This is a sequel to my other fic Sol of the Dark Tower.

Councilor Nyxa of the Order of Bylin was nervous. She fumbled with books and papers, nearly spilling them onto the floor as she took her seat. She organized them on the table before her and became increasingly selfconscious as she noticed not a single other councilor taking a seat around the horseshoe shaped table had brought anything with them.

I'm representing Bylin, Lord of Knowledge! It's only right that I should be the one to have brought notes.

The thought helped for about four seconds. Nyxa had never been very could at convincing herself of anything.

It'll be fine! Just do what Thomas told you to do. Speak up when ever you feel the need. Never hold back. Be the voice of reason and logic. Embody your Order.

Nyxa straightened her back and assumed what she hoped to be a pose of quiet confidence. Bylin help her, she was nervous. She sucked in a breath and held it as the final councilor took her seat. They waited in respectful silence for the Grey to arrive.

Or at least, they would have waited in respectful silence if Nyxa hadn't decided to hold her breath for so long and started rather loudly gasping for air. Nobody mentioned it or even looked at her, but Nyxa's face turned as red as the robes she wore.

When the others suddenly rose from their seats, Nyxa followed suit a second behind them. She also managed to knock her pile of books onto the floor. She hurriedly bent over to gather them up, standing again just in time to meet the eyes of the Grey standing directly across the table from her, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Councilor," the old, heavily bearded man said with a nod, smiling broadly.

"Grey," Nyxa hastily said, lowering her eyes. She sank into her chair with relief when he continued on, then jumped back up when she realized she was the only one sitting. It was only when the Grey took his seat at the top of the horse shoe beside the young woman that was his chosen successor did everyone else sit back down. Nyxa felt a little better upon seeing that she too had brought a thin stack of papers.

"I don't believe we have need of such formalities today," the Grey said, placing a hand over the papers when the woman went to read them. "I do believe we all know why this meeting of the Council was called."

"We can't afford to delay our actions," the Aetheryan Councilor declared. "The armies are gathered and we need to march."

I am prepared. I am useful. I just need to wait for the right moment. Nyxa pulled out the papers with the armies logistic reports and put them on the top of pile, ready for a quick reference if needed.

"Don't be daft! Just where are you planning to march on?" the Dazenian councilor rolled his eyes. "We're not even sure if the reports are accurate, and even if they are, we have no idea where Toby is hiding."

Nyxa found her copy of the report and held it at the ready.

"So we wait then? Wait and let what happened to Sarn happen to the Homeland?"

The book detailing the fall of Sarn found its way to the top of Nyxa's pile.

Still prepared. Still useful.

"We need more information."

"But the Wanderers-"

"Followers of Sithian. Use their correct title."

"Who cares?"

All eyes turned to Lyzel, the Sithian councilor. Hood pulled up, his feet were on the table, his chair balanced on the back two legs and his hands were clasped and resting on his stomach. He didn't acknowledge their attention. Nyxa wasn't sure if he was awake.

Are all Council meetings like this? I expected more... structure.

"As I was saying, the Wanderers haven't turned up any solid information, and we have yet to hear anything on the whereabouts of that damned Ageless."

The atmosphere of the room turned uneasy. This was the real reason they had been called together. Nyxa shuffled Sol's dossier to the top.

"No word from the team that was sent out?"

"Nothing. We don't know what happened."

"We know damned well what happened," the Aetheryan Councilor snarled. "That crazy bitch has thrown in with her brother. We always knew it was just a matter of time before she turned traitor."

The room went silent. No one made any sign to suggest they disagreed with that statement. Nyxa bit her lip before speaking up.

"It's very, um, unlikely that Sol would, um, willingly join Toby. Archived reports by, um, the survivors of Sarn tell of how, um, she stood against him. While her files detail, um, less than admirable behaviour, she has never broken any laws or displayed, um, traitorous tendencies."

"She consorts with the Baurtily, non-Followers, and has turned disgracing her people into an artform! She is already a traitor and should have been exiled long ago."

"Sol has never technically done anything that violates our laws. She may spit in the face of our culture, but still, technically." Jezzin's Councilor shrugged.

"So you think it's just a coincidence that the Toby has been sighted and the team sent to find Sol disappears? Two of my soldiers were on that mission!"

"Enough," the Grey said, not loudly or very forcefully, but everyone immediately went silent. "Councilor Lyzel. Sol is of your order. I believe your word carrier more weight in this matter."

Lyzel looked up, face obscured in the shadows under the hood.

"... I will send my Wanderers to look into this."

Lyzel's chin dipped back down to rest on his chest, and just like that the matter was settled. The meeting continued, switching back and forth between topics so that Nyxa was constantly shuffling papers around to find relevant information, then never using it as the topic changed once more.

All in all, Nyxa supposed her first Council session could have gone worse.