"EVERYTHING YOU WANT IS A DREAM AWAY."

Najya arrived at the meeting after most of the others had already arrived.  A’mal had alerted her to the gathering when the call had been lost on the wind, or perhaps the little mare had just been too consumed in her thoughts.  Either way, the gentle nudge from the steadfast little dragon was all that was necessary to spur her into action. 

She listened quietly as the new Sultana addressed the gathered, and since she was unfamiliar  with many of the people and groups that the mare spoke of, she found it prudent to reserve judgment for the time being.  It was obvious that many took issue with some of Sikeax’s decisions, but it was doubly obvious that the sands still mourned for their fallen sultan. 

Death was effortless. 
Peaceful for most.  A last breath and a final heartbeat followed by nothing but an eternity of silence.  Najya could see the sadness. The anger. The guilt.

Mourning was not as effortless.  While the dead rest easy, grief isn’t always something as easy for the living the bear.  She could see evidence of that now. Her heart broke to see it. To feel it.  She’d lived this grief before. 

But Najya said nothing, because she knew there was nothing she could say to assuage the grief for those who were suffering.  Gods knew she had long since lost her taste for politics.  She’d seen empires rise and fall before, and even the most treasured of empires could be interrupted by the unexpected.  However Najya retained some faith in the Gods, and appointing Sikeax lead had been the Sun God’s decision.  She trusted in that for now, though it was not enough to shake all the sorrow. 

A’mal felt the change in mood by her bonded and cut short her hunting expedition to rejoin the mare.  She landed with a somewhat admirable amount of grace upon the slender mare’s back and sat at the base of her neck where Najya kept her assortment of gloriously shiny things tied to the sheath that held her sword.  It was interesting for one who wanted to be trained in healing to be so armed, but after what she’d seen in the battles with the Riftian gods she never again wanted to know how it felt to be defenseless. 

It was only when the voices quieted that she finally stepped forward, dipping her head in greeting and as a sign of respect for the newly crowned Sultana. ”Sikeax, I’d appreciate any knowledge of healing you could share. My mother was a healer, but the herbs and methods that we used I’ve not seen here in Helovia.” It was a simple statement, but Najya truly did want to learn.   Above all she wanted to be useful.  She couldn’t bear to lose another family. 

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