Wild: Eating dinner

"I'll be right back," Taylor had said, getting off the high stool and walking towards the bathroom. I turned to Kelly.

"And?" The Eliac voice came out at once. Several people near us looked at me with new interest; Kelly growled and they turned back to their chicken.

"He warned me this would happen, didn't 'e," mumbled Kelly, giving me the evil eye. "Warned me not to linger too long with you."

"A little late for that particular admonishing, I think, sir. Your message?"

He sighed. "How much you keep from us," he said, putting his fingers in the shape of a triangle. "How much we didn't know! The news was everywhere, that a human had refused you, but I didn't think--no one did--that you actually loved her!"

"You saw what they did to me, Leown," I said under my breath, stirring my straw into my soda, unable to look at him. "It was all for her. Did you really think I did not love her? Love someone for whom I went through that?"

"No," said the wolf flatly. "I didn't. You hardly seemed to be objective at the time!"

"You insult me," I said slowly. "In the name of time, I will forgive it. Your message?"

"Your Court has been returned you by the Red Rose marker of Justice, and the blood of my Packs," reported the wolf. "The Revels are restored tonight, and in your honor, with double the guard. You have officially taken a side, I fear, in the civililities at court, but are none the worse for it. Your Divine Parents--they're missing, my Lady. Most think them dead; but hear me, it was not them who ordered the attack upon your people. Sylandrile and Silvestra are prisoners somewhere, you may be sure of it."

"And the Black Court?" I pressed. "What of them?"

His eyes found my moonstone. "Be very careful with that," he said. "Whoseever it is.... there is a reason Lord Azrael gave it to you. We, among the Wolves, have worked hard to discern its identity, but cannot trace it. Dyrim's could be traded--as you left it in our keeping and requested its return of late, I hear--for a bit of your own, if you desire it, you have only to ask of course. Ragfaron has long been partial to your support, even given this recent venture, that hasn't changed. The Dark King and Queen are ruling well, my Lady, more supporters flock to them every day. They benefit greatly from the coming invasion; yet we are certain they did not dispatch it. For them to have done so would be nothing less than illogical--who would want to take a broken court? Nay, say I that if Azrael pursues your throne; he would take it whole and gleaming, not in pieces on the wildlands. It is his manner, to have a triumph be total and complete and... well...."

"Triumphant?" I pressed with a grin. He shook his head at me.

"Your struggles are growing to be legendary," he said. "I've never seen a court taken back twice in less than a fortnight before! That battle--" I raised my hand and eyed the others present pointedly.

"Thank you. The Law saw me right, as the Law is meant to do. As for the Battle... did you really just expect me to sit there and take it? Eh?"

"Well... forgive me, but we have not... seen your.... process.... for some time now, many assumed it gone altoget--" Slap.

He reeled, blanching. "My lady!?"

"You!" I snarled, several looked in alarm as I lowered my voice, "It was you! Just to prove to all others that I would still defend my own court, you attacked it!"

"...he told me not to tell you," begged Kelly. "My Lady, he bade me not to tell you this until you were more prepared to recieve the idea that--"

"That what? That you threatened my court? Overtook it? That you hold my parents prisoner in a cell somewhere, screaming for their daughter to rescue them! How dare you! How DARE you! So help me, I'm going to bloody--"

"And I'm back!" Said Taylor, popping up out of nowhere and sliding into her chair. "Whoa, what's--"

"We were just," I snarled, "Leaving."