"Stare," the lips beneath those azure eyes said in a still, small voice.
And then she was herself again. Stare, the kenku, potential high priestess and steward of her own god. Stare, the administrator supreme, the weapon, the bold. Stare, the abused and misused, now with a great future. Stare - in control of her mind, emotions and life.
All was still around them. Even Raevin watched quietly, his lips pursed.
"Go," he commanded, gently.
She dropped her eyes, breath expelling from her lungs. Her hands were tight fists she realised, claws digging into her own flesh. The hold on her shoulder released to become a nudge.
"Go."
Then she nodded, knowing it was precisely what she needed to. Stiffly she rose, her breath short and sharp before. Twisting, she left her food and her seat behind her, ignoring the shocked looks of the guards and Mer. Striding out of the dining room she began to head for the stairs. With no other direction than that she ran up them, and then went directly to her room.
Once there Stare grabbed her dagger, then swept up her gauntlet lying on the floor. Determined, she began to fly into a rage, pushing all of her speed into a series of attacks. Memories of her brothers and father teaching her, memories of fighting in the many battles that had been thrown at her in the past few months. Enemies had become her purely because of the one she was employed with, but in her heart she knew she was safer with him than anyone.
Slowly the one of the end posts of her bed was destroyed, the titanium and mythril of her weapons reducing it to nothing. Chips and scraps flew and the dire kenku was released.
