A Break In The Bleak

As predicted Islana recovery physically was going fairly well. The bump on her head would take several more days to go away completely but after she got to eat and drink her strength was restoring to her.

Physiologically was another story. She was drained in that department with a kind of weariness on her soul that, despite everything that had happened in her past, the young woman was certain she had never felt before.

Islana had taken to the medicine Nicholaus had given her to allow her to sleep with no dreams but the redhead only had so much of that left. Even Islana realized she probably couldn't take that forever but, for the moment, it was allowing her to sleep without the nightmares that would have surely waken all of the Keep.

She kept to herself, mostly, unless speaking to Alexis or Gonyaul. Except when being questioned by Sir Zane.
Even then there was a quiet withdrawal to her. There was acknowledgement that Alexis had gone somewhere but Islana assumed the older woman might have just needed some time alone. It was an understood need.

Islana needed to figure out how to move past what had happened but she wasn't, at all, sure how to do that. The upcoming meeting with the Duke was supposed to be some great honor but it not one the young woman relished. Especially, with the bodies still hanging.

It was early in the morning, the dawn breaking but before others were awake, as Islana proceeded to the courtyard. She had lost her bow and arrow in the kidnapping but that wasn't why she was here.

Looking on the ground, for what seemed like an eternity, the young woman finally found what she had been searching for, a single flower attempting to pop through the cold, as winter gave way to spring. A spring that the Islana had almost not seen.

That single flower was suddenly very important to the young woman, she wanted to preserve it. To keep it safe. Alive and growing. Thinking for a moment, Islana went to find the one person she thought might be able to help her with that.