M'lady! M'lord!|Skyheort, Talen'sul

[Kender Bard]

Laura all but runs into Lya's palace-like home. She has the proper clearance, and most of the guards and servants know her as Lya's confident. Still, they look on warily as Laura navigates the halls, queries furiously of the location of their Lady, and then more or less bursts into the room they're at.

Lya, who had been relaxing in a chair by the fireplace, rises worriedly and says, "Laura, goodness, what's wrong?"

"It's Saph!" Laura gasps, trying to regain her breath. "Something's wrong!"

[Northen Light36]

"What?" asks Shadow, rising from his own chair and gently but firmly guides Laura into it. "Don't answer that now. Take a few minutes to catch your breath, then you can explain what's gotten you into such a state," he instructs her, keeping his voice gentle and calming.

[Kender Bard]

Laura looks at him, slightly relieved, and does as instructed while Lya sends for a servant to get some warm drink for her. Laura takes a few more deep breaths and then says more surely, "Flash showed up looking for Saph. When I told him where he went, he told me that Saph was in trouble, and even managed to pinpoint when Saph had left."

[Northen Light36]

Shadow frowns thoughtfully at that. "I seem to remember Flash mentioning that he and his brother had a bond from putting their signs together," he remarks. "But I've never heard of a bond strong enough that one half of it would know the other half was in trouble, have you Lya?" Though his words might seem dismissive, Shadow's tone of voice is clearly concerned and his expression suggests he's considering going after the group himself.

[Kender Bard]

"No," Lya admits. "Well, yes. I did meet a wandering couple of priests who had an incredible bond, but I attributed it to their devotion to their goddess."

Laura accepted the tea that was handed to her by a servant, but didn't drink from it, merely holding it in her trembling hands. "Flash has gone off to save them."

Lya bit her lip in thought and then said to Shadow, "I can gather together some of my finest warriors to go catch up."

[Northen Light36]

"Drink your tea. It'll make you feel better," Shadow tells Laura gently before turning to Lya. "Very well, if you gather your winds, I'll gather some of my Storms and go with them to Sparkstrike. Hopefully we'll just find Flash let his imagination run wild or that Saph had some small accident on the trip instead of any large problem."

[Kender Bard]

Lya gives a nod, but before she leaves to carry out her plans, she tells Shadow, "Meet me and my people at the gates once you're ready. I'll have servents prepare supplies for our small group enough that we need not worry about our own packing." Smiling a little, she hurries off. Laura sips her tea but only for show as she watches Lya go.

[Northen Light36]

"Go home and rest as soon as you've finished your tea, Laura," Shadow tells her. "And don't worry, we'll bring your husband home with nothing more then a headache from Flash's lecturing." With those words of comfort, Shadow hurries off to collect the best of his men then meet Lya and her people at the gates.

[Kender Bard]

Laura sits in the quiet for a long few moments, trying to calm her racing heart. After a while, she gets up and heads home, intending on taking her things and following her Lady and Lord from a distance...

[Northen Light36]

Shadow rounds up three of his best men and quietly explains the situation to them. Once all have eagerly agreed to accompany him, Shadow leads them to the gates.

[Kender Bard]

At the gates, Lya stands dressed for cold, winter travel, surrounded by four of her prized warriors - one of which, was Cloud. Ocassionally she glances at the youngest 'soldier' worryingly, but the grim expression of determination wards off any words as he looks ready to take on an entire army on his own.

"Ready?" Lya inquires of Shadow.

[Northen Light36]

"I'm ready," agrees Shadow. He glances at Lya and adds so softly that only she can hear, "I don't suppose I could convince you to stay here?"

[Kender Bard]

In response, she gives an unladylike snort and retorts, "Not when it's one of my citizens in danger as well. Besides, these are crucial times in the political world as well. Petty as it sounds, we can't afford to let anyone start getting false preconceived notions - particularly, that if you are to be my husband, that I'm suddenly going to sit back and let you do all the hard and dangerous work? No, my dear, we're in this together."

[Northen Light36]

Shadow sighes, but he can't keep himself from giving Lya an approving smile. "Be careful then," he tells her softly. In a more normal voice he says, "Let's go bring everyone home then."

"Sir?" begins one of the Storm soldiers, grinning. "Why are we going after Flash anyway? He's able to handle himself without the likes of us."

"Because if something has happened to his brother, it will be difficult to punish whatever scraps Flash will leave of whoever was the cause," replies Shadow dryly, prompting chuckles from the other Storms as the group sets off for Sparkstrike.

[Kender Bard]

Lya looks over her soldiers as well. They are all silent, grim-faced folk. They know Saph, or of him in most cases, and nobody likes to hear that a citymate was in trouble. Cloud just convulsively gripped the hilt of his sword and caught Lya's eye, giving a firm nod. Gently resting her hand on his shoulder, Lya nods back and turns her attention to the road as her group follows after Shadow's.