The camp is near the edge of a vast plains, stretching in one direction as far as the eye can see. The only feature on it is the tall stone tower nearby. Behind the tower a range of mountains juts up, relieving the horizon for the small portion they are allowed to. Given the horses and equipment of the men under Signy's command, they seem to be plainsmen.
It is night, and the stars are visible through the evening sky. There is only a small amount of light from the camp, and as the five walk away from it, they see the stars and moons clearly overhead.
Marius considers several varieties of conversational openers, but discards each one. He is actually trying to look in the places Brennan isn't - straight ahead. He figures Lilly and Signy have the "behind" portion covered.
He holds the hammer somewhat loosely, in a grip designed not to tire his hands, but maintain maximum flexibility. He's ready to charm sentries.
There are no sentries, other than Signy's that were left behind some distance back.
There is a wooden door at the base of the large stone tower.
"That's fake," says Tomat. "When Weyland wants to let someone in, he connects it by sorcery to his real entrance room at the top of the tower."
Marius thinks, "Clever application. We should do the same thing with Trump in this Xanadu place." He resolves to mention it to Ossian.
"I'm going to go with 'politeness' as the order of the day, and still not go barging in without knocking," he mutters. He gives Lilly and/or Marius the fingers-to-eyes, fingers-outward sign to keep on the lookout, then bangs a fist on the door once, twice, three times. He calls out in that surprisingly loud bellow he can summon up at need: "Weyland Smith! I am Sir Brennan, come on behalf of the King of Amber. I bring Dame Lilly, and Sir Marius, and Lady Signy. May we enter?"
Lilly turns to guard their backs. Without thought, she assumes a defensive posture and begins to scan the area. Most of her concentration is directed above and below. Signy's men should be able to spot an attack coming from the more obvious areas on the horizon.
Marius decides to look slightly more casual. He's looking for places where there might be spy-eyes or where a strange master of magic might set up a remote look-out or camera. He wants to make it look like a social call as much as he can, while still being cautious.
The doorway sprouts a mouth, which speaks in a booming voice. "You are welcome to my hospitality, Knights of Amber, if you come under flag of truce. You have with you my daughter, who is in open rebellion against me, her rightful Lord. Are you here as her allies, her prisoners, or her captors?"
Brennan glances over his shoulder, and catches Lilly's eye with an amused glance. Prisoners, indeed. He lets the incorrect title pass.
Lilly allows herself an amused look. Few would have the ability or wits to take all three of them prisoner. Signy is no where near that level, as far as Lilly can determine.
As the voice speaks, Signy scans the surroundings, a slightly bored look on her face.
[I'm using my Third Eye -- anything showing up that shouldn't be there? Are the wards on the Tower showing any unusual signs?]
[To your Third Eye, the tower is a wall of solid whiteness, typical of magically protected towers that have living (or waking undead) Tower Lords in them. You might be able to break it, but doing so would require roughly the same effort as breaching the magical defenses. Also, it's considered rude.]
[Well, yeah, I guess if you want to get all 'Miss Manners' on the subject.... Nobody ever thinks about how hard it is to be all prim-and-proper while conducting vendettas, I tell ya.... And I was more looking to see if there was anything to be concerned about, like "There's a giant hole in the wards."]
"Signy, are you here to return home?"
The doorframe spouts a pair of vaguely bat-like ears.
"The Knights have no conflict with either Weyland or his daughter," Brennan says says quickly before Signy can answer, without the battlefield voice. "And there is news which is not meant for discussion this way. If there is to be a truce, are the following terms acceptable to you both? First, that Signy be allowed to depart at her own will, and second that Signy's forces not attack you or yours for the duration?"
He glances at Signy and Marius. That's probably the best they're going to get at this stage.
Signy watches Brennan as he replies. As he catches her eye after finishing, she gives a little shrug of her shoulders in reply, but doesn't offer any comment.
Marius nods. He gives Signy a bit of a look that, if you could read his mind would say, "Should have eaten your green beans."
"Hmmm. I will agree to these terms. My daughter Signy shall be allowed to depart at her own will and neither Signy nor her forces will attack you or yours for the duration? These terms are conjoined so that if they attack, she is hostage. Very well. If you are bound by those terms, you may enter my tower."
The door swings open and a small antechamber appears beyond. It holds a table and a battered chair, but nothing else. Light pours from a doorway to the north.
It goes without saying that the reverse is true; if Signy is held hostage, then the forces attack. So he doesn't say it. He turns, fixes Signy with a brief don't-screw-this-up stare, then turns back and says, "I agree." Others can dissent if they like.
Others can also stay out in the dark, if they like. Brennan walks in, and waits for a moment to see if Weyland comes out to greet them, inspecting the room as he waits. If not, he goes to but not through the northern door to see what he can see.
He does not, in any case, sit.
Lilly will wait to enter allowing those who wish to enter before her. Her priorities have clearly shifted from defense of the party to meeting, once again, with Weyland. If there is dissent, she is unwilling to discuss alternatives at this point.
Signy's face briefly registers a sour expression, as if she were almost hoping that the answer would be 'No', but she shows no hesitation as she strides into the Tower.
[Marius needs an in or out determination.]
Tomat is a step behind Signy.
As the knights enter, they see a powerfully built man, a man who could be an immortal blacksmith, standing by a fireplace. A window nearby looks out onto a scene that reminds Lilly of the Tecys. He is dressed more appropriately for a manor's lord than a smith.
"Come, knights of Amber, it has been long since such as you sought my hospitality. It is quite possible that I cannot help you, but you are welcome to wine and shelter here."
There is, as Weyland suggested, wine on the table and chairs near the fire. "What brings you here from Oberon's distant realm?"
Marius is just looking at him intensely. He's not sure what he's looking for, whether it's familiar features, or something he thinks his mom would be attracted to, or just some kind of recognition on maybe this Weyland's part towards him. He figures everyone else has some kind of mission they can express.
Marius and Lilly will know how uncharacteristic it is for Brennan to meet someone for the first time under any sort of favorable conditions, and not offer a hand in greeting. Instead, Brennan says in the formal Thari of several centuries ago, learned at some pains by Brand's command: "Many things, Weyland Smith, but let them begin with formal introductions. I am Sir Brennan Brandson, and this is Dame Lilly, Daughter of Benedict, Knights Commander of the Order of the Ruby. We have the privilege to present Lady Signy under terms of truce... and her brother, Sir Marius, Son of Dierdre, Knight Commander of the Order of the Ruby."
Ah yes, the formal Thari. The stilted language that makes everyone who has heard it straighten their posture and mentally curse all the spots on their travelling gear. Also more comprehensible than Uxmali and doesn't require the lozenge.
Brennan inspects everyone he meets carefully. It's the habit of centuries. In this case, he is silently looking for the telltale inhumanities of Chaos. He still does not sit, but he takes a step back and to the side, putting the focus on Marius on Signy. Somehow, while maintaining a perfectly formal stance, he still manages to seem to be leaning against something.
Lilly offers a polite nod when introduced. She watches Weyland carefully as Brennan introduces Marius. Anything she might wish to say will hold for a moment or two. Best not interrupt when a bomb might be about to explode.
As Brennan speaks, Signy moves slightly to one side of the rest of the Amberites. Her arms folded in front of her, she glances around the room, looking for any changes or things horribly out of place.
Weyland makes a rather stiff bow. "Knights and Dames, I greet you in the name of your honored parents and the King of Amber." He looks back at Marius. "Forgive me, Sir Marius, but I knew your mother quite well. Who is your father?"
As Weyland speaks, Signy turns her gaze to him, and a cynical look crosses her face and settles in her eyes. "'Knew your mother quite well?' That's certainly a ... novel way of putting it. Why the sudden coyness?" A smile briefly makes her lips curve, though it's unclear if it's actually humor that makes them move. "You're usually much more direct then that...."
Lilly simply continues to watch the interchange. She finds it to be quite fascinating.
Weyland might have answered Signy, but waits while Marius replies.
Marius smiles faintly. It is the kind of smile that does not reach the eyes. "Frankly, milord, that seems to be in some contention. Information I have used to find my sister indicates that you hold that position." He is not accusing, merely asking. He's going to detach himself from this one as much as he did as an adolescent wondering if any of his mother's paramours might be "the one." Luckily, part of his becoming an adult was to realize that it didn't matter. It doesn't matter. If someone needed to fulfill that role, it was good enough for it to be Caine. There were much worse from which to choose.
"I am, but I was not sure if you knew of it. One approaches a lost son differently if he knows one is his father. When your mother left, you were not yet born. I would look at you." Weyland does just that, looking Marius over from head to foot. "I agreed not to seek you out, but you have found me."
Brennan comprehensively ignores Signy's outburst, and continues to watch Weyland and Marius, impassively.
Marius permits the inspection with as much grace as he can muster. A long breath is released, maybe one that he had been holding for a length of time, relaxing something else within his poise.
"Then I am most glad to meet you," he says, simply. "I worry that my sister's estrangement from you may make things awkward in getting to know the both of you, but where I am not suited to be a bridge there, I hope I can still be of some connection." He looks at Weyland for a moment. "Especially now as our mother is no longer able to assist. I... regret to inform you of her demise."
As Marius and Weyland talk, Signy remains quiet, glancing back and forth between the two of them. As Marius' voice trails off and stops, however, her gaze settles on Weyland, and her face loses its expression of boredom and becomes intent on him.
Lilly spares Brennan a sideways glance but remains quite silent. She can see no point in interrupting. Later, she may feel a bit guilty about the infringement upon something so personal. But for the moment she is too busy enjoying the show.
[Weyland] bites his lips. "I feared such news when I saw your delegation." He sits. "How did she die?" Weyland looks at Signy, trying to gauge her reaction.
Brennan remains quiet, but if Marius looks over in his direction, Brennan will twitch an eyebrow-- a silent offer to tell it, if Marius doesn't wish to do so. Otherwise, he will not interrupt.
[Marius]
Maybe a hint of a head shake. It's easier now. He has a family if
they want him. Things to know, people to see.
The intent look fades from Signy's face, though her gaze never wavers from her father's. Her shoulders sag slightly, as if she'd been holding her breath waiting for Weyland's response. "I know little more then you," she says soberly. Her voice is quiet in the tower room, and is verging on being too faint to hear. "She died in a fight with Chaos."
"That is where, but not how," Marius says, with just a mournful hint in his voice. "I choose to believe it was a vengeful accident. A moment of opportunity turned tragedy." He takes a breath. "She was pulled down into the Abyss," and that does warrant a capital letter. "The perpetrator was brought down as well, but there is, to my knowledge, no return from that particular journey."
He turns ever so slightly to include Signy. "She had made many plans, and I believe having us meet was within them. She suggested that my sister was in imminent danger, but that knowledge is unset in time; it could be a passing one, or even one set up for future issue. While I do not believe," and now there's a genuine smile that slides across his face, "Signy to be in any need of rescue by someone such as I, I could not leave her to imprisonment or ignorance." The smile turns a little, as if Signy had left enough words spoken and unspoken to make some suggestions as to exactly those threats.
[Weyland] sits straighter. "I suppose that as she is dead, she can be forgiven for interfering in my daughter's education. Still, it was her choice and she always did manage to have things her way. Did Oberon send you to tell me this or is that news merely unhappy coincidence?"
Marius tries hard not to laugh aloud at the, "she always did manage to have things her way."
Lilly decides to try to steer the group from what could become a marathon bickering session between father and daughter. "After taking your leave earlier, my path crossed that of not only your daughter, but of my brother Knights. A situation arose and we wanted to ensure your safety. Beyond that, I believe we three have different agendas." She falls silent to measure his reaction to her words. First and foremost, she needs to be certain that he remembers their earlier meeting. If not, things will certainly become more interesting.
Signy's gaze does not waver from Weyland's. "'Interfering'? She may have left and kept me ignorant of my heritage, but you certainly did nothing to help that, either."
He looks her way. "You're not ready. It's self-evident." Then his gaze returns to the knights.
The expression on Signy's face continues to be mild, but a hint of sharpness creeps into her voice. "How are your Dvarts doing, by the way?"
His smile is almost reptilian. "Recovering nicely, thanks to this truce. Thank you for asking."
Signy says nothing in reply, but merely gives a feral grin in response, her eyes wandering over as if she could see through the section of wall that blocks her sight of the main Dvart encampment.
Brennan's brow raises, fractionally; he had not expected Lilly to enter into the conversation. He does nod in agreement, but doesn't add anything at the moment.
Marius nods as well. "I hoped it was pleasant circumstance that had brought us together, but there are parables that end, `Three is enemy action,' and I believe it was made with us in mind." He smiles. "Have you been newly acquainted with the being no longer known as Hob?"
"Did it change? I'm impressed if you damaged it so much. Creatures of Chaos are from such a protean background that they hold onto their identity above all. That's correct, Tomat?"
Tomat looks surprised to be noticed, much less singled out. "That is what they say, Oh, Lord of the Tower."
"Sit, Tomat, I see where your loyalties lie, but we are under flag of truce." He turns to the knights. "And you wanted to warn me of his new course? I thank you for that, although not for damaging him. He was sturdier than my other servitors and harder for the barbarians to kill."
"Lilly's tale I know, the child of my student Mallet. Marius, I hope to spend much time learning, and his choice to come here seems obvious. And yourself, Sir Brennan? What use do you have for an old Smith?" Weyland does not look in the least old.
"A crucial piece of information which no one has yet volunteered, Lord Weyland, is that once-Hob has a new identity not because essence has been subtracted from it, but because it has been added in sufficient quantity to change its nature. Where the new creature is gone, we do not yet know. Marius, Signy, and Lilly drove it off before I arrived," Brennan says. "On the whole, I think I would have preferred the other course. I do not believe it is bound to anything, now."
At Brennan's words, Signy's lips twitch, showing a brief hint of satisfaction, before fading back into a bland mien.
[Brennan]
"As for me, I come on behalf of the King of Amber, and on a private
mission. Amber has a Dragon problem, and I am sent to learn the best
method of fighting it. As the crafter of Greyswandir, Werewindle, and
other miracles, I could not fail to seek your counsel."
Crafter of Greyswandir and Werewindle? Moments ago, Lilly regarded the Smith as a respected elder. This news, provided that it is true, elevates him to god-status as far as she is concerned. There is no hiding the intense interest that has settled across her features as she leans in a bit closer to hear Weyland's response.
Marius smiles at Brennan's comment about the, "not yet volunteered," but doesn't take the parting shot as bait for discussion. He's as content as a mad scientist might be at discovering that their creating a monster worked, but, yes, it was a monster.
He looks interested in regards to the "Dragon Problem," but does not seem as impressed about the swords, if only because of ignorance. He has nothing particular to say, although he does give Signy a somewhat significant sympathetic look when Weyland suggests she's as yet not "ready" for her heritage.
If Signy notices Marius' look, she does a good job at not displaying a public acknowledgement of it.
Weyland smiles at Brennan, "Ah, you know more than you said! It is almost universal in this room, I think." His eyes flick to Signy and then back to Brennan.
Brennan raises his chin fractionally, but the grandson of Oberon and Clarissa does not dispute this.
Heck, Marius is pleased to be put in that light.
"Your father was never this interested in practicalities." The light in the room dims slightly and Weyland leans towards Brennan. "If you cannot gain one of those blades, or the lost one of Rebma, then I cannot help you. It takes a Pattern with a ruler who will cooperate with me in the making of it."
The hesitation before Brennan responds is only just above the threshold of perception, but it is there-- he's already learned at least one important thing, and taken a moment to process it before continuing. "The King sent me without the particular benefit of his own knowledge," Brennan says, "for reasons such as he saw fit. I suspect I may yet benefit by a deeper discussion with you on the finer arts, even if Amber herself does not."
He glances from side to side, particularly at Signy and Marius, "But I would not interrupt the first meeting between a father and his son with matters of state. I can await a moment of greater convenience." Brennan twitches his shoulders, as if to decide whether to say more, and the long, narrow case that he hasn't yet taken off his back moves in sympathy. "And there is also a personal matter."
Marius smiles. "I would not know how to act, having never attended such a meeting myself," he admits. "I had given up the concern, and in that, perhaps I had never considered the responsibility of being that son. I might have questions if I had ever thought to be able to ask them, but instead I am moved by the needs of the minute. Are our realms safe? Will the new Cloudeater-of-Hob attack here or move towards others? Are the Knights of my choice behaving? My future worries, such as will I need to cross my father to bring my sister knowledge of the other side of her heritage are only less pressing because the moment demands different knowledge."
A thousand questions parade through Lilly's mind, demanding answers. Still she is patient. There will be time or so she hopes. For now, she slips back into thoughtful silence as she waits to hear what new revelations will come.
Weyland's glance crosses all four of the younger Amberites. "Do not concern yourself with the rock creature. I will have my due from him or from his master, the king of such people."
Marius looks excited at this, anticipatory in a cat seeing a fat mouse with a limp kind of way.
He turns to Marius, "As for your sister, she has not listened to my teachings since before she spurned her fiance and came back to lay siege to me in my own home. You should be careful about adopting problems. She is likely to be ungrateful." Weyland turns to Brennan without pausing. "I suspect that our reunion will be either a long one or quite short. What matter do you refer to?"
Marius looks as if he would respond, but as Weyland continues with Brennan, he demurs for the moment, looking only to Signy to verify or refute.
Noticing Marius' gaze, Signy's shoulders lift slightly in a shrug, a look of frustration struggling to burst out on her face.
Brennan takes absolutely no part in the byplay between Weyland, Signy, and Marius. Even the flicker of an eyebrow at the mention of Signy's fiance is ruthlessly suppressed. Instead, having left the conversational door open, he soldiers on. He takes the long, slender case from his back, and places it on the table, and opens it.
Inside is a blade that Lilly saw broken, not too long ago. The shards are arranged above the hilt carefully, preserving the shape of the blade that was, bound down with thin, strong cords. "I have also turned my hand to the craft, Master Weyland. This is one such, that has served me well for centuries, even to the ends of the world, and beyond. And then it met a better blade." He gestures at the result. The inference is obvious.
Lilly steps forward for a better look. The sight of a dead body would have been less disturbing.
"I cannot today forge the equal of the blade my Uncle has broken it with... but I can remake this one. It has a sentimental value. I ask, not for assistance, nor even advice-- though either I should surely accept-- but only the signal honor of working your forge while we discuss other matters." Brennan looks up, again, still knowing much more than he says, perhaps expecting a negotiation.
Marius suppresses a chuckle.
Taking her gaze from the sword, Lilly looks into Weyland's face. She is not sure what she expects to find there and yet she is certain this moment will define her opinion of the man.
As Brennan puts the sword on the table, Signy gives up her postion near the fringes of the conversation to get a better look at the blade on the table. Her face becomes intent and focused on the blade, studying the blade as intently as a craftsman.
[Anything noteworthy about the blade?]
[Signy: Nothing you've ever seen could break this blade, except another its equal that also was broken, and even then the wielders would break first. It's not quite as good as your father's best, but it's good. And it's not as good as the blades he calls his masterworks. Also, some reasonably large pieces are missing. And it doesn't seem to be enchanted, not in any serious way.]
Weyland looks at the shards, not touching them at first. He pulls a knife and cuts a fragment free and holds it up to the light, then to his nose, then to his tongue.
Marius' inner feral kitty approves.
"Three swords I made that were better than this, of which one was lost and another is no more, if the news I have heard is correct. A fourth I failed at and the fifth I will never try. They can only break if they are turned against their master."
Marius' inner feral kitty watches the little mousie.
[Weyland] looks at Brennan, weighing him in his mind as if he is a slab of metal. "I can help you re-forge this sword, but it will never be able to best a king's blade." He turns back to the broken metal. "I traditionally ask for a term of apprenticeship from those who wish to work with me, but perhaps not in this case. What payment do you offer, Brennan Brandsson?"
Signy glances as Brennan. "Some pieces are missing -- did you leave them in whomever broke this?" She studies the sword briefly, before glancing up at her father, a look of intense curiosity in her voice.. "If you need to replace those pieces that are missing, will the whole be as strong as it was?" A look of consideration crosses Signy's face, as she clearly considers saying more, but whatever she had to say she thinks better of, and the look passes.
If Weyland's comments seem excessive or overstated, Brennan is insufficiently modest to say anything about it. The ghost of a smile passes over Brennan's face, as he says, "Had I time enough and leisure, Master Weyland, I might have been willing to apprentice. As it is..." he gives a slight shrug. "Amber's problems are many, and unwilling to wait for me."
"And Xanadu's problems just beginning," Marius mentions under his breath. Another vote for the volcano idea.
"It is difficult to offer payment when I do not know what you need... but... there is a thought. Weyland, may I ask the nature of your relationship to King Oberon, if any?"
Marius inwardly winces.
Lilly's question go unspoken. She really wants to know how the blade was broken. And she also wants to know more of the mythical blades Weyland has created. At the moment though, she senses (rather then knows) it would be rude to interrupt, so she waits patiently.
Marius glances at Lilly, but instead of saying something also waits patiently.
"The late King? I made a sword for him once."
Weyland turns to Signy. "How do you think we could best repair it, assuming we pool our talents and have a strong apprentice to hand to pump the bellows?"
Signy continues to look at the pieces laid out before everyone, deep in thought. One hand reaches out to idly poke at and shift around a couple of the smaller pieces. "Joining the pieces that are here together wouldn't be too hard -- between the two of us, we could certainly remind the metal of its former shape, and get what's there to rejoin itself as if it has never been broken." She idly traces the outline of one of the missing pieces. "For the missing pieces, you could make something about the right size, and I could try to join them, though I'd be afraid that if the joining wasn't exact, that the blade would shatter even against lesser blades."
Her voice trails off, and her brows furrow in thought, as she continues to trace out the missing piece.
Brennan watches in amused silence as, "I'd like to use your forge while we talk," has become an almost endearing research project between father and daughter. He carefully does not smirk.
"The blade was not shattered by ordinary means," Lilly offers. "But I am certain you realize that." The last is directed to Weyland.
She then turns to Brennan, "I understand sentiment. Perhaps too well," her hand pats the hilt of her own blade and she shrugs slightly. "But I also understand practicality. Fixing this blade is not practical. Unless, there is something more to it." Lilly's tone is gentle. More then anything, she is simply trying to understand.
"I might just be a stubborn, stubborn old man, Lilly, unwilling to part with something that's served me well," he says. But the lights lurking behind the jewels of his eyes hint otherwise.
Marius smiles. "I am attached to my weaponry by reasons less of sentiment than practicality; they are what I know best. I have heard tales, of course, of enchanted weapons, and they seem to me to be like children: mixed blessings with too many ties to your soul." He tests the words out and decides he likes them.
Hmm...," hmms Weyland. "Depends on the enchanter. And the soul. I don't believe in such, so it's no worry for me."
He turns to Brennan. "Do you have the rest?"
"No. They were destroyed after the fact, by Sorcery. This sword, much though I might wish otherwise, cannot be repaired exactly as it was. Not exactly. But I didn't say I wanted to repair it. I said I wanted to remake it: Melt the pieces down. Add enough new material to make up the loss. Make a new blade, quite similar to the other, and affix to the hilt. It won't be exactly the same, but the... soul... of the blade will remain, if you will. The memories of its past." He's teasing someone with that choice of words. Who, exactly, might not be obvious.
"And besides, I know more about metalwork now than when I made that one. I can make it better."
Signy looks sideways at Brennan, but doesn't offer a comment at this.
"Good enough to slay a Dragon?" Marius asks. His smile is both teasing and speculative.
Signy waits for Brennan's response, clearly interested in this new conversation.
Clearly, this comment peaks Lilly's interest as well. Evidently, not much had changed in her absence. Somehow, she wishes it had. Still, dragon slaying is a fine job for a night... in the right instances.
"So, you're here for a dragon-slaying sword? Depends on the dragon, of course. Prince Corwin once asked me about that..." He looks over the blade. "You're sure you want to add material? Not make it smaller or put in some open regions? How well can you match what we have?"
"I was sent for whatever information I could find on dealing with the problem. Killing it does, I admit, satisfy my desire for permanent solutions. My life is too long to fight the same wars over and over again." He cocks an eyebrow, considering, "Is such a thing even possible, without going to the lengths to which Corwin has gone?"
Weyland starts to speak, but then lets Brennan continue.
"And my instinct is to add material. I'd not lightly brush aside the advice of a Master," he says, "but the old shape pleased me." And then, almost as though an afterthought, and therefore almost certainly not: "And before we go further, I should ask if we are speaking in confidence or not."
Lilly finds the timing of the question most interesting. Especially since it is coupled with talk of Dragons and magic swords. She maintains her silence, allowing the smith to answer.
Signy's eyes narrow slightly, as she mulls over Brennan's choice of words, and she seems to consider who it might apply to.
Marius looks around as if to say, "Well, unless the chair is a shapeshifter," with a hint of sarcasm, but then his eyes narrow as if that exact thought had crossed his mind. He doesn't even look at Tomat. "State secrets?" he asks Brennan, repeating the phrase (although not being a modern politician, Marius' idea of what it means is probably a lot different...)
Weyland laughs. "Are you speaking in confidence when you speak to your uncles? I generally keep my own counsel unless I judge that I should not. About your retainers and allies, I cannot answer. From whom do you wish the conversation kept?"
There is small humor in Brennan's eyes, especially if Lilly or Marius or even Signy meet his glance, but he certainly doesn't join in the laughter. He doesn't even bother looking in Tomat's direction. "That Knights are asking Weyland about Blades of Order? No one. I wanted to establish the parameters of the conversation, before it went further, which seemed wise to me.
"So. Is such a thing even possible, without going to the lengths to which Corwin went?"
"There are dragons and Dragons, Sir Knight of Amber. A lesser one may be hundreds of feet long, breathe fire, fly, and be able to out cast and out-think most mortals. A greater one may be more important than that. There are places where a dragon is the spine of the world, and killing it would kill the world.
"There are worlds enough, and more, in Shadow," Brennan says, verbally brushing off the ethical ramifications of the destruction of an entire shadow. "I believe this Dragon to be primal. It is always possible I am wrong." Of course, it's always possible for Benedict to lose a fight, too.
"You could find what Corwin found: there is another masterless sword, but no one has seen it for millennia. Its master let it be buried with its bearer, out of grief, and now she, too is dead and the burial place long forgotten. But there is a third blade."
That interests Brennan more than the reputed importance of the Dragon. "You imply Corwin's blade was not forged for him alone," he says, and then a half-beat later, a penny seems to drop somewhere in Brennan's mind. "I had heard nothing of masterless blades, before today. Who bore it?"
Signy's pretenses at being a disinterested observer has gradually fallen by the wayside, and she watches the back and forth between Brennan and her father with a mixture of fascination at the things hinted at, and frustration at not knowing enough to understand what they're talking about.
Marius changes his mind about not having anything to add. "And what does it take to master such a blade?" he asks.
A look of pure delight dances in Lilly's eyes. Owning such a blade... commanding that sort of power... it was something she dared not hope for. Yet, as it seems now, it is indeed possible. Perhaps not now, not right at this moment but she could wait. For that she could wait.
"Cneve bore my greensword, naming it Belagamon the Sea Sword. It was his death with Belagamon that brought his father into the battles in Rebma." Weyland looks at Marius, as if seeing him for the first time. "Mastering the blade? A simple matter. One must learn from it a true name. It is different for each true bearer."
Marius smiles. He's asked the question and opened the dialogue. There's so much to learn!
[Signy isn't sure of the details, but it's very likely that there's some sort of commitment involved in getting a true name from such a weapon.]
Signy looks at her father, her eyes narrowed slightly as she works something out.
"So, what enforces the commitment that gets made?"
"A very interesting question," Lilly cedes. "I would be interested to know more about this third blade. Perhaps that is a conversation best left for a private moment, however. I'm afraid I might bore my companions with the questions I wish to ask."
Marius shakes his head. "Anything you want to learn is a story I haven't heard, and thus, one that may start others." He means it.
Brennan watches them all, but since they're asking questions he also wants answers to, says nothing. He does, now, spare a glance at Tomat.
Tomat looks like he's memorizing turns of phrase and inflections, and generally trying to hear and not be seen.
Weyland looks at Lilly. "Ask away. If the conversation pales for any," he says, looking at Signy, "they can retire to the anteroom to wait upon more interesting topics. The swords are my highest achievement and unparalleled. I will not pretend modesty, for that is it's own form of vanity. What would you know of my art?"
"The first is a question of art," Lilly says with a sense of both interest and pleasure. "You say there are three blades and they are, in your own words, your highest achievement. Earlier though, you mentioned that you would not attempt a fifth. So my question comes down to this... Why?
"Obviously there is far more to crafting them then the average sword or even, for that matter, a magnificent sword. I understand that one must know the true name but the sword must first acquire it. Does that mean that the sword acquires something akin to a soul in the creation process? And if so, is that the part that keeps you from creating a fifth blade?"
"And," Marius says, thinking of himself, and, well, his mother, as he often does, "need they be swords, or even blades?"
Brennan chooses not to distract Weyland with a third question, as those already asked are ones to which he'd like to hear the answer.
Signy keeps her gaze level and focused on Weyland, ignoring his jibe. "Come, Father, don't be coy. The blade gives, but also takes."
Weyland doesn't even look at Signy. "Quiet child, I'm talking to the adults. Listen to them and learn."
Marius smiles a kind of tight smile that says everything he needs to say on that.
Although Brennan has a knack of watching everything at once, he-- briefly-- seeks out Signy's eyes. For just a moment, there is more sympathy in his look than anyone might have expected. Even more rarely for Brennan, empathy. Then it's gone, before Weyland can look up and see it. He just shakes his head, almost imperceptibly.
Signy's lips purse downward in a frown, and she glances away from Weyland briefly. She meets Brennan's eyes for a moment, and he can see the irritation clearly in them, before she turns her attention back to Weyland. She crosses her arms in front of her, not quite masking her continued irritation.
"Of course they need to be swords, for I am a swords-smith. Souls are a figment of the imagination of shadows and beneath the consideration of such as we. Swords have neither souls nor goals nor desires, but are tools which can be better or worse for their intended purposes. In this they are less troublesome than shadows, if less generally useful."
Lilly's lips curl into an expression that could more or less be considered a smirk. Weyland could be Family. He certainly answers questions in the same clear manner her father employs.
"And I will not create the last blade because having failed at the fourth I know I have not the skill to make the ultimate blade, nor do I know if it is needed, nor have I been invited to by he who would have to do so.
Brennan still doesn't bother to interrupt, but each word is being stored away for later use.
As Weyland notes swords not having goals nor desires, she snorts derisively. "Keep dancing, Father," she says in a tone of mocking politeness. She looks at Marius and Lilly with an appraising eye, as if trying to decide if their interest in these blades will lead them to ask more pointed questions.
"Define need," Lilly says her eyes never wavering from Weyland. "There is a dragon to slay, a city to move, and more blood vendettas within my family line then I care to know about. Certainly there are those who would argue need for any one of those reason. And I am not a he, but I am a she, and I tell you now, that I would posses such a blade were it within my grasp." She shrugs.
"Perhaps that makes me too hungry for power. Honor has a way of falling prey to corruption and pride makes one vulnerable. Such a tool, no doubt, carries with it an invitation to fall into the darkest pit of pure evil. And yet it is a risk I would take for the sake of righteousness."
Weyland frowns. "No, it doesn't. The swords are not made for heros and protectors, but for the kings they would protect; the kings and queens of the true cities along the Faiella-Bionin and what lies within the crown they form. If such a thing could cause one to fall, would not Prince Corwin have fallen from wielding the Moon Sword of Queen Maeve for so many years?"
Marius represses a snort, but if someone could read his mind at that moment, he was thinking, "Great, another woman."
He looks Lilly up and down. "You may have the mettle, child of Benedict and Mallet. Find a sword and take it, or find a King and have him come pay my price."
"I will do that," Lilly promises. A lost green sword or a King of Xanadu. There are options. And they must be explored before all else.
For much of the recent conversation, Brennan has been very obviously paying attention, but also surveying that internal storage space where he packs away various bits of trivia with sharp edges, and long standing discussions and arguments. The notion of Lilly taking Greyswandir from Corwin doesn't even merit an ironic smirk.
Then he looks up from his thoughtspace at Weyland and asks: "And the fourth failed. Why? What was different?"
As Brennan asks his question, Signy regards him with a thoughtful look momentarily, before looking back at her father with an amused glint in her eyes.
And thoughts of glory flee from Lilly's mind as she turns to listen. Perhaps the game of words is over. Or perhaps it only begins. Either way, now is the time to uncover as many truths concerning these mythic blades as possible. Daydreams can wait. For now, it is best to be prepare.
"And who invites the swordsmith? Does he work under the aegis of another, or just for those who offer him the challenge and price? Should I out and out ask what our mother asked for, or shall we get to know each other better first, so that I do not ascribe a hasty judgment and find myself on Signy's side of your disgruntlement?" Marius asks, quietly, with a patient smile.
Weyland is about to respond when a large floating head appears in the middle of the table.
"Brennan, it's Ambrose and Ossian. We need to talk. It's about Dara,"
[Those who would recognize Ambrose do recognize Ambrose.]
Weyland looks annoyed.
Marius smothers a startled chuckle.
As the face appears, Signy gives a start, and then her brow furrows in concentration as she opens her Third Eye to see what is going on. As she notes the look on Weyland's face, she smiles sweetly without taking her attention from the head. "Very nice Wards, Father."
"Not Trump," Marius murmurs, half-question, half-determination.
Brennan addresses the floating head in a tone of clinically detached, perfectly frictionless neutrality. "Please bide a moment, brother. The Master Smith was about to answer a question on the subject of Ordered blades, and it would be unforgiveable not to hear him out. Then I will join you."
Brother? Marius files that one away, as well as mentally taking a picture of Ambrose.
A lesser man would succumb to the temptation to physically shoo Ambrose's head out of the way. Perhaps with the footman's hammer resting on the floor next to him. Brennan is not a lesser man, nor does he believe the floating head is corporeal, anyway.
Brennan gives Weyland the full weight of his considerable attention.
There is a outward complete lack of reaction on Lilly's part, though that in and of itself might indicate something. She follows Brennan's lead and turns her full attention back to Weyland. The 'I'm going with you' discussion with Brennan can wait a few moments.
[Marius] awaits the end of the interruption with considerable patience, smiling at his father with mischief in his expression.
Weyland smiles. "I don't even remember the question, and I'd much rather hear your family gossip. Dara is Borel's daughter, of Chaos, is she not? Speak on, Magister Ambrose!"
"Yes, if you want to assign a gender to it. That would make Madoc her 'uncle,'" Brennan says distractedly. Let Weyland wonder how much he knows, how much Signy knows, and what the two have said to each other. He looks like he's going to say more, until Signy speaks.
If anything, Signy's voice oozes even more sugar then before. "I believe we were talking about the sword you tried to make that broke."
Ambrose looks at Brennan.
As Brennan finishes, Signy gives both him and Weyland an expressionless look, though she doesn't say anything else.
"Perhaps there are connections," Marius tries reason, or at least, the appearance of being reasonable. "After all, what lies beneath Rebma may also break, the way Xanadu ascends over Amber." Yes, yes, he's expecting the withering, "State Secrets I Said!" stare.
Brennan's posture shifts to someone who is already leaving, but he addresses Ambrose's head, saying precisely, "Tell me just one more thing: who else is waiting there?" If that sentence were in Uxmali, it'd be centered on the glyph meaning, 'just one.'
"Ossian and Brita and I are in a place belonging to our Aunt Fiona."
After a moment, Ambrose adds, "And someone else has just joined us. I'm afraid I don't know him."
After another moment, he adds, "Martin." It even has something of Martin's inflection.
Ever the mathematician, Brennan does a quick sum and doesn't even blink. To Ambrose, he says, "I see. Bring me through."
[Assuming Ambrose can do so, and does...]
To Weyland and the rest, he says, "Please excuse me. I'll return, one way or another."
"I would be interested in joining you," Lilly says directly to Brennan. "I have something of a vested interest in this matter." She will respect his wishes but it is clear that she truly desires any and all knowledge she can acquire concerning Dara.
"Whereas I only have the interest any Knight has in the protection of the Realms," Marius says, dismissing the thought. Too many Commanders spoil the brew, and he has reasons to remain, if only to bring Brennan through once more. Of course, where Brennan got Marius' Trump...well, questions for later. "Should another hand or perspective be needed, I am at your beck and call," he suggests, both to Lilly and Brennan, but more the latter.
He glances at Signy, as if to ask, "Will we be OK left alone with this mad smith?"
As Brennan and Lilly talk about heading out, Signy's face takes on a distracted frown, clearly thinking over her next move.
Ambrose's hand appears beside his head and moves downwards in a rough line, causing no visible effect. He stares at a place in space where for a moment, a place where he clearly expected something, but nothing is there.
Weyland grins, lizardlike, at his daughter, and makes a brief pass with his hands. "Again, Master Magister."
Ambrose, still slightly flustered by his unexpected failure, repeats his motion, and a cool breeze comes through the rip in space that appears from his ghostlike index finger.
All this, Brennan watches with the palpable impassivity that comes from an Amberite hiding his opinions on some or all present. When the veil is properly parted, Brennan steps through.
Through the gap is a room in a place with a cooler climate than the Plain of Towers. Ambrose is there, and behind him are Martin and Brita. If there are others in the room, they are out of the direct line of sight.
[Exit Brennan, veil left.]
As Lilly and Brennan make their way through, something in Signy's eyes hardens, and takes on a purposeful air. Moving swiftly, she catches Marius' arm and gives a pull as she takes off in the direction of the rift [though if Marius resists, Signy will drop the arm and keep moving]. As she moves, Marius can hear her mutter softly "This time, the Devils I don't know."
If Tomat catches her eyes, she flicks her head towards the rift.
Signy steps to the rift between rooms and attempts to step through, when the young man whose face appeared earlier, the mage, intercepts her. "Brennan, someone's trying to follow you through the Parted Veil," he says over his shoulder. Another of the strangers is aware of her attempt to follow, and it looks like he's preparing to act if she's hostile.
Grabbing at Marius's arm, she tugs him a step or two towards the rift, giving Brother Tomat a pointed look before attempting to enter the rift. She pauses partway in the rift, held up as the Mage that opened the rift holds up his hand to bar her entry. Brennan turns and places himself in front of the rift as Signy's path is unbarred, and she continues through the rift into the other place, coming up short in front of Brennan.
Marius allows himself to be pulled with an amused smile directed hastily towards his father.
Tomat follows, and through the closing rift, Weyland's face can be seen, smiling to himself.
Last modified: 23 April 2007