Rain, drizzling down suddenly wasn’t an unusual sight for this time of year, and the racing party barely felt it falling down their backs as it mixed with their cold sweat. Most of  the town of Vulchekraishte, along with its surroundings was already sleeping, besides a few curious eyes peeking through the windows or the good for nothings getting drunk in the taverns.

The sound of horses’ feet hitting the stone-paved streets startled the four guards at the front gate of the palace, who all had leaned over the wall, anticipating the coming of the next shift, so they could finally meet the comfort of their beds.

“Open the gate! The knyaz and the young knyaginya are back!” One of the men guarding the top of the wall gave a command and a union of creaking wood and metal jingling welcomed the party, that had with five more guards upon their entering the town. And ten more rushed to their aid, along with double the amount of servants.

“Move aside! He needs space!” Mico’s voice was deep, slightly raspy, but speaking the words once was enough for his orders to be understood and followed at once. He turned towards two of his men.“Bring a stretcher and take him to the barrack’s lazaret at once!”.

“Go with them, check yourself! I know he needs you by his side.”. Svilen spoke casually to little of the men, let alone place his hand in a friendly manner on their shoulders. “It’s an order! I’ll give instructions on what to be done! You are expected to give me a rapport tomorrow and take command over your squad!”.  The nod they exchanged spoke more than a thousand words.

Amidst all the hustle surrounding Svilen, the questions of the soldiers and whining of the servents, the sight of Albena, walking as fast as her condition allowed her, with a face full of worry made a smile bloom on his face and for a moment everything around him but his wife disappeared. Yet, the realization that it wasn’t him she had come to see was safe, but Kalina hit him like a cold wave.

“We’ll have a gathering of the squad leaders in the morning!” He commanded, before turning to a servant boy, no older than Kalina and Beloslava “Have the food brought to the study and make sure it’s enough for few people! Nothing too fancy!” The boy nodded in understanding and rushed inside, tripping over his own feet.

“Are you alright? What happened? You didn’t get hurt or…?” Fussing over her sister, it was one of the few moments she wasn’t knyaginya Albena Petrosinoova of Kostica, but simply Bena, the elder sister.

“We should head inside, you shouldn’t stay too long in the cold.” The weight of the cloth that Albena felt suddenly on her shoulders startled her and put an end to her fussing. 

"Yes, you are right." Her voice was quiet and the tone felt like that of a child who knew it was in the wrong.

The rain turned into a violent storm just moments after everyone entered the inside of the palace. The light of the numerous torches and candles was making it as bright as a day, though the mood was far from it. 

 "What happened there? Did you put my sister in danger?" It was rare for his wife's voice to be strained unless she was scared. 

"Don't you ever let that thought cross your mind again!" The color and softness of Svilen's face were stripped, followed by a heavy sighed. "We need to talk, immediately! All of us." His sight stopped directly at Beloslava.  

"And what's so specific it would need to be discussed with other people?" The words coming out of Albena's mouth resembled the hissing of a snake.

"Everything that happened just now and more, my love." 

The study both husband and wife shared for the purpose of fulfilling the duties that came in hand with their title once belonged to knyaz Svetlin and knyaginya Bisera, Albena and Kalina's parents. Once filled with light and hopes, now, under the iron fist of its new masters, it commanded submission upon entering. Sitting on a pair of skillfully made chairs, it was hard to tell who was scarier - Albena with her stone-cold face or Svilen, whose small dark eyes were burning like coals.  

"Where should we start? Hmm, should it be with the unnaturally large wave that appeared of nowhere and flooded the bridge, the moment we stepped off the bridge? Care to explain, miss Beloslava?" 

Bela's eyes shifted to the floor, then to Kalina and Blagovest, then back to her feet. 

"I could answer in your stead... if you want me to, of course." Kalina's voice echoed in her mind.

"No, I will answer for myself. I must answer for myself. What's the worst thi..." 

"Did cat got your tongue, or you need your hearing checked?" Albena was far less polite than her husband. 

"No, it did not! And my hearing is perfectly well, missis Albena, thank you for your concern, but you mustn't worry for me." This boldness was a side that no one had seen yet, or ever expected. "As for the wave, indeed it was my doing, though I have to admit, I was unsure in both my abilities, as well as the effect it would have." She didn't wince or tremble, but cold sweat was making its way on her forehead and the back of her neck. 

"And if you are capable of that and much more, I am sure, that would make you a ..." But Albena let her voice out before Svilen could finish whatever he had in mind.

" A witch!" Her dress of golden and light green wool and silk rustled as she made her way towards the young mirror witch and grabbed her by the chin with her small arm. "But tell me, how can I be sure that you are not an ally to whoever attacks or commands those attacks?" 

"And so am I! Does that mean that I have allied myself as well?" The rings that Albena was wearing scratched her, as Kalina released her of her grip. 

 While obviously puzzled, Svilen kept his composure and continued questioning.

"Right, a witch. Not one but two." He turned towards Blago, who was silently observing all. "And you, uncle Blago, are you a mage, too?"

"I am but an ordinary pilgrim, that chose to spend his life traveling this world. Nothing special about me." 

"But you have your way with the sword, I'd give you that!"

The old man did not respond but simply smiled back.

"But we still don't have an answer to the question who attacks people!" Albena's hair, loosely tied and unhidden, was shinning coldly as she turned to take back her place. 

"It wasn't asked yet for me to answer it, however, I may have an idea." Bela stopped, unsure whether or not to say it out loud, but hearing Kalina once more, helped her decide." A talasum, born from a person build in within the bridge." 

The knyaginya burst into laughter and even the reprimanding gaze of her husband couldn't stop her. 

"Talasum? People build within a bridge or a building to make them stronger? Do you honestly believe these tails grandmothers tell children to scare them into obedience?" She stood up once more, this time making her way to the door. "I shall listen no more of this nonsense!"

The tension in the room exited along Albena and one couldn't help but notice the slight relief in Svilen's posture. 

"Your sister has quite the temper, yet I can't help but love her." 

"Are you two going to argue? Over this? Over me?" Kalina on the other hand had her body stiffened with anxiety. Her brother-in-law couldn't help but pity her for that guild would fill her eyes every time she witnessed their marital disputes.

"No. Nothing of this is your fault! Nor is it miss Beloslava's! It is strictly between me and my wife!" He thought of asking more questions over the creature but opted to continue with assuring Kalina. "Sometimes, people, no matter how much they love each other, have differences in how they see the world. And these views may clash with each other. And they either talk over them calmly or sometimes, as Albena and I do, get all fiery over it. We could quarrel over the smallest things, but no matter what we always come out clean. And I want you to remember that! Now as much as I want to and have to learn all you know about this "talasum", I must go and talk with my wife. Go get some rest and meet me before my gathering with the soldiers!"

"How could you let them go there?! Have them at the same place?!" The old woman's voice was squeaky, yet her way of pronouncing Suntolian was rather soft to a native speaker.

"I am sorry Yara, but we're talking about two young girls! You can't just have them caged inside their room all day!" Asya's hand had her braid in the color of freshly bloomed lilac twisted around her hand, as she defended her daughter's and Kalina's outing. 

"Besides, you are in no position to speak when it comes to raising children." Joined with boredom  Delyana. 

"You take one child victim of paternal neglection, give him a warm bath, and you're suddenly the bad guy in the tale!". Both irony and anger radiated from the tone and movements of the witch Yaroslava, who though younger than the two sisters had chosen to maintain a much older appearance. 

Back in the day the mages and withes of the Suntolian, Karetian, and Volniya people would gather much more often, discussing politics and wellbeing alike. However, over the years, both the meetings and people's numbers have greatly decreased. This one, held in Delyana's Zhegavica palace, chosen through allotment, had only six attendants - Asya, Delyana, the Karetian Yaroslava, the Volniyan Leszek, and the foreigner Azhar al-Hakim, invited by Delyana for the sake of his research on foreign lands ways magic and people's culture. The best of the best is what they liked to think. The reality was much harsher - they were the only ones of the old generation left. 

"True, you can't keep them under lock and key, but you can't hide the truth from them forever. They must be told and prepared for their task! We can't just have them go around, back and forth to him..." Leszek was caressing his long chestnut beard that contrasted his bald head when his words were suddenly interrupted by the loud sound made by the metal door opening. It couldn't be the wind! No, it was a young girl, no more than fifteen or sixteen dressed in a Suntolian riding outfit, that only a noble girl would wear. With a fierce and determined expression, she walked into the room, her head held high like she was their equal. 

"Kalina!" Both Asya and Delyana's voices echoed in one, drowned in the sound of the waves crashing outside.