Leaving for War

An Island Somewhere, Present Time

Niarthen had gone with Benethin and Aeylira to meet with someone leaving Lyric alone in the house. It had been a long-time since Lyric had been alone, and she quickly found herself ill at ease in the house where nothing was familiar, she didn’t understand how anything worked, and she was too afraid to touch anything because it didn’t belong to her.

She went outside instead. Like most of the Mer houses, there was seating against the front of the house. The Mer lived more outdoors than in regardless of the weather, and many people came over when they saw her, talking to her in the Mer tongue. Their children reached out to touch her dark hair and the braids that Niarthen had woven into it without hesitation, handling her with familiarity and without fear, although their parents quickly cautioned them off with what Lyric thought was an apology to her.

She was offered food, and the Mer watched with interest as she sampled it, laughing in delight when she