All eyes rose skyward as a guardsman called out, "What's that in the heavens?"

"Is it a bird?" asked one guard, his hand shading his eyes from the sun. The large speck in the distance grew larger as it approached.

"A bird that big?" asked another guardsman. The speck grew larger by the moment and soon revealed itself as something far grander and more disturbing in design.

"Get the captain! We have guests!" shouted the sergeant on duty. One of the guards raced off to find the guard captain for the second time in the last two days.

By the time the captain came up on the scene, the visitors were just about to come in for a landing. He eyed the new arrival carefully and took note of the dangers that the represented. One was a magnificent gryphon. Its wings spread wide as its leonine body elongated in preparation for its descent. At the last moment it reared back in the air and thrust its hindquarters down. For the briefest of moments it seemed to hover in the air as its mighty wings flapped, but then it dropped lightly to the ground.

Sitting side-saddle atop the gryphon there was a lady of surpassing beauty. Eyes the color of jade and hair whiter than the purest ivory, she gazed imperiously down at the gathered guardsmen.

Her eyes narrowed briefly then widened into a slight parody of innocence. One must be careful when dealing with lesser creatures, after all. "I am Isera of House Lothuialeth. I hear that you... fine gentlemen, have my daughter."

The captain eyed the lady and then eyed the gryphon. The gryphon narrowed its eyes at him then lightly tore a gouge in the ground with a casual movement of its forepaw. An entire guard unit at his command and yet the captain immediately disliked his odds should he offend either of their... guests.

"I must ask, what is the name of your child?" The guard captain did his best to look the woman in her eyes. The gryphon was easily powerful enough to cause him to call on the entirety of the on-duty town guard, but the woman was the true power here.

He found himself struggling to meet that gaze for more than a moment, but he willed it to be so. Power, palpable and undeniable it roiled from her body like a living thing. It was all his men could do not to fall to their knees and beg for her forgiveness for various crimes they never committed and knew nothing about.

Light blazed brightly from her emerald eyes for the briefest of moments, but she schooled her features once more. "My child's name is Saelil."

Captain nodded his head rapidly then swallowed a bit of the saliva that threatened to choke him. The woman clearly held the appearance of a dark elf. Her copper tone skin and delicately tapered ears spoke eloquently of her heritage. If that was not enough, she looked a fair bit like her daughter.

"Yes, she is here. A man from another world, a dreamer, brought her to town upon her discovery. They are at a local inn. We can bring her to—" began the captain only to have her silence him with a glance.

A decidedly dangerous moment seemed to pass between them before she said, "That will not be necessary. Take me to my daughter, and to this dreamer as you call him..."

"Of course, milady," said the captain.

She turned toward her gryphon and looked it in the eyes. "You're free until I call upon you again. Do not attack anything that walks on two legs until that time."

The gryphon shrieked happily then backed up, turned swiftly, and bounded down the road. A short distance from the group it leapt into the air then started to beat its wings powerfully. It took a moment, but it managed to become airborne once more.

She turned her gaze back to the guard captain and he nodded to her. "This way, milady."

No one spoke as they marched through town, the lady at the center of their retinue. Townsfolk looked on in mild surprise and many quickly scampered out of the way to allow the group to pass.

"Who is she?" one man managed to ask, his voice slightly hoarse due to forcing the words out.

No one answered the man, most could not even speak in her presence. They merely bore witness to her passing.

Soon they arrived at the Screaming Onion tavern, and entered into the building. All of the gossiping and frivolity stopped as a wave of fear and awe struck each and every patron.

Jackie came running out of the kitchen clad in nothing but an apron, her chef's knife clenched tightly in hand. However, when she saw the guardsmen and the woman they escorted she took a step back. Her chest heaving, she forced herself to become calm.

Isera acknowledged her briefly, with a glance, but dismissed her in the next moment. There was at least one here who was not completely cowed by her presence. It was something to consider for later, if necessary.

Up the stairs they went, and to the room where Blackthorne and Saelil rested. The captain made mention of that fact and Isera's well-sculpted eyebrow rose. "So, my daughter spent the night with a man?"

"She did not wish to be separated from him—" began the man only to have the door fly open. Saelil stood there with her hands upon her hips and a slightly petulant scowl upon her lips.

"Ah, there you are my daughter," began Isera, her cold voice softening slightly.

"Mother, must you terrify the populace?" said Saelil in a slightly heated tone.

"Whatever do you mean, my dear one?" asked her mother in a slightly pleasant tone. "Is this any way to greet your mother?"

Saelil sighed loudly, "No. It is not a proper way to greet my mother... just as it is improper for my mother to use her Aura of Death on ordinary people who have done nothing wrong."

Isera's lips quirked into a parody of a smile, "My darling child has become quite bold in regards to how she speaks to her mother. Has she perhaps become a woman during the night?"

The little elf girl snorted loudly then tossed her hair with a flick of her wrist, "What of it?"

"No. She has been quite the little lady, but she most certainly has not become a woman overnight," called a far more masculine voice from within the confines of the room.

"Has she now?" asked Isera. She looked into her daughter's eyes, a slight twinkle of light in her own. "Someone seems to be quite knowledgeable regarding you dear one. Perhaps this is the mysterious dreamer whom I have yet to reward for your safe return?"

"He is mine mother," said Saelil, a hint of an edge in her voice.

"No, he's not," said Blackthorne from inside the room.

Saelil continued to stare fearlessly into her mother's eyes for a moment while she ignored Blackthorne's outburst. "He is mine, and I thank you not to reward him too kindly."

"Not hers," said Blackthorne once more, his voice monotone but with a slightly sarcastic edge to it.

"Must you deny our destined future so readily, beloved?" said Saelil with a tired sigh. "Our mother is standing right here, you know."

"Yes," replied Blackthorne without hesitation. "Yes, I must."

Isera blinked owlishly then did the most disturbing thing that she had managed to do so far. Her lips parted into a genuine smile, she threw hand delicately to her face and cried out, "That's wonderful darling! I simply must meet this man of yours."

"Again. Not hers," said Blackthorne from within the confines of the room.

A mischievous twinkle came to Saelil's eyes as well. Mother and daughter shared a most ridiculous grin with each other before Isera was allowed to enter the room. The door shut behind them, keeping the guards from learning anything more.

"What a strange reunion..." said one of the guards.

"I expected hugs, or perhaps a few tears," said another guard.

The guards looked to each other and then to their captain. He merely shrugged at them, "They are dark elves. They may not inclined to do such publicly. Either way, let us return to our posts and grant them privacy."

"Did we not need the girl to go identify the bodies that our brothers brought back a short time ago?" asked one of the guards. "We were about to come get the little miss, when her mother arrived."

"Wait until they come out of the room, and then let it be known," said the captain to the door guards. They saluted the captain and acknowledged the command simultaneously.

The captain and the escort retinue quickly, yet professionally, got the hell out of there. The march through town proved quite unnerving for them all, and they were ready to get back to work. Even though the palpable feeling of death that surrounded the woman seemed to be dying away at a rapid pace now, a little more distance would not hurt.