* * *
'Sy
* * *
The Advocate, the Peacekeeper and I are finally ready to discuss just what is going on with our temporal deployments when my son Lute comes walking into my office, dragging a dead body behind him.
This happens more often than I care to admit.
He blinks at me. Those blue eyes are just as wide and innocent as they were when he was five - very wide, not very innocent. "I'm sorry, were you busy? I can take this elsewhere."
Jhe Camden disguises a laugh with a polite cough. Katherine just smirks.
"Oh, no, please come in and explain just who you've killed this time." I motion him in. Lute was raised to observe proper etiquette, and so closes the door after our dead guest is dragged into the room.
Katherine nods after looking over the body. "Nice one there, Lute. Pretty fresh!"
Lute grins back at her. "I like to get 'em done quick, you know."
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. There really has to be a better place for corpses than my office, but try as I might I just can't think of one right now. "Explain."
Lute places the corpse rather primly in one of the chairs in front of my desk. "She was messin' with my brother, Dad. I had to."
Like I said, just like he was when he was five. Thank goodness that wasn't his first kill, back then. No, he only managed an actual death two years later. The five-year-old attempt was mercifully unsuccessful. I suppose it really didn't help things that I was so proud of him at the time, but can you blame me? He's always looking out for Lyric. But I always have to write the letters afterwards.
In any case, I should have expected this to happen the moment Lyric returned. "Go on."
Lute takes in a deep breath, then begins to explain. Katherine, bless her, starts serving up the tea that Jaxhelshon had made about an hour ago. It's cold, but it's good, and it is also tea.
"Oh, thanks." Lute takes his cup and sips, raising his eyebrows. "Hey, you tell Benya this is good stuff."
Katherine smiles back at him. "Benny will be glad to hear it. She takes such pains to pick nice tea blends. Now, as you were saying?" Katherine perches on the corner of my desk, legs crossed, while Camden stands to the left of her, trying his damnedest not to grin. Camden, I should mention, always liked Lute's approach to kills, and heavily lamented the fact that my shadow-racing son was practically born into Julia's division.
Lute takes the seat next to the corpse. He rolls his shoulders, then pops his knuckles. Oh great, he's settling in for storytelling. This should be good. "Alright, so I dropped Lyric and Stevane off at Muriel's place afore I went and killed anyone, alright? So they're safe, first of all."
I raise a single eyebrow at that, but let him continue his story as he sees fit.
"Lyric's gone and gotten a bounty on his head. I guess flitting about and going over to Sul and foolin' around with its criminal of an Emperor in public and whatnot garnered some attention for himself! As you do. So Stevane tackled the poor boy to the ground this morning before I had a chance to block the hit on him. Good reflexes on the girl! She really ought to come and get her final training, you know. Girl's almost Armed."
I nod and reply with a "Hmm." I'm not sure when that'll happen, honestly. Things are a bit busy around here, as a general understatement.
"Aaaanyway, some assassin took a pot-shot at Lyric while we were walking to the markets, that's the general idea. After I got my two sibs to Muriel's, Stevane did a quick trace on the dart, since it nicked her when she threw her brother out of the way of it. She was targeting pretty well, but I figured it'd be better if she stayed with her brother and Muriel. By using her blood, I was able to trace the assassin on my own." Lute grins up at me, and I have to resist the urge to pat him on the head. I can't reward behavior like this. Well, I shouldn't. I have to keep telling myself this every time he does this.
Then I ask the inevitable question. "So...why did you kill her on the spot, instead of bringing the assassin back to the Hall alive for questioning?"
"Cuz she tried to kill my brother." Lute shrugs as if that's that. And, well, to him it is.
I let out a heavy sigh. Camden squares his shoulders a bit, but hesitates to say anything. Lute isn't under his direct command, after all. The same goes for Katherine, who is only smirking and silently drinking her tea. I have a sip of my own, closing my eyes.
Julia will be furious. Well, fine then. Let Julia handle it, while we figure out just where - and when - our soldiers are supposed to be right now.
"Bring the body to your commanding officer and do what you must. Find out any relevant information."
Lute looks downcast. Ahh, I see. He reported this directly to me so as to avoid Jhe Wysthaven. How typical of any of my progeny. "...Aye, sire." He rises, bows, then takes his leave, moping out of my office, dead body dragging forlornly behind him.
Just like when he was seven.
"Well, that was a nice bit of an interlude. Are we to business now?" Camden turns to me, peering up through his spectacles.
I nod, then get out maps of the Aurocan Palace and the papers for Camden's deployment. "According to this, I sent the rest of our shadows out to relieve your wounded, along with Jhe Wysthaven to relive you of command."
Camden nods. "Aye, sire. The rest of the men I brought to Sul's Palace remained as reinforcements, with Jhe Daltry in command of 'em."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "You sound troubled, Peacekeeper."
Camden replies with a very short bow. "Pardon my mentioning it, Jhe h'Akribastes, but I feel ill at ease about leaving my men where Jhe Julia is doing her proper job. It seems an odd place for them, and I'm unsure as to why they remained behind."
As if on cue (and it should not be overlooked that Camden is a Poet as well as Armed), we all three look to the north, as if we could gaze right over the empire of Audiva Rocale. The hairs on the back of my neck are prickling, and I feel that there is a great conflict arising.
"Combat," Camden mutters under his breath, the word almost a growl.
Katherine runs her white gloved fingers over the map. She says nothing out loud, but I know her opinion regardless - it's time to plan for just what we're going to do, regardless of the consequences.
"It's already been done, Jhe Briarseal." I thumb through the orders that I'll send out today to him, contemplating moving troops through time, and just why we would ever do so. It's something that only Elete would typically recommend, but he's at rest right now.
Or he should be, at any rate.
Camden grits his teeth. "More like it will be done, and when that time comes we won't be able to change any of it, regardless of the consequences."
I close my eyes and nod. In the darkness behind my eyelids, the conflict is already playing itself out before me.
"There's one more thing." I look up from my reverie. Katherine and Camden are looking at each other like they just burped kittens up from their mouths. They both said the previous sentence simultaneously.
I motion for Camden to go first. He's just arrived back from a deployment, after all. I hear enough from Katherine day in and day out as it is.
He bows again in that apologetic way that makes me brace myself. "Jhe h'Akribastes, I wrote of some of this in my report - my brother Elricht... well, you read it. I'm worried that, given just who took him and had possession of his quill... there might be something to be concerned on my own end of things."
"You mean, other than that he's your brother?"
He nods, still bowing. "I am divided. He could have just been taken because he is a Poet. They have apparently been keeping many Poets that we thought to be deployed to far outposts. Armed as well. On its own, that is disturbing...and at a time like this, something that could be too easily forgotten. However, Elricht is a Dhealg'seala. A Briarseal. He is not the heir to the line, but he is the only survivor of the clan besides myself. It brings to mind concerns beyond the fact that Elricht is a captive Poet."
I nod. "Such as?" Damn Elete for giving them all a blasted annoying tendency to pause dramatically. I know of some of the implications, but I'd prefer Camden speak plainly about it in case there might be any that I have overlooked.
"Sire, they might use him to break the Seal. Jhe Fayegeaux's clan's history is quite interwoven with monsters that are kin to the Old Man. Liyannethe has a storied history of playing with said monsters. The home Kingdom of the ruling Xaillyndesse family, central in the Aurocan empire, where all the darkest stories come from. They may swear against their 'old religion'...but Ebrellin-i's actions run counter to his words of treaty and peace, so how much can we trust the rest of them? Hell, he was the most reasonable of them with any clout to his name, save Jhe h'Logos Elete. I took from my summons that I'm to be readying the armies for war - I feel there are other things which must be attended to. If I'm not the one to do it, someone responsible must be appointed to this issue."
I nod. "That sounds perfectly reasonable, Jhe Briarseal. Until such time as you are immediately needed as Peacekeeper, please see fit to supervise the situation yourself. Please, you may stop bowing now." I sometimes think that the reason Camden needed a time-consuming Armed career appointment the most is because if he stayed in the Poet Hall for any decent amount of time, he and the Poet King would do nothing but bow at each other, day in and day out.
Oh but I am not looking forward to going into the Poet Hall to ask Jhe h'Logos just what is going on with the timing of our deployments.
"Ah, speaking of which, sire..." Camden ceases his bow, looking flustered from having yet another request. "Forgive me for eavesdropping--"
"We expect you to hear things by now, Jhe Briarseal."
"Aye, yes. If you're going to see the Poet King, then perhaps we should entrust the reading of Cade's journal to him. I..." he looks askance, then nudges his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I attempted it on my own. I find that to be ill-advised, now. It's very... protected."
I raise an eyebrow. Camden has always been a master of understatements. Given his abilities, it's surprising that he was unable to overcome the journal's defenses. "Oh?"
"To be honest, sire, I was reluctant to pursue the activity any further myself, for fear of inadvertently breaking the Seal."
I know I must look dubious, now. "The Seal? The Seal of clan Dhealg'seala? I thought your life was sufficient enough to keep it locked down."
Camden props up his glasses again, a gesture that's obviously more meant to hide his face. "Yes, well. That's a succinct enough explanation for why I might prefer someone else try to read it from here on out."
I look down at the moldy old book. Impressive, that it came close to killing Camden. "I'm certain Jhe h'Logos and his Poets will have LOTS of fun with it. I'll ensure that it's closely guarded. Will that be all, Jhe Briarseal?"
"Aye."
I nod. "Good. Katherine. State your business, please."
She gives me a pinched look, as if she's about to hit me. If Camden weren't in the office, she possibly might. "Jhe Ebrellin-i Xaillyndesse must be attended to promptly. He can't go long unmonitored, given that which is attacking him from the inside. I must see to him as Advocate." She cocks her head. "The Judge may also attend, if he sees it necessary."
I shake my head. "You may see to it on your own. I can watch just as well from afar, and I've more than enough mess to deal with right now. Let Jhe Averseen know that she'll have plenty of paperwork to keep her busy soon."
Her eyes narrow to dagger points. "Very well." She turns on her heel and marches out without another word. Camden skirts me a nervous bow, then makes his quiet exit.
I prepare myself for the rest of a very, very long day.
* * *
Katherine
* * *
I stalk down the hall towards the cells, my boots clacking against the stone floor. Not that anyone cares, but I'm going to go see if my Father's still even alive now.
Of course, while nobody cares, someone might be fool enough to brush my shoulder while I think I'm perfectly alone. I spin on my heel and check the fool into the wall with my hip, then grapple his wrists so I can see just where his hands are, and make sure they stay there. I narrow my eyes.
Calm blue eyes study mine. Camden's face remains stoic. His damn spectacles aren't even ajar. He raises an eyebrow in lieu of asking me just what I think I'm doing. I shove him out of the way and return to stomping off to my destination.
His footsteps follow mine, at a slower pace but somehow the same speed. I remind myself that not only is Camden taller than me, he's also a Poet, and can fudge the details just a bit for effect. I almost spit. I'm getting tired of flair and dramatics for effect. There's too much going on. There's no time for this shit. "Why the hell are you following me, Peacekeeper?"
"Because the Judge sees fit to make our jails more efficient by placing high-risk criminals near each other. My quarry is not far from yours." He pauses, likely for effect. "Perhaps our missions are not too dissimilar, Advocate."
"Oh? Really." I cross my arms, slowing my pace slightly. Not that he needs such an allowance, but it's a sign that I'm more willing to talk to him.
"Indeed. I apologize that I am not quite up to speed regarding Jhe o'Audiva Rocale, but I gathered his sentence was delayed until such time as the Advocate could fulfill her often-mysterious purpose. Tell me, is Ebrellin-i open to be questioned?"
I shrug. "Much good it will do you, in his state. It's doubtful he's even aware of his own words right now. I would advise you focus your interrogation on Cade right now, Camden. Ebrellin-i must grow his tongue back before he can speak."
Camden looks at me with concern. "That bad? Acht. No wonder you're acting as if you're bleeding from a monthly wound."
He ducks far too quickly for someone gifted with such an eloquent tongue for jibes. He's grinning, too. The bastard.
"Aye, but you're grinning as well, aren't ye?" He slaps me on the back, the old camaraderie showing through. "Now, you go fix up your turkey, and I'll go choke my chicken."
I give him a very dubious look for that last comment. It takes him a few moments to realize the euphemism, and then the blush creeps up his cheeks.
"Acht. I didn't mean it like that at all. I still think in Rhivennish, not Radian."
I wave him away. "No worries, Peacekeeper. There's plenty of places to be alone down here. You go have your fun."
He clucks his tongue at my back as our paths diverge, and then I'm alone for a time.
Characters:
