"Why would you bring her here?"
"I couldn't leave her, it was my fault she got scared and bolted."
"With all due respect, Sir, you could have put her at the sawmill and her own kind would have looked after her."
"She was in the mist, Enmach."
"She wouldn't have found anything had you just let her be. You should just put her back where you found her."
"Your tone, Enmach."
"Sorry, Sir. I merely mean we could place her back below and have this all go away. I'm certain one of the concordants could even erase her memories."
"No!" Sanria sat up with a start and stared at the two beings - the gold one in armor that she had run from, and a silver woman, much like the one in the forests. "I won't have my memories wiped."
"Easy," said the gold man. "We won't hurt you." He reached out his hand and Sanria jerked back. She looked around the room for escape, but found nowhere to go. A window looked out over a manicured grounds and her path to the door was blocked by the two beings. "My name is Fenlauch. I mean you no harm."
"What are you?" Sanria asked, her heart thudding in her chest. "Celestial?"
The gold man chuckled audibly at this while the silver woman, Enmach, let out a hiss of contempt. "Far from it. You were wandering our woods."
"Your woods..." Sanria said, her voice trailing off.
"Well, our mists at least," Fenlauch said.
"Sir," Enmach interrupted, leaning to Fenlauch's ear. "Put her back and let us not get embroiled in their affairs."
"Enmach," Fenlauch said, "Will you excuse us please?"
"But... sir..."
The silver woman rose and bowed, her long silver hair sweeping the floor. She passed a look at Sanria before leaving the room. "Now. I found this in your bag. You'll pardon my searching it, but I did not want trouble." Fenlauch pulled out the book, 'Ideals behind Balance.' "Does this subject interest you?"
Sanria stared at the man, then the book, then back to the golden figure with brightly glowing eyes. She let out a long breath, sensing that the man truly did not mean her harm. "It... is something that I would love to have in my life."
"A great many of us would. How serious are you in seeking it?"
Sanria's eyes narrowed a bit as she sized up Fenlauch, who chuckled politely before setting the book down on the bed beside her. "Rest. You had quite a nasty row with that tree." He rose and walked to the door.
"Where am I?" Sanria asked.
"Safe," Fenlauch replied as he closed the door behind him.
Sanria got up from the bed and tried the door. It held fast, not locked, but simply unable to be opened. She walked to the bed and with nothing else to do, drifted into an uneasy sleep.
