aithne | Imryne, of House Melrae: Weary Music (Reply)

(Stone Sky Dramatis Personae)

It's been a while. For those who need a refresher, start here.

Imryne, of House Melrae
Book Three: Stone Sky

Chapter Six: Weary Music

Could love give strength to thank thee! Love can give
     Strong sorrow heart to suffer: what we bear
     We would not put away, albeit this were
A burden love might cast aside and live.
Love chooses rather pain than palliative,
     Sharp thought than soft oblivion. May we dare
     So trample down our passion and our prayer
That fain would cling round feet now fugitive
And stay them--so remember, so forget,
What joy we had who had his presence yet,
What griefs were his while joy in him was ours
     And grief made weary music of his breath,
As even to hail his best and last of hours
     With love grown strong enough to thank thee, Death?

--Swinburne, Via Dolorosa, "Thanksgiving"

(Imryne, in House Melrae)

Imryne came into the bedroom in the mother's quarters that she would now be sharing with her spouses, and dropped with some force into a chair. The furniture was awkwardly placed, not yet in harmony with the stone around it; it would take skeins for everything to be perfectly arranged. The newness of the arrangement jangled Imryne's nerves.

"What happened?" Urlryn asked, coming to perch on the arm of the chair. Tar came with her, but instead of perching simply climbed into the chair with Imryne and curled there. There was pain in Tar's small body, inscribed in every curve. Imryne put her head against Tar's, feeling a deep and twisting pain that had nothing to do with grief for her mother and everything to do with Tar, for what she and all of them had lost with the loss of the child Tar had carried. Who knew what that child might have been like, whether it would have been a male or a female, whether it would have been tall like Jevan or small like Tar?

She stroked Tar's neck and back. "Well, Oblodra now has a drider to work on. There's just a small problem, one that shouldn't go beyond this room. The drider is half my older brother Quave, who we thought was dead."

Tar brought her head up sharply. "He was used as an experiment? Oh goddess, I am sorry, love. There is no end to the pain Xalyth and Kilsek likes to inflict."

"No, there really is not. And what Oblodra will need to do may be painful and will likely end up killing him."

Urlryn had one hand on Imryne's shoulder. "It's best not to get the hopes of your siblings up. I understand."

She thought of Jaelryn; Quave had been her Zyn, her protector and her best friend. You have been gone from us so long, Quave. Would you even know any of us, now? "Even if he does survive, he's been a drider for years now. He won't be the brother we knew. I don't doubt that some of the younger ones barely remember him. Laele, Nendra, and Nimruil were born after he disappeared. Even if he seems normal...I don't know." She shook her head. "I probably should have let him die, but I couldn't let Sabal kill him. And if there's a hope, even the thinnest thread..."

Jevan was behind her chair, still as stone. "We understand, love, even a slim chance of getting a brother back is better than no chance. You had to take it."

Her lips were dry. Her whole body felt dry and parched and cracked as bone. "I know. But for now, I'm going to try not to get my hopes up too far. We found out some other things about the drider along the way. If they lie still too long, they die."

"From what?" Urlryn asked.

"Suffocation, as near as we can tell. It's like there are lungs inside their spider body that can't inflate right if they're not on their feet. And even as drider, and even controlled as they are, they seem to have some capacity for feeling for each other. We dropped three into a chasm. One died right away. One broke its legs and was slowly suffocating. And the third was uninjured, but it was making this horrible noise, like a scream of grief." She felt Tar's body tremble briefly. "It might have been a call to the other drider, but it sounded like it was hurt by the injuries and deaths of those it was patrolling with. And...that's odd. We've seen them most in threes lately, haven't we?"

"They all travel like that," Jevan said. "Note the one that is outside our gate looks at the drider at T'sarran, and the drider at Aleval."

"So maybe they're made in batches of three, and have some sort of communication between each other. In that case, all they really have in the world is the other two in their group. They may be afraid of losing their companions, as well."

"Which means that the one captured may start doing that keening sound."

Imryne clenched her jaw against a sudden surge of fear. "We need to let Oblodra know. I can send a message to them. Quickly." She kissed Tar's head and held her for a moment longer, then eased herself out of the chair and walked down to the mews. A little while later, a bat was winging its way towards House Oblodra.

She had barely gotten back to the matron's apartments when the buzz of an incoming message spell rattled Imryne's teeth. We have noticed and have silenced it, but we have other drider now circling the blocks of the city around us, searching. I think that Imrae is perhaps able to track them via that crystal.

Composing herself, she opened herself to the message link. Can you hide his presence? Otherwise, kill him and we can try again later.

The way you got it in, can you do it again? Pellanistra's mental voice was just as strong as her physical voice.

Yes, we can.

Now, she sounded pleased. We have a location that should be undetectable even by Imrae, but we will need it flown out.

We'll be there shortly. Imryne closed the message spell and went looking for her spouses. Maya and Sabal were easy to find--each of them had shut themselves in their old rooms when they had gotten home--and once again Sabal donned his father's cloak and threw his sister and Imryne and Jevan over the twisted tumbledown streets of Fanaedar. They landed at the gates of Oblodra and were ushered quickly inside.

Pellanistra met them at the doors of the outer house, and a pair of burly males dragged the captured drider out. The look in the thing's eyes was like nothing Imryne had ever seen before or wished to see again, and there was nothing of her brother in them. It was gagged and bound with spidersilk ropes, the magic in them making the air above them shimmer slightly. Pellanistra nodded at Imryne and turned to Sabal. "Sabal, once you clear the west wall--" She pointed at the wall in question. "Keep going in the same direction, and take the tunnel in front of you. Go up, not down, it looks like it comes to a fork but only the left one is open. Take our house symbol." She handed him one, a golden disc with the spiked crescent of Oblodra inscribed deeply in the metal. "The rocks will fold out and let you in. Take it all the way down that tunnel, to the very end. Got that?"

Sabal nodded. "Will there be people there to meet them?" Imryne asked.

"There are a few mages that work down there on secret experiments that are dangerous to the city." She looked at Sabal. "They know you are coming."

Satisfied, Imryne turned to her son. "Go, Sabal and Maya. Come back here when you're done." Once more, Sabal tied his sister to his back and hefted the drider, rising into the air. As the strange group drifted over the wall, Imryne could see the drider jerk and struggle at its bonds in apparent panic at how far it was off the ground. She found it hard to look at the drider, at the monstrous body with her brother attached.

After Maya and Sabal and the drider were out of sight, Pellanistra turned to them. "It's good you are here. You have a few moments, don't you?"

Her query was not really a question. "I do."

"Good. To the library, if you would." She led them there, and this time she left the two mages who seemed to be her bodyguards at the door. The blue flames in the fireplace cast a cold light over the book-lined room. Pellanistra stood near the fire, and motioned Imryne and Jevan over. "I know one thing already from the short examination that I had. There are--magic tendrils is the best way I can describe it--leading to the drider. Imrae can follow them but just after you pass through that tunnel, there is a field that no detection magic can penetrate. The important part of this is the magic is suppressing their personalities."

Imryne had been slumped, just a little, but now her back straightened. "You mean, without the controlling magic, they'd be more like drow?"

Pellanistra's voice was not loud, but it was inexorable. "They would probably be who they were in the first place. Just trapped inside that body."

She tried to imagine what it might be like, to wake in the body of a drider, to feel instead of legs the heavy body and thick carapace of one of Lloth's chosen. Quave. Oh, I am so sorry. She controlled the pain that briefly twisted her face. "So if the controlling magic were removed, there's a good chance they wouldn't pull the city apart around us."

"No, but they would probably try to reconnect with their families, some of them. Some would probably look down and commit suicide. Some would try to get revenge on the drow that did this to them. They would all react differently. They are not the mindless destroyers we thought them to be."

She glanced at Jevan, who gave her a look that held sympathy. She resisted the urge to reach out and take his hand. "That's...both reassuring, and not."

The Oblodra matron mother shook her head, and in that moment reminded Imryne of her mother Imrae. "No, it's not. They have memories of who they are and what happened to them. And I can break the control now, at least on this one."

"Looked at like that, the control almost seems kind. I can't imagine that those are memories that one can live with long." Imryne raised her head, trying not to let hope show on her face. "What do you give for the chances of restoring them to their former selves?"

"Half chances after this first one probably more than that after we refine the process. I'd intended to break the control on this one and see if it will answer questions."

Carefully, Imryne said, "I...should probably be there for the questioning."

Pellanistra gave Imryne a questioning look. "There is no need for you to be present. Unless you think you can help in some way."

"I knew him, before. He will probably talk more easily if I'm present."

A tiny smile curled the corners of Pellanistra's mouth and was gone almost before Imryne saw it. "That could be useful then. Know him well, or just a guard?"

"He was my older brother, once." Imryne spread the fingers of one hand wide, turning the palm to the ceiling and raising it a bit. "I still want you to do what you need to do with him, even if it's painful or it results in his death. I won't blame you."

"I am sorry. The first part shouldn't be painful and if this works, Imrae might not be able to track him even in his drider form."

At that, Imryne felt Jevan start. He took her hand in a we need to talk alone gesture. "Pellanistra, can you give Jevan and I a moment?" she asked.

"Certainly." Pellanistra inclined her head at the two of them and strode out, closing the door behind her with a thump.

After she was gone, Jevan let out a careful breath, looking at Imryne. "I hate to suggest this, but he would be the perfect spy."

She looked at him with flat astonishment on her face. "You can't be serious."

He looked away from her, turning his head. "I was until a moment ago. But never mind."

She reached for calm, the silence within her thin and fragile, and breathed out. "I'm sorry, Jevan. It's just...I can't imagine being changed like that."

"I know, love. But he can go where we can't, as a drider. They get rotated into and out of House Vandree all the time. He could tell us where the crystal is, the layout of the place, the weak points, all of it. He could open the gates to let us in."

As much as she didn't want it to be true...Jevan was right. It seemed like such a monstrous thing to ask of her brother, but the information he could give would be invaluable and impossible to gather any other way. "We might be able to capture another drider to experiment on."

"Now that we know how to capture one, we can do it again." Jevan had temporarily gone as taut as a slave's rope, and now relaxed. "Quave is the perfect spy, if he will do it."

"We can always ask him and see if he's willing." It had been so long since she had seen him, and so many things had changed. Goddess. I will have to tell him Mother is dead.

Jevan touched her hair, tucked a stray lock behind her ear. "I know you don't like this idea at all, but it has value. I understand if you don't want to do it."

"I don't want to, but you're right, it's a very good idea." Imryne swallowed, her throat painfully dry. "Goddess. Poor Quave."

"In the long run, if he survives, the experimentation will be done on another which increases his chances of being restored." He pulled her into a hug. "I can get Pellanistra, we should tell her."

She allowed herself a moment of weakness, let her body mold to his, put her forehead against his shoulder. Are there any more problems you want to hand to me this thread, Ellistraee? Or are you done hitting me for the moment? There was no answer. "All right. And I need to brace myself for talking to him."

"I will be there for you, always." Jevan released her, and went to the door. Pellanistra was back in the room a few heartbeats later. Imryne faced her, putting her hands together in a gesture of request. "I'd like to ask that we capture another drider to experiment on, and use the one that we have now as a spy."

Pellanistra did not smile, but there was a light in her eyes. "Break the control and send it back. An excellent idea. I should be able to let it hear the instructions its receiving so it can perform its task but in the background, allowing it free will to perform otherwise."

"If we can give him an unobtrusive way to communicate with us, that would be best. And it all depends on him agreeing."

"If he was once your brother, it will work in our favor, I hope." That was spoken with a serene confidence. "Communication is simple. We can give him a house symbol, it allows limited short burst messages. I will set one up for him to talk directly to you. When your son gets back, we can all go. I assume if he can carry a drider, he can carry us all?"

Imryne almost laughed. She recognized that look on Pellanistra's face. She was a mage almost beyond the word master, and she had an avid interest in the various talents of Jevan's bloodline. While Imryne was absolutely certain that Pellanistra would use the knowledge if she had need, it was not the central reason for her curiosity.

The Indran-kissed, the offspring of drow and elf, were something new and different, and Pellanistra's one weakness was for novelty, particularly new magics. Imryne had never let slip that Jevan's children were anything special other than Ryld. Sabal's strength and Maya's talents were not something Pellanistra would let pass easily. Now, Imryne inclined her head. "Yes, though Maya can only cover about five people at a time including herself. Six she might be able to do, if they're all clumped together. So it would need to be you, us, and one guard for you."

She saw that information pass into Pellanistra's mind. "I think we can suspend the guard for myself. Had you wanted to kill me, you would have by now."

Imryne raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, I’m not sure we could if we tried." She smiled at Pellanistra. Despite the woman's religious leanings, Imryne liked her. Of the allied houses, Melrae was closer to T'sarran, but Oblodra was who they always made sure to balance their power for, to come to first with information. "All right, just the three of us and the children, when they come back."

"Sit, then." Pellanistra waved them towards a cluster of chairs in a corner of the library, and went to the door, sending a page for tea. They sat together and talked, drinking savory mushroom tea until one of the two males that Pellanistra was almost always seen with, the older one, came to tell her that the children were back. A few minutes later, the younger of Pellanistra's bodyguards escorted Maya and Sabal into the library.

Both children looked around, though Sabal did his best impassive Jevan impression. It didn't work very well. "Did it go well?" Imryne asked.

Maya flinched, and did not look at Imryne. Sabal put his hand on his sister's shoulder and said, "No trouble. That rock gate is really interesting."

"Well, I'm about to get to see for myself." She smiled at her son. "We need to go back, this time with me, your father, and Pellanistra."

Sabal's surprise was brief and quickly smothered. "That will be much easier than the drider. Damn thing is heavy."

"I'm sure." Imryne stood. "Shall we, everyone?"

Ropes were brought and they retreated to the outer courtyard, there to rig together makeshift harnesses for all of them. Maya was tied to Sabal's front, facing outward, and Imryne found herself in uncomfortable proximity to Pellanistra as their harnesses were attached together. Soon enough Sabal murmured "I love you" and they all lifted off and went over the wall, Maya scanning ceaselessly for eyes that might see.

The rock gate was, as Sabal had mentioned, very interesting. Imryne watched in fascination as the stone folded back to admit them. It was like an elaborate paper-folding exercise, only the paper was what appeared to be tons of stone. Soon they were through and the stone folded closed behind them. They went down a long tunnel and arrived at a small cavern with a small house near a pool of water. Quave was there, still bound, straining at the ropes that bound him. He was tied so his spider body could stand--crouch, really, but he was not about to suffocate. Four mages surrounded him, engaged in an intense discussion.

They untied themselves from Sabal, and Pellanistra went to speak to the mages. Imryne told Maya and Sabal, in a low voice, "You are to speak to nobody of this, except the people who are here right now. Do you both understand?"

Both children nodded. Sabal looked mystified, Maya a little afraid. Imryne turned to Jevan, and they walked to where Pellanistra was. "I'm about to remove the control," the Oblodra matron mother said. "Ready?"

When they nodded, she turned to Quave and spoke sharp words that made the air buzz unpleasantly. The spell Pellanistra was weaving was the end of a much longer and complicated process; Imryne understood part of it, but much of it was beyond her. As the magic gathered closer and closer, Pellanistra's voice became lower and lower. She whispered three small words, and Imryne felt the spell latch onto them, energies abruptly becoming organized and purposeful.

The effect on Quave was immediate and profound. He stopped straining at his bonds, and his whole body, spider abdomen and all, quaked. Scratch-scratch went his spider feet against the stone, and he inhaled.

Quave looked at Imryne, his dark eyes blinking, and then he looked down at himself. A soft oh escaped him. He turned his head away sharply, the only part of himself he could manage to move. "Dear goddess, sister, don't look at me like this. It's shameful to see what I have become."

"Quave. Don't." Imryne stepped up to her brother, trying to ignore the glossy eye-spots on his face, to see only the brother she had loved when she was a child. "It's all right."

"Nothing is right," Quave growled. "Imryne, I am a monster."

He had turned back towards her, at least. "You're still my brother. And I'm still glad to talk to you, despite it."

"Ah, brother that is the very epitome of what we fought against." He gestured at the spider body that shivered as he breathed. "Spider worshippers."

Imryne forced calm into her voice, fighting the panic that was rising in her. Jevan and the children stayed well back, though she could feel all eyes on her and Quave. "This was forced on you, Quave. And there's a chance we may be able to free you from this form, some day."

His voice was bitter and sharp. "Until then, what? You put me in a stable like they do to the horses on the surface?"

She tried not to flinch, and failed. She tried to extend her hand to him, but faltered. "We have something you may be able to do for us. It will be very, very difficult, and I will understand if you don't agree."

"It has to be better than hiding." Was that a little bit of hope on his face?

"We can arrange it so you're free from control, but are still able to hear commands when they're given. You can find information that we cannot."

Comprehension was dawning. "You want me to spy."

"Like I said, I will understand if you don't want to." She heard a quick indrawn breath behind her; from the sound, it was Sabal. She watched as Quave's mouth firmed, and he drew his drow body upright.

"Why wouldn't I? It lets me do something useful. Otherwise, the best I could be is a thing to pitied. I don't want that. I will do it."

"Thank you, Quave. And I'd also like you to talk for a while with the mages and priests here about what you remember about the process of becoming a drider. It may help us find a way to turn all of you back."

"I can do that." He tried to smile; the expression was lopsided, as if he didn't quite remember how to move his facial muscles. "Despite this, sister, it's still good to see you. How many of our family survived?"

Oh, Goddess. She knew she flushed, then. "Jaelryn survives, and is matron mother of House Shobalar. Zyn is alive but in exile. Hune Tarithra, if you remember her, is in Melrae as my wife. T'sarran Ilfryn was my husband, and died a few cycles ago. Gaussiara, Nizana, Mizzrym, and Omareth live yet. Nendra and Nimruil were born after you disappeared. Pharaun, Veldrin, and Sorn are dead."

She saw Quave's eyes narrow, listening for a name that had not left her lips. "Mother?"

It was Imryne's turn to drop her gaze, the grief in her chest erupting unexpectedly into a blaze. "She died only a few ilit ago."

Quave's voice was shocked, full of pain. "What happened?"

"There was an incident, and Vandree Imrae's daughter was killed. Mother offered herself in my place as restitution."

When she looked at him, she could see his hand pressed hard against his mouth, his eyes closed. It took him a moment to regain control of himself. "That leaves Rauva as matron mother. I hope not."

"Rauva died almost fourteen cycles ago," she said. It was strange. How long had it been since she had given any thought whatsoever to her traitorous sister? It had been cycles. "I’m matron mother, now."

"Can't say I am surprised. I thought that if you could make peace with yourself you could be a good one." He cocked his head. "What happened to Rauva? It's good that she is dead. I wanted to kill her myself many times, when she was growing up. Mother would never let me."

She gave a dry laugh. "She finally crossed the line. She helped torture and kill Veldrin, as well as Shobalar Umrae, whose household she had been adopted into. She gave my first son to Xalyth Greyanna, who was also her lover. Mother was grieved at her death, but she had betrayed us very, very badly."

She did not give him any details; those were not fit telling for outside the walls of Melrae. She remembered the moment that Rauva had died, her daughter's screaming, how it had felt for her bladed staff to end those two lives. Quave's eyes were on her face, watching avidly. Imryne wondered what he saw. "A lot has changed. I will not mourn her passing. Mother's, though, that is a blow."

"I know. I miss her so much." Imryne rubbed her eyes briefly, and straightened. "I wish we'd found you before she died. She would have been so happy to learn you were alive in any form."

"As do I." He took a breath, and looked around. "The children behind you. Yours?"

"Yes. Maya's mother is Tarithra, Sabal is mine. Jevan, my husband, is their father. And the father of several more at home, including the one that Rauva sold to Xalyth."

Quave raised an eyebrow. "I thought there were problems with mixing blood."

"We've overcome them, with Ellistraee's help." Imryne smiled. "All of them are extraordinary, including the one that was born a bit damaged."

"Those rumors are true, then." Quave's gaze rested thoughtfully on Jevan. "I'll have to get you to tell me of this elf, some time. But as much as I would like to see the family, I think it best for me to go. If I don't survive this--well, they have grieved once already."

He turned his head away, and the light reflected briefly off the eyespots on his cheeks. Imryne's stomach twisted. "I hope you do, Quave. I really do. We've lost too many already."

"It sounds like it. What is it you want me to do?"

She took a breath, forcing her mind into temporary order. "For the moment, be our eyes and ears both outside and inside the Vandree household. We need to know things like the layout of the place, where people sleep, and where they keep that crystal. We'll give you a symbol that you can use to talk to me with. You'll need to keep it hidden."

"A single drider will be recalled to the house, that should be easy enough." Quave shifted his spider body, looking uncomfortable.

A question that had come up before occurred to her again. "Do driders always come in threes?"

"Yes. One leader, two subordinates."

"Are the three created together?"

Quave nodded shallowly. "Always. Singles like myself and doubles are placed in guard positions. The triples are connected to each other, and the leader is linked most strongly to the crystal. Having to control all the drider separately places a drain on the mind doing the controlling. So they split the power down to only the leaders getting the information and passing it on to the other two. They, in turn, pass it back to a leader that is inside the house. Further buffering Imrae from all the control efforts."

It was an efficient way to deal with the problem of controlling hundreds of drider at once. "Ah, I see. So if that leader died, would another take his place? Or would Imrae have to take control?"

"She. The leaders are all females. Imrae would have to create another leader. With Kilsek gone along with the mage that was doing this, she has them under lock and key inside the house."

Imryne took a sharp breath. "Does she have more females to spare?"

He shrugged. "I have only seen five, and I am sure that is all. Something I can confirm, though."

"That would be good. Are the females all young, do you know? We found one that had failed to make the transition, once, and she was a child."

"The missing one. Is she still alive? They were all very young, yes."

"She's alive, why?"

He tilted his head, shifting again. "Still transformed, I assume?"

"No. Because she was only a partial, we were able to change her back."

Bitter disappointment filled his eyes. "Maybe just as well for her. The female was to be the leader of them all, reporting only to Imrae."

She tried to imagine Ulitree, whose soul was sweet despite what had happened to her when she was young, controlling the movements of driders, literally under Imrae's thumb. It was a difficult image. "The mage, when he saw she was only a partial, managed to get her out. He also sent out the key to changing the partially transformed back."

A mixture of emotions chased each other across Quave's face. "I assume it doesn't work on us?"

"No. That's why we set out to capture a live drider, to try and extend his work to the fully transformed."

He pressed back against his bonds, leaning away from Imryne. "And I was to be the experiment?"

She tried to keep her voice gentle. "Yes. Then we learned that when the control over you was broken, your original personality would assert itself. It was more than we originally had hoped for."

"Bit less than I did."

"What were you hoping for?" Imryne asked, cautious.

Quave dropped his gaze, his tangled hair falling in his face. "Normal."

"I hope we can give that to you some day, Quave." Her voice trembled, and she fought to keep the pain she was feeling from showing in her face.

"So do I." Quave's body shivered, and then was still. A mage stepped up to him, touched the ropes, and muttered a word. The ropes slackened and then fell away. "The girl is unfortunate. She would be able to disrupt or change the orders. But it is better for her. I will go, sister. Once I am inside, I will get you the basics."

"Thank you." She stepped up to Quave and tried to hug him. The spider body made Quave tall, much taller than a normal drow, and he bent awkwardly to attempt to embrace her. He gave up and surged to his feet, the spider legs lifting his heavy body up. Imryne stepped back, her heart twisting.

The mage that had undone Quave's bonds held a disc out to him, which Quave accepted. Then he walked towards the exit, his eight feet making strange scratching and thumping noises on the stone. After he was gone, Imryne turned to Jevan, at a loss for words.

She would have liked to have him hold her, but she was conscious of Pellanistra and her mages, all eyes on her. "Home," she said quietly. "Sabal. You have the ropes."

They arranged themselves once more, tied to Sabal with Maya scanning for watching eyes. They dropped Pellanistra off at Oblodra, then Sabal lifted off once again, heading for home.

Imryne put her head down on her son's shoulder, and tried not to cry.

(Challay, in House Melrae)

"Four attendants, I think, we can rotate them in and out. It really depends on what his physical capabilities end up being, but for the moment, let's go with more and we can release them later."

"It's not like we have a shortage of hands with nothing to do," Gaussiara replied. Challay had paused in the door, listening to Tar and Urlryn talk with her aunt. They were sitting in the main room of the matron's quarters, ignoring the strange noises that were coming from down the hall, from the direction of Ryld's room. "I can find four or five people right quickly who can see to Ryld's needs."

"Good." Challay peeked around the corner to see Tar slump forward, putting her head in her hands briefly. Urlryn petted her head, then glanced at the door, seeing Challay.

Challay took a deep breath and stepped into the room. "With a look like that on your face, there is definitely something you want to talk to us about," Urlryn said.

"There is. Mama, Urlryn, can I speak to you alone?"

"I was just finished anyway." Gaussiara stretched and climbed to her feet. She smiled at Challay. "Let me know which rooms you end up wanting, dear, since I'll bet part of the reason you're here is because you want help breaking it to your mother that you won't be joining her in the matron's quarters."

Challay blinked, and Gaussiara grinned and walked out of the room, her quick footsteps receding down the hall. Tar raised her head and beckoned Challay in. There were days when all she wanted to do was to sit by Tar's knee and listen to her tell stories of the Goddess, but Challay had been too old for it for a very long time now. Tar had always been her Mama, a rock in the household storms. Father had been far too swayed by Mother's moods, always bending like weeds in her currents, and that had served its purpose as well.

But Tar--well, Tar was Tar. And to see her suffering like she had been was so difficult that Challay had almost talked herself into delaying speaking with her about Lesrak. But her brother's mood was growing quickly worse, and Challay was starting to be afraid that he had inherited far more than anyone had expected from their mother. So now she sat beside Tar, her Mama, and tried not to sigh. "Gaussiara was right, in a way. But there's something more important I need to talk to you about. It's Lesrak. He--" She shook her head. "He's getting worse, and he's hiding from everyone but me. Mama, you can always talk sense into Mother. Can you please tell her that she needs to give Lesrak a throat-band?"

Both Tar and Urlryn were silent. Tar made a moue with her mouth, and folded her hand around Urlryn's. "I can. What color would you give him, Challay?"

She tried not to fidget, forcing her hand down from where it had raised to play with her hair. "Not my decision."

"Call it an experiment," Tar said dryly. "Pretend you're your mother for a moment. What place would you give Lesrak that would be of the most benefit to the House?"

"You mean, what would make him the happiest."

Tar shook her head sharply. "No. You're your mother's heir, you've been trained in housecraft. Think about it, and tell me."

Challay frowned. "Um. Well, he wants the gray, I know. Nothing would make him happier than to follow in Father's footsteps." She rubbed her eyes, then took a breath. "But to be honest, he's only fair as a mage. He has talent, but not as much as Father did. He does have something Father didn't, though--a good tactical mind. He would be a good officer, maybe a weaponsmaster eventually. He's going to be married out of the House some day. Weaponsmasters who have mage talent command a high trade price. I would give him the purple."

Tar nodded, looking satisfied. "Well reasoned. I'll recommend that Lesrak be given the purple and start officer training under one of the lieutenants, and Jevan once he's got Sabal pounded into shape."

"Might be a while," Urlryn said, rolling her eyes. "Those two are kin, all right."

"Tell me about it," Challay said sourly. "Only Sabal doesn't have the control Jevan does."

Tar glanced at Challay, and she read disapproval in her eyes. "Jevan went through about ninety different kinds of hell to achieve that control, and in the end it took Imryne to stabilize him enough to keep it permanently. I hope Sabal doesn't have to go through the same."

"What do you mean, it took Mother to stabilize Jevan?" Challay asked. This wasn't something that any of her parents ever discussed with any of the children.

"It's a very long story, Challay." Tar looked tired, and Challay scooted over to her, leaned in. "To make it short, your mother isn't the only one who suffers from bouts of darkness. Hers is stronger, but his is still there."

"Like after Father died."

"Exactly. He thought Imryne and he were done, and he was...well, never mind what he was doing, but it wasn't going to end well for anyone involved." Challay felt Tar turn her head to kiss her hair. "To be honest, I am very afraid of what might happen if your mother dies and he doesn't die with her."

Jevan was Mother's pale shadow. He had been since the moment that he had stepped foot in the house. Challay had seen much, over the years. Can't grow up in a noble household without learning to read the moods of your mother and her spouses. She had known that there were dark things happening in the wake of her father's death, but she had been too preoccupied with her own anger, and too concerned with the younger children, to pay too much attention to what the older members of the household were doing. She had known that Jevan had temporarily moved out of her mothers' bedroom, but she hadn't known what it meant and hadn't cared.

From what Tar said, Challay thought she should have been paying attention. "I didn't know," she said. Urlryn, on the other side of Tar, was watching her with an intent expression in her tilted eyes. "I just thought...Jevan always seems so calm. I knew that was training, but I didn't know how hard-won it was."

"We've kept a lot of things from you, Challay, and I'm sorry for that." Tar's hand tightened on Challay's, and her voice sounded abruptly exhausted. "Imryne never wanted any of you to be affected by what she was going through."

"How could we not?" Challay asked, astonished. There were sudden tears starting in her eyes. "The younger children, yes, and even Lesrak doesn't have a lot of memories of what life was like before Jevan came. But Faeryl and I, we remember. And we know to be scared, every time Mother's hands start shaking and she gets that look in her eyes like she's seeing things that nobody else is." The tears were starting in earnest now, and Challay fought to speak through them. "Then Grandmother dies, Ryld comes back, Maya and Sabal are in trouble, and there's not enough of Mother for there to be any left over for the rest of us. I'm her heir, she pays attention to me, but Lesrak is starting to go dark inside because he thinks he's not good enough for her--no matter now much I love and protect him, I'm not Mother--"

Sobs robbed Challay of the ability to speak, and Tar silently gathered her into her arms. Urlryn moved and pressed against Challay from the other side. It was some time before Challay could stop crying. When she did manage to stop, she simply breathed for a while, trying to quell the pain still inside of her. "Honey," Tar said, and her voice was ragged. "Sweetling. I wish I could tell you that I could make it better, or even that it was going to get better. But I can't. Your mother is the Melrae matron mother, now. Things have changed, are going to change more. It's going to be hard for all of us. But Lesrak--I know, and I've seen it too. I remember you fretting that you'd inherited your mother's tendencies towards the dark places when you were younger. I think Lesrak got those, instead."

"It would help so much if he just had a place. He's an adult now, like I and Faeryl are. None of us has even taken our first spouse yet. If feels like we're stuck as children."

"I know." Tar was silent for a moment, thinking.

Urlryn stirred. "Well, it's obvious what needs to happen, I think. Challay, you get our old quarters, as the heir. Time for you to start building your own life. Lesrak goes into officer training as your weaponsmaster, and lives in your quarters. He'll probably still marry out, but you'll get a few years of service out of him. Faeryl goes with you if she wants, or she can move to her own quarters. We work on figuring out who's safe to introduce you to outside the house--T'sarran and Naerth both have a lot of daughters and sons your age." She stopped speaking as she noticed that both Tar and Challay were staring at her. "What?"

Challay threw herself across Tar's lap, catching Urlryn up in a tight hug. "Thank you, Urlryn. So much. If you can help me make this happen--"

She chuckled and kissed the top of Challay's head. "Both you and Lesrak have been moping for threads and threads now. Imryne's been preoccupied, Jevan's preoccupied with her, and my love here is still recovering." She touched her head affectionately to Tar's shoulder. "Everything's in an uproar anyway, you can be settled in before anyone notices things have changed."

She nodded. "One thing. I know it's small, but...could you make sure Mother gives Lesrak his throat-band with her own hands? I think just that one thing would help him feel as though she hasn't forgotten him."

"We will, little one." Urlryn hugged Challay tighter and then released her. "Gaussiara said that she was going to have some people move the rest of our things into the matron's quarters. Go find your brother and Faeryl and intercept them."

Challay grinned and jumped up, nearly running out of the room. It would be all right. Urlryn was always as good as her word, and Tar could get Mother to do anything.

It's going to be fine, Lesrak. You'll see.

(Imryne, in House Melrae)

"Matron mother. There are messages."

The young warrior who was currently serving as a page was quaking in his hard leather boots as he held out a pair of folded notes to her. Imryne took a sharp breath, swallowing the tears that were still threatening to fall. The whole flight back, she had been silent, her tongue twisted in on itself. She took the messages and waved the warrior away. Gratefully, he went.

"Maya, Sabal, off with both of you. Return the rope, and go find your mothers to see if they need any help." The children nodded and left almost as swiftly as the page. Jevan was left beside her, and they began to walk slowly towards the doors into the inner house.

"Are you all right?" Jevan asked quietly.

"I don't know. But these are a distraction, at least." One of the notes was sealed with the symbol of Vandree, and Imryne opened that one first. There will be a meeting tomorrow of the mothers of Fanaedar. This meeting is not optional, and none may send representatives in their stead. Fifth hour, council house. Do not be late. Vandree Imrae.

Imryne's eyebrows went up. "Imrae wants us all to witness something," she said. "Fascinating." She handed Jevan Imrae's note, and turned over the other in her hand, it was sealed, but not marked, and Imryne smiled, having an excellent guess who it was from.

She broke the seal, and saw Tlabbar Amalica's familiar handwriting. We need to talk was all it said. "Could be good, or could be bad," she muttered to Jevan. "Feel like a jaunt over to that place near the hall of the dead?"

"Been a long day already," he said. "Sure you're up for it?"

"Talking to Amalica's easier than anything else I'm likely to do for the next few days."

He chuckled and slung an arm around her. "That's because you two flirt as much as you talk."

She ducked her head, and smiled. "Truth. We're both matron mothers now, and that makes anything more than flirtation impossible, but I still like talking to her."

"Well, write an answer to her, and we can go let you two bat your eyes at each other." She laughed and they stopped in the mage's lab, borrowing parchment and pen, Imryne dashing off a quick note giving a time an hour from now and their usual meeting place. She sent the message by bat and then washed her face quickly, smoothing her hair down. A few minutes later, Jevan was carrying Imryne once more through the foul air of Fanaedar.

"Is it me, or is it worse today?" she muttered.

"I think one of the last few fans failed a few days ago," he said. "I wish Oblodra were allowed to work on those."

Imryne sighed. "Sewers, fans, and that damned slime." They were silent for the rest of the flight and walk to the small cave near the hall of the dead that they used to meet with Amalica.

They were early; Amalica arrived soon after they did, guards in tow. Her husband Elendar was not with her. Imryne had only rarely seen him in the last twelve cycles and not at all for seven. She had never asked if something had happened to him, or if Amalica simply did not risk him outside of her house any more. Amalica was wearing a tightly fitted dress, and shucked her heavy cloak and held out her arms, showing that she wore no weapons. Imryne did the same, and then Amalica hugged her hard. It was a long moment before Imryne could bring herself to let go.

Amalica was as pretty as the day that Imryne had met her, only strands after Jevan had returned to her life. It really was a shame that they were both matron mothers. They could flirt, they could be friendly with one another, but neither of them could risk love. "What's going on?" Imryne asked, now.

"Information. I am finally getting into the inner circle of Imrae. She distrusts everyone." Amalica bared her teeth briefly. "But on that note, I have information that should be looked into at least. Imrae may just be testing me. Devir just made an alliance with Claddeth and so by default to Vandree. Imrae threatened to eliminate Despana if they defended Xalyth against attack, even though they're allied. So Despana is going to look the other way when Mylyl and the Jenn engage Xalyth. Both are still very angry over all the people they lost in Abburth. They want revenge. Imrae has given them their blessing." She ran one hand over her hair. "And maybe the biggest news. House Argith has been meeting with Vandree a lot. They walked out yesterday on Imrae. Stupid but brave."

Argith was House 14, and they had never been noted for their courage. "That's going to come back to them. Painfully."

"I would bet by this time tomorrow they may be dead."

Imryne nodded, completely agreeing. "Do you know why they walked out on Imrae?"

"I don't, just saw them storming out, with Imrae looking rather pissed when she came out. If you are going to find out, it's got to be tonight."

She smiled, a little. "Desperate houses can come in handy. If they walked out on Imrae, they know they're about to be wiped from the face of Fanaedar. Thank you. And knowing that the Jenn and Mylyl are going to take Xalyth is also very useful. They're going to try, at least."

"Might do it. Xalyth is weak. You should know, you made them that way." Amalica smiled at Imryne. "Take that with a spider's hair. This could be a test for me. So confirm before you act, and if you act do so very discreetly. I would hate for my house to fall in this game."

"I'll keep it in mind. Xalyth, to be honest, is not the threat here. Vandree is. Greyanna and I have come to an agreement. A temporary one."

The other matron mother tilted her head slightly. "If you leave Xalyth alone, your agreement might just come down. Warn them, and they will probably survive. Your call. I for one, want Xalyth dead but Vandree as you say is the real threat currently."

"I want them dead, as well. That's why the agreement isn't permanent." Imryne felt the smile on her face become sharp, with bared teeth. She fought and then controlled her expression.

There was an appreciative light in Amalica's eyes. "I would do just about anything to be there for that death."

"I'll see if I can arrange it. I owe Xalyth, and Greyanna in particular, much."

"None of it good. Well, Imryne. We should go." She paused, for an instant looking uncertain, as if she had something she would like to say. Whatever it was, she forbore. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you, as well. I’m looking forward to being able to be open allies with you, whenever that day comes." It was the entire truth, and she saw that Amalica knew it.

"Same here. Goodbye, Imryne. Jevan, good to see you." Jevan nodded at her and Amalica and her guards left, walking away up the tunnel towards Fanaedar. Jevan and Imryne settled down in the cave for a few minutes, then made their own way back to House Melrae. Imryne stopped by the mews to send off a pair of her own messages, and went to her quarters.

Urlryn met her at the door. "Imryne, Jevan, do you have a few minutes? There's something we all need to talk about."

Imryne took a sharp breath. "Is everyone all right? Has Ryld been having trouble?"

Her wife shook her head. "He's fine, the noises have stopped and Maya says he's resting. There are some things that we've all been neglecting. Challay came to see us earlier, and she was just about breaking down over some things."

Challay? Upset? "What things?"

"Lesrak. Please, love, come sit down."

She did not resist Urlryn pulling her into the main room. Tar was there as well, and they all clustered together on one of the long couches. The table in front of them seem empty without a game of qithak set up on it. "So what was Challay saying to you?"

Tar took a long breath. "A lot of things. Mostly the fact that Lesrak is of age--over age, really--and you haven't given him a throat-band yet."

Imryne's refusal was immediate. "He's too young."

"Too young? Or do you just not want to let him go?"

Imryne dropped her head into her hands, trying to keep the tears away. She was likely to have to talk to Greyanna soon. She did not want to arrive with red eyes and a running nose. "I want to keep him safe."

She felt Tar's hand on the back of her neck. "Keeping him from having a real place in the world isn't keeping him safe, honey. You've been busy, I know, but Lesrak...he's not happy, Imryne. Especially not since Ryld arrived."

"He's jealous?"

"Maybe. Probably." Tar paused, seemed to search for words. "Or maybe he's just had the one place he did have taken by a brother he's never met before. He's too much like you, Imryne. Too proud to ask for what he knows is his right, too prone to dark moods. All he wants is to have a chance to make you proud of him."

Imryne raised her head. "Urlryn? Do you agree?"

"You didn't see Challay's face when she was talking about him," Urlryn said quietly. "My love, she is worried to sickness about her brother, and none of the children can start building their own lives until you give them permission. It's time, Imryne. Let the oldest three go."

"I don't even know what color to give him," she said. "The gray, I suppose. We can always use another mage."

"Challay had another suggestion. The purple." Tar touched the back of Imryne's hand, stroking softly. "He would be a good weaponsmaster some day, and Challay could use the support among the warriors. The mage talent is useful in an officer."

Imryne forced herself through the immediate fear that came with that suggestion. No, I don't want him in harm's way...mages stay within the walls, they're so much safer. After a moment, she was forced to acknowledge that the idea was sound. "Ilfryn wouldn't like it, if he were here."

"Oh, love." Tar took Imryne's hand now. "Is that what this has all been about? Ilfryn?"

"No. Yes." Her voice cracked. "The children are what we have left of him..."

"He would be proud of all three of them," Jevan said. His voice was soft but sure. "No matter what band you give Lesrak."

There was a long silent moment then, as Imryne wrestled with unnamed things within herself. The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jevan muttered under his breath and went to answer it. He returned a moment later and handed two pieces of paper to Imryne. "Messages."

She opened them without comment. The first was from Greyanna. Come to House Xalyth in an hour. I will be waiting. The second had the seal of House Argith on it. It may be wise to speak tonight. We will come to you an hour before ilit-change. All honor to House Melrae. Argith Chandara.

Imryne let out a careful breath. "I have to dress to go to Xalyth. Urlryn, could you arrange things for a banding tomorrow, after I come back from Imrae's meeting. Challay is right, the purple band is the right one. And--" She swallowed. "Challay wants the heir's quarters, doesn't she? She should have them."

Urlryn smiled, and leaned over to kiss Imryne. "She will set up with Lesrak as the head of her personal guard, I think. There are other things to arrange, but we can talk about them later. Go change."

She kissed Urlryn and then Tar and Jevan, and went to change. She chose a far simpler dress than she otherwise might have; matron mothers were not expected to take on full regalia when dealing with the public for a cycle after their mothers died. Her hair she simply combed and left loose, and left off all of her earrings. Her only adornment was her house signet ring. She spent some time with her loves, briefing Tar and Urlryn on what had happened with Quave, and when the hour grew close, she kissed them and got up.

"Will this ilit ever end?" she asked Jevan quietly as they prepared to leave House Melrae.

"We come back, you eat and rest, and then we talk to Argith. Then you are going to bed, whether you want to or not," he told her.

She wrinkled her nose. "Don't think you can make me do anything I don't want to."

He raised an eyebrow. "True. Perhaps I'll just gang up on you with Tar and Urlryn and tire you out so you have no choice but to sleep."

"After today, I think that would be welcome." She smiled at him, then sighed. "Time to be Melrae Imryne for a bit. Let's see if Greyanna believes me."

(Imryne, in House Xalyth)

Imryne shuddered as they passed through the gates of Xalyth, past the spikes she had seen so many people impaled on. They were escorted by a silent group of Xalyth guards into a reception room, probably not the finest Xalyth possessed but nearly so. Greyanna was sitting in a chair next to a heatless fire. She, too, was wearing a simple dress and no jewelry. She was observing the proprieties, at least, though Imryne did not think that she truly missed Xalyth Jhalass.

It was unnerving to sit across from Greyanna and not see the mad light in her eyes that Imryne was so used to after decades of council meetings. They greeted each other elaborately, then Imryne said, "Some interesting news from one of my sources. It should be taken as not entirely trustworthy, my source believed she may be being fed information deliberately, but it's too important not to at least convey."

Greyanna inclined her head, the flickering light from the fire playing across her features, making them one moment beautiful and the next grotesque. "Please, even rumor is helpful."

"Evidently, Imrae has given Mylyl and the Jenn permission to attack Xalyth. Despana has been...convinced to step aside."

The Xalyth folded her long fingers together. Imryne's breath stilled in her throat as she saw the tension in Greyanna's shoulders. Pretending to be sane seemed to be such difficult work for her. "That is quite useful to know. Did you hear a day of the attack?"

"No, but I got the impression that it was going to be soon. Like I said, don't trust this wholly, but it's worth looking into and guarding against," she said.

"I will place the guards on high alert, and out extra guards as well. And if the attack comes, what is House Melrae going to do?" Her gaze was direct and challenging.

In cycles past, Imryne might have quailed at Greyanna's barbed tone. Now, she just narrowed her eyes a bit, and smiled. "That depends. I was thinking to use the opportunity to strike against one of the attacking houses. If I know the Jenn, they will send a token force. Mylyl will be the aggressor. If you can hold them, we can cause an accident within Mylyl."

Greyanna raised an eyebrow. "Will this not anger Vandree against you? We can hold them, and I will concentrate on the females if they send any. I would hate for one Mylyl daughter to escape."

It was difficult for Imryne to put much weight behind Greyanna's continual underestimation of her. "If what I'm thinking of works, Vandree will never know of our involvement."

"Make it look like our work." She reached down and picked up a small sack. She emptied it onto the table between them, the contents clattering. She shoved Xalyth house symbols across the wooden table to Imryne. "We have the right to defend ourselves."

"These will make our work much easier," she said as she swept them into a pouch.

"Thank you for the information, Imryne." There was just a little bit of light in Greyanna's eyes. "To the fall of another ally of Vandree."

Imryne smiled, just slightly. "To the fall, Greyanna."

"I would offer you wine, but I think that Jevan would refuse to let you drink it," Greyanna said dryly.

Beside her, Jevan growled, almost too quiet to be heard. "Yes, I would."

She chuckled. "The thought is appreciated."

"Again, thanks, House Melrae. I will walk you out." Greyanna rose, and stepped around the table. Imryne walked beside her, Jevan directly behind Imryne. Shortly they were outside of Xalyth, heading towards Melrae once more. Imryne gave the Xalyth symbols to a house mage, who went to seal them into stasis until they needed to be used.

"What's the plan, my love?" Jevan asked as they walked into the inner house.

"The plan is that this is a trap, and I'd like to sidestep it if at all possible," she said. "The attack on Xalyth is a distraction, I think. We know that Mylyl will be leaving themselves open during an attack. They're a tempting target, if you know in advance it's going to happen. So Imrae releases information about the attack, and plants things inside Mylyl to capture those who attack it while their forces are out. Imrae wants to see who will bite, I think. So we need to come up with a way to accomplish what I just agreed to--without sending anyone inside."

Jevan nodded, looking thoughtful. They reached the mother's quarters, the guards parting to let them pass. Tar and Urlryn were waiting in the main room, looking anxious. "A bomb of some sort," Jevan said. "Not as easy as Kilsek sitting on one. Their defenses are good, and the walls are proof against transport spells. It will have to be taken in. Using Maya, we can get in."

Imryne shook her head. "We know Maya isn't infallible, and we don't have anything to make that large an explosion anyway. I wonder what might happen if we could get Argith's help. Argith isn't a known ally, and they might have some connections into Mylyl. Argith attacking Mylyl, using Xalyth house symbols," she mused. "A lot of them will die. House Argith may well officially cease to exist."

"They would be killing themselves," he said. "They might do it, sacrifice the guards and escape. But where do we hide them? Surface, is all I can think of. Or at the place Oblodra is conducting research."

"Abburth?" she suggested.

He quirked his mouth. "Dead city, might work."

"What about Ulitree?" Tar asked.

"It's not like we're paying any attention to it," she replied to Jevan. To Tar, she said, "What about her?"

Tar tilted her head. She looked a little bit better than she had lately. Her color had been a little gray around the edges, but now she was back to her usual inky darkness. "She is supposed to be a fifth controller of the drider, and the controller for the other four female drider. Order the contingent of drider that is going to attack Argith to change houses to Mylyl. In the confusion, all of Argith moves to Abburth. Imryne, you said that Quave thought she still might have the ability."

"She might, but that's only a maybe. We could try to find out." Imryne paused for thought. "Didn't she have something with her when she came out of Kilsek?"

"The strange yellow stone, she still has it I think," Tar said. "She kept it when Oblodra changed her back."

"Maybe that's something useful. Chakos might have planned for something like this. It's worth getting Ulitree to find out, I think."

"I will get her," Jevan said. He left and a few minutes later returned hand in hand with Ulitree. The girl was almost twenty cycles old now, a pretty slip of a female with a toned-down version of House Noquar's usually beaky nose. She was giving Jevan adoring looks, and as soon as they came into the room Ulitree threw herself into Tar's lap, snuggling up under her chin with a blissful smile on her face.

Tar raised her eyes and exchanged a look with Imryne. Though she loved Ulitree, as they all did, Tar was the main object of Ulitree's affections. The girl wanted to be more than their child, it was obvious, and it was also obvious that it was never going to happen. Imryne made a note to herself that she needed to see if she could get Ulitree to meet people outside of the house soon. Tar gently detached the girl from her and got her seated on the couch. Imryne said, "We had some questions for you, and something I'd like you to try. Do you still have that yellow stone that you had when you arrived?"

"Yes, Jevan had me bring it. But I always carry it anyway."

"Do you ever feel anything from the stone, at all? Does it ever do anything?" Imryne asked.

Ulitree looked a bit confused. "The whispering, you mean?"

She blinked. "The whispering?"

"I hear voices sometimes in the night, sometimes during the day." She shook her head, folding her hands. "Just whispers, I have learned to ignore them."

Carefully, trying to quell the sudden hope that rose in her, Imryne asked, "What kind of things do they talk about?"

"Drider patrol one, shift change to drider patrol two." Ulitree shrugged. "Stuff like that."

"Well." Imryne pressed her lips together, trying to think. "Have you ever tried changing something that the whispers were saying?"

"No," Ulitree said, and though she might have said something more she was interrupted by a flash of light that flooded through the window, followed by a crackling boom.

Jevan was off the couch and to the balcony window before Imryne could form the words to ask what that had been. "It's Xalyth, under attack."

She tried not to grind her teeth. Imrae. Could you not have given me another few hours? "Well, it's now or never. Ulitree, can you hear the voices? What are the drider being told to do?"

The girl closed her eyes. "Drider patrol one through one fifty, proceed to House Argith. Drider Patrol one fifty one through one fifty five, hold position on Mylyl. Report on any attacks."

Imryne thought fast. Start with the simpler. "Try to change that. The ones on Mylyl, can you move them to Jenn'Yxir?"

Ulitree frowned in concentration, and her dark skin flushed. "Patrols one fifty one through one fifty five confirm the change. They are moving."

Good girl! "All right," she said, trying to put approval in her voice. "Try to move one through one fifty to Mylyl. Same orders as they had before, just with Mylyl put in for Argith."

"That's harder. Someone else is trying to stop me." There were beads of sweat on the girl's brow, and her face was twisted. "They are breaking up, half are moving. I am--having trouble. " She paused to take a few panting breaths.

Imryne kneeled before the girl, putting her hands on her shoulders, trying to will strength into her. "I believe you can do this, You were meant to be the one who controlled the controllers."

"I will try. Moving more." She shivered under Imryne's hands, her face still twisted, her breath harsh with effort. Long minutes passed, and all they could do was wait. Finally, Ulitree's breath calmed. "They are all moving, now."

"Good, Ulitree. Very well done." Relief made Imryne's voice quaver slightly.

From the balcony, Jevan called, "Drider, crawling all over Mylyl."

Ulitree shivered violently, and moaned. "They are dying. I can feel them, the drider. The keening when they lose one. It's horrible, the chaos, confusion, the blood--" She shook again, her mouth working. "Goddess, they feel pain!" Tears streamed down her face, her eyes still closed.

Imryne pulled the girl into her arms, holding her. "I know," she said, offering no platitudes of comfort. "I know, little one. Stay with us." Ulitree moaned and sobbed.

She felt Jevan at her shoulder, and looked up. "I hate to do this to you, love, but I think I should go to House Xalyth."

She nodded shallowly. "Help make sure that all of the females die. I know. I don't want you to go, but you should."

"Make sure that Greyanna doesn't capture one. I don't trust her to not use one against us somehow."

"Have Tar change your face, and wear a House Xalyth symbol. They're in stasis in the mage lab." Absently, she stroked Ulitree's hair. She heard Tar rise from the couch and speak a spell that would fool most onlookers into believing that Jevan was drow. He kissed Tar and then Urlryn, then he came to kiss Imryne.

"I will be back," he told her.

"You'd better be." Imryne tried to smile, but didn't quite succeed.

"Count on it." He brushed the top of her head with his hand, and was gone.