Keina

*The young girl sat down and in a fluid movement crossed her legs and balanced a small open red book on her knee. Tilting her head slightly to the side to align it with the angle of the pages she dipped a brand new pale grey feathered quill into the small pot of black ink and began to write in a steady flowing, soft style with language beyond her mere eight years*

Day One:

Not a technically correct heading as it is hardly the first day of my life, or of my life on the surface, but it is the first day of my decision to write down my daily thoughts and actions. Katina, with her first pay cheque bought me this book and a new set of stationary along with some coloured charcoals that I've wanted for so long. Now I'll be able to draw my pictures in more colours than black, green and red.

The other day, Katina and I finally got our citizenship paper which means I will be able to go to the Trinsic School. That is when they employ teachers to fill its walls, but I am not worried as I am learning from people that are kind enough to give me their time. First and foremost the mysterious sempai who is teaching me Tokonese culture, practises in daily life such as how to eat and drink the strange foods as well as my favourite, the language of his home land.

We now live in the back room of the Trinsic tailors where Katina works, it is part of her pay and is quite lavish with a large double bed which Katina insists I have whilst she sleeps on the floor, if she sleeps at all. Not that I have had much use for it lately.

~Scribbled in a child's style on the remaining half of the page is a large block of black, dusty charcoal in the vague shape of a stocky man's torso and legs, a large rimmed hat is in replace of its head with the outcrops of a large collar either side, as if he has tucked his head into a large coat. Red eyes peek from the blackness, too large for its face and unnaturally slanted upwards~

*Staring at the picture she had scribbled without really thinking about it, Keina wrinkled her nose in distaste and rubbed her eyes tiredly, making them water in protest from the charcoal smudges on her fingers. After a while of using her sleeve to clear out the particles, she carefully placed her treasured colours back into their small wooden box and replaced the decorative lid with the "Trinsic Toymakers" logo expertly etched into it and then stained with a red ink to make it stand out from the background.

Getting to her feet as gracefully as she had left them, the child smiled and closed the small diary, placing it on the shelf along with the steadily growing collection of odd's and ends that people had kindly given her, such as a tambourine, a small poorly crafted wooden flute and an orange hued lantern that seemed to burn and burn without needing, so far at least, refuelling*

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Keina

Day Two:

Now I understand the importance of Katina's insistence of following me in the shadows everywhere, and for the first time, I appreciate it.

I was sitting in the tavern minding my own business when a man came in, which I thought nothing of. Perhaps I am too trusting. He struck up a conversation and seemed pleasant enough, but after a few minutes the conversation turned sour with veiled threats and cruel glances and sure to the way of these things he pulled a greasy cleaver from his belt. I kept him talking until finally he moved from his position in front of the door at which his threats turned to demands of coin, I politely told him that I had none, that I had already spent my pocket money for the week and so his eyes shifted to my necklace; the necklace with the key on the end that Katina gave me before I could remember her doing so.

Of course, I heatedly refused; I wasn't about to hand it over as it is my most treasured item. All the while I was edging towards the door until he gave his final warning of "hand it over or I'll be forced to hurt you" at which I ran from the building and up towards the gate, hoping to find a guard.

He didn't give up easily, he ran after me yelling for me to stop, (do criminals really expect their commands to be obeyed when they are running after their victim with weapons in their hands?) slicing his cleaver at me from behind at which I realised from the woozy feeling that it was smeared with a heavy poison.

Luckily, Katina was soon to jump out of the shadows at my screams and started to attack the man but it did not shake his determination to try and take me down, it only gave me enough time to pull a potion from my pack to ease the spread of the poison before the blows reined down again. Why would the man want to continue running at an unarmed girl whilst he is being openly attacked from behind? Surely it would be more sensible to turn on the experienced fighter to parry the blows he was allowing free fall upon him, rather than allow them to find each gap in his armour to administer poison much like his. Maybe I am simply missing something obvious in the art of tactics or perhaps he was too focused on taking down his original prey to realise anything else around him, or more than likely he was just as thick skulled and small brained as the rest of his criminal kin.

At realising there were no guards at the gate, I instead ran towards the healers as I tried to shake him, doubling back to face him only once to knock his weapon from his hand whilst he was off balance from a thrust from Katina's kryss. With this small insight to what was happening behind me I saw that the Sempai had joined the fight and as soon as the criminal also realised this he had some small sense to finally realise he had got himself into more than he had bargained for and made a run for it.

But Katina and the Sempai were hardly about to let him flee after what he'd done and after a large dose of his own medicine and the better late than never arrival of the guard Kaelyn, he fell to the poison coursing through his veins.

He, of course, in true criminal style pleaded his innocence and decreed that it was us that attacked him, seemingly for no reason other than to "push him around". But Kaelyn believed none of his lies as I was obviously injured from the man's weapons and apparently the man was known to Kaelyn as a trouble maker, and logically, why would I pick or choose a fight with a fully armoured, fully grown burly man? His desperate attempt resulted in only him being escorted to the jail whilst Kaelyn went to set up the stocks.

True to form again of the criminal ilk of Trinsic, the man managed to make a run for it, full pelt despite the injuries that had sent him stumbling to the floor and then knocked him out only minutes before.

It was rather strange that the two women at the gate, who later professed they were helping the "good guys", seemed to be running at the wrong people with weapons drawn and masks covering one of their faces. Sempai later told me to be wary of them, but I walked by them with no trouble.

It is a shame to have to be worried constantly that the seemingly ordinary and chatty, friendly person in front of you could be after only your money or your blood. It is a sad realisation that I have learnt only too well today, and one that I will remember as if Katina and the sempai hadn?t been there to help me, I would have been taken down in only a couple of minutes despite my fast feet and ducking and weaving.

Sempai said that he will be back for revenge, either on me, Katina or sempai, or perhaps all three of us so Katina has ordered me not to go out without her unless I am with somebody she trusts in both loyalty and skill.

But that will certainly teach him to pick on somebody his own size! Nothing is ever as it seems...

*Keina shut the small book and placed the nib of the quill into the holding indent of the ink well that kept it damp with its contents. Her body was stiff and tense from the extensive exertion, her arms and back were decorated with the evidence of where she had been too slow in dodging the sharp cleaver that had been swung at her from behind again and again, and her movements were now sluggish from tiredness and from the small dose of poison that still remained in her blood, so much so that she decided lifting herself to her feet and along to the bed would be too much of an effort.

Instead, the young child flopped down onto her side with the diary still in her hand and pulled her now torn and stained jacket around her, the one that Katina had tried to throw away after the fight, saying she would buy her a new one, but had met with doe eyes and a lot of whining until she agreed to wash and sew it up when she had the time instead as it was a favourite that Eike had given her and dyed her favourite colour some weeks before.

Consciousness quickly gave way to sleep in such a quick exchange that it hit her like a blow to the head, but a welcome blow after so many nights of restless rest, filling her thought filled mind with complete blackness. A much needed nothingness after the days events*

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Keina

"Day Twenty Three:

Katina finally allowed me out of bed to go and play in Trinsic, I’ve been ill for weeks and held prisoner beneath the covers. I don’t remember a lot of it - just that my throat was sore and it was hard to breathe if I spoke or moved too much. I’m still not entirely better as it hurts my chest if I run around a lot, but that will go with time and fresh air the healer said, so Katina had no choice but to let me go outside! But she still made a fuss of putting so many layers of clothing on to protect against the cold that I would have bounced if I fell over!

I went to the moongate because somebody said there was a Santa’s Grotto around there somewhere, only to find black clad ninja’s and other assorted thug like people attacking the guards! I’m not sure what went on but one of them lorded it over a poor mangled man saying things like “Dis is Caste turf now…” followed by a bad word, and “Stick to yer own turf. Or Oyy…be stickin’ a kniiiife in yar” …at least I think that’s what he said; he had a very strange accent, or was just stupid and didn’t learn the entirety of the common phonetics. But anyway, after making sure Kaelyn was alive I went to The Rose to tell the Kaldorian’s what had happened, but I suppose it was too late by then as I don’t think they found anyone.

A man named Santa Clause was at The Rose and he gave me a present with paints in it! It must be magic because I was hoping to get some new, proper oil paints with my pocket money that I had been saving, now I can buy some decent canvas instead, and a silver frame to give to Himasa for Christmas with a picture I’ve drawn in it. Misses Im’ gave me the idea and then a Geisha lady told me what I should draw for him, I hope he likes it.

Himasa tried to win the diamond for me again, and then Hugo tried to win it, and then they got into a fight over it and threatened to throw knives at each other’s heads which upset me, but thankfully they seemed to sort it out with words instead of violence. I’m starting to think it must be impossible to get seventy five points on it, as even Talon couldn’t get close to that and Talon is the best at everything!

Talon has a wife now, called Elise- but she said I can call her Ellie, because I’m special and now I’m her assistant as well as Talon’s. She’s very pretty and nice and clever and I’m happy for Talon, I hope now that he has a wife he won’t go away so much and he assured me that he’s still my family even though he has official family of his own now. We were in The Rose eating cookies and drinking milk and there was lots of commotion, I don’t know what was happening exactly but Talon took us away to safety, we walked for miles and I was too tired and in pain to walk back so Ellie carried me on her back. I don’t remember much after that, I think I fell asleep, but I remember someone singing to me, maybe it was a dream of my mother, I don’t remember her but I imagine that she’d sing to me.

I have lots of paintings to make as Christmas presents for people and not much time to do it, so I’d better get on with it!"

*Keina smiled and closed the small book, wrapping the red frayed piece of string around it and tying it carefully to hold the pages in place and the small things she wanted to keep safe within the pages. Pushing it under her pillow she stepped over to the strewn bits of thick sketching paper on the floor and gracefully sat down cross legged before them with a thoughtful expression*

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Keina

*Keina sat down on the edge of the large bed and groaned softly, touching at the bandage on her head with a mutter of annoyance; tired, grumpy, in pain and unable to sleep because of it all. Katina had reapplied the bandage an hour ago before she had to go out to scour the area for more Yewians, unable to stay still with a threat out there somewhere. But the bandage was only to give the child the impression and some consolation that something was being done about the pain as only time would do what a cold compress couldn?t finish.

Huffing, whining and fidgeting about in childish frustration she looked about the dimly lit room and stuck her bottom lip out, feeling somewhat betrayed in her ?pouty? state that she was left alone to suffer without someone there to hush her and coo over her. Thinking for a moment, the young child reached into her pack and pulled out the small red diary and a quill and began to write to keep herself occupied until Katina returned from her patrol*


?Day 31

Today was a bad day and a strange day. I don?t think I?ve had a worse day in a very long time. The Drow lady said that I should lock up my emotions inside, keep them hidden and think about my reactions instead of letting the moment and my feelings dictate them. She said that he?s just a human male, that it was inevitable that he?d betray me, only be my friend and trustworthy until it suited him not to be, until I?d served my purpose, whatever that was- a good laugh over a drink with his friends probably!

She said that I shouldn?t trust anybody, shouldn?t give anybody my love and my trust, or even my friendship, that I should only do things that serve MY purpose, that make ME happy, that are a means to MY ends?but I don?t see how I can help my feelings, they just happen?I can?t switch them on and off, but I wish I could! I don?t know what to do about it all, but I suppose I?ll just have to bide my time and wait and see what happens, but I get so angry just thinking about how they must be laughing at me, at my expense?secrets are meant to be kept close, or so I thought. A hard and quick lesson I suppose.

Yewians then attacked Trinsic in the small hours of the morning, when the guard force was low and most able bodied soldiers and fighters were in their beds?ever the cowardly swine?s. They attacked on horseback too, so the people that were there hardly stood a chance, but they fought bravely and knocked quite a few down, I saw Katina kick a couple to the ground ?and then I thought they were gone, and Eike and I sat on the bench. I don?t remember much after that, just being nearly trampled by a horse and then the pain of being smacked over the head a few times with the flat of an axe, obviously by a Yewian. Not sure what I did to deserve that, just by being there and them wanting another body count and notch in their shield to brag about later in their scum hole of an inn I guess. Stupid *a word is scribbled out good and proper, nearly going through to the next page*

Tessah, Tammy?s friend was nice to me though, that was one good thing of the day. She helped me up and bandaged my head?its strange, people that I think are horrible turn out to be very nice, and people that I trust and love turn out to be complete *more scribbling* ?I hope I can make friends with her, and maybe come to a truce with Tammy, maybe she?s nice really?under the surface, somewhere?deep inside, perhaps.

Eike ?acquired? me a beautiful white dress, I didn?t think much about where he?d got it from until Shelly cottoned on and realised she was missing exactly what I?d been given, that upset me a lot because Shelly is my friend?but she let me keep it and Eike promised not to steal from her again?to ask instead. He?s strange, but he makes me laugh and he?s always been nice to me.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day, and I hope the Yewians come back for a good thrashing when there?s people around to defend. I?d like to see them sprawled on the floor bleeding and maimed?that?s probably not a good thing to wish for, but I don?t care!?

*Yawning long and hard, Keina dropped the book and quill unceremoniously back into her bag, uncaring for the ink splodge that began to bleed into the leather from the un-cleaned nib. Curling up in the middle of the large, comfy mattress she watched the window as the first light of dawn started to put a hazy orange to the familiar view outside*

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Keina

?Day Thirty-Three:

Adults are so confusing sometimes?

Today I spent most of my time in The Rose with Auntie Ellie and Uncle Talon, I got sat on by a fat Covian and I have a bruised leg, but I got cookies and milk for my trouble. Lots of fighting and arguing broke out which was scary so I left and went into the City, but it was all empty and even more scary. Auntie Ellie bought me the bookcase I asked for, and a desk and an easel! Now I can paint like proper artists do, maybe I?ll be a famous artist one day!

When I went into the City for the second time, I saw Ellie and Misses Cal talking to Nat?, she was very upset about what happened with Mister Mordred and Misses Shelly, someone told me about it the other day, that Shelly and Mordred were messing about behind Nat?s back, whatever that means. We wondered whether we should tell Nat? but we weren?t sure, and she wasn?t around anyway. Nat? was really upset and crying I think, I couldn?t see much from where I was but it sounded bad. Poor woman.

Adults are so confusing sometimes?

I painted a picture for Katina with my new paints and easel, it wasn?t very good because I didn?t have long for bed, I painted Uncle Talon, Auntie Ellie and me in front of a big castle! I don?t think Katina liked it though?she just sort of stared at it for a long while then turned around and stomped off, dropping the picture on the floor and not caring that she stood on it. She went out and she still hasn?t come back yet to tuck me in. I know it wasn?t a perfect picture, but I did my best?

Katina has been acting quite strange recently on a whole, she doesn?t even speak properly with me when we?re alone anymore??

*Keina picked the quill from the paper and frowned, looking to the small window by her bed and lifting herself up a little to look out at the dark, shadowy jungle from it. The house was deathly silent and every rustle of the covers or flicking of a page she made sounded like a bomb going off in contrast. Outside she could hear the occasional night animal cooing, growling or hissing somewhere, sending chills down her spine as the child?s imagination ran away with what by day were innocent ideas and thoughts, turning them instead into nightmarish pictures that she couldn?t keep out of her head.

Katina would be back soon, she told herself. There wasn?t a night that she could remember where her older sister hadn?t gone through the nightly routine of carefully touching her lips to the girl?s forehead, glancing her fingers across her hair fondly for a moment before tucking the covers up around her neck, even in summer when it was stifling hot. Besides, she had the story to finish about the usual variation on the brave knight and seemingly helpless princess that actually turned out to be the heroine of the story.

Adults are so confusing sometimes, Keina thought once again as she reached across to place the nib of the quill into the ink-well before laying herself down with her diary held to her chest.*

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Keina

*Keina awoke with a familiar start and feeling of dread, panting for breath for a moment with her hand to her chest before flinging her legs over the side of the bed and fumbling with the drape to flit her eyes around the dim room beyond it.

Settling down onto the floor beside her bed after a few minutes of checking each dark corner and crevice for something she always knew she wouldn’t find, the child reached under the bed and patted around blindly for a moment before grasping her fingers around her small diary to pull it into her lap*

“Day Forty:

Katina came back yesterday from wherever she was, she wouldn’t say. But she brought back a white squirrel for me! I haven’t named him yet…perhaps “Whitey”, he’s very sweet…and very obedient. He likes to scramble up my leg and to my shoulder, but it hurts a bit when I don’t have anything on my legs.

I went to the training with the Trinsic guards today, Kaelyn let me go as long as I only watched, and there were lots of people there, about twenty. They played capture the flag and then just mauling each other, I wish I could have joined in …on the first game, it looked fun. I helped to heal the people that got knocked down, but I wasn’t allowed to join in more than that, no matter how much I begged Kaelyn.

When I got back to Trinsic there was word of Yewians, or Yewish, whatever they call themselves about, and soon enough Tristan was about followed by about fifteen to twenty Yewians, all armed and formed up. There was little we could do about it, there was only myself, Sir Mathias, Mister Sanders, Mister Mortalis and a Hospitaller Squire (according to Sir Mathias). All was fine, mostly…they just wanted to raise some banners to show how strong they are, but I’m not sure putting up some flimsy banners shows any strength…but then adults are confusing. They were cowards to come when the city was defenceless, Sir Mathias is strong and brave, but even he cannot take on twenty plus Yewians single handedly whilst his peers were still training or finding their way back.

Like I said, all was fine …until the stupid Squire thought it would be funny to throw an exploding potion at the formation, engulfing them all in flames for a second…and then she ran off to leave the Yewians to take it out on the remaining citizens, which they did. Tristan ordered them to fire at me, even though I did absolutely nothing wrong…I was even being polite so as not to get in their way. I want to stay out of trouble so that Kaelyn will be pleased with me and I won’t get grounded again. I managed to get away with not even a scratch though, and luckily they didn’t deem me worthy enough to give chase, so I had the chance to hide.

When they were gone, the horrible Drow man was being mean to me, he seemingly has a brother now…so it was worse, saying horrible things about “half-breeds” and humans. If they hate us so much, why don’t they just go back to the Underdark where they will obviously be so infinitely happier…haven’t got the brains to work that one out I suppose.

Hugo got mad that I was attacked and he said that he’d make it even again, hurt Tristan for telling his men to attack me. I don’t understand why they did at all, Tristan shouted “Attack the Drow!” and then someone asked “Which one?” to which he replied “And the half drow …not me!”, so if he’s a half-drow what does he have against other half-drow’s and against Drow? As I heard his mother is a Drow.

I think the Yewians have gone mad from being so isolated within themselves for so long, they’ve lost touch with the world and so make up reasons to justify it to themselves, not wanting to admit that they’ve been wrong all this time. Perhaps they should be pitied …or perhaps not, yes. Perhaps not. Stupid barbarian lunatics.”

*Muttering about the Yewish, Keina pushed the diary back under the bed as far as her arm would reach and hopped back onto the covers, kneeling by the window with her hands resting on the sill to look out at the slowly blossoming surroundings of the swamp where life began to come from wherever it went at night with the slightest touch from the sun’s dim rays.

She wouldn’t be able to sleep now that it was getting light she decided as she opened the window a crack to allow the wind at her new chime that Mister Kent had given her to sing her to sleep, instead she’d go up to the roof and sketch the pretty sun rise whilst it was still low in the sky and deep orange, casting long interesting shadows across the landscape*

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Keina

"Day Forty-Two:

A lot has happened over the past few days, some of it good and some of it bad. Mister Rak'suun got kidnapped by Vierna's cronies and he got pushed through a moongate near the West Gate of Trinsic ...which Hugo and I stupidly jumped through. We were playing "tag" so I wasn't really thinking about where I was going, just that I had to stay away from the others to not be "it", before we had a chance to get back through, the gate closed and we found ourselves in a cell with two Drow, one of them was Lil'Alure and the other one was a female that I don't know. Hugo fought bravely but he quickly went down and I wasn't far behind. I don't really remember what happened next, it was all a blur and my head hurt a lot ... I know that they got rid of Hugo, and then I was on my own with the two Drow. I was so scared and the woman strangled me and kicked me about, she said that one day I'll feel the call of Lloth and that I'll turn against all my friends and hurt them, and that there?s nothing I can do about it.

They let me go after what seemed an eternity, I found my way back to Trinsic and then I was taken to the healers, Mister Gregor said I'll be fine, that it'll just take time for the bruises to fade and the aching to go away.

Talon and Elise aren?t my uncle and auntie anymore, they're my Mama and Papa, which I've secretly wished for, for a long time, but it came at an awful price, Katina is gone and no one knows where to or when she'll be back. She signed some sort of paper saying that Talon and Elise can be my Mama and Papa and that they care for me now.

Katina left me a note that I found today, she left it in the front page of my diary along with her ring on top...the ring that she's had as long as I can remember, that she never took off. Now she's given it to me ...that worries me. I miss her a lot but I know that she'll come back one day, she can?t leave forever...she wouldn't.

Mister Aelred, the Trinsic bowman made me a bow of my very own today. I was picking up sticks in the swamps for suitable sticks to cut into smaller and thinner sticks for arrow's and I mentioned that I didn't know how to catch a bird to get its feathers, so he measured my hands and made a bow that I can use, and some arrows too. It works as well! I shot down a bird and got its feathers, and gave it all to Char' and she said she?ll make sure she puts in a report that I get a merit.

Today I went and played some games in New Paws as well, the person that owns the eatery says she'll give me one coin a week to test out her games! So I can play games, and get paid for it at the same time, and get a massive meal!

There's a warrant out for Drow that follow Vierna and Faeryl now. I hope Captain Kaelyn catches them all and gives them what they deserve. They hurt Mister Rak?suun pretty bad from what I heard; I hope he's alright...

*Keina paused and thought back on the last couple of days, everything seemed to blur together into a mix-mash of memories that were all in the wrong order, back to front and upside down, making it hard to write about anything in a logical manner. Instead, the young Half-Drow closed the diary and turned to pick up the small piece of parchment lying beside her as if it were the most delicate and treasured thing in her world.


It was short, and unfulfilling, leaving her only with more questions than before she'd found it, but she didn?t expect anything less from Katina, she had always been a mystery, even to Keina.

Glancing around the room that seemed now empty despite the fact that Katina hadn't once slept in it, Keina sighed and carefully folded the parchment back up to slip it back into the diary where she hoped it would keep safe. For the first time in a long time, the child's hand went questioningly to the key suspended from a shabby necklace around her neck. She had stopped pestering her sister about what secret the key obtained to a few years back as she never got any answers or clues, but now the girl wondered if she would ever find out...a thought that quickly grew into despairing, negative conclusions of Katina's future, and her own consequently. Ones she didn't want to think about.

She'd be back, Keina thought with a hesitant nod to her internal voice, she probably went off to save somebody's life, like in the stories...and she?d come back the hero, with riches, a Prince on her arm and a smile on her face, because all the stories had a happy ending for the "good guys", and Katina was a good guy, so of course she?d come back ...of course she would.*

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Keina

"Day Forty-five:

I thought I could trust him, I really did. No one can be trusted ?not even people you love- Faeryl was right about that, the only thing she was ever right about.

Trust is a trick to make you tell people things they want to know?

"You do trust me don't you?", "Trust me?", "Just trust me...you can trust me", all ways of making you say things you want to keep to yourself! I see that now, I should have seen it with Sempai, I should have listened to the Drow woman, this wouldn't have happened then.

I've been so stupid; I always thought Katina was silly to not let anyone in, to not trust people, to keep her distance until she was absolutely sure. But now I understand why she did it, it's better than getting hurt like yesterday. Katina always said people should prove themselves through actions, not words, that words mean nothing without the actions to back them up. She *"was" is scribbled out* is right?

I feel better today, much better than yesterday thanks to Misses Cal, she fixed me in no time at all, the wound still hurts but I don?t feel hot and shivery and sick all over now. I wish I could learn to do things like that, how to heal people past just applying bandages. I can make potions, but not like she did- mine usually turn out watery and the wrong colour and they smell funny. Maybe I can ask her sometime but she?s usually busy, commanding a whole army is hard I would bet.

I've been pretending to be asleep when Mama comes and checks on me, I don't think she's angry, but I'm scared that she will be when I have to explain, Papa too. I wish it would all just go away like it never happened...

*Keina froze and glanced to the door as the sound of movement somewhere in the house caught her ear, finally relaxing after a moment when she decided it was too far off to be a danger of someone walking in and finding her awake and thus in a position to explain the previous night?s events, and the excuse of "I don?t remember" would only go so far before she'd be lying, as only some parts of the night were hazy for the fever.

Choosing not to risk it, the child tucked the book under her pillow, her entry unfinished and carefully laid back down with a cringe of pain as her shoulder objected to the movement. Staring up at the wind charm with a heavy sigh, she tried to find the best words to use later when they would be needed, preferably with heavy rehearsal in her mind so that less could go wrong*

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Keina

*Keina chewed on her lower lip and glanced around the strange, unfamiliar surroundings of the small inn room she had rented for the night. A dozen small candles in whatever was found to use as a holder dotted the area on whatever safe surface or patch of floor she could find, serving to fight back the dark night that threatened the limp, stained curtain barrier at the creaking window, but also casting unnerving shadows about the walls and low ceiling, flickering and morphing with the splutter of the flames caused by the drafts from the poorly sealed window and door.

The innkeeper had quickly been suspicious of the young part Drow girl asking for a room at such an hour and with no guardian, just like the several inn?s, way-houses and taverns she had been asking at since near dusk. But unlike the more upmarket and more comfortable establishments in and around the town of Minoc she had been refused at before, the old man had soon become hospitable and willing to not ask questions with a few extra coins over the rent glancing his sweaty palm.

The inn was lacking in all but the very basics needed; the room the small girl sat within consisted only of a shabby, cheap bedside table, a frayed rug on the bare dirty floor and a straw mattress on a hard wood frame of which Keina had draped a cloak over, not even wanting to give thought to what might be crawling about the stained material. She was at least glad of the seemingly sturdy lock in the door that could be used from inside and from the outside.

Glancing around again at the bleak surroundings of which was a vast world away from what she had quickly come to take for granted in the Yellow City, Keina sighed and leant over the side of the bed to rummage in her bag for the small red diary amongst her travelling gear.

The leather of the small book was beginning to crack around the spine from repetitive opening and closing and the pages becoming frayed at the edges and swollen as its once blank pages steadily filled with careful inked handwriting*

?Day Fifty-Three:

Everything has gone wrong and I don?t know what to do about it.

I?m not sure exactly why things turned out the way they did ?Elise and I had a fight, but we?ve had lots of fights ?and then Talon said some things that I never thought I?d hear, not from him. Most of all not from him.

Rak?suun was kind enough to let me stay at his home for as long as I needed but then Captain Kaelyn tried to force me to stay at the inn, until it was sorted, until Talon came back she said ?but I won?t be grounded to the city waiting for someone that doesn?t want me anyway to show up and say just that, I just won?t do that. I won?t be humiliated again.

I couldn?t find Mister Stirling to claim the bounty money that I was going to use to travel with, so I had to take the offer from someone else of the loaning of the coins, not what I wanted to do particularly but he was insistent and if I find Katina, then it?ll be worth it. It isn?t as if I don?t have the money to repay him when I get back.

I?ve managed to get somewhere to stay in Minoc until the morning, it isn?t nice but at least it has a roof. I know Katina will find me, she always did. She wouldn?t leave me alone unless I was surrounded by those she trusted to help and protect me, like in Trinsic. I?ll set out in the morning to the mountains like I was told to, to search for a way to where I think she?s gone. I?ll need supplies for hiking and climbing, but I can buy those at the local provisioners.

Before I left, Rak?suun said something about finding a way to help me, to look after me properly as Talon no longer wants me. I felt so bad having to smile at him and pretend that I would speak to him later, it wasn?t a lie ?I didn?t lie once, but it still felt as bad as a lie ? twisting words to make them into technically true ones. He has been kind to me, helped me when I needed it most. I know he would have helped me find my sister if I had asked, but I also know that Katina wouldn?t show herself if she knew I was safe in his hands?

I know she?s here somewhere, she hasn?t left me. I just know it. She wouldn?t leave me alone in danger??

*The young girl snapped her eyes open with a sharp intake of air as she felt the familiar, distant but oh so real feeling of fingers around her neck and a heavy pressure on her shoulders. Jumping from the bed and flaying her arms about as a reflexive action of defence she looked around with wide confused eyes as her mind slowly awakened enough to remember where she was or more importantly where she wasn?t.

Putting one hand to her pounding chest and the other to her neck to check for bruises or grazes, Keina took several deep breaths as she counted to ten, the mantra that Katina had told her to do each time she awoke from the ?nightmares?, all the while being told that they were just that, dreams. Dreams that couldn?t hurt you, only scare you.

?Just a dream, dreams can?t hurt you?? the child reiterated to herself quietly as the knot of terror in her throat subsided enough to allow her to squeak out the unconvincing words.

After a few more moments Keina calmed herself enough to move to the side of the bed and pick up the journal that had tumbled to the floor with her quick exit from the bed. She hadn?t been asleep long, she concluded from the still burning candles upon still tall pillars of wax?

Keina?s thoughts were interrupted as her eyes and ears caught the door, ajar and swaying only slightly from the draft of the window, giving the impression of harsh breathing as the hinges protested to the movement. Holding her breath, the girl flitted her eyes around the room as the terror that had just deemed to leave her came charging back with a relentless ferocity. There was certainly nobody in the room that she could see, and not a hiding place that even she could fit into?

Her eyes finally caught something other than the door that was out of place: her pack was where she had left it, by her bed- but some of the things within it had been carefully placed to its side, a few items of clothing, some boots and the map she had been given?

Grabbing for the material of the bag to tip it upside-down, the girl whimpered in protest as she rooted through her belongings, already knowing within herself what would be missing but not wanting to believe it.

Finally, however being forced to admit that her large pouch of coins was gone, she plonked herself down onto the floor and drew her knees to her chest, putting her head in her hands with her fingers pushed up into her hair as she stared at the strewn items on the floor, as if perhaps it might suddenly appear with enough will*

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Keina

Black, thick oil traced its inky fingers down the white marble staircase, slower than gravity should allow it and in directions that the laws of physics cried objection to.

Drip, drip?drip?

Standing at the bottom, she was still wrestling with herself to move, commanding her feet to take flight, and carry her to anywhere that was away from the sight before her that gripped at her heart like a frozen vice. How long had she been there, she found herself wondering, a thought that felt disconnected and calm from the terror that surrounded her. Hours? Minutes?

The question was quickly swept away without a conclusion as her surroundings flickered unnaturally and came back into focus. Glancing her eyes down without being able to move her head, she took a sharp gasp in as she realised the substance she had been watching for what felt like an eternity now swarmed around her feet with the speed and energy of a living thing, pooling around her bare feet that felt nothing but numbness?

??and clothes that should??

The voice felt out of place, fractured and surreal from the world around her, like a hole had been torn into her reality for the voice to boom through, quiet and distant but intolerably loud at the same time. Somehow she felt offended of this intrusion, as she and something much more than she tried to swipe it away, like a persistent gnat.

??listening??

Again the voice came, more firm this time, with an edge of impatience. Another blow to her reality and she felt the world around her draining of validity and substance, draining to just the black empty storage of her mind as sleep gave way to the outside influence.

Keina opened her eyes with a groan and flung her arm over her face as a sudden dash of morning light dazed her along with the whooshing sound of heavy curtains being dragged back. The warmness of the thick bedding that cocooned her whispered to her to go back to sleep and she started to give in to the suggestion, feeling herself sink back within herself, her senses drawing inward with little effort.

?Have you heard anything I?ve said miss? I wouldn?t want to have to resort to pulling you to your feet, but I will if I have to?? stated the woman?s voice matter-of-factly, again dredging Keina?s mind back to the waking world with little hope now of staying in the half-sleep-half-awake bliss where everything somehow seemed more vivid and alive.

?Who?re you?? she mumbled in return with a heavy sigh of frustration as she turned onto her side and flung her arm over the covers to pull them around herself more tightly.

?I am the person that is supposed to be getting you ready for breakfast but there isn?t time for that now, come on miss?you?re going to get us both into trouble. The master doesn?t like to be kept waiting and he wanted to see you before you depart??

The young girl blinked her eyes open in confusion and put the flat of her hand to her forehead as the sudden feeling of being hit by a brick overcame her, making her vision swim dizzily.

A moment passed and with it so did the pain, leaving no evidence as to what caused it, allowing Keina to prop herself up and glance around the room she had only seen by candlelight the night before. She lay in a bed that engulfed her with its size and amount of deep red and contrasting starch white pillows, blankets and duck feather quilts, all of which was mostly for show rather than anything. Around the room were various pieces of large oak furniture, expensive looking vases so delicate they looked as if they might break just by touching one, and large, set back windows that were letting the offending light through from the East.

Keina?s eyes fell on the young human woman struggling with the last weighty curtain on the other side of the room. She had seen her the night before, she realised now that the fog of sleep had subsided - the pretty woman had been the one to pull off her shoes to put her into bed.

With the memory, came the rest of the night. Walking for over an hour along roads that she recognised that soon turned into ones that she didn?t, stumbling sleepily with the calm command of ?Keep up child? that must have been said five dozen times until she couldn?t any more despite her best efforts and then being swept into strong arms that allowed her to doze the rest of the way. Then, the memory of crunching gravel waking her and looking up at small windows of light with the sound of horses and a hoof kicking at a stable door coming from somewhere to her left and finally the clicking of heels on polished stone and the unsettling rocking that came with being carried upwards and her shoes being removed to slip her onto the giant bed.

?Can you speak?? asked the woman once she had forced the uncooperative material back, turning to face Keina with pursed lips.

?Um?yes. He wants to see me?? she replied after clearing her throat to force back the dryness. She didn?t know why she felt hope and trepidation at her own question but she had become accustomed to not questioning it.

?Ah so you were listening, just deeming to ignore me I see. Yes, he wishes to see you down in his study, there is breakfast prepared for you in the next room but I?m afraid you have missed the opportunity to take it?

Keina blushed and scrambled out of the bed, her stomach growling at the thought of food, even more so that she was denied it. ?Its alright, I?m?not that hungry anyway Ma?am?.

The woman cast her deep brown eyes down to the child in surprise and then amusement at the unfamiliar term, bowing her head slightly as the irritation melted and gave way to her true nature of kindness. ?I?ll have something prepared for your journey home; it?s a long way to go without food. Come on?you?ll have to stay in those clothes, he?ll be angry if you?re late?.

Looking down at her crumpled slept in clothes, the child shrugged and straightened them a little, not understanding or caring about the importance of being presentable particularly at her age.

?Come on? the woman reiterated, crouching down and taking up the small red shoes that had been placed neatly by the bed. Quickly, she pushed them onto Keina?s feet with little time for any objection before standing to place a gentle but firm hand on the girl?s shoulder to guide her through the open double-door?s that led to a sweeping corridor.

Looking about her whilst she was guided down the corridor and then the same dark polished stone stairs that she had come up the night before, Keina took in the grandeur. She had been in large, expensive houses but had seen nothing on this scale. The ceiling was high and the adjoining walls were hardly visible for the exquisite paintings that adorned them. The paintings varied in size and frames, giving a random feel that forced her eyes to work to take in all the colours and styles and genres. A knight on a white horse, just like out of the stories she was told, a sweeping landscape of some distant land framed in a wooden box that gave it no justice, and a portrait of a rather ugly woman with more jewellery then Keina had seen on one person in her life were just some that caught her eye as she was marched down the steps despite wanting to stand for several hours to take in every piece.

?I have to leave you here? whispered the woman once they had reached the bottom of the stairs. ?Just go down that corridor, right to the end? she added hastily with a gesture to the long gallery that was opposite the main doors to the house. Without another word and only a weak smile, the woman patted Keina on the head and hastily made her exit back up the stairs.

Once alone, Keina slowly made a full circle to take in the surroundings of the parlour, high windows made the space bright and inviting, nothing like what it had looked like the night before, dark and only dimly lit by a few lanterns. With the day?s assistance she could now see what had only been dim frightening figures looming out of the darkness at her- suits of armour like that which was at her home, although seemingly much older and less well kept.

A noise from somewhere deep within the house brought her back from her daydreaming and she glanced to the doors that led outside and then to the corridor she had been instructed to go down. The weight of the decision suddenly felt one that was too great and too hard for her alone to make, she was used to other people, people older and wiser than her telling her which was the right way in a decision and which was the wrong. She knew it was obvious, she shouldn?t even be in the man?s house, Kaelyn had already lectured her long ago on the importance of not going to strange people?s houses alone and without people knowing where she was, not that it had stopped her?but then her Sempai wasn?t strange or dangerous, he had been her teacher. This was a similar situation was it not?

The door was right there, just four steps in its direction and she would be able to touch the heavy iron handle, but why? She had agreed to take the long walk to his house without any demanding or threatening look or word on his part, and she had come to no harm, why back out now just to offend and anger?

Nodding to her own thoughts despite knowing deep within herself that they were wrong, Keina took off down the corridor, glancing her fingers across the cold metal of the bodiless knight as she passed.

This corridor was much the same as the one upstairs, high walls covered with pieces of artwork, random pieces without a connecting theme. A human man with three large dead birds held in his hand by their legs, a Drow woman frowning out of her golden frame, an oil painting of a cottage, one of a castle?

Reaching the end, Keina stopped in front of the large wooden doors and raised her hand to the door, hesitating only a moment before giving a tentative knock, the sound sinking into the thick wood leaving her wondering for a moment if anyone would hear it?

?Enter? a familiar voice stated gruffly from within, his voice just loud enough for her to hear without him having to put in more effort then absolutely required. Pushing her hand on the door, the child frowned as it moved not even a fraction, seemingly smug at being able to defy.

?Enter!? shouted the voice with no attempt made to hide the irritation contained within it.

Shoving her weight against the wood in desperation, Keina yelped as it suddenly gave way past the initial sticking, sending her stumbling inside with a loud crash as the door found contact with the wall it was hinged to.

Regaining her balance just in time to not fall over, the flustered child gulped and looked around, opening her mouth to apologise but being cut short by a confusion that made her blink a few times.

She had been expecting a study on the other side of the stubborn doors, but instead found herself in the largest room she had ever seen. Evidently a ball room for its polished floor, main stage and orchestra alcoves, the space was different from the rest of the house in its utter bareness. Where there were supposed to be large grand windows there were instead thick plain drapes that let no natural light in, and yet the room was well lit by the several chandeliers and lanterns about the room along with the light filtering through from the open door behind her.

The room was entirely undecorated with only peeling paint that had long ago lost its brightness, now an unpleasing yellow colour, there were no expensive portraits or pieces of furniture or ornaments that seemed to almost clutter everywhere else she had seen.

The only thing that adorned the room was on the other side from the door, a fairly large desk of dark wood, the ware of it visible even from her position of distance. On the desk in stark contrast to the emptiness of the space surrounding it, were piles of books and paper, documents and ink wells that had some sort of ordered-chaos, and behind it with his hands folded on the small space of the desk not cluttered with something, was the Drow, complete with a look of barely hidden disgust at having the unbearable misfortune of having to breath the same air as her.

?Come here child? he stated with a forced calm, his eyes focused on nothing but her as if he hadn?t heard the thunder clap-like sound of wood on stone. Nodding, Keina quickly stepped towards him, starting to smile but biting on her lip as she realised her mistake.

?This isn?t a study?? were the first words that came from her mouth in place of the apology she had intended.

A sigh of irritation escaped the man?s lips as he waited for her to be within a distance that meant he wouldn?t have to raise his voice across the hall to be heard. ?Don?t be foolish child, what is a study if it is not a space in which one studies??

Keina immediately opened her mouth to jump to her own defence, several witty but inappropriate responses rising to her tongue, the only thing saving them from being made audible being the sour face before her that looked as if it knew what she were thinking.

?Xas, Ush?akal? she found herself saying instead as she stopped before the desk, the words not even having to be thought about as she?d said them so much of late.

Five minutes that felt like five hours passed in utter silence as the two watched each other. Him with a look of amusement and her with growing unease, wanting to say something to break the deafening nothingness but not wanting to get into trouble for speaking out of line again.

?The door was unlocked? the Drow male declared with a look of continuing mirth, gesturing to the single chair in front of the desk ?why did you not run? I am sure you thought about it??

?Why would I?? she replied quietly, looking to the chair warily as she had been caught out being presumptuous by this very trick twice before. The Drow simply chuckled and looked at her a moment more before waving her away.

?Go and explore. That is what children do, do they not? Waste their time on pointless activities. You are free to leave whenever you wish of course, but if you wait until I have finished my ?studying, I shall escort you back, it is a long way and you would probably get lost. Yes?especially you, you can hardly remember your way around your own home town I am sure??

Keina sighed and looked to the floor despite her best efforts not to, not even rising to the bait as she was scared it would go as it did last time, down a route in which she frightened herself.

?I am not on the floor child?? he hissed through gritted teeth, true to form and habit.

?Xas? she murmured with a slight hint of irritation as she tilted her chin up to face him.

?Xas?what??

?Xas Ush?akal?

?Better?now leave me, I have important work to do? he sighed, looking her over once more before diverting his attention to a document in front of him, already acting as if she were not there.

Wrinkling her nose, the young child turned on her heels and stepped away, smiling slightly as her shoes made a loud squeaking noise that caused him to flit his eyes up and murmur in displeasure.

?Close the door behind you, if you are capable of such a small task??

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Keina

?The black substance slithered up around her ankles, heaving with effort to gain the momentum it needed. The acidic stench now found her nose, a smell of burning, rot and other things she did not want to visualise. Still she couldn?t move, pinned to the spot at the bottom of the bright marble stairs, staring down in horror as the icy cold sludge reached her knees?

*Snapping her eyes open, Keina flung herself from the warm bed as the images and feelings of the nightmare faded. Jumping to her feet quickly with a wince of regret for her injuries, she quickly cast her eyes downwards, almost afraid of what she might see ?but there was nothing, just her bare dark legs and the hem of an expensive red nightgown around her knees.

It was still night she concluded, not from the darkness of the room penetrated only by a few candles and lanterns she had begged to keep lit, as the darkness was no indicator with the thickness of the curtains, instead she could tell by the simple lack of sounds coming from outside ? no morning birds and no sounds of servants elsewhere in the house preparing breakfast.

The young girl turned as she rubbed her shoulder, picking up one of the spluttering burned down candles, angling it slightly to light three more that she had stacked on the bedside table, needing the extra light around her to feel less threatened. The darkness was a symbol for everything she feared and hated: the Underdark, with its never ending blackness, the night with which the dreams came and the blackness to which her sister had returned to an unknown fate?

Blinking her eyes against the light, Keina smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed heavily, wiping her sweaty forehead on her sleeve and taking a deep breath, the memory of the nightmare quickly dissolving to the edges of the room with the shadows.

She wouldn?t get back to sleep now, she thought. The strange surroundings of the enormous guest bedroom were daunting in the daylight but unbearably so with just the few candles to light it. Even if she lit them all, the shadows would still dominate the battlefield of the room she realised with simple calculation, as it was too vast for the flickering ranks of soldiers to fight against.

Desperate for some normality in her foreign world, Keina carefully slid open the draw of the table where she had put the contents of her pack, including the red leather diary.*

?Day Fifty-eight:

Tonight I have stayed at Ush?akal Nil?tyyr?s house again; I have stayed here three nights now, in his massive house. He has a house full of beautiful paintings, on nearly every wall in the hallways; I?ve never seen so many in one place?it must have taken a lifetime to accumulate them. I?m allowed to explore wherever I like, I haven?t managed to see everything yet, it?s so big.

Misses Kimi keeps asking about him, she knows something is not right and wants to help, I never know what to say, and I don?t want to get into trouble, or get other people into trouble. He said something to upset her yesterday, they were talking and I arrived and she said goodnight and left. I tried to find her but she was no where to be seen.

Vesper attacked again yesterday evening, I did my best to help but in the end they realised I was an annoyance and turned on me, I sustained injuries but nothing horribly serious, the lady at this house who I don?t know the name of bandaged me up. Both sides fought well but in the end it was Vesper that was victorious I think, although all they did with just the three of them left is saunter away, all this over two women that have done wrong by just about everyone in Trinsic, anyway.

So much has happened since I last wrote an entry; I?m not sure where to start. Papa said sorry to me and explained that it was a misunderstanding of some sort, that he didn?t mean what he said. I moved back home after staying at Madam Alraune?s house for a couple of days. Madam Alraune is helping me with my dreams, perhaps its working, I slept well at The Salon but now when I sleep for even many hours it feels as though I haven?t even closed my eyes for a moment. I?ll speak with her again when I get a chance.

Rak?suun has left to ?clear his head?, I miss him terribly. He went to find a mage, Kimi said ? that would help me, but the Drow that claimed to be a friend only scared me, spoke of debts and dark aura?s and such. All in front of whoever deemed to listen in, I was so ashamed.

When the fighting was ??

*Flitting her gaze from the steadily filling page at the sound of a gentle knock followed the handle of the heavy door being turned, Keina snapped the book closed and shoved it under her pillow, eager to have no curiosity raised as to its contents.

?I heard you moving about?? whispered the young woman that had seemingly been put in charge of Keina?s welfare during her stay, as her head appeared around the door. She was dressed for bed in something similar to Keina, but more flimsy and much shorter, with a fresh burning candle on a holder in her hand. ?Are you alright Miss??

Keina nodded and sighed in relief as her childish imagination had conjured up worse possibilities as to what could have entered the room. ?Yes?I just couldn?t sleep?

The woman nodded and looked the child over sympathetically, staying in the doorway with an awkward smile that matched Keina?s. ?Is it the pain?? she enquired, raising the candle to get a better look.

Keina shook her head and pulled the nightgown over her knees to tuck the hem under her feet as the night air was slowly starting to dominate the dying embers of the fireplace on the far wall. ?No?it doesn?t hurt much really, its mostly numb?.

The woman nodded again, starting to look at a loss for what to do, obviously unused to caring for or even conversing with children, but doing her best anyway ?Wait here?I?ll get you some hot milk, that should help??. Without giving time enough for Keina to approve or disprove, the human woman swept from the room, her bare feet making no sound on the thick carpet beyond.

Waiting a few moments, the child judged roughly how long it would take the woman to traverse the distance to the kitchen she had come across in her exploration, to heat the milk and make her way back again. Keina nodded and picked up the quill she had dropped down the gap between the bed and bedside table along with her diary from under the pillow. She couldn?t tell in the dark whether the ink had stained the carpet but she figured no one would check down there anyway ?*

?When the fighting was taking place, I felt useless. I was useless? I couldn?t help my friends properly. He?s right, he?s always right.

If I?m to look for Katina and Rak?suun then I need to be prepared, I made a fool of myself last time, proved how weak and dependent I am. I was forced to return home with my tail between my legs because I was stupid and weak.

Everything he says makes sense, but he can make me stronger?help me to become what I need to be to protect those I love and care about: Katina, Rak?suun, Papa, Mama, Baby, Hugo, Himasa, Sempai, Kimi, Whitey, Zefar, Misses Gwen, Mister Devente, Captain Kaelyn, Mister Lewis, Misses Alraune, Mister Adammair??

*Keina frowned and dipped the quill into the ink well as it started to run dry, repositioning herself with her legs crossed on the bed and the book in front of her. The list was pretty much endless she realised, and if she continued she?d take up the whole book with those she considered friends or family*

?Misses Kimi says it isn?t my job to protect them. That I?m a child and so I get to be protected, not the other way around, that when I?m an adult I can protect people ?but what if it came down to me needing to take action? I want to be able to protect my friends ?and he can help me to achieve that.?

* ?I just warmed it a little??

Keina jumped in surprise and snapped the book closed, pushing it under the pillow and tossing the quill into the open drawer as she looked up at the woman standing in front of her in surprise.

?Th-that was quick??

The woman just smiled and placed the glass of lug-warm milk on the table with a curious glance but no prying questions to the hiding place. ?Come?drink up, it will help you sleep, I?m sure??

Smiling weakly, Keina wrapped her fingers around the glass and brought it to her lips, sipping at the slightly odd tasting milk with a polite smile ?Goats milk??

The woman nodded silently and placed a finger to the bottom of the glass, gently tipping it up at an angle that made the child have to gulp it down faster as to not spill it, watching her intently until the glass was drained before placing it carefully on the side with an apologetic smile.

Something wasn?t right?

Keina immediately started to feel groggy and dizzy, blinking rapidly as her vision became hazy around the edges and the light of the candles spread outwards as if they were growing, becoming large dazzling stars with the water filling in her eyes acting as a magnifier. Somewhere, a million worlds from where she was, as her eyes drooped closed she could feel herself being gently tucked under the covers, her hair being pushed back from her face and a sentence being spoken that she couldn?t make out through the fog.

Before the world around her fell into complete darkness, Keina felt the gentle pressure of a hand being pushed under the pillow her head was upon?*

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