It was evening in Gelicost, and the port town bustled evening crowds heading home for the end of the day. Just before the sun hit the horizon, and the first lanterns were to be lit along the pier, a massive shadow swooped overhead, and people started and turned in number, looking up to see an enormous, golden-brown eagle sail in from the the southwest, swooping down in arcs from above.

    “It’s Sir Lance! He’s returned safely!” Citizens cheered as the massive bird banked and landed in the center square, stopping to let off three humans from his back, one with long blue hair, braided back from her face. “And Sir Idun! She’s back with us!”

Lance transformed back into his human form, basking in the praise with arms raised. “We have ended the war with Threeneer before it began!”  Idun steps forward and, before she can temper Lance’s upcoming spinning of the story,  is surrounded by the crowds as well, looking almost shy as the crowd of people surrounds her. “Idun, did you slay the evil emperor?” asks one of the squires, a young boy by the name of Ged, who had just turned thirteen. 

“Well, no. You see, the Emperor--”     “Idun, Idun!” one of the palace cooks interrupts, shoving a fresh roll into Idun’s hand. “You must be starving, all those months away from home. Here, I’ve been working on a new recipe, this time with honeyed raisins. Tell me what you think?” “Thank you Anita, I ate on the way, but--”     “Idun, you promised you’d spar with me again before you left, and I’ve been training all this tiiime!” and so it went on. Idun, much better with a sword or a spear than with the words no or later, was swept along with the crowds as the flow headed upwards, toward the palace, and the Queen.

“Good to be home, I guess?” Scales asks, looking around excitedly around at this new, foreign city, following Idun as she is dragged along. “Teach, Teach, look! They’ve got taverns! Let’s get some local snacks while we’re here!”

Teach, the only one traveling with any amount of luggage, slung his pack up on his shoulder and kept he and Scales following the procession up to the palace. “Not until we get this mess sorted out,” he said, craning his neck upwards. “Besides, even if it’s smaller than Threeneer, this is still a city, and let’s not get split up and lost within the first five minutes being here, alright?”    “fiiinnee, but you have to let me drink some of the beer.” “Scales!” “whaat, it’s legal for kids to drink here, see?” Scales gestured at some of the squires, ranging down to several full years her junior, piling out of one the pubs with full glasses. “Scales, no.”

Idun, after finally managing to part ways with her unofficial welcome party, walks up the stairs from the city and into the palace through a side door, holding it open for Teach and Scales to follow.

Some of the other guards acknowledge her with friendly nods and words, but the farther into and up the palace corridors, plenty more give disbelieving, empty glances, or even snide looks bordering on outright hostility. Unfriendly eyes from unfamiliar faces meet her as she walks down the hallway to the Queen’s throne room. Unlike outside these walls, she does not have friends here.

Idun hunches her shoulders, then straightens them to stride through the final, set of enormous doors, into the oversized atrium beyond. 

Scales and Teach move to follow, but are blocked by the two soldiers in front.

“Guests and emissaries wait outside. We’ll escort you two back outside the palace to wait.” Scales begins a protest, but the guards cross their spears as the heavy doors close again under their own weight.

Idun glances back at them as the doors close behind her, flinching an inch as they shut between with them. She steps back towards the doors, then--

The Queen is standing before her.