Ashmeer felt a tap on his shoulder, inhaled deeply, and smiled, "Sister, you came!"
"How could I not brother?", said the half panther, half-human female. She smiled at him through her fangs and shook herself till her human form took over. Ashmeer looked away as she pulled out her clothes from a small bag.
"The magic is very strong here. Ancient and also I sense traces of fresh magic as well."
He nodded. He had felt the same thing.
"I am worried sister. I am very worried about things that are happening here."
The woman sat down on a rock next to him. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were a stormy grey. Her dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. She was dressed now in a simple black suit. Her beauty was ethereal, with high cheekbones and a large wide mouth. She was almost feline in appearance, but right now only worry flitted her face.
"Ashmeer, you need to tell me all happened. Leaving Ishatar's court was not easy. Tell me all."
"Farila, you are my only kin left in this world. After mother's passing, we are alone here. Ashdeer calls me his brother, but we all know what is in his mind. However, now his plans seem more and more sinister to me."
Farila listened to Ashmeer's recounting of the past two days at Andora and kept frowning and sighing all through.
"The Blight is here in the Andoran mines," she finally asked.
"Yes...am afraid so....it's already taken many lives."
Farila bit her lip, "Could it be a trap? What if they mean to lure you and Ashdeer and this new magical girl into it. Maybe the Blight was attracted to Andora because of her magic."
"Then taking her away from Andora will be the solution, sister! Also, I will be able to protect her. I am thinking of taking her to Parola, after our wedding. My people and I will be able to protect her."
Farila snorted, "You dream brother. We will need to plan this better than that. There will be no wedding till her debut. Ishatar will be in a rage if we do that. It would be best to wait brother. Ashdeer will not let us take any hasty decisions."
He frowned, "I am a simple man, Farila. I do not wish to be part of these intrigues. I am a soldier and fighting is what I do best. This young innocent girl will be dragged into a battle that is too big. I do not know if I can protect her from the dark forces or from my own half-brother."
He ran his hand through his hair, "It's too complicated!"
"It is, but running away with Azriel is not the solution. One, she does not know you or love you yet, and she will not trust you enough and will keep trying to escape from your protection. Two, the Blight at Andora must be stopped. Three, we need to have a plan to get Ashdeer to show his true colours. His hunger for power is growing brother. He is growing jealous of you and is desperate. It will only be a matter of time before he tries to make you disappear or kills you altogether."
"Which is why Parola will give Azriel and me the sanctuary we need."
"I think we need to plan this better, walk with me brother and tell me more about Azriel, your betrothed."
The brother and sister walked hand in hand together, through the ruined castle. Thoughts of the picnic far from Ashmeer's mind.