TheMouseTheSpiderAndTheSparrowIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | The Mouse the Spider and the Sparrow Continued from And the Mouse Roared It was then that Solitaire felt the nudging pressure of a trump call. Solitaire flinched and sat up straight. A flush of worry colored her cheeks. "Someone is trying to contact me," she explained. "Please. Forgive the interruption." She whispered softly to the air, "Intellego Mentum." A spark of sorcerous light ignited in her eyes, just as she opened herself to the Trump contact. A voice ... the faintest thread of a voice ... as though it came from another world. Hauntingly familiar, and yet too faint to identify. "Help ... me ... "Tell ... Mer ... " Goran? That thought came to her like a thunderclap. Ice water filled turned her heart to a slushy ball of fear. Had Damien attacked again? Had Mandor punished Goran for his offense? She reached out, desperate to establish the contact. And then there seemed to be a fierce crackling burst of static-like energy and Vikund was before her, the colours somehow too bright and garish. Solitaire cringed as the Trump image solidified into the Snake. She turned her body, so as to provide him wuth little, if any, view of her darkened surroundings. The icy fear in her heart melted beneath the fires of purest spite. "To what do I owe the displeasure, Master Vikund?" she said in an unsettlingly calm tone. "There are two people making the ascent to Tir," Vikund said matter-of-factly. "Neither is Mandor. I thought you should know. This link is unstable and may drop at any moment, so please, if you would act, be decisive. If you would speak, be concise." There were more than a few 'concise' words that immediately leapt to mind, but Solitaire refrained from speaking them quite yet. "What sort of deception is this, Vikund?" she said coldly. "Access to Tir-na Nog'th is impossible for three days yet." "Look in the sky," Vikund replied. "The moon is full tonight by some arcane means, and not by coincidence. If you could see over my shoulder, you would see the stair stretching skyward." Any doubts she might have had were dispelled as Solitaire witnessed the unnatural display unfolding behind Vikund. It decisively confirmed her worst fears. The Duke truly did intend to attack Amber. An old Helgram saying came to mind: As above, so below. By destroying the spiritual representation of Amber, the death of the physical representation would become an inescapable conclusion. A brilliant, yet simple, plan. Solitaire felt a twinge of respect for the Duke's audacity. She could only dream of the wonders she might learn from him. "Hold the contact as long as possible," she said. "I'll join you. But I'm in the middle of a. Negotiation." Still with her back to Julian, Solitaire said, "My Prince. I believe we are too late. I must return to Amber at once. Forgive me. I beg your leave to go do what I can." "I think I require more information than that if Arden is to remain open to you," said Julian quietly. "What is it that causes you to return to Amber so precipitously?" "The full moon has come three days early, sir," Solitaire explained, her voice surprisingly calm. "And there are two people currently ascending to Tir-na Nog'th, neither of whom is Mandor. It is likely the Duke or one of his minions. And they undoubtedly mean harm to the Pattern. I would ask you to join Vikund and me. But it would be too dangerous for you. For many reasons. "Please sir. We must stop them before they reach the Ghost City." Even as she spoke, she could feel the Trump contact slipping. She gave it another burst of psychic energy, but how long that would sustain it remained unknown to her. Her energy flared and - as if in response - behind Vikund, the stair and the city itself winked out into non-existence. "It's gone!" Solitaire cried in shock. "Oh, those poor people." "What?!" Vikund said, and turned his head. The contact wavered alarmingly. She turned her head away from the image, unable to consider the death now facing whoever had been on the stairs. The Duke might have been an insane fool, but he deserved better than that. Anyone deserved better than that. "I don't believe you need me after all, Master Vikund," she said sadly. For some reason, the words hurt her heart. Now but an echo of the former clarity, his words carried across the distance before the contact faded. "I do, and shall, but for now ... adieu .... Soon... " "Vikund, wai..." Solitaire tried to say, but the contact had already ended. He'd said he needed her. The words stung her eyes with tears. How easily Vikund could reignite her longing for him. With hardly a word, he'd cracked the frost around her heart, filling it with icy thorns. Maybe he truly did love her, after all. She hissed and dug her nails into her palms. The pain flared, exquisite and hot, burning away this insidious sliver of hope. Like the alluring stairwell to Tir-na Nog'th, Vikund's words were insubstantial and easily dispelled, promising a fatal fall into darkness. Solitaire sniffled and brushed her hair back from her pale face. She'd not forgotten the man watching her impatiently and addressed him now. "The threat has passed for the moment, my Prince. Someone has obscured the moon. The Ghost City has disappeared. But that does not mean the Duke's plans are at an end. We are a decidedly… resilient people. He will try again. And soon." Julian was watching her thoughtfully. "And is the Duke one of those 'poor people' whose fall you lamented?" he asked. "He wasn't alone," Solitaire said, meeting his gaze. "Not everyone is like your brother, sir. When they fall from Kolvir. They shall not survive. "It is an ignoble death for anyone." She turned away from him and sighed. The troublesome bang had fallen in front of her eyes again. Defeated, she let it remain as she talked. "Now that we have a temporary reprieve. We must take advantage of it. This situation can only worsen, my Prince. Mandor's House is now ensnared in a Vendetta with House Ishtar. That will reflect poorly on the Prime Minister. And other House's will become involved. And after that…" Solitaire's voice trailed off for a moment, as noxious thoughts began to seep into her mind. Delluth's training had left behind an impression after all. Or perhaps, she truly was her mother's daughter after all. A sly smile formed on her lips; it felt unfamiliar but pleasant to her. "Prince Julian? Before I continue, I must know something. And by your honor, tell me true. If I could help you return Amber's rule to the Royal family… would you allow Chaosians to continue to live there in peace?" "No," said Julian, without hesitation. "But I would not slaughter any who did not actively oppose us - and I would see they were permitted to depart for a place of their desire with all honour." Solitaire sighed and stood up, "Then, our discussion has concluded. For Amber is my home, Prince Julian. As it is the home of many Chaosians like me. And if you would drive us from our homes and lives because of our blood, then you are just as bad as Mandor for driving you from yours." Julian bowed. "I will give you safe passage through Arden," he said. "And more, you will have free passage in these woods at need - as long as you do not use the Logrus. But I cannot take the risk of allowing any Chaosians to remain in Amber, in the homes they built of Amberite bones and cemented with Amberite blood, lest they should destroy us again. "Remember that I have offered fair terms to the Chaosians within our walls. Did Mandor do as much before he killed my brother, the gentlest and best of us?" "No. I suppose he didn't. But I am not Mandor. Nor are many of we Chaosians, born of Amber," Solitaire said, gazing up at the man with sympathy. "You are of their blood," he said simply. "And we of Amber, we know that, at the last, our loyalty is to Amber alone. Why should I risjk within our walls many who may feel the same about Chaos?" She took a deep breathe and then bowed her head. "Thank you for your kindness, Prince Julian. I wish we could have come to a better. Understanding. Perhaps, we can speak again. You may call upon me if you wish. But in the meantime…" Solitaire stepped forward, daring to touch Julian's hand. She appeared so minuscule before him, so fragile, but her violet eyes shone with purpose and faith. "Please consider my request? The Amber of old. Your Amber. Is gone. The Amber of Mandor's age cannot hold. We must build a new Amber. Create a future where the wounds of the past no longer fester. Where old hates are set aside. "For if we do not. The city you and I both love so dearly will be swept away and forgotten." The young woman provided him a wane smile and turned away, heading for the door. Julian did not speak again. There were two Rangers waiting there. Neither of them were Sparrow. Solitaire brushed passed them, nodding politely. She held her head high, even though defeat weighed heavy on her brow. Why had she believed this man could help her? Foolish youth, perhaps? Amberites, particularly the elders, were immutable and ignorantly stubborn. No wonder they'd lost the war. The stone always fell prey to the water. She'd known all this before stepping foot in the Arden, but there'd been hope in heart. Hope that maybe things could change. Hope that he would hear the truth of her words. But that would not be. Nor could she hope that the seeds of change would take root in the Arden. If Amber was to survive, then her generation would need to accomplish it. First, however, she still had a threat to dispose of. "Please take me as far from here as possible," she said. "Then I shall Trump out, rather than utilize my skills. I will provide my own mount." She muttered a few beneath her breath, feeling the spark of sorcerous power fill her thoughts with its soothing logic. Thick shadows began to clot and coalesce in front of her, solidifying into an amorphous mass. Solitaire began to move her hands, molding the darkness like clay. A blunt head appeared, followed by a sleek back and proud tail. The Void Wolf's midnight claws pawed at the ground anxiously. Wispy strands of blackness drifted off the creature like smoke. Solitaire pulled herself up onto its back, feeling her weight sink into the umbrageous flesh. She provided it an extra burst of energy, to sustain the shadow-animal long enough to fulfill its simple purpose. The automaton gave an irritated growl in reply, its mind nothing more than a dark reflection of its creator. "I am ready," she said to the Rangers, waiting for them to lead. But there was a slight interruption. A crack of a branch, and then a quick, light step. Sparrow, her head held high, her eyes suspiciously bright. She still wore her Ranger gear, but she was carrying a pack. "I am ... I am to escort you out of the forest," she said in a hard little voice, as though she feared to show emotion. "And then to stay in your service until the leaves turn gold in Arden." Exile then, for four months. Solitaire heart sank for the woman, "Oh Sparrow. I'm so sorry. I…I…" She bit her lip and then gave a deep nod. "I will be proud to have you at my side. And in my home. Do you have a mount? I can only summon one Kű-Raijű at a time, I'm afraid. And the ride is. Not an easy one for the uninitiated." "No," said Sparrow. "And no horse will come within fifty yards of that creature. But I am fleet. I can travel as fast as most creatures in the forest." Solitaire nodded. "Very well. You shall set our pace then." A movement near the tent's entrance caught her eye. She glanced up and saw Julian watching them converse. Her hackles rose at the sight of him; the agitation being reflected in the shadow wolf's appearance, its obsidian fangs flashing. His previous rebuke had been a personal one and Solitaire had suffered enough of those to have a thicker skin. But to punish Sparrow so harshly was unforgivable. It could not go unpunished. She turned the wolf so she could address him properly, "Goodbye Prince Julian. Thank you again for your hospitality. Is there a missive you wish relayed to Princess Islain, perhaps? She was the toast of Mandor's dinner this evening and I promised the Ambassador that I would introduce them later this week. So I could tell her then." Somewhere, her mother smiled. ~Stick the blade in, Little One. But let /him/ twist it.~ Julian stared at her for a moment, his eyes dark and unfathomable. Then he spoke, quietly, but with sufficient power that his voice reached her. "You will learn, girl, that those who truly love Amber do not make demands. They only make sacrifices." Then he turned, and went into the tent. Sparrow was staring at her in shock. When she saw Solitaire look at her, she looked away hastily, adjusting the straps on her pack. "We should go," she said. "We'll travel best through the forest by night." "Yes," Solitaire agreed. "And at dawn, this creature will return to the Void. We should make the best of the darkness remain to us." She cast a long glance back at the tent Julian had entered; a hollow sigh punctuating her moment of reflection. With a sad shake of her head, she touched the wolf's sides with her heels and guided it out of the camp. They traveled in silence for the first few miles and allowed the still world of underbrush and towering pines enshroud them. Both women had lost something tonight and idle conversation would do little to fill that painful emptiness. Julian's words continued to ring in Solitaire's ears, as if a distant church bell tolling. Sacrifices. Just what sacrifices would she be willing to make for those she loved? For the home she loved? Her mother had given up her child for the man she loved. Did that propensity run in her veins as well? She'd asked herself the question before. She'd asked it of herself a dozen times in the last few days. Only this time, the face she thought of had changed. That strapping young security guard, Mandor had called him. The man she would have died for not a few hours ago. Goran. What would she sacrifice for him? She'd already turned on Mandor's dog for him, perhaps dooming her family to death. So, just what else would she forfeit to protect him? She shook her head to dismiss the traitorous thoughts, weary of self-reflection. Solitaire gazed over at Sparrow. The woman was indistinct in the darkness, hardly a shadow upon shadow. For a moment, the young sorceress considered summoning her Sight, but dismissed the thought immediately. She'd promised Julian she would not invoke the Logrus in any fashion, and she intended to honor her word. Instead, she expanded her perception through the Void creature beneath her. Glowing strands of gold and crimson outlined Sparrow's body. Bushes and trees a few yards ahead of them also took on this spectral appearance. The world, however, remained little more than a sketchy silhouette that lacked true substance or detail. But at least things no longer appeared like a formless, black mass to her. Indeed, Solitaire found this unworldly appearance quite pretty. "I have a small courtyard with trees," she said, breaking the silence. "You might feel more comfortable resting beneath the arbor. Than inside the house. But I have guest rooms. If you'd prefer a real bed." Sparrow smiled shyly. "I reckon a bed would be too soft for me," she said shyly. "The courtyard will do for me - more than enough. But it will be hard riding to get there before dawn - and there mayu be questions asked at the gates." Solitaire chuckled at Sparrow's bashful manner. She'd not expected it from a hardened warrior and it warmed her heart. This amusement filtered down into the Void construct, eliciting a raspy sound like a sucking chest wound; its version of a laugh. The young sorceress ran her fingers through its diaphanous fur, her mood lightening even further. "I doubt that shall be a concern," she explained. "Once we're out of the Arden, I can pull us through shadow. Or, if you are willing, I can trump us into Amber. Regrettably. That would cause. A different sort of questions. But more easily answered and without the need to lie." She sighed faintly, "Besides. Vikund owes me a favor." Solitaire gave Sparrow a thing smile. "Whichever you'd prefer. But with the trouble in Amber right now. A new face at the front gates will be noticed." Sparrow nodded her understanding of this, and waited for Solitaire to select her trump. Solitaire climbed down from the creature's back and then gave it an affection hug around its thick neck. "Thank you," she whispered. "You may go now." The Void Wolf came apart with a gentle sigh, dissolving into gossamer strands of shadow. The young sorceress stumbled back, temporarily overwhelmed by the power rushing back into her. She waved off any help, if offered, and dabbed the sweat from her brow. "Sorry. I haven't sustained a spell that long for quite sometime. I'll be fine. Just a little dizzy." After steadying her nerves, she reached into the pocket of her and retrieved her tiny grimoire. She opened to the middle and spoke the name she dreaded. "Vikund." Untouched, the pages flipped until finally opening to the section devoted to the man she loved. Had loved. Still loved. She wasn't sure which. Perhaps it was best that she could not see the notes she'd made about him, the private thoughts and sketches that had consumed more nights than she dared recall. Now they were nothing more than a language of pain, forever inscribed with ink and tears. It was best they remain immersed in darkness. She plucked out Vikund's Trump and put the book away. The card felt cool and soothing in her fingers. The night obscured the image, but she saw it in her mind well enough. She'd long since memorized every brushstroke, every subtle facet of the card's construction. She ran her fingertip over the sleek surface and trembled as she invoked its power. "Vikund. I need you," she said, hating herself for the words. But there was no response. It was unlikely he even knew who was trumping him. "Damn him!" Solitaire hissed. "That's twice he's ignored my call for help. Well, there will not be a third. 'I need you,' indeed. Oh yes. On his terms only, it would appear. To hell with him." She quickened her pace, nearly tripping over an upturned root. Pain flared up her ankle, causing her to yelp. But the pain cleared her thoughts and stifled any urge to cry. For that, she was thankful. Solitaire bent down and rubbed the limb. "How far do we have until the edge of the Arden, Sparrow? I'll need to teleport us via the Logrus. Otherwise, we could get picked up by Amber's patrols. That would be. Unfortunate." A thought struck her. If Vikund couldn't help them. Perhaps Goran could. As waited for Sparrow to answer, Solitaire began formulating a spell in her head. With luck, they were close enough for her to try a Mindlink with her /true/ friend. It was hard .... she had a sense of him, but there seemed also to be something there ... something that was interfering. Solitaire winced, the interference troubling her deeply. She decided not to risk possible detection by an outside force and began to dissipate the spell. ~Yes?~ Goran suddenly said. Solitaire's heart raced as if voice entered her head. He was safe! She revived the spell, but she dared not hold him long, lest their conversation was being observed somehow. ~Goran! Oh thank goodness. I'm okay. But something is interfering with this link. I'd better drop it, just in case. Meet me at my home when you can. I'm just at the edge of the Arden now. I should be back soon. Things with the Prince. Went bad. And we need to talk about the Duke. I love you. Bye!~ And with that, she uttered the dispel word for the Mindlink. Solitaire leaned back against a tree and smiled weakly at Sparrow. "We need to reach the forest's edge as soon as we can. I need to teleport us to my home. We'll meet a friend there. And talk about what to do." She gestured for Sparrow to lead the way. Solitaire kept pace as best she could when one considered how ill-suited her outfit was for expedient forest travel. However, what she lacked for in speed, she made up for in endurance, never slowing nor complaining. After several near falls, plenty of scratches, and enough time they'd reached the outer reaches of the Arden. "Have. A seat," she told Sparrow, fighting for breath. "This won't. Take long." Solitaire let her heart-rate slow to a manageable level before invoking the Sign. It came to her obediently, trickling through her body in blissful waves. She allowed it to fill her up to the brim with its rejuvenating power. Thus renewed, she began to pluck at the Shadow's intricate strands, searching for a familiar thread. Within a few moments, she felt the Anchor in her mind; the roll-top desk her father had built as an engagement gift for her mother. The Logrus wrapped around it, tying her to both locations. "Sparrow? I'm ready," she said, extending her hand. "Hold on to me and don't let go." Once her companion was prepared, she pulled on the Anchor and stepped through into the comforts of her living room. "Welcome home," she said to Sparrow. Solitaire brushed some leaves from her hem and called out, "Fuzzy butt?!" Sparrow was looking around, startled. There was no response from Tanstaafl. In fact the whole house felt sadly lost ... and empty.
|
