"Yes, I believe we do . " Kyera agreed with him, offering a soft smile to contrast his serious expression . She could feel the nerves and regret pouring off of him . He glanced at The Empress and shook his head .

"How is she?" He asked, and stepped forward looking Evelyn over . Seeing she was comfortable and some color was returning to her skin, he knew the answer . Her calm, steady breathing was enough to make him smile . Vella would be very pleased to hear this . Neither of them were truely ready to say goodbye to her .

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"She is not out of the woods yet, but it does look like she will recover . She will not walk again . The poisonous leach destroyed the power lines that allow for that, but otherwise I believe she will be fine . The brain toxin however will still take a while to wear off . . " Kyera replied and he nodded . There was genuine relief in his eyes, but it wasn't because of the toxin . She understood how he felt, family of one you love suddenly become very important to you .

"Good, I was worried . I thought about contacting you, but when I went to talk to the Council I found out you had been taken . I planned to put out some feelers and see if I could find you, but it seems you found me first . " Mordrin revealed as he leaned against the wall . His arms folded across his chest as he watched her . He was relieved to see she looked as good as she did . It had been so many years since they had stood beside each other, losing the boys and their friends.h.i.+p had been hard on them both . That connection seemed to find one another despite the time that had pa.s.sed between them .

"How is everyone? Verone?" Kyera asked, realizing he had seen them made her heart ache for home . He looked at her, feeling her pain clearly as that whole revealed itself to him . His aura reached out to try and fill that void, barely able to stop the flood of pain .

"The council is well . They are training Talis to take your position till you return home . It seems he and Verone are adamant you will come home one day and refuse to take your position permanently . " Mordrin explained, scratching his chin, beneath the beard . Kyera took a deep breath, at least they both knew that she was true . She would never abandon them . It made her feel better to know that they still believed in her .

"Good . Thank you, I appreciate the information . I wish there was some way I could get home to them . " Kyera shook her head slowly . "At any rate, I know that isn't what you wanted to say . " she went ahead and cut the small talk . His tension was more than she could handle right now with her aura weakened . Mordrin sighed and dropped his head in the posture of a man who really didn't know how to say this .

"Kyera, you know I didn't… I… I fell in love with her . I never…" Mordrin tried to explain himself and Kyera smiled at him . The pain in his eyes was deep set, but he had been caught between two rough places and he couldn't turn the back on his chance .

"Mordrin, I was never upset with you . I knew you fell for her, and I wanted you to be happy . I said as much the day before the wedding . Why are you still upset about this?" Kyera asked tilting her head to the side . There was a softness to her eyes that almost hurt him more . Her understanding nature was sweet, but also her greatest weapon against those who wronged her .

"I betrayed you . " Mordrin pointed out standing a little taller against the wall . His discomfort was clear and Kyera chuckled at him .

"You make it sound like I am a scorned lover . " Kyera chuckled shaking her head in amus.e.m.e.nt . Mordrin was shocked as he felt the warmth in his cheeks . She couldn't suppress the laughter as she realized she made the emotionless warrior blush .