Grove Sighting

As always, it takes a minute for Martin to decide to let down his guard and accept the call. "Who's there?"

"It's Garrett. I'm with Folly, on our way up to the Grove," Garrett says. He seems more tense than Martin has seen him in some time. "Are you there yet? And if you are, can you bring us through?"

"We're at the Grove. Edan's here. Come through," Martin says and steps back so there's room for horses if someone else is riding.

Folly steps through, clutching an armored case very tightly; she trades it with Garrett for her Martin trump once he's stepped through. She says to Martin, "The intended recipient of your package was not available to receive it, so we thought it safest to bring it with us." She touches the case lightly for a moment. "With enhanced security."

She glances around the Grove without really seeing it and then slips her hand into Martin's with a look that usually precedes bad news. Or an apology.

Meanwhile, Garrett takes the armored box from Folly and sets it down near his feet. He turns to Martin. "I have to admit I don't have much battle experience, other than that time we saved Vialle," he says to his brother, grimacing slightly at the memory in light of the current situation. "But I'll go where you need me," he finishes with a single strong nod. He's not dressed for battle, having had no time to change after the event in the square. He's in street clothes with just a leather jacket for protection, but he does have a small knife at his belt and has acquired a rough-looking sword from somewhere.

"Neither of us has any business on the front lines, Prince Garrett," Martin says by way of reminding him. Meanwhile, Lark has run up to throw her arms around her mother. "Mama! I met a lot of new friends and played with wood-wights and talked to Gramma Brij!"

Folly bends down to give her daughter a big hug, carefully adjusting her stance so that the knives tucked into the belt around her hips and the buckler slung from a strap over her back don't get in the way. "I'm so glad you had a good time!" she says... and carefully does not add 'and that you are wearing clothes again'.

The zombie head rattles inside its cage, and Martin grimaces. "Edan needs to burn that thing. Preferably outside the Grove," he mutters. Martin hasn't had a chance to change since his arrival and he looks like he's already been in a fight, but he's not armored, just armed with a gentleman's blade that has been cleaned up but has also seen some recent fighting.

At the sound of the cage rattling, Fletcher turns his head away from scanning the perimeter. His longsword is in his hand. Seeing that things are still quiet for the moment, he remarks, "Resolve and wits can serve as armor aplenty, my lords. And they have fewer leather straps." He wishes he had his plate armor.

Garrett scowls down at the cage, resisting the urge to kick it. "Let's hope so," he answers Fletcher. He turns to Martin and asks, "So what do we know? Have you had any reports?"

Martin shakes his head, once. "Other than Big Trouble in Little Amber? Not so much. We need to get this place ready for incoming and then one of the two of us needs to get out of here, Garrett. Two princes in the same place is a no-go. Fletcher, have you fought the Moonriders before? If you have, you may need to go up with Edan."

He's still waiting for whatever Folly has to say to hit the fan.

Folly says to Lark, "Why don't you tell Uncle Garrett and Fletcher what you know about zombies, and they can tell you a little bit about Moonriders, while I talk to Daddy just for a minute?" In a lower, much less cheerful voice, she says to Martin, "We need to talk about your father."

If Martin is willing, she'll lead him a little away from the group so they can talk privately.

Fletcher turns to face Martin. "I've met some, but haven't faced them in combat. I've got one or two ideas about tactics that might work well, but they're just theories. I'm willing to face them where you need me." Since he's expecting action, Fletcher removes his necktie and stuff it in a jacket pocket.

Garrett clearly hadn't thought about the 'two princes together' implications until Martin mentions it. His surprised look turns thoughtful even as he absently reaches a hand out to Lark. Before she starts on her tale, however, he asks Fletcher, "Has anyone talked to Corwin, do you know? If Paris isn't involved, that might be a back door, if things go sour."

Signy looks over from where she took up a casual watch of where they came in from, having decided that for the time being with the Family assembled at the stairs having a few that were in reserve and could go wherever was needed was probably the better option for her.

Maybe.

"Do we have any other reserves available if needed, or if we find a surprise attack coming from somewhere that we haven't anticipated?"

Her hand rests casually on the hilt of her sword, though she hasn't yet drawn it.

"Edan's people are somewhere; and some of Brennan's knights are with them but I don't know if anyone with a Trump is," Martin answers. He tosses his deck of Trumps to Garrett. "Hannah was talking to Gerard. Someone get Corwin on the horn, someone else get Julian. See if you can find Flora and if she's in Paris, if she can raise Corwin's knights. If nobody's called Ben, him too. Arrange to get Edan's people to the fight at the stair." This is mostly directed at Garrett, but also to Signy and Fletcher, since there are enough Trumps for everybody.

Lark is still clinging to Folly. "Mama, but I have to tell you--"

Martin interrupts, "Kiddo, your mom and I have to talk. Can you help Uncle Garrett call great-uncle Corwin?"

Folly adds, "This shouldn't take very long. You hold on tight to that thought, and tell me as soon as we're done. Or you can tell your Uncle Garrett, if you have to say it right now." She gives her daughter a reassuring smile and leads Martin a short distance away from the rest of the group.

Signy makes her way over to Garrett to get whatever Trump she is dealt.

"Do you have one of my brother in there also," she asks Garrett, though her voice should carry to Martin as well.

She considers volunteering to go for Edan and Brennan's missing forces, but "somewhere" is vague, and may be more of a wild goose chase than they can afford right now.

Garrett catches the trump deck easily and immediately starts shuffling. He finds Corwin's trump and pulls it out.

"I don't know. You can look," he suggests. He pulls out one more card before handing the rest of the deck to Signy. He then holds the other card out to Fletcher, face down. "Do you want to call Benedict?" he says. It's not really a question.

Assuming Fletcher takes the card, Garrett will focus on Corwin's trump.

Fletcher nods, and takes the card. He takes a few steps away. He observes, "if something big is going down, I'm guessing Dad's already been pinned down. Worth a shot though." He concentrates on the card....

Fletcher hears his father's voice as the connection opens. "Who calls now?"

He's in the middle of a fight.

Fletcher speaks briskly and loud enough to be heard, "Fletcher. Invasion of Xanadu by stair is imminent or underway. Forces need to be mustered to repel them. I see you are busy elsewhere and assume this is not a coincidence."

"Ossian has already called," Benedict says. Fletcher can feel his father's graceful movements through the connection: the thrust and parry with the knifed buckler on his off arm, the shudder of the hard parry with his blade, the jerk of the blade from flesh as he cuts a foe down. "They're in Avalon too. Remember Jones Falls."

Meanwhile, Lark's parents have called for her, but once they hear that she's going to Hannah, they go back to what they're doing.

Fletcher remains focused on his conversation with Benedict, and tries not to be too big a distraction for him. "Where is Ossian now? Has he mustered any forces?"

"He's at the stair on your side with some of your cousins," Benedict answers, "Raise the city and the rest of the family if no one has. I can hold here for a time, but their main forces will be sent to Xanadu, if they're involved at all."

Fletcher nods. "Alright. I'm with others who are doing that now. I'll assume you're still engaged in a holding action until I hear from you again." Fletcher awaits any final words from Benedict and observes how Benedict is choosing to fight the Moonriders.

"I'll contact you when I can," Benedict answers. "Avalon will hold."

Signy deftly catches the Trumps tossed by Garrett and shuffles out Julian and Flora's Trumps face down. While she's got the Deck out she takes a quick scan through for a Trump of her brother and if one is there pulls it out to add to the bottom of her small pile.

Flipping over the top Trump on the pile, she looks at her Aunt's picture and concentrates on it.

"Aunt Flora? It's Signy, and pretty important."

Florimel is in Castle Xanadu. She sighs, a little impatiently, and says, "What's Random done now?"

Signy offers a tight smile, but otherwise skips the offer to waste time. "There's an attack imminent on the stairs from Tir, Moonriders. There's a group at the stairs, but we're looking to see who can help get reinforcements."

She pauses, and looks elsewhere suddenly as if distracted. "King Random is occupied by an attack on him through the Queen."

Florimel's demeanor changes at once. Clearly, whatever she was expecting, it wasn't this. "I'll raise the castle guard and contact my--" and she's distracted for a moment as well. Signy feels a third party join the contact as someone takes Florimel's hand, and it's Solange.

"Signy? Dad says there's an attack. Bring me through."

Meanwhile, Lark's parents have called for her, but once they hear that she's going to Hannah, they go back to what they're doing.

Signy reaches her hand towards Solange. "A few of us are in the Grove with Martin, trying to contact whomever we can to raise the alarm. I'll be reaching out to Uncle Julian right after this, Fletcher's talking to Uncle Benedict, and I think Garrett is reaching out to King Corwin."

"The castle's being raised," Solange says, adding, "Aunt Florimel, I was sent to tell you Dad needs you. The King may not be able to lead the defense so Dad's taking the reins. Also someone needs to call Caine in Amber and get some of his naval people here." She takes Signy's hand and steps through.

Solange was ready for this: she's wearing a shirt of mail and is armed with a blade and shield.

Signy nods.

"I have Uncle Julian's Trump, and will contact him to let him know. Thank you, Aunt."

Assuming no last-minute instructions prevent her, Signy breaks the contact.

Flora says, "May the Unicorn protect you," before Signy closes the contact.

Solange says, "Thanks, Signy," and is off to deal with either Martin or Hannah, probably the latter.

Then Signy flips Julian's Trump upright and begins to concentrate on his image.

Julian answers at once. "Who calls? And what's happening where you are?"

When they are reasonably out of earshot of the rest of the group -- but not so far that a shout wouldn't reach them -- Folly asks, "What have you heard so far, about your dad? And Vialle?"

"That Vialle murdered Cambina while she was walking the Tir Pattern, which Vialle shouldn't be able to do, which is part of why we were having this party here that seems to be derailing because the bad guys are one step or possibly one stairway ahead of us. And that Vialle and whoever may be riding her have put the whammy on Dad, which is the other half," Martin says grimly.

"And that doesn't leave us with a lot of options. I need to send you and Lark out of here because I can't have her on a battlefield full of Moonriders, and the safest place I can think of is--" he sighs "--Rebma."

"She'll like that," Folly says, though her smile is a bit grim. She tangles her fingers into her hair and balls them into fists against her scalp.

"So, this is marginally less urgent now that there's a super-urgent battle about to happen, but... a few details you might want to know sooner rather than later. First, I briefly talked with Vialle, and then with Brita, who'd been escorting her for a few minutes, and... I get the feeling Vialle doesn't know she's been... possessed, or whatever. Like, she may be doing things she's not actually aware of because they're not really her doing them, they're that other queen acting through her." She gestures skyward.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and blows it out. "Then there's the precise way she's put the whammy on your dad." She glances toward the cluster of others, realizes they're all ensconced in Trump calls, and lets out an eloquent string of expletives. "LARK!"

Martin immediately adds, equally loudly, "LARK! Moonriders are faster than zombies!"

"Yes, Auntie Hannah!" Lark immediately stops splashing in the water of the pool, where she's been playing and goes to help Hannah. Martin turns back to Folly.

"Yeah, I can't make that vow, and you can't either, and we can't make it for Lark. So you and Lark have to go, and since only one of me and Garrett can be on the field for this, it needs to be him that goes with you. I've got a record of defying the crowns that he doesn't need."

"Agreed," Folly says, and adds, grimly, "At least now we've got a much better excuse for needing to evacuate -- but I would have come up with a way to avoid that vow anyway. I've already made the vows that matter, and I intend to stick to them."

She takes Martin's hands, squeezes them... and then grimaces as she realizes how what she just said crashes into what she still needs to say. "So... yeah. About your father. Soren and I were hoping we could reach him with music -- you know, get the band back together and remind him who he really is -- but we haven't had a chance to try yet, and... and anyway...."

She clears her throat, looks around once more -- this time to make sure nobody is close enough to overhear -- and then goes up on her toes to murmur into his ear: "Bleys says he's being controlled... enchanted... whatever... through some sort of sex magic. He and Fiona were surprised when your father suddenly started sleeping with Vialle again, and apparently that's why."

She rocks back on her heels again so she can look into Martin's eyes. "We can argue about all the implications when we're not under imminent attack by Moonriders, but I at least wanted to give you the heads-up before anyone else put that on the table as a suggestion for how to undo the whammy."

It probably occurs to Martin that Folly has not so much warned him as beaten everyone else to the punch.

Hannah glances past the Prince of Horses and notices the other set of parents on the field in conference and everyone else looking at cards. So that leaves one person free to help her out, and luckily that person is probably best kept busy.

"Lark, will you come help me with the baby?" she calls across.

"Yes, Auntie Hannah!" Lark immediately stops splashing in the water and comes at once to render assistance. Either she's very precocious (possible) or she's already spent a lot of time dealing with adult tasks, which is also quite possible.

Lark's parents have called for her, but once they hear that she's going to Hannah, they go back to what they're doing.

"I've got to call Uncle Gerard. The baby is hungry - so cranky - and he'll get even more mad before he gets fed. But if you could just hold him and deal with him crying, I will feed him as soon as I can. Maybe he'll be distracted by you."

If Lark agrees, Hannah will tie the baby on her, and after saying, "I really prefer he not drink anything but mother's milk, not even Grandmother Unicorn's water. Babies have very fussy stomachs."

"I'll try to keep him from crying," Lark says and lets Hannah tie the boy to her.

"Let him cry if he needs to, just try to keep him safe." Hannah adds.

"I'll stay right here," Lark says, and settles in to wait and watch with patience that might surprise most Amberites, but maybe not Hannah.

Hannah will step aside and trump Gerard.

Gerard answers at once, like maybe he's waiting for calls. "What's the situation?" he asks. "I'm raising the castle, Corwin's raising the city, and we're working on getting hold of the rest of the family. Solange should be back soon to step through; she's getting hold of the rest of the family in the castle."

Hannah falls right into the fast-paced medical transitions she had to do in Philadelphia.

"Three people afield here with cards out, Garrett, Signy... a man I don't know. Martin, Folly, Lark also present. No threat here, but Edan is going to it. You have Corvis? Is she willing to take my kitten? Medical supplies? We need a conduit to pass injured back here. Unless Paige is at the front, no one there has my card. Ideas?" Hannah takes a breath.

"I'm sending Solange to you, right now. Corvis is here, and she can take your child and Lark, if Martin and Folly wish it. Someone in your circle will have Trumps of someone on the cliff. Folly can sketch if she needs to--I'll send for supplies if she hasn't got any with her," Gerard says.

Hannah looks back across at Martin and Folly and now Edan and decides bellowing is not going to be real effective. She bites her lip and looks back at Lark. "Singing Lark, please go ask your parents if they want Lady Corvis to watch you since she's going to watch the baby, or if they need anything I might get them from Gerard, like artist things for your mother." She half shrugs, since the baby seems comfortable. "Just take him with you."

Lark says, "Yes Auntie Hannah," and runs off to her mother and father.

Edan knows he needs to get from the Grove to the Stair quick as he can. He takes stock of his inventory after visiting his room. Dancing silks. Slippers. A pair of Averni hook swords. The Moonrider compass/necklace. Aramsham. Layers of paint. His mitts. And a little oiled pouch containing a few reagents and a jeweled pin and-

Merlin's Trump.

Edan tries the Trump first; if it fails, Martin will be the next obvious route. Beyond that, he'll have to be crafty and flashy and sorcerous. And fast.

Edan grimaces when contact doesn't go through with Merlin. That brings him to plan 'b', and he turns his horse towards Martin and Folly. He tries to pick a distance where they notice him but he's not intruding on their conversation.

Martin closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Then he recovers his composure, because there's no time for this right now, and he's practical if nothing else. "You're going to be in Rebma with Lark and Garrett so that's not going to fly any time soon. Are there any more bombs you need to drop in my lap before we do this?"

"No, that would be the one big crotch explosion," Folly replies with a pained, apologetic smile. "Do we need to incinerate that zombie head before we go?" She glances around, probably looking for Edan.

"Yeah, let's," Martin says, and because Edan is now waiting for him, which Folly also sees, he moves to open the conversation to Edan. "What've you got?" he asks, more in the tone of a prince trying to get his knights properly on the field and less in the tone of a husband whose wife just suggested she might have to f**k his father out of mental and/or supernatural domination.

Edan is still just wearing silks and hook swords, but he is painted to perfection and looks very intimidating.

"Ghuul," he says, with a look of distaste. "I hate that Principle. Yes, I can destroy it." He looks over to Martin and adds, "I sent my Knight down to alert the Lamp. Some of Ruby is with them. If I am fortunate, I can Part the Veil and give some of them a surprise charge. The rest can help defend the city." He frowns. "The army I was building in Broceliande, they are not ready for Moonriders. The enemy is a step ahead of us. Once I go across into all our cousins, I'll likely just be a blade."

"Don't underestimate yourself," Martin says, but before he can follow up, Fletcher announces, "Benedict is engaged in Avalon and suggests all reinforcements be deployed in Xanadu while he will hold Avalon against what he is certain is only a secondary force."

Martin responds to that with a single expletive. "Take the head outside the boundaries of the Grove, burn it to ash, and go to the cliff," he tells Edan.

And as Martin is finishing up that instruction, Lark comes running over with the baby attached to her, saying, "Aunt Hannah wants to know if I should go to the castle with the baby. Corvis is going to take care of the baby, and Mama, do you need anything? Art things?"

Martin is already shaking his head in the negative about that, and not just one either.

Folly points out the zombie-head-containing case to Edan. Then, "Have you still got your... compass thing?" she asks. "You might find a way to use that to your advantage." She clasps his hand in farewell and wishes him luck.

Edan returns the clasp, and nods to the question. "I think I know where it will point," he says. To Martin, he adds, "The cliff, aye." He says this slowly, until he decides someone is meeting him there, or there will be a Trump. He knows what to do if there isn't.

Turning to her daughter, Folly says, "Ask for an oilskin, if they have one to hand. We're going underwater." It's a bit overkill -- her trump case is already effectively watertight -- but on the other hand, it's rated waterproof for living by the water, not living in the water. She glances across the Grove at Hannah, sees she's in a trump call, and deduces from the rest of what Lark said who she must be talking to. "You'll probably want to leave Swanhilde with your uncle Gerard for safekeeping, so she doesn't get all wet."

She looks at Martin and asks with a tilt of her head whether they should follow Lark back in Hannah's direction.

"Let's do that," Martin says, nodding once, and taking Lark's hand in lieu of scooping her up since she is, after all, carrying the baby. He gestures to Garrett to join them as he walks across.

Corwin takes the call without demur, but there's a clear impatience in his mind. "Who is it? And what's going on?" He's not paying the kind of attention that it takes to hide where he is, which is at the port in the city below.

"It's Garrett," the young prince answers immediately. "I'm up at the grove with Martin and others. We just got word that a Moonrider attack is imminent at the steps to Tir. Have you heard from anyone in Paris?"

Corwin shakes his head and it's almost like he said no through the connection. "We're gathering the defenses of the city in case they break through and attempt to sack it. Who's in charge where you are?"

Meanwhile, Lark's parents have called for her, but once they hear that she's going to Hannah, they go back to what they're doing.

"Martin is in charge here at the Grove. Most of the rest are either at the stairs or going there, so I reckon Jerod or Brennan is in charge there," Garrett explains. "I know they were looking to get Edan's knights up here for support. Are they part of the city guard, at this point?"

"We're conscripting anyone who can take up arms. The carnage during the sack of Amber was terrible; we've got too many undefended civilians here." Corwin's usually more reserved during trump contacts and in life; this is probably the first time Garrett has seen or felt one of his Uncles this upset. "Do you know where Bleys is? Is he with Fiona?"

Oddly, Corwin's agitation helps to resolve the nerves that had been swirling in Garrett's stomach since he first heard of the impending attack. It reminds him of Donovan's demeanor in the hours before the Sundering, and it steadies him. He nods once as Corwin speaks about the defense of the city, then answers in a solid voice, "Last I knew, Bleys was in the city. I haven't seen him since the dance. Fiona was with the King, trying to break the spell he was under. Did you hear about that?"

"Yes," Corwin says. "We have to deal with the immediate Moonrider threat first, though. I know he's your father, but if Fiona, with or without Bleys, can't solve it, it's over your head and Martin's. You have to stay safe through all this. Try to keep your brother from doing anything too risky." His tone and the sense coming through the Trump connection make that an order.

Garrett's lip twitches at the thought of keeping Martin from doing anything he sets his mind to, but he stills it and replies seriously, "I understand, Uncle. Martin said much the same himself, except he thought the two of us should split up. I don't know if he meant within Xanadu or to different realms entirely. That's why I asked about Paris."

"You're welcome in Paris," says Corwin, "either or both of you, and anyone else who needs that refuge. It's how you get there that's the problem."

While Corwin is speaking, Fletcher announces, "Benedict is engaged in Avalon and suggests all reinforcements be deployed in Xanadu while he will hold Avalon against what he is certain is only a secondary force."

Seconds later, Edan moves past Garrett and picks up the cage and zombie head on the way. Not wanting to interrupt the Trump conversation, he merely jerks his head in Martin's direction and then gestures to Garrett for good luck, or some kind of benediction.

And Martin and Folly have Lark in hand and are going to Hannah, with Fletcher moving to intercept. Martin gestures to Garrett to join them.

"Thank you, Uncle," Garrett says. He looks away briefly as he takes in Fletcher's message and Edan's activity. He nods at Martin.

"We just had word that Benedict is engaged in Avalon and wants reinforcements sent to Xanadu. He feels he's fighting a secondary force," Garrett reports. "You're likely to get busier soon and people are starting to move here as well. Good luck, Uncle. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing for now," says Corwin, "but contact me if you need me. And tell everyone there that Paris is open as a refuge. Including," he says, and Garrett can feel a bit of tooth-gritting emotion through the contact, "Solange."

"I will. Thank you, Uncle," Garrett replies, and ends the contact.

Hannah focuses back on Gerard. "Solange didn't bring Kyril with her, did she? I'm ready to start taking anything and anyone you have to give me. Anything we can use for triage flags, too."

"Kyril's fetching bandages and medical supplies for me so I can pass them through to you," Gerard explains. "I sent Scamp along to make sure everything is sent straight here. I've got some things I keep here packaged up for you." He reaches for what looks like a medical case to Hannah and moves to pass it through. "Triage flags I'll have to come up with something for."

While Gerard is talking, Fletcher announces, "Benedict is engaged in Avalon and suggests all reinforcements be deployed in Xanadu while he will hold Avalon against what he is certain is only a secondary force."

Hannah repeats what Fletcher just said verbatim as soon as Gerard finishes so she doesn't lose the words. She takes the go-bag Gerard has ready with a grin. "Triage flags, throw me 3 or 4 colors of dresses or shirts and we'll make do, or even paint, and I'll take anyone fourteen and older who is willing to drag screaming warriors and dead ones around, or who can sew... You don't think Moonriders will have guns, do you?"

"I hope not," Gerard says, sounding horrified. "I think they're committed to honor and single combat and the like." He turns to speak to someone not in the contact. "Get me a couple of dresses from the lady Corvis' wardrobe. Older ones, the red and the yellow," he tells someone.

"Well," she tells Gerard, "I've got Folly coming over with Lark, and Fletcher, who was talking to Benedict. It looks like Solange is with Signy. I daresay they'll be following on Edan's heels. Is there any reason you know I shouldn't use water from the spring here at the grove to clean wounds? It's not actually... special or corrupt in any way, is it?"

"I've not been there, but so far as I know, no. If it's a sacred place, and it may be, I'd say keep blood from the spring, but you know that already," Gerard says. "But by the same token, it should be good for infected wounds and the like if the Unicorn has blessed it."

"It feels sacred to me, but that could be my state of mind, wishful thinking, or recent blood loss talking. It's an easy enough thing to test." She glances back at the water, over at the cousins who are coming, and with a sigh back and Gerard. "I did just coat Edan in it, on some level. I like the notion." She holds an arm out for dresses. "If you see Brij around, she'll be good for helping triage. We touched, very briefly I think, on mass-casualty events." This last she notes quietly as the child is getting closer.

Folly is talking quietly to Lark while the men confer, so they have a moment.

"I'll send for her as well," Gerard says. "And I don't doubt it's sacred if it's the counterpart to the Grove-- ah," he says. "Kyril's here. Let me hand him through."

Hannah reaches for Kyril's hand with a bit of a self-conscious smile. "Doctor," she acknowledges. She gives his hand a squeeze she means to be reassuring. "We're working from scratch, maybe in sacred space, don't get blood in the spring but the spring may be good for disinfecting. I thought we'd triage by color. We can talk levels in just a minute. I hope." She glances briefly at the other folks.

Kyril steps through and looks a little relieved that he's not stepping into a battlefield. His eyes narrow as he sees the other group, and Solange bounds up to it from her own arrival by Trump.

"Uncle, a gross of morphine and needles wouldn't go amiss either," she adds to Gerard. She sighs and shifts uncomfortably. "I'm going to have to feed the baby before he comes through or we're both going to be put out. Have you ever had a baby in a trump contact? Should I be keeping him out of them as much as possible?"

"I never have, and certainly not an infant without his mother," Gerard says. "Ar far as I know the prohibition's only against making Trumps of children, not against walking them through it. Remember we've never had so many children as there are now, and certainly no small ones about." In the contact, Hannah can sense his worries and the concerns he's had about children being exposed to his brothers and sisters.

Hannah lets her feelings reflect his back and more. "Yes, it concerns me what effects it has on brain development, and he's already been through one today, though with me. Not counting pre-birth trump transportation. Right now everything is elasticus but I'd rather not experiment on him. I will nail down more things here, and feed this child, and you can pile up more stock and I'll call you, again, when there is less of a crowd and things settle, or when it's a dire emergency. Maybe you'll hear something I haven't between time."

Gerard agrees and she releases the contact.

Noticing Lark is talking to her mama, Hannah turn to Kyril before the groups merge. "Kyril, I hate asking you to do this. Will you be ok? Do I need to assign you a minder in case it's too much?" she asks quietly enough that no one else will hear. She quirks a smile. "Try to answer without pride. I, myself, expect to give out at some point. It's already been a long day."

"You shouldn't be doing this, not fresh from childbed," Kyril opines, clearly irritated that she does. "But we do what we have to. I'm at least fresh and rested. As for me, this isn't my first rodeo. I didn't get my stars at headquarters."

Kyril looks at Hannah and realizes he's lapsed into the customary speech of his own home and she's probably not entirely with him. "I was with a mobile hospital unit during a war," he explains. "Not swords and pikes, though, just guns and artillery. The injuries are different but the principles are similar. I'll be all right. You tap out if you need to and I'll take charge. Do we even know what we're expecting?"

She shakes her head. "Hoping for swords and pikes, but," she shrugs, and winces, "magical injuries too, and I have never dealt with those in the physical world. Truth be told, I'd rather be on my comfortable chaise greeting well-wishers between feedings and naps. But I got to bathe and I feel good for now. If we have to wait for action, I'm going to nap."

When Fletcher releases the contact, he sees that Solange has joined them, presumably through a Trump, and Signy and Garrett are still engaged in conversations through their own Trumps. Edan is talking to Martin and Folly. Hannah is also in a Trump conversation and Lark has the baby strapped to her.

Fletcher clears his throat as he puts the trump away. He announces to the group at large, "Benedict is engaged in Avalon and suggests all reinforcements be deployed in Xanadu while he will hold Avalon against what he is certain is only a secondary force."

Lark has the baby bound to her body and is running to her parents; Martin and Folly are talking to Edan and Fletcher thinks Martin is giving Edan instructions; Hannah and Garrett are still engrossed in their Trump conversations. The box of zombie head is with Garrett and is occasionally rattling. Signy is also still engrossed in her con versation but another armored figure, a woman (Solange, if Fletcher knows her on sight) has stepped through.

Fletcher walks over to Martin, Folly and Edan, not intending to interrupt the Prince.

Edan breaks off, gets the head from Garrett, and heads off. Martin and Folly (and Lark, now) are moving to join Hannah. They gesture to Garrett to join them.

Fletcher looks from Martin to Folly to Lark and back to Martin. "As I suspected, Dad's already pinned down fighting. He says he'll hold, and that he's just facing a distraction. The big show is in Xanadu. What've we got to stand against them?"

"Sounds like the Castle and the City are being raised, but we have family at the steps to hold the lines and a force of Rangers. This is going to be a staging point and triage for the wounded. It's not defensible--" which Martin clearly doesn't like "--but Folly and the children will be evacuating and one way or the other they'll be safe. The action's going to be at the steps." He gestures to the remaining horses as if to suggest that that may be Fletcher's route to the action.

Having finished his trump call, Garrett trots over to catch up with the rest of the group. "So Edan has the head now?" he asks in confirmation. He's not complaining.

"Yeah, he's getting rid of it," Martin says, "since our original plan isn't working. And I have a job for you, Garrett, since we need to separate. Did anyone talk to Julian?"

Martin says, "He's got it. Or has already destroyed it. One of the two." Before he can elaborate, Solange bounds up, in armor and with a shield and blade.

She says, "Dad is sending supplies and I'm here to defend the wounded, if there are any, or go to the fight."

Martin nods once, and says, "Good. We may need you." Then he turns back to Garrett and says, "We can't both be on the field, and we have to get Folly and Lark away from here. Will you take them to Rebma until this is over?"

Fletcher spares enough attention to follow the Prince's plans, while he silently runs through Pattern mnemonics as a warm up for the action to come.

Garrett seems slightly surprised at the direction, but nods once. "I can do that," he assents. "Corwin offered Paris as refuge as well, but said it might be tough to get there with no trump users on the other end. He is in the city now handling the defense of Xanadu.

"I've never been to Rebma," Garrett continues. "What should I know?"

"Keep your Trumps and any paper goods in a watertight pouch, be sure to chew with your mouth closed, and use a thrusting weapon--spear or trident--if you get into combat instead of a slashing weapon. Trust Celina and Llewella and nobody else in the way of natives. Also the women are all going to want you to sire their children and I assume you don't need the rest of that lecture. All right?" Martin asks.

Solange is carefully not saying anything.

"Right," Garrett replies with a grimace of discomfort. "And what about Lark? Should we be watching for..." Another grimace, "...complications...from the other side of your family?"

Martin frowns. "I don't know where they are. The other side of the family, I mean. I think Celina took Valeria back with her; she's Jerod's sister on his mother's side so she's my cousin that way too. The rest are either out of Rebma or too distant to worry about specifically. Lark is going to be under Celina's protection, ideally, so you'll have to invoke her name. You're young and a man, so even with Amber blood, you're second class. Plus Folly will be there to watch out for her."

Folly, meanwhile, is kneeling, has her eyes closed and her palm flat against the ground. Lark runs back over to where Hannah and Kyril are talking and he's starting to put up a tent.

At the mention of Folly, Garrett glances in her direction in time to see her make a fist with her free hand, her other hand still on the ground. "What's she doing?" Garrett says, frowning quizzically.

"Hush," says Martin, quietly, but not fussed, and holds up his hand the way he would if distracted by a Trump contact.

To Fletcher, who is attuned to the Pattern in the old way, she's clearly doing something, or trying to do something, but it's not clear what. She might be being subtle or what she's doing isn't directed at him.

Garrett doesn't have the senses that Fletcher has and he's not using the Pattern actively or passively, but he doesn't feel like there's anything wrong with what Folly's doing. If he had to say one way or the other, in fact, Garrett would say it was something good or right.

Solange has stepped away to go to Kyril but either Martin's gesture has clued her in or Folly's has, because she falls silent too.

While Martin is talking, Folly begins carefully undoing Swanhilde's clasps and working the dress off her child and out from under the sling without, she hopes, disturbing the baby. As she leans in close to Lark, she asks, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Mama, I think Granda Syd is calling you," she whispers.

Under her breath, Folly mutters a word or two she's told Lark they're not supposed to say in polite company. Then, quietly, she says, "I think you're right -- but he's trapped somehow and I haven't figured out yet how to get to him. Do you have any ideas? Where do you hear him calling?"

"He's not here," Lark explains, "but I can hear him. You can find him."

Folly finishes extricating her daughter from the swan dress and kisses her forehead. "I'm going to listen for a minute, okay?" She carefully does not look in the direction of Martin or Garrett.

Still kneeling, she makes sure Lark and the baby are okay and then closes her eyes. At first all she can hear is the roar of her own blood, suddenly too hot for her body. She takes a deep breath, blows it out, and presses her palm lightly to the ground like she's feeling -- listening -- for its heartbeat. His heartbeat.

Folly presses her hand to the bedrock, near the still, clear pool. It's a musician's exercise. Filter out all the sounds but the one she's listening for. It was how engineers and producers heard what was there and sometimes heard the holes in the sound that something needed to fill.

Folly stopped listening to the conversation, the light murmur of the surrounding wood, and the voices of her family, urgently preparing for war. Lastly, she filtered out her own heartbeat, so she could hear the world.

Nothing... nothing... Folly almost gives up when she hears, faintly... something?

It was like a heartbeat. But fast, and the rhythm was wrong. Short-long-short-long, short-long-short-long, short-long-short-long. Getting closer.

Not heartbeats. Hoofbeats.

Folly raises her other hand so it will be visible to Martin, and snaps the fingers shut into a fist -- a musician's cutoff, a signal for immediate silence. She opens her eyes and peers in the direction of the approaching hoofbeats but is otherwise motionless, still kneeling on the ground.

Hannah waves to Lark and tries to motion her over.

Lark is watching her mother do something, possibly magical. Folly's kneeling and has her eyes closed and one hand pressed against the ground, palm-down. Lark looks at Hannah, looks at Folly, and makes a decision to come to Hannah.

"I'm hoping one of these bundles is a tent. The dresses are for triage: red for intense injuries treatable in only for a short window; yellow for intense but has a few hours, bells... Looks like we've got white underskirts..." She'll take a moment with Kyril to work out levels and plan where they'll stage each section.

Kyril finds the tent in the packages and starts to set it up while they discuss what will be needed. This is something he clearly knows how to do on his own so he lets Hannah rest. It seems to Hannah like he's channelling his restless energy that way.

"Mama is trying to talk to Granda Syd. I may have to go help her," Lark explains.

"She's talking to the earth, because the King is the land? I might be able to help too. Just..." Hannah reaches out to slip her tiger off Lark and unceremoniously puts the baby to breast. She lets her jacket protect the men's modestly, to the extent it does, anyway. She leads Lark back over by Folly, quietly and carefully, and sits in silence a few yards away. She doesn't say or do anything, but wants to be close if Folly needs her, or if Lark tries something dangerous. She does re-sling the baby, and moves him across as soon as she cleanly can. She wants her hands free.

Kyril continues working and Solange joins him. They're both silent, as is the other group in the grove.

The grove stills; even Lark and the baby become unnaturally silent. The wind does not move the grass or trees and the horses are still as well.

Folly tries to isolate and choose a direction from which the sound comes, but it's hard with such a low sound transmitted by the ground. After a moment when Folly isn't sure if she was hearing her own heartbeat, she hears it with her ears.

Everyone does. Louder, louder, louder, the sound of the hoofbeats come. Like a spell, no one speaks as the sound overwhelms the grove.

She appears, silhouetted in a beam of moonlight, a graceful white creature suddenly on the rock above the pool. Her horn glistens like a pearl, and her coat was delicate and wild around her hooves and mane and tail.

Martin draws his blade. He steps to the edge of the group toward Her and goes to one knee, with his blade point resting on the ground.

She leaps, and no equine creature has ever been as lithe and athletic as the family patron and, if rumor was true, ancestress. She lands lightly, just beyond the edge of the pool. As quickly as she arrived, she is gone, a flash of white heading in the same direction as the forces gathered at the stair.

Those who have seen the unicorn before know the feeling of loss at her departure, and the sense of being allowed to breathe again. Those who have seen her for the first time experience those things for the first time.

Folly rises slowly, still listening intently and following her instincts. She walks in the direction the unicorn seems to lead, seemingly oblivious to everyone else gathered nearby.

Hannah sighs, and her small smile is the kind one wears after sending her lover off to war. She brings the baby round so she can look at him. She whispers, "Born on Battle's Eve, Comes to see the Unicorn. You are having a momentous day you will never remember. That was your mother's mother's father's mother, and your father's father's father's mother. Welcome to the tanglewood." She gently resettles the baby and clothing to the other side.

She looks over at Lark. "Is that the first time you've seen her?" Hannah asks. "It's always sad when she leaves."

Lark is crying, but not noisily. Just leaking tears. She takes Hannah's hand, because Hannah is right here and her mother is still apparently busy.

Hannah pulls on Lark's hand and will welcome her under her free arm if she'll come. "She came to get me, back where I was born. She brought me to Amber to heal her Gryffon. His name is Wixer. He is so beautiful. He has purple feathers, but he's also complicated, the way Gryffons are..." Hannah will happily finish getting the baby fed and tell Lark the story of meeting Wixer and splinting his leg to distract Lark from sadness and the adults doing the planning. If she need go on awhile, she'll go into Brita and how Brita smells family and other things and how Brita is a water goddess of her world... and will whole cloth make up stories about Brita and water cleansing adventures.

Lark listens intently to the story of Wixer for a while.

Garrett, mesmerized, goes to his knees in the spot where he had been standing. His hands rest limp in his lap. "Wow," is all he can breathe, his mouth dry. He gazes after the most beautiful creature he has ever seen, unable to take his eyes from where she departed, though he knows she will not return.

Martin is coming to his feet too. "I feel like I ought to wait to send you on but I don't want you to get stuck here and have to make a hard decision," he tells Garrett. "Do you want to wait and chance it, or do you want to go on ahead with Lark, if not Folly?"

Fletcher looks up from his meditation and for a moment there is a faint glow around his lapel pin and along the blade of his drawn sword. He makes what might be an ancient gesture of prayer and, still looking at the path taken by the Unicorn, he moves to stand by Martin. He might seem taller. He might not be slouching. He says, "Time to go where we're needed, your highness."

Garrett rises as well and walks over next to Martin. "I don't want Lark in the middle if things blow up," Garrett says firmly. He pauses though, watching Folly for a moment to see where she might be going.

She pauses at the edge of the pool, still listening, and toes off her boots so she can feel the earth and its vibrations through the soles of her feet. Then, in bare feet and a psychedelic-patterned tunic dress, under the light of a few-days-past-full moon, she walks into the trees following the path of a unicorn like the blacklight poster of which all others are but shadows.

Her senses and her intuition are open to anything that might be an answer to her question, the one she hopes the unicorn came to help her solve.

The Unicorn is gone, and though Folly's senses are open, she can't sense anything specific. Folly can follow Her towards the stair, but Folly is not as fast as a heraldic beast.

"I'll take her to Rebma myself if need be," he says more softly, leaning in closer to Martin so his voice doesn't disturb Folly. "Unless you think I should wait for..." he nods in Folly's direction.

"I think you should go. Folly's got too many things to do. I'll catch up with you when I can--I think my original plan just got derailed." Martin turns to Fletcher. "You go on with Folly, please, and one or more of us will catch up, I need to confer with our healers and physicians."

Next Martin looks round to the rest of the group. "Time to decide whether we're going or staying. I'm not convinced there's going to be a battle now. Or it's already happened and we're just waiting for the fallout."

Lark looks at Hannah for instructions, since her mother has clearly headed off on other business and Martin seems to be looking to Hannah and the others for some sort of decision.

Hannah gets herself up and smiles reassuringly at Lark. She glances at Kyril and with half a shrug turns back to Martin. "Preparing for battle wounded is not a wasted exercise, battle or no battle. We need the walk-through. I'd like to see the children in a defensive structure though. Gerard has offered to take them. He's waiting for me to call back. I'm waiting to find out if Lark is going too." Hannah grins down at her not quite dressed relative and attempts to smooth Lark's hair back out of her face.

"Gerard is a good choice, but he's still _here_. And so are they," Garrett says to Hannah, hoping that she'll get his meaning without having to get more specific around the young ears. "Martin wants Lark farther away."

He turns to his niece and grins. "What d'ya say, kiddo? Feel like goin' swimmin'?"

Lark starts to strip off on the spot. "Yes, Uncle Garrett!"

"Whoa!" Garrett commands, as if reprimanding a fractious pony. "Clothes on until we get to Rebma," he adds with a quirky smile.

"Ah," Hannah nods. She looks between Garrett and Martin and then glances at Lark and smiles like she can't help herself. "Well, then, I guess it's going to be the boys club up in there. Unless either of you have a deep suspicion that it's a dangerous idea for the baby to be up there." Her smile slips away.

"Nothing is perfectly safe," Martin says, "but the threat of the castle to my child is still different to the threat to yours, no offense, Hannah. Solange, can you take charge of the Trumping necessary? I need to make sure my wife doesn't do something crazy."

Although she is still standing apart from the group and staring into the woods with her back to them, Martin faintly hears what sounds like his wife's voice asking, "...define crazy."

Martin rolls his eyes.

"I've got it," Solange replies. "And Hannah, if you need to go to Rebma, we'll arrange things so you can come back."

"Nope. Staying here. And damn all, this baby is staying with me. I just can't bear to hand him off yet. I hope Gerard managed to get the baby things." Hannah takes a breath. "Does anyone need anything from Gerard? Last chance!" Hannah calls to the remaining group.

"Yeah," Garrett answers Hannah. "Does he have anything that will keep trumps dry in Rebma?"

"Oilskin pouch," Martin, who has been gathering his own Trumps back, says. He turns back to Hannah. "May the Unicorn watch over you and your son until we meet again," and to Lark, "Be good to your Uncle Garrett while he's watching over you. I'll be there in a day or two, or as fast as I can anyway. Garrett, before I forget: ask Llewella to summon Atrios."

"And you and yours Martin. It is a good sign that she has come," Hannah says reassuringly.

Lark clearly doesn't like it that Martin is leaving but she takes Garrett's hand. "Bye Daddy, see you soon!" she says bravely.

"Soon," Martin agrees, and he's on his way up the mountain to catch up with Folly and Fletcher.

Fletcher strides to Folly's side by the pool.

He turns at Garret's words, and says, "Oh yeah. You probably want this back." He flings the Garrett-provide trump of Benedict so that it flits through the air to Garrett. He's still not admitting he has his own trump of Benedict, so he turns to Folly and asks, "Shall we run off into the woods? I suspect the path is uphill and ends in Stairs."

Folly bites her lip thoughtfully. After a moment, she asks Fletcher, "Am I remembering correctly that you were... Church of the Unicorn, back in the day?" She says it with the hesitation of someone who is only mostly sure she has named it correctly. "What do you take her visit to mean?"

Martin is moving to catch up with them but Fletcher will have time to answer before he catches up.

Folly, perhaps hearing his footsteps, turns to face him. She has withdrawn her trump case from her pocket and is thumbing out a card, one-handed, by touch. She angles the case so he can see what she's doing, although in the moonlight, at that distance, it's impossible to tell what card she's selected.

"She wasn't going down," Martin points out to Folly. "She was going up." He glances at Fletcher, perhaps hoping that he'll understand what Martin is getting at even if Folly doesn't.

Folly nods, and as Martin gets closer he can see she is holding Brennan's card. She doesn't immediately move to use it, though. "I think I have an idea what I'm supposed to try," she says, "and I think there's still time to catch up." She gestures forward and sets off with purpose.

"Then let's get a move on," Martin says. He does not add anything else, even though to Folly's eyes he's clearly thinking it.

Hannah grins at Lark. "I really enjoyed learning to eat in Rebma. The Tritons are amazing... just huge. Let me get Gerard, the deliver of things people need." Hannah makes sure there isn't any skin contact with the baby, and once again trumps Gerard.

Gerard accepts the contact at once. "What news? I got as many things as I could, and Corvis is here to take the child." He looks like he's ready to start shoving items through the contact.

Meanwhile Solange is fishing out her own cards so she can Trump Llewella for Garrett.

Hannah holds up her free hand so he doesn't start passing yet. "The Unicorn was just here." She smiles so big, she can't help it. "I do need oilskin because I have folks going to Rebma. We're going to run through mass-casualty prep whether we have such or no, and please tell Corvis to forgive me, but I had decided I can't have the baby away from me yet. All I will do is think of him. So I hope you found the cradle board." She is now ready to accept whatever/whomever he has to pass through.

Garrett smiles too at the mention of the Unicorn. He keeps an eye on Lark while he waits patiently for the supplies to arrive from Gerard.

Gerard starts to hand through the board for the baby when he actually comprehends what Hannah said and the look on her face. "Wait, what?"

Solange is shuffling out her card for Llewella, and says in a low voice to Garrett, "Let me know when you're ready." Kyril looks like he has a lot of questions that he's going to want answers to. But not right now.

And Lark is annoyed that she can't be naked and jump in the pool.

"The Unicorn was here, came up over the Spring and then headed uphill, one assumes to the battle. Is that what you meant?". Hannah gestures for the cradleboard impatiently.

"Did she tell any of you what she wanted?" Gerard asks as he hands through the cradleboard.

Garrett squats down to Lark's level and says, "Why don't you grab the oilskin from Cousin Hannah when Uncle Gerard sends it through. We'll need that in Rebma. I'll wait here by Cousin Solange so she can send us through when we have it."

"Okay, Uncle Garrett," Lark agrees and runs off to Hannah.

Solange says to Garrett, "She does better when she's got something to do. I see you've already figured that out, though."

"I have little sisters," Garrett says with a long-suffering smirk.

Hannah grins at Gerard. "Not that I know of. She's not much for conversation, and it was not a 'follow me' gesture, like it was last time. I know that one. I suspect she was just coming through, or wanted to see Lark and the baby, or some such. Is anything going on in the palace? Do people realize things are happening?" she asks.

Garrett's attention turns to Hannah. He's interested in the answer to that last question too.

Lark has come to join Hannah, waiting for the oilskin to come through. She apparently knows enough about Trump contacts to recognize one and stay out of it.

Through the connection, Gerard says, "Oh, aye, they'd know something is going on if only through me getting things ready to send to you. The castle's defenses are ready, and I've spoken to Corwin in the city, so we're as coordinated as can be. Though who knows what the Unicorn will do?"

Solange and Kyril are paying close attention to Hannah's end of the conversation as well.

"I'm glad to hear the defenses are up. I dearly hope Grandmother is either effecting peace or leading the first charge." She glances at Lark, then back at Gerard. "I did say oilskin, right? I have to admit half my attention is on listening for approaches."

Gerard nods, and hands her an oilskin pouch. Corvis flickers into the contact for a mere second before disappearing. She must've touched her husband's hand.

Hannah hands this down to Lark.

"You'll do well enow. Tis more warning than that lot gae us th' last time. Belike, they're up to summat." Gerard gets no farther than basic suspicion before he changes the subject. "Is there aught else you need? You can always Trump later if you need more."

"If we need you, we will call," she smiles. "Thank you uncle." Hannah passes her hand over the card.

She immediately sits with a very relieved smile and starts the process of rewrapping the tiger to suit the cradleboard. The cradleboard is a work of art, with plenty of height to protect the baby's head. A flight of ravens crosses the blue sky on the inside of the headboard, while on the back a white raven sits on a branch beneath the black sky of night, illuminated by the moon and the blue fire that burns along the branch. The bird is looking back over its shoulder, seemingly on guard. The body of the cradle is cloth-wrapped in teal and heavily beaded with the forms of animals: bears, horses, cougars, wolves, gryffins, coyotes, octopi, buffalo and deer. They are all connected by clear glass beads that reflect blue when they catch the light.

Lark runs over to Garrett and passes him the oilskin while Hannah is preparing the baby and the cradleboard.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Garrett says as he takes the oilskin from his niece. He takes a moment to remove his trump case from his belt, carefully put it unopened into the oilskin pouch and fasten it tightly back where it belongs.

He clasps Lark's hand tightly in his own. "Hold tight, kiddo. This is gonna be a new adventure for both of us." Then he turns to Solange.

"Ready."

"It's going to be amazing. You'll love it." Hannah says, picking up the baby and stepping out of the way, over to Kyril.