Nala left soon after the other two had told their story about what had happened and why the water-wraits were indeed to Feyre. She couldn't stand to look at Amren, knowing that the female had inner desires of leaving this place. To leave her, to leave Azriel, to leave it all behind, and for what? A home that she hadn't seen i centauries and more. 

So, she flew. Far away from the town house, from the busy streets, from Velaris. She flew until her wings were so tired and sore that he had to land. She had flown all the way up to the Illyrian mountains and just a few feet in front of her she could see the simmers of the wards that were placed around the place. Most certainly it would alert the higher up of the Illyrian armies if she were to cross it. And properly Cassian as well if she were to be captured. He was the General after all, and he would only tell Azriel and Rhysand. And right now, she just wanted to be alone. 

And so, she wandered along the Illyrian border but took great care not to cross the ward. She wandered up and down the mountain for hours, silently thanking the Great Mother for her father's fire as it kept her warm in the harsh climate. 

As she walked, she felt her now golden and silvery mate bond flare, wanting to know where she was but she put up her fiery walls, not letting in Azriel's shadows or Amren's smooth magic. She built a dome of fire around her mind and around her heart. She wouldn't allow them to hurt her. Not up here where she had flown to get peace to gather her thoughts. 

Her peace didn't last though. Around hour four she felt the air around her shift, and she felt Cassian before she heard or saw him. The massive General touched down a few feet in front of her with a cold facade placed over his face. "You are far from home, little halfling." His voice was cold, even as his words were teasing. It begged the question if he were mad at her, or if he was playing the part of Illyrian General. It had after all only been 30 minutes since she had felt a group of Illyrians patrolling the border.

"Are you here to hail me back, General?" She pouted, holding out her hands, all while upping her inner fire, making her vain burn a harsh red instead of the soft orange they are when she just uses it to warm. 

Cassian only smirked at her and crossed his arms and flexing his muscles while staring at her. "You have to come back at some point, I'm just here to make sure you do." He shrugged, still smirking in that self-confidant way only an Illyrian male could. 

She scoffed, rolled her eyes before turning to the left and walked away from both the Illyrian territory and it's general. "Just leave me be, Cassian, I do not wish to be around anyone right now." 

"Can't do that, shorty," Cassian laughed as he throws his arm around her shoulders. "Promised Feyre to look after you." 

Nal only rolled her eyes as the massive male walked beside her though the show. She didn't feel like talking more with the man and so while he was going on about whatever, she simply slipped into her own mind, a place where no one could hurt her. 

She felt Feyre's exhaustion of the long day and night along with her sister's worry. She felt her sister's hesitation about being in the night court, her hesitation about leaving Tamlin. Her guilt about deceiving the Sommer court's High Lord. And while Feyre's emotions were strong and overpowering in their nature, Nala had long since learned to tune out her older sister and in this moment she did just that. 

She let her mind wander to what the book had shown her. The woman in the meadow, and how she had said that she had another mother.... What did she mean? Was the Fae's goddess, the mother, the one to 'bless' her mother with a halfling child? Did The Mother intervein to make sure that Nala were born to mortal mother and a Fae father while giving her some extra power? Where she supposed to be someone special in the Fae world?