"Did he forget something?" Emalia questioned as she walked to the door. "Who knows," Colin answered quietly. The face at the door was not that of Jessiah, nor of anyone she thought would be seeing. Grobnak looked at her with a sorrow on his face and immediately, her hostility went into overdrive. If it weren't for the spell Jessiah had cast upon her, it would have been inevitable that she would have faced drastic consequences for allowing herself into this mode once more.
Emalia heard Grobnak explaining both he and Nephesh were concerned, continuing to speak even though Colin attempted to stop him.
"Child, I do not mean to cause you stress. I only wish to educate you."
"I need no education. I've had enough of learning the ways all of you people operate."
"Can you not see she doesn't want any additional teaching right now?" Colin added.
"All of us people?" Grobnak echoed with a shake of his head. "Nephesh said you were angry, but I was not aware of the level of your rage."
"Every last one of you - underhanded liars the whole lot."Suprisingly, Grobnak's face changed into a pained expression. "What have I lied about?"
"To take the time to explain it all would be time too long."
"Please - if you feel anger, let it be given source. For every lie I have told, I will slash my own wrist." Grobnak indeed began to make good on his offer. He lifted his arm, holding it against his dagger.
"I've nothing more to say to you, Nephesh, Crimson, or anyone else."
"When I have paid for these lies, I will happily do so. Now this is a matter of honor. I do not lie."
"You'll pay when the RoK smashes your head in, and I will be satisfied." Emalia walked from the door, her eyes set on the couch, and seated herself with her back turned. Colin barred the way, though Grobnak did not attempt to enter. A few words passed between the two before Grobnak, determined to hear his accusations fully, thrust down a dagger into the ground and began to pray. Emalia didn't turn around, even as the sound of the slamming door echoed into the house.
"What in the world is wrong with all these people?" Emalia asked mainly of herself. "I mean, am I not supposed to be upset by all the "lack" of telling me things? I get the back of grandfather turned on me, I get spies and cronies to follow me... All for what?"
"It's ok, try not to worry about it too much. I hate to see you getting so upset."
"I don't even know what to do anymore." Emalia turned to Colin for a moment, leaning against him in the hopes that somehow, his giant arms would drown out the sound of chanting from beyond her front door.
"I don't know either. At this point I would just love to get things underway. At the least to just get away from here so we can have a bit of peace."
Emalia felt much the same. She rose quickly from Colin's embrace and grabbed the tablet from the shelf, stuffing it into her already full pack. She had convinced herself that they could walk past Grobnak, get on their horses, and ride past him without a worry. As soon as the door opened, however, the chanting ceased. "I seek only conversation. What is the harm in speaking like civil folk? You call me a liar. You impune my honor. Have I no right to know what I am accused of? Or to defend myself against that claim?"
"All of that will not matter soon enough. If anyone, you should see that."
Emalia walked past Grobnak, followed by Colin. She hadn't turned around when she heard Grobnak directing words to one she knew wasn't she. "Faithless, whatever it is that you are! BELIEVE in something! Lest you find yourself at the Wall."
She turned, knowing what had happened before with Colin and Grobnak. She wouldn't have the only person left to her be killed or slain. "You leave him alone!" she shouted. "You will not speak to me. Why should I not give him warning? If what you still seek to do comes to pass, will he not also suffer?"
Emalia watched Colin pass Grobnak by with a mere roll of his eyes. He went to the horses while Emalia glared at Grobnak. "I'm telling you to leave him alone."
"Am I wrong? Am I lying to you now, Emalia?"
Emalia's body began to shift. The anger she felt was being slowly supplanted by the calm. She knew this sensation well, and the drain it had on her. Without knowing how to control it completely, nor how to stop it, she began flooding the area around her with a distinct feeling of neutrality - not at all helping her. "I don't care! You don't need to bother bringing him into this! He's the only one that has honestly wanted to just help ME."
Emalia couldn't help the tiny tremors that began to work their way into her. After several days of this and the several major stresses that came her way, she was ill prepared to handle yet another release of her energy. Her lifeforce was expanding all around her, and as she and Grobnak argued, she desperately attempted to reign it in, to form it, to contain it. Colin stepped before her, trying to calm her, while Grobnak stood back with tears openly in his eyes, slashing his arm.
Colin turned away, sword drawn, and walked to Grobnak. With the latter refusing to leave, Colin lifted him with ease by the collar, yanking him to his feet. "Are you deaf?" Colin snarled.
"Colin... no!" Emalia heard nothing more as she began to move forward, her lifeforce seeming to weigh her down as she moved. Her body was stiff, her movements forced. Each step drained her more, but she was not going to let anything happen to Colin. At last she reached the two, and wrapped her hand around Grobnak's wound.
The shield around her instantly flowed inward, then out into Grobnak's body. As though a dam had been opened, the flood of healing and life rushed through her hand and into Grobnak. Her thoughts were for the moment, fixated on the fact that she was losing herself in this moment. The release was sweet, but to let completely go, could kill her.
As she slowed the raw power, there were instantly things she noticed. Things within Grobnak that she had no prior knowledge of. In his lifeforce were things she could only describe as dark pits, blackness of an unnatural sort. Not quite dead, not alive, she could tell these pits were consumptive - and within Grobnak, they were freely floating, slowly breeding, combining with him to become him... and he they.
All of this took place in a matter of seconds, the obvious pain on Grobnak's face, the release of his arm by Emalia, Grobnak slumping to the ground unconscious, and Emalia staggering back - breathless herself as she attempted to comprehend what she had just "seen."
Colin dropped his sword, gripping Emalia by the shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"Oh.. oh my... m... Colin he..." Emalia tried to speak, but it only came out in sputtering whispers.
"What Emalia, what is it?"
" I... I don't know... I don't know... I don't know..."
Emalia could barely move as Colin scooped her up into his arms. "Why do people always have to do this to you?" he whispered.
"We... we have... have to help him... put him... somewhere..." Emalia said, ignoring Colin's question.
"Wait, what?" Colin sighed. "Fine, let me take you to bed and I will return him to his compound."
Emalia, taking stock of her own well being, then took in a breath. She could feel Brin's lifeforce inside of her, this time, rather than bowing to the pressures, the tiny force flickered like a candle flame. There was no pain needed to tell Emalia she was in danger of losing her child, and that without the deep rest from complete release, it might happen soon. She told Colin, assuring him that Grobnak was not at fault, and then let the darkness of unconsciousness envelop her completely.
