Welcome to Gaia! ::

When they reached the end of the hall, it split into three directions: to the left and right, the corridor continued and curved around towards each other again, and straight ahead was a wide double door that led to the palace courtyard.

"You two, follow the halls," the main guard ordered the other two. "I'll check the courtyard. If you see her, shout - but do not engage!"

"Yes, sir!" And without hesitating, the two split off and headed down the other hallways.

The guard opened the doors to the courtyard and stepped outside. The courtyard was a large circle, and, like the rest of the palace and the city, was beautiful: filled with trees and sparkling water that trickled along marble paths; flowers growing here, there and everywhere; birds and butterflies, filling the air with song and colour; but the guard ignored all of this as he looked around for the mysterious woman.

River looked at Amalirahc anxiously. "Are you sure it's Ioreth?" she whispered. "She wasn't acting suspiciously at all, not like the other times we saw her ..."

"I don't know if Iorlas is resting or not but I know that's not Iorlas!" Amalirahc insisted.

River was starting to get frustrated. "But how do you know? she asked again. "Amalirahc, no one else can tell them apart and you only saw her at a distance!"

Amalirahc shook his head, his eyes anxious. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Suddenly there was a shout from the courtyard. River tugged her friends forward. "Come on!" she exclaimed. "We have to see!"

The children ran into the courtyard, following the sound of the guard's voice. Just inside the courtyard, the path split in two directions, and Amalirahc led the way to the right, where he was positive he heard the guard again. Sure enough, the guard was just around a bend in the path, near a tree.

Just ahead of him, one of the twins was kneeling at the edge of the path, one hand cradling a pale yellow rose that was growing just beyond the small trickle of water. Her other hand was relaxed, lowered, her fingertips brushing ever so slightly against the surface of the water. For all intents and purposes, she seemed quite peaceful, and again River was plagued with doubt. She looked at Amalirahc, one eyebrow arched questioningly.

Amalirahc had frozen stiff again, his golden eyes wide as he stared at the woman before them.

"Well?" the guard asked, looking at the children for confirmation.

The woman however wasn't playing along with Miyuki, as she kept her gaze on the rose in her hand.

"Such pretty flowers, aren't they, Miyuki?" she asked in a soft voice, the corner of her mouth turning up in a smile. "It really is amazing, that such beauty can exist in such a place ..."

River frowned. Something wasn't right here ... she was acting like Iorlas, but she was acting as if having a guard chasing after her was nothing unusual. Surely Iorlas would ask what was going on, wouldn't she?

Suddenly, behind the group, there was the sound of heavy footsteps - someone running towards them. She looked over her shoulder to see a tall golden-haired figure running towards them, dressed in golden armour, cloaked in crimson, and with a naked blade in hand.

"Get back!" the newly arrived person shouted, running past River and Amalirahc and nearly knocking them down in her hurry.

The guard who had first entered the courtyard stepped back just in time to avoid being pushed aside as well, giving the sword-wielding person the space she needed.

At the shout, the twin's smile widened, and in a single fluid movement she tore the rose from its bush, ignoring the thorns that dug into her hand, and flung the flower, thorny stem and all, at Miyuki's face.

At the same time, a bright light appeared, so sudden that the others didn't have a chance to shield their eyes, and so bright that they were blinded. It lasted for a few seconds before it faded, and when it finally did fade, the woman was gone.

"I can't see!" Amalirahc cried, groping around with his hands. He found River's arm and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. River couldn't see either, but she knew (or hoped rather) from previous experience looking at the sun that if she just gave it a few minutes, her sight would return. That light had been so much brighter than the sun!

River kept blinking her eyes as fast as she could, and in seconds she felt the strange sensation that accompanied her eyes clearing, and she could see some blurred colours.

"Miyuki?" she called out, struggling to look around, though she still couldn't see much of anything.

"Are you all right, children?" a woman's voice rang out authoritatively. "Follow my voice, come to me. Come on, this way, all three of you."

River could see the crimson of the woman's cloak, and she led Amalirahc towards her, one hand out in front of her to feel when she arrived - since she couldn't see much.

"Come this way," the woman kept saying. "Follow my voice."

"Come on, keep coming this way," the woman's voice continued to urge Miyuki. "Just follow my voice - only a few steps, come on now ..."

"I think I want to ask Alassëa to train me blindfolded," Amalirahc whimpered, his eyes still hurting, still blind. A half Night-elf, his eyes were also more sensitive to the light.

"That would be a good idea," the woman's voice said calmly. "Now come on, Miyuki, you're the only one not here yet ... follow my voice ..."