* * *
Cade
* * *

I ignore the weepy head-case in the special padded cell down the hall. He's making enough ruckus to keep anyone distracted from me, bless his crazy buzzard brain. Not much of anyone notices me. Not when I don't want them to. And my master, he's calling me home now. I feel the pull, feel him beckoning. All should be forgiven. I've kept my sad skin alive long enough to serve another day, after all. Who should care if I've fraternized with the Radians? Let the Peacekeeper and the Advocate think I'm turning tattle on my master. I'm the only one who can be Nul's Herald, and it looks like that hasn't gone forgotten.

* * *
Gerude
* * *

The palace wards go down with an audible snap, as if all Iaen had to do to make it happen was snip a wire.

'Sssst. I told ya, Rudie, don't talk about me in your writing! Nobody's supposed to even see me!'

The folks in black ops are always so paranoid. Like anyone reads my stuff anyway. I'm sure the official people give it a dusting with their eyes, but come on. Gerald's the real Poet. I'm just the real cowboy. I mean, he gives that a good shot and all, but in the end he's just playin' dress-up.

...Man. He really knows how to make a proper mess, too.

* * *
Recorded from an excerpt of Apprentice Armed Rachella Hawksgard's Travel Log
* * *

I know something is wrong at dawn, and I don't even have to ask Jenny if she feels the same. I can feel it coming off of her, and even if that isn't enough, the tension in her poise and the fire in her eyes are dead giveaways. Something is afoot this morning. We're going to see action soon.

The blood thunders in my ears for a few moments from the rush of it. I'm just a trainee, after all. Jenny's earned her Arms, though she's not allowed to carry them publicly yet. If it comes down to us drawing...

No, I'll find some way of fighting. I've been trained. I can handle this.

She leads us out to the yard outside the Mews. We've been watched for awhile here. It puts Jenny on edge. Me...well, I think I know why we're being watched.

* * *
Recorded from an excerpt of Poet and Apprentice Armed Rachella Dovetail's Travel Log
* * *

Seeing the Peacock King's country as we have is such a rare opportunity. I never thought I'd have the chance before I started training for Arms. These days it seems like I'm traveling just about everywhere with Mister Camden. It's very exciting! As always Mister Camden makes me a little nervous, but that's probably true for everyone he interacts with. Except maybe girlfriends. Well, I don't know. If I was Camden's girlfriend, I would be very nervous. But I don't really want to think about that.

Tambor'in and I are learning together, it seems. It's like she changes every day, grows every day, even though we both stay so small. Often falconers let loose their birds and adopt another every few years, but I'm beginning to wonder if she and I will work together for longer than that. Camden says it should be decided by what the bird wants, and I agree with that.

* * *

...It has been a long day. I've a tent to sleep in, now. I'm staying with the Armed, writing in my journal before I sleep. The Peacock King, Ebrellin-i, has something to attend to right now, so he won't miss my presence.

That's for the better, anyway. If I'd stayed with him tonight...

Well, I guess I wouldn't have time to write this, now would I?

When I left off last time, he took me to meet the tree. Zalriadri-tchillseh-driall. I'm surprised I even remembered the name. As it is, I'm sort of guessing at the spelling. It was pretty easy to feel out, though. Somehow, it feels like it rings right. Maybe I'm just good with names and I don't know it.

* * *

I wake up feeling oddly refreshed. I don't expect to - I expected to wake up just as tense as the last few days. But oddly, I'm relieved now. Maybe talking with my brother, even briefly, and with such a depressing slant to it, made me feel better. I think it did. I think I honestly missed my brother that much.

I shift in my bed, slowly sit up, and open my eyes.

The Peacock King is looking right into them while sitting at the foot of my bed.

After I jump, he pats the lump in the blankets where my ankle is. "Not to worry. I thought I'd greet you for the morning."

I remember the footsteps I heard in my room last night right as I fell asleep.

"...Oh. I'm sorry. I'm not the most...coherent waker."

He smiles. "It's alright. I rather desired the company. There's not much conversation to be had this early, and it was so tense yesterday evening. I wanted to start the morning off right, as it were. And I wanted to prepare for our journey as well."