Lighthouse Landing

Dawn comes as Skilbladnir sails in the cool southern winter waters. Brita thinks it will not rain, and there is very little wind. First seems interested in the ship. "We are horse-people, and few of us sail. Father insisted I learn, as part of my education, but I have not spent much time at it."

Cabra is not far. But as the light gets clearer, Brita spies a sail on the horizon, and thinks they will cross paths.

"Heh." Robin comments as she walks up to the two. "You're up on me. I learned to swim, steer a canoe or a raft, but sailing?" She shrugs, but smiles fondly as she thinks of the Psyche and her Sailor.

Vere smiles and holds out a hand to Robin. "I confess it is good to be on a ship once again," he answers. Turning back to First he says, "My mother's people are both riders and sailors. It is a necessity, when one's land is an archipelago."

Robin beams back at him as she takes his hand. Happy Vere equals happy Robin.

First nods. "Our people were knights, before we were in exile, and we tended to keep to places where we could ride. Father believes you cannot win a war without understanding your enemies, and he wanted me to understand seafarers."

He looks out at the distant sail, then brings his other hand to his eye, curling his fingers to form a circle. He peers through it, using the Principle of Space to get a closeup view of the other ship.

"What do You See?" Brita asks Vere. She Wills Skidbladnir to a stall to see if the other ship adjusts course any.

It's a sloop. Sleek, well-proportioned, and flying Amber's flag. It might be Cabra's supply boat. It reminds Vere quite a bit of the Psyche.

"A sloop," Vere answers. "Small, could be sailed by a single person, more likely two or three. Certainly should not have more than a handful of sailors. It flies the colours of Amber." He drops his hand and looks at Brita. "Your ship, your command, your decision, Cousin."

Robin nods her concurrence. Though she is gadging distance, platform movement and wind direction/speed with an archer's eye.

First looks at the ship, and then at Brita. "You may be causing them a certain fright. A ship sailing with the wind at her back will not be able to predict where a ship sailing directly into the wind is going. They may be more concerned about your magic than about piracy or such."

Brita nods in acknowledgment as Skidbladnir begins its movement towards the lighthouse again. "We Will meet with The Sloop at The Lighthouse. We Raise Realm Xanadu's Colors." And she matches words to her Will for Skidbladnir.

Vere nods, and keeps an eye on the other ship as they continue towards the lighthouse.

The sloop sails onward on a course to meet with Skidbladnir at the Lighthouse of Cabra.

First also watches the sloop. She turns to Vere. "Why is there a lighthouse on this island? What danger is there to shipping that Amber's fleet could not just bypass?"

Vere smiles pleasantly, and does not answer that he is not about to tell a potential adversary of Amber and Xanadu anything that would help them approach Amber's harbour safely. Instead, he says, "It marks the way to Amber for ships returning home, and warns those who do not know the waters well that there is an island here by night and in heavy fog."

First nods, "I see," she says.

Robin sighs. "We're probably going to have to check in with The Regent - or at least some of his crew - eventually..." Caine is definitely moving up on her Least Favorite Uncle's list. Not the top yet, but getting there.

Skinbladr approaches the jetty at Cabra at a good pace, slowed only by Brita's ability to navigate the between the Cabra rocks. It's a tricky landing, but the ability to control the ship as precisely as she can means Brita lands first.

The new ship, identified as "The Patience", apparently knows the waters around Cabra quite well. She docks while Skinbladr is still tying up. She has a crew of three, all of whom could easily be from Amber, or at least her dockside.

"Hello, the pier!," shouts a sailor on the Patience. "Can we get a hand from the jetty to dock up?"

Vere lends his aid to The Patience, taking the opportunity to look over the three crew members to see if he recognizes any of them from his time in Amber.

One is a young officer. Sharp looking, clean-shaven, sharply dressed, on his way up in the service. Vere might have seen him at the Naval. He probably reported to M or Caine.

The others are Amber tars, and not memorable ones.

"Thank you, Captain," says the officer. "I didn't know we'd have high-ranking help on our supply run."

"How were Your Travels?" Brita asks. "How fares Kingdom Amber?"

"Passing well, Lady Brita. Trade is picking up and the Regent wanted the lighthouse inspected. We weren't even sure we'd find anyone here."

Vere looks over the officer and sailors, and the cargo that he can see, for anything that strikes a discordant note or seems out of place. He isn't expecting anything, but it's a habit of his to look for it.

The supplies seem to be for long-term use, rather than perishables.

Robin smiles at her Cousin and her Love. If they've got the ship, crew and situation, then she's got the guest/prisoner/hostage person. She stays near First to the Fray (and what a *great* name that is) just keeping an eye out.

First is listening to the Amber officer speak about his mission and smiling faintly.

Robin's also keeping an eye out for Seagulls, 'cause sooner or later they will make good combat practice for the firelizards...

Yes, there are an abundance of birds. While Cabra itself is low and flat, the nearby sea stacks are free from predators and those are excellent nesting grounds. Cabra was named for and still has populations of feral goats which live on the island.

Mmmm, goat. Not as good as Arcadian boar, but Robin's looking forward to some less ... tortured cooking.

Vere asks, "And what became of ... Jopin, was it not? The former keeper of the Lighthouse? He had served here long, as I recall."

The Captain looks up at the light. "We don't know. Light's not lit, but it's daylight yet. He could've lived off goat and eggs for years or he may have died or abandoned his post. We'll see when we head up the path.

"Either way, I have orders from The Regent on how to handle it."

"What are The Amber Regent's Directions?" Brita asks as she hops off Skidbladnir and onto the pier. She too looks up at the Lighthouse, an assessing gaze. Does it look abandoned in any way?

It's not lit. Lighthouses are, in Amber (Editor: as in New Jersey), tall and built to be pummeled by storms at sea and still show a light. In order to look abandoned, it would have to be falling into the sea. They'll need to get closer to tell.

He smiles. "I'll know after I open them, Lady Brita."

Vere nods politely to the sailors as Brita takes over the conversation, and he walks back to stand near First to the Fray, watching her without appearing to do so.

She smiles. "Your cousin's ship is remarkable. I'm surprised it survives so many shadow traversals."

Vere nods. "Indeed. The existence of such artifacts capable of operating in multiple shadows has intriguing implications. I am not familiar with enough of them to formulate even a basic hypothesis regarding how this is achieved. Have you encountered many such items?"

She shakes her head. "My people lead an austere life, making and leaving behind anything that cannot be transported on horseback. Strong magics are either very specific to one shadow or else extremely valuable. Those that do not tie one to a spot are more so."

"Logical," Vere acknowledges. "And practical, as well."

Robin nods her agreement as well. Rangers tend to just take what they can carry as well. Though, given the number of strong, transportable magics her Family carries around - possibly good potential trading items. If First's and her folks weren't trying to kill one another that is.

She nods. "Necessary, given our separation from our home. We are a wandering people. We met many people with very different views during our travels. Some thought magic inherently made people better, others thought it was a curse, because it gave weak people too much power over the strong."

Brita stares for a moment at the sailor, trying to process why the instructions would need to be opened. Finally, she shakes her head, turns and strides towards the lighthouse to open mystery box number one.

Robin grins. She loves her Cousin so much.

Vere nods after Brita, and says to First to the Fray, "Let us follow."

As Vere takes up station on First, Robin nods to him that she'll stay here and keep an eye on ships and Caine-type people. Though he is most definitely not to have any violent-style fun without inviting her.

First follows along and they take the winding path from the jetty to the lighthouse. The tower is tall, perhaps 400 feet to the top, and the keeper's house is attached. It is made of white stone, or else the sea bleached it white. The design looks to be built for strength rather than picturesqueness.

The garden to the side of the lighthouse is overgrown with weeds and full of dead plants and the door is firmly locked.

The captain looks at Brita and Vere. "Would your Ladyship or his Lordship care to break down the door? It will take longer if my men need to construct a ram."

Vere nods and steps up to the door. He opens his third eye and examines it first, looking for any sign of trap or spell upon it. Assuming he finds nothing unusual he kicks the door with his full strength.

Brita, given the state of the gardens, is certain there is a high probability that the lock (if any) and hinges are rusty with lack of use and the environment, increasing the probability they will fail easily.

Robin and her faire are just looking around with a cheerful smile and a hawk's eye. Inside, she's happy Vere got to kick something. He doesn't get enough of that in his life, in her opinion. That's definitely something she can help with.

The door, meant to withstand a storm on the sea, is no match for an Amberite boot. There's a sturdy interior door that leads to the attached cottage, steps leading up into the darkness, and, unexpectedly, steps leading down.

"Seaman Vigor, Seaman Pliant, secure the door." The captain looks around the room while his sailors try to repair the entrance. It's hard to tell how long it's been unused. There's not much to go on in the lower chamber, just several empty crates.

First peers in as well. "Well, I have to say that you all are masters at the unexpected. This isn't a place I'd've thought I'd be taken to at all."

"Travels with the Lords and Ladies of Order are always adventures," Vere replies deadpan, as he examines the room carefully.

A muffled snort of laughter escapes Robin. She hasn't hit her Love with a wall of water this time - yet. But the day is still young and the environment promising.

She nods. "I shall attempt to accustom myself to constant excitement and uncertainty."

Brita looks first at the upward stairs and then at the unexpected downward set. She glances to Robin and inclines her head towards the latter. "Best to See What Lies beneath before Searching the Light House." She then strides to the stairs and begins her way down. She opens her Third Eye, as Masters Reid and Brennan taught her, to examine the unexpected.

Robin grins back. With a nod of her head, she hands the overwatch job to Vere. The Ranger also asks her faire that the adventurous Ooot should stay outside on watch, the gallant Chirrup should stay with Vere and the bold Peep should accompany her and Brita.

Robin's got all sorts of knives handy as she follows Brita down the stairs.

"May I send Seaman Vigor with you to carry your lantern?" asks the captain. The sailor picks of a lantern from the table in anticipation of his task.

"Pliant, please search the keeper's cottage." He turns to Vere. "My Lord, I am going up the stairs, will you accompany me?"

Vere tilts his head slightly at the captain's words, then looks at Brita. "Cousin, your words 'before searching the light house' imply to me that you wish us to remain in this chamber while you look below. Is that correct?" He looks back at the captain. "We shall defer to Lady Brita's desires on this matter."

Brita has paused at the top of the stairs to glance back at the captain with an almost suspicious look. She allows the Seaman to approach but says to him, "Keep the Light Hooded for Now." To Vere she says, "Ideally, we would Not Overly Split the party." She turns to Robin to ask, "Can Your Companions communicate While Apart? If They can be the Messengers, We Could Speed Up the exploration."

"Intense emotions, yes. Words or pictures...." Robin shrugs, "not yet."

Brita nods in understanding and turns to Chirrup to say, "Please Alert to any Danger on Your End with The Mate and We will Do the Same through Your Queen." To Vere she adds, "Stay Grounded in the Here."

Chirrup says "Chirrup!"

Robin nods approvingly.

Vere nods. "Understood," he says. Turning back to the captain he says, "We shall follow Lady Brita's instructions and remain in this room while she and Lady Robin search below. Once they return we can go upwards." If he has picked up on the captain's body language he gives no sign of it.

Brita has her head cocked to the side and brow furrowed as she works out how Vere got those instructions out of what she said and then it dawns on her. "Wherever you Go, Remain in This Place," and she twirls a finger around to encompass the lighthouse. Having straighten that out to her satisfaction, she gives a brief nod to Vere and the Captain, turns and starts down the stairs with a brief "We Will be Quick" to all in the room.

Robin starts down after Brita, covering her.

Vere watches as they descend, then waits a few moments longer. When there is no immediate sound of combat he relaxes fractionally, and turns to the captain. "You wish to ascend now?" he enquires.

The captain nods. "Yes, My Lord, I'm sure Prince Caine would have explained what he wanted us to do if you were present, had he considered the possibility. If, for instance, the lighthouse is currently functional and unmanned, I want to have as much time before nightfall to get it re-lit, if those happen to be my orders.

"Once I know my mission, we can discuss next steps."

Vere nods. "Carry on, then. I will accompany you."

"Thank you, My Lord." The sailor draws a sword, "If we need these, we don't want to be impeded by the stair. Please follow me."

He heads up the stairs, pausing to observe the landings as he ascends. There are 344 steps to the Cabra light and the original stone has been worn down by countless generations of keepers climbing it for years. The patches have patches and it's hard to imagine how many times it has been repaired, or how much oil has come up here.

The light deck is sparse, and protected by heavy glass. It's not easy to see through, but it's designed to pass light, and that it does.

The fresnel lens is not in place, limiting the effectiveness of the lighthouse. There is a keepers logbook, which the captain approaches and opens to the last entry.

"Lens needs repair. When is the supply ship coming? I'm tired of eating goat cheese and potatoes."

The entry was five months ago.

Vere walks slowly around the chamber examining it carefully first with normal vision, looking for anything that might give a clue of what happened here, and then opening his third eye he examines it again for any signs of magical residue, Pattern or Chaotic energies, or anything else out of the ordinary.

Vere detects no magic, or at least nothing recent. It's possible the tower was raised by magic, since it has no visible tooling and is remarkably tall for a lighthouse. The light is visible from Amber, scores of miles to the north, although not from Amber's South Port.

Vere feels a trace of the cold sensation he's come to associate with ghosts, but not directly, and not exactly here.

"I hope they have another lens in stock. We didn't bring one," says the captain.

Vere narrows his eyes thoughtfully, then walks towards the stairs back down to the lower level. He is carefully paying attention to the faint sensation of a ghost, checking to see if it seems to be coming from somewhere below them.

It's definitely somewhere below, but since this is the top of a lighthouse, everything on the island is somewhere below. In Vere's experience ghosts don't wander far from their familiar places, and this is really the only building that there is on the island.

The captain opens an envelope and pulls out a piece of paper. He reads the orders and nods.

"Jopin is relieved of command of the lighthouse. We'll need to find him, or some idea of what happened to him. Shall we rejoin the others, My Lord?"

"Let's see if we can find him, then," Vere says absently, starting back down the stairs.

The captain follows Vere down the stairs.

The cellar contains many things that would be helpful in running a lighthouse; a work bench, tools, rain gear, clothes, non-perishable rations, ropes, pulleys, oil, etc. In one corner is a very large and heavy glass lens. It should make the light visible for many miles, if it could be brought to the top. It's also got a surprising amount of blood on it.

Not that any amount of blood wouldn't be surprising, but this seems excessive.

Robin tchs at the blooded lens. "Guess Uncle Caine does have something to investigate?" is her sanguine (hah!) statement.

Brita examines the lens briefly. Any handprints in the blood? And is it just on the lens or are there any drip marks along the floor? Or scuffle marks (multiple prints in the dust)?

Bloody handprints would explain it well, because the surface is not flat, and the raised edges are more bloody. It could be that someone picked it up, it slid, slicing their hands, and then cut even deeper. Whoever got sliced got sliced seriously.

After her examination, she turns to Robin and asks, "Shall we Join Your Mate to See if there is More Above?"

Robin beams at the words 'Your Mate.' Not 'Husband', 'cause then the universe would smite them. more. But 'mate' works for her.

She nods. "Yep." She figures that while indoors, Brita is probably a better investigator than herself. And she's anxious to get back to First.

Brita gestures Robin to go first and then backs out behind Robin, using her third eye to scan the room again.

Robin precedes Brita up the stairs, this time covering the front.

Brita looks at the room, and to her third eye, it looks vacant. Without casting a spell, it's effectively inert. There's not a living person, other than a few spiders and bugs.

When Robin reaches the top of the stairs, First nods at her. She is alone in the lower chamber.

Brita comes up the stairs as well. She looks towards the stairs up to see if the others are coming down yet.

First looks up, indicating that the others went that way. The inner door is open, probably by the sailor who was told to search the cottage.

Robin smiles and nods back to First. Yep, left her alone with the doors open - and yet, there she is. Robin figured that was the way it was, but it's nice to have it confirmed.

Robin glances up the stairs as well. She can hear calm voices and footsteps; nothing indicating trouble. So she just shrugs to Brita.

Footfalls on the stairs indicate that Vere is coming down.

The sailor who was searching the cottage appears at the inner door, and looks at his compatriot, he shakes his head, slightly.

Vere comes down the stairs and moves aside, leaving room for the captain to follow. He holds up a hand and says "Bide a moment," as he closes his eyes and concentrates, trying to determine if the sense of direction of the spirit comes from further below, or on a level with where he is now.

For a moment Robin wonders if her Love is doing his Sorcery-thing or his Medium-thing. Then she remembers the bloody lens downstairs and guesses that he's doing his Medium-thing. She hopes that this time the dead aren't rude or pushy, but only biding will tell. So she bides.

Brita notes softly, "Best to Check Downstairs, Cousin. There was Blood."

The captain, who was about to speak to his sailors, quiets down at that, waiting to hear more.

Vere nods at Brita's words, and after a second opens his eyes and heads down the steps.

The captain offers to go with Vere.

Vere doesn't respond, verbally or physically, to the captain's offer. He heads down the steps without a word to anyone.

The two sailors talk quietly, and First merely sits and waits.

Brita glances at Robin with a raised eyebrow and a slight angling of her head towards Vere's retreating back. Her stance has relaxed into a 'parade rest' as she is willing to stay up top if Robin opts to take Vere's flank.

Robin smiles to Brita and nods her thanks for the thoughtfulness. And the wordlessness. Giving Chirrup a chirrup of praise for his steadfastness, she does accompany Vere and the captain downstairs.

The bottom seems a typical sea-side storage room, stocked to keep a lighthouse functioning with minimal interaction with the land. Vere quick finds the lens, and the blood.

Vere finds no more traces of the ghost he thinks is present here than there were above. It may be in the house, an outbuilding, or somewhere else entirely.

"He is not here," Vere says. "But somewhere near by." He begins examining the lens, and then moves his search for clues to the entire storage room, using both normal and sorcerous sight. As he searches he asks Robin, "Did you find anything of interest down here other than the blood?"

She shakes her head. "Lighthouse tools. Brita didn't Smell anything odd. I didn't Hear anything out of place either." Robin smiles a little at the capitals in her speech. She sounds like Brita herself when she talks like that.

Vere's examination matches Robin's telling. The lighthouse has been in continuous service for a very long time. It was a major landmark in Amber's trade-paths for centuries. The foundations are strong and it appears to Vere that it wasn't built by engineering, but by making it as strong as possible and hoping it would stay up. So far it has.

It's clearly a working building. Shelves store food and light keeping tools. Raincoats, boots, wood and metalworking tools, and non-perishable foodstuffs are arranged in neatly labelled boxes, as is a liberal supply of wine. The layers of whitewash on the walls are thick.

The lens has a nick in it, which is probably where the keeper cut his hand. It's possible to repair, but not necessary if it doesn't grow larger.

Given the age of the building, it's surprising there aren't more ghosts.

"He almost certainly did not die down here," Vere says. He looks at Robin. "But there is a ghost nearby, and I think I should find it and speak with it before we do anything else."

Robin nods her reluctant agreement. The locals - even if they are dead - are usually where to start an investigation. Investigation - sigh. Ah well, at least her underground-o-phobia seems to be clearing up.

Captain Stern blinks twice. "Your pardon, My Lord, but may I ask a favor? If you would allow me to send my men outside before speaking about this above, it would be helpful. One of my sailors is from the Golden Circle and they have unusual superstitions about the dead."

"Understood, Captain," Vere replies. "Although it might be just as useful to to have him make an inventory of the supplies down here, as I shall be taking this investigation outside the tower. I shall tell the Lady Brita that I wish to do so, and you may assign your men tasks as you will." As he finishes speaking Vere nods to Robin and heads back to the stairs to lead them back to the ground floor room.

Stern nods, once. "As you will, My Lord." He follows Vere up the stairs and, upon arrival, sends his men below to take a full inventory and to build a framework to haul the lens to the top without slicing themselves to bits.

Robin smiles and returns Vere's nod. And covers both men back up the stairs to the waiting First and Brita.

Vere waits silently until the sailors have descended, then turns to Brita. "I shall examine the area outside the lighthouse now," he tells her. "Someone has died, and I wish to find them."

Brita acknowledges that with a nod. She glances at First and then back to Vere. "We will Wait Here in case He is Shy."

Vere nods to Brita, says to Robin, "Follow or stay, as you will, my love," and with a small smile and a slight bow to First he departs the lighthouse.

Robin opens her mouth to speak, but then thinks better of it. She's been snippy around Vere's guests before and it hasn't slowed them down. So her aura or whatever can't be too bad. She nods to Brita, "I've got him," she says with a not-so-subtle beaming expression. 'Cause yeah, she does. And Robin follows Vere out.

Brita watches Vere and Robin leave and then turns to First. "The Light Needs to be Fixed, but Captain Stern and His Men seem to have That in hand. Shall we See If there is Anything left Salvageable in the Cottage?"

Captain Stern nods to Brita and says "My Lady, unless you have need of me, I'll go below and supervise my men." If allowed to leave, he does so.

First looks up at Brita. "It certainly seems better than all of us bedding down on the benches here. I take it you expected to find this lighthouse manned?"

Brita shrugs as she begins to make her way into the other room. "I did Not Expect Much. If Asked, I likely would have Assumed a Light Keeper, but We were Just to Bring You Here." She gestures for First to proceed her into the room. It is unclear if this is just courtesy or not.

"Of course." First leads the way into the house, walking to the windows to let the light in. The storm-shutters keep most light out, as well as water and wind, so the house definitely needs some airing out.

It looks lived in, and abandoned without being properly shut down. There is laundry hanging in the living room and food in the larder.

"Whoever left here did so meaning to come right back," says First. "If we are to stay here any length of time, we'll need to fix it up for ourselves."

Brita nods in response as she begins to poke around. She takes off her long jacket, draping it over a chair, and pushes up her sleeves. She begins pulling down laundry and dumping it in a nearby basket as she asks, "Do You Cook? I know Only how to Roast over an Open Flame and how to Make Porridge." She pauses a moment and then adds "And Mead."

First looks like she wants to say no, but says "Some things," instead. "My lessons were probably similar to yours, in that we were taught to be self-sufficient foragers and not lighthousekeeprs. If we have to subsist on hardtack and dried fish, we may need the sailors to teach us a thing or two."

She peers out the window of the cabin. "Although we might do well with roast goat, and given the flowering plants in the meadow, there are probably honeybees somewhere nearby."

"Honey Mead," Brita nods. "A Good Option." After poking around a bit more she asks casually, "What is Your Purpose, First-to-the-Fray?"

She smiles. "People don't have a purpose, they just are, but they do what they do to achieve some end. If you want to know why I arranged to be captured, it was because I hope to learn how to end this war. To do that I have to speak to the enemy." After a moment she adds, "I hope I am not named, 'she who surrendered for nothing' when I return to my people."

"Peace is Always a Good Purpose," Brita acknowledges. "What do You Think Caused This War and How would You End It?"

"My three step plan is well underway." First ticks off items on her fingers. "First, make contact with the enemy without them or me dying. Second, learn the Amberite parameters for ending the conflict. Third, wing it. Third is somewhere between convince you to accept terms that can be made in line with my people's terms, and give you what you want, depending on the answer to the second point."

She pauses. "It's more a set of operating principles rather than a plan, really."

Brita stops straightening to listen. "Operating Principles," she echoes with a slight frown and then nods. "A Good Set," she says. "You Maintained the First Principle and are Progressing with the Second. Do Your People's Terms Include Access to Airy Tir-na Nog'th? And if So, Why?"

"It's certainly a thing many of our people desire," First agrees. "If we can come up with a way to make that palatable to you, then everyone will be satisfied.

"In a Shadow called 'Morton's Fork', I heard a story of the Sons of Albanactus, a tribe who raised a rebellion and were defeated by their larger cousins to the south. The Sons of Gwytheth passed a law banning the wearing of the distinctive red and black Alban hat. Thousands of Albani, who had never wanted to wear an Albancap, chose to do so in defiance of the law. The cap, which was an annoying fashion of some of the young when the war started, became a symbol of the basic right to exist and be distinct from the Gwythians.

"At this point, I think it is because it is our home, and because being denied it makes it seem more desirable."

Brita nods in understanding, "Being Denied does Tend to Do That. Uncle Loki was Denied Any Leadership Options and Therefore Wanted them All." She cocks her head to the side. "How do Your People Survive in Moonlit Tir when the Moon is Not Present? Has Moonlit Tir Always been so Insubstantial?"

First blinks in surprise. Brita isn't sure she's been surprised before, although some things that happened have left her bemused.

"You don't know? I found some hot chocolate powder. I'm going to make us some for us, and then I'll tell you the tale."

First quickly kindles a fire. Brita thinks it must involve magics, because the fire takes faster than she expected and the water boils in less time than it should. Or that may be normal in this shadow,

First brings two mugs to the couch and sits, placing one where Brita could also sit.

"I can't start at the beginning, because I don't know the beginning. It was a time when the Four Homelands had beat back Chaos, and become secure, and powerful, and arrogant, and when they were not threatened from without fell to arguing amongst themselves and it led to war. The cities were, naturally, balanced, but the Kings had the land-realms and were best prepared to fight, while the Queens had the Air and the Sea and were hard to attack. It went on for a long time, and many died, and the people became exhausted with war.

"It should have stopped, but something in the cities was out of balance, and in the end, King Karol did something that sacrificed his life and tied the Land of Youth, the Dark Sky realm, to the moon. The first time it faded, they say a hundred thousand bodies fell from the city and died in Amber's harbor, sending her entire fleet to troll Rebma. It was said that you could walk from the north harbor to the southern shoals on the bodies of my people that day." First closes her eyes and breathes deeply.

"Our queen could not prevent it, but she could save some of us, by great time magic. We no longer live in Tir-na n'Ogth, but were taken to Ganesh, where we could survive in our way. Not all the people could stand it. A third of the survivors fled, a third died of grief and madness, and of the rest, none were untouched. The queen cried for a year and a day, fading herself like the city, there are stories in some shadows about a queen whose tears turned seawater salty. They are based on her.

"We are not who we once were, and there are not many of us of the next generation, for who would bear a child into a world so full of sorrow? Still, we have enough optimism to try to make things different."

First's mug is still untouched.

Brita has listened with her mug warming her hands. "I Wonder What it would Take to Untie the Dark Sky from The Moon," she finally says as she raises the mug for her first sip. "Or if Restoring Balance would Solve the Problem. Sacrifices of Life are Never Really Helpful, I think. My Da was to Sacrifice his Life for the End of the World but Chose Instead to End the Ender of Worlds."

She nods, and sips her chocolate as well. .So your Mother was of Amber, then not your father? Who said your father was to sacrifice his life? Why did he not do so?"

Brita shrugs from behind a sip of the chocolate. "It was Tradition. All were to Perish with the World-Ending Ragnarok. He Chose a Different Path." Brita sets the mug down. "We Need to Find a Different Path -- How do We Reverse the Curse of Misty TIr Without so much Dying on Either Side of The Family."

First nods. "I do not know, but I wish to find out. Will your uncles allow such a thing, even if it is possible? And what of your people? I am told we are legendarily terrors."

"My uncle Loki is a Terror and Yet He is Family and Still Invited to All the Weddings," Brita stands to rinse her mug out at the sink. "As to My Uncles...," she shrugs again. "Some Will Balk, Others Will See the Wisdom of such a Plan, Still Others will Likely Devise Another Plan. Best to Talk to My Mother first to get Her Take on how Best to Approach her Brothers. The Real Question would be If Your Queen of Tears could be Convinced to See Reason and Play Nice with her Kin."

First thinks for a moment. "For us, that level of division between the rulers would result in an appeal to the Queen. Not literally any more, but by way of a challenge. The High Marshall would officiate, in his capacity as Master of the Lists, and two champions would press their case at arms, with the victor being she who had the Queen's blessing.

"It's only an approximation, since we cannot ask the Queen herself. I believe that in your case your Kings would confer and your nobles would comply. It seems both simpler and more complex than our way."

Brita notes, "Nobles do not Always Comply. Either Way, I am Not Fond of Politics and Often find it Difficult to Understand. It Tends to make me want to be like My uncle Thor and Bash some Sense into People." Brita is silent for a bit and then asks, "You Say you Cannot Ask Your Queen Now, but We have Seen her At Work in Various Forms in Recent Times. Do You have Any Means of Communicating with Her?"

First nods. "There are warriors amongst my people who feel as you do. The extreme ones think that politics is what prevents the strong from dominating the weak. Some think that is bad, but I prefer it that way. It's easy, of course, to be in favor of these things when you're the beneficiary of the system."

She looks around the cottage, gathering her thoughts. "It's complicated. Some say that we haven't communicated with her since we broke out of Tír na hÓige. There are... differences amongst us. Especially between those old enough to have fought in the attempt to break out of the pass in the great wood and those of us who did not.

"This is what I wish to discuss with your Prince and King."

Brita regards First steadily for a moment and then nods as if to herself. "I Believe You. I Will Help you Where I Can. Now, for Dinner..." And Brita begins making preparations for some form of meal.