Idun trudged out of the palace, carrying the emperor’s missive loosely in one hand. She looks around her at the city slowly waking in the dawn, lost as to what to do now.

“So, where to now?” Scales askes, popping up behind her.

“What?”

“I told you, I’m in until we get to the bottom of this. But no more stab-first, ask questions later, okay?”

Idun looks down at Scales’ bright, cheerful face. The corner of her lips lifted a tiny fraction, almost hesitantly, like the long months without reason to smile had almost made the muscles forget how.     “Okay, then let us go.”

As they reached the bottom of the stairs together, Teach sprints out from around an alley corner, very much out of breath. One could easily assume he’s been running around the city all night.      “Ah-hah! I’ve *huff* found you!”

Idun blinks in recognition, possibly having lost track of all the strangers she’s stabbed at this point. “Ah, you’re the professor from earl--” Teaches’ blade cuts the distance between her and Scales, sending her stumbling away down the steps.

Teach leaps to close the distance, as Idun rolls away just in time, stumbling to her feet and backing up frantically, only to be forced to roll away again, Teach’s sword slicing through the air where she had been with trained and expert precision. She rolls to a a crouch a few precious seconds away, then reaches for her sword - her eyes widening in shock as she remembers only now that it is still with the emperor. The night has lost her her steel. 

Those seconds costs Idun as she vainly lunges out of the way of another thrust, her tunic slicing to ribbons and sparks flying from contact with the maille underneath. 

This confrontation is going to go nothing but worse for her if it goes on much longer.

Scales jumps in to intervene. “Wait! Teach, she’s good now -- we already talked it over with the Emperor!”    Teach bounces back, “Scales? What--” then he sees the sealed wax scroll in Idun’s free hand. 

 Teach gasps. “Is that...the emperor’s seal? What the--” He looks over at Scales, eagerly awaiting the chance to hear her teacher swear for the first time. “...heck is going on here?” he asks Scales, letting his sword dissipate like luminous blue smoke.

As Scales excitedly explains last night’s escapades, Idun leans back against a wall, slowly slumping down into a sitting position with her head between her knees. 

It had been a long night. 

And before that, a long day running through the city alleys and swimming under brides, avoiding guards after stabbing a high school teacher. 

And before that...well, it had been a long three months. 

Ever since she left Gelicost  with Lance, Idun’s knot of tension in her chest had only tightened and tightened, squeezing her heart and ribs into a tense, multilayered knot of worry. Fear of failure, fear for her country, fear for what fresh new problems tomorrow would surely bring. The tension had kept on high alert like a coiled spring, till the constant stress had ground her down to a tired jangle of harsh nerves and worn edges. She had been tired and on edge for weeks straight, exhausted but unable to rest or sleep.

But now, with her mission apparently over before it had begun? Now she could afford to just be tired.