The Tiger Within 503 The Purple Stone

Morning pa.s.sed without movement at the edge of the forest. Raina sat with a very tense tiger laying against her side. She combed her small fingers through the slightly rough furr trying to hum and calm him.  Talis offered her a uncertain tail swish as he tried to relax. He could feel something was wrong in the forest. There was so much unrest and the wind carried strange smells. The smell of a pyre reached him late the night before and ever since he has felt restless. His tail flicked back and forth faster the more his mind was left to wander on its own path.

Raina stood up and walked slowly toward the water. She knelt down and watched the bubbles dance on the surface. The slow swirling pattern reminded her of the fairies playing at the joyful stream it had been a long time since she and Mommy had been down here, and played the Zither beside the river. A bubble with a little fairy on it caught her eyes. The fairy danced and leaped to the next bubble. Raina followed for a little ways, keeping Talis in eye site. She remembered very well what happened last time she had followed a fairy.

"Mommy, I miss you." Raina whispered stopping again. There was no reason to continue following the fairy. That would lead to danger and Raina wasn't taking that chance. Her father was already worried enough since there had been no sign of the hunting party. She didn't understand why he was worried, Mommy had said she would come back so she would. Kyera was a woman of her word and never lied to her.

"I miss you too, Raina." Kyera's voice seemed to whisper into her ear. Raina jolted looking behind her and even more confused when she didn't see her.

"Mommy are you here?" Raina asked giggling as she glanced around.

"No, Raina, the stone on your special trinket is glowing purple, isn't it?" Kyera asked patiently. Raina took the small silver earing off and saw that she was right. The warm purple stone was glowing from within. It had not done this before, not in as long and she had worn it.

"Yes…are you talking to me through it?" Raina asked suddenly realizing what was going on. Kyera's proud little chuckle tinkled from the stone.

"Yes, baby. Will you do me a favor and go find your father?" Kyera asked and Raina nodded, already in the process of walking back toward the castle. It wouldn't take much effort to figure out where her father was. Everyone was in the Consil room trying to figure out what had happened to the princess's.

"Their camp was destroyed, their kills were ruined, and all of the guards were murdered. The only bodies missing were the princesses and a couple guards. I don't know what to tell you, your majesties." A scout told them, he was kneeling before the royals who were all standing fairly close together.

"We need to find their bodies." Bastil sighed as he looked at his father. "There is no way any of the girls are alive. We need to finish the hunt ball and ceremonies. The forest is dangerous and we have already been having issues with raiders."

"We never should have sent the girls out there alone. We knew there was danger. I asked you reconsider this foolishness." Clovis growled, his eyes were burning with anger as he spat the words out. "They could still be alive. We should be looking for them not discussing their deaths."

"All of you silence. We need to think this through. I however agree. There is a good chance the girls are gone, and even if they aren't it will be a hostage situation. There is nothing we can do till the captor's contact us." The Emperor disagree while his mother shook her head, her lips pressed into a grim smile. She should have known this would happen, she had not doubt as to where the three princess's were. The pale haired maid at her side shook her head, there was anger in her heart as she listened to the Emperor give up on them, on her daughter of all people.