"He's a merman. There was a river... He could have swam to the sea already and is getting more potion already." Ila said.

"That's why I will go now and speak with Xavier. He could be getting potion now, but he's not back here yet."

Ila gave a small whimpered. She did not want to admit that she was afraid to be left alone, all the other patients were asleep.

Aron stirred in his corner, mumbled something and sat up. He rubbed his head. "Oy."

Ila looked over at Aron Buckley, feeling a little better that he was awake. Aron Buckley had to be a gentleman, even while drunk he was polite to her.

Aron got to his feet and stretched while glancing around the room. There were more patients here than there had been when he'd..fallen asleep, yes, that was it. He had fallen asleep. He gave Ila a small smile and looked around. "Shawn?" he said with disbelief, seeing his believed to be dead laying in one  spot sleeping.

Ila gave Aron a small wave.

Aron waved back at her. He made his way to Aalyssa. "Shawn was found alive?" Relief was guardedly evident. "Was he badly injured?"

"I have not had the chance to examine him but he must not be too badly hurt or Difyr would not have felt comfortable stepping out of the room."

"Shawn was another one that Nelek told me about. The captain of the guard." Ila said. She thought about Nelek on that island, starved and at the mercy of the elements.

"That's right. They're also related by marriage. Shawn and Aislyn are cousins," Aalyssa pointed out. "Shawn's a good man."

Shawn was wounded, but he looked strong. "He will help Nelek?"

"I'm sure we will. After we manage to get him to believe the truth."

Ila hugged her knees. "It's terrible, Nelek was chained to a rock. He was so skinny, I don't think he was getting enough to eat."

If Aalyssa were not normally pale, she probably would have paled at the idea. "Can you show Wulfsen and Xavier where the island is?"

"I don't know. I was underwater until we reached it. I don't know if I could recognize it on a map." Ila said.

Aalyssa frowned. Without knowledge of where the island was, there was little they could do to find and rescue Nelek.

"So... he still can't be helped." Ila looked down, her eyes stinging.

"I don't see how when we don't know where it is." Aalyssa pressed a finger against her temple. "It could even be in another kingdom."

"I don't think I was under water long enough to leave the kingdom." Ila said. "I don't think Onyi took me that far."

Aalyssa thought perhaps time seemed to move differently under water, an environment neither humans nor elves were used to for extended time. "Without anything to go on, there's not much they can do. You can't track in water and too much time would have passed anyway."

"If I could swim it again I might be able to find the island." Ila said. "But I don't know if I could do it."

Aalyssa shook her head. "I would be worried about you being under water for so long. No doubt they did something to help you with that when they were taking you there."

"They put a bubble around my head." Ila said. "Made it so I could breath underwater."

"Well, see? We don't have any bubbles, so that would be problematic."