Illara
Tribune
Nihlufar was marched by her escort of four soldiers through the dungeons and after a short while she passed the hall that led to the staircase that she had came through initially. Down in the dimly lit dungeon halls, she could not be sure of it, but it felt like they were going further towards the center of the palace, albeit underneath the large structure.
But this made sense to Nihlufar and caused no concern. If she was being taken to an administrator who would make official her release, then this made sense. Finally they came to a staircase and she was marched up to a steel-reinforced wooden door, which was opened by guards on the other side, and marched out into a very rugged little courtyard.
Nihlufar blinked in the early morning sunlight. She looked at the sky and the low sun and guessed that it was no later than the ninth hour since midnight. The morning was warm and pleasant but then she looked at the courtyard and wondered why she was here.
The courtyard was quite bare compared to the palace entrance hall she had seen the day she was arrested. A large rectangle of dirt surrounded by the walls and doorways of the palace, there were some wooden crates off in one of the corners, but otherwise it was bare, save for two beams of wood that rested on the ground.
Not far from those two beams of wood were a small group of people; four more guards and a woman dressed in a white dress.
As Nihlufar was marched towards the little group, she looked closer at the woman in white. She was probably in her early thirties, quite lean and tall, her dark hair cascading in curls, framing her elegant face and green eyes. Her dress was tight, accentuating her bosom and hips and legs. She wore golden bracelets on her wrists, finely crafted leather sandals, and had a thin gold chain around her waist.
Nihlufar remembered that she had seen a painting of a woman clad as such once; she was a priestess of some kind. Nihlufar smiled pleasantly at the woman, imaging that this religious figure would be the one to preside over her release. It made sense, since her affront had apparently been saying that she did not believe in the Gods of the region.
The priestess looked at Nihlufar and smiled back. But there was something about her smile that made Nihlufar feel intensely apprehensive.
The guards escorting Nihlufar stopped her march about a half a dozen feet from the priestess. They simply halted and kept their grips on her biceps, not squeezing or anything, just holding her there. The priestess stared into Nihlufar’s eyes and Nihlufar wondered if she was expected to say something.
She was about to open her mouth when she heard more footsteps coming up from the dungeon and a minute later, two more guards escorting a slave girl came to a halt right next to Nihlufar and her guards.
The Priestess’ smile widened and Nihlufar felt a knot of fear form in her gut…
But this made sense to Nihlufar and caused no concern. If she was being taken to an administrator who would make official her release, then this made sense. Finally they came to a staircase and she was marched up to a steel-reinforced wooden door, which was opened by guards on the other side, and marched out into a very rugged little courtyard.
Nihlufar blinked in the early morning sunlight. She looked at the sky and the low sun and guessed that it was no later than the ninth hour since midnight. The morning was warm and pleasant but then she looked at the courtyard and wondered why she was here.
The courtyard was quite bare compared to the palace entrance hall she had seen the day she was arrested. A large rectangle of dirt surrounded by the walls and doorways of the palace, there were some wooden crates off in one of the corners, but otherwise it was bare, save for two beams of wood that rested on the ground.
Not far from those two beams of wood were a small group of people; four more guards and a woman dressed in a white dress.
As Nihlufar was marched towards the little group, she looked closer at the woman in white. She was probably in her early thirties, quite lean and tall, her dark hair cascading in curls, framing her elegant face and green eyes. Her dress was tight, accentuating her bosom and hips and legs. She wore golden bracelets on her wrists, finely crafted leather sandals, and had a thin gold chain around her waist.
Nihlufar remembered that she had seen a painting of a woman clad as such once; she was a priestess of some kind. Nihlufar smiled pleasantly at the woman, imaging that this religious figure would be the one to preside over her release. It made sense, since her affront had apparently been saying that she did not believe in the Gods of the region.
The priestess looked at Nihlufar and smiled back. But there was something about her smile that made Nihlufar feel intensely apprehensive.
The guards escorting Nihlufar stopped her march about a half a dozen feet from the priestess. They simply halted and kept their grips on her biceps, not squeezing or anything, just holding her there. The priestess stared into Nihlufar’s eyes and Nihlufar wondered if she was expected to say something.
She was about to open her mouth when she heard more footsteps coming up from the dungeon and a minute later, two more guards escorting a slave girl came to a halt right next to Nihlufar and her guards.
The Priestess’ smile widened and Nihlufar felt a knot of fear form in her gut…
