‡ Sorina Voras ‡
"Did you see that?"Sorina had managed to doze off slightly, lulled to sleep by the wind and the soft glow of twilight. Now, she observed, it was completely night, the stars twinkling so near to her, and the crescent moon appearing over the crest of the mountains surrounding the keep. She stretched lazily, roused by Gaenor's voice, looking up at the sky. "No, I didn't. What did you see?"
"A slight disturbance in the night." Gaenor growled, his bronze glare searching for something, though Sorina wasn't sure what.
"Stars that disappeared and appeared again, as though something flew by and covered them.""Observant, aren't you?" Sorina replied and searched the sky as well. "I don't see why there's cause for alarm. It was probably a bird."
"No," Gaenor said firmly, rising from his comfortable position as his eyes continued to search.
"From a distance, it was the size of a bird. Therefore--""It is bigger than a bird in actuality, and I assume it wasn't a dragon." Gaenor would have recognized a dragon, she realized as she stood and nimbly balanced on the windowsill. "I don't think there is anything to worry about, but you want to check it out, yes?" Gaenor grunted in response and spread his wings. With a burst of wind that threatened to push Sorina off the sill, the black dragon took off, flying into the sky to search for his mysterious creature. Sorina smiled as she watched him fly, reflecting on how touchy Gaenor was about other creatures entering dragon territory with express permission. She still didn't think it was a problem, but as Gaenor would say, Sorina didn't think a lot of things were much of a problem. At least, she didn't act that way.
Now, there was a party to attend. Sorina liked parties only for a few reasons, foremost among them was the music and food. She did appreciate a nice feast, and she was always ready to listen to music. Socializing was fun, but nobles could sometimes be so dull. You always had to find the right ones to talk to, otherwise you'll end up listening to a long and dreadful story about who-cares-what. Sorina closed the large window of her tower and proceeded to exit her rooms, confident that if Gaenor found whatever he was looking for, he would tell her eventually. Until then, she would eat in a cheerful, easy-going atmosphere.
Being completely at the far end of the castle grounds, walking to the ballroom would take a while, but Sorina enjoyed long walks. She could easily cast the right spell and send herself to the ballroom doors, but if she always did that, she might miss something interesting. It was wonderous what a person might find or overhear on a simple walk. For instance, as she passed a couple of gossiping servants, Sorina heard that instead of the king, the princess Alana would be leading the procession to the Stonehenge. It was a good cause for the excitement the servants certainly showed. The White Princess was respected and adored by most, if not all, of the Windhelm people. Sorina herself enjoyed the princess's company. It was a great honor to be bestowed with the responsibility of the success of the Peace Ceremony. Perhaps she should consider going this year. With Alana at the head, Sorina figured something interesting might happen.
The sound of chattering voices grew ever louder as Sorina approached the ballroom, sending a bigger smile to her face. After the time it took to get there, Gaenor had still not contacted her about his mysterious sighting. Perhaps it was nothing to worry about after all.