Amiah was returning to the main house when she felt the approach of another being upon the path directly behind her.  There was a sense of purpose behind each footstep, as if the person had a prearranged meeting with someone that lay along this very path.  There would be no dissuading this individual, once a decision had been carefully thought out, it would be followed until the correct conclusion was enacted upon.

            The young Koh came to a halt, turning expectantly in that direction as the author of those determined footsteps came around a bend in the path.

            “ Greetings to you on this bright and blessed day,” Haidee, one of the Four Rahn Clan Elders greeted her formally, subtly informing her that this was no coincidental meeting.

            Out of the four elder siblings that acted as the clan leaders, this one was the hardest for her to discern, as if the female elder was overshadowed by something else.  If Amiah had to give voice to what she detected while in the presence of this particular person, she would say that it felt like two separate entities were sharing the same body.

Current Mood: amused

Chapter 07  Part 02-------The Inquest

Amiah was unsure if she should trust her benefactors, they treated her cordially enough and saw that her abrasions were cared for.  She detected no hidden agendas with the physicians, who were treating her, and the staff was not starving her.  If anything, they encouraged her to eat more when she left her plate half untouched.  She did not have much of an appetite, always expecting to wake up in the nightmare that had engulfed her.

                  She had made up her mind to play a waiting game, to see if these people were trying to catch her in an unguarded moment.  She had no idea where she was, or what motivated these people, who had treated her when her reserves were so low.  Now, what were they expecting from her as payment.  Ransom?  She had not told anyone who she was and was going by her nickname, Ami, which she had given up several years ago.

                  There was one particular individual who was starting to make a pest of himself by coming to the infirmary every morning and evening to check-up on her.  He seemed sincere enough, and his companions teased him mercilessly.  In some respects he reminded her of Soukah, always there hovering over her and teasing her until she wanted to throw something at him.

Current Mood: accomplished

 007  Recovery------Part 01

            Amiah groaned softy as she sat up, trying to recollect what had happened from the hazy impressions buzzing around in her scrambled brain.  She hurt all over, though she could detect no broken bones, just sore muscles and places that were bruised.  Her clothes were a wrangled mess of debris and sand from the embankment she have had been sleeping on.

            She looked around, trying to get her bearings, for nothing looked familiar and the taste in the air was clear and crisp with no hint of salt.  The atmosphere was thinner, a good clue that this pine forest was in the mountains…somewhere.  She climbed to her feet, brushing away the sand and other things that had caught on her clothes.  There were some good-sized rents where the cloth had snagged on something in the water, but it couldn’t be helped. 

            She gazed up trying to spot the sun, deciding to use that as a point of reference as she thought about what direction to take.  She must be far from civilization since she could not detect any large settlements in the area, which would have served as a beacon.  Damn, too bad she didn’t possess the same sense of direction that her older sibling, Hybarii did.   Even blindfolded, he could find his way around.  She did okay in the city, where she could locate a particular person in any crowd, something that was useless in this kind of setting. 

Current Mood: working

005  A Lesson of Loss

            Koucho was excited that her older sister, Amiah, who was getting ready to leave on an extended tour with her mentor, Byru.  He was from one of the more isolated districts, having agreed to take her on as an assistant, when she expressed an interest in accepting a post away from the capital.  Amiah looked splendid in her new robes of office, that Cho could not help but feel a little envious.   

            She would be traveling to her new destination by rail since the distance was too great for conventional methods.  A small escort would be going along with them as a precaution, a normal measure that was taken for any official of the government traveling such a long distance. 

            While standing there on the platform with her older brother, Hybarii allowing their mother to have some private time with their sibling, she squinted her left eye.  She decided to take this opportunity to view her sister’s future, in case there was some sort of disaster involved with this journey. 

            Grandfather had warned her against using for the thrill of it or treating it like a game.  She considered this to be important enough, to chance the risk of discovery.  Only those who were truly sensitive to a user would be able to detect the slight surge that she was putting out.  She hoped her mother was distracted enough with Amiah’s departure, that she would not notice what she was doing.

Current Mood: devious

I know it's been awhile since I updated this story.  Just wish they could write themselves.  As of May 2012, I have updated this entry with all the written material that I have.

	Teen Koucho Koucho as a teenager
	Rex Shishio This is Shishio, the Rex of Mon-zuu and Syrrin's dad
	Teen Syrrin This is Syrrin as a teenager
	Teen Sorrin This is Sorrin as a teenager
	Sukiyo Wife to Shishio, she is the co-ruler of Mon-zuu
	Prince Soukah Brother to Syrrin and Sorrin, twin to Sankah. He is more outgoing than his twin. He is the clown of the family.
	Prince Sankah Older Brother to Syrrin and Sorrin; twin to Soukah. He is a little more reserved than Soukah.

            Cho was the last one to put in an appearance as everyone else was already seated on one of the window seats, quietly discussing the upcoming event.  The piano had already been set up for her use, complete with selection of music---she suspected that Lady Razada had a hand in that.  Resigned to her afternoon fate, she sat down before the instrument, checked to make sure that everything was in tune then began to play.

            Jymi noted the girl’s arrival as she sat there listening to one of the older matrons talking about an outing she had with a granddaughter that morning.  Cho, for all her protesting, was a talented performer, and it would be a shame to have all that talent go to waste.  Her playing made for a pleasant afternoon and the ladies were happy to be treated to a rare performance. More than one of the ladies had dropped by to say an honest word of praise for her charge.

            The ladies were chatting quietly in the salon either doing needle work or at one of the card tables while music was being played in the background. Into this charming scene, two distinguished guests descended with a formal bow to Jymi, who the reigning hostess.  Each deposited a perfect rose, which they had plundered, from the royal garden.  “My Lady,” Sou was all-suavity charm, his eyes reflecting that he knew he was the center of attention. 

            San was more formal and speaking as a courtier to his beloved as he deposited his rose into her hand, as if it was the rarest of all gems.  “ My Lady, how your beauty illuminates the room leaving the rest of us breathless in awe.”

Current Mood: crushed

            Koucho balled up her hands into little fists, while aiming her lethal stare in the direction of the older boy, who had dared to intrude upon her territory.  He had come up to her this morning while she was walking the halls complaining about the state of his guest quarters.  He had tried to pass off a list of his demands to her expecting her to hand deliver them to the senior steward on duty.  She had balled up paper and tossed them into the nearest trash bin the moment his back was turned.

            Now here he was again, in the small morning room, where she was just trying to find a peaceful place to eat her breakfast, away from the frantic activity that had almost become commonplace in the Residence.

            “ Well, I see the hired help knows how to make themselves feel at home, stealing meals that are intended for their employers,” he remarked in snide tones.

Current Mood: exanimate

Part One: The Ceremony

004 Intrusion

            “ Why do I have wear this…get up,” Koucho stared down in disdain at the carefully laid-out set of clothes that seemed to taking up every square-in of her bed and the rest of the furniture in her room.  There seemed to be many more layers of material and there were endless pieces of attachments she had no idea how they would fit on her body.  Had Aunt Jymi or one of her many aids gotten her mixed up with one of the many guests that seemed to be arriving hourly?

            It seemed that the closer the date of arrival for the twins came, the more frantic and hectic things around the palace became.  Since there were still a handful of days before the big event, why would someone want to drown her in all this fluff?

            She was still eying the endless piles of clothing with distaste when Aunt Jymi walked into her room with three more handmaidens trailing carrying more froth. The three were giggling and whispering in excited voices at finally being able to dress up their employer’s charger into something seemingly very special. They were so lucky to be ones to be a part of this special even; for all that it was taking place ahead of schedule.        Upon seeing the degree of stubbornness in her charger’s set shoulders, Jymi lifted her eyes up to the heavens for some kind of guidance then made a quick decision.  She put on a sweet smile and quietly dismissed her helpers, who had all halted in dismay at seeing the look of loathing in the girl’s eyes.

Current Mood: devious