear the childish whine in her own voice. She was concerned about Ashlin overworking herself, but she was mostly jealous that both Ashlin and Aizel had a meaningful way to contribute to this intangible problem.
“I’m aware of that.” Onric growled.
Meena smiled. At least Onric was also frustrated, even if it was for a different reason.
“I’ll go check on her,” Meena replied, thankful for a reason to seek out her friend.
“Convince her to stay here tonight,” Onric said before she could leave. “The castle is safer than being in town ... especially right now.”
“Tell her yourself.”
“I don’t want to pressure her.”
“I’ll do my best.” Meena made her escape.
“Tell her I’ll sleep on Mistress Cedrice’s doorstep if she insists on going home tonight!”
“That won’t pressure her at all!” Meena responded, slipping out of the room before Onric could give her any more directives. Ashlin was her friend, too.
Meena hurried through the back courtyard. The shadow-less dusk made her feel eery, as did the quiet guard who moved through the space, lighting torches along the wall.
“Good evening, Drirsi,” she called with a small smile.
The young guard dipped his head respectfully. “Princess.” He moved on to light the next torch, not indulging in the usual banter they shared.
Meena shivered, though the evening air was still warm. Everyone was too somber. Even Drirsi had a responsibility to keep him focused.
On the other side of the courtyard, she pressed open a small wooden door which led to the ruins of the ancient Iseldis castle. The old hall instantly darkened as the door closed behind her. Meena rushed up a winding staircase to her left as quickly as she could. Normally, she wasn’t afraid of the dark, but her stomach was already tied up in knots and she didn’t want to be alone.
The upper room of the eastern tower was softly lit with a few candles, and Ashlin hovered over a large makeshift table. She immediately glanced up, welcoming Meena with a smile.
Meena exhaled. Here, the candles emitted a soft warmth—or maybe that was Ashlin—either way, the tension in her stomach eased.
“Hello, great wielder of the needle,” Meena said.
“Bringer of Sunny Skies,” Ashlin responded.
Meena approached the opposite end of the table, her smile growing. “I do that?”
“You always make my day more bright,” Ashlin replied, her voice was light with a touch of jest, but Meena could still hear the sincerity behind her words.
“How is the latest panel coming?” Meena asked, changing the subject.
“It appears to be the simplest, yet most puzzling.” Ashlin’s voice had returned to a serious tone, matching Meena’s tone.
“How so?” Meena examined the panel on the table in front of her. It was nearly as wide as her arms could reach, but only half as tall.
“See this black thread, here?” Ashlin pointed to the swooping tail of a large embroidered letter.
Meena leaned closer to the tapestry so her eyes could make out each individual, deliberate stitch. “It looks more like a dark blue than a black,” she said. The thought left her mouth as she was thinking it. “I mean,” she quickly corrected her mistake, “it’s probably just the light ...”
