Despite not having the foresight to use her Bread Crumbs, Noble was able to find her way back to Ravenheart expeditiously. Rain had pulled her into the wilderness, but her three boys were the anchor to bring her home.
Her armor dismissed and her hair once more raven-black, Noble approached the city gates with caution.
In the end, she opted not to use her transformation in an attempt to lower herself into the city in a near-invisible form.
Instead, she smuggled herself in between two arriving caravans. Each group assumed she was with the other, and neither gave her any trouble. Thankfully, the examiner at the gate was only a Master today, and she barely gave Noble a second glance as she went about her business.
Getting back into the government office was even easier. With a newly purchased scarf wrapped tightly around the lower half of her face and her black hair cascading down the back of her borrowed clothes, Noble simply went inside and asked to speak to someone about a public health issue.
Those were always the key words to get someone important's attention, and Fort was notified immediately. A moment later, Noble was ushered into his office.
As soon as the door was shut, Fort raced from behind his desk and held his wife tightly. He looked like he had aged since she last saw him.
"I was really starting to worry!"
"I seem to have that effect on you often. I'm sorry," Noble wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I am fine."
Fort quickly slipped half of the forming Memory behind his ear.
'And Rain?'
'She's fine too.'
Noble felt Fort relax against her.
'That's good. Did you find out what happened?'
Noble nodded.
'The emissaries from The House of Night were overtaken by the Skinwalker. It wasn't an assassination attempt. It was self-defense.'
By giving Fort all that information at once, Noble hoped to get his initial shock out of the way. As expected, his emotions skyrocketed.
'The Skinwalker?! When I spoke to the representatives of Song last week, they assured me that they had means…' Fort paused as he rubbed his head. 'The Skinwalker…that thing really is a menace.'
'I'm aware.' Noble had more experience with the cursed creature than most.
Clan Song could claim anything they liked. Until the monster was destroyed once and for all, it would keep coming back more resilient and elusive than before.
'Of course you are. How thoughtless of me.' Fort let go of his wife after kissing her on the forehead. He began to pace. 'Rain met a Skinwalker and survived. But how?'
As unrealistic as Rain beating three Awakened was, the girl recognizing and standing up to a Skinwalker was even more improbable.
'She had help.' Noble answered.
'That's good.' Fort tapped lightly on his desk. 'They can come forward and explain what happened to Clan Song. Even if Seishan chooses not to believe them, it should absolve Rain of any guilt as an innocent bystander.'
'They are not able to come forward.' Noble gritted her teeth.
'Why not? Don't tell me that it's Saint Chip.' Fort scratched his chin.
Noble had told him all about her friend in the wilderness. Recluse did not even begin to describe him.
'If he won't come, then someone can go to him? Rain can still give an account of what happened when she arrives, and we will go from there. I'll send a note to the front gate and instruct them to…' Fort grabbed a piece of synthetic paper and searched for something to write with.
'There is no need for a letter.' Noble began.
'You think I should give the instructions personally?' Fort glanced up at her.
Noble shut her eyes.
This must be how Sunny felt.
'There will be no instructions to give. Rain isn't coming home.'
No matter how ready she thought she was for Fort's outburst, she was sorely mistaken.
"What?!" His audible cry was punctuated by a flood of emotions.
Through their deep connection, the feelings hit Noble like a tidal wave and sent her reeling. It was far worse than Noble's own emotions about the matter, because she had no control. Or rather, she didn't want to control Fort.
With great effort, she pushed through and continued.
'Chip wasn't the one who helped Rain. He would happily lie for our daughter's sake, but it wouldn't work. You saw how Seishan was determined to get the truth. All that would do is get an extra person in trouble.'
'If it wasn't Chip, then who…' Fort paused.
Noble pressed her lips together and looked at him meaningfully. 'The same one who has been watching over her for years.'
The Ambassador's determined expression faltered. 'The Guardian?'
Noble nodded subtly. Another burst of emotion nearly knocked Noble off her feet. Fort was calm most of the time, but when he wasn't…
'HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?'
'Rain was on a hunt. She killed the huntsman that had been giving many of the Awakened so much trouble out in the woods, but on her way back, she ran into trouble. The guardian protected her by eliminating the threat. Unfortunately, it obliterated the forest as well.' Noble explained.
Fort took a deep breath.
'Where is Rain now? What exactly did she say when you spoke to her?"
'I…didnt speak to her…I spoke to…'
'Her guardian. I'm noticing a pattern…' Fort's frown deepened.
'It was to protect Rain and me from Song's future questions.' Noble explained.
The ambassador pinched the bridge of his nose. 'If protection was the goal, then why didn't her guardian get her out of there? Wouldn't that have been safer than confronting those monsters?'
'You act like there was a choice! Would you have preferred the alternative of having three more vessels still on the loose?' Noble wouldn't have been able to leave the scene without knowing the creatures were dealt with. How could she expect anyone who had the power to stop them to do any different?
'No…' Fort pressed his face into his hand. 'Ah, I have to do something! She needs to come back. If I put all my influence into this…'
'It won't do any good until Song is satisfied. We can't give them Rain because she won't give up her guardian to them.' The mother felt her heart breaking all over again.
'If she can't come here, then we will go with her!'
'It's too late for that. Rain is taking a job in a road construction crew to lay low. Do you really think it's a good idea for you to leave your job to make the switch to manual labor?'
'It's just a job. She's our daughter!'
The ambassador was ready to throw it all away for Rain. Noble knew the boys would be prepared to do the same when they found out.
'You have to trust her guardian.'
Fort shook his head.
'I don't,' he answered flatly. 'I can't. Whether or not it can talk, there is no way some mystical, ethereal being that can come and leave as it pleases will do a better job of loving and protecting Rain than we can.'
The man was unyielding. Noble knew if she let him leave here just now, he would pack up everything and head out into the wilderness.
There was only one way to stop him that didn't involve physical violence or emotional manipulation.
It's time. Noble sighed.
'What if I told you he loved her just as much and would never leave her?'
'He?' Fort shook his head. 'There's no way. He could never…'
'He's her brother.'